Orrion Farms is a sprawling property of In 2016, Steve and Christina Poore took their over 150 acres located 90 minutes from Seattle in Ellensburg, Washington. The Farm is unique in every element - from the wor- ld-class equestrian centre to the natural beauty of the Cascade Mountains and the regal back- drop of Manastash Ridge. Founded in 1984 by Harold Orr and his wife Dolly, Orrion Farms has been a true landmark in the international Ara- bian horse world ever since. place in the farm’s next chapter with a commit- ment to continue the Orrion Farms legacy in their own reimagined way, directed by Doug Le- adley. And in 2020 they took Orrion Farms to the next level by purchasing a second location in Scottsdale, Arizona. The second location will serve as the training facility where OFW and client horses will excel alongside the top horsemanship and guidance of trainer and Scottsdale director Andrew Sellman. They were very ple- ased to tell me more What made you prefer the Arabian breed to all the other breeds? Which bloodlines are mostly bred at Orrion Far- about it in the fol- lowing interview... Hello Steve, hello Christina. Thank you very much for accep- ting our interview. Let’s start from the very beginning. Please, introduce yourself to our rea- ders. Give us some background to you, your family and education. We were both born and raised in the great state of Texas. We now reside in Washington and that is where our love affair with the Arabian horse began. What made you prefer the Arabian breed to all the other breeds? Which bloodlines are mostly bred at Orrion Farms? Being both from Texas horses were in some form or fashion always present in our lives. It wasn't until we were looking to purchase a vacation home in Ellensburg, WA that we discovered the Arabian horse. Their majestic presence and the bond they so easily form with humans made them very attractive to us. Prior to us purchasing the farm, OFW was most widely known for Dark Victory and his lovely daughters that still today prove to be wonderful producers! Today we have included many domestic and international bloodlines in our program from Marwan Al Shaqab and Kanz Albidayer to the Sundance Kid V son, PA Kid Khan. We also have a deep rooted love for DA Valentino and his daughters. We recently acquired all available frozen semen for the since passed legend and we look forward to the future success that provides to our program! What does the word 'breeding' mean to you? What specific qualities or skills do you need to become a good breeder? As a breeder it is important to keep a long term goal in mind. We are looking not just to the next horse show or even the next foals coming, but into the next decade and how we plan to improve our herd for the betterment of the Arabian horse industry as a whole. What's your philosophy? And your breeding strategy? We like to place our focus on a beautiful collection of mares, bringing in the stallions that we feel will cross most successfully with each mare. Who is/are the most important breeding stallion(s) at Orrion Farms at the moment? Why? Currently we are using DA Valentino as a wonderful cross to our mares as well as our stallion EL Rey Magnum RCF who is proving to pass along his incredible Arabian type. For the 2021 season we are also very excited to be welcoming a handful of foals sired by Dominic M, our most recent acquisition, who seems to be one of the hottest up and coming sires. Which of your mares are you mainly using to improve or evolve your breeding program? They all play a vital role in our program, it is not possible to choose just one. Each mare possesses qualities that we hope to pass along to the next generation. This is why we spend hours as a collective team choosing the proper sire for each mare. How do you tackle the concepts of 'beauty' and 'functional correctness' in our modern day Arabians? We strive for the full package! It is important that an Arabian horse is complete in all aspects. It is important to us that our horses all have a full and happy life, many with venture into the performance world (some already are) and they need to be conformationally correct and athletic to succeed here. Where did your passion for morphology competitions arise from? Please, outline some of the most important victories in the show environment so far. From the breeding barn to the show arena, we value all aspects of this sport. We have been fortunate from the start to be surrounded with wonderful and knowledgeable people guiding our program to the top. Our first US Nationals was an amazing example of this start, Orrion Farms took home the Senior Mare, Junior Mare and Yearling Filly Championships in 2017. Since then we have moved on to win many more titles and gain many more beautiful memories! What is it you'd like to still experiment at this stage of your breeding career in the Arabian horse industry? What are the objectives you would like your breeding program to reach in the future? As breeders our ultimate goal is to produce top Arabian horses in all aspects - beauty, conformation, athleticism and disposition. It is a goal that continues to evolve as our industry evolves. Together with the collective vision and knowledge of the Orrion Farms Team we plan to push the limits of greatness one foal crop at a time. Will you please leave a final message to the readers of AHM? The Arabian horse has become a staple aspect of the Orrion Farms Family; we invite you to join us on this journey. Come and visit us anytime, share the passion for our beloved creatures! Thanks a lot for your contribution Steve and Christina. It was an honor to talk to you. May the Arabian horse cast a spell on us and bring us together forever and ever!