Avonbrook Stud - Stallions

Marcus Aurelius is predominantly Crabbet Arabian with Davenport lines through his grandsire Ben Rabba, a horse who features prominently in performance arabian breeding in the USA. Through Ben Rabba he is also in direct male descent from Nasik - an important Crabbet line that was lost in the UK until the lease of Ben Rabba by Beatrice Paine for the 1979 and 1980 breeding seasons. Marcus bears a strong resemblance to his sire Aurelian and particularly to Ben Rabba.
Marcus' dam Fiesta Magica is a product of the successful performance arabian breeding programme at the Coed y Foel stud of Dianna Whittome and was herself dam to 4 Advanced endurance horses.

Marcus has been with me from the age of 18 months and lives cheerfully with and alongside mares, colts and geldings.  His easy relaxed temperament has made him a joy to have around and he has passed this on to all the youngsters I have by him.

2008 was the first year that I was in the position to ask any real questions of Marcus. He was shown under saddle on 3 occasions and achieved 2 wins and a Championship at AHS Group shows followed by 2nd place in the Restricted Ridden Purebred Arabian class at the AHS National Summer Show.
The main focus for 2008 was, however, the NaStA performance test over 2 days in August.  Marcus was successful in this, showing his abilities in Novice level dressage, pre-novice level cross country and showjumping in addition to loosejumping, in hand presentation, vettings and assessor’s ride.  His cross country round drew particular compliments from all three assessors.
Three days after the NaStA testing, Marcus took me round a Sport Endurance organised pleasure ride at the Jacques and spent the afternoon standing quietly in an electric fenced corral watching the comings and goings at the venue. 
In 2009 Marcus combined his stud duties with consolidating his jumping and dressage and cross country schooling and a couple of pleasure rides.  He also started eventing at Intro level and was 9th in his first unaffiliated outing in September 2009. Unfortunately his rider's ill-health prevented the planned preparations for the 2010 eventing season. Instead he made a return to the ridden showring in the very capable hands of Kirsty Brown.
They enjoyed great success in top class company in 2010:

• 1st Open Ridden Stallions and Open Ridden Champion North Staffs Spring Show, where he also qualified for the British Arabian Championships
• 2nd Open Ridden Stallions North West Arabian Summer Show
• 2nd Open Ridden Stallions The Classic Horse Show
• 1st Open Ridden Stallions Northern Arabian "C" Show, where he also took one of the 15 tickets available to ridden Arabian stallions for the Horse of the Year Show at the NEC, Birmingham in October 2010.
• 2nd Open Ridden Junior Stallions Arab Horse Society National Summer Show
• Reserve National Crabbet Champion Stallion (in hand) Arab Horse Society National Summer Show
• 1st Sports Horse Biathalon Arab Horse Society National Summer Show
• 5th Ridden Stallions British Arabian Championships
• Leading Sire at the Welsh Crabbet Show through his part-bred sons AB Silver Eagle and AB Silver Augury

Marcus finished his only full show season by taking 4th place in the Hutchinson Staff Ridden Pure Bred Stallion of the Year at the Horse of the Year Show 2010. This was a particularly impressive performance by a horse appearing for his first time at HOYS.

During 2011 Marcus combined his stud duties with a combination of activities. He participated in a few ridden showing classes in which he continued his record of never being unplaced and finished the season by taking the Overall Ridden Championship at the Welsh Crabbet Show with my 12 year old daughter in the saddle. He was also Reserve Male Champion in hand with my 14 year old daughter handling. He also started his endurance career with me, completing his novice season to upgrade to Open level with a 2nd Grade 1 at the Cannock Chase Autumn Ride.

In 2012 the focus continued to be on endurance with Marcus completing his Open season with a 100% completion rate and Performance Formula wins throughout the season ranging from the 64 km class in March at the Blue Chip St Meubred ride to the 64km SCT Championship class for horses in their first Open season at the New Park Rufus ride on the points system and with yet another grade 1.

During the course of 2012, Marcus also qualified on his second dressage outing for the Unaffiliated Elementary Finals at Hartpury College. Unfortunately he became cast in his stable while showing off his rolling two days before the Finals and 3 days before his next scheduled ride, consequently missing both. He also made a successful appearance at the BHHS Stallion Parade at Hartpury College in January, open only to graded stallions, for which his success in the NaStA performance test qualified him - as it does as a sire for the BEF Futurity series for youngstock evaluation.

Again, in 2013, the focus remained on endurance with Marcus consolidating his success at Advanced series 80 km rides, again with a good scattering of grade ones and Performance Formula wins and placings.  It had been intended that he would finish his endurance season with his Performance Formula win in the 80 km ride at Cirencester Park, however, he was pulled back in from the field after 3 weeks as a last minute substitute for the injured Autumn’s Child for my 14 year old daughter to ride alongside her sister on the mare Avonbrook Green Rose for their Advanced qualifications in the 80 km class at Lion’s Tail.  His behaviour was exemplary, both were successful with 2nd and 3rd placings in the Performance Formula as a bonus and Marcus’ junior rider has now firmly taken him over for endurance as well as his other activities!

During 2013 and around his endurance, Marcus had also resumed his showjumping activities gaining wins and placings both locally and at the Cricklands Junior Winter League Finals alongside several hundred horses and ponies at the David Broome Event Centre. He and his junior rider also took part in two ridden displays at the 2013 World Crabbet Convention held at Addington Manor – as part of the ridden stallions display in the opening ceremony and giving a show jumping demonstration as part of the finale. Additionally they played their part there in the family groups presentation together with Annia Aurelia and Avonbrook Odin. Naturally the showjumping demo appealed to the pair most and Marcus gave his junior rider her first experience of clearing a 1m spread in the main arena at Addington to the accompaniment of the HOYS music, applause and a barrage of camera flashes!  With nearly 100 horses displayed and visitors from Australia, New Zealand, USA and various European Countries as well as from the UK it was quite an occasion – and one which has been captured for posterity on the dvd available from the Crabbet Organisation.

Marcus once again attended the BBSH stallion parade at Hartpury College in January 2014, this time together with his 6 year old part bred son Avonbrook Silver Augury as progeny were permitted for the first time. During the rest of 2014 he combined a few outings showjumping, hunter trialing and
dressage with successful seasons in both ridden showing and endurance! He was consistently well placed in his schoolmaster role at Horse of the Year Show ridden qualifiers with a number of second places to his name although sadly no qualification given the much reduced number of places with the three classes for ridden arabians having been reduced to one. His endurance season, constructed around his showring appearances, again culminated in a 100% completion rate. Highlights were several grade ones in rides of 64km and over, 4th place in the Young Rider National Championships 80km CER and 10th place as a last minute substitute in the 80km CER at Barbary Castle.

His efforts earned him 8th place in the overall National Young Rider endurance ratings and, from the Heart of England group, the Radmaan Trophy (together with Autumn's Child). He was also 1st and 2nd in the Young Rider category with his two riders. The 2014 Crabbet Organisation Endurance Awards were announced in 2015 and saw Marcus winning the High Mileage Stallion award (5th in the overall rankings) and also taking his two young riders to 1st and 2nd respectively in the Young Riders category.

Marcus Aurelius is tested CA and SCID clear, LFS carrier and will stand in the UK during 2015 by natural covering and frozen AI. Frozen semen stored in the UK is also available for export to Europe. Frozen semen for use in Australia and New Zealand is held in Australia. Please check that mares with Arabian bloodlines have been tested clear of the LFS (Lavender Foal Syndrome) gene. This can be carried out for around £30 on samples of mane/tail hair with root bulbs and the cost may be offset against the stud fee.

Stud fees are £600 purebred Arabian mares, £400 others. 50% non-refundable deposit, 50% 48 hour live foal. Fees for packaging and transport are payable directly to Stallionai.com (UK and Eur frozen) or Genemovers (Aus and NZ frozen).

Premium awards are available from the Arab Horse Society on registration of progeny from mares approved within the scheme (open to all breeds and free to apply).  The nature and quantum of the awards are under review by the AHS Council.  Please refer to the Premium Performance Scheme website at www.ahs-premium.org.uk. for the current levels.