Akhal Teke UK
©Black Fox 2007-2011
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Jill Thomas is a household name in British Endurance circles. She won
the 1993 European Championships at Southwell, setting the British and
European speed records with Egyptian Khalifa; the Team Gold at
Morlaix in France in 1995 with the same horse; came 1st at the Hilton
Herbs&Raddery Equine Festival at Cirencester Park with the then eight-
year-old Tarafiya on his first attempt at the distance where they were
one of the only two combinations to finish, then finished 2nd in Ireland
with him in 2000. Tarafyia is still with Jill, retired. His image is familiar
to the readers of the British Equestrian press through the adverts for
Thorougood Endurance Saddle designed by Jill, with a new model now
in the making. She has also produced a popular series of video tapes
entitled “Successful Endurance Riding”.
Jill Thomas’s arrival on the scene may yet prove to be significant for the
Akhal-Teke breed in this country.
__________________________________________________________
the 1993 European Championships at Southwell, setting the British and
European speed records with Egyptian Khalifa; the Team Gold at
Morlaix in France in 1995 with the same horse; came 1st at the Hilton
Herbs&Raddery Equine Festival at Cirencester Park with the then eight-
year-old Tarafiya on his first attempt at the distance where they were
one of the only two combinations to finish, then finished 2nd in Ireland
with him in 2000. Tarafyia is still with Jill, retired. His image is familiar
to the readers of the British Equestrian press through the adverts for
Thorougood Endurance Saddle designed by Jill, with a new model now
in the making. She has also produced a popular series of video tapes
entitled “Successful Endurance Riding”.
Jill Thomas’s arrival on the scene may yet prove to be significant for the
Akhal-Teke breed in this country.
__________________________________________________________
MM: Your equestrian career in a paragraph? Is that possible?
Highlights, lowlights, things you want to remember and things you
would rather forget...
JT: There is so much that has happened over the years both good and bad. Winning the
European Championships in 1993 where I set a new British and European record has to be
one high’s while one of the worst low’s has to be getting eliminated at the pre ride vetting at an
FEI 160km race, while we were waiting to be trotted up he put his leg down a bit of a hole, no
sooner than he had done it we were asked to trot and he was lame, only an hour later he was
as sound as a pound again! What I would always like to remember is the feeling that you get
when you are riding a really fit horse at a fast canter over the wild moors at Exmoor, the wind
blowing in your face but with the sun shining, okay nine times out of ten up there the rain is
coming down in sheets and the going turns into a bog but that alone makes the good rides even
more special.
Highlights, lowlights, things you want to remember and things you
would rather forget...
JT: There is so much that has happened over the years both good and bad. Winning the
European Championships in 1993 where I set a new British and European record has to be
one high’s while one of the worst low’s has to be getting eliminated at the pre ride vetting at an
FEI 160km race, while we were waiting to be trotted up he put his leg down a bit of a hole, no
sooner than he had done it we were asked to trot and he was lame, only an hour later he was
as sound as a pound again! What I would always like to remember is the feeling that you get
when you are riding a really fit horse at a fast canter over the wild moors at Exmoor, the wind
blowing in your face but with the sun shining, okay nine times out of ten up there the rain is
coming down in sheets and the going turns into a bog but that alone makes the good rides even
more special.
MM: How did you
come to discover this
breed?
JT: When I was a child
and saw one in a library
book at school, took one
look at the picture and
was hooked.
MM: What was the first
Akhal-Teke you saw
live? What was
your first impression?
come to discover this
breed?
JT: When I was a child
and saw one in a library
book at school, took one
look at the picture and
was hooked.
MM: What was the first
Akhal-Teke you saw
live? What was
your first impression?
JT: Naz didn’t have very long to get fit for his first competition, so we worked him twice a day,
before people start jumping up and down screaming how cruel, he was ridden for about an
hour in the morning and then worked on a pessoa for between 15 and 30 minutes in the
evening. He loves to be doing something, is really nosy when out and about and is quite
forward going which really helps with training. I train each and every horse differently
regardless of breed, it is tailor made to suit the individual concerned.
MM: You have recently qualified with the Society of Master
Saddlers. As it happened, it was around the same time that you had to
fit saddles for your two new Akhal-Tekes: was this a challenge?
JT: An Akhal-Teke would be a challenge for any saddle fitter! With the long high wither profile,
length of back etc, both my saddles have been made to measure, in fact the one for Pompei is
a new design of saddle that I am in the process of designing and trying with a well known
saddle manufacture, (watch this space!).
MM: Do you think there is a market in this country for the
Akhal-Teke?
JT: In a word, yes. They are a fantastic all round versatile breed of course there is a market for
them.
MM: Where do you see yourself going with the breed?
JT: Who knows, as long as my horse’s and I are having fun doing what we are doing that is all
that matters.
_______________________________________________________________________
You can see more pictures of Gill with her Tekes at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/GreatMistleighFarm/JillThomasMarch2009#
before people start jumping up and down screaming how cruel, he was ridden for about an
hour in the morning and then worked on a pessoa for between 15 and 30 minutes in the
evening. He loves to be doing something, is really nosy when out and about and is quite
forward going which really helps with training. I train each and every horse differently
regardless of breed, it is tailor made to suit the individual concerned.
MM: You have recently qualified with the Society of Master
Saddlers. As it happened, it was around the same time that you had to
fit saddles for your two new Akhal-Tekes: was this a challenge?
JT: An Akhal-Teke would be a challenge for any saddle fitter! With the long high wither profile,
length of back etc, both my saddles have been made to measure, in fact the one for Pompei is
a new design of saddle that I am in the process of designing and trying with a well known
saddle manufacture, (watch this space!).
MM: Do you think there is a market in this country for the
Akhal-Teke?
JT: In a word, yes. They are a fantastic all round versatile breed of course there is a market for
them.
MM: Where do you see yourself going with the breed?
JT: Who knows, as long as my horse’s and I are having fun doing what we are doing that is all
that matters.
_______________________________________________________________________
You can see more pictures of Gill with her Tekes at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/GreatMistleighFarm/JillThomasMarch2009#
Salimrashid (Shayol-Sinekchi)
JT: Not for many years after
falling in love with a picture,
several years ago Lorna Winn
was competing her lovely
stallion and that just confirmed
that I really liked the breed and
would love to have one if at all
possible.
MM: In the last year or so,
you have become the owner of
several Akhal-Tekes - tell us
about them and how you
chose them?
falling in love with a picture,
several years ago Lorna Winn
was competing her lovely
stallion and that just confirmed
that I really liked the breed and
would love to have one if at all
possible.
MM: In the last year or so,
you have become the owner of
several Akhal-Tekes - tell us
about them and how you
chose them?
JT: Oh, I probably should not admit to internet shopping but sadly that is how all my purchases
have come about and I am now up to five pure bred. The first was the colt Salimrashid (Shayol-
Sinekchi) who was in Russia and Kerri-Jo (Canada) had actually already bought him so it was
a bit of a triangle purchase which in itself created one or two hiccups, he is quite a character
and growing like something stuck in fertiliser, then there is Guldjady (AkSakal-Gulchetai) a
beautiful chestnut mare that came over from the Argamak Stud in Holland, now four years old
she is due to be put in foal to Ikon (Ilkyndji-Pliazhnaia). It was nearly a year then before I
acquired any more but Tina from the Aladja Stud in France has supplied me with Nasrullah
(Gigant- Piran) a 16hh grey who is now 11 years old and we are competing him in endurance,
Pompei (Posalak-Parchagozel) who although only 15hh and a deep mahogany bay is already
an advanced endurance horse, he is 10 this year and I cannot wait to start competing him in a
few weeks time. Then last but not least is Gidchi Shael who is at this moment is still in France
and will be coming over to us later this summer after she has been put in foal. I didn’t so much
as choose them as things just seemed to fall into place and it felt right that they were coming to
me. I had liked what I had seen in the pictures and I really have been pleased with the horses
as they have arrived.
have come about and I am now up to five pure bred. The first was the colt Salimrashid (Shayol-
Sinekchi) who was in Russia and Kerri-Jo (Canada) had actually already bought him so it was
a bit of a triangle purchase which in itself created one or two hiccups, he is quite a character
and growing like something stuck in fertiliser, then there is Guldjady (AkSakal-Gulchetai) a
beautiful chestnut mare that came over from the Argamak Stud in Holland, now four years old
she is due to be put in foal to Ikon (Ilkyndji-Pliazhnaia). It was nearly a year then before I
acquired any more but Tina from the Aladja Stud in France has supplied me with Nasrullah
(Gigant- Piran) a 16hh grey who is now 11 years old and we are competing him in endurance,
Pompei (Posalak-Parchagozel) who although only 15hh and a deep mahogany bay is already
an advanced endurance horse, he is 10 this year and I cannot wait to start competing him in a
few weeks time. Then last but not least is Gidchi Shael who is at this moment is still in France
and will be coming over to us later this summer after she has been put in foal. I didn’t so much
as choose them as things just seemed to fall into place and it felt right that they were coming to
me. I had liked what I had seen in the pictures and I really have been pleased with the horses
as they have arrived.
MM: What is different about
having Tekes, or are they
really just "normal horses" to
you?
JT: I cannot say there is anything
different, at the end of the day
they are horses, granted they are
intelligent, fantastic
temperaments, can pick up on
your mood very quickly so are
very sensitive, to ride they are
like nothing else I have ever
experienced so although yes,
they are just horses, they are
very special horses! You should
probably ask me the same
question in another years time
when I have had time to have
had a full season competing and
training them.
MM: You have taken
Nasrullah through his first
ride. It was uneventful - he
passed with flying colours.
What were the preparation
and training like? Is he easy to
condition? Do you do anything
different from the way you
trained Arabs?
Pompei (Posalak-Parchagozel)
Ikon (Ilkyndji-Pliazhnaia)
Nasrullah (Gigant- Piran)