Spotlight on WCAHA member and Arabian breeder, Dr



Spotlight on WCAHA member and Arabian breeder, Dr. Edward Davidson

Dr. Ed Davidson shows off his latest SHF Southern Whiz colt out of Al Bend, an *Aladdinn daughter. If there’s such a thing as a free ticket to the Alumni dinner, Dr. Ed Davidson, owner of Southern Heritage Farm, certainly should be entitled to one. He has been a member of WCAHA and has participated in its Futurity program for the last 25 years, either by showing a weanling in the club’s Futurity classes in the Fall, or nominating mares and their resulting babies for the following year.

Dr. Davidson’s journey with Arabians began fresh out of veterinary school when he joined Dr. Ben Harrington’s practice in Raleigh, NC, working with Harrington’s clients who owned Arabian horses. One of those clients was Lillian Wolfe, who brought Hi-Fashion Imperial, a Ferzon son, to her farm in North Carolina, where he was well received by East Coast breeders.

“I was most impressed with Hi-Fashion Imperial,” says Davidson. “He influenced my thinking when it came time to acquire horses of my own, and those were from the Ferzon/Azraff cross.”

Many of the horses he owns today trace to the stallion he still stands, SHF Southern Whiz, a Gazesel+ son out of HV Baroness, a Lea Baron daughter. And Whiz ‘came to be’ almost by default, Davidson says.

“I fell into a situation that provided me with the nucleus of Southern Heritage Farm,” Davidson continues. “I had arranged to purchase a line-bred Azraff mare from the Caldwell family which would eventually become the dam of SHF Southern Whiz. When the family suffered the loss of two of their sons in separate automobile accidents, they decided to disperse the horses. Gazesel, Whiz’s sire, came to Southern Heritage Farm, and the rest, as they say, is history.”

“The first goal for my breeding program was to breed a WCAHA Futurity winner,” he explains. “Whiz earned that title when he was just a weanling. And now I’m using his daughters to pursue my current goal—to produce that Nationals winner.” Davidson is crossing his Whiz daughters—genetically strong for producing type and pretty—on some of the stallions that are winning in the ring today. One such stallion is Showkayce, a Fame VF son out of Kay, by Kaiyoum.

Showkayce is the sire of Southern Heritage Farm’s most recent winner, SHF First In Show. This grey 2004 yearling colt out of a Whiz daughter, was named WCAHA weanling Futurity Champion colt. Four months later, he went Reserve Champion in the Scottsdale Signature Stallion Auction Class, as well as winning the amateur-to-handle Yearling Colt class for Jan. 1-Apr. 15 foals.

“He’s just a pretty, correct colt with a beautiful neck,” Davidson says, “and he represents what I’m trying to do with the next phase of my breeding program.”

In addition to the Showkayce colt, Davidson had foals by Mostly Padron, Gai Monarch and Whiz last year. This year, his mares will have Padron Psyche, Lakehill Supreme, Whiz and Silver Jubilee babies at side. And he has purchased 2006 breedings to Marwan Al Shaqab, Falcon and Gai Monarch.

Over the years, Davidson has seen styles and preferences change in the halter arena. “I went through the Polish Invasion,” he says, “but that good, pretty Arabian always prevails. Wide-set eyes, relatively small ears, a fine muzzle—those are the attributes that my ideal horse must have. And those are the qualities that I’m consistently getting with my Southern Whiz get and grand-get.”

Davidson believes that the industry as a whole needs to put the fun back in showing. Several trips to Europe have convinced him that showing the halter horse can be fun for both the exhibitor AND the spectators. And he thinks that the type of horse he is breeding is what those spectators want to see. That’s why he continues to pursue that elusive dream.

“Maybe if I get that national halter win,” he laughs, “I can quit this breeding thing.” “But I probably won’t!” he adds.

Submitted by Carol Johnson

This is a quiet month following much activity by members in Class A shows (Raleigh and Asheville), the 50 and 100-mile Endurance ride that occurred at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville in early May (more on this in the next newsletter) and the close of the All-Star Stallion Auction. (results also next month).

And on the home front, in many of our barns and backyards, signs of Spring have arrived. Take a peek at several new foals welcomed by WCAHA members. And do email me with pictures of YOURS! There’s nothing cuter than a newborn foal, and we’d like to congratulate everyone through our newsletter who is lucky enough to be nuzzling one right now.

If you have any news or a story idea, don’t hesitate to call or email me. I can be reached at or 864-836-3004.

Al and Jill Breedin's Parys El Jamaal daughter

had a beautiful chestnut Versace filly early

in April.

Cassandra Piner touches noses with "Magnificent,"her chestnut Magnum Psyche filly out of a Mafier daughter.

TC Kharpe Diem is the sire of Julia Bryan's grey filly born in April. She is out of O'Bella, an O'Epic (by Elston) daughter. Her dam is NDL Isabella, by Gdansk.

Sans Souci Warriors Gold, owned by Grace Greenlee is pictured at 3 hours old. He is a half-Arabian out of a Pure Polish Warranty daughter, and sired by cremello Saddlebred Vanilla Hot Shot.

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