“We (Americans) are not as intimately acquainted with the Russians as the Poles and British, and we need not deal with them.” AHRA eventually accepted and approved the registering of Arabians imported directly from the Soviet Union in 1978, and *Napaika and *Palmira were registered that same year. Tersk Stud is located in the Caucasus Mountains in southern European Russia. The nearby town, Mineralnye Vody, means "mineral waters" and is renowned as a spa town. The weather is mild, ranging from 40 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter to nearly 80 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer. While the weather is not harsh, the mares and foals at Tersk Stud live a rugged life outdoors most of the time. There are no fences around the stud, so mounted watchmen follow and monitor the herds night and day. The horses are brought into the barn twice each day to be fed and checked, but otherwise they are free to enjoy the open spaces. Tersk is best known for its purebred Arabian horses, but it has also hosted breeding programs for Akhal-Tekes, Terskys, Kabardins, and Dons. All Terskys were transferred to nearby Stavropol Stud in 1945 to continue the development of the new breed. From the beginning of its history, the stud has tested its horses on the racetrack. Tersk Arabians are sent to the Pyatigorsk racetrack at the age of two and may race one or two seasons. The best performers race on Sundays, with two-year-olds running 1,400 meters and older horses running 1,600 and 1,800 meters. The top individuals may be used for breeding at Tersk or return to the racetrack for another season. Many others will be sold at the age of three. While race records are important to the Tersk breeding program, Dr. Balakshin stated “…good racing results are not the only criterion for selecting young stock for breeding purposes. Excellent runners which deviate from breed type may be used for limited breeding or else they are eliminated from selection.” Any horse used for breeding at Tersk is required to be rated “Elite” or “Grade I” in the Russian Stud Book. Horses that receive lower grades are sent to other studs or sold. The current stud director is Vladimir Tolmachyov.