Heath and Michelle with Chelleason Crown Jewel at the 2010 Australian National Arabian Championships

Along life’s winding road of adventure sometimes there comes an opportunity to excel in one’s chosen passion. For international champion trainers Heath Rowbottom and Michelle Thomas their passion is the Arabian horse. A wonderful new enterprise has begun at Chelleason Arabian Training, a joint venture in Queensland between Heath and Michelle offering their Australian and international clients
a full service facility to cater for all their Arabian dreams.

Services include halter training for the show ring at Chelleason and on the client’s farm for training, stallion management through to a successful international marketing program that has seen horses exported to the Middle East, Asia, New Zealand and beyond. Expansion of the current facilities has included 18 new stables built for a total of 34 within the 68-acre stud farm.

On the international front Heath has spent considerable time in Europe working and showing horses with remarkable success for Europe’s leading trainer, Frank Sponle, with horses such as Alidaar, FS Bengali, Regina El Jamaal, Scala El Jamaal, Pyramid Set El Nil and also showing BJ Thee Mustafa (World Champion) to his first championship win. Heath’s natural talents have been further fine tuned with his recent trip to the USA working for Midwest Training Centre with their exceptional Brazilian trainers, schooling horses such as the incredible DA Valentino.

Michelle has many stamps in her passport from travelling to nearly every continent in the world viewing Arabian horses from the deserts of the Middle East to the jungles of Brazil. She was honoured when Greg Gallun flew her to the USA to work with him leading up to the Scottsdale show. Through Greg and Michelle, long time client Dr Bryant purchased the unshown colt NW Heritage Jullyen that Michelle managed for his USA show career, including his Canadian National Champion Stallion award with Andy Selman. Both Michelle and Heath are proven high achievers in national and international arenas including recent success at the Australian National Arabian Championships.

Heath worked for the highly respected and successful Kate and Doyle Dertell of Future Farms in the capacity as farm manager and trainer. With Future Farms he won many national championships including National Champion Arabian Gelding 5 Yrs & Over with Electric Dreams whose owners, Michael and Kahlie Sciberras, say: “We’ve been around long enough to know competence when we see it. When competence is combined with talent, straight forward human kindness and a sense that the horse comes first, all with a smile, well it’s worth telling others about.” Robyn and Simon Parker of Naaman Stud also give Heath a strong endorsement: “We’ve always been impressed by Heath
Rowbottom as a handler and competitor and we wish him great success in Queensland. Heath’s clever wit, personality and experienced horsemanship will be sure to shine through, giving clients and their horses the benefit of his vast experience and professionalism.”

Michelle won National Champion Arabian Filly 2 Yrs and highest scoring horse of the show with the imported Marwan Al Shaqab daughter, Ghazala El Jamaal imp USA, owned by international clients Paul and Bianca Clark. The Clarks stated: “We have entrusted Michelle to condition, train and show our horses in Australia. Her professionalism, dedication and work ethic are evidenced not only by her show success at the highest level of national competition, but importantly through the health and
wellbeing of the horses in her care.” More than just a trainer, Michelle was particularly pleased to
have bred the Reserve Australian Champion Filly, Chelleason Wind Fortune; the East Coast Champion Filly, Chelleason Bey Jullye-anne; and the Supreme Male Exhibit at the Queensland Challenge Show, Chelleason Crown Jewel, under her Chelleason prefix.

Throughout their careers, both Michelle and Heath have been blessed with the input of many people and their special horses such as Simeon Sa’ar imp UK (National Champion with Heath), Essencia imp USA, Electric Dreams (Australian Champion), Eastwinds Axplosion (East Coast Champion), Gai el Jullyen imp USA, Sophia WV imp USA, Chelleason Crown Jewel, Chelleason Wind Fortune, Chelleason Bey Jullye-anne, Windella Golden Wings and her Coolrain descendants, just to name a few.

With some very special Arabian horses already secured for the up and coming show and breeding seasons, continued success in the future is assured for Chelleason Arabian Training. USA Arabian horse identity Tina Torry says: “Michelle is a real professional. I’ve worked with various trainers here in the USA and Michelle is right there with them. She’s very knowledgeable, has a great eye for Arabian horses, and is herself a successful marketing agent for a number of her clients’ horses with exports to the Middle East. I encourage Michelle to come to the United States to show where I know she’d do well.”

Chelleason Arabian Training, with Heath and Michelle at the helm, is headed for a bright future in the Arabian horse world. Sharyn Dorber agrees: “Through luck rather than design I was introduced to Michelle Thomas to advise and assist in the development of my humble establishment Tuscanny Stud,
from choosing an Arabian broodmare and strategic alliances with the best stallions, through to advice and the training of the resulting foals. Not only have we gained a mentor in our stud’s evolution, we have found a friend and incredibly professional horsewoman and her team to assist us every step
of the way. We highly recommend Chelleason Training to anyone wanting the best, no matter what level they are at.” Hard working, honest, talented, loyal, fun, well respected and successful are words often used by their friends and peers to describe both Heath and Michelle. Whether you are new to the Arabian horse breed or an established breeding farm or show person, Heath and Michelle invite you to join them in their Arabian adventure.

Horses are now being accepted for the East Coast and Australian Championships as well as other shows this coming season.

Michelle with Psyches Fame and breeder Frank Ashman

Heath with the 2009 Australian Champion Gelding 5 years and over, Electric Dreams

Nahlanah with Heath