The third edition of All-Polish Arabian The Horse Championship organised by the Polish Arabian Horse Breeders Association made history. On 5th-6th July 2025, at the charming Klikowska Ostoja Polskich Koni (Polish Horse Refuge in Klikowa) in Tarnów, two shows were held back-to-back: B-International and European Show, all under the patronage of Global Champions Arabians Tour and with generous support of a multitude of sponsors and enthusiasts who had devoted the last few weeks of their time to making sure everything would be as perfect as possible.
The horses entered in the shows were judged by two different panels of judges. The European Show was judged by Kathleen Ohlsson, Amira Safady and James Swaenepoel, while the B-International – by Cedes Bakker, Scott Brumfield, Bérengère Fayt, Zico Guardia, Joanne Lowe, Mohamed Oussidhoum, Caroline Reid and Jonas Salzmann.
The organisers must have booked the weather well in advance, and it was actually too good, as is was at times scorching hot, especially on Sunday, and even avoiding the sun and staying in the shade wasn’t enough to prevent you from getting a tan. The large, spacious, and, as always, exquisitely furnished VIP tent offered a tempting array of catering, and the staff ensured no one would get thirsty too quickly on these hot summer days. Unfortunately, as is sometimes does happen at a show in such weather, I personally had the opportunity to appreciate the helping hand of the paramedics on site.
People outside the VIP tent had access to stands for the audience along the shorter wall of the arena and to tiny shops and catering stands around the building known in Klikowa as Hubertus, or the hunter’s lodge. On Sunday, unfortunately, and weirdly so, with an increased number of people in attendance, the number of stands decreased, leading to some being a bit disgruntled, which is indeed quite logical. One must admit, however, that not everything is within the organisers’ control, and some unpleasant situations do occur in spite of one’s best and kindest intentions.
In this year’s catalogue, we could find a total of approximately 150 entries, and the International Show proved to be more popular among horse owners. Some horses were, naturally, entered in both shows, as well as in the ridden classes or the amateur handlers class, others were withdrawn, so overall we saw more or less 100 horses. This number certainly is impressive for one show, for two – slightly less so. Nonetheless, let us hope that the smaller number of horses was, generally speaking, due to the necessity of choosing one of the shows, and in a broader perspective, undoubtedly, due to the difficult times all of us are facing these days. Just keeping a larger group of horses nowadays generates higher costs than it did a few years ago, and when you factor in preparing your horse(s) in a show training centre and the costs of participating in events… your spending will increase exponentially. I think we all would hate to see the Tarnów Championships disappear from our calendars, since in Poland, we have such a limited selection of events for purebred Arabians. Therefore, every opportunity to admire these beautiful horses is probably worth its weight in gold.
What’s encouraging, however, is the large number of new names among owners of the horses shown, which is linked to the growing interest in Arabian horses. In my view, this might be due to the fact that the show is organised outside of Białka and Janów Podlaski stud farms. Another reason is probably the broader promotion of these horses, which had been seriously insufficient for many years. Furthermore, the community itself could have been potentially a bit scary to newcomers due to its somewhat closed-off nature.
I think many would agree with me that the hot weather and the extremely tight schedule—many horses, two parallel shows with numerous classes and two series of championships to compete in, equestrian sports, and a charity auction – were quite exhausting even for the most seasoned of us. Half-jokingly, the horses entered in both shows had it worst, losing their strength and lightness on Sunday afternoon during the championships. Perhaps it’s worth considering a “one-day, one-show” formula, although this too might not guarantee the horses would get enough rest, but it would prevent some of them from performing for judges and the public three times in one day.
Despite these minor hiccups, which some may not have even noticed, the entire event will without a shade of doubt go down in history as a marvellous event considering all the pleasant, emotional, and touching moments. We all held our breath during the amateur-presenters’ class, when the chestnut Esmina ran away from Eliza Tarczyńska only to hide in her stables? And then, the moment when Eliza was honoured – that’s right: honoured – with a special Bravery Award. A trophy just for her so that she would remember her performance fondly in spite of stress.
We all felt like crying during the symbolic ceremony marking the return to Poland of Białka’s legendary multichampion Pesal? Surely Renata Kurzyńska did cry, and did many other – both in awe and in shock. And there were many more such moments. The awards for the best Pure Polish horses were also a very nice touch, and so was the aforementioned class for amateurs. The charity auction for a local foster home for kids in Tarnów was also a memorable moment – for those involved in its organisation, the donors and bidders, and, of course, the kids who will benefit from the bidders’ generosity. Good deeds return with greater goodness, and I think that supporting places like this is truly important on many levels, and I hope the Tarnów auction will serve as a model for others.
The auction, the breeders’ evening on Saturday with fun and games, the “pierogi and nalewki” festival (with dumplings and traditional liqueurs) on Friday evening which included this year delicious goat cheese, are permanent fixtures at the Tarnów show. In my humble opinion, the ambiance at this show is designed and intended to build lasting interpersonal bonds, to integrate and unite, rather than divide people within this small community of ours. A more integrated, friendly environment, and a welcoming atmosphere surrounding the event are a simple recipe for success. The very idea of “resurrecting” the Radom championship with participation of its creators was in itself an act of healthy cooperation – proof of the need to do something together, and subsequent editions of this “new-old” show as well as the way it is organised and experimented with, only reinforce my belief that this is in fact true.
Dearest Reader, as you must have already noticed, this year (which is quite unusual for me), you shan’t find any information about the show results in my article. I refer you to www.arabianessence.tv, where you can find videos from each class and all the results in full details. Please consider these observations of mine as a subjective report to be attached to numbers and facts. And… see you soon!
