MULAWA ARIA | 1993-2012
It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of MULAWA ARIA. She was peacefully found in her paddock at Alabama on the morning of October 13th.
A beloved daughter of invaluable foundation mare KARMAA, MULAWA ARIA was the second foal of her remarkable dam, and the oldest daughter to remain in the Mulawa breeding program throughout her breeding career. Her sire was ARRIVAL, the Mulawa-bred Pure Polish son of foundation pillars AMBITION (imported from the United States) and EUNI (bred in Poland and imported from Germany). While evoking the unmistakeable femininity and effusive quality of her dam, ARIA was most strongly influenced by her Polish heritage, possesing the strength, substance and athleticism ever present in the best horses of Poland. Long necked and smooth bodied, with a distinctive broodiness, large, dark, maternally soft eyes and that enchantingly classic densely rich flea-bitten coat, ARIA always looked as if she had just stepped from a Kossak or Zemplinski painting, eliciting the classic allure of the incomparable mares of the Polish State Studs.
As a broodmare, ARIA produced just eight foals, four of which were shown to important championship titles in Australia. Her first three foals were all colts, two of which remained stallions: Darwin Champion Stallion AZTEC (GLF Apollo) and East Coast Reserve Champion ADVOCATE (Fame Maker R), the latter exported to New Zealand where he in turn became an important sire of champions.
The ideal cross for ARIA proved to be one of Mulawa's best young sires from the next generation: PARKVIEW AUDACIOUS. Remarkably, ARIA produced five fillies in succession with AUDACIOUS, all of whom have been retained in the Mulawa breeding program. The eldest of these was ASTORIA, an Australian Top Ten Yearling Filly, who produced only one foal before her untimely death: East Coast Champion & Australian Reserve Champion ASTOR (Magnum Forty Four). Arguably, the best of the daughters is East Coast Champion AUDACIA, one of the most valuable young broodmares at Mulawa with National Stud Show Champion & Mulawa Chief Sire ALLEGIANCE MI (Magnum Forty Four), NSW State Champion MI APHRODITE (Guiliano) and the dynamic VALENCIA MI (DA Valentino) to her credit. The youngest of the the ARIA-AUDACIOUS daughters - AURA MI, ALLURE MI and AVIANCE MI - are all expected to become part of the Mulawa breding herd within the short term, joining AUDACIA in producing the brightest superstars of the next generation. Despite the strong phenotypic stamp of AUDACIOUS on all the ARIA daughters, the best attributes of ARIA are ever-present in the second generation, especially her trademark long, elegant neck, smooth and substantial build, her powerful and dynamic athleticism and her undeniable classic quality and exuberant charisma.
We shared a very special moment with ARIA in March during the Vesty photo shoot. It had been years since ARIA had been photographed professionally, and an update to her portfolio was long overdue. Always kind and gentle with a genuine desire to please, ARIA enjoyed not only the bath and the grooming, but the frolic in the front showcase paddocks at Alabama directly in front of the main residence. As her two most accomplished maternal sisters - MAE MARIE and MULAWA KARISMAA - had already been notably photographed in the Pages River flowing through the Alabama property, the decision was made to let ARIA enjoy a few photographs in the warm, shallow, swift waters of New South Wales' fastest flowing river. Ever the trooper, ARIA thoroughly enjoyed the experience, never once showing any signs of apprehension or concern, and happily grazing away on the bank vegetation. Since ARIA had already endured the makeover process, the Australian summer weather continued brilliantly warm and cloudless, and her three famous maternal sisters were also in residence at Alabama, the decision was made to gather all four KARMAA daughters together for one afternoon of fun in the Pages to commemorate not only their glorious dam and the decades of success of the Mulawa breeding program, but the fantastical property of Alabama that the Arabians of Mulawa are incredibly fortunate to call home. The results exceeded expectations, with all the mares cooperating marvelously. It was truly one of the most memorable afternoons ever spent with the horse anywhere in the world. Those extraordinary moments are now even more poignant with the passing of MULAWA ARIA. Her timelessness, and the magic of that moment, will live now forever in our hearts and our minds.
MULAWA ARIA will always be remembered with genuine fondness and deep appreciation for faithfully contributing the best of Mulawa past to the brightest of Mulawa future. We look forward to glimpsing ARIA for generations to come in the Mulawa breeding program, both at home and around the world, as her indomitable influence continues to improve and enhance the Arabian breed.