LEXINGTON, KY (September 29, 2006)  Famed publisher William Randolph Hearst, who also established an important horse breeding operation, is credited with having first coined the name “Morab” for the distinct breed of horses which were Arab and Morgan horse crosses.  He bred his Arabian stallions to Morgan mares to produce horses which were sure-footed, fast and versatile.  Consequently, they were well suited to the rough and varied terrain of his San Simeon ranch near the Pacific Coast of California.  More than six generations later, the Morabs, some of which trace their ancestry to Hearst’s superior breeding program, will visit the Kentucky Horse Park for the seventh annual Morab Nationals.

 

 The Purebred Morab Horse Association (PMHA) Morab Nationals: Championship and Futurity, Oct 28-29, is unique in that the parent breeds of the Morab are featured at this show.  The judge is “double-carded” for the Arabian and Morgan breeds.  This criteria is important so the Morab is judged by an official who is familiar with the parent breeds.  The Morab show has added Sport Horse classes for the Morab, Arabian and Morgan, which shows off the form-to-function qualities of the three breeds.