THE STORY OF THE PHARA ARABIAN

​

Continued ...

​

THE QUEST

1965 seemed a magical year. The Patti family, which now included son Thomas, born in 1957, moved to a property near her parents by Holy Hill. While Tom wasn't particularly interested in the horses, he didn't object to his wife's consuming interest.

​

With a lovely new house already on the property, it was only logical that a new barn with an indoor arena should follow. World-renowned equine photographer and long-time friend Polly Knoll describes the farm as "truly idyllic for a rural Wisconsin horse farm with its white fenced pastures in a gentle valley where one could always view the horses and almost mystical surroundings."

​

"It stood in the shadow of the famed Holy Hill where its [multiple]-steepled church sat majestically high on the hill," remembers Polly. "The challenge was to enter the church by perhaps a 100 or more steps leading up to its entrance. Miraculous stories abound about the crutches left by those who received healing as they successfully ascended the steps."

​

Whether divine intervention played a part or not, the time and setting were right; the only part missing was that elusive "golden" stallion.

​

​

Phara Foundation Stallion: Golden Pharao

Golden Pharao, the stallion that "made things happen" for Annette in the Arabian business.

With Lewisfield Sun God out of the picture, Annette had scoured the country for two years looking for a duplicate. She nearly passed over an Aaraf grandson - a yearling colt at Dr. Robert LaRue's in Illinois in 1965 because he was half Babson Egyptian, and she wanted all *Raffles.

​

Fate nudged again. She decided that he would work.

​

Originally named Ibn La Flag, Annette decided a name change was in order. "I wanted a name that would be remembered," she explains. "When people saw his gorgeous, deep gold color and the beautiful sheet to his body, almost anyone could see how Golden Pharao (La Flag x Bint Maaroufa, by Fay El-Dine) got his name."

​

A beautiful, extremely classic horse, Golden Pharao set the stage. His show career started at the age of 2 and, in a short period of time, he attracted a legion of fans and made a lasting impression on everyone who saw him, including the judges.

​

"He set high standards as a show horse and sire," Annette admits. "As an individual, he always seemed to anticipate what you wanted. I was very, very fortunate to have found him. He became popular very quickly as a breeding stallion."

​

Phara Farm (derived from Patti Horses of Arabia) had finally arrived.