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A BREEDER’S VIEW HOLLY DILLIN, WESTERN CROSS ARABIANS b y De n is e He a rs t
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s Holly Dillin says of her Western Cross breeding program, “Our slogan has always been ‘Breeding Beautiful Athletes,’ and that still rings true. That is my goal with each foal I produce.” Holly’s first homebreds were foaled in 1995, and she has since bred over 200 Arabians and Half-Arabians and has owned over 257. Her love for the breed is shared by her husband, Linden Dillin, and daughter Jenna, each of whom enjoys the horses in their own way. For Linden it’s about bonding with the using horses – he takes a string of Arabians and Half-Arabs – bred by Holly of course – on annual elk-hunting trips to the San Pedro Wilderness in New Mexico. “When he’s home, Linden loves bareback trail rides and sitting in the grass while the horses graze around him,” says Holly. “In 2017, he bred his best pack mare, WC
Desperada (Renaissanse x Katelynn [Half-Arabian]), to WC Ali Gazal (*Gazal Al Shaqab x JE Ali Selene) and the resulting foal is a filly that he absolutely adores. He looks forward to her first trip to New Mexico next year. “Our daughter Jenna was sitting on a horse with me before she could walk!” Holly adds. “Thank goodness she was born with the ‘I love horses disease’ … and that’s one you never get over! When she wasn’t at school, she was at the barn or riding the mare, Powder, who helped me raise her. Once she went to her first few shows she was hooked and Four fillies out of the late WC Ciao Bella (Xceptshahn x JE Ali Selene). Two are by *Royal Asad (El Tino x Lumiar Ethna) and two are by Always A Jullyen V (Jullyen El Jamaal x Amazing Grace V).
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// breeding farm with a 16-stall foaling barn with two attached large green pastures. We have a training barn with 20 stalls; large, covered arena; hot walker; and round pen. We also grow coastal hay and sell much of it to the Ft. Worth Zoo. We hear that the elephants and zebras love our hay. As a breeder, it is so nice to have an in-house trainer like Kristin Huntsberger, because we can get all the youngsters started and some can get ready for halter. Just about anybody will catch handle our youngsters because she does such a great job. She also trains hunter and western, so she’s perfect for us. We don’t start showing them until they’re four. Why rush them? At four they are more ready to go, mentally and physically. If a three-year-old looks
Holly Dillin with her prized broodmare and show mare WC CIAO BELLA (Xceptshahn x JE Ali Selene), who died in 2019.
was counting down the days until the next show. Showing is definitely her favorite thing to do with our Arabians! But she also truly enjoys helping foal out the mares, working with the weanlings, and taking all of our photos and videos for marketing. I am so blessed that she enjoys helping me with my breeding program! “As far as what I enjoy most, that’s an easy one! THE FOALS!” We visited with Holly and asked her to share the collective wisdom that she has gained in the past 26 years of breeding Arabians.
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Tell us a bit about your 500-acre farm in Weatherford, Texas, and the general philosophy behind the way your horses are raised and trained.
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We purchased our ranch here in Texas, in 1993 so my husband, Linden, could have a place to hunt. Luckily, it had previously been a Thoroughbred
The stallion WC Ciao Psyche (Padrons Psyche x WC Ciao Bella).
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We’re training these horses so that they will last a long time. We’re breeding these horses with the dispositions and the trainability to be great amateur horses.
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incredible, they’ve worked pretty hard as a twoyear-old. We’re training these horses so that they will last a long time. We’re breeding these horses with the dispositions and the trainability to be great amateur horses. All of our yearlings and two-yearolds live outside in big pastures until they are ready to be started under saddle at three.
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Later that year, we
purchased the ranch and my husband suggested I start a small Arabian breeding farm. I took that ball and ran with it!
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Q.
What was your introduction to Arabian horses? Who was the first Arabian you bought? Was this the deliberate beginning of a breeding program or a casual purchase on which the business eventually developed?
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In 1993, my Quarter Horse trail horse was injured and I was told he could never be ridden again, so I started my search for a new horse. I was looking through a horse magazine and saw a beautiful Arabian and I thought, “That’s what I want my next horse to be.” I visited some Arabian farms in my area and tried out a few horses until I found Sashi (Khemosabi x Countyki), the mare that began my obsession with Arabians. After only a few short months with her, I realized that there was something very different about this breed. She was loyal, affectionate, brave, and beautiful. Later that year, we purchased the ranch and my husband suggested I start a small Arabian breeding farm. I took that ball and ran with it!
Q.
You recently enjoyed great results at the MidSummer Nationals with three horses you bred and
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own. They brought home a Championship, Reserve Championship, and seven Top Tens. Who were your first homebred National winners?
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My first homebred foals were born in 1995. The first horse that I bred to win National honors was WC All Reved Up (Renaissanse x CM Morningstar), Legion of Merit and Legion of Excellence winners, as well as 2003 Canadian National Reserve Champion Half-Arabian Hunter Pleasure 18-39, and U.S. National Reserve Champion Half-Arabian Hunter Pleasure Junior Horse. My first U.S. National Champion was WC Rockin Robin (Kakhem Sahib x Cynora), 2008 Cutting Novice horse. These two were the beginning of many incredible National, Scottsdale, and international wins. A young one that is going to be fun to watch for the next few years is WC Ares (LC Athens x WC Marissa) who was National Reserve Champion in the AHPA last year, and this year was Top Ten in the maturity and won Scottsdale in the Hunter 36-54 division.
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How many breeding age mares do you currently have? Too many! I have 22 breeding-age mares at this time.
Q. A. Q.
Top: WC ROCKIN ROBIN (Kakhem Sahib x Cynora)
What is your ideal number of foals in a given year? I usually try to have between 10-12 foals a year.
What qualities of conformation, temperament, and pedigree must a mare possess to be included in your breeding program? Please give us examples of a mare or two that best embody that ideal.
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Bottom: WC ARES (LC Athens x WC Marissa)
Pedigree is obviously very important. It takes years to figure out what lines you like and what lines you want to stay away from. With that said, you cannot judge a horse solely on its pedigree. When I first started out, I looked for Khemosabi lines because, at the time, I wasn’t thinking of breeding “main ring” show horses, and the Khemosabi lines
were versatile and athletic. Now, I look for mares that are by stallions who have sired foals in their respective discipline, either hunter or western.
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Correct conformation is very important and recognizing your mares’ weaknesses and strengths is crucial. As far as temperament goes, I want a mare that is kind and willing. In some cases, the way the mare was raised is also a factor in their temperament. Two mares come to mind that embody my ideal. The first was one of my foundation mares, JE Ali Selene (Ali Jamaal x OF Foltrokaa). She was the
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Any mares you wish you could have? Some bloodlines you would like to try? I feel incredibly blessed to have had some amazing mares over the years. JE Ali Selene, Lady Bey Khelishah (Bey Shah x JA Khesia), WC Ciao Bella (Xceptshahn x JE Ali Selene), and CM Morningstar (El Montenegro x Supremes Fantasy), a Legion of Supreme Honor and Legion of Supreme Merit winner. Their legacy runs deep in my program through their sons and daughters. I’m looking at other breeds to cross with my National-winning Half-Arabian western and hunter horses.
Renaissanse (Ali Jamaal x Carismor), the stallion who took Western Cross to the next level.
most consistent producer – every foal she had was special. All of her foals are very sweet, affectionate horses, incomparably beautiful with minimal conformational faults. The second is a mare I am lucky to still have, WC Fames Monet (Renaissanse x Fames Cameo by Fame VF). So far, she has only had five foals but every one is spectacular. She is becoming my go-to western pleasure producer. Her foals represent her pedigree in a great way. They have long necks and beautiful faces from my stallion Renaissanse (Ali Jamaal x Carismor) and the calm natural ability of Fame VF.
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Describe the one horse you’ve bred that has come closest to your ideal of the Arabian horse. It’s probably a tie between WC Ciao Bella, a Legion of Supreme Honor winner, and WC Ali Gazal. WC Ciao Bella, whom I lost too soon, was a oncein-a-lifetime mare. She had a beautiful, baby doll face, a gorgeous rolling trot and a hind end to back it up, short back and a neck that could curl and hook beautifully. To top it all off her personality was so kind. She was as sweet as she was beautiful. WC Ali Gazal has huge eyes that are set wide on his
Don’t be deterred from “buying an older, well-bred mare. If you are able to get a few foals out of a wellbred mare that makes her worth it.
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Another prized broodmare, JE ALI SELENE (Ali Jamaal x OF Foltrokaa).
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If I had Renaissanse as a “young stallion today I would do some things differently. I have better mares now than I had back then, and I’m a lot more knowledgeable …
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exquisite face, short back, near perfect conformation, a neck and throatlatch that can do some freaky things, and a strong hip and shoulder. If you know him personally, you know he is a big, sweet goober. He is full of personality which he consistently passes on to his foals. Both WC Ciao Bella and WC Ali Gazal have so many greats in their pedigrees. Ciao Bella had Khemosabi, Bey Shah, and Ali Jamaal. Ali Gazal has Ali Jamaal and *Gazal Al Shaqab.
Holly’s husband, Linden, has a string of Arabians and Half-Arabians that he takes on annual elk hunting trips.
Q.
In looking at the stallions that you’ve used starting at the beginning of your program, one can see the strong influence of Khemosabi, followed by Ali Jamaal and *Gazal Al Shaqab. What qualities did those lines reliably give you? Walk us through your stallion selection process, as you weigh such factors as the quality and marketability of a stallion’s foals, and his compatibility with a given mare. What are the “must haves” in a stallion that you use?
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The first stallion I purchased was Kakhem Sahib (Khemosabi x Allah-Rakhi). He consistently sired horses that were successful in working western. After going to shows with Kakhem Sahib, I started watching some performance classes and loved western pleasure. When considering what lines I wanted to try to produce western horses, I went with Ali Jamaal because I could see that his get were winning all over the world and I hoped they would be more marketable. They were also consistently beautiful horses, which I loved. I saw an ad in a magazine for a beautiful, three-year-old stallion named Renaissanse (Ali Jamaal x Carismor by GG Jabask). Not only was he beautiful, but his pedigree contained both beauty
WC All Reved Up (Renaissanse x CM Morningstar), who would be Holly’s first National winner.
and athleticism with Ali Jamaal and GG Jabask. He was exactly what I was looking for. With the addition of this stallion, I could begin breeding the beautiful Half-Arabian pinto western horses that I dreamed of. I bred mostly Half-Arabians until 2001, when I purchased JE Ali Selene (by Ali Jamaal) and Lady Bey Khelishah (by Bey Shah). I bred Khelishah to *Gazal Al Shaqab in 2005 and Selene to him in 2006.
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WC CIAO MAGNIFFICOO (Marwan Al Magnifficoo x WC Ciao Bella), an outstanding ambassador for Western Cross. Owned and shown by a mother/ daughter duo, the gelding has numerous Scottsdale and National wins in hunter pleasure.
WC GORGEOUS GAZAL (*Gazal Al Shaqab x *Lady Bey Khelishah) is now owned by Dubai Stud.
Khelishah had a filly, WC Gorgeous Gazal, with one of the most beautiful faces I’ve ever seen. She is now owned by Dubai Arabian Stud. In 2007 Selene had her one and only colt, WC Ali Gazal. He was huge, with such a masculine presence. He was the first foal I ever kept as a stallion, and he has only gotten more beautiful with age. Another line that is prevalent in my program is Padrons Psyche. I currently own two Psyche sons and two Psyche daughters. I love the Psyche look – that big jowl, tiny ears, striking face, hooky necks, and incredible movement. When I bred WC Ciao Bella to Padrons Psyche, I was hoping for a stunning filly. I got a stunning foal, but it wasn’t a
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I don’t think people realize how much of a financial and emotional risk breeders take.
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WC ALI GAZAL (*Gazal Al Shaqab x JE Ali Selene), the first foal that Holly ever kept as a stallion.
filly: WC Ciao Psyche is strikingly beautiful. You can’t help but stop and stare at him, and he knows it! It takes a lot for me to keep a colt a stallion. They have to have that “wow” factor.
Q.
Has a great mare ever disappointed you asa producer? Has an average mare ever surprised you as a great producer?
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Absolutely yes, to both questions. The mare that comes to mind as an average individual who was a great producer was my Fame VF daughter, Fames Cameo. She was nothing special to look at, but she out-produced herself every time. I only bred her four times; twice to Renaissanse and twice to WC Ali Gazal. She gave me a filly and a colt by each stallion. The two fillies that she produced are now two of my best broodmares – WC Fames Monet and WC Destined For Fame. Of all the great mares we’ve had, there have been few disappointments. That’s not to say it doesn’t happen, but that’s just part of breeding.
Q.
Your best sale — not only in terms of dollars, but in terms of enhancing the reputation of your program and in building future sales?
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The best sale that has enhanced our reputation for amateur and youth horses was WC Ciao Magnifficoo (*Marwan Al Magnifficoo x WC Ciao Bella). He is owned and shown by the Saunders family. Amy and Kelly are a motherdaughter duo. He is a beautiful, hunter pleasure gelding that has been successful in walk-trot, equitation, JTR 14 & under, ATR, and Select. He has the best demeanor and is always happy to do his job. He is also one of the sweetest horses you’ll ever meet. Everyone wants a horse like him! One horse that has brought the most sales our way that didn’t sell and is not for sale is WC Charming Charlie. His success in the Half-Arabian western ring has sent a lot of western trainers our way looking for horses. It certainly doesn’t hurt to keep a few of the good ones to show to remind people you have more like that at home!
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He is 29 now and, to this day, I feel so lucky that I own such a magnificent horse.
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Who is the most memorable Arabian stallion that you have ever seen? In the last 26-plus years, I’ve had the opportunity to see some of the most beautiful stallions in the world, but the most memorable moment was when I first laid eyes on my Ali Jamaal son, Renaissanse. I flew out to see him in California when he was a five-year-old. They turned him out and all I could think was that I’ve never seen eyes so big and beautiful. I still haven’t. He had so much presence he literally took my breath away. I decided to lease him for a breeding season and after that first season, I purchased him. He is 29 now and, to this day, I feel so lucky that I own such a magnificent horse.
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Advice to those who nurture the dream of “a few good mares and a small breeding farm” and the anticipated success thereof? Some do’s and don’ts for those dreamers? Can it be done without a JE Ali Selene for instance?
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Ask any good breeder and they’ll tell you their mares are their treasure, and it is so true. Can small breeders produce high quality horses? Absolutely! My advice to someone starting out
WC CHARMING CHARLIE (WC Ali Gazal x Cuervos Valantina) was Unanimous 2021 Mid-Summer National Champion Half-Arabian Western Pleasure Select with Holly, and was also Unanimous National Reserve Champion Half-Arabian Ladies Sidesaddle Western with Kristin Huntsberger. “I have also thoroughly enjoyed working to become a better rider and showing my handsome homebred Half-Arabian western pleasure horse, Charlie,” says Holly.
would be to buy the highest quality mares that you can afford. Having two great mares is better than having five average mares. I did not start out with a Ciao Bella-type mare. I was able to buy her mother, JE Ali Selene, as well as my Bey Shah daughter for a lower price because they were a little older. Don’t be deterred from buying an older, well-bred mare. If you are able to get a few foals out of a well-bred mare that makes her worth it.
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