Equine excellence

Valhalla Andalusian horses are bred for quality

Andalusian horses are known for their grace and presence. —

Photo courtesy Valhalla Andalusians

Dr. Anne Starr and her husband, Brian Rehwald, own Valhalla Andalusians—a company that specializes in Pura Raza Española (PRE) Andalusian and Andalusian cross horses. They cover everything from breeding and showing to selling and training—all from their 45-acre farm in the Slocan Valley, just outside Nelson, B.C.

“I chose to enter the horse breeding industry partly because I have been around horses all of my life and partly because I enjoy working with them and learning from them,” said Starr. “My undergrad prior to my dental degree was in genetics and I feel the breeding was a natural progression.”

The horses are treated to organic hay, fresh mountain water and acres of lush green pastures. Starr found the Andalusian horses to be the perfect choice, due to their majestic disposition, intelligence and the special kind of presence they possess.

“The Spanish call it ‘brio’ which means ‘energy,’ ” said Starr. “It’s riding a stallion that looks ready to explode and leap into the air, yet you are riding him using only two fingers.”

A noble breed

Considered horses of nobility throughout history, Andalusians were traditionally gifted between royal families in Europe. To breed quality animals, Starr and Rehwald had to have an in-depth knowledge of the breed, morphology and genetics.

“The most challenging aspect of my work is keeping up with all the paperwork involved with breeding and registering the horses in Spain and in the USA,” said Starr, “and making all the arrangements to have the Spanish government come to my farm on an annual basis and physically inspect each horse presented.”

Despite the challenges of such a complex operation, Starr and Rehwald are proud of some exciting achievements.

“The most rewarding aspect is taking two of my prize horses to the U.S. Nationals and having them win two of the top prizes for their age category for all of North America,” said Starr. “Having people buy horses from me (and) keep me up to date . . . with the progress that the horse they love to death is making—that’s how I know I’ve done my job well.”