A Good Oldboy goes native and makes Arabian history, too. It’s not every father of 121 (and counting) who starts a show biz career at 21, trades tidy hunter braids for “war paint,” and makes nightly spins in the spotlight.
Good Oldboy - Star of Arabian Nights
The talents that made Good Oldboy a multiple-time US Nationals Reserve Champion Reining horse were ideal for the Arabian Nights show.
If he were a man, Al-Marah Good Oldboy would be up on the stage at the Academy Awards marking history with five of his offspring, all pumping the air with their own Oscars. Like father, like sons and daughter. Think Coppolas of the equine world. But this is no two-legged talent.
Good Oldboy is the first sire in the history of the breed to produce five Legion of Masters horses,” says Mark Miller, owner of the world-famous Al-Marah Arabians established by his mother, the late Bazy Tankersley.
The liver chestnut stallion raised that bar in June, when son Al-Marah Feisty Star and daughter Al-Marah HeyYouStar landed their points to become his 4th and 5th offspring to achieve the honor, according to Miller. (The pinnacle of the Arabian Horse Association’s competition achievement program, Legion of Masters horses are designated by four ++++ character symbols.)
“This is something that Al-Marah’s general manager Jerry Hamilton was trying to do for Mother before she died,” he reflects. “It’s another validation of her breeding program being one of the finest in the world. It was the completion of one task and the beginning of the next chapter for the herd.”
True to form, Good Oldboy didn’t simply rest on his laurels as a patriarch. He left the farm in Tucson for Miller’s Orlando Arabian Nights dinner attraction, to reinvent his career yet again. “He’s the kind of horse who always wants a job,” notes Miller, who had no hesitations about introducing the senior Al-Marah sire (who will continue breeding) into one of the signature acts at Arabian Nights.
Certain the talents that made Good Oldboy a multiple-time US Nationals Reserve Champion Reining horse were ideal for the show’s spine-tingling Native American Tribute act, Miller wasn’t disappointed.
“We put him in the spotlight, dimmed the lights, and then added the fog. He was absolutely solid,” describes Miller. “At 21, he’s still a world-calibre reining horse.” A crowd favorite already as a solo act, Good Oldboy will soon turn the Native act into a reining duet with his half-brother Al-Marah Horatio, in Arabian Nights’ new show The Royal Celebration, which debuted June 30, 2013.
“Never has a horse fit his name better than Good Oldboy. He’s earned his name every day of his life,” says Miller. “Mother really liked him as a foal. He was friendly. He didn’t nip.
Bazy gave him the name because that’s how he was.” So much, she made exception to her own “keyword” system of naming Al-Marah horses, ignoring the “sea” or “nautical link” to his famous sire, Al-Marah Sea Captain. “If a horse is born and we feel he’s got a great chance at being a sire in the future, we throw the naming key out. In his case, Bazy abandoned the key, explains Miller.
With 121 registered offspring to date, not counting this year’s foals, the potential for added benchmarks is as potent as their sire. Good Oldboy and his five Legion of Masters progeny have done their part in helping Al-Marah earn a whopping 20 % of all Masters winners to date by Miller’s estimate (11 of 55 awarded).
“You talk about a horse you can go to war on. He’s probably the most honest horse I’ve ever been on,” Miller remarks. “The last thing Mother told me before she died was, ‘Don’t forget Good Oldboy.’”
The largest family-owned and operated entertainment business in Central Florida, Arabian Nights features a cast of 50+ horses and 20 human performers in a 90-minute dinner show performed without intermission, 365 days a year.
Founded by Mark Miller in 1988, Arabian Nights is located in Kissimmee (Orlando), Florida, minutes from Disney World. Devoted to preserving equestrian arts, Arabian Nights is a “sister company” to Al-Marah LLC, which Miller also owns. Al-Marah Arabians, which is known around the world, was established by his mother, the late Bazy Tankersley.
Said to be the oldest, privately-owned, continuously-bred band of horses in the world, the Al-Marah Arabian herd will migrate to Florida from its longtime residence in Tucson, Arizona, over the next two years. The herd will celebrate its 200th anniversary in 2014.
Known for producing national champions in all divisions to Tevis Cup contenders, Al-Marah Arabians continues its mission to produce the best Arabians possible. Classic beauty, amenable dispositions and athletic ability, are stated priorities for Al-Marah Arabians.
For Arabian Nights tickets and information Stay tuned for upcoming news about Al-Marah Arabians and its history-making herd.
Photo of Good Oldboy with Diane Sauer, core performer