This poem by Samuel Coleridge is just an infinitesimal part of the literature written about this legendary Mongol ruler who organized China in the 1200’s, centralizing taxes and administration, improving agriculture, and establishing a splendid court in what is now Beijing. Kubla Khan, the ruler, had a tremendous impact on the culture of the time, and earned a place in history.

Dragonfire Kublakhan, the horse, has also earned a place in history: in the history of the Morgan Horse. He is considered by many to be a legend in his own time.

Kublakhan is one of only a few Morgans to have competed at the advanced level of 3-day eventing. For those of you unfamiliar with the sport, on the first day, a dressage test is ridden; on the second day, a cross-country course is ridden; on the third day, stadium jumping. The horse must be outstanding in all three phases to be competitive. At the advanced level, the dressage tests are demanding and difficult, and the jumping phases pose challenging questions with fences 3’11 in height and spreads up to 12 feet. Kublakhan was shown throughout his eventing career by Jennifer Chang McFall. The pair was seldom out of the top ribbons, even at the higher levels. Kublakhan was the United States Combined Training Association’s “Morgan of the Year” every year that he competed at Preliminary Level or above,  and won AMHA’s open competition championship for eventing several times.

Kublakhan was a tremendous ambassador for the Morgan breed in 3-day eventing. When he first started competing, everyone asked what breed he was, speculating that he must be a Connemara, Hungarian Warmblood (a favorite), or some other obscure breed. Never did anyone suggest Morgan. Now when a Morgan shows up at a 3-day event in California, his breed is recognized immediately. Many more of them are now being shown in this sport, as it appears that they are being accepted as a safe and sane choice of mounts for children and amateurs. And… people still remember and talk about Kublakhan, that incredible little Morgan with the heart of a lion.  

Although he has been retired from 3-day eventing for many years, Kublakhan continues to promote the Morgan breed. He is the only Morgan to be pictured as an example to be emulated by the United States Pony Club, which not only used a photo of him and Jennifer jumping a stadium fence in their “C” level (intermediate) manual as an example of excellent equitation and form over fences, but also used a cross-country photo of the pair jumping an imposing ditch and wall on the cover of their “A” (advanced) manual. These manuals are used by every child who is a member of the United States Pony Club.

But Kublakhan did not limit his success in the show ring to open competition as so many sport horses do. He has also competed throughout his career at the Grand National and World Championship Morgan Horse Show, winning countless Grand National and World Championships in Dressage, Working Hunter and Jumpers.  It is the unusual horse who can successfully compete in all three of these events, and he accomplished all these successes with a junior rider, the only horse to have done so. He also won the hunter over fences medal with Jennifer, as well as the dressage medal three times with three different riders; Jennifer Chang McFall, Stacey Maier and Melissa Votaw.

As remarkable as Kublakhan’s show career is, the thing that Jennifer treasures the most is that he was her best friend while she was growing up. He exemplified all that the Morgan is touted to be. He and Jennifer would compete one day and then spend the next day galloping in the park with friends, jumping picnic tables and swimming in the lake. Jennifer would spend hours in his stall with him where they would “snuggle” together, like only the best of friends can. Jennifer could feed him carrots she held in her mouth while he ever so gently took them from her. How all her friends envied her this trick! Such a contrast between the nationally ranked three-day event and Morgan show horse and beloved friend of his young owner, yet he handled it all with enthusiasm and an eagerness to please.

Kublakhan was foaled in 1983, but by no means is he ready or willing to retire. When out in the pasture, he still gallops up the minute he is called, eager for whatever task is asked. At age 21, he tackled Hunter Pleasure for the first time in his life, showing with Dragonfire student Shannon Ward, who had recently lost her horse. Together they earned some blue ribbons in Hunter Pleasure here in California, Top Tens at the Grand National, as well as the Reserve World Championship at Second Level Dressage. He is now giving lessons to students at Dragonfire, including Taylor McFall, Jennifer and Earl’s daughter. At the 2005 Morgan Medallion where he was inducted into their Hall of Fame, he was showing in Leadline with Taylor, and in Dressage with Jonathon Buttle, who was at his very first Morgan Horse show that year. In 2007, Khan and Dragonfire client Kathy Smith competed in dressage at the Training Level against all breeds and won the Reserve Champion High Point Award for Arizona at the young age of 24!