About Us
1979 - The Founder
Agecroft commenced in 1979 with the purchase of the colt foal, Tarong Temuchin (Ramesh x Oxford Rainlover) in October 1979 after I decided not to return to England.
I was looking for a chestnut filly with a flaxen mane and tail, like I'd seen in the book about Bahraini Arabians. I was taken by a bay/grey colt, and he changed my life forever.
1980 - 1994
1980 Tarong Lady Teka (Tarong Mahrus x Oxford Duchess) was born and joined the farm as our foundation female (filly/mare).
Staying in the family, Tarong Sharie (Hamil x Tarong Shalena (Oxford Duchess granddaughter) joined our small herd in 1982.
During the early years, Agecroft had success in the local, state and national showrings, in three disciplines - halter, ridden and harness.
Later years, endurance riding was my preference.
1984 A. Khanbalique was born, Teka's only foal, and blessedly, a filly. Khanbalique had six foals, including two future broodmares - Agecroft Nia and Agecroft Nenagh, full sisters by Agecroft Imi (Simeon Stav x Agecroft India). As the herd grew, Agecroft's future was considered.
Agecroft's mares asil-related program
1995 - 2010s
An asil stallion was researched and in 1995 the weanling colt, Talika Farad (Talika Fazir Ibn Shahmira x Talika Siridah) joined the herd. Initially purchased to continue our existing asil related program, Talika Farad became the catalyst for Agecroft's asil program, with the purchase of 5yo Talika Neshinah (Neshan imp/exp Germany x Talika Fazarah).
Talika Neshinah was bred to Talika Sirdahn Halima (Al Karim Sirhalima USA x Janidah iid USA), at my request. Sirdahn's last foal, a filly, Talika Sirina bint Sirdahn. The the plan was to breed Neshinah to Farad.
The unfortunate early loss of Neshinah in 2001 with no further progeny, left the future of Agecroft's asil program to Sirina, and the stallions Talika Farad and Greenmantle Ghashahn (Tarong Shahgar x Joda Desert Ghazell).
After four foals, three fillies (Agecroft Sidra and Agecroft Layla, full sisters by Talika Farad; Agecroft Ghayl by Greenmantle Ghashahn) and a gelding (Agecroft Zafar by Talika Farad), the future of Agecroft's asil program was halted due to the intensity of a ongoing El Nino driven drought.
2018...
In 2018, a stable block was built so that my then 7 Arabians could come out of the rain and black mud. Ambitious you may think – the drought had barely broken! Plenty of rain for what can be explained as a 'green-drought' in this region. The barn has been a blessing, keeping the horses out of the mud and making it a breeze to work. The design of the barn drew on all my experience. Stables for all with spare stables – one possibly for a stallion, a pipe dream.
My friend of many years, Christine Emmert (California, USA) who I’d visited in 2014 after attending an Al Khamsa Conference, obtained the asil mare, DHS Tarah from a friend of hers in 2015. DHS Tarah has an uncommon pedigree, due to her dam, Teebah, being bred in Egypt, out of the elite and beautiful show champion mare, Kot El Koloob and by the double Bilal 1 grandson, SEA Maddah, bred by Dani El Barbari (SEA - Shams El Asil, whose breeding was the foundation for Rabab Arabians (Egypt)). Teebah has 2 crosses to Farazdac bred asils who remained in Egypt, Ikhnatoon (stallion) and Katr El Nada (mare). DHS Tarah was bred by international judge, F Schwestermann, and her sire was the American bred, European domiciled Lohim (Ansata Halim Shah x Lohelia). It was a joy to know Lohim was bred by Martha and David Murdoch (Rocaille Ranch). I considered Martha my mentor for all things Straight Egyptian in the mid to late 1990s. In 2014 I made the time to visit Martha and David while in the USA.
In Christine’s care DHS Tarah was bred to Jody Cruz’s stallion, Nour Al Kamar MH, by Imperial Al Kamar out of Binte Aziza MH, who has a fabulous Farazdac cross via Richter MH (a favourite of Christine’s). I wished a filly for Christine but that wasn’t to be. Instead, a gorgeous bay/grey colt was born. Christine is a prolific and talented amateur photographer, and photos of the colt were forth coming . Needless to say, over the years, Christine and I shared thoughts on the colt’s growth and pedigree. Amongst the notables in Ameer El Koloob’s sire’s pedigree is the wonderful Straight Babson Egyptian (SBE) cross of RDM Maar Hala (out of Maar Jumana), leading dam of Egyptian champions and foundation mare for Rancho Bulakenyo. Ancestors of RDM Maar Hala bred by Rancho Bulakenyo are distinguished with the "MH" suffix.
Around the time Ameer El Koloob was 2yo, I expressed interest in him due to his pedigree and phenotype. I suggested that if Christine could wait a while, I would love for Ameer to come to Agecroft. Sure enough, Christine and husband Daniel were happy that Ameer would have a loving home with mares to preserve their futures. Time passed and the organization for Ameer to come to Agecroft slowly started to take shape.
2022...
By chance, both Christine and I started browsing for mares, once again, sharing thoughts about various females. Christine purchased a stunningly beautiful mare, who moves a treat, HC Abla Raqqas. Happily, during fertility testing Ameer, HC Abla Raqqas settled to him on the first attempt. His first foal, a bay filly, Areej El Koloob, was born March 2023 in CA USA.
Meanwhile back in 2021, my pipe-dream of a straight Babson (SBE) mare, was dashed. Christine grounded me suggesting that due to low numbers of actively-breeding SBE mares in the USA, I would most likely have a hard time obtaining a SBE mare. Christine pointed out Khe Amiin Tabou SSR’s Al Khamsa (AK) FaceBook advert. I’d seen the advert, noting the age of the yearling filly, though Christine highlighted the connection to her own aged mare, Kirby’s Shadow. Having ridden Shadow for a day’s ride in the San Gabriels, CA, USA in 2014, I took another look at the filly’s pedigree. The more I read, the more enticing the filly became. Khe Amiin Tabou SSR’s sire, Al Reyhan Marou’s pedigree comprises approximately 43.75% SBE and traces to 5 of the original 6 Henry Babson Egyptian imports. Her dam is by the fabulous show and performance stallion, Amiin +//, and Anisa Gamal (Amiin's daughter), is a talented performance mare and her pedigree has several crosses to the smooth bodied Sameh.
I queried the filly’s owner as to the filly’s sale to Australia. A positive answer, and the rest is history. Khe Amiin Tabou SSR headed to Agecroft within a few months, arriving early April 2022, celebrating her 2nd birthday in Quarantine. A few months later 6 yo Ameer El Koloob arrived late August 2022.
2022 continued...
Meanwhile, I investigated my homebred asil mares’ details using EtalonDx’s diagnostic and ancestral tests after a very interesting study presented at the 2020 AK Conference that exampled Dr Nagel’s Katherinehof sE Arabians. The ancestral report was very daunting to read at first, but once I comprehended the ancestry test, thanks to Dr Samantha Brookes (author) and Beth Minnich, the more my interest piqued. My homebred asil mares - Sirina and her three daughters, Sidra, Layla and Ghayl, are linebred to the SBE cross stallion, AK Sirhalima along with the SBE crossed mare, Janidah. A chat with the team at EtalonDx, and they ran a manual kinship report after both Khami and Ameer were added to their database late 2021. The kinship report established that Ameer would be an excellent outcross for my linebred asil mares, while Khami has a greater coefficient to Ameer. My thoughts are that these combinations will work for us and they will give Ameer El Koloob chance to show the style of foal he’ll produce from diverse group of mares. Also it appears that my choice of Arabian, in all its variations, is genetically coded, including outcrosses!
2022 continued...
Late in 2021 while the transactions were happening, I thought about accommodation for weanlings during the rains. Consequently, a 2nd barn was designed, built and completed in 2022.
...from then to now...
Agecroft, established in 1979, is situated on 40acres overlooking a beautiful valley on the Darling Downs, Queensland. The region is renown for TB breeding and is adequately resourced for equine needs. There are knowledgeable veterinarians around us, including Equivet Breeding Centre (EBC), Australia, specialists in artificial equine breeding procedures with export facilities. Ameer El Koloob will be available via AI for outside mares - fresh, chilled, and frozen. 2024/2025 breeding season has Ameer El Koloob (US) pregnancies via chilled and frozen semen.
The future looks bright for Agecroft.
From the past to the future via the present.