Through his shoing, his siring, and now his retirement years, he's acquired the telling labels of his lifetime:
~ "The flashy bay colt from Whittier who won in every arena devised by man - in the showring, in the breeding barn, on the auction floor, and in our hearts"
~ "The Superhorse of the seventies, fighter for Truth, Justice, and the Arabian Way"
~ "The All-American Hero"
~ "The People's Choice"
~ "Arabian Horse World Sire of Signifance, Legacy Sire & Super Legacy Sire"
~ "Others Aspire, Khemosabi Achieves"
~ "Khemosabi: Now More Than Ever"
~ "All-Time Leading Sire"
~ "Leading Sire of Champions"

Khemosabi's sire, Amerigo (Freseyn x *Szarz) (and a dapple gray) was the 1966 US National Reserve Champion; his dam, Jurneeka (Fadjur x Fadneeka) (a bay mare) was the 1964 US National Reserve Champion in English Pleasure and Western Pleasure. They were bred at a show in Salem, Oregon, the result was a bay colt with 4 white stockings and with white blaze born on Mother's Day, May 14, 1967. He had good bone structure and was strong, even with the white - which wasn't popular in those days - his owners, the Husbands, thought they had a winner.

They were concerned about his markings, but he showed them his unusual personality - a people lover from the start. He'd walk up behind you, slide his head under your arm, begging to be hugged and petted. He always got what he wanted! When he was just a few days old, he'd come to people rather than his mother. Always. When people tried to take pictures of him, all they got was nostrils - he was always trying to get as close as he could.

It took them several weeks to come up with a name for the little colt. After weeks of arguing over names, a neighbor of the Husbands suggested "Khemosabi," an Indian name meaning "Faithful Friend," and Khemosabi he became, a different and distinctive one. And forever became associated with The William Tell Overture, his lifetime background music for his presentation.

In the fall of 1968, Bert Husband showed the yearling colt, with no training, in his first show. Bert didn't make Khemo mind or anything, and they sort of fell over each other in the ring. People clapped! The two wandered around the ring together - and won the class. The crown was wild, and they had people coming to the stalls to see him.

The summer of 1969, he was in a class of 25 two-year olds. Again he took first. 'Take Khemosabi in the show ring, and it's like someone pushed a button. All of a sudden he is full of pizzaz and prance, and bounce and play. He loves a crown, plays to the crown. He's a showman, just like his grandsire Fudjur. He has Fadjur stamped all through him.'

In the 1970s, he excelled. At some of the all-Arabian Class A shows, he earned Reserve Champion at Salem OR, Vancouver C, Santa Barbara & Bakersfield CA; Junior Champion at Tacoma WA, Vancouver BC, Calgary Canada; National Champion Sire in 1973 at the US Nationals in Oklahoma Cit. In 1975, he went into performance training, where he racked up Western Pleasure Championships across the US, and Canada in 1976. At the Canadian Nationals, he went National Champion Stallion, making him a double National Champion. He also received National Champion Western Pleasure - a first for any stallion! He was also shown in English Pleasure.

In 1981, Khemosabi was syndicated, and got to relax from showing. He enjoyed long trail rides, and just being himself. His pedigree was carefully looked at in 1983.

"Khemosabi" is the resulat of total outcrossing as to sire and dam. As is his sire "Amerigo" who is the result of breeding Freseyn, a Crabbet stallion, to the Polish import *Szarza. Freseyn's parents were Crabbet-bred imports from England, with bloodlines tracing back through *Raseyn and Skowronek.

Over the last 33 years, Khemosabi has earned all kinds of championships and awards. His offspring are winning and producing champions one after another. No matter what he is doing, or where he is doing it, he is always a gentleman. no one hesitates to enter his stall, and if they have carrots, he almost opens the stall door for them.

When Khemosabi hears his music 'The William Tell Overture," he seems to say to himself, "That's my music. i'm going. Anybody coming with me?" Per his "Person" over the last few years, "Each time I present him in hand, two feet never hit the ground at the same time, when we hit the in-gate I think 'is this the same horse I know at home?' He always gets a standing ovation, and just soaks it up.

Totally retired since 1997, Khemosabi is still in perfect health, and easily acts like a youngster. His "People" and friends are thinking about his future, and a big blow-out birthday party for his 40th birthday is in the works. When you hear The William Tell Overture you can easily picture a beautiful bouncing bay stallion with high whites happily strutting his stuff. Happy Birthday, Khemosabi, and many happy returns (and carrots)!

Edited from an article in the Arabian Horse World

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