Evelyn Dash and Arabis King Bee are well know faces on the AQHA and WES Show Circuits. Busby as he is known at home is one of the most consistent performance horses competing in the UK, and has been for many years now. AQHA UK are thrilled to congratulate Evelyn and Busy for earning their AQHA Amateur Champion Award (to go alongside their Open Champion Award earned in 2007). Busby is possible the first British bred Quarter Horse to achieve this award.
Busby was foaled on 1st May 1995, his Sire: Rexys Midnite Runner, and his Dam, Arabis Baby B Final. Bred by Sheila Fitzpatrick under the Arabis Quarter Horses profile, Sheila remembers Busby as a foal.
“He was always a lovely, slightly cheeky, affectionate foal. Good conformation and after the usual ‘ordinary’ ginger start grew into that lovely chocolate chestnut. His mother was also bred by me and his father, Runner, infected Busby with the trick of hanging out his tongue. He used to hang his out the front, close his eyes and I had to stand against his neck which he leaned on my shoulder in order to twiddle the tongue up and down! Quirky but then that is Busby. He surely must be the most talented and tough competing Quarter Horse in the country – and very, very lovable. I’m pretty proud of Evelyn too of course!”
Talking to Evelyn about her favourite horse she says “Busby is intelligent, always willing and never gets grumpy; he always looks for me at shows and calls to me if he hears my footsteps. He is a character and a pleasure to be around. One reason why I enjoy showing so much is that I get to look after him completely, like I used to, and we get to spend some quality time together. He is on full livery 10 miles from where I live, where he is looked after well, but during school terms I see him only once a week as I teach in the evenings as well as during the day (probably something to do with earning enough money to pay for the shows!).
Most people know about his habit of sticking his tongue out to beg for sweets but he has to have sugar-free mints now as he had a bout of laminitis soon after I broke my leg last year. When we started showing again, halter and showmanship were really difficult as I couldn’t run… I could only limp very slowly. Busby was brilliant! He would trot slower and slower, especially if I was on the outside of the turn and could’t keep up with him, until he was almost trotting on the spot but he never broke gait.
I think he enjoys being at the shows and getting lots of attention. When I bought him as a 4 year old he had to be dragged to the arena and was very unpredictable in the arena for the next 5 years. Now, as soon as I put my foot in the stirrup at the horsebox he sets off in the direction of the arena, especially at David Deptford’s or Bodiam where he knows the layout. Sometimes when I am sitting on him in the warm-up arena he will suddenly decide to go to the show arena and if the gate is open I have to stop him before he goes in and lines up with the other horses. At other times he just wants to stand by the arena, shut his eyes and go to sleep, totally relaxed. However, he can still be very spooky. One judge recently commented on this and I said he was only a baby, waiting for her to ask how old he was… but she didn’t!
When asking Evelyn what the future holds, she replies “As for the future, I would like him to achieve his superior all-around and then retire him from all-around competition and maybe just go to the more local shows and compete in our favourite classes such as trail, western riding and horsemanship”.
Congratulations Evelyn and Busby, we’re very proud of you.
Info about Arabis King Bee
D.O.B. 1.5.95
Sire Rexys Midnite Runnner
Dam Arabis Baby B Final
Breeder: Sheila Fitzpatrick
Other awards: AQHA Open and Amateur halter ROM
AQHA Open and Amateur performance ROM
AQHA Open AQHA champion
East Coast Circuit Superhorse award — the only horse to win it twice (2008/2010)
