A quick post to say I will not be able to blog again until I return from the ‘Danika and Yatimah from Egypt to the Outback’ official book launch at
Australian National Arabian Championships Tamworth at the AHSA awards dinner, Friday evening March 18, 2011.
A reminder about the auction that will be conducted for the AHSA Charity Flood Appeal. A Book pack including copies of ‘Tails Carried High – Voices in the Wind’ and ‘Danika and Yatimah from Egypt to the Outback’ will be on offer.

As well as leaving you with Willa Fraysers www.willafrayserstudio.com wonderful Cut-Out drawing from the Danika and Yatimah book to enjoy – (After all I am missing Thursday art-day this week) – I have also added an excerpt from the story. Looking forward to catching up on my return next week with lots of photographs and news from the “Danika and Yatimah” launch…

‘The three girls collected the horses, quickly saddling and bridling them. Danika packed up the wrap from lunch, rolled up the blanket and stuffed
everything into her saddlebags.
Yatimah was snoozing in her favourite spot behind the dilapidated old shed, so Danika gave a whistle to wake her up. The girls smiled when Yatimah
appeared, trotting towards them with her smooth springy trot. She held her elegant head high, curious about all the hurry, her tiny, curved ears
forward with expectation.
The girls watched as Danika approached Yatimah, her saddle on her arm. Yatimah’s soft muzzle nuzzled Danika’s arm as she placed the saddle on her back, reaching
under for the girth. Danika then slipped the snaffle into her mouth and buckled the throat latch. The girls did the same to their horses and then hastily mounted. The horses were happy to
be heading for home. They strode out, arching their necks with eagerly pricked ears. Julia rode the excitable bay, Wattle, and Jennifer was on her favourite, a bouncy chestnut called Summer.
Jasmin gave her grey gelding, Pharaoh, a hug before following the others.
They watched Yatimah as she daintily picked her way between the clumps of grasses.
‘She’s exactly like the horses we just read about’, said Jennifer.
‘More like a ballet dancer, the way she points her toes when she walks’, said Jasmin. ‘Pharaoh is the same.’
They looked across at the dappled grey gelding, his neat paces barely leaving a hoof print in the red outback soil.
‘I think Arabians are the most beautiful horses in the world’, Jennifer said. ‘Look at Yatimah’s eyes, they are so big and swimmy, they make
you feel all weak in the knees.’
Yatimah gave her head a vigorous shake as if she felt tired of the conversation. They laughed. ‘I’ve never heard of a word like swimmy’, said Danika.
‘I think she means liquid, large, dark liquid eyes’, Julia offered.
‘That is so perfect. How do you think of such things?’ Jasmin asked.
Julia shrugged her shoulders. ‘It’s just something I read. But it’s true, when you look into Yatimah’s
eyes you feel she knows what you’re thinking, like she’s staring straight into your soul.’
The four rode on quietly, deep in thought…’