Delight Arab Horse Stud & Belmont Farmstay ~ Stuart & Linda Cottle ~ About us and the History of Delight Arab Horse Stud
The Stud is run in conjunction with farming beef & sheep, & growing maize. Stuart & I have always been involved with farming & horses and also Stuart's extended Cottle family are well known in NZ Showing, Eventing and Showjumping (his cousin John has competed at top level & overseas).
I got my first pony at 14yrs old and have always been an enthusiast of the Arab horse ever since reading about them and listening to my father talk about an impressive Arab stallion belonging to friends. I believe this horse was 'Shereef' (Riffal x Senabra) a top endurance sire - we now have two Shereef granddaughters & several great granddaughters.
Our arab horse stud was established in 1973 with the purchase of an anglo arab mare 'Carmen' (we bred a very nice partbred gelding from her). I then purchased a purebred filly with the intention to show her in-hand, break her in to ride and breed from her.
There weren't many arabian horses available in the 1970's in NZ, but I purchased a lovely chesnut filly from E & B Wilson's Malton Arab Stud 'Turkish Delight' (Waimeha Marendo x Odwain) she was very successful in-hand, twice winning NZ Supreme Exhibit & twice Royal Show Champion. Broken in after several foals, she achieved well in Endurance, including 2nd NZ North Island Endurance Champs 1986, 1st purebred home and Fittest Horse Cup. Our Stud is named in honour of this mare and her daughter 'Hearts Delight'.
Turkish Delight only had four live foals, the first being a stunning bay filly 'Hearts Delight' by 'Nahda' (Mustafa x Nara x Naadirah) which was also a very successful show mare winning Junior National Champion at only 11 months old. Unfortunately the Turkish Delight mares were not good breeders and this line has not continued.
'Hearts Delight' had 3 live foals, 'Delights Azeem' who was NZ National Supreme Exhibit 1995, he is also a talented Endurance Competitor, 'Delights Antar' a determined Endurance horse, & 'Delights Amir' Endurance horse Exp.UAE.
In 1983-4 we were very fortunate to be able to purchase the elegant young grey stallion 'Ngapa Joussif' from Alec Edward who founded the famous NZ 'Ngapa Arab Stud' and a bit later the lovely dry desert type mares 'Ngapa Estelle' and her daughter 'Ngapa Estrellita'. These horses have formed the foundation and nucleus of our current Arabian horse stud, along with 3 Australian Imports and the purchase of another older mare of similar bloodlines and type.
'Ngapa Joussif' has been a wonderful sire for our Stud producing some excellent progeny including winners in-hand, under saddle and particularly in endurance - we feel he is a deserving recipient of the NZ 2006 WAHO Performance Trophy Award - we are proud that he has received recognition for his contribution in NZ.
Click this link to read - Info about why Joussif won WAHO 2006
All our horses of Ngapa Bloodlines descend from the prepotent endurance mare line of 'Gipsy Maid'. She was by 'Sirdar' by the famous Endurance Horse 'Shahzada' - Shahzada competed Endurance in UK and there is a prestigious Endurance ride in Australia named in honour of him ' The Shahzada Endurance Ride'.
'Gipsy Maid's dam 'Salome' was also a 'Shahzada' granddaughter. Our lovely old mare 'Ngapa Star' has this bloodline very closeup, being a granddaughter of Gipsy Maid, she is also a granddaughter of 'Shereef' (Riffal x Senabra).
In 2000 we purchased two Colonial Crabbet Endurance bred mares from the well known Rowallan Arab Stud - breeders of World Class Endurance horses such as 'Rowallan Domino' - World Points number one endurance horse 2001 & 2 and twice winner of the Presidents Cup UAE.
We imported 'Rowallan Classic Sireen' & 'Rowallan Crystabel' with the intention of breeding them to 'Ngapa Joussif', but he proved nearly infertile by this time which was a great shame and we did not get any live foals by him from them. However the mares have bred several quality foals by our other resident stallion 'Ranaarb' imported Aust on lease from Greg Prowse. Rowallan Classic Sireen' has also produced a colt by the only entire son of Ngapa Joussif 'Cyden Sun' which is now one of our young Stud sires 'Delights Wahid'. Both Rowallan mares are now (2008 onwards) producing really stunning quality foals to our young linebred stallion 'Delights DJ Zarif'.
Over the 36 years we've been breeding Arab horses we haven't bred large quantities of foals, preferring to go for quality and only between 1 & 4 good quality foals per season (some years none). Concentrating on good conformation, freedom of movement and athletic ability to produce active riding horses as well as very attractive arabians.
We are proud to be members of the KEAA triangle with Cyden Arabians and Arahi Arabians - please see the separate page about the 'Kiwi Endurance Arabian Alliance'.
For More Information contact:
Several photos in the photo montage above are from our wonderful trip to Malaysia & 'Melaka Grand Invitational Endurance Ride' - to read reports about the experience please click following links:
Stuart & Linda Cottle with 'Ngapa Joussif' (in his 30th year)
& the WAHO Trophy awarded to 'Joussif' 2006
Myself, Brother Peter McIntosh, Shirley Ellis & Mary Tylden.
Photo taken during a trip Mary & I made to Melbourne & Adelaide as Mary was asked to Judge the South Australian Arabian Champs.
Brother Peter kindly hosted us & showed us around Adelaide.
Mary & I also visited 3-4 Arabian Studs including Dorothy & Nick Byrnes 'Paywit Stud' at Trafalgar, 'Fenwick Stud' & Glenda Shrimpton in Bendigo.
Photo left is of a charming young visitor to Delight Arab Horse Stud, Emma Donald who is mad keen on horses and, now, arabian horses~!!
Hopefully she will be a budding Arab horse enthusiast and maybe one day even try endurance riding. In the photo left she is riding 'Delights Sheba'
News at 4 November 2008 Zelma Lotter from South Africa, visited us October until December 2008 to see a bit of New Zealand and help with riding and competing our endurance horses. We met Zelma while we were at the Melaka Endurance Ride in Malaysia last April and invited her to come and stay in NZ.
Zelma really enjoyed her time here and competed at several endurance rides - Taupo, Putaruru, Counties Endurance at Waiuku and Ruahine's November Ride. Zelma returned to South Africa to join her family for Xmas and we were quite sorry to see her go as she was a pleasure to have here, and made lots of friends.
NEWS @ 30 April 2009 ~ Melaka Endurance, Malaysia
We were invited back to the 'Melaka Grand Invitational Endurance Ride' April 2009 in Malaysia, but Stuart opted to compete at the NZ National Champs, so we nominated two friends (Craig Brown & Emily Balme) to represent our Delight Arab Endurance Stables in Malaysia - They had a wonderful trip and have written reports about it below:
NEWS @ 30 May 2009 - Our latest Exciting News is that 'Ngapa Joussif's' one & only stallion son 'Cyden Sun' owned by friends Mary & Chris Tylden (of Cyden Arabian Stud), has just won the prestigious WAHO Trophy NZ 2009 (WAHO = World Arab Horse Organisation, USA) for Performance horses sired which are winning at top levels in Endurance, Shows, Eventing etc & setting an exemplary standard as an Ambassador of the Arabian Breed. His sire 'Ngapa Joussif' was awarded the WAHO in 2006. Click the following link for info:
The most recent success for Cyden Sun progeny is a first placing at an important endurance ride in the UAE. 'Cyden Cloud Dancer' has just won the Sorouh Challenge 81km event, the season's first ride at the Emirates International Endurance Village in Al Wathba on 14/11/09
'Delights Gemma' (Registration pending)
Lovely weanling filly (photo @ left as foal) has recently gone to her new home with Paula & Robert Watson & family in Morrinsville. Paula is the granddaughter of Alec Edward, founder of the 'Ngapa Arab Stud'. Gemma is a g.granddaughter of a favourite mare of Alec's, the lovely 'Ngapa Estelle'.
'Gemma' has settled in well and has her great Aunt 'Delights Jezelle' to babysit her (Jezelle is a daughter of 'Ngapa Estelle'). Gemma has a great new home and apparently they're all very impressed with her lovely sweet nature, also she is very sensible and nothing seems to phase her.
'Gemma' is by one of our young 'Cyden Sun' stallions - 'Delights Wahid' and is typical of his stock which so far are very pretty, with superb natures - her dam is 'Delights Estrellita' (Ngapa Joussif x Ngapa Estrellita)
Recent visitors to the Delight Arab Horse Stud have included a group from Malaysia (involved with enduranceand a new Equine Training Centre currently being set up) plus members of the Hamilton Institute of Technology. We enjoyed their visit and we had some great feedback about how much they enjoyed their day and were impressed with the horses and youngstock here.
