When the dust settles and Arabian horse enthusiasts start tallying up the wins from the 2008 U.S. National Championship Show, *Khadraj NA (*Ponomarev x Khatreena NA by Padron), will be near the top of the champion-producing sire list. But that really comes as no surprise. The 17-year-old chestnut stallion has been a mainstay in the winner’s circle, first with his own career, and now as the sire of winning get.
Besides the wins at the most recent gathering of top-notch Arabian horses, the stallion’s influence over the breed is reverberating around the world as the mares he is producing are claiming the most coveted competition titles, making *Khadraj NA a force not just in the current show ring, but solidifying his impact on the breed for years to come.
Let’s start with the mares. In his early years, just to provide an idea of the scope and timelessness of the “*Khadraj ladies,” he sired NNL Emerald Bey, a Canadian Reserve National Champion, NNL Scandal Nashana, Brazilian Junior Champion Filly and FAF Victoria, UK International Junior Champion Filly. And that’s just a handful. Fast forward to present day, and *Khadraj NA mares could be considered the most elite in the world, both in terms of the titles they are amassing, and in the top dollars being paid for them.
Kharrea PGA, a three-year-old mare out of Gai Portia, earned the highest score at the 2008 Arabian Breeders World Cup in Las Vegas with Andy Sellman at the lead. She went on to be named 2008 U.S. National Champion Arabian Futurity Filly with David Boggs. A long time supporter of *Khadraj and his offspring, Boggs says the *Khadraj fillies have a unique look. “I think one of *Khadraj’s greatest attributes is that he passes on laid back shoulders and great length of neck. I’ve seen many of his offspring in South America and I can’t say enough great things about *Khadraj. He really is the best of the best. I’m crazy about him. Both Kharrea PGA and Kharmel are incredible fillies.”
Kharmel BR, owned by Anthony and Denise Marino, was the 2008 Scottsdale Champion in the Arabian Breeding 4-Year-Old Mare class, following up her 2007 Reserve Champion Junior Mare title at the U.S. Nationals. She is by SF Georgia.
Another half-sister, Broken Promises PGA (*Khadraj NA x Promise V), was named U.S. Reserve Champion Junior Mare. Led by Keith Krichke and owned by Whiterock Ranch LLC, she was also the 2007 Canadian Reserve National Champion. Krichke has shown the mare to all her wins and says she epitomizes the *Khadraj ‘look.’ “All the *Khadraj fillies have the most amazing necks and throats,” he says. “She is a great show horse, great to work with and she has made my job look easy.” Krichke, who has conditioned and shown a number of *Khadraj offspring, is looking forward to the upcoming Scottsdale Show, where he’ll be handling another *Khadraj filly, this one out of Gai Fantasha.
Khenya PGA, owned by Jerland Farms, has also made her sire proud with a Top Ten Canadian Arabian Futurity Filly title and Region 10 Champion Yearling Filly title. She is now producing such promising stock as Cosmopolitan J, recently exported to Belgium.
Need we go on? That *Khadraj’s mares are among the most sought-after and successful in the country comes as no surprise to the stallion’s owners, the Larry and Shelley Jerome family. They’ve believed in *Khadraj for a long time. “I have always been a big fan of *Khadraj NA and thought he would be an incredible addition to the breeding program at Jerland Farms,” says Larry Jerome. He had just the opportunity to make that addition to his program when *Khadraj NA came up for sale in early 2007, after spending many years as the senior stallion of both R-A Aloha Arabians and Petroglyph Arabians.
Besides his ability to produce mares that are highly decorated and desirable as breeding stock, *Khadraj NA also has the ability to produce winners in the performance ring. At the 2008 U.S. Nationals he was the sire of 7 national top ten winners, two reserve champions and two national champions (one of which won two titles). But what is most remarkable, is the number of disciplines in which his get achieved their successes. In addition to the halter arena successes with Broken Promises PGA and Kharrea PGA, *Khadraj NA sired winners in western pleasure, hunter pleasure and reining. His get have a universal appeal and an athleticism that makes them ideal for the performance ring.
*Khadraj get making their way to the winner’s circle at the Nationals included a handful ridden by Brett Becker. Aboard Khontroversy PGA, Becker was named Reserve Champion in the Arabian Western Pleasure Open class. With Aaliyah PGA, he was Top Ten in the Arabian Western Pleasure Junior Horse class and with All Outta Bucks, he was Top Ten in the Half-Arabian Western Pleasure Junior Horse class. Becker is a big fan of *Khadraj, calling his get very trainable. “They go with the flow,” he says. “They absorb their training. They have a lot of beauty, substance and are very charismatic. They stand out in the ring. And all the ones we’ve had have been really good movers.” Becker is so impressed with the *Khadraj get, he is crossing the stallion to the top mares by the stallion LBA Lode Star, who stands at Becker Stables. “We have some *Khadraj babies coming and are very excited about that,” he says.
Mike Van Handel, Jerland Farms’ resident trainer and manager (who was also recently married to Indira Jerome), has also been a big fan of *Khadraj over the years. “He has been one of the most consistent stallions out there,” says Van Handel. And the numbers prove it. In a recently compiled study, *Khadraj was named the leading living sire of western pleasure champions. The names above him on the list are all attached to deceased stallions, and include such notables as Fame VF, Khemosabi, GG Samir and Ivanhoe Tsultan. “It is such an honor to be in the same company with those other stallions,” says Van Handel. “We are humbled to have such an amazing stallion be a part of Jerland Farms.”
Those titles aren’t limited to the western pleasure or halter arena. His hunter pleasure get include the highly decorated Khardinal Sin, the 2007 and 2008 U.S. National Champion in Half-Arabian Hunter Pleasure 40 and Over with owner Karen Lee. He was also the 2008 U.S. National Junior Horse Champion with trainer Wendy Potts. Of her superstar gelding, Lee says, “For me, he is the perfect horse. He loves his job and has been easy to train, so the trainer has loved working with him. But he has an incredible personality. He is like a big pet. He wants to be in my back pocket or smelling my hair. So I have the best of both worlds – I can take him to a show and have a beautiful show horse, but then I have a horse that wants to be on a leash following me everywhere I go. The *Khadraj babies are all beautiful and I have to believe their trainability, willingness to please and incredible movement is coming from their sire,” she says.
With his own stellar resume that includes international and U.S. halter titles and western pleasure performance titles, and a growing list of progeny with winning records, *Khadraj NA has earned a place not only on the list of leading western sires, but also in the Jerland Farms’ hall of honor. “He has his own paddock where he gets to go out each day,” says Van Handel. “His routine is pretty predictable. You turn him loose and he walks just a few steps then starts tearing around the paddock with his tail up putting on a huge show. We’ve actually had people driving by stop their cars to watch,” he shares. “You can always count on him to impress people when they come to see him. But on the flip side, if they want to pet him, he’ll walk right up and be as docile as a kitten.”
Van Handel recalls that *Khadraj’s first experience with Wisconsin snow was memorable. “It was really funny to watch him snorting and pawing at it. I don’t think he had ever seen snow before.”
After his time outside in the sun, *Khadraj is led back to what Van Handel describes as his “stall of honor.” The family is committed not just to continuing his breeding career, but also to letting him be the stallion he was destined to be. “*Khadraj really deserves to enjoy himself, be who he is and spend his days here on the farm,” says Van Handel. “Larry waited a long time to have the opportunity to purchase him, and it feels like he really belongs here.”
Although by the time the Jerome family acquired *Khadraj in 2007 all but one of their mares had already been bred for the season, they have bred him to virtually all of the mares in their broodmare band for 2009 babies. “We have our best mares bred to him as well as some outside mares,” says Van Handel. “We are very excited and can’t wait to start seeing those babies in the spring,” he says.
In the meantime, *Khadraj NA is enjoying the wanning Wisconsin Indian summer days and preparing for some more of the white stuff. If you’re ever in the neighborhood of Jerland Farms, you’re sure to spot *Khadraj joyfully prancing around the front paddock, allowing everyone the chance to stop and admire him.