Avonbrook Stud - Stallions

Marcus Aurelius is predominantly Crabbet Arabian with Davenport lines through his grandsire Ben Rabba. 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 resemblence to his sire Aurelian and his grandsire Ben Rabba.

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 and he really performed.  He was shown under saddle on 3 occasions and achieved:

• 1st Restricted Ridden Purebred Arabians Midlands AHS Festival 2008
• 1st Novice Ridden Stallions and Novice Ridden Champion N Staffs AHS Summer “C” Show 2008 (beating several horses who were at the Horse of the Year show in 2009, including OAS Vendetta who went on to be Reserve ridden gelding and Reserve overall ridden champion).
• 2nd Restricted Ridden Purebred AHS National Show 2008

Marcus is ½ brother through Aurelian to Istfahan, gold medal winning racehorse and sire of Al Shahrani, runner up in the 2008 HOYS ridden geldings to the eventual HOYS ridden champion.  His own progeny are already achieving success in the show ring - see youngstock page.

The main focus for 2008 was 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. He is now competing at Novice level dressage and easily showjumping 105cm tracks. He is also thoroughly enjoying his cross-country schooling. Marcus and I enjoyed the SE Catton Park ride riding as a group with two friends on their geldings and my two young daughters on their pony mares. As always, Marcus behaved impeccably.

Marcus 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.

In February 2011, Marcus, accompanied by AB Silver Eagle and AB Silver Augury, was presented at the hugely prestigious Stallion Showcase GB alongside some of the most high profile competition stallions in the UK. He and his progeny attracted considerable interest and positive comments, particularly from those who would never previously have considered the use of a purebred arabian in their performance breeding programme.

In 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 started his endurance career wiht me, completing his novice season to upgrade to Open level with a 2nd Grade 1 at the Cannock Chase Autumn Ride.

The long term plan remains to take Marcus up through the distances in endurance - as his other commitments (and mine!) allow.  Marcus’ grandsire Ben Rabba was one of the World’s best known endurance performers and sires and appears in the pedigrees of many top US endurance horses today.  Fiesta Magica is dam to Imagine and Magica’s Minstrel, both advanced endurance horses in the UK.

Marcus Aurelius is tested CA and SCID clear and will again stand in the UK by natural covering and chilled and frozen AI. Frozen semen is also available for UK and export to Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

His 2012 fees are £600 pure bred arabian mares, £400 others. As an Arab Horse Society Premium Stallion, concessions are available from the AHS on the registration of his foals from approved performance mares.