The Arabian Horse Association (AHA) recently bestowed two distinct horses, Tsarina Bint RII and WH Bodacious, with the honor of being named Arabian ambassadors. The Ambassador Award, presented annually, recognizes Arabians, Half-Arabians and Anglo-Arabians for outstanding achievement in representing the Arabian Horse community to the general public.

Tsarina Bint RII (PRI Ibn Masriyyah x Normandie), owned by McKenzie Rae Jenkins of Gallatin, TN, is a 13-year-old Half-Arabian bay mare. Jenkins and Tsarina have won multiple awards in national-level dressage competition.

At the North American Junior and Young Riders Championship in August 2008, Jenkins and Tsarina won the Silver medal in the junior freestyle with a score of 70.900% and a Bronze in the junior individual championship with a score of 66.800%, leading her team to a fourth-place finish.

“In a sport dominated by warmbloods, to have a junior rider competing at the highest level with such success, and to be proclaiming her horse’s heritage for all to hear, makes Tsarina Bint RII a natural Ambassador for our breed,” said Peggy Ingles, one of Tsarina’s nominators.

Carol Darnell, President of the Guardian Arabian Horse eClub praises Tsarina’s talent and the finesse the team demonstrates. “The pair proves that our horses have the talent, trainability and willingness to take their riders as far as they want to go. Even more, they demonstrate that, unlike many other sporting breeds, the Arabian blood offers that special bond that is so important to helping a young rider gain confidence and self-assurance, knowing that her mount is indeed a partner and not just a well-trained horse.”

WH Bodacious (El Halimaar x RA Aneesa), owned by Martha Lucas of Bishopville, SC, is a 17-year-old grey stallion who has won the hearts of hundreds with his unique, loving personality that stands out in the crowd.

“As part of an effort to promote the Egyptian Arabians and our farm, I began to incorporate local parades, festivals and equine extravaganzas into our show schedule,” said WH Bodacious’ trainer, Trisha Blackwell. “I first started taking Bo because out of my two original competition horses, he was the calmest and easiest to deal with. The more we did, the more I saw how much Bo really enjoyed it.”

Through the years, Bo has made public appearances at many events, including Egyptian Day held at Whitehaven Arabians, Egyptian Arabian demonstrations at open shows and local festivals, Animal Career Day at a local high school and a parade of breeds in North Carolina.

“I have had the privilege of working with many wonderful Arabians at Whitehaven Arabians,” Blackwell said. “Yet, none of them have had the charisma of WH Bodacious. He has both excelled in the show ring and won people over to our great breed. It is because of Bo that I am a better horse trainer; he is a true ambassador for the Arabian breed.”