Featured in Arabian Horse Times
Dr. DeCarol and Jan Williamson have grown their lineage breeding program, Dolorosa Arabians, to great heights. The program was recently nominated as 2023 Arabian Horse Time’s Readers’ Choice Awards Breeder of the Year. Dolorosa Arabians consistently breeds and produces top contenders in multiple disciplines. The family-run farm has generations of their own stock to ensure a longevity of Dolorosa bloodline. Of course, it takes solid breeding on both the dam and sire side; however, Dolorosa feels their dam lines are what sets themselves apart.
“DA Peace and DA Passion are two of Dolorosa Arabians’ foundation mares,” Melissa Bradshaw, Dolorosa Arabians breeding manager shared. “I see Passion with Peace’s two daughters DA Splenda & DA Lady Victoria in a pasture every day. The other day it hit me that their names really signify a lot of my feelings when here. I am at peace because of the beauty that surrounds me, in the horses and in the farm. And, I am so passionate about the Arabian horse and this breeding program.”
There are not many Arabian breeding programs that have spanned the number of decades Dolorosa Arabians has. This longevity is hard to accomplish. Williamson has always focused on what the dam provides when making breeding decisions. He also has prioritized having a good team of people, like Bradshaw, to support his plans.
“I see it as my duty and responsibility to people who have helped me along the way, and the Williamsons to care for these horses as my own,” Bradshaw said. “Being the Breeding Manager at Dolorosa has brought my career come full circle.”
Bradshaw feels a sense of her current position being “meant to be” when she reflects on the fact that she works in the barn where Chip Capobianco mentored her. She is also grateful for the lessons learned from Sarah Hammond Jackson.
In terms of Dolorosa Arabians foundation mares, Bradshaw is personally connected to DA Passion. She is the dam of Bradshaw’s horse, DA Jaxson. The pair completed their first show season in 2023, finishing with a Reserve National Championship at Sport Horse Nationals. Dr. Williamson is grateful for DA Passion’s lineage to Berry Flirtatious, a decorated western and halter horse of days gone by. Dolorosa Arabians’ goal is to produce correct, young horses that exhibit Arabian type and mature to be competitive athletes.
“It is such a unique experience to be able to work with, see, touch and know so many individuals on a horse’s registration papers.” Bradshaw continued. “We lost DA Peace about two years ago, but her daughters DA Splenda & DA Lady Victoria have already produced some quality show horses like DA Princessa, DA Augustine, and DA Jivago.”
Although Williamson has found plenty of success with repeating what has worked, he also understands the importance of intentional innovation. For the first time in 17 years, Dolorosa Arabians is expecting half-Arabian foals in 2024. They bred to DA Tripolli – a connection to the past as a son of the great Triften – to rebuild the saddle seat breeding program at Dolorosa. They also bred to elect Quarter Horse studs to breed Half-Arabian Western prospects. They plan to do this again, meaning there will be more half-Arabians with the iconic ‘DA” preceding their names born in 2025.
“I love researching and trying new crosses, so I am really looking forward to seeing how these half Arabians turn out,” Bradshaw said. “It will be fun to see how this venture unfolds for DeCarol and Jan.”
Dolorosa Arabians is using a mix of past successes and future goals to determine the direction of their program. They want to remain a current, respected breeding program, all while keeping their “north star” family as the biggest motivator.
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