Akhal-Teke Horse Canada is going to be the official name of this association, which Argamak Stud Canada is sponsoring in its development. The paperwork is in process now in order to make this breed association official.

Join now for $20 for now through 2009 and be included in setting up a great organization!! You don’t need to own an Akhal-Teke or be in Canada to join. The common vision is a love of Akhal-Tekes!

We are also going to change the url from http://CATHA.ca to http://Akhal-Tekes.ca

Send in stories and photographs about your Akhal-Tekes and partbreds and let us know what you are doing!!

 

The early Chinese called the Turkoman horses “Heavenly Horses.” Legend has it that one Han emperor called a campaign in which he had lost eighty thousand soldiers a success, because it had resulted in the capture of twenty heavenly horses. The mounts of Genghis Khan, Amir Timur, Darius and Alexander the Great are also reported to have been Akhal-Tekes and Marco Polo inscribed his admiration of the Persian horses in his travel books. The Akhal-Teke is a direct descendant of the famous horses of the Massagetae, the Bactrians and the Alans. In ancient Persia these horses were known as Nisaean and several centuries later as Parthian (more information). Whatever they are called these horses were always spoken of as the best in the world, with the Russians loving naming them their “divine Argamaks”. (MAAK)

 

The area changed languages, cultures, ideals and arts, but one thing remained the same — every culture which came into contact with the Turanian Thoroughbred recognized him for what he was; a horse of unsurpassed speed and nearly unbelievable endurance; a horse of keen intelligence, an abiding loyalty to its keeper, and almost complete fearlessness in battle. Every culture which took over Central Asia, no matter what else they changed, carefully preserved the Turanian Thoroughbred, breeding him pure and training him with such devotion that he became the standard of wealth, the means of livelihood, and the most enduring source of pride for all those whose lives he touched.       from the Turanian Horse

 

Following the annexation of Turkmenistan by Russia (see more on the Great Game) the Akhal-Tekes perhaps underwent there greatest trial as a breed under Bolshevism when private ownership was made illegal and the horses were placed in state-owned stud farms. Many tribesmen fled with their beloved horses to Persia and Afghanistan. When it was later decreed that the horses in the stud farms were to be slaughtered for food, breeders released them into the desert, saving the Akhal-Teke from extinction in their own land. Unfortunately many were destroyed. Remaining horses were mainly used for cross-breeding.

Faced with probable extinction of the purebred blood lines a group of breeders staged a “race” from Ashkhabad to Moscow, to convince Stalin that the breed should be preserved. Twenty-eight horses participated, including purebred Akhal-Tekes, Anglo/Akhal-Teke crosses, and a few Iomuds, traveled 4,300 km in 84 days, and at one point had to cross 360 km of desert without water, which all did within three days. The best-conditioned horses at the finish were the Akhal -Teke stallions Arab and Al Sakar. Although the Iomuds did nearly as well, the Anglo crosses could not keep up with the purebreds.

   

The studbook was initiated in the 1930s by the All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Horse Breeding (VNIIK). It starts with Boynou (born 1885), Sultan Guli and Chopar Kel’s lines among others. These three stallions are considered to be the progenitors of all modern registered Akhal-Tékés (other lines having now disappeared). The studbook is currently maintained by MAAK under Doctor Tatiana Riabova.

Read more about Akhal-Tekes and their history:

The Turanian Horse Website
The purebred Akhal-Teke horse and it’s influence on other pure bred breeds, by Alexander Klimuk
A Light out of the Darkness of Centuries, Dr. Tatiana Riabova
Brocéliande Akhal-Téké Stud (French)
Auf den Spuren des Achal-Tekkiners (German)
The Golden Horses of Turkmenistan, by Jonathan Maslow
About the breed, by the Czech Achal Teke Association
About Akhal-Teke Horses, by Tito Pontecorvo

Old days, there was a slim, golden-bay Akhal-Teke stallion called Akhale and no one horse could beat him during a race. It was decided to compete Akhale and a falcon. Thousands of people gathered from around the world to witness the unique competition. The owner of the falcon and the bay stallion stood at the top of the hill. The falcon and Akhale started the race at the same moment. Like an arrow flew the golden-bay stallion by the astonished viewers leaving the falcon far behind. Since that time Akhal-Teke stallions are often given names of birds…
from Golden horses of Asia

1. Grading

I would like to propose to our new national organization that we grade objectively based on the results of each horse in competition.
World championships in any discipline (ie: halter, hunter, endurance, eventing…) are worth the same points for outcomes right down to local show points.

2. Registration of Horses

We recognize MAAK and use their studbook.
As there is a problem with communication with MAAK I thought we should have our own Canadian registry and recognize foals out of parents registered by MAAK.

Recognize part-breds as Canadian Sport Tekes?? or…

3. Website currently: http://catha.ca

ideas for new domain? (CATHA stands for the Canadian Akhal-Teke Horse Association, but we have decided on Akhal-Teke Canada instead.)

Set up a wiki, open or closed, for discussion on the catha site.
Any other suggestions appreciated

4. Promotion

For those in AB – what about organizing for Akhal-Teke Canada to be in the Stampede parade next year
– Spruce Meadows breed event, eventually battle of the breeds

for BC – the Mane Event in the fall

in general – parades, local exhibitions/fairs; other suggestions?

a banner would be a good idea for id promotion at events.

so… dues? Or just people participating pay for entry fees to these events themselves?

or perhaps Akhal-Teke Canada…

So far there are four farms that have Akhal-Tekes in Canada. There is also a partbred yearling on Vancouver Island. We hope that this site will bring together all those who own Akhal-Tekes in Canada as well as to let Canadians know what amazing, and versatile, horses they are!

Drop us a line and lets start routing for Canadian Akhal-Tekes!!