December Member Spotlight

Take a journey with us to Sandy, UT for The Pyramid Society's December Member Spotlight with Keri and Carolee Wright of Cariswood Arabians. Keri writes of his early involvement with the breed, "I was just your typical horse-crazy kid when my father first got involved with Arabians in 1968 at Gleannloch's "Sale of Champions," where he purchased several "domestic" mares with *Morafic foals at side, and then bred back to *Morafic for the 1969 foaling season." Doug Marshall also gifted a young Egyptian Arabian stallion, Mohssen (*Ansata Ibn Halima x *Bint Mona), to Keri's father, who then returned again in 1970 to purchase a group of 11 Straight Egyptian mares, among them *Bint Nefisaa, *Hekmat & her daughter Hamamaa (x *Ibn Antar), *Salomy, *Sammara, *Omayma, and Moradil, all of whom figure into prominent Egyptian horses throughout the world today.

When taking a look at Cariswood Arabians, one will notice right away a similar desire to preserve the Straight Egyptian legacy through prominent mare lines. Keri reflects, "There's no doubt about it, mare families are critical to any breeding program. Having a small breeding operation, and owning no stallions at present, our sole focus is on the quality of our broodmares. Structure, movement, disposition, and classic type are the vision we have in each breeding decision we make."

Cariswood's foundation mare, Abraxas Bint Abu (pictured right), known to Keri and Carolee as "Binti," descends through their old mare, *Hekmat, in tail female, through both her sire and her dam. "*Hekmat was known for being strong bodied, well-structured and an exceptionally kind disposition," notes Keri, "The eyes are the window to the soul, and for eyes we have chosen to concentrate on the blood of *Bint Nefisaa through her son El Hilal (x *Ansata Ibn Halima). "Binti" has several lines to El Hilal through his most famous daughter, RDM Maar Hala."

Keri and Carolee also state a strong affinity for *Bint Mona blood through Mohssen as well as The Egyptian Prince. "Not yet having this blood in tail female within our mares sent us on a search, and we were fortunate enough to have been able to acquire it through a lease arrangement with Ansata/Highview." Subsequently, Cariswood's mare produced a beautiful colt by Ansata Qasim this past October, and the Wrights are hoping to show him at the Egyptian Event this coming June! "The mare is now back in foal for 2012," Keri adds, "We're really hoping for a filly this time around so that we can introduce this blood in female form to our herd."

The Wright's devotion to exceptional quality horses at Cariswood Arabians is apparent, but when asked about great accomplishments, Keri gets a bit more personal. "I could name Class A Championships and national honors, but the single greatest accomplishment of my involvement with horses is that through them I met and married my wife, Carolee. Nothing could top that!" Hearing the continuing story of how the Egyptian Arabian horse brings people together warrants a smile on the face of every Pyramid Society member.

This year marks the Wright's seventh as members of The Pyramid Society. According to Keri, the legacy continues with a community of people committed the horse: "Being able to give back to the organization that has been responsible for the preservation and perpetuation of the Egyptian Arabian is among the chief reasons for our involvement today." Keri and Carolee have volunteered at the Egyptian Event, helped with our membership drives, assisted with the publication of Volume XII of the Reference Handbook, and worked to further the interests of the Pyramid Foundation. Keri and Carolee express their appreciation for these "wonderful opportunities to associate with great people, all united in the one thing we have in common, our love for the Egyptian Arabian horse."

However, if there's one thing that the Wright's value most, it's "education, education, education! The mini-seminars held at the Event each year served to whet our appetite. The annual Breeder's Conferences have been wonderful! The horse and all facets of our involvement with them require knowledge, and not just book learning. Our focus must ever be on acquiring the knowledge and applied skill sets that will make us better guardians of these divine creatures who have been entrusted to our care."

We extend our thanks to Keri and Carolee for their devotion to the Straight Egyptian horse and to The Pyramid Society. To learn more about Cariswood Arabians and the horses there, visit them online at www.cariswood.com.