Date: February 2000
Q: Right - the golden color of the Teke is outstanding - and I'm thanks to Jessica and Todd, the happy owner of one! If he had turned out to be green-red-violet instead, I would have loved him exactly as much as I do now.

But to make the Teke a 'marketing-object' just because of the color is totally wrong, you should look at the horse instead! If the Teke becomes a 'golden - nice to have thing' - I think that we will loose the origin, people will buy a Teke without the knowledge of anything else, than 'wou - what a color!' Think a little about the Arab, as I see it, he has in many ways, becomed 'a some nice to have in the garden thing' and the origin is lost! Luckely for the Arab, it seems that times are changing a little bit, with their currently succes in endurance....

Let us instead concentrate in showing the Teke as the atlet he is......... and Teke's do come in different colors to!, and maybe, if this is going to be a real 'colorhit', we even could have a blue one ??

A: I think the teke breed, like the other horse breeds, bred for type and performance need a group of dedicated and educated breeders that produce excellent breeding stock as well as performance animals all carrying the trademark of the Akhal-Teke.
The breeders must find good riders/trainers that can educate the horse to its optimal level, this is to find each animals strong sides and give the horse the opportunity to show his strongest talents.
The most successful promoting of the teke breed in our time was the probega in 1935 and Absent's success in the 60's. Absent actually had 7 offspring competing in the 7th National Games of the USSR in dressage. One of the was Abakan that under E. Petushkova was one of the candidates of the Olympic Team, unfortunately Abakan died in Hannover.
The breeders/owners of Akhal-Tekes should also be supported by national
breed associations that promote and preserve the breed, the ideal
association should promote the breed/breeders as well as the riders.
The national association should optimally cooperate with a powerful,
democratic international federation that works in favour of the breeds
acknowlegdement internationally.
I think that the presence on the various equine shows can be a compliment to other activities, the importance on participating in the equine shows might vary between countries, here in Sweden I think it is more important to show the horse in the competetive environment as most peopel interested in horses here use horses for riding and not showing.
The golden color of the teke is one of its trademarks eventhough you cannot "ride the gold", but the golden color reminds us of the fact that this is the most original hot blood alive today and the only breed that still has the so famous golden color of the ancient "steeds of Nisea".