How it Went

I had spent hours online looking at Arabians, familiarizing myself with their bloodlines, and during that process I had connected with a breeder in CA who's horses I had fallen in love with. If you look up GG Durango on Youtube, you will find the horse I am talking about. I had hopes that he would still be available for me to purchase when I hit the point at which I could afford to spend several thousand dollars on the horse of my dreams. The owner had offered him to me a week prior to my company Christmas party at a reduced price. I was in tears because I couldn't accept. We didn't have even the reduced price and when you are paying off credit cards the last thing you can do is make a large purchase on one. I had recommitted myself to waiting, knowing it was what was best for my family and our long term goals.

The night of our Christmas party I was talking with my co-worker who lives in Texas. I must have been thinking about the offer for Durango because I brought up my wanting a horse with my co-worker, Steve. This is the conversation that ensued:

     Steve: "You want a horse? I'll give you a horse."
     Me: "Yeah, right."
     Steve: "I'm serious. You want a horse? I'll give you a horse, I have three."
     Me: "Yeah, you probably have Quarter Horses, right?"
     Steve: "I have a couple of those. You want a Quarter Horse?"
     Me: "Nah, I don't want a Quarter Horse. I'm looking for an Arabian."
     Steve: "I have one of those too. You want an Arabian? I have one I'll give to you."
     Me: "An Arabian? Purebred?"
     Steve: "Yep. Straight Egyptian Arabian gelding. Bred to the nines." (Bred to the nines is good.)
     Me: (Imagining a 20 year old) "How old?"
     Steve: "He's five. I think." (He's actually going to be seven on April 17.)
     Me: "Are you serious? You would really give me the horse?"
     Steve: "I'm serious. I will give you the horse. He's white. Course I can paint him any color you want."
     Me: " J come over here. Steve is offering to give me a horse."

The conversation went from there. At the end of it, I sat down at a table with my hands clasped before me, not saying anything. Afraid to breathe. Afraid to move. Afraid to believe. Afraid that if I did any of those things the offer would shatter into a million pieces. At one point, Steve stood up to make a toast and announced to the whole room that he had given away a horse. I figured if he was going to make it a general announcement that he must be serious about it.

Monday morning I called his worksite to check and make sure that sober he was still interested. He was. That started the process of getting me some information to work with in researching who he was.

Thee Ashke is bred from Straight Egyptian bloodlines. This is his daddy: http://arabiansltd.com/egyptian-arabian-stallions/thee-asil
This lineage is used mostly as halter show horses and is bred for the refined neck and face of a true Egyptian Arabian. His lineage can be traced back generations to the original Bedouin breeders of the Arabian horse. Although Ashke was bred for halter, there should be no reason why he wouldn't excell at Endurance, considering what his ancestors were used for in the Middle East.

From the Pyramid Society: During the early 19th century, the ruling families of Egypt gathered the finest horses from the deserts of Arabia and brought them to the land of the Pyramids. This extraordinary collection, unrivaled since the time of King Solomon, became the foundation for the modern-day Egyptian Arabian.

I was very excited and yet, something inside me was still waiting for the other shoe to drop.