History
| Upon graduating from Michigan State University in 1954, Byron Good allowed us to purchase our choice of the MSU broodmare band. Our choice was Khynata by Sikin out of *Incoronata (Showronek), mainly because she was the dam of Anata, the gelding Jim had exhibited in reining and cutting for the college for several years. Sikin was a full brother to Farana, acclaimed champion reining and stock horse. We were finally permitted to buy Anata three years later. Khynata gave us two colts by Azkar, on lease to MSU from the Tormohlens of Peru, Indiana. Then she gave us a colt by Suleijman owned by Walter Ross of Kansas City, where Jim was stationed with the army. He was a quality colt, but we lost him to colic. |
 Jim and Anata cutting cattle at Michigan State University 1954 |
We discovered the Arabian Horse News, and in it found horses with the short, typy heads and large black eyes we admired in photos of Dr. Bill Munson's Garaff get. Although Bill did not usually breed outside mares, Khynata's pedigree intrigued him and he accepted her. We did not get a foal, but forged an enduring friendship with Mae and Bill Munson.
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Anata was getting older and Jim wanted a new colt to start. Bill said he had a sharp yearling colt who was handy and we purchased Shalimar Gillette by Garaff x Collette (Rapture). When he was two we bred three mares to him, and learned first hand about *Raffles blood. We added bone, correctness, tractability and type to our herd. The girls were able to break the young horses. All of us showed Gillette in western pleasure, driving, costume, reining and cutting. Jeanne even rode him side-saddle. Janet placed forth out of twenty-five children in her debut at the Buckeye Show. Janet was seven and Gillette was four. Jim won U.S. Top Ten Stock Horse with Gillette in 1968 (pictured left). |
When Bill Munson heard our Park mare Alza had ruined her hock, he offered to lease us Shalimar Garlina by Garaff x *Salinas (Grey Owl) in 1962. Jim showed her in harness in 1962 with his leg in a cast. In 1963 Jeanne showed her in 103 classes and received 98 ribbons. She was third in AHSA High-Score Awards on just eight shows. Bill sold her to Blackwatch Farm in Fishkill Plain, New York, as the nucleus of a group of Arabians.
In 1966 Bill Muson called to borrow our truck to go to Blackwatch Farm to pick up young stock in lieu of interest. Jim went along to help drive. Cooping those two up alone for so many hours resulted in a logical conclusion. Jim owned all but one of the fillies on the truck, and a stallion to be picked up later. The females were Tarsalina, Shalimar Tarleen, Shalimar Chandelle, Garwila, and Tsalzee, dam of Tsensation. The stallion was Shalimar Tarzan. Today almost half of our horses carry a line to Bill Munson's Garaff.
With two partners we purchased Jimmy Wrench's herd of *Raffles and Raseyn horses in 1967. REA Express found a horse Pullman in Rochester, New York, and sent it west to Everett, Washington. Jim, brother-in-law Gerry Gehl, Josh Butler who worked for us and his stepson Pat Bernethy flew out to bring the horses home. They had to transport them from Guemes Island on a three-car ferry to the mainland, then to a fairgrounds for stabling until the stalls could be put back in the horse car. There were twenty horses, including two foals. We had old Kubriya, (Raffles x Selfra) on lease, and he came too. It was a hard five-day trip with a hot box, no lights until Chicago, hoodlums in Chicago, and speeding engineers. Gerry Gehl made a movie of the whole trip from the Wrench farm to Flint.
| Kubriya remained with us for two years. When he returned west, we had Sotep, (pictured right) who was by*Raffles and out of the mare Zareyna, come to stay. Walt Clark of Orcas Island, Washington owned him. |  |
We became acquainted with Alice Payne through Dr. Bill Munson, and were greatly intrigued by her intensified *Raffles herd. We visited Alice from time to time when Jim was judging on the west coast or when we went to the Rose Bowl. While at Alice's ranch in 1968, Jeanne took slides of all the horses on the premises, including pensioners from other owners. We knew she was not well, and Alice died in 1969.
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Her sons continued the program for a while, but we were allowed to purchase three Rafferty daughters, Asil Diane, Asil Lyra, and Asil Nebula and three Syzygy daughters, Asil Zillah, Asil Zephyr, and Asil Zurora in December 1972. The stallions were Asil Apogee by Rafferty x Rafleeta (*Raffles) and Rafferty(pictured left) by *Raffles x Masrufa (Rasraff). Apogee had never seen snow, and kept backing up to get his feet off it. Nearly all of our horses still carry a line to Alice Payne's herd. |
We are one of the few farms privileged to stand three *Raffles sons. Our mares have been of concentrated *Raffles lines for many generations, bloodlines it has taken several lifetimes to produce. How fortunate we were to have access to all of these *Raffles horses. We combined them this way and that, keeping as many as we could that met our ideals. We found if we didn't repeat the dams we did not lose size. Of course, some of them had to go to new homes to pay the grain bill.
One of the friendships we made through the *Raffles horses was Gina Manion. She leased us Winraff by Orbit x Shalimar Wingida (Garaff), who was by an Alice Payne stallion out of a Bill Munson mare. Winraff was a big bay, and we finished his Legion of Merit for Gina in eight shows. He was Champion Stallion at Mason, Michigan, and beat *Asadd who was National Champion that year. The most fun of all was at Midland, Michigan, where Gina came to ride Winraff in Amateur Western Pleasure (third) and Amateur English Pleasure (first). She and Pat attended our Legion of Merit party for Winraff at the Michigan All-Arabian Show in 1975, Gina in a long, pale yellow satin dress. Scrumptious.
Another horse we enjoyed was Gai Torero by Gai-Apache x Ferzona (Ferzon) owned by Don and Doris Abrams. We showed him to Legion of Merit and bred him to some of our mares. He sired our foundation mare JR Patricia out of the Alice Payne mare, Asil Prophesy. The cross of a Gainey stallion on an Alice Payne mare was most successful and we were sorry we had not done it more often.
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We lost Rafferty in 1976, Shalimar Gillette in 1977 and Asil Apogee in 1978, and began to outcross. We had learned that Raffles plus outcross meant a show horse. We stood LaBasque (pictured below) by Bask out of Habina, *Gwar (pictured right) by Comet out of Gwadiana, *Ehab by Akhtal out of Zebeda and *Set by Etap out of Sekwana, trying all crosses. After three years LaBasque left us and we purchased Bo-Bask (*Bask x Hallana) from Earl and Esther Bennett of Midland, Michigan. From the time we sent mares to other stallions such as *Etiw and *Sambor. We sent Tzalzee++, belonging to Jim Johnson, to MS Santana by *Bask x SW Saruchna (by *Sambor), producing The Tsensation. MS Santana was U.S. Top Ten Futurity Stallion. At twenty Tsensation is still going strong. A large number of his get have won championships in the show ring in both halter and performance. His chief value to us has proven to be as a broodmare sire. His daughters have crossed well with stallions of diverse bloodlines.
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Caryzar by *Carycyn x Zarie (*Aramus) was another stallion who did well for us. Jim, nephew Shawn and all three daughters won championships in various divisions. Caryzar was qualified in English Pleasure and Park Horse, both open and amateur, and in both Formal and Pleasure Driving. He sired JR Percival x JR Patricia (Gai Torero), JR Carlos x JR Karen (La Basque) and JR Claudette x JR Caprice (The Tsensation). Percival was a Champion in Park and Native Costume, while Carlos has been a consistent champion in English Pleasure and Pleasure Driving and was Reserve U.S. National Champion Park Horse AOTR in 2002. JR Claudette is a member of our current show string.
In 1991 Shawn Rooker was about to load a group of Gene LaCroix's horses to ship to Scottsdale, one of whom was Whamm by Wisdom x Moniet Sherie (Fire Chief), representing the *Bask - *Raffles cross that has been so successful for us. Jeanne liked his pedigree and Janet was eager to show him. Jim was preparing the horses for shipping and we asked him to do a vet check. We brought Whamm off the truck and home to Davison. He was a great satisfaction to us all. Seven members of our family: Jim, Jeanne, daughters Nancy, Debbie, and Janet and granddaughter Christina Geuns all had Regional wins and Championships on Whamm. Son-in-law David Johnston surpassed us all with a U.S. National Top Ten in Country English Pleasure AOTR in 1996.
In the last several years we have used AA Apollo Bey by Huckleberry Bey x April Charm (*Eter), three-time Reserve National Champion Park Horse, and his son Apollopalooza out of TF Magical Witch (MHR Nobility), 2001 and 2002 National Champion Park Horse with our band of mares. Both horses are owned by Carmelle Rooker's parents, Bill & Carolyn Moller. We have an exciting group of fifteen youngsters four years and under by these two horses being prepared for the show ring, and eight foals arriving in 2003. The whole family has had a wonderful time with Arabian horses, achieving twenty-three Legion of Merit Awards.
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Forty-eight years producing Arabians who are pretty
and can trot!
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Michigan All-Arabian Show - 1989 JR Lillian Deborah Rooker Geuns up and D. Gordon Stocking |
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Dr. James & Jeanne Rooker
7421 Davison Road
Davison, MI 48423
rookerjames@yahoo.com
Tel: 810-742-3603
Fax: 810-658-2233
