Oros

11 Poperechny Prosek, 107014 Moscow Russia

Phone: (095) 268-5922/5942, Fax: (095) 268-3063
Managing Director: Alexey LOGACHEV

ros started out in 1993, when the equestrian club Urozhai (Harvest) at Sokolniki, Moscow, was privatized by a group of Russian horsemen. In its time, the club enjoyed some international renown with a string of prominent riders, such as the dressage Olympic Champion Elena Petushkova (currently President of the Russian Equestrian Federation) and the eventing European Champion Alexander Evdokimov. Oros has benefited enormously from the club's 50 years of history.
      It is now owned by two partners with decades of equine and equestrian experience. Among its managers, consultants and trainers are some prominent figures of Russian equestrian sports and horse breeding.
      The young company began to restore the facilities, which by the moment of privatization were on the verge of collapse. To begin with, dozens of starving horses had to be saved from the slaughter-house. At first Oros was making some money by middleman activities, selling horses to various countries. One of the main deals of those days was the supplies of 160 horses to Oman as remounts for the Sultan's Guards. The proceeds were plowed back to develop the Moscow base, to found studs, to sponsor Russian horses and riders in national and international competitions.
     Oros has grown considerably ever since. By 1994 the company began to breed and sale its own horses, in 1997 its Arabians were raced for the first time at Piatigorsk.
     Now, the company has 350 horses in Moscow and at two studs, and exercises varying degrees of control over hundreds of horses in Russia.
     It trains, breeds, and sells horses of various breeds, ages, and levels. Now Oros sells its horses through Troika, a marketing center it co-founded.

Moscow base

In Moscow Oros (its Moscow branch is called SokOros) has a 3.5-hectare equestrian center at Sokolniki, one of the oldest Moscow parks. It stables 130 horses of various breeds of various breeds. The center has an open  56 x 85 m jumping arena, an open  20 x 60 m dressage arena, two indoor arenas: 24 x 44 m and 24 x 75 m, an 44 x 20 m enclosure , adequate support facilities, a bar, an equine store, changing rooms, a gym, a sauna, etc. It has a small hotel. Some expats living in Moscow buy horses from or via Oros and stable them at Sokolniki. Many take them home, when leaving Moscow.

Petushkova Dressage Center

The Moscow facilities of Oros are the venue of Petushkova Dressage Center. Dr. Elena Petushkova, Olympic Gold Medalist of Rome in dressage and President of the Russian Equestrian Federation, trains there riders from various countries. Some of them return to their home countries with excellent Russian dressage horses.

Studs

Oros has two studs and two breeding programs. One stud Oros Arabians is located in Kuban, Southern Russia. It breeds Arabians and Thoroughbreds. The other stud is 200 km away from Moscow and produces competition horses, mostly Trakehners. Oros pursues two distinctive breeding programs: Arabian and competition.

Oros Arabians

Oros-L

The stud produces horses for dressage and jumping. The young horses are trained in Moscow and sold at various ages, mostly for sports.

Arabian program

Oros began its Arabian breeding program in 1993. Next year the company founded its Arabian Stud in the Krasnodar Territory. In 1996 the stud was registered and certified by the Ministry of Agriculture. It was the first officially registered private stud in Russia.

Siting

All Russian Arabian breeders remember the precepts of Count Stroganov, the founder of the Russian Arabian breeding program, who maintained:

"The local conditions, i.e., climate and soil, are the most important factors in horse breeding, and so especial attention was paid to choosing a proper site for the stud. You can never count on retaining in the progeny of imported Arabians the truest of their inherent qualities in conditions that are far too different from those of Northern Arabia."

We did want our Arabians to "retain the truest of their inherent qualities," and hence were looking for ideal conditions. And we believe we found such a place in the Kuban steppe (Northern Caucasus). The climate there is hot and arid in the summer and fairly mild in winter. Good evidence of the quality of the climate is the fact that the world-famous collection of the seeds of plants from all over the world was moved from Leningrad to a place that is only several kilometers away from the stud. The composition of the soil in the region is ideal for the development of the strong bone structure of the young horses. There are good pastures and plenty of space for exercise.
     The very first gets appeared to be sound and healthy. They are now raced in Piatigorsk, and the Oros stable yard there goes from strength to strength.

Program objectives

The objective of the program was to breed the best of what is available in the Russian Arabian, the recognized all-rounder. The horses are bred for conformation (for shows) and speed (for races). But whatever the purpose of the Russian Arabian, he should be a good mover. And so much attention is paid at the stud to exercising the young, so that by the age of 2 they should all have strong tendons, ligaments, and muscles.
     Now that endurance rides are gaining popularity in the world, the breeders are considering breeding for stamina as well, and take part in endurance competitions.

Foundation stock

The foundation stock was extremely carefully selected from different sources – mainly from Tersk Stud, however some good individuals, especially representatives of good racing lines, were purchased from other studs (Khrenovoye, Teberda, Ptichy, Tischenskoye), and also from several private owners. The most sought-after racing line is that of Kann.
     In 1997 the stud found one stunning stallion, the gray Paladin (Nabeg x Panaghia). He belongs to the Amurath line and the Taktika dam family. His pedigree is just stunning. To begin with, he is one of the few Nabeg's sons remaining in Russia. He is closely related to Menes, Balaton, and Peleng.
     His private owner used him for dressage and did not want to part with that gorgeous noble horse, that would be a gem of any Arabian stable in the world. The stallion's advanced age (he was foaled in 1977) decided the matter. Paladin is now the most treasured sire at Oros. In 1998 we will get his first crop. If used sparingly and properly looked after in the healthy climate of the arid Kuban steppe, that fantastic horse will produce many good progeny.

Sports Program

In the former USSR nearly all horses came to sports after several years on the racecourse, many with characteristic injuries, both physical and psychical. Selection was only for speed and conformation, not for jumping ability or other qualities good for equestrian sports.
Oros has initiated a horse training program targeted at sports. It began by buying off young horses, even yearlings, from Russian studs to school and train them into first-class dressage and jumping horses. Many are tested by Russian riders of international caliber in national and international competitions.

Competition horses for sale

Oros can offer sports horses for jumping and dressage. For the most part these are young horses, broken and schooled. At the moment Oros has in Moscow 15 two-year-old and 9 three-years-old Trakehners. They stand 160-168 cm. The horses are sound and healthy.
     Through its marketing ties with other breeders Oros can offer competition Budennys, Akhal-Tekes, Orlov-Rostopchins and other horses of various ages.

Cooperation ideas

Oros is prepared to consider ideas of cooperation, joint projects, etc. Some of the ideas:

Sire exchange

Oros will consider exchanges of Arabian, Trakehner and other sires.

Frozen semen

Frozen semen at the moment is not used at Oros's studs, but the company is prepared to consider supplies of frozen sperm of its sires.

Endurance projects

Oros plans to concentrate on endurance, drawing on the famous distance qualities of Russian horses of various breeds. Any endurance ideas will be considered.