| America was built, heavily in part with horse power | | | | horses whose pedigrees can be traced back to these |
| and it wasn't long before colonists realized the value of | | | | 19th century Arabians. |
| the Arabian horse. In 1725, Nathan Harrison of Virginia | | | | Some other historical Arabian horse importations to |
| imported the first Arabian stallion to America. Later, our | | | | America include:o 1898 - 1911 Spencer Borden imported |
| first President, George Washington, rode his best and | | | | 20 horses to his Interlachen Stud farmso 1918 - 1920 |
| most illustrious saddle horse during the Revolutionary | | | | W.R. Brown imported 20 horses from England, 6 from |
| war; a beautiful Arabian stallion. The first breeder to try | | | | France and 7 from Egypto 1906 Homer Davenport |
| and utilize the Arabian bloodstock in America was A. | | | | received permission from the Sultan of Turkey to |
| Keene Richard. He journeyed into the deserts of the | | | | export Arabian horses. |
| Middle East in 1853 and 1856, subsequently importing | | | | Backed by President Theodore Roosevelt, he imports |
| several Arabian stallions and two Arabian mares. | | | | 27 Arabian horses which become the foundation of |
| Unfortunately, his breeding program fell victim to the | | | | "Davenport Arabians".o 1926- 1927 Kellogg Ranch, |
| Civil War and none of his horses survived. | | | | founded by W.K. Kellogg, imported 17 select horses |
| In 1877, General Ulysses S. Grant visited Abdul Hamid II, | | | | from the Crabbet stud farm in Europe.o 1928 -1933 |
| the 34th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. While there, he | | | | Roger Selby establishes the Selby Stud with 20 |
| was given two Arabian stallions as a gift from the | | | | horses imported from the Crabbet stud farm.o 1934 |
| Sultan's stable, Leopard and Lindentree. One of the | | | | Spanish Arabians enter the American picture when |
| stallions, Leopard, was given to Randolph Huntington, | | | | Joseph Draper imports five Arabians from Spaino |
| who shortly thereafter imported two Arabian mares | | | | 1934 - 1937 J.M. Dickinson's Traveler's Rest Arabian |
| and two Arabian stallions in 1888 from England to start | | | | Stud is established on an imported mare from Egypt, |
| a breeding program. The program, although limited, is | | | | one from Brazil, and seven from Poland.o 1932 Henry |
| considered the first purebred Arabian breeding | | | | B. Babson sends people to Egypt who bring back two |
| program in the United States. | | | | stallions and five mares. His farm still preserves the |
| The Chicago World's Fair, held in Chicago in 1893 to | | | | same bloodlines today. |
| celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher | | | | Shortly after Homer's importation of Arabian horses |
| Columbus's arrival in the New World. Over 27 million | | | | direct from the desert in 1906, many Arabian breeders |
| people (about half of the U.S. population at the time) | | | | were excited and decided it was time to form a |
| attended the fair during its sixth month run. This was | | | | registry to promote the Arabian horse in America and |
| the perfect place for the Arabian horses to take | | | | encourage further importation of new blood. The |
| center stage, introducing their beauty and elegance to | | | | importation of purebred Arabians was quite steady up |
| all of America. Every country in the world was invited | | | | until the 1940's and 1950's. Importation slowed during |
| to participate. Turkey chose to exhibit 45 Arabians in a | | | | this time as the American breeding programs had |
| "wild eastern" exhibition. Two of the imported Arabians | | | | evolved from previously imported stock. In 1957, the |
| shown were a mare by the name of Nejdme and a | | | | death of Lady Wentworth, famed Arabian horse |
| stallion named Obeyran. Both of these horses became | | | | breeder and owner of the Crabbet Stud, caused |
| foundation animals No. 1 and No. 2 in the Arabian Stud | | | | importations from England to America to rise again. |
| Book of America (the name was later changed to the | | | | Eventually, the post-war Arabian stud farms of |
| Arabian Horse Registry of America and today it is | | | | Germany, Poland, Russia, Spain, and Egypt were |
| known as the Arabian Horse Association). Several | | | | rediscovered and a new era of Arabian horse |
| years later, two more mares and a stallion were also | | | | breeding began in America. The popularity of the |
| registered. Many breeding farms that exist today have | | | | Arabian breed continues to thrive in America. |