Pearl Island Arabians: 2009

During 2008 it was decided that Goudah should go out under saddle, but as he had been trained as a dancing stallion in a previous life how were we going to teach him to just stick to the basics required for the ridden stallion classes? How could we make Goudah understand that when someone climbed aboard they didn't necessarily want him to want don a pair of tights...go up on his points...and hit them with his version of "Airs above the Ground"! What we needed was a patient experienced rider and we found just the person in Tracey Holland. I explained how Goudah would offer her everything in his repertoire as soon as her bum hit the saddle, beginning with a piaffe hop skip and jump across the school. Sure enough, he was bouncing as Tracey landed from the elegant leg up given by her husband David. Tracey dismounted and led the bemused Goudah quietly around the arena chatting away to him. After ten minutes she got David to leg her up again and Tracey sat quietly while the Goudah bounced up and down on the spot. Finally he stopped his piaffe and stood quietly, Tracey asked him to walk forward and looking confused at not being asked to "dance" he obediently stepped forward. Goudah was a quick learner and over the weeks Tracey taught him to canter on the right leg, walk and trot on a loose rein and extend his trot and most importantly to STAND STILL ! We set off for the first show with our fingers crossed that he would not revert to a "dancing stallion" under the judge! Apart from a quick burst of Piaffe when he saw (what he assumed ) was his audience around the warm up arena he behaved impeccably and came home with his first rosette.

Much to Tracey's surprise I used Goudah to cover several mares during his showing season, it seems that many stallions do one thing or the other because covering mares can fire them up a bit when attending shows. I explained that if he couldn't be a stud stallion and behave then his temperament was wrong and I would not be using him at all. Goudah was fine and like all the Pearl Island stallions can distinguish between working under saddle and his stud duties.

Pearl Island stallions Goudah and Shuwaiman Al Bahrain working side by side in the school

Towards the end of the 2008 show season it was agreed that as Goudah had been so good riding ‘English’ style we might just allow him to step back into one of his old dance routines if he still wished to do so. I put a CD player by the side of the arena, dug out some of my Arab music and after Tracey had warmed him up we turned on the music to see what effect it would have. Goudah loved it! He grew about a hand taller as he skipped around the arena on a loose rein showing Tracey what he knew. We clapped in time to the music and Goudah showed off, he gave us the Spanish walk then a slow extended trot where he seemed to hang in the air and chucked in several pirouettes for good measure. When we asked him for a bow he elegantly put out one foreleg and brought his head down and then to everyone’s surprise instead of standing back up he sank slowly into the sand lay on his side (by which point Tracey had jumped off) then he sat up like a huge dog. Tracey gave him a cuddle after which he stood up and followed her freely back across the arena. He relished the cheers and applause from all the family watching. We decided that we must share the sight with Arabian enthusiasts so having entered him for the authentic Arabian dress class he gave the same display to the audience.

Goudah at show

He is a clever stallion, that morning he'd won the ridden stallion class (English style) and in the evening he was transformed...stepping back to the romance of Arabia back to the desert and a former life.

As well as winning several rosettes, a reserve championship and champion ridden stallion of the Monmouth and Border Counties Group he found time to produce three fillies and a colt.

Colt Amr Bin Goudah

Filly Navaz Bint Goudah