Politics and Pedigrees: America’s Cold War–Era Arabian Horse Registration Debacle

Between 1963 and 1965, the first seven Soviet Russian–bred Arabians arrived in the US. Only one of these horses—the well-known Naborr—was accepted for registration at that time by the Arabian Horse Club Registry of America (AHCRA). The remainder were denied registration for various reasons, stated and unstated, including issues with their paperwork, questions about the “purity” of their bloodlines, and the trustworthiness of Russians. In 1978, the AHCRA finally lifted the ban. This paper examines how changing attitudes toward Russia influenced Americans’ views of Russian Arabians, culminating in a Russian-bred stallion being named 1980 US and Canadian National Champion Stallion.