Greetings from France.
I breed Shagya Arabs and Cleveland Bays and was asked by a friend in Maryland to reply to a thread on Shagya Arabs.
The Shagya is 90% Arabian and should stand between 15.2hh and 16hh. The foundation stud for the breed is in Hungary at Babolna and it is possible to visit, stay in their hostel, ride and drive with their lovely horses. We purchased two mares from them. Here is their website link http://www.babolnamenes.hu/eng/index.html
The Shagya was bred to be a Cavalry Horse for the Hapsburg Empire, in fact the Imperial Cavalry of the Hapsburgs always rode Shagya’s. Elizabeth Empress of Austria and Hungary know as Sisiss loved the Shagya and Elizabeth II breeds Cleveland Bays, so I tell my friends I have two Royal and Rare breeds.
The foundation stallion called ‘Shagya’ was imported from Syria in 1839. He was admired for his perfect symmetry and powerful build.
Many famous sport horses have both Shagya and Cleveland Bay blood lines.
Ramzes, foaled in 1937 is one of the most famous Sport Horse sires, he was an Anglo-Arab whose dam Jordi was a Shagya. Ramzes’ son Ramiros sired a dynasty.
Famous horses with Shagya blood lines include Ratina Z, Corso, Rembrandt and the great Milton.
Milton’s dam Aston Answer is a grand daughter of Basa - Shagya XII-3 as far as I am aware Basa was the only Shagya stallion to ever stand at stud in the UK.
Our first ever foal a colt was one of only three stallions approved for the stud book in France in 2011, 13 were presented. One of the judges came from New York and has Shagya mares at stud in Vermont.
I also receive newsletters from the Shagya Verband in the USA, so there is a following.
I hope this of interest. If you google AFCAS you can look at the French site for the Shagya Arab.
