JUDGING AND COMMITTEE WORK

Connie O’Brien has been a licensed Arabian judge for over 35 years with Arabian Horse Association and has National/Regional status. In 2005, she received a “R” USEF Western/Western Seat Equitation License. She has judged many major Arabian shows including the U.S. National Championships, Canadian Nationals, US Youth National Championships, the Arabian Breeders Alliance World Cup in Las Vegas, and many AHA Regional Shows. In 2007, she was nominated to the United States Equestrian Federation Western Committee where she now serves as Chair and she has served on the AHA Commissioners Review Panel since 2016.

BREEDING, TRAINING AND SHOWING

Connie has been breeding, managing and showing Arabians for over 40 years. She began as a trainer in the 1970’s, training in many disciplines including Halter, Western Pleasure, English Pleasure and Hunter Pleasure. In the 1980’s she was manager and trainer at Arabian breeding farms Wayne Newton’s Aramus Arabians and Sandspur Farm. As a manager at Sandspur, she was involved in the management of *Padron and other important breeding horses. She also earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management.

Connie led GUAL HASSIKA, to the 1985 Mare Championship at the All Nationals Cup show in Aachen. She has traveled to breeding farms extensively in Europe and the States as a bloodstock purchasing agent

In recent years Connie has been a breeder, judge, and herd manager at her ranch in Nevada. She also manages breeding operations and acts as consultant for Psynergy Equine, a world class Arabian breeding operation.

Since acquiring amateur status, Connie has shown in halter winning back-to-back championships at Scottsdale in the Scottsdale Signature Stallion classes. She was US and Canadian National Champion in Western Pleasure Amateur Owner to Ride aboard ARIUS SS +/, a stallion she bred and raised. At present her horses are being shown in the Arabian reining discipline at the National level. Her breeding program has produced multiple National Champions in this discipline and her stallion stands at stud at Varian Arabians.