The Cerridwyn Arabian Sporthorses' breeding program is the culmination of a life long dream and a great deal of research into the future of the Arabian horse business, riding and performance trends, and the demographics of the future horse market--and then how to get there.

It was 1989. I came to the conclusion that by the end of the 1990's the market for horses would be predominantly female, and the horse sport of greatest choice would be Dressage. In another leap of instinct born of 30 years of journalism, public relations and great success in predicting trends, I projected that the horses for this market would need to be intelligent, athletic, competitive, willing, loving, and not too large for the average female rider--beginner or not--to manage. In 1989, this horse was not being bred in any great numbers and seldom on purpose.

I concluded I was going to be among the first to breed this horse and it would be an Arabian of the old Original Warhorse type that would cross well with warmbloods. With my son's encouragment (goading was more like it), and to the derision of my warmblood friends and the upturned noses of my new Arabian breeder acquaintances, I went looking for my Arabian Sporthorse Foundation. And found the greatest horse love of my life in a mare bred by Wayne Newton in 1972. Dervona (Derwisz by Galannie), was older, but an experienced brood mare as well as a great performer. My son gave her to me for Mother's Day. (Dervona's story is on the Foundation Mare page.)

Finding the stallion to begin the program was not easy. The modern Arab just didn't have what I was seeking. I didn't need to hurry. But I found him in the athletic and beautifully bred AJ Ibn Negatiw being stood by Kit and Sandy Carpenter. That nick was fabulous. All four of the babies from AJ and Dervona are the epitome of the modern sporthorse. Two colts and two mares. Dervatiw Kadyth, grey, and being shown on the Open dressage circuit by his junior rider and owner, Jane Rangel, is always in the top ribbons. Dervatiw Gwendlyn, chestnut, is a proven race mare, and now my riding horse and brood mare. Dervatiw Eowyn, grey, is also having babies for me, and will soon start her belated dressage and sporthorse career. And then there is the baby in the family, The Big Red Horse, Dervatiw Gwyddion, now joyously owned by Jean and Dave Peck, and who has just earned all of his points toward Legion of Honor as a Sporthorse in Hand and in Dressage--in under six-months of showing.

They aren't the only ones in my program. Eventually two fabulous stallionswith archival bloodlines came my way. Also older, but still young at heart and still very fertile. A Classy McCoy son, Badi Beh Rhum, and another Wayne Newton bred horse, the *Nabor son WN Winter Park. See the Stallion page for their stories. And on the upcoming stars, offspring, and horses for sale pages you can see the results for yourself, as well as the other fabulous mares in my mare bands.