Imperial Baarez

Imperial Baarez (PVA Karim x BB Ora Kalilah), as photographed by Javan

"He is simply a once-in-a-lifetime stallion," said the late Barbara Griffith, "he's the best horse we've ever bred, and proving to be the most consistent sire." - from the Anne-Louise Toner article, published in the December 2010 issue of Arabian Horse World

When I saw Imperial Baarez for the first time, the handler had stood him up, with his hind end facing me. I remember the impression that his powerfully muscled, generously curvey hind end made upon me. I was overwhelmed by the strength and power of his body.

At the time, the word "baroque" was quickly becoming a buzzword in the dressage community, to describe horses with an "old world" look, horses who, like Baarez, were rounder, more compact, more densely muscled and better able to perform the collected movements required in the higher levels of the sport. I was reminded of this long ago experience because I just learned that the ultimate Arabian horse, Imperial Baarez, has died. A sad day, it's true, as we bid goodbye to a beloved horse like Baarez. He was 26 years old.