Akhal Teke UK
©Black Fox 2007-2008
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
 | |  | |  | |  | |  |
Tatiana Nikolaevna Riabova has worked with the
Akhal-Teke horses and been the Chief Registrar of the
Akhal-Teke General Studbook for over thirty years. She
regularly tours Akhal-Teke studfarms in Russia, Central
Asia, Europe and US, to evaluate young stock and assess
the trends in Akhal-Teke breeding worldwide.
_______________________________________________
Akhal-Teke horses and been the Chief Registrar of the
Akhal-Teke General Studbook for over thirty years. She
regularly tours Akhal-Teke studfarms in Russia, Central
Asia, Europe and US, to evaluate young stock and assess
the trends in Akhal-Teke breeding worldwide.
_______________________________________________
MM: Tatiana Nikolaevna, please tell me about yourself. Where were you born, where
did you grown up, how did the love of horses come about?
ТR: Well, to tell you about myself… I was born in a small village, in the remote Russian
countryside, in the astrological Year of Horse. I am from a farming family. Horses were
always around me, from early childhood. That’s a short answer to your first question.
MM: I have heard you used to ride, that you were into dressage – is this true?
ТR: When my family moved from the countryside to the city, we went to live literally next door
to a riding school. Now I see deep meaning, even God’s will, in what must have been a mere
coincidence. Needless to say, I spent all my free time at that riding school. After I left school,
there was no other career for me other than to enrol at the agricultural college. I became an
animal scientist. Once graduated, I worked as a Director of the North-Kazakhstan
Hippodrome (and deputised as groom and jockey when we were short of staff!), then I had a
job as a Team Leader at the “Sunrise” dairy horse farm in the Kuban region, then decided to
do postgraduate studies at the Institute of Horsebreeding, and completed my PhD on the
aspects of development of the nervous system in the Thoroughbred race horse.
I began to ride seriously while still at my dear old riding school, then continued riding while at
the Institute of Horsebreeding. I trained in show-jumping, eventing and dressage. Was
awarded the Equestrian Sports Masters Diploma. I had worked with all kinds of breeds:
Trakehners, English Thoroughbreds, Budennyi, Don and, of course, Akhal-Teke.
ММ: How did it come about that you became the Chief Registrar of the Akhal-Teke
General Studbook? Were you aiming for it or did it just happen? Who were your
teachers? Who gave you the “understanding” of the breed?
ТR: One day the Director of our Institute, Yuri Nikolaevich Barmintsev, called me to his office
and asked me if I would like to take on the Akhal-Teke breed, which, up until that time, had
not been managed by the Institute. I spent two months in hard deliberations, wondering what
to do, as it meant having to make a break with the breed I knew well and loved, and get
involved in something unknown. Friends helped me make up my mind and from January 1st
1973 I became “the Akhal-Teke lady”. Now I think this was a divine predicament (it isn’t by
accident that Mr Babaev decided to add me to the pantheon of saints, there had to be
something to justify and explain that!).
I began to read all the available literature on the breed, there wasn’t a lot of it, I am afraid, and
set off for Turkmenistan, to learn about my “terra incognita”. Had I not met there a wonderful
person and an expert, passionately in love with these animals, Maria Danilovna Cherkezova, I
don’t know how the rest of my life would have turned out. She too was born in the
astrological Year of the Horse, only twenty years earlier, and it felt as if we were being carried
through life on the same wave, true soulmates we were. After that, I learned from the horses
themselves, also took a lot from V.P. Shamborant, though I wouldn’t call him my mentor,
rather an opponent in the debate.
ММ: Do you see the Akhal-Teke as a universal or an Eastern breed? I don’t mean its
geographical spread, rather its “spirit”. How is this spirit perceived in different
countries – similarly or in a completely different way?
ТR: Amongst all the world equestrian breeds, the Akhal-Teke occupies a special place. It isn’t
just a breed – it is a living monument of antiquity, and all those who have devoted their lives to
it, or have only had incidental contact with it, must remember this. This breed must be
preserved with all its special characteristics, yet must not be set in stone, it should evolve, and
be perfected, and adjust to the demands of the modern market, but only within the tradition of
purebreeding, by preserving its unique genetic pool. This is the essence of our work.
Unfortunately, not everyone understands the uniqueness of this breed, not everyone can
appreciate its huge potential, some cannot comprehend its spirit and appreciate its intellect.
did you grown up, how did the love of horses come about?
ТR: Well, to tell you about myself… I was born in a small village, in the remote Russian
countryside, in the astrological Year of Horse. I am from a farming family. Horses were
always around me, from early childhood. That’s a short answer to your first question.
MM: I have heard you used to ride, that you were into dressage – is this true?
ТR: When my family moved from the countryside to the city, we went to live literally next door
to a riding school. Now I see deep meaning, even God’s will, in what must have been a mere
coincidence. Needless to say, I spent all my free time at that riding school. After I left school,
there was no other career for me other than to enrol at the agricultural college. I became an
animal scientist. Once graduated, I worked as a Director of the North-Kazakhstan
Hippodrome (and deputised as groom and jockey when we were short of staff!), then I had a
job as a Team Leader at the “Sunrise” dairy horse farm in the Kuban region, then decided to
do postgraduate studies at the Institute of Horsebreeding, and completed my PhD on the
aspects of development of the nervous system in the Thoroughbred race horse.
I began to ride seriously while still at my dear old riding school, then continued riding while at
the Institute of Horsebreeding. I trained in show-jumping, eventing and dressage. Was
awarded the Equestrian Sports Masters Diploma. I had worked with all kinds of breeds:
Trakehners, English Thoroughbreds, Budennyi, Don and, of course, Akhal-Teke.
ММ: How did it come about that you became the Chief Registrar of the Akhal-Teke
General Studbook? Were you aiming for it or did it just happen? Who were your
teachers? Who gave you the “understanding” of the breed?
ТR: One day the Director of our Institute, Yuri Nikolaevich Barmintsev, called me to his office
and asked me if I would like to take on the Akhal-Teke breed, which, up until that time, had
not been managed by the Institute. I spent two months in hard deliberations, wondering what
to do, as it meant having to make a break with the breed I knew well and loved, and get
involved in something unknown. Friends helped me make up my mind and from January 1st
1973 I became “the Akhal-Teke lady”. Now I think this was a divine predicament (it isn’t by
accident that Mr Babaev decided to add me to the pantheon of saints, there had to be
something to justify and explain that!).
I began to read all the available literature on the breed, there wasn’t a lot of it, I am afraid, and
set off for Turkmenistan, to learn about my “terra incognita”. Had I not met there a wonderful
person and an expert, passionately in love with these animals, Maria Danilovna Cherkezova, I
don’t know how the rest of my life would have turned out. She too was born in the
astrological Year of the Horse, only twenty years earlier, and it felt as if we were being carried
through life on the same wave, true soulmates we were. After that, I learned from the horses
themselves, also took a lot from V.P. Shamborant, though I wouldn’t call him my mentor,
rather an opponent in the debate.
ММ: Do you see the Akhal-Teke as a universal or an Eastern breed? I don’t mean its
geographical spread, rather its “spirit”. How is this spirit perceived in different
countries – similarly or in a completely different way?
ТR: Amongst all the world equestrian breeds, the Akhal-Teke occupies a special place. It isn’t
just a breed – it is a living monument of antiquity, and all those who have devoted their lives to
it, or have only had incidental contact with it, must remember this. This breed must be
preserved with all its special characteristics, yet must not be set in stone, it should evolve, and
be perfected, and adjust to the demands of the modern market, but only within the tradition of
purebreeding, by preserving its unique genetic pool. This is the essence of our work.
Unfortunately, not everyone understands the uniqueness of this breed, not everyone can
appreciate its huge potential, some cannot comprehend its spirit and appreciate its intellect.
ММ: Let us touch a few controversial subjects: the Studbook. Until recently, there was
only one, compiled centrally and published in Russia. Not so long ago, in France, they
created their own system, with your support: they will do their own testing, their own
registration and then will pass the records to VNIIK. I heard that in Switzerland they
are trying to create a similar system of registration for their local population. Yet, in
other countries, the registration is haphazard. And I heard that in Turkmenistan they
compiled their own studbook and now work independently. So where are we all going?
Whose example are we meant to follow? What is the ideal registration method for the
Akhal-Teke in the 21st century?
ТR: There is still only one General Studbook. All the published volumes of this studbook have
been compiled by the Russian experts and were printed in Moscow, with one exception of
volume III published in Tashkent [in 1941]. In Turkmenistan, since the break-up of USSR,
there has not been a single publication. Volume 9 was brought out in a slimmed-down version,
10 years after the publication of the actual Volume 9 of the General Studbook, with all horses
not born in Turkmenistan removed from it. They also decided to change the numbering of
horses which is very confusing for the users. Moreover, these newborn “authors” didn’t even
bother to record the breeding results for the mares over those ten years. I view this as a banal
act of robbery.
We have a cooperation agreement with horsebreeding authorities in France (Pompadour), we
are successfully working with the Czech Association. We would like to cooperate with all the
countries where Akhal-Teke horses are being bred.
First of all, a centralised system of registration in this ancient and not-so-prolific-in-numbers
breed is essential, if the breed is to be preserved for future generations. Secondly, when
records are centralised, experts have a full picture of the state of the breed, and having all the
information in one place helps experts to formulate strategic goals for future breed
development. Finally, it is a question of prestige to have your horse inscribed in the General
Studbook. Each location, however, can publish its own registers in which all categories of
animals are included, for example, geldings.
There is a Directive on Breed Registration and the General Studbook, issued by the Institute
of Horsebreeding and approved by the relevant departments of the Ministry of Agriculture of
the Russian Federation. All people need to do is put the principles outlined in this Directive
into practice. The Directive is published on our website.
A long time ago, when USSR still existed, we, the “Teke people”, decided to found an
Association, to unite us in our efforts to preserve, improve and promote the breed. It was
named AATK – the Association of Akhal-Teke Breeders. This was in Tbilisi. The work of
this organisation was not done in vain: we organised in-hand demonstrations of youngstock at
race courses, where Akhal-Teke races were held, the geographical distribution of the breed
widened and this led to the creation of the International association MAAK (The International
Association of Akhal-Teke Breeders). However, one has to note that since then, the
responsibility for organising the youngstock demonstrations and meetings has been resting
upon the shoulders of the staff of the Instritute of Horsebreeding (in Ryazan) and the Museum
of Horsebreeding (in Moscow). The members of AATK seem to like to criticise us but are
less keen on helping. As a role of MAAK, we had envisaged the consolidation of efforts to
promote the breed worldwide, the widening of scope of their usage, the creation of a single
source of information about the population of Akhal-Teke horses in different countries, both
their numbers and quality. The idea was that national association will get created and work
with MAAK, which would make the registration work easier, would aid the efficiency and
timeliness of the publication of our documentation, including the Studbook and registers. But
this isn’t happening. Nowadays, almost every owner of Akhal-Teke wants to “manage” the
situation, there is a lack of agreement between owners in almost every country, and this greatly
complicates the communication between people and the management of the breed.
Many people probably see me as some sort of dictator who imposes her will on everyone
else. Perhaps these people have never come across true dictators in their lives. When we had
military horsebreeding farms, and the Chief Horsebreeding Authority at the Ministry of
Agriculture, then all directives on selection, combination of breeding couples, the use of sires,
the usage of non-breeding population were obeyed. Nowadays, nobody demands
compliance. You can sell any horse you like, to whom you like, for whatever price you like,
you can select your breeding stock according to your own judgement, use stallions which
satisfy your own taste and financial criteria, you can performance-test or not, as the case may
be, bring horses to the Meetings or not, organise any shows you like. Where is the
dictatorship here? Our in-hand demonstrations at the meetings are part of our selective
breeding work, they are conducted according to an approved Directive. We have to comply
with approved Directives, otherwise, anarchy will reign and the breed cannot be preserved.
MM: What is your view, how should MAAK realistically evolve now? Many people
accuse MAAK of various things but I rarely hear any practical suggestions. Do we need
it at all? If we do, what do we need it for?
TR: Whether or not we need MAAK and how its work should be organised… I would like to
hear the opinion of its critics. I want to know how they see MAAK should work.
MM: Is it true that VNIIK doesn’t like it when someone tries to export a horse with a
valuable pedigree outside CIS?
TR: Where did this idea come from, that VNIIK likes or doesn’t like something? Give me an
example when VNIIK tried to prevent a sale of a single horse. I, as an expert, may regret that
a very interesting example of the breed, is being sold but the Institute have never refused a
permission to export any horse. One could syndicate a particular horse, i.e. to buy it out from
the seller for the asking price, that’s what they do at the British Jockey Club, but we do not
have the money to do this.
MM: You must have seen hundreds, if not thousands of Akhal-Teke during your career.
Do you ever get to the point of saturation? Or are there still times when you get fired up
with excitement at the sight of the latest rising star?
ТR: Yes, a lot of horses have passed before my eyes in 35 years, yet I always cannot wait
until I go travelling every year around the studfarms, where I can see the new foals, the rising
youngstock and evaluate what the maturing stock looks like. It’s always a celebration for me.
MM: Please describe a couple of the most memorable moments in your long “Teke”
career, and perhaps a couple of sad ones too.
TR: There have been lots of good and bad moments, it’s difficult for me to choose anything
that’s most essential…
MM: Some breeders, both in Russia and in the West, deplore the lack of application for
the Akhal-Teke horses in the modern equestrian world. Do you agree that utilitarian
usage of Teke in our times is no simple matter?
ТR: The lack of use for the Akhal-Teke horses is our own responsibility, the result of how we
ourselves use it, how we promote and popularise the breed. In Russia, the main problem is the
lack of skill: the riders’ hands and the trainers’ brains. We lack both. The Akhal-Teke horse
does not suit the broadly accepted training methods and approaches, it needs to be
understood. When one talks to the people who work with these horses, they invariably
mention that they are quick learners, good-natured (unless someone tries to stab them in the
ribs with a dung fork, or shouts abuse at them); people note their loyalty and many other
qualities. There is a huge potential hidden in these horses, this potential has to be uncovered
and utilised. And to utilise it – one has to evaluate this potential and breed selectively, so that
these qualities are enhanced within the framework of purebreeding. One of the avenues in
utilising this potential is the production of sports horses by crossing the Akhal-Teke with other
breeds, especially with Western-European sportshorses. This approach has been tried at the
Tashkent Studfarm and produced very good results. When we started to promote the breed
outside CIS, we really hoped that Western European and American owners will be able to
introduce the breed into all kinds of equestrian activities (classical disciplines, endurance) but
so far, this has not happened. Perhaps, because Western riders have not found “the key” for
the Akhal-Teke potential, perhaps we don’t have enough information about the use of Akhal-
Teke in the West.
MM: What tendencies in the modern Akhal-Teke breeding make you happy and what
upsets you? Both in Russia and in the West…
ТR: What makes me happy… I am happy that the breed has passed the turning point and is
no longer threatened with extinction; that the perception of the breed has evolved in the minds
of many people who are now able to appreciate its unique significance, the part it has played
in the history of horsebreeding, as the first purebred horse in the world. What upsets me is
that many people are still not able to see this, and that Turkmenistan has dropped out of the
realm of the breed development. It also upsets me that some of my colleagues no longer
understand me, that their own interests have overshadowed their concern for the destiny of the
breed as a whole. It’s bizarre to hear the deliberations of the plumber about animal science
which has existed for several centuries, that selective line breeding (used in horsebreeding, as
well as other animal and poultry breeding) is pseudo science, despite the fact that this method
has existed and worked well for several centuries. “Too bad when boots are made by
bakers”. [a suitable English equivalent of this pithy Russian folk proverb is yet to be found! -
MM]
ММ: Could you please make a wish aloud, please….
ТR: I dream of new Absents and new Pentili’s, and a whole army of new outstanding Akhal-
Teke horses emerging, and with them, the sensitive hands and the generous hearts who will
lead them onto the big competition circuit. I want to see professionalism in everything around
me.
only one, compiled centrally and published in Russia. Not so long ago, in France, they
created their own system, with your support: they will do their own testing, their own
registration and then will pass the records to VNIIK. I heard that in Switzerland they
are trying to create a similar system of registration for their local population. Yet, in
other countries, the registration is haphazard. And I heard that in Turkmenistan they
compiled their own studbook and now work independently. So where are we all going?
Whose example are we meant to follow? What is the ideal registration method for the
Akhal-Teke in the 21st century?
ТR: There is still only one General Studbook. All the published volumes of this studbook have
been compiled by the Russian experts and were printed in Moscow, with one exception of
volume III published in Tashkent [in 1941]. In Turkmenistan, since the break-up of USSR,
there has not been a single publication. Volume 9 was brought out in a slimmed-down version,
10 years after the publication of the actual Volume 9 of the General Studbook, with all horses
not born in Turkmenistan removed from it. They also decided to change the numbering of
horses which is very confusing for the users. Moreover, these newborn “authors” didn’t even
bother to record the breeding results for the mares over those ten years. I view this as a banal
act of robbery.
We have a cooperation agreement with horsebreeding authorities in France (Pompadour), we
are successfully working with the Czech Association. We would like to cooperate with all the
countries where Akhal-Teke horses are being bred.
First of all, a centralised system of registration in this ancient and not-so-prolific-in-numbers
breed is essential, if the breed is to be preserved for future generations. Secondly, when
records are centralised, experts have a full picture of the state of the breed, and having all the
information in one place helps experts to formulate strategic goals for future breed
development. Finally, it is a question of prestige to have your horse inscribed in the General
Studbook. Each location, however, can publish its own registers in which all categories of
animals are included, for example, geldings.
There is a Directive on Breed Registration and the General Studbook, issued by the Institute
of Horsebreeding and approved by the relevant departments of the Ministry of Agriculture of
the Russian Federation. All people need to do is put the principles outlined in this Directive
into practice. The Directive is published on our website.
A long time ago, when USSR still existed, we, the “Teke people”, decided to found an
Association, to unite us in our efforts to preserve, improve and promote the breed. It was
named AATK – the Association of Akhal-Teke Breeders. This was in Tbilisi. The work of
this organisation was not done in vain: we organised in-hand demonstrations of youngstock at
race courses, where Akhal-Teke races were held, the geographical distribution of the breed
widened and this led to the creation of the International association MAAK (The International
Association of Akhal-Teke Breeders). However, one has to note that since then, the
responsibility for organising the youngstock demonstrations and meetings has been resting
upon the shoulders of the staff of the Instritute of Horsebreeding (in Ryazan) and the Museum
of Horsebreeding (in Moscow). The members of AATK seem to like to criticise us but are
less keen on helping. As a role of MAAK, we had envisaged the consolidation of efforts to
promote the breed worldwide, the widening of scope of their usage, the creation of a single
source of information about the population of Akhal-Teke horses in different countries, both
their numbers and quality. The idea was that national association will get created and work
with MAAK, which would make the registration work easier, would aid the efficiency and
timeliness of the publication of our documentation, including the Studbook and registers. But
this isn’t happening. Nowadays, almost every owner of Akhal-Teke wants to “manage” the
situation, there is a lack of agreement between owners in almost every country, and this greatly
complicates the communication between people and the management of the breed.
Many people probably see me as some sort of dictator who imposes her will on everyone
else. Perhaps these people have never come across true dictators in their lives. When we had
military horsebreeding farms, and the Chief Horsebreeding Authority at the Ministry of
Agriculture, then all directives on selection, combination of breeding couples, the use of sires,
the usage of non-breeding population were obeyed. Nowadays, nobody demands
compliance. You can sell any horse you like, to whom you like, for whatever price you like,
you can select your breeding stock according to your own judgement, use stallions which
satisfy your own taste and financial criteria, you can performance-test or not, as the case may
be, bring horses to the Meetings or not, organise any shows you like. Where is the
dictatorship here? Our in-hand demonstrations at the meetings are part of our selective
breeding work, they are conducted according to an approved Directive. We have to comply
with approved Directives, otherwise, anarchy will reign and the breed cannot be preserved.
MM: What is your view, how should MAAK realistically evolve now? Many people
accuse MAAK of various things but I rarely hear any practical suggestions. Do we need
it at all? If we do, what do we need it for?
TR: Whether or not we need MAAK and how its work should be organised… I would like to
hear the opinion of its critics. I want to know how they see MAAK should work.
MM: Is it true that VNIIK doesn’t like it when someone tries to export a horse with a
valuable pedigree outside CIS?
TR: Where did this idea come from, that VNIIK likes or doesn’t like something? Give me an
example when VNIIK tried to prevent a sale of a single horse. I, as an expert, may regret that
a very interesting example of the breed, is being sold but the Institute have never refused a
permission to export any horse. One could syndicate a particular horse, i.e. to buy it out from
the seller for the asking price, that’s what they do at the British Jockey Club, but we do not
have the money to do this.
MM: You must have seen hundreds, if not thousands of Akhal-Teke during your career.
Do you ever get to the point of saturation? Or are there still times when you get fired up
with excitement at the sight of the latest rising star?
ТR: Yes, a lot of horses have passed before my eyes in 35 years, yet I always cannot wait
until I go travelling every year around the studfarms, where I can see the new foals, the rising
youngstock and evaluate what the maturing stock looks like. It’s always a celebration for me.
MM: Please describe a couple of the most memorable moments in your long “Teke”
career, and perhaps a couple of sad ones too.
TR: There have been lots of good and bad moments, it’s difficult for me to choose anything
that’s most essential…
MM: Some breeders, both in Russia and in the West, deplore the lack of application for
the Akhal-Teke horses in the modern equestrian world. Do you agree that utilitarian
usage of Teke in our times is no simple matter?
ТR: The lack of use for the Akhal-Teke horses is our own responsibility, the result of how we
ourselves use it, how we promote and popularise the breed. In Russia, the main problem is the
lack of skill: the riders’ hands and the trainers’ brains. We lack both. The Akhal-Teke horse
does not suit the broadly accepted training methods and approaches, it needs to be
understood. When one talks to the people who work with these horses, they invariably
mention that they are quick learners, good-natured (unless someone tries to stab them in the
ribs with a dung fork, or shouts abuse at them); people note their loyalty and many other
qualities. There is a huge potential hidden in these horses, this potential has to be uncovered
and utilised. And to utilise it – one has to evaluate this potential and breed selectively, so that
these qualities are enhanced within the framework of purebreeding. One of the avenues in
utilising this potential is the production of sports horses by crossing the Akhal-Teke with other
breeds, especially with Western-European sportshorses. This approach has been tried at the
Tashkent Studfarm and produced very good results. When we started to promote the breed
outside CIS, we really hoped that Western European and American owners will be able to
introduce the breed into all kinds of equestrian activities (classical disciplines, endurance) but
so far, this has not happened. Perhaps, because Western riders have not found “the key” for
the Akhal-Teke potential, perhaps we don’t have enough information about the use of Akhal-
Teke in the West.
MM: What tendencies in the modern Akhal-Teke breeding make you happy and what
upsets you? Both in Russia and in the West…
ТR: What makes me happy… I am happy that the breed has passed the turning point and is
no longer threatened with extinction; that the perception of the breed has evolved in the minds
of many people who are now able to appreciate its unique significance, the part it has played
in the history of horsebreeding, as the first purebred horse in the world. What upsets me is
that many people are still not able to see this, and that Turkmenistan has dropped out of the
realm of the breed development. It also upsets me that some of my colleagues no longer
understand me, that their own interests have overshadowed their concern for the destiny of the
breed as a whole. It’s bizarre to hear the deliberations of the plumber about animal science
which has existed for several centuries, that selective line breeding (used in horsebreeding, as
well as other animal and poultry breeding) is pseudo science, despite the fact that this method
has existed and worked well for several centuries. “Too bad when boots are made by
bakers”. [a suitable English equivalent of this pithy Russian folk proverb is yet to be found! -
MM]
ММ: Could you please make a wish aloud, please….
ТR: I dream of new Absents and new Pentili’s, and a whole army of new outstanding Akhal-
Teke horses emerging, and with them, the sensitive hands and the generous hearts who will
lead them onto the big competition circuit. I want to see professionalism in everything around
me.
ТR: Of course, they are all mine, but
I got to know most closely those
which I rode: Gurgen and Khalif.
They are the fragments of my own
heart. There was also a filly –
Flamingo – given to me by L.Babaev
and Sh.Galimov, most probably with
certain selfish considerations in mind.
She was not pure, she had Agat in
her pedigree whom we do not
consider a purebred, but they wanted
to get him accepted as pure. I never
rode her, as she was pony-size
(147cm), and with my body mass I
couldn’t afford to strain her. But my
graduate students rode her, and quite
successfully. She is in the Czech
Republic now.
I got to know most closely those
which I rode: Gurgen and Khalif.
They are the fragments of my own
heart. There was also a filly –
Flamingo – given to me by L.Babaev
and Sh.Galimov, most probably with
certain selfish considerations in mind.
She was not pure, she had Agat in
her pedigree whom we do not
consider a purebred, but they wanted
to get him accepted as pure. I never
rode her, as she was pony-size
(147cm), and with my body mass I
couldn’t afford to strain her. But my
graduate students rode her, and quite
successfully. She is in the Czech
Republic now.
ММ: Have you ever owned a Teke? Or are they all “yours”?