I found this excerpt by Professor Bakels and Mr Olms fascinating because I have heard the same words repeated in many different ways over the years…

Beauty and Performance – Part 1
An excerpt from Asil Araber II The Noble Arabian Horses 1980 Olms Press

“What we need in the case of the Arabian horse is breeding for performance… The sport of long distance riding is gaining more and more followers. Long distance riding is an ideal performance test which makes it possible to check the constitution of the Arabian horse. Without any doubt the constitution of a horse is far better tested in long distance rides than in the sprint distance of the English Thoroughbred.”

Mr Olms continues: As we know breeding for one sole factor, e.g. for beauty, forcibly leads to degeneration with regard to other factors. It would be in vain, though, to try and talk others, us, me out of aiming at beauty in the breeding of Arabian horses. However, we must become aware of the danger involved.

We must reflect, on that virtue which makes the asil Arabian horse so valuable: its performance. This performance which we still may expect of our horses, must be preserved, the more so as we are hardly willing to renounce beauty. Whether we like it or not, we have no other choice than to select for performance as well. We all know alarming examples of dogs being bred for mere beauty.

Professor Bakels mentioned sad results in the breeding of cattle and pigs when they are bred for a single factor. If we succeed in proving that our asil Arabians are capable of performance as well as beauty, we shall have won.”

Photo: Pearsons Valeeah as a yearling by Simeon Stav x Pearsons Vogue x Pearsons Sarchi x Simeon Sarah