| The Arabian horse type remained unchanged from | | | | Robbie, and the stallion Credit who is the sire of Peter |
| around 1800 B.C. to the 1900s A.D. For the first three | | | | Toft's Electra BPP Murdoch. Murdoch won the Quilty, |
| millennia of its existence, the Arabian was a war horse, | | | | then went on to be placed fourth in the 2003 Tevis |
| and this dictated the type. The Australian Colonial | | | | Cup. From official Australian ride sheets from |
| Arabian is descended from the early imports in which | | | | 1979-1989, Arcadian progeny and grand-get won 66 |
| desert breeding was prevalent, often via the Blunts | | | | rides in Open/HW division, placed second 22 times, |
| (early Crabbet), with the notable addition of the famous | | | | placed third 14 times, and successfully completed a |
| endurance stallion Shahzada. The Colonials were | | | | further 29 rides. |
| originally bred at the early Australian studs which | | | | Kataf (by the desert bred Outlaw) is another stallion |
| selected on the basis of ability under saddle. | | | | who figured prominently in the Colonial bloodlines. The |
| It is thus no surprise that the Colonial Arabian is best | | | | most renowned Kataf descendant was Hestia, the |
| known for its success in the endurance field, and as a | | | | dam of Aethon. Hestia is found consistently in the |
| saddle horse in general. | | | | pedigree of Australia's top endurance horses and her |
| One of the greatest endurance horses of all time, | | | | lines are much sought after. |
| Shahzada, was a pure Colonial. Shahzada was the | | | | The pure Colonial stallion Talisman Rose Bahri |
| winner of 100, 300, and 500 Mile Endurance tests in | | | | dominated the western show classes from 1983-1987. |
| England, as well as flat races against Thoroughbreds, | | | | He was Champion Western Horse at the National |
| prior to his exportation to Australia. Pure Colonial | | | | Stud Show in 1983, and Champion Bridle Path Hack in |
| breeder Les Ellery of Cudglebar Stud (founded in 1930) | | | | 1991, and at the Australian Championships was Top 10 |
| decades ago once rode a mare by Jedran (by Prince | | | | Ridden Stallion in 1984, Champion Western Pleasure in |
| Nejd by Shahzada) to catch an unhandled mare. They | | | | 1985, Champion Bridle Path Hack from 115 entries in |
| had to run the unhandled mare until she was | | | | 1986, and Champion Western Pleasure in 1987. |
| exhausted, and then immediately had to run down a | | | | The endurance results of Colonials are remarkable |
| Thoroughbred until she was exhausted and lay down. | | | | considering the pure Colonials have been in short |
| In those days when large outback Australian | | | | supply for some decades. In 1991, only 86 pure |
| properties had numerous unhandled horses, this was | | | | Colonials were alive. |
| the only method of catching a horse. The Jedran mare | | | | Of those, 10 were actively competing in Endurance |
| never had a whip or spur on her. She repeatedly was | | | | that year. |
| used to drive mobs of horses to the Orange sales | | | | Pure Colonial stallion Cudglebar Rasuli was a swift |
| from Blayney in western N.S.W. The distance of 25 | | | | Arabian Racehorse, winning his first two races on |
| miles (40 km) was ridden at the gallop, as the horses | | | | registered Australian Jockey Club racecourses by |
| were unhandled and from various properties. Les Ellery | | | | lengthy margins. Rasuli had completed The Kikkuli |
| also raced Arabians against Thoroughbreds in picnic | | | | Experiment (a replication of The Kikkuli Text, a 33 |
| races, and at one time raced a Shahzada | | | | centuries-old horse training text) as a three year old |
| grand-daughter who was so fast that he had to agree | | | | colt. |
| to give a half-furlong start to the rest of the field | | | | Hyksos Sabok has proven to be the best performing |
| before she was allowed to start. | | | | pure Colonial endurance horse of the present day, |
| Many Colonials carried the bloodlines of Belka, who | | | | being 1999 NSW Distance Horse, 3rd 1999 National |
| defeated Shahzada in a 300 mile Ride, and whose son | | | | Australian |
| Bendigo placed fifth in the Newmarket Town Plate of | | | | Distance, and has clocked up many miles. Sabok's sire |
| 4 ½ miles, carrying 12 stone, against 8 | | | | was Heavyweight Endurance horse Cudglebar Nur ed |
| Thoroughbreds. Bendigo's rider remarked that he | | | | Dam who also completed the Kikkuli Experiment , then |
| would have won easily had they had been able to do | | | | went on to be a successful Heavyweight Endurance |
| another lap. | | | | horse. The pure Colonial mare Cudglebar Mujeor was |
| The imported stallion Sala was used by early Colonial | | | | a Kikkuli Experiment horse at the age of three, and |
| breeders. His grand-dam was by Rasim, a World War | | | | went on to be a top performing endurance horse, |
| 1 charger and sire of race winners. Figuring also in his | | | | completing over 3,000 km and placing 20th |
| pedigree were Mahruss, the sire of Crabbett, who | | | | Middleweight (Open) at the Quilty, winning the award |
| won the U.S. Amy Endurance test of 300 miles over | | | | for the Lowest Heartrates. She is a half sister to Carol |
| concrete roads in just over 49 hours, and Nadir, | | | | Layton's Leshal Ikon, a barefoot endurance stallion. |
| Champion Polo Pony Sire at Tunbridge Wells (UK) in | | | | Another strong Colonial endurance line is that of |
| 1913 and at Islington (UK) in 1911, 1913 and 1915. Sala's | | | | Barada II. Her breedings to Rakib* produced the mares |
| close endurance descendants include Quilty winners, | | | | Badoura, Baksheesh, Baz, and the stallion Bahri. This |
| Quilty placegetters, and Distance Award horses. | | | | line has produced, through Talisman Stud, numerous |
| The Sala grandson Arcadian was an amazing sire of | | | | top winning Australian endurance horses. |
| endurance horses, including the 1981 Quilty winner | | | | |