History | Arabian Horses of Dr. & Mrs. James Rooker

Rooker History

Upon graduating from Michigan State University in 1954, Byron Good allowed us to purchase our choice of the MSU brood mare band. Our choice was Khynata by Sikin x *Incoronata (Skowronek), 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. He was on of the few Arabians of his day to receive a Certificate from the National Cutting Horse Association. Khynata gave us two colts by Azkar, on lease to MSU Suleijman owned by Walter Ross of Kansa City, where we were Stationed with the Army. He was a quality colt, but we lost him to colic.

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 foul, but forged and enduring friendship with Mae and Bill Munson.

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 heard. 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 fourth 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.

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 harness in 103 classes and received 98 ribbons. She was third in ASHA 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 Munson 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 tow 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 (*Raffles x Zarayna) come to stay. He was owned by Walt Clark of Orcas Island, Washington.

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 of when we went to the Rose Bowl. While at Alice's ranch in 1968, Jeanne too slides of all the horses on the premises, including pensioners from other owners. We knew she was not well, and Alice died in 1969. 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 Zephry and Asil Aurora in December 1972. The Stallions were Asil Apogee by Rafferty x Rafleeta (*Raffles) and Rafferty 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, blood lines it has taken several lifetimes to produce. How fortunate we were to have access to all of these *Raffles horses. We combined them this was and that, keeping as many as we could that met out ideals. We found if we didn't repeat the dams we did no lose size. With our *Raffles foundation we never worried about our horses' feet and legs, and usually got good heads, even when outcrossing. Best of all, nearly all were stylish with a good trot and elegant tail carriage. Of course, some of them had to go to new homes to pay the grain bill.

In 1969 we applied for and obtained a patent on our JR prefix. We filed it with the Arabian Horse Registry to restrict it to our use.

One of the friendships we made through the *Raffles horses was Gina Manion. She leased us Infra by Orbit x Salina Wing ida (Giraff), 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 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 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 and 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.

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 (*Bask Habina), *Gwar (comet x Gwadiana), *Ehab (Akhtal x Zebeda) and *Set (Etap x Sekwana), trying all crosses. After three years LaBasque left us and we purchased Bo-Bask (*Bask x Hallana) from Earl and Ester Bennett of Midland, Michigan. From time to 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. National Champion Stallion in 1986, the same year the Tsensation 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.

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 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.

In 1991 Shawn Rooker was about to load a group of Gene LaCroix's horses to ship to Scottsdale, one of whom as 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 a 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), four time National Champion Park Horse with our band of Carolyn Moller. We have an exciting group of youngsters by these two horses being prepared for the show ring, and five foals arriving in 2005. The whole family has had a wonderful time with Arabian horses, achieving twenty-three Legion of Merit Awards.

Janet Rooker and JB Sophia	Nabeel Natasha (Kubriya x Nashera)
Dr. Rooker and Doretta U.S. National Top Ten - 1974 and 1976 Legion of Merit - 1976	JB Sophia (Sotep x Infanta)
A Gillette sired foal with Jim Jones, Dr. Rooker and Frank Magaha looking on	1976 Winraff (Orbit x Shalimar Wingida) Legion of Merit Owner: Gina Manion Dr. Don Smith (left), Pat & Gina Manion & Dr. Rooker
Anata, Stock Horse Class, AHAM, 1959 Dr. Rooker up, with Jerome Wood	Bojeanetta with Debbie Rooker up and future owner Vicki Marsh
Kubriya (*Raffles x Selfra)	Rafferty (*Raffles x Masrufa)
Dr. Rooker and LaBasque winning the Region 13 English Pleasure Championship Class	Dr. Rooker and CND Bo-Rea by Bo-Bask Region 13 Top Five Junior Western Pleasure
Tsensation (MS Santana x Tsalzee)	Tsocrates (Rafferty x Tsalzee)
Mrs. Rooker and JR Cicero	Dr. Rooker and Tsocrates
*Ehab	Janet, Jeanne, Jim, Debbie & Nancy