I found this invitation in my email files, Laurence, you might


(1)

I was planning to expand on the differences between registered and entered into the studbook as I have understood that some breeders of Tekes think it is the same thing.


(49)

During the weekend I received a letter that is distributed as written by Dr Tatyana Ryabova.  


(66)

I have atteched the front page of an official  registration document  for a pure bred Akhal- Teke.


(43)

Teke breders in the west are as or even more passionate than their collegues in the east. Read more about my passionate life with the Teke breed


(29)

The MAAK who is the official and only organisation that markets the Teke breed world wide presents the Teke breed as follows below on their web site www.maakcenter.org  The racing ability in this breed is briefly mentioned as being a passion of the Turkmens and it is not mentioned where, when or by whom the records where performed. One might think that the Tekes were raced only in Turkmenistan. Not one single race horse is mentioned by name. I would say that the interest from MAAK in promoting the Tekes as race horses is null.  
The bigger part of the presentation is focused on the Tekes achievements and abilities in classical "warmblood" sports. Note that no Tekes outside Russia or Kazakhstan are mentioned as acheivers in sports.  I would say that the MAAK's interest in promoting Teke acheivements outside Russia and Kazakhastan is null. The MAAK has a clear goal to market the Teke not only as a riding horse but also as a sport horse  note this citation from the text  "The twentieth century presented the Akhal-Teke with new challenges. Today a riding horse is first and foremost a sports horse..." I cannot understand why anyone is surprised or even do not agree with the fact that the Tekes are looked upon and measured with "warmblood eyes" in the west  when this is what the international association is working for.


(17)

We will have arrange a  Teke show in Florida! Today I sent another letter to the Turkmen Embassy in Washington D.C.


(0)

There are approximately 170 Tekes in France and the French association is doing a great job in promoting the breed.


(40)

I think that the inspection/grading points will have to be removed from the stud book and the registration forms.


(6)

I have followed the development of the Teke breed only for a little more than 15 years. During this period the Teke breed became an international breed.


(23)

Over the weekend we had the opportunity to begin looking through the 10th studbook, to begin with we have found the following faults concerning horses that have been owned and showed for grading by us for the period that the 10th studbook covers. The studbook covers registered to the year 2000.


(39)

Someone pointed me to an article published in Akhal-Teke Inform and on the MAAK web site http://www.maak.ru/inform.php3?id=128.


(1)

I think we need to evalute the use of biotechnologies in the Teke breed the same way the founders of out stud book evaluated the TB outcrosses.


(16)

The positive outcome from the meeting in Russia last Friday means that we can now get started with creating a group of people that


(6)

A few interesting events took place during 2005, unfortunately I could not attend to these events, so my comments are based on second hand information.


(5)

Mr Elwyn Hartley Edwards is an English author of many books about horses, riding, equipment, horse breeds etc. His breed descriptions are for many a source for information about different horse breeds, to many, reading the breed descriptions it might be a first encounter with a new breed.
My daughter got one of Ewards books,The Encyclopedia of the Horse,  1994 translated to Swedish in 1998 ISBN 91-0-057062-1 in birthday present.  I was scanning the book a few days ago and found the breed description of the Teke. The description of Tekes made by E.H. Edwards contains errors.
The translation from English to Swedish is poor but I think that the breed description more tells me about E.H. Edwards private opinion about Tekes, to a certain exctent explained by his open admiration for the Arabian breed.  
I will below, reply to some of his statements about the breed and only hope that E.H. Edwards in his next production of breed descriptions will have some accurate information about the breed so that he will not have to fill in with his, obviously subjective, misrepresentations about the breed.

The modern Akhal-Teke is a widespread breed with many admirers, the need for marketing/information  of this unique breed is bigger than the budget. A real waste of money and efforts is that we do not only have to work with the promotion of our breed to new markets, we also have to fight against some prejudice against this breed that is, to a large extent due to the information spread in book like those of Mr Edwards.  It happens far to often that people that meet Tekes at our stud farm react on; what a great temperament our horses have, on contrary to what they have read, what a great trainability, and workability these horses have eventhough they have read that Tekes are more or less unrideable with a dysfunctional conformation.

For all of us that work with Tekes and have done so it is really, really frustrating to see, even today when Tekes are not that rare anymore, our breed being deprived of their right role in the development of the riding horse and their true abilities and traits.  The Tekes with their extreme features will never be loved by everyone or become a commodity like the Arabian horse, but it will always be deeply loved and admired, because they are extraordinary horses,  by not so few proud owners and lovers, at least show us som respect next time you describe our breed.      


(22)

I couldn't attend to the member's meeting in Sweden but sent this letter on stallion licensing to the president to be read at the meeting. It is in Swedish but I hope


(2)

Here we can add what we want


(15)

Allegra and Leonid have brought up a very interesting subject that, like many other equine topics, have a tendency to make our blood boil. Instead of fighting over one single horse that will not make any difference for the breed anyways. Let's go for a tour in a helicopter


(42)

I think Leonids comment where really stimulating to read and again brought up several issues of importance for the Teke breed.


(1)

I happened to visit the web site of the Arabian Jockey Club http://www.arabianracing.org/Home/RacingHistory.asp


(5)

It began with the Russians and it is still the Russians that work with the stud book


(0)

I have read the comments about breed purity and the work of the national breed association with interest. From the comments I understand that there are different ways of defining breed and also the different expectations people have from breed associations. The Akhal-Teke breed is like many ancient breeds surrounded by myths and legends that are very much the part of the breed. But, since the end of the 19th century the breed has a very well documented history.


(10)

Ok, still working on grasping the equine industry here in the States. I try as best as I can to aviod misunderstandings.


(0)

I suggest that the two US breed associations do get serious about the Teke breed and it's future instead of squabbeling over who is the first, biggest, most original etc. To me it is obvious that eventhough one of the associations is more than 20 years old, not much have been done in the sense of breed improvement or service to the breeders and the public.


(6)

I think it is important to understand the basic and most important work and service a breed association must offer owners, breeders and a breed of horses.


(0)

I have founded and been president for the Swedish Akhal-Teke Association since 1997 until us moving to the USA. I learned a lot and had a great time being involved in a breed association that represented a small and new breed in Sweden. I looked forward though, in moving here to being just a breeder and enjoy not having to put the association first and enjoy being a member of an association and take part of its existing infrastructure.


(3)