Tersk Stud

Early history

In the 1880s, Count Sergei Aleksandrovich Stroganov and his brother-in-law Prince Aleksandr Grigorievich Shcherbatov found a spot at the foot of Mount Zmeika (“small snake” in Russian) in the Northern Caucasus they felt was ideal for establishing a horse breeding farm. The two traveled to the Middle East in 1889 and purchased several purebred Arabian horses for use in their new breeding program. Stroganov also purchased horses from Crabbet Arabian Stud in England, including the mares Makbula and Sobha, and the stallion Mesaoud, who came from Crabbet Stud by way of Kleniewski Stud in modern-day Poland.

Post-1991 stud history

The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 brought Tersk's future into question.

Tersk is best known for its purebred Arabian horses, but it has also hosted breeding programs for Akhal-Tekes, Terskys, Kabardins, and Dons. All Terskys were transferred to nearby Stavropol Stud in 1945 to continue the development of the new breed.

From the beginning of its history, the stud has tested its horses on the racetrack. Tersk Arabians are sent to the Pyatigorsk racetrack at the age of two and may race one or two seasons. The best performers race on Sundays, with two-year-olds running 1,400 meters and older horses running 1,600 and 1,800 meters. The top individuals may be used for breeding at Tersk or return to the racetrack for another season. Many others will be sold at the age of three.

While race records are important to the Tersk breeding program, Dr. Balakshin stated “…good racing results are not the only criterion for selecting young stock for breeding purposes. Excellent runners which deviate from breed type may be used for limited breeding or else they are eliminated from selection.”

Any horse used for breeding at Tersk is required to be rated “Elite” or “Grade I” in the Russian Stud Book. Horses that receive lower grades are sent to other studs or sold.