Paradise mourns the sudden and unexpected loss of our beloved Executive Chef, Chip Mercer. Chip had been a member of the Paradise family since early 2007 and never failed to amaze us with his culinary creations, which he took great pride in preparing to the highest standards. Visitors from all over the world were blessed with his food during their trips to Paradise, and we were privileged to enjoy it each day at work. He was happy to share his expertise with others and provided many of his best-loved dishes as Recipes of the Week on our website.

In addition to filling the Paradise kitchen with his expert cuisine, Chef Mercer grew his own heirloom produce and organic gardens and added a beautiful touch to the Paradise grounds with his professional landscaping talent. He loved the many animals that call Paradise home and could often be found sneaking gourmet treats to his favorites.

Paradise owner Gary Kenworthy shares, “Chip Mercer’s skills as a chef surpassed anyone whose creations we have ever sampled. Having him made us consider going out to a fine restaurant an unpleasant chore. But, that’s not why he meant so much to Paradise. His personality and temperament, his wit and kindness, his friendly attitude and willingness to share his knowledge and expertise, made him fit in perfectly at Paradise. Everyone associated with Paradise, whether visitor, staff, or long-time friend, loved him. He brought something to Paradise that can never be duplicated. I guess God heard about his talent and decided he was needed up there. Our condolences go out to his family and we mourn with them his passing. Chef Chip Mercer will be sorely missed.”

Chip is survived by his wife Shawna, his sons Josh and Caleb, and his favorite dog, Mikey.

Paradise is proud to announce that Scapa is on his way to the 2008 US Nationals! On September 18th, he arrived at All Stars Arabians in Cave Creek, AZ. There, he’ll make final preparations for Nationals with trainer Gil Valdez, who welcomed Scapa with a party attended by many admirers!

Scapa enjoyed his trip across the southern and southwestern US, and he made friends with people everywhere he went! At restaurants, gas stations, and rest areas along the way, he stuck his beautiful head out of the trailer to accept carrots from new friends. What a wonderful ambassador for the Egyptian Arabian horse!

The 2008 US Nationals are October 17th-25th. Come cheer Scapa on with us in Tulsa!

Paradise is so proud of the performance success of its geldings! The interdisciplinary capability of the straight Egyptian Arabian is proving itself through the athletes our program has produced. The geldings raised at Paradise are becoming stars in the open performance world, in disciplines English, Western, and in between!

Thee Desperado sons Thee MaCade (x *Masira) (left) and Thee Pilgram (x Bint Bint Omayma) completed a 500 mile endurance race, the Santa Fe Trail Race, in September 2007, with trainer Susan Thompson riding them on alternate days. MaCade is owned by Maiden Chase Arabians, and Pilgram is owned by Thompson. The team finished 2nd overall and was one of only 4 finishing teams, out of a starting group of 62 riders!

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Paradise is proud to report that Al-Bashir MD (formerly known as “Princeton,” Thee Infidel x La Jolla Negro by Thee Desperado), the only Straight Egyptian on the entire island of Puerto Rico, is a happy and extremely successful sport horse in his new home! A 6-year-old bay gelding bred by Bill and Gena Barron and sold by Paradise in 2006, Al-Bashir is making a name for himself, his owner Maritza Ortiz and son Matthew, and everyone affiliated with Paradise on the island.

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During the 2008 Egyptian Event, Paradise owner Wanda Kenworthy received a special gift–a new “filly!” Her miniature donkeys, Fred and Ethel, produced Lucy, an adorable little jenny! Ethel, an first-time mother, wasn’t quite sure what to do with Lucy, so Wanda has taken over the duties while Lucy is still small enough to fit in her lap (we’ll see how long that lasts!). Welcome to Lucy, who will have a great life here among the happy group of animals here at Paradise!

See more pictures below.

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Strikingly gorgeous straight Egyptian Arabian 2-year-old stallion Thee Fyresteed (Mishaal HP x Thee Crystabelle) will return to the home of his ancestors for his new owner, Naser Moushtaha.

At the 2008 Egyptian Event, Thee Fyresteed won the Male Championship in the Most Classic Head contest, and he was purchased the same day by Jon and Mindy Peters of El Capitan Ranch in Santa Barbara, California. Just days later at the Event, Naser Moushtaha of Egypt bought him to take home for his own breeding program! There was much buzz about Fyresteed during the show, and many admirers visited him at the Paradise stalls.

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Paradise would like to extend a very special thank you to those who helped make this year’s Egyptian Event such a fantastic success for us! Paradise owner Wanda Kenworthy worked tirelessly with the help of clients Tim Follis, Valerie Clinkenbeard, Donna Rovere and Mary Putman to “put on” our biggest show yet, and their behind-the-scenes efforts made everything run smoothly. From prepping for parties to taking care of the little details that help a show of this size come together, we are blessed with a family of friends who give of their time to help Paradise be better. Thank you!

In a beautifully poetic turn of events, our very first Egyptian Arabian, the world-famous, black mare Alia Riyala, yesterday gave us the very first filly ever sired by our young stallion Scapa, who is already making quite a name for himself in the show world. Scapa was bred by Paradise, so this filly is part of the third generation of our breeding program, which is impressive for an endeavor that began in 1994!

The chestnut filly, to be named Bint Alia Riyala, will be kept for the Paradise broodmare band and will continue the legacy of her great mother. Read the rest of this entry »

Scapa is on a roll with his first crop of foals! This new filly is out of our pure Polish Arabian mare, Mistreak. Mistreak is a proven producer of racing champions, and the result of breeding her to the fast, athletic and strong-bodied Scapa is very exciting!

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What a week-long celebration the 2008 Egyptian Event was! The Paradise gang (below) spent time at our brand new “Old Western Town” in Barn #7 on the beautiful, green Kentucky Horse Park grounds. A complete list of results follows, but our horses brought home multiple 10 CHAMPIONSHIPS, 5 Reserve Championships, and 10 Top Ten ribbons! We’re so proud of the hard work head trainer Misty Kenworthy and her staff did in preparing these 15 lovely horses for the show, and in the success our clients had with their beautiful, top-quality Egyptian Arabians!

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