The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) has announced the nomination of multi-National Champion Half-Arabian Adams Fire for USEF Horse Of The Year. The six-year-old black gelding is owned by Carey and Lori Lawrence and Joan Eichen, trained by Joel and Ashton Kiesner and was bred by Saddlebred/Morgan/Arabian owners and breeders Tim and Marty Shea.

From St. Clair, Michigan, Shea Stables currently manages the #1 Arabian stallion in the industry, Afire Bey V for Dave and Gail Liniger of Castle Rock, Colorado. The Sheas have also owned several Saddlebreds that went on to become world’s and reserve world’s champions for themselves and others. These include world’s champions Castledream, Himalaya, Miss Outta My Way and the reserve world’s champions Sound The Bells, Brookhill’s King Of Kool, Dream Castle and All Mighty. Tim and Marty Shea currently have All Mighty with Saddlebred and Morgan trainers Jim and Jenny Taylor. They were also part owners of the World Champion In Hand Morgan mare Suzy’s Suzette.

The beginning of the Adams Fire story started with the great American Saddlebred Himalaya (2000 World’s Champion Three-Year-Old Five-Gaited Mare). After the sale of Himalaya, the Sheas – who had already heard about Dutch Harness Horses and were definitely intrigued by them – flew to Holland where they picked out the two-year-old black filly, Ritida, who was sired by Majesteit, a son of the royally bred American Saddlebred stallion Callaway’s Marti Gras (Harlem Globetrotter x Callaway’s Confetti). The other half of her pedigree was straight Dutch Harness Horse which is a blend of Gelderlander and Hackney blood.

Ritida was bred to Afire By V as a three-year-old and the following year a black colt was born on the birthday of their special needs grandson Adam. He was given to the boy by his grandparents and named Adams Fire. Adam sold his then three-year-old colt to Rose Taylor, a client of top Arabian trainers Joel and Ashton Kiesner who showed him to three national championships before again selling him, this time to Carey and Lori Lawrence and their mother Joan Eichen.

In 2008 Adams Fire carried three different riders – youth Nicole Lawrence, adult amateur Lori Lawrence and trainer Joel Kiesner – to unanimous National Championships. This is a testament to not only his physical talents, but his intelligence and willing temperament as well.

His most recent championship came in Tulsa in his fourth class of the show Adams Fire was called out to be a part of a three-horse workout. With the entire audience on its feet, the great Adams Fire trotted three inches higher and won his seventh unanimous National Championship.