Frederik the Great, coined the most beautiful horse in the world by international media, lives right here in Siloam Springs.
The 15-year-old Friesian stallion, owned by Stacy Nazario and her husband Kim, became an internet sensation after a May 23 article in the British newspaper Daily Mail proclaimed him "the world's most handsome horse." Since then his story has been picked up by thousands of media outlets, from Chili to China. In the United States, he has appeared on CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS, The New York Times, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, the Late, Late Show with James Corden, The Weather Channel, and People Magazine, to name a few.
Frederik the Great's fame hasn't come as a surprise to his owner. She has always known he was special and so have his fans.
"I always knew Frederik was exceptional and millions of others did too," she said.
The videos posted on Frederik's Youtube channel often get millions of views, with one video getting more than seven million, Nazario said. On Thursday, Frederik the Great's Facebook page, which features regular posts written from his point of view and signed Frederik the Great, had more than 46,000 likes.
Nazario said that she and her husband feel blessed to own such a beautiful animal and want to share him with the world.
"It was a blessing," she said of the media attention. "There are a lot of beautiful horses, but to us he is exceptional."
Nazario fell in love with Frederik at first sight nearly a decade ago. She dreamed of owning a Friesian horse and after an 18-month search, she came across a picture of a Friesian stallion for sale in the Netherlands. She instantly knew Frederik was the one.
The stallion was already trained to third level in Dressage and almost as soon as he arrived in the United States, he was named 2007 Dressage Grand Champion at the Woodside Expo in California. He continued his dressage career, advancing to fourth level, and earning many blue ribbons along the way.
Over the years, Frederik has changed many lives, she said. One little girl who was participating in the Make a Wish Foundation program, made her wish to spend the day with Frederik, Nazario said. While she didn't ride him, she stayed with him all day brushing him and spending time with him. Another woman who was dying of cancer came to meet Frederik and spend time with him, she said.
"There are a lot of fans that just look forward to the next picture," Nazario said.
While stallions (male horses) have a reputation for being hard to handle, Nazario described Frederik as a gentle giant. He especially loves children and is extra careful around them.
Frederik was named the official black stallion of both the International Horse Tales Literacy Project and the Arkansas Horse Tales Literacy Project, for his resemblance to the Black Stallion character in Walter Farley's famous serious of books, Nazario said. The best part was that he received hundreds of letters and pictures from third-graders who had fallen in love with the Black Stallion series of books, she said.
Frederik, whose mane hangs down both sides of his neck and was recently measured at more than six feet long, gets lots of grooming to keep his locks looking their best. His exceptional hair growth is genetic, but during the summer months Nazario washes and rebraids it at least once a week, a process that takes three to four hours. She also makes sure that he gets neck massages so that his muscles don't get tired from carrying the extra weight.
Frederik is the first horse and the first Friesian that has ever been talked about on late night television, Nazario said.
"It's kind of exceptional," she said.
Frederik has been a great ambassador for his breed, which has almost gone extinct several times throughout history, she said. The breed originated in Friesland, a province in the Netherlands, according to the United States Equestrian Federation website, www.usef.org. The horses are known for their noble carriage, black coat and long thick manes and tails, the website states.
During the Middle Ages they were highly prized as war horses because they could easily carry a knight in full armor. The breed nearly went extinct in the 1900's, and by the middle of the century the population had dwindled to 500, according to the Livestock Conservancy website, livestockconservvancy.org. Interest in the breed has been rekindled and currently there are about 25,000 Friesians worldwide, the website states.
Nazario has also received lots of offers from people who would like to buy Frederik, including one "name your price" offer from a Middle Eastern Princess. But to her, Frederik is worth more than any amount of money.
"He is a member of the family," she said.
Nazario laughed that reporters often ask if all the fame is going to Frederik's head. While he loves to show off in front of a crowd or pose for a camera, his day-to-day life won't change, she said. He has been offered several movie deals, but Nazario isn't sure that's the direction she wants to go. While she does have some exciting plans for his future, Nazario is most interested in doing what's best for Frederik.
General News on 06/29/2016