Adele's Shagyas
"Hungarian Bravo"
Shagya Foundation Stallion
Adele, whose equine education included growing up riding Hunters and Western horses, jumping lessons in college, Ray Hunt clinics, and college level coursework in genetics and horse management, discovered the art and craft of dressage as a working student for Chilean Olympic dressage master Major Hector Carmona in New Jersey, and eventing as a working student for Yves and Christine Sauvignon in California.
Long a lover of the intelligence, beauty, elegance, grace and toughness of Arabian horses, Adele dreamed of breeding a horse which possessed these special Arabian characteristics along with the power, calmness and balance of the Warmblood and Iberian breeds. When Adele read about the Shagyas, she realized that the Austro-Hungarians had already created this special breed, and that it would define her horse breeding future. Adele began a search for Shagyas which culminated in 1984 with her discovery of Hungarian Bravo, a 24-year-old purebred Shagya stallion living in obscurity at the ranch of a Hungarian Baroness in western Montana. For more details, read the article, "The Story of Bravo".
Adele's discovery of Hungarian Bravo, whose parents had been captured by General Patton (along with the Lipizzaners) and brought to America as prizes of World War II, opened the doors for Adele in Europe with the leading Shagya breeders there. Bravo was such an outstanding specimen, representing the best of pre-WW II Hungarian Shagya breeding, that the Purebred Shagya Society International (ISG) which is the international governing body for Shagya breeding worldwide, requested that Bravo be the foundation stallion for the American Shagya breed.
The president of the ISG invited Adele to travel to Verden, Germany, to attend the International Championship Shagya Show in the summer of 1984, and offered to help her to find superior examples of the breed which could be utilized in developing the American Shagya-Arabian breed. Adele traveled through Germany, Switzerland, and Denmark, and purchased two purebred Shagya stallions -- the German stallion *Oman, and the Danish stallion *Shandor. She also purchased three purebred Shagya mares -- the German-bred *Arriva, the Danish-bred *Aminah, and the Polish-bred *Biala, who was in foal. The five purebred Shagyas arrived in the US from Europe in 1986, and *Biala foaled the colt *Budapest AF, in quarantine.
In 1986 Adele Furby founded the North American Shagya Arabian Society (NASS). The NASS is the only ISG-recognized Registry for Shagyas in North America. Strict quality control of the Purebred Shagya breed by the NASS and the ISG assure that the traditional standards of the breed are maintained.
Besides maintaining an active breeding program of purebred Shagyas and Shagya/Warmblood crosses especially suited for dressage, Adele serves as Chairman of the NASS Breeding Committee. Adele was certified by the ISG as a qualified Shagya judge in 1989 and has judged national Shagya-Arabian shows in Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, and Venezuela, and has also judged the International Championship Shagya show three times at Babolna, Hungary, birthplace of the Shagya breed, and most recently the International Championship Shagya-Arabian show in Austria.
Adele's first love is dressage. She believes that if one's breeding aim is for superior dressage horses, a breeder will produce a number of good dressage prospects. The balance of the horses will be suitable for pleasure, jumping, distance riding, carriage, and even western riding. Shagyas have always been a versatile breed since they were bred for military use.
Adele specializes in producing purebred Shagyas for performance as well as for bloodstock. Adele has also focused on breeding superior Warmblood mares to Shagya stallions to produce Shagya/Warmblood crosses which are especially suited for dressage and eventing.
Situated on 80 irrigated acres in the Moiese Valley of western Montana, the breeding stock and young horses have plenty of room to grow up naturally. The Moiese Valley boasts a remarkably temperate climate and is ideal for the outdoor life the Shagyas and Shagya-Warmblood crosses enjoy.
Adele (in yellow) as a learner judge in 1989 with Dr. Frielinghaus at Frauenfeldt, Switzerland.
Adele's Shaygas
57398 Moiese Valley Rd.
Charlo, MT 59824
Phone: (406) 644-3498
Email: Adele Furby
