SALON (Negatiw x Sonata) was born April 27, 1959 at the Tersk Stud in the former USSR. His sire, Negativ (Naseem x Taraxzcza), was a primary sire at Tersk at that time and was known for putting quality foals on the ground. His dam, Sonata (Skrzyp x Odaliska), was of that hazy Polish/Russian breeding, her sire having been captured by the Russians during World War II and taken back to Russia in 1939. At Tersk, where there were many good colts and stallions, Salon still managed to stand out. His race career, while not a blazing success, was acceptable, having a race record of one win, five seconds and three thirds out of the 19 starts in his two-and-three-year-old years. He was retired from the track in 1962 and was evaluated as a possible sire. Under the stringent requirements of the Tersk officials, the grey colt passed and was labeled "Elite," a title he would eagerly prove. Breeding just one colt that first year to a high of ten a few years later, the Russians knew they were looking at a top sire. Their best mares were brought to Salon, and each year he managed to live up to his heritage of quality and substance which were handed down to him by his own sire and dam. In 1969, at the age of 10 years, Salon was shown at the Moscow All-Union Exhibition where he won a Certificate of First Degree. Two of his four-year-old daughters, shown at the same time, also received their Certificates. Over the next several years, some of Salon's most beautiful daughters would win Certificates and Championships at the All-Union. By 1971, the stud at Tersk had 54 Salon get plus 10 additional mares bred to him for 1972 foals. Satisfied with his career at stud, Salon was reluctantly allowed to be exported to West Germany where he arrived with much fanfare. Despite the publicity and the fact that he was rated "Class I" which meant he was licensed to breed Arabians, Shagyas and Thoroughbreds, Salon was used very little over the next six years, in fact, only 24 purebred get were bred during all that time. It was not until American breeder Robert D. Stratmore of California tracked Salon down after seeing some of his sons and daughters in Russia, that Salon's use as a stud took a turn for the better. Salon was 21 years old now, and although he had been well taken care of, the thoughts of bringing him back to the United States in good health were of primary concern. Despite the worry, Salon made the trip in wonderful shape and by September of 1980, the stallion was residing in sunny California at Make-Believe Farms, a farm already known for its high quality Russian-bred Arabians. Although Salon's stud fee began at $15,000 and rose to $35,000, he remained busy, getting 119 purebred foals over the next three years. Comments Mr. Robert D. Stratmore, importer and owner at the time of Salon, "My guess is that it is still a record fee for an Arabian stallion anywhere. I believe market dictates value, and is a reflection of what the market believed to be Salon's worth as a proven sire." Unfortunately, by the middle of 1983, the old stallion was failing in health. He stopped breeding and was officially retired. That same year, Robert Stratmore sold the bulk of his breeding operation to Lasma, and, although Salon was part of the sale, Lasma agreed that the grand old horse could live out the rest of his days in his own stall. He died the following summer, on the Fourth of July, 1984 at the age of 25.