If you love Arabians, you must know about this beautiful tradition we’ve had for many years now in Europe that every year after All Nations Cup, we go to Belgium for open days in some of the most renowned centres for purebred Arabians in the world. One of those places is Jadem Arabians where we saw last year the magnificent RFI Farid, multichampion and one of the most sought after sires to ever trot on this Earth. Will his son make the father proud? Let’s have a look at Farid Al Hawajer.
A legend is born
The bay and utterly handsome Farid Al Hawajer was born on 2nd February 2018 at Al Hawajer Stud in the United Arab Emirates, and it took him less than a year to win his first medal. Sired by the icon of the breed RFI Farid and out of Jameelah Al Hawajer (we’ll get back to her), the then yearling was close to peerless at the 2019 Ajman Arabian Horse Show where he won the title of Silver Yearling Colt Champion, losing only to D Shakhat (D Khattaf – D Shireen / Kahil Al Shaqab) from Dubai Arabian Horse Stud. Those who have kept a close eye on the Arabian scene in recent years might remember Tom Oben accompanying a bijou and petite intensely bay yearling in January 2019 at Ajman Equestrian Club – yes, that’s the hero of our story.
Named obviously after his outstanding sire, Farid Al Hawajer from the very start had some pretty grand horseshoes to fill. And he did his level best to do that. At the 1st Sharjah Kalba Arabian Horse Festival in November 2019, also shown by Tom Oben, he was once again first in class, just like in Ajman, and won bronze in the 2 Years Old Colts Championship. And already as a yearling, he would score “twenties” for head and neck. But with young horses you rarely know how they are going to perform or what they might grow into. Over the course of the next couple of years, the young Farid was a bit less lucky in terms of medals, yet invariably showing promise as a potential future sire.
The big day finally came on 25th March 2022 at the Emirates Arabian Horse Breeders Championship in Abu Dhabi. It was a massive show and the judges saw a total of 342 horses in just three days. Our hero had the highest score of the show: 92.20, ex æquo with AD Bdoor (AJ Azzam – Torfah Al Zobair / S.M.A. Magic One), the Dubai International Arabian Horse Championship 2021 Gold Filly Foal, bred by Hamad Adnan Abdulla Shaban Alshehhi. With three 20s for type (one scratched) and one more for movement (alas also scratched), he was destined for the noblest of medals. Needless to say, he was indeed victorious in the Senior Stallion Championship, living up to the expectations of his proud breeders and, as it happened, making his sire proud too. Tom Oben, who was at his side when he was still a kiddo, was there with Farid Al Hawajer again, together with Dr. Ghanem al Hajri, the founder of Al Hawajer Stud and Farid’s breeder himself.
Beauty personified
The dam of our hero is Jameelah Al Hawajer by Alixir out of Thee Midnight Angel by Al Baraki. The black mare whose name in Arabic means “beautiful” is a Straight Egyptian queen who made a name for herself not as a dam, but a mother of champions. Her offspring, albeit few, have made the headlines countless times.
In Paris at the World Arabian Horse Championship in December 2024, I asked Fariborz Vadipoor about his first impressions of Farid Al Hawajer and instead of telling me about Farid, he told me about… Jameelah: “Even before I heard the name Farid Al Hawajer or saw him for the first time, I was in love with his exquisite dam Jameelah Al Hawajer. Coming from an American Straight Egyptian line, this iconic black mare would produce amazing foals. The bay Mandela Al Hawajer was first, full brother to Farid as a matter of fact, in 2014. As a five-year-old, he won the title of Gold Senior Stallion Champion at the Emirates Arabian Horse National Championship. That’s years before Farid won his gold.”
I could see how much in awe Fariborz must have been that decade ago as he was first discovering the “gorgeous lady in black”: “The next year came Mandela’s sister, Bint Jamelah Al Hawajer by Royal Colours, an amazing black Straight Egyptian filly that grew into a refined mare. Then Jameelah gave birth to the bay Baraqah Al Hawajer by Dominic M who became the Silver Yearling Champion Filly at the 2019 United Arab Emirates National Championship.”
Just like in one of the movies by Hollywood’s enfant terrible, Fariborz had my curiosity, but then he also had my attention. I didn’t expect him to elaborate to such extent about Farid’s dam, nor his siblings, so I decided to dig a bit deeper: “For me, a stallion’s dam and sisters, if you know what you’re looking for and you trust your gut, can give good hints of the offspring he might produce in the future. So after I saw Farid’s offspring born at Al Hawajer Stud and how successful they were in the ring, I had no doubt that this handsome, charismatic stallion is not only a modern Arabian supermodel, but also a sire of the next generation of champions.”
Remarkable progeny
One quick look at Farid Al Hawajer’s offspring is more than enough to see that the foals that he produces are truly superb. Colts and fillies that were sired by this fantastic stallion are conquering Arabian horse shows all over the Middle East and they have even crossed the Mediterranean Sea to try their luck at events in Europe as well. But would the champion-making RFI Farid be proud of his Emirati heir? Let’s bring his potential as a sire in his own right under scrutiny.
Meet Shamikhat Al Hawajer, born on 28th October 2022, a bay filly now owned by Al Thamer Stud. Shamikhat is out of Durah Al Hawajer by the one and only FA El Shawan and out of Gloryannaa by Versace. Don’t let her young age fool you – that sweet, extremely feminine cutie is already a four-time champion, thrice as a yearling. She won her first medal in November 2023 at the Sharjah Arabian Horse Festival. In class, she scored her first twenty for head and neck, qualified for the championships and won silver, losing only to Al Aryam Harbah (S.M.A. Magic One – Al Aryam Hamrah / Marajj).
They met again at the end of January 2024 at the Al Shiraa International Arabian Horse Show and looks like history likes to repeat itself, as here she won another silver medal which was followed in late March by a bronze medal at the 2024 Dubai International Arabian Horse Championship. Then in the first days of November last year, a month before the World Championship, she won her first gold at the 2024 Al Shaqab International Arabian Horse Show. In class she had twenties across the board for head and neck, and two days later in the Junior Fillies Championship won the gold medal, beating her half-sister…
… Farida Mudhar who won silver at that very same show. Born on 2nd April 2022, Farida Mudhar is out of A.L.R. Aseela (D Mshary – D Noorah / QR Marc). A year earlier, in mid-November 2023, she won here the title of Gold Yearling Filly, after taking the first place in class and scoring twenties for head and neck. It runs in the family – sire charmed judges and spectators alike with his eyes and smile, and so do his daughters. But before we move on to her half-brother, perhaps we should mention one more thing: she was fourth in the Yearling Fillies Championship at the 2023 World Championship in Doha – she lost by a point to the bronze medallist.
Speaking of her brother, his name is Adnan Mudhar and just like Farida, he’s bred and owned by Sheikh Hamad Ali Al Thani from the State of Qatar. Adnan is out of Soufiya Al Shaqab by S.M.A. Magic One. Her dam is Pretia, a Michałów Stud-bred daughter of Kahil Al Shaqab and Parmana by Al Maraam. This little fella was born on 13th February 2024 and won his first gold medal as a nine-month-old colt foal at the 2024 Al Shaqab International Arabian Horse Show, scoring more than twice than the silver medallist! That was indeed a good show for RFI Farid’s grandkids.
The list of young and very young horses that take Middle Eastern show rings by storm goes on, testament to RFI Farid’s legacy as a champion maker, a trait that Farid Al Hawajer seems to have inherited from his esteemed sire. Hasseeb Al Zobair is yet another example of a junior with a bright future ahead of him. Born on 12th October 2023 out of Zoheya Al Zobair (Dominic M – Star of Al Zobair / Ajman Moniscione), bred by Sheikh Abdulla bin Mohammed Ali Al Thani and owned by Sheikha Maryam Ahmed Abdullah Al Thani, this bay youngster made himself known at the Sharjah Arabian Horse Festival in November 2024 where he won gold in the Yearling Colts Championship. This jolly and fun-loving lad made a huge impression on the judges, so much so that he had one of the highest scores of the show and three 20s for… that’s right: head and neck! So much so that, in the championships, seven out of eight judges chose him for gold.
Farid Al Hamidiya is another interesting colt whose career we might want to follow. Born on 3rd October 2023 out of D Awaly (FA El Rasheem – Ghazalah Alaalya / Monticeto LN), bred and owned by Ali Mohammed Eissa Bushehab Alsuwaidi, he triumphed in late March 2024 in the Colt Foals class, basically unrivalled.
Let’s go back to Farid Al Hawajer’s home in the UAE and pick a filly and a colt each that have the potential to reach for the stars as their sire and grandsire have, shall we? Moth’hel Al Hawajer out of Muth’hela Al Hawajer (FA El Rasheem – Gloryannaa / Versace) was born on 2nd October 2022 and this bay colt is already a double medallist. Currently owned by Abdulaziz Soud Almutairi, he was first in class and won the silver medal at the Emirates Arabian Horse National Championship in late March 2023. Shortly before Christmas 2024, at the 4th Doha International Arabian Horse Show, he won bronze in the Yearling Championship, scoring earlier four 20s for movement (one was scratched) proving Farid’s kids can move too.
Salymah Al Hawajer is the last horse we shall discuss, otherwise we’d need several pages more. This grey filly was born at Al Hawajer Stud on 20th December 2022 and her dam is Salymah E.A. (Khidar – Libanon Azadika / Om El Azadik, son of Sanadik El Shaklan). Thus far, she’s only been to two shows and her best result is the 2nd place in class at the 5th Sharjah Kalba Arabian Horse Festival at the beginning of December 2023, but with pedigree like hers, she’s bound to make a wonderful broodmare, and who knows…? Perhaps we’re looking at the future mother of champions that will follow in Jameelah Al Hawajer’s hoofsteps and who’s going to make her owners at Ramz Stud proud?
Epilogue, or to be continued
Thinking of Farid Al Hawajer’s offspring, Fariborz Vadipoor can’t help smiling: “Both colts and fillies by Farid show beauty, talent, and charisma, and they feel at home at some of the most important show in the Middle East. They leave those shows with championship titles making the celebrated Al Hawajer name even more famous, building on a lasting legacy that will undoubtedly have a meaningful impact on future generations of Arabians.” The question we ought to ask ourselves now is whether we want to contribute to this legacy? Are you ready to introduce Farid Al Hawajer into your breeding programme? After all, “farid” means “incomparable” in Arabic… Your call.
Farid Al Hawajer is owned by KHD Partnership from the United Arab Emirates. His semen, both fresh and frozen, is available in Europe and the Middle East at Danisa Training Center (now part of Privilege SFQ) in Belgium.
