In January, the global Arabian horse community lost one of its greatest living icons with the passing of Magnum Psyche at 28 years of age. Universally admired and respected by breeders on every continent where the Arabian horse thrives, his name lives on in legend as one of the most prolific and profoundly influential sires in the modern history of the breed.
Magnum Psyche. All photography unless stated by Stuart Vesty
The premier son of another legend, the late Padrons Psyche (Padron x Kilika by Tamerlan), ‘Magnum’, as he was affectionately known the world over, was responsible more than any other male descendant of breed pillar Padron for the broad dissemination of his royal heritage, with invaluable direct tail-male links to Russian super sires Patron (ex Podruga by Priboj) and Aswan (ex Yosreia by Sheikh El Arab) as well as the straight Egyptian patriarch himself, Nazeer (Mansour x Bint Samiha by Kazmeen). In combination with exceptional beauty, elegance, balance, and athleticism from his straight Spanish dam A Fancy Miracle (Sasaki x Medina Azahara by Garbo), Magnum Psyche possessed a powerhouse pedigree with a hybrid punch that never failed to exceed expectations for those breeders with the vision and courage to utilise him year after year.
With nearly 1,400 lifetime foals globally, proudly bred by J. Lancaster Havice & Lisa Herndon Havice, Magnum Psyche sits atop the list of the Arabian Horse Association’s (AHA) All-Time Leading Sires for his North American registered foals alone. Having come of age as a sire in the same era as the international acceptance and implementation of artificial insemination provided Magnum Psyche with maximum access to some of the best mares and breeding programmes in the world, especially those in the Americas. As a result of his incomparable record of success as a sire, Magnum Psyche remained one of the most popular and widely used sires in the breed well into his second decade of life.
Magnum Psyche
Like his sire and grandsire before him, Magnum Psyche set the standard in the show-ring, collecting multiple titles such as US National Champion, Canadian National Champion, Argentine National Champion, and Scottsdale Supreme Champion in his unrivalled thirteen-year career as the archetypal show horse. It is this unparalleled show-ring appeal that has endured and is consistently celebrated in generations of superlative descendants the world over, many having accrued the most prestigious titles in elite level competition in nearly every country in the world that boasts an Arabian horse population.
David Boggs, who first laid on as Magnum Psyche as just a yearling at the Region 12 Championships before he became his primary handler and principal cheerleader for the vast majority of the icon’s charmed life, expounds upon the extent of the late sire’s enduring influence, revealing that “he blessed the breed with so many great sires, including his direct sons JJ Senor Magnum (ex Shah Maali by Bey Shah), Magnum Chall HVP (ex Taamara HVP by Don El Chall) and WH Justice (ex Vona Sher-Renea by El Sher-Mann). The impact of WH Justice alone, through his sons Ajman Moniscione (ex Anthea Moniscione by Padrons Ghibli) and Shanghai EA (ex Salymah EA by Khidar), the latter through which World Champions Excalibur EA (ex Essence of Marwan EA by Marwan al Shaqab) and Alexxander (ex AR Most Irresisitble by ML Mostly Padron), as well as United States National and Scottsdale Champion Exxalt (ex Vesperra by SF Veraz), all descend, has ensured that the Magnum Psyche male dynasty will endure for decades yet to come.”
JJ Senor Magnum. Credit Lori Ricigliano
WH Justice
“For me,” David confesses, “Magnum Psyche was a cornerstone in my life and my career with Arabian horses. I genuinely loved his spirit, and I will always be grateful to him for filling that black hole, deep in my soul, created by the loss of *Padron. I am so deeply grateful for the time on earth we had with him.”
Since late 1997, Magnum Psyche has been owned, adored, and masterfully stewarded by the De Santibañes family of Haras Mayed in Argentina. For Fernando, Magnum was the horse of a lifetime, with the two sharing an incredibly close and special bond that is fondly remembered by all who witnessed the pair interacting. For Joaquin, who was just a teenager when Magnum Psyche came into the family’s lives, he shares that both father and son “continue to be grateful for the chance to join Magnum in what eventually became a tremendous success both in the show arena and breeding pastures around the world. There are no words that can accurately capture the impact he has had on us, both as a breeding programme and as a family. He is still the momentum that drives us forward today as much as he did when he first came into our lives more than a quarter century ago.”
Magnum Psyche
David wholeheartedly affirms the devotion and care the legend received at Haras Mayed. “Magnum never wanted for a thing in his beloved home in Argentina. The constant flow of admirers, with carrots in hand, seemed to give this chestnut gentleman everything he ever wanted. Although the news of his loss grieves more than I could have imagined, I am confident Magnum died a happy, content and unreservedly treasured horse at the grand old age of 28.”
Joaquin, whose entire lifetime of involvement with the Arabian horse thus far has been spent with Magnum Psyche at the epicentre, remembers his family’s most precious charge thusly: “We will always be thankful for so many abundant gifts that continue to reap untold and unexpected rewards – all given to us by Magnum. It has been the greatest honour and privilege of our lives to care for him and witness his impact on the breed. He will forever be the heart and soul of Haras Mayed.”
Magnum Psyche with David Boggs. Credit Javan
Among all the accolades bestowed as both as a show horse and supersire, perhaps the most enduring legacy of Magnum Psyche is his incomparable role as international ambassador, and the ability he and his many generations of exalted descendants have to bring us all closer together as a cohesive community – of breeders, professionals, owners and enthusiasts. May we still continue to find great joy, hope and inspiration in those sparks of Magnum Psyche brilliance that continue to shine brightly all around us, ensuring that this ‘Farewell to the King’ will continue to fare well for the Arabian breed into the next century and beyond.
Magnum Psyche: 1995-2023
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