ALAN M HUNT & JUDI KENT PYRAH
By Judi Kent Pyrah

Alan M Hunt has been working as a wildlife artist (self-taught) for over 40 years. His passion for birds and all flora and fauna has taken him all over the world, studying them in their natural habitats on specialist field trips and safaries, leading bird trips and teaching wildlife art in such bizarre locations as Alaska , where whisky had to be added to the paint water to stop it freezing, hoisted 100ft up into the tropical rainforest with a minimum stay of 6 hrs. or at the top of a Mayan temple, watching Crowned Eagles at the nest while just below a fly-past of killer bees.

Through Alan`s work with animals and birds, captive and wild and through various breeding programs, especially for endangered species, he has aquired in depth knowledge, a studied and proven understanding of genetics and animal husbandry. His intense familiarisation of Arabian Bloodlines from horses photos, pedigrees and offspring and visiting Studs and shows around the world, have influenced our personal criteria and future program using the existing modest facilities we have and the collection of mares and stallions we have managed to aquire within our limitations, to ultimately contribute, through our selective breeding, aesthetically beautiful, correct and true to type, athletic horses with easy temperaments and all round performance potential.

Alan & TFA Mira

We were invited to a private presentation of horses at the Royal Stud. Their grace and beauty and history made an everlasting impact on us both. Then a very special visit to the Royal Family`s stables in the Palace grounds, and was honoured to ride King Husseins own Arab riding stallion fired my growing passion.

A friendship with a Jordanian couple, who owned and raced Arab stallions, took me out riding in the desert on a gorgeous grey stallion, who spent a lot of time on his hind legs displaying to the other stallion my companion rode. Again, with hindsight, influential in fuelling the dream of our own Arabian Stud

I was forced to relinquish my long time ambition to 3 day event after having my 3rd child at 40 and already hectic painting career.I`d owned thoroughbreds and enjoyed dressage, show jumping and hunter trialling- but never quite managed to get one horse capable of doing all three, and had trained for my BHSAI .

Alan was concerned that my falling-off record might jeopardise both my mothering duties and painting , so- after selling on my 16 3 mare, I`d almost decided to give up altogether when I kept seeing this ad for a 15 3 arab gelding I felt compelled to go and just have a look. Fate works in mysterious ways. Especially when I saw him ridden I was impressed. When I tried him and found speed, power, a brain and response, that was it. Even though he felt small at first he rode like a 16.2 , plenty in front and such athleticism , style and turn of speed,- plus he was easy to get on and off !.So great to have an Arab to suit a tall woman who had assumed they were all 14.2 !

Our 1st 15mile pleasure ride showed me exactly what is so special and unique about purebreds. In the competitive situation he just pulled out all the stops,his fluid fast trot over varied, difficult terrain seemed effortless, passing all and coming in first was exhilerating and yet on finishing I realised just how hard he`d tried for me as he plodded the short hack home

Meeting Alan while I was trying to rekindle my career meant that with his support company and later through international connections I was offered a major publishing contract in Canada, as their Equestrian artist, where most of my work was exhibited and published and distributed throughout the States aswell.

My signing and PR trips also provided wonderful opportunities to study many new equestrian disciplines ,breeds and training methods, all inspired more painting. I visited the trotting track and got a tremendous insight into their methods and technique, already familiar with racing Pacers in UK and have trained on a sulky on the track, was also invited to hunt coyote, at night, on top of a mountain, fascinating!

I saw barnfulls of beautiful Arabians that excercised on chopped suede and visited THE top Thoroughbred studs in Kentucky and had paraded in front of me Millions of dollars worth of horse flesh. The best was stroking the legendary Secretariat ( a real muscle man) then being escorted away by 6 security guards.

When the stud began in 1999 my painting career was ticking over nicely and with only one young son left at home , time was gradually given to our rapidly increasing collection of lovely Arabians. But I was Happy and my dreams of having an Arabian Stud and all that that entails was here and taking over my life. They are the most incredible subjects and I constantly struggle, my mental image, as in life, always surpasses the created image and this is the driving force for any artist in-love with their subject- achieve perfection ! This and the continuous learning , understanding and our deep relationship with our horses is now as vital as breathing.