NICOLE KULLEN.com

 About Nikshar Stud

Beauty, Type & Temperament

“Breeding Arabians & Derivatives for Quality not Quantity”

About Nikshar Stud

Page Last Updated:

27 April 2011

Nikshar Stud was founded by Nicole (& Margaret) Kullen with the purchase of the Purebred Arabian Mare

'Pinnaroo Mary' in 1993.

(pictured right - at 25yrs old in 2006) 

It was from there that Nicole's dream started to evolve

Nicole aims to breed horses with type, presence, good conformation and most of all great temperaments

Nicole feels that there is no beauty in breeding an amazing horse that no one can ride or handle

Nikshar has slowly grown since 1993 & I've been blessed with some beautiful foals

In February 2005 Nicole & Margaret (Nikshar Stud) relocated to a beautiful, undulating property located near Bathurst N.SW (Australia) with plenty of room for our horses to move & grow

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With great support from the start I've slowly been able to live my dreams

My mum Margaret has always been my biggest support. Without her encouragement, love and support I wouldn't be alive & here today

  To find out more, go to My Profile Page

At present Nikshar is a small hobby stud with some beautiful horses & ponies

We specialize in Purebred Arabians,

Arabian Derivatives

(Arabian Warmbloods & Arabian Ponies)

and Welsh breeds

We're also involved in Para Equestrian Dressage & Open Dressage Competition with Equestrian Australia (EA) & the FEI (International Equestrian Federation).

In 1996 I was struck down with Meningococcal Meningitis Septicemia.

I lost both lower legs, all function & feeling in both hands & wrists & partial use of my arms & all of my internal organs were damaged, plus I now rely on Peritoneal Dialysis 4 times a day due to my kidney failure.

My initial admission from my illness became a long six months journey in hospital between Intensive Care Units to High Dependency & Burns Wards & then eventually to Rehabilitation & the Adolescence Wards.

Plus since then, I have had way too many hospital admissions to count & have a life time of recovery & dealing with my degenerative health & disabilities ahead of me that will unfortunately never improve. But we don't let this get us down!

My illness has not only impacted heavily on the lives of my Mum & I, it has also impacted on my animals both big & small, & the direction in which Nikshar would go.

There is an even bigger need now for our horses to be respectful & patient, & accepting to many different circumstances that they would normally never experience in their life time.

I still handle all my horses & ponies including my foals, from both my electric wheelchair as well as whilst standing on my prosthetic legs.

After my illness, the first way for me to get back into competing was to show Miniature Horses. Their size and personalities were great especially with my physical limitations. I began competing in the Show and Performance arenas with my Miniature Horse gelding 'Bobby' and then I showed my other Miniature Horse gelding 'Ziggy'.

I showed both my geldings from my electric wheelchair and we won numerous titles together including two main titles;

National Grand Champion Gelding of All Miniature Breeds

at a National level Show

Reserve Champion 2yo Futurity Horse

(the Champion was taken out by a beautifully bred filly, and he 'as a gelding'

beat all the colts and other fillies in the ring)

I truly believe that the diversity my illness & disabilities have brought to my horses have shown others how true their personalities & temperament are, & have carried on thru to their progeny, who even as young, show an understanding & acceptance beyond their years

I hope these experiences will help them in their future with myself or others as they mature & progress to their career under saddle & as life long friends.

I know without them I would not

get thru most days.

They've not only kept me going during my horrible problems related with my illness, but thru many hard times including the loss of my son Kyle in 2003.

With the help of my Mum, my horses & my animals, I returned to riding &

have achieved a great deal. Which I hope to continue!

For a detailed list of my achievements, please click here to go to my Profile Page

In 2000 I began riding competitively again, winning many titles.

I've worked very hard to achieve the dreams & goals I set for myself & continue to do so. I've had the great privilege of representing my country & have also been fortunate being awarded for my achievements.

A few of my major riding achievements since

having meningococcal include:

I'm the current 2009 & 2010 Equestrian Australia Para Equestrian Gr1b National Champion.

At both the 2009 & 2010 events I was also 1 of the 3 riders that made up the NSW Team for the State Teams event & we won & NSW are now the 2009 & the 2010 Equestrian Australia Para Equestrian National State Team Champions.

That's two National titles held for 2yrs in a row! I'm extremely proud of that! And of Nom & I being an unbeaten combination in Para Equestrian competitions both National & International level within Australia..

I was one of five Para Equestrian athletes who represented Australia at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games - Equestrian Events held in Hong Kong. My horse Nikshar Nomination & I placed 4th, 6th & 11th at the Paralympic Games, as well as a 6th as part of the Australian Team in Team's event.

Although I was hoping to equal or improve on my Silver & Bronze medals I won at the 2007 World Championships, this unfortunately wasn't to be. However I will continue to strive to improve on this & hopefully will beat this when I represent Australia at the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) in Kentucky, USA in Sept/Oct 2010 after being officially announced on the Team in July 2010. Hopefully if selected in the future for the 2012 Paralympic Games in London & other international events that may happen in between I will also strive to excel there too.

In 2005 I won RDAA Australian National Dressage Champion for my classified grade, with the competition run under IPEC Rules with visiting countries Hong Kong & New Zealand being represented by their riders attending the competition.

In 2006 I represented Australia at the CPDI4**** International Para Equestrian Competition in Belgium. My first overseas trip & competition. This event was also a Paralympic Qualifier event for the 2008 Beijing Paralympics, & after a very successful event I qualified for selection for Beijing.

Then in 2007 I was one of seven riders selected to represent Australia at the 2007 FEI World Para Equestrian Dressage Championships held in the UK in July 2007, where I won a Silver Medal & Bronze Medal & was the only Australian to medal at the event, & the only rider on a borrowed horse to win a medal at the World Championships.

All my horses are used to being around my electric wheelchair both young & old.

 They are led by myself from my electric wheelchair and the foals that have not yet been halter trained are used to having my chair in the paddocks with them just like their mothers.

But I do also teach the foals to lead from the electric wheelchair during & after their initial halter training & beyond with great results.

I have a great support network at home with my Mum & without them helping me with the many day to day tasks that I physically can not do, Nikshar would not be where it is today!

Visitors to Nikshar Stud are always welcome by appointment

For further information about our horses, please

go to the 'Nikshar Stud Horses' page

Contact

Nikshar Stud - Nicole Kullen

nicole@nicolekullen.com

Website designed by Nicole Kullen

All Images & Information are Copyright Nicole Kullen

& may not be copied or downloaded without permission

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