 Arabian horses have been in the Coss family for many years. Their home was near the famous Babson Arabian Farm in Grand Detour, Illinois. During the late 1980's, Donna Coss, a master photographer by profession, was commissioned to photograph many of the Arabian Farms throughout the US and so was familiar with many of the "greats" in the Arabian world at that time.
An article in the 1983 April issue of the Arabian Horse World titled "Shagyas: The Other Arabian", by Bette Finke, introduced Donna and her daughter, Jody, to the Shagya Arabian. Jody who had been endurance racing with her purebred Arabian mare, China, decided to breed China to a Shagya stallion. Luckily, a small herd of Shagyas was located in southern Illinois. China was bred to Bold Bravo and their adventure into Shagya breeding began.
The Arabians they were familiar with did not prepare them for this large, very robust, oriental based horse with swinging gaits and a quiet, calm nature.
The Shagya had the best of the purebred Arabian and more. These are horses dreams are made of.
In 1998, the Coss' were able to lease a US approved Shagya stallion named Sarvar PFF to begin a breeding program at Lily Creek Ridge. A small but very select group of mares were chosen to compliment this very nice young stallion and the breeding began. Also during this time an opportunity to visit Hungary, Austria and Germany with a native Hungarian, who was also a knowledgeable horseman, became a reality. This trip, an opportunity of a lifetime solidified the desire to devote time and effort in helping to recover the rare Shagya breed from near extinction.
Since that first trip, several other trips to Europe have been made. The list of breeders is very small worldwide. A visit to one farm introduces and leads to a visit to another farm and soon the world of Shagya breeders is connected. Being breeders in the United States has opened doors to the finest estates and breeders of Shagya throughout Hungary, Austria, Germany and Switzerland.
During one of the most recent trips, three young and very promising Shagya stallions were purchased and imported to the US. They have been growing up at Lily Creek Ridge for almost a year, and so the adventure continues.
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