An interview with Marek Rzepka, the owner and founder of Klikowa Arabians, who brought Pianissima’s son, Prometeusz, to Poland.

Why do you have such great passion for Arabian horses?

My grandfather was a great animal lover. He served in the Austrian army, he did all his service with horses, he bred pigeons, fish and dogs. He died in 1950. Unfortunately, I was not able to meet him, but I feel that it is partly from him that I inherited a great passion for animals. My grandparents kept carrier pigeons. My grandma used to remind me not to scare them. These pigeons were something magical for me, something I always dreamed of. My father was not a fan of animal breeding, unlike my grandfather and uncle. He forbade me to get too involved in breeding. But the more inaccessible something is, the more we strive to own it. So, already in elementary school, I started breeding carrier pigeons. I kept them on the Sanguszko farm. Although I am a graduate of the AGH University of Science and Technology, pigeons have stayed with me to this day. This is my great passion.

How did the place of birth and upbringing, i.e. the former estate of the Sanguszko family in Gumniska, influence the development of this passion?

I was born in the vicinity of the palace in Gumniska. I dreamed of horses, but it seemed completely inaccessible to me; horses were something unattainable for me for many years. After working for two years in the Provincial Office in the environmental protection department, I realized that something bigger needs to be done in life. Having no idea then to what size my plan would grow, I decided to start my own business. Currently, my company, Polmark, produces all the electrical components needed at home. I started by distributing the products of one of the factories that were in bankruptcy. After a year, I became its largest representative, and other significant companies on the market signed contracts with me for the sale of their products. I was able to buy a package of the company’s bonds and gain the position of chairman of the supervisory board. Within one year, without firing a single person, I made the bankrupt company profitable. 320 people were employed. After two years, the company already employed 600 people.

Klikowa is a former state stallion depot, previously owned by the Sanguszko princes – how did it happen that it is in the name of your stud?

I wanted to buy the stud in Udórz, still having Arabian horses in my head. However Udórz, located 140 km from Tarnów, was not an attractive enough place on the map. My wife dissuaded me from this idea. At that time, I became one of the founders of the Klikowa Foundation, composed of 32 members – institutions and companies focused around horses. The members of the foundation are also Janów and Michałów studs. The purpose of the Foundation was to save the declining herd in Klikowa. Unfortunately, it was the worst period in the history of this place. At the moment I am the vice president of the board of the founders of the Foundation. Thanks to this, I entered the environment of horsemen and breeders. They were not breeders of Arabian horses, but mainly those of the Małopolska breed. My first horse was the Małopolska leopard-colored stallion Birkut, bought at an auction in Michałów. I wanted breeders to use him extensively; in this way, I intended to support the foundation. However, I knew that Arabian horses were my target. Quite by chance, while travelling, I ended up at the stud of Mr. Dariusz Konstanty in Trzyciąż, and there I bought my first Arabian mare, Gamia 2007 by Ganges. I read with great interest all articles about Arabian horses on portals and in trade magazines. I was absorbing knowledge about them. The real adventure with breeding began with the purchase of a few mares from Przemysław Sawicki. It was then that I acquired a strong group of mares with solid, one could say, predictable pedigrees. Then I started to plan my own breeding. During the stallions parade in Klikowa, I met Monika Stefaniuk-Szmukier, a zootechnician working at the Agricultural University of Hugo Kołłątaj in Krakow, strongly involved in the subject of Arabian horses. Monika successfully completed her doctorate and postdoctorate title in genetics of Arabian horses. She was positively crazy about Michałów. I like people for whom passion is of great importance and determines their lives. I bred Arabian horses in Klikowa for four years, before in March 2020, i.e. a year ago, they came to the newly built stud in Wola Rzędzińska, in the vicinity of my Polmark company and my home. Agnieszka Pustelnik worked in Klikowa and turned out to be a very committed and professional person. In the new stable in Wola Rzędzińska, she takes care of our horses and is the head of the stable. Monika and Agnieszka are in our team until this day.

I believe that knowledge should be constantly deepened, despite the fact that we gain experience in a given field over time. However, we learn all the time, as well as take in the humility that accompanies it.

What is the current breeding structure of your mare herd and in what direction are you planning its development?

The basis of my breeding remain four Ekstern daughters – Erigone (out of Eryka by Eukaliptus), Lili PS (out of Lenka by Piaff), Zazulka (out of Zuzelia by Werbum) and El Dorilla (out of El Dorra by QR Marc). His daughters, especially from Milordka’s dam line, are very valuable mothers. At the moment in Klikowa Arabians we are adding their daughters to our breeding herd, which is a great satisfaction for me and shows the value of the stud for the future. The second branch of breeding herd are daughters, granddaughters and great-granddaughters of Gazal Al Shaqab, so I tried to select and purchase good quality mares by Gazal, Marwan and Kahil. I placed my bets on the Michałów “E” line and Janów’s “P” line. Unfortunately, I have never seen Pianissima with my own eyes. Perhaps that also contributed to my desire to collect her daughters so much. And now it turned out that we had the chance to become the owners of her son, the exceptional stallion Prometeusz.

For me, it was extraordinary with what respect, artistry and fascination Pianissima was spoken of and written about all over the world. She was an absolutely outstanding horse, who set Janów’s breeding at the highest level, leaving competitors far behind. This petit bay mare was admired on all continents, millions of euros were offered for her. Without worrying about what some said – that Pianissima is a freak of nature, from whom it will be difficult to breed good offspring – as soon as Pianissima’s daughter Pianova (by Eden C) appeared at the auction in 2019, we decided to buy her, and then completely by chance I found out about another daughter of Pianissima, which was put up for auction in Ajman Stud, this time by El Nabila B, the grey AJ Penelope. She was bought for me by Frank Spoenle’s wife – Elisa Grassi. In this way, we became the owners of two Pianissima daughters. Such wonderful horses as the European Gold Champion Efora KL or the granddaughter of Pianissima (out of Pianova by Eden C) – the filly Pianissa, were born still at Klikowa. The acceptance of the stable where we are now was not easy. A pandemic was already raging in Poland, and the newly built Klikowa Arabians is not only a stable, but also a banquet hall, conference room, guest rooms, and professional catering facilities. In the end, however, we succeeded and from March 19th, 2020, we have Arabian horses here.

What are your plans for the near future?

At the moment, we are starting to implement another project – an indoor arena and most likely more stalls and an indoor carousel. In my head I have a long list of Arabian horse projects and events that I would like to see here in the future. We organize breeding inspections where, I hope, we will regularly host Polish and foreign breeders. We are trying to expand the acreage needed for horse breeding, and the local community is aware that we are a stud and will not be threatened by a developer or other speculations about the area in the neighbourhood. That is why everyone around me is very sympathetic and we are slowly succeeding in consolidating more and more areas. There are already 20 hectares, which is quite a good acreage for further development. I believe that in order to properly breed horses, you need to have full control of the feed you feed them. We have a very good agronomist in our team, who takes care of keeping meadows and pastures in the best condition. We grow oats ourselves, we mow meadows, all our crops are subordinated to horse breeding. I naturally became a farmer thanks to it. As a farmer, I purchased a good-quality machine park. The first time I got in a Ferguson I thought it was an exceptionally pleasant thing; it is fascinating how highly developed mechanization in agriculture is. Sitting in the new tractor felt more comfortable than in the new Mercedes! Radio, air conditioning, air-cushioned seat, lots of joysticks – it’s a great pleasure to be able to cultivate your own fields. It really is a fairy tale. 25 years ago I bought 50 hectares of meadows and forest near Krynica by accident. The area is currently under lease, kept in good condition and in an appropriate culture. Mountain streams, forest … Who knows if it will not be useful in the future for the development of activities? I think I was very lucky in my life, thanks to so many coincidences. Sometimes certain elements come together. Every year in breeding, whether we like it or not, must bring progress. We have to follow fashion and maintain the right pace, be aware of current trends. If we miss important elements, it will be difficult to make up for it later.

An important moment was the purchase of the Michałów-bred mare Erigone 2003 by Ekstern, from Mrs. Helen Zaleski from Lutetia Arabians in France. We took two mares to Belgium, to Knocke Arabians, to breed to the stallion QR Marc. Porta KL was born out of Pegala, out of Erigone – Efora KL, last year’s European Champion. It has been the greatest success of our breeding so far. We’ll see what this season brings.

My son Marcin is extremely involved in breeding pigeons, dogs and horses. For years, we have been studying pedigrees, show results and offspring rankings together. Our best year in terms of shows is 2020: medals in Białka, Janów Podlaski and at the European Championships in Prague. Last year I bought two daughters of the stallion Kahil Al Shaqab at the Monday auction in Janów Podlaski – Erskina and Pliwia. I believe that these are important mares that have enriched our breeding program. We are looking forward to adding to our herd the wonderful daughter of WH Justice – Ophrah, who will be presented this year at the Junior Spring Show in Białka.

What are your plans for the near future for Prometeusz?

The anticipation of his arrival was amazing. After his long delayed arrival in Amsterdam due to Ramadan, we waited for him at the farm. However, his arrival was delayed. Phones rang, more explanations were given as to why the transport would be delayed for another and another day. It was a very difficult period. When Prometeusz finally arrived, I was captivated by his gaze, his expressiveness. When he starts moving in the paddock and is slightly agitated, he looks like the eighth wonder of the world. We will use him on our mares and maybe he will take part in the Polish National Show in Janów. We want Prometeusz to live in good, comfortable conditions that every stallion should have. He will be available to breeders in Poland and Europe, but with a limited number breedings, because we want to maintain the high quality of the semen. We dream that he will be used on such mares where his potential will be fully used. He is a stallion in his prime, the breeding future is ahead of him.

What stallions, apart from Prometeusz, will be used in your breeding?

This season, apart from Prometeusz, we use such stallions as D Seraj, El Jahez WH, EKS Farajj, RFI Unique, Naseem Al Rashediah. And the season is still going on, we will see what the next stallion selection decisions will bring. We try to ensure that the stallions we use have, even somewhere far back in their pedigree, Polish roots, Polish ancestors. This is an added value for us. Apart from Al Ayal AA, all the stallions we used had Polish ancestors. Of course, we cannot limit ourselves, we must go with progress and fashion. El Jahez, Dębowiec are also references to Polish ancestors, while maintaining high quality and breeding progress. We will absolutely adhere to it so as not to lose the positive aspects of our Polish lines, we should come back to it and make them unique and sought after all over the world. The Pure Polish horse is a beautiful and complete horse. It is not true that these horses are not modern. We have to be consistent in breeding. My son Marcin has been analyzing the horse show results for five years. This is very helpful when drawing conclusions as to which stallions are worth being interested in. Why make mistakes when there are horses that give a lot of champions?

For me, the greatest value in breeding are the mares who have Bey Shah in their pedigree, preferably several times. What I heard from you when we were walking in the pastures is inspiring, that the real challenge for the breeder is to breed a stallion, a sire that others will want to use in their breeding. You called it the highest art and true success. You are definitely right to say that the stallion breeder goes down in the history of breeding. We both know that breeding a good stallion is much more difficult than a good mare, also because the selection is much stricter, not every stallion is a good sire. We are lucky that Pianissima, FA El Shawan and hopefully Prometeusz are epochal horses that have an impact on breeding.

After last year’s successes at the shows, is Klikowa Arabians still planning the performances of its charges in Poland and abroad? What are the preparations like?

Plans for this year: we entered six horses for the Spring Show in Białka. They are young horses, we will see how they develop, each month makes a difference for youngsters. Once a week we meet with my son for a breeding inspection. We assess the condition of the horses and, together with those responsible for training and nutrition, decide on the next steps. The facilitation is that I live very close to the stud, I come here almost every day, 5-6 times a day. We train horses at home, so far we do not send horses for training abroad. I believe that this is a good system and obviously needs improvement; we are learning and gaining experience all the time. But I don’t like sending my horses to another stable, because even if I fully trust the trainer and his crew, I lose touch with my horse, I can’t see how it’s developing and I can’t judge its quality as well as in everyday contact. I really like looking after the horses personally and taking care of details. I am a perfectionist in everything I do in my life. Our staff is in the process of training and gaining skills – they are young, ambitious, hard-working people, which makes our task easier. In addition, many trainers and presenters visit us frequently. They supplement the team that works here on a daily basis. We have three vets: for emergency, reproductive and orthopedic situations. We strive to ensure that horses are under professional care.

How do you evaluate, from the customer’s point of view, the auction in Janów Podlaski, as well as the media hype around Arabian horses in Poland?

Little people, who do not understand the Arabian horse business, will write something there, scribble, and the majority of society buys it… And the auction, customers, transactions, money, all these elements like silence and harmony. If I was the manager of the Janów Podlaski auction, I would make sure that the free drinks were always delivered to the guests’ tables during the auction. Together with my wife, we have fond memories of the excellently organized auction in 2018. It was an unforgettable spectacle at the highest level – and the auction should be heading in this direction. A unique event that will be remembered.

PROMETEUSZ  (US), bay stallion, born 2012

Sire line: Saklawi I 1886, bred by Anazeh Ruala (B)

Dam line: Szmrajówka ~1810, bred by Biała Cerkiew (PL)

Iran is first and foremost people, with a positive attitude towards foreigners, welcoming everyone with „Khosh amadin!”. A country sometimes seen in a negative way, most often misunderstood, about which there are many stereotypes circulating around. To me Iran is like the hand-made rugs woven by the country’s citizens. It is a complex country, subtle and colorful, encouraging one to travel and discover the rich culture, numerous historic monuments, ruins of ancient Persia, various landscapes, as well as summer resorts on the Caspian Sea and winter resorts in the mountains surrounding Teheran. No wonder that this country, „wise with its poetry, history, amicable people, unique hospitality” – as written by Polish radio and television reporter, as well as schooled Iran expert Artur Orzech in his book „A visa to Iran” (2014), draws more and more tourists from Europe each year.

The lands of today’s Iran, as a result of historic turmoil, frequently changed rulers. They were under the reign of Arabs, Mongols and Turks. However the memory of three thousand years of civilization of Persian rulers, whose spirit can still be felt in the famous Persepolis or Fars, has not been lost. „The Middle East is actually the initial birthplace of our civilization. It is from here that the currently largest religions and valuable elements of modern world culture take root”, we read in Orzech’s book. Iran is desert cities, among them Yazd with the Zoroastrian Fire Temple, where priests have unceasingly maintained the sacred fire for more than 1100 years. Iran is Isfahan, an architectural pearl with „shaking” minarets, the Imam Khomeini Square and the largest in Iran Friday Mosque. We are drawn to Iran by the culture of the Orient, but also the kindness of the people, whose hospitality has no equal. It is worth succumbing to their spell, just as it is worth to haggle over a Persian rug, listen to a declamation of Persian poetry to the traditional music

accompaniment, drink chai tea in one of the numerous teashops (chaykhane), smoke a water pipe (ghelyuon) and finally taste some traditional cuisine – mirza ghasemi or kebab, sold in plenty of different varieties. The most delicious is not the one from an exclusive restaurant, but one from a local stand or cafe, where we can communicate with the seller only by sign language. After such an encounter the earlier stereotypes about this part of the world will become a thing of the past.

More and more Arabian horse enthusiasts

Iran is also a place associated with pure bred Arabian horses. For many years the breeders and enthusiasts of this breed have been importing Arabian horses from many corners of the globe, mainly from Europe and the United States. The amount of the breed’s supporters is growing at an extremely shocking rate. Each year the number of shows in Iran is increasing, both those affiliated by ECAHO and regional ones. You can also find shows organized for Iranian horses bred in purity, called Asil horses. Iranian breeders believe that the modern Arabian horse is a direct descendant of these horses, bred for thousands of years in the kingdom of Iran, called by locals the Iranian Empra.

Fariborz Vadipoor is the main organizational drive behind the Arabian Stallion Show. The Vadipoor family, as one of the first in Iran’s history, imported private Arabian horses. On the 22nd of January the newly formed organization called Iran Arabian Horse Event (IAHE) organized a prestigious and the first of its kind show of chief sires, currently stabled in the country. IAHE’s vision is based on a sentence from the great Zoroastrian Iranian prophet, who says: „to fight the darkness I don’t pull a sword, I fire a light”. The concept behind the endeavor was to help breeders in choosing a sire for their mares. The event’s aim was also to gather the largest number of known sires in one place, during one evening. As the organizers state on their website, „the IAHE believes that the promotion of Arabian horses in a country with such a potential as Iran needs a strong management with a high level of skill and experience. If we are expecting the horse industry to make a strong financial impact on the economy of Iran we need to first gain experience and fly with wings of courage and wisdom”.

And so we witnessed an exclusive event during which breeders and invited guests, not associated with Arabian horses until now, could compare various stallions, different in terms of pedigrees, quality and achievements. The event’s supporting organizers were: the Equestrian Federation of I.R.Iran, Mehrgan Asil Horse Foundation and Al Shams Arabians, whereas the main sponsor was the Middle East Bank. That evening, the Dasht-e Behesht Horse Events Hall in Karaj in Alborz Province, just several hours drive north-west from Teheran, welcomed several hundred guests from Iran and abroad, among them many foreign ambassadors to Iran.

Luxury from top to bottom

All participants received an elegantly printed catalog with 14 stallions presented that evening, where each of them was showcased on two pages of the publication. It wasn’t my first time in Iran and I can boldly say that the 2015 IAHE Arabian Stallion Show was the most professional and grandest event that I had the chance to participate in Iran so far. The stallions were presented in a large indoor arena, in an equestrian center of world class standards, owned by Ali Hojabr, known for organizing important equestrian events in Iran, but also an enthusiast and owner of Arabian horses, as well as the head of the Hanoverian Association in Iran, which brings together breeders of sport horses of foreign breeds.

We followed the performances of horses to wonderfully chosen music, moody lighting and among a friendly and almost family atmosphere. The play of lights and music caused each stallion, which emerged from among fake smoke and trotted onto the arena, to appear as though an ethereal, fairy-like creature. The presentation was carried out in two languages by three people – the main organizer and initiator, Fariborz Vadipoor and two known television presenters, Mohammad Bahrani and Ehsan Karami. Due to the size of the indoor arena and presence of many cameras (also for the needs of a livestream broadcast), the guests could also observe the show on a large LED screen in the VIP sector. Quite surprising was the large number of photo reporters and journalists, both from leading Iranian media and international publications. Seated at the VIP tables were many famous stars, known not only in Iran – sportsmen, writers, artists, musicians, filmmakers, politicians, businessmen, owners of the largest factories in the country, leading sports clubs, banks, publishing houses. For the first time in the history of such events in Iran so many known people were in attendance. They were drawn here by curiosity and a chance for new business contacts. During the many hour long presentation the guests feasted on tasty appetizers and plenty of sweet

treats. I was surprised by the attires of the guests. They were dressed extremely elegantly – men in suits and ties, women in beautiful shawls, sparkling wraps and high heels. All this emphasized the significance of the event. Luxurious cars parked alongside the indoor arena and the path to the entrance led over a red carpet. It seems that many organizers of European shows with much larger budgets than IAHE, could be inspired by the Arabian Stallion Show in the Alborz Province.

Fourteen stars

That evening we admired such stallions as the bred in Italy by El Paradiso Stud and owned by Sotoudeh Gold Company from the Yazd Province, Amir Ashiraf (WH Justice – Guendalina/Valentyno APS). This born in 2004 milky white stallion with an exotic head is definitely one of the most known representatives of this breed in Iran and his import into the country was spoken far and among. The next stallion was the bay BF Coco Junior, the born in Belgium son of the mare Evershama by Warandes Pascha and the US-bred stallion Psytadel, whose blood is extremely valued and coveted in Iran. The international champion from shows in Belgium, Holland and France is currently owned by Mohammad Askarshani.

Next on the arena we saw the young, just 5 year old, grey Emanos KA (QR Marc – Emantka/Eukaliptus), bred by Knocke Arabians (Belgium) and owned by Vahid Moslemiani from the Kerman Province. Emanos KA has successfully competed in shows in Europe and the Middle East, among them winning a class and claiming a silver medal in Sharjah. The fourth presented horse was the born in 2005 Emotion (Eternity Ibn Navarrone-D – Praetoria/Kubinec), also known from European arenas. Emotion, bred by Osterhof Stud (Germany), is owned by Ali Ahmad Sotudenia from the Alborz Province.

Another presented stallion was well known to the European guests. It was FS Bengali (Kubinec – Om El Sanadiva/Sanadik El Shaklan), bred by Frank Spoenle in Germany. This stallion changed owners several times, after which he was imported from Poland to Iran by Ali Reza Sharif from the Kerman Province. A champion from Scottsdale, a US National Champion from 13 years ago, World Reserve Champion from 1997, All Nations Cup Reserve Champion from 2000, was a true 21 year old senior of the evening. The sixth showcased star was the chestnut US-import and well known there multi-champion Honorrs (Affirmmed – Padrons Contessa/Padron). Born in 2003 in the stud of the Wagamons, he is currently owned by Zohren Soltanabadi of El Shams Arabians. Another stallion to gallop out of the cloud of white smoke was the black HS Alcide (Simeon Sadik – Albula/Fawor), bred at Halsdon Arabians (UK) and owned by Reza Khalaj from the Teheran Province.

I was personally astonished with the correctness of build and Arabian type of the young, four year old IS Erpo (Gazwan Al Nasser – IS Electra/Emrod) from Ismer Stud and owned by the owner of the hosting facility, Ali Hojabr. The upcoming star, purchased recently by Gerami Nazhad right after claiming the bronze medal at the latest World Championships in Paris, the three year old Kanz Al Nasser (WH Justice – Ftoon Al Shaqab/Al Adeed Al Shaqab) was not available for viewing in Karaj, as he is still stationed in Belgium. The bred by the Qatari Al Nasser Stud stallion is also a 2014 Junior Champion from Sharjah (UAE), a 2013 Junior Champion from Doha (Qatar) and a 2013 Bronze Champion from the All Nations Cup in the yearling colts category.

After a short break we could admire the next five representatives of the Arabian breed. Another son of Psytadel – the bay Lord Bey Shah (out of Lady Aphrodite DD/Padrons Psyche), bred in Poland by Minnesota Arabians, was purchased and imported to Iran by the owner of FS Bengali, Ali Reza Sharif. This robust stallion can boast a Top Ten title from the World Championships in Paris in 2008 and Polish National Junior Champion title from that same year. The guests could also take a look at another Polish purchase of the same owner, the bred by Bełżyce Arabians grey stallion New Man (Major – Njuschaah/Santhos), the Best Arabian Racehorse in Poland in 2010.

A wonderful performance was given by the son of Khidar and J-J Aqina by Aquilo, the grey Mambo, bred in Belgium by the Goossens family and imported to Iran by the Mambo Partnership. Having worked some time ago in Belgium I had the chance to train this stallion under saddle, so I was the more happy of the outcome of his presentation. A Belgian National Reserve Champion from 2011, he was shown in Iran by Belgian trainer Geert Oben. He was not the only horse in his hands that evening. We also saw S.S Biju Psyche (SW Renegade – Mouna El Masan/Masan), imported in 2010 to Iran by Farzad Shams. This stallion is a multiple medalist from the most important shows in the country. The final stallion was the young, just 5 year old son of Marajj, Tajj (out of Tatjana S by Arastin). Bred by the Dutch Klarenbeek Arabians and owned by Mahdi Entezari, he was an interesting completion of the catalog sire list. Known from European arenas, successfully shown in Iran, he is one of the most recognizable sires in this country.

To touch the star you just need to choose the right place to stand…
A talk with FARIBORZ VADIPOOR, organizer and initiator of the Arabian Stallion Show

Where did the idea for this event come from?
This is one of the most important miracles of the passion for the Arabian horse, that it gathers so many people from all around the world and unites them together as a family. The passion for the Arabian horse makes it possible to accept people, no matter from where they come from and no matter what language they speak, as a friend. All our events, when you look closer at them, are based on this fact. Shows, ceremonies, open barn days – all have different aims, but the fact of being together is always one of our goals. The IAHE tries to make a new stream in the Arabian horse society of Iran by spreading knowledge and giving motivation. We know the strong and weak points of the Arabian horse society of Iran and one of the very first issues to think about was breeding. The problem of making the best choices to plan the best possible breeding program is the concern of every breeder all around the globe, so it is in Iran. One of the ways to add knowledge to breeding programs is to introduce the stallions with all the needed information about them. So the idea for the event was born.

When did your team begin the preparations?
After three years of experience and preparation we knew that the most important thing was to have different but integrated teams operating in different areas of organization. When it comes to working with a big team with a high level of skills there should also be a strong sponsorship supporting the operation. This is the reason for establishing the IAHE Sponsor Club, including strong economical businesses in Iran or abroad. The stallion show was possible as a result of a cooperation with the Middle East Bank and Mr. Ali Agha Sardar who is one of the premier and esteemed members of the IAHE Sponsor Club. And as Persians always say: to touch the star you just need to choose the right place to stand.

How would you describe the Arabian horse breeding scene in your country?
Arabian horse breeding in Iran is a traditional passion. Iranian people were always breeders of Asil horses, the ancestors of today’s Arabian horses. So today it’s not just a passion, it’s‫ ‬a legacy they should take care of. Over the last four decades the Iranian people had to face difficult situations like 8 years of war and many years later after that they had to somehow stand on their own feet. Fortunately despite the impossible situation there were always some people who took care of this legacy even by sacrificing their blood, life and money. Among these heroes can be mentioned Mary Leila Gharagozlou* who not only protected the breed but also registered Asil horses of Iran in WAHO during the aforementioned difficult time. So breeding has never been easy in Iran but now this has totally changed to a business and has found a place in the country’s economic industry. Many breeders are busy breeding Arabian horses in different areas and we can say that more than 3,000 Arabian horses are being used in breeding programs in Iran today. I’ve been working with European breeders since 2007 and before that with some breeders in the UAE. I feel we have the potential to approach the level of Arabian horse breeding in Europe in volume of investments and knowledge of breeding. But we have some very big problems like the restriction of using artificial insemination from the semen of the stallions who are not in the Iranian Arabian horse studbook and also the quarantine problems which restricts Iranian horses to cross the borders to European or Arabic countries who are under OIE rules. However with the new vision of the new President of Equestrian Federation Dr. Masoud Khalili both of the mentioned problems are to be solved in the close future.

Your family as one of the first have privately imported Arabian horses onto Iranian land.
Me and my brother Farzad started to learn about bloodlines and study the experience of old and new breeders all around the world. From the very beginning we were excited about Russian and Polish bloodlines and we tried to know more about them. Then I had the chance to visit some small, private farms in the UAE as it wasn’t such hard to travel to the UAE in comparison to Europe for Iranian people. We always believed that the Arabian horse resulted from breeding plans in Iran and their relatives abroad have something to complete each other. Iranian horses have the build, the skeleton and powerful legs while others that we could import had the type and elegance that our horses needed. So first of all we started with the studying of bloodlines to see which family could be a better match for Iranian horses and then it was time to bring our thoughts to life. I should say I was lucky that my wife Hoda also loves horses and she is a great help in our activities.

Which of your imports was the most emotional or successful?
So far my family has imported 21 Arabian horses to Iran which for sure I can say all are of high quality and they have (or had) played a very valuable role in Arabian horse breeding programs in Iran. The most important I can say was the import of the stallion El Amin. Those days he was one of the most famous European stallions – World Reserve Champion and All Nations Cup Reserve Junior Champion Stallion (both times behind triple World Champion Marwan Al Shaqab). El Amin also produced many champions, including European junior champion colts, multi A show champions and multi national champions. Unfortunately we lost him very soon. However, in the small period of time in Iran he left high quality foals who are now turning into stallions or broodmares.

Some of the European breeders are worried to sell their own bred horses to Iran because of sentiments and also because they are not sure about the future of their horses.
We have some very professional vets and nutritionists. Our grooms are also professional because most of them are raised with the horses and most of them know horses better than the owners themselves (even like me). Now Iranian breeders have more knowledge and are smarter in keeping their horses and this is the difference. The most important thing is that most of the breeders love their horses and regard them as members of the family.

How does the state breeding program look?
Unfortunately at the moment there is no state breeding program since 10 years ago. Before the revolution the royal stables served as the state studs and it was very good. After the revolution everything has changed. After the war the new equestrian office in the capital tried to rebuild the state stud and breed a couple of breeds that the country needed. So they began with Arabian horses, Turkmen horses, Thoroughbreds and some show jumping horses. The very first import of Arabian horses to the studbook was in the era of the royal stables. It was a group of Arabian horses from the United States as a gift from the United State’s president to Iran’s Shah in 1974, including one stallion Agean Rooz and two mares Agean Rosan and Agean Rinuba, all from old Crabbet lines. Then after the revolution in 1992 the new state stud decided to import stallions and mares from different breeds to build a new breeding program. For the Arabian horse breeding program they chose 2 stallions: Ibn Majid, Hakim and one mare: Mamluka from Spain along with a private import Mobarak (a Straight Egyptian stallion by Salaa el Dine, bred by Dr. Nagel, imported by Mary Leila Gharagozlou). After that until the closure of state studs no Arabian horse import is registered in the studbook till the private imports began around 2006.

When did Arabian horses started to be bred in Iran?
The Arabian horse breed was born in Iran and I can say it was some thousands of years ago. The ancestors of Arabian horses were Nesaeian horses. They lived for hundreds of years in the south west of Iran where now the Khuzestan Province is, today part of Iraq and Syria. Over centuries the breed was formed as horses of middle size, speedy and intelligent. The studbook was the result of Mary Leila Gharagozlou, who not only introduced Iranian pure Arabian horses called Asils to WAHO, but also sacrificed her life in finding Arabian horses all around the country to register in Iran’s Arabian horse studbook.

Is there any space for flat races or endurance?
Yes, of course there is. We have several race tracks and so many endurance competitions. Asil horses are more likely to be performance heroes and because of that we have very strong Arabian horse races and endurance competitions. There are many enthusiasts of these sports today.

Which of the Arabian horses is the closest to perfection for you?
My ideal horse is my mare who I love to spend time with. I like putting my son on her back and she knows that we trust her to protect our child better than us and I see her answer in her huge black eyes. However she is not such dished in the face, but I still love to see her every day.

What do you think of the regulations saying that after importing the horse to Iran he cannot leave the country?
The problem is caused by quarantine rules. OIE** doesn’t assume Iran as a clean country so the countries who are under OIE rules can’t accept Iranian horses. So the problem is not that our horses can’t leave the borders, but the problem is where can our horses be accepted? Over the last couple of months we have had some optimistic progress. The equestrian federation and veterinary office are now cooperating with the third country to send the horse to a destination. Qatar would accept our horses and the accepted horses could leave Qatar to the final destination after passing 40 days of quarantine in Qatar. This way for the first time Iran’s show jumping national team could attend an international competition in Qatar and fly back to Iran. This is a temporary answer to the main problem and costs are much higher than a simple shipment but at the moment this is the only way.

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* Mary Leila Gharagozlou – farmer and horse breeder (1927–2001)
** OIE – World Organisation for Animal Heath

Read also: A slightly raised curtain. Polish horses in Iran

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When everybody in Poland is still excited by the Janów Podlaski show weekend, an international C-show was organized in Lier, a small Belgian town in the northern part of the country. It was linked with Polish Prestige classes (without the ECAHO affiliation), in which those horses that have a 50 percent of Polish Arabian participation in the pedigree, could be enrolled. Sylwia Eberhardt and Claudia Darius from Germany, as well as Christiano Moschini from Italy were invited to judge the show. On Saturday, 14th August, junior classes and the junior championships were held, while on Sunday there were senior and foals classes, senior championships, performance, the Polish Prestige and the Best in Show. The main sponsor of the show was Ajman Stud from the United Arab Emirates.

The yearling colts class was won by a stylish bay Marwan Al Shaqab son – Aria Santino RA (out of SF Shaklina). It is still a very young colt, however, correctly built; he also likes to show off, he has a good type, and he will raise larger interest in the future. His granddam from his dam side, a beautiful grey ZT Sharuby (from Al Shaqab Stud), is a 2002 Senior Mares World Champion. The colt is bred and owned by Pete Rosenau from the United States. A couple of hours later, the colt was given the Bronze Medal. In his show career he has already won the Belgian Foal Championship in 2009.

The most numerous and the best on account of horse quality, was the yearling fillies’ class. Many people had goose bumps (not only me), when QR Marc’s, Marwan Al Shaqab’s, Ajman Moniscione’s, and Mystic Jamaal’s daughters, one by one, were entering the ring. The class of fifteen cute, extremely delicate, and ‘girlish’ fillies must have been uneasy to judge and to choose the best ones. The fact that excellent daughters of Marwan Al Shaqab and QR Marc were 9th and 10th in the class, respectively, can only confirm it. The winner was, with 90 points, a chestnut Marwanah Rose-D (Marwan Al Shaqab – WH Marissa Rose), bred and owned by Dion Arabians from Belgium. In the afternoon championship she was chosen the Bronze Medal winner.

A dark bay Sultan BVA (Marajj – Ciara Bey), bred by Brookville Arabians from the United States, owned by Al Jassimya Stud from Qatar, won the two-year-old colts class with the result of 90 points. We shall emphasize that the judges were extremely demanding and weren’t giving the whole bunch of ‘twenties’, when a better horse entered the ring. In the three-year-old colts class a chestnut Marwan son – Spartakus, bred and owned by Ajman Stud, turned out to be the best one.

The two-year-old fillies class was won by a chestnut Mawee Athbah (QR Marc – Trejoria), that belongs to a Saudi Athbah Stud; she scored 91,33 points. And she was also chosen the Junior Mares Champion the same day. Michałów-bred and leased by the same stud as the champion – the prince’s Athbah Stud – El Saghira (Galba – Emira), was given 90,66 points, including two

‘20s’ for movement and won the three-year-old fillies class. Later she was chosen the Junior Mares Reserve Champion, although the majority of breeders and observers typed her, as a better moving and a very well-built one, as the highest title winner. The second place in the three-year-old fillies class was won by a grey Ajmana (Ajman Moniscione – Yazmin), bred and owned by a Norwegian stud Voran Arabians.

On Sunday we could admire senior horses, and the show was begun by a 4-6-year-old mares class. The winner was a grey Farhannah Bint Navaronne-D (Ansata Selman – Navaronne „P”), bred and owned by Dion Arabians (Belgium). In her final score, 90,66 points, there was one ‘twenty’ for type. During the championship she was appointed by the judges as the second Reserve Champion, it means, as the Bronze Medal winner. The second place in that class was taken by Michałów-bred and owned by Lutetia Arabians Faustyna (Emigrant – Felicjana/Ekstern). Unfortunately, she went lame before the championship and could not participate in the finals.

Unic All JP, Brazilian-bred and owned by a well-known in Poland French stud, Lutetia Arabians, a milk-white, dazzlingly beautiful mare, with a lovely head, won the 7-9-year-old mares class. This small, typical mare scored two ‘twenties’ for type and one for head and neck. She won her class with the result of 91,66 points, winning two other most important titles – Senior Mares Champion and Best in Show in Lier. In the championship, the Bronze Medal went to Michałów-bred grey Monogramm daughter Etenta (out of the excellent

Emigracja), who won the 10-year-old and senior mares class with the result of 91 points.

In the class of 4-6-year-old stallions the winner was a bay Dali El Bri (CH El Brillo – Pandora El Jamall), bred by La Movida Arabians from Austria, owned by Somerhausen family from Belgium. Another class, the eldest stallions – 7-9-year-old – was won by a grey, beautifully trotting SC Dyonn (Davidoff – Wenkum Gorba), who scored 90 points. He was also chosen Senior Stallions Reserve Champion. The Champion title went to the winner of the preceding class.

The fact that the Middle Eastern studs’ owners are very keen on Belgian shows is an interesting one. Horses whose owners come from the Middle East, take part in practically every single show in Belgium. No matter if the show is A-, or C-class – the kings’, sheikhs’ and princes’ horses are entered, they take part in the shows, and they win. As they are registered in Belgian Stud Book, they can compete in more important shows as well, like the European Championship, which is held every second year in Belgium.

It can also be interesting that even at the biggest world shows many Middle Eastern personalities cannot be seen as frequently as at the Belgian ones. In most cases Belgian shows are sponsored and are held under Middle Eastern breeders’ auspices. Maybe it’s because Middle Eastern horses are often being trained in centers placed in Belgium and Germany. Their horses are also bred in Belgium: out of many mares who became European and World Champions the embryos are taken in breeding stations in Belgium. The mares are being trained or already retired, while the substitute mares carry the champions’ embryos in enormous breeding centers (even 500 horses in each) and they give birth to their siblings, a couple foals each year.

There was a change of the A-class show results in Hasselt. Viola Speier from the ECAHO Office informed the owner of Tamara LL (Gris El Jamaal – Sweet Alladina/Almaden), Johanna Ullström, that it was her mare who won the Senior Mares Gold Medal, while the Silver Medal was given to a previous winner, a Saudi-owned Abha Opalina (WH Justice – Om El Amira Estopa/Sanadik El Shaklan).

We have already mentioned the controversies about the judges’ verdict. Abha Opalina went second in her class, behind Bess Fa’Izah, who went lame during the championship and had to leave the ring. Abha Opalina, who remained at ‘the battlefield’, won the championship, but from the second place in the class, which is against the ECAHO rules. A group of presenters lodged an objection to the show organizer and the disciplinary committee.

It’s worth adding that, after the show ends, only an hour remains to file a complaint at a special ECAHO form and pay a bid bond. This time it was made on time, and the complaint was examined very quickly – only a week after the event.

Photo gallery from Elran Cup, by Mateusz Jaworski

The organizers of the first International ECAHO B-show “Prague Intercup” to be held in the heart of the beautiful historical city of Praga would kindly inform and remind about the closing date of entries soon on 5th August 2010. The show itself will take place at the beautiful island Cisarsky Ostrov on the Vltava River just 10 minutes from the historical Old Town. The showground will be located close to the biggest Prague’s park Stromovka inside the modern indoor riding hall. The show will start on Saturday 4th September with Czech National Championships and the International classes will start the same day in the afternoon being judged by: Christiane Chazel (FR), Ann Norden (SE), Francesco Santoro (IT) and Peter Gamlin (UK). The organizers provide the spectators with VIP service, parking and entertaining programme with the Charity Gala on Saturday evening. About 80 horses from all around Europe are expected including a big group from the neighbouring Poland.

More informations about the show can be found on: www.achpak.cz/pragueintercup and the “Prague Intercup Preview” article in the July issue of “Tutto Arabi” magazine.

During last weekend, in Hasselt (Belgium) a jubilee, 10th Elran Cup Show was held. According to the observers, the show level was very high; many prominent horses performed, but also youngsters – especially WH Justice’s and Ajman Moniscione’s offspring – that highlighted their good quality. The only disadvantage was too small ring and small stretching side so, in many cases the horses weren’t able to show their movement; some of them even didn’t trot at all.

The majority of titles went to the Middle East. Atbah Stud, from Saudi Arabia, run until recently by a deceased several days ago Wojciech Kowalik, achieved excellent results. Two Bronze Medals were won by horses leased by this stud: a Michałów-bred, two-year old Parmana, and bred by Niewierz Stud (which is owned by Michał Bogajewicz), Swedish-owned Girlan-Bey (senior stallions). In memory of the Saudi stud triumphs author, Wojciech Kowalik, there was a standing minute’s silence. The speaker who ran the show reminded the profile and the achievements of the Polish breeder and coach and he ended his speech with words: ‘Everyone will miss him’. Near the VIP sector entry and in the stable, close to the Middle Eastern horses sector, Wojciech Kowalik’s large format pictures were hung.

Polish bred horses were also successful in the class’ rivalry. Born in Michałów State Stud: El Saghira (leased by Atbah Stud) and Elissara (owned by this Saudi stud) won their classes, three-year old mares and senior mares, respectively. Besides, a Michałów-bred (and French-owned) Etenta went second in the senior mares class, just behind Elissara.

The Middle Eastern studs can also be proud of (aside from mentioned) a Gold and a Silver Medal in Junior Mares category (Alma Al Tiglio and AJ Raheda), Junior Stallions Silver Medal (AJ Bintan), a Gold (that has been changed later into Silver) and a Bronze Medal in Senior Mares category (Abha Opalina and Lana Al Khalidiah) as well as a Senior Stallions Silver Medal (MCA Magnum Gold).

QR Marc was an indisputable show favorite from the very beginning – and he was the one who won the Gold Medal in Senior Stallions category. He deserved the trophy, because, although some can be annoyed by an extremely intensive promotion of this stallion, the show participants admitted that he was in excellent form. Some can even wonder about the price of a next year’s breeding… However, the judges’ verdict concerning the Gold Medal for a Senior Mares category winner – Abha Opalina – aroused controversies. The Saudi mare won the championship, although she went second in her class – which is against the ECAHO rules. A group of handlers made an objection to the show organizer and the disciplinary comitee, however the situation isn’t unequivocal. Bess Fa’Izah, a mare who beat Abha Opalina in the class, went lame during the championship so she had to leave the ring. After retreating, Abha Opalina was the best in her class so she was allowed to reach for the highest reward. The argument has not been settled yet.

(ECAHO took the decision that Abha Opalina receives Silver Medal, and the Gold Medal goes to Tamara LL).

Results

Junior fillies
gold: Alma Al Tiglio (Ajman Moniscione – Amanda Al Tiglio/Shamilah Masai Mara), br. Azienda Agricola Tiglio, Italy, o. Azienda Agricola di Buzzi, Italy, leased to Ajman Stud
silver: AJ Raheda (WH Justice – Lumiar Rosalita/Lumiar Amadeus), br/o. Ajman Stud
bronze: Parmana (Al Maraam – Palmira/Monogramm), br. Michałów State Stud, Poland, leased to Athbah Stud, Saudi Arabia

Junior colts
gold: El Chall WR (Magnum Chall HVP – Major Love Affair/DS Major Afire), br. Donald Camacho Jr, USA, o. North Arabians, USA
silver: AJ Bintan (WH Justice – RGA Kouress/Kouvay Bey), br. Joel Desmarteau (Markelle Arabians), USA, o. Ajman Stud
bronze: Aja Justified (WH Justice – Aja Beneja/FS Bengali), br/o. Aja Arabians, Great Britain

Senior mares
silver: Abha Opalina (WH Justice – Om El Amira Estopa/Sanadik El Shaklan), br. Yeguada Ses Planes, Spain, leased by Al Mohamadia, Saudi Arabia
gold: Tamara LL (Gris El Jamaal – Sweet Alladina/Almaden), br. Luciana Arahna Levy, Brazil, o. Johanna Ullström, Belgium
bronze: Lana Al Khalidiah (Aja Sangali – Thee Evening Star/Thee Desperado), br/o. Al Khalediah, Saudi Arabia

Senior stallions
gold: QR Marc (Marwan Al Shaqab – Swete Dreams po Magic Dream), br. Quail Ridge Arabians (Vicki L. & Louis F. Doyle), USA, o. Zoutekreken NV (Paul Gheysens), Belgium
silver: MCA Magnum Gold (Magnum Psyche – Litique/Litigor), br. Gary R. Buxton, USA, o. Al Khaled Farm, Saudi Arabia
bronze: Girlan-Bey (Pesal – Gracja-Bis/Monogramm), br. Michał Bogajewicz, Poland, o. OKS Arabians, Sweden, on lease to Athbah Stud, Saudi Arabia

Photo gallery by Sylwia Iłenda

Already much advertised is an Arabian event, which won’t take place until October. The Arabian Passion Damascus International Horse & Equestrian Fair will take place in Damascus, Syria between the 7th and 10th of October. The organizers of the event are Profair (a company managing international fairs, exhibitions and mass events) and the Syrian Arab Horse Association. It’s worth mentioning that last year Syria hosted the WAHO Congress, whose coverage was presented at the Polish Arabian Horse Breeders Society meeting in Janów Podlaski.

The extremely rich program of this international event includes: Arabian horse auctions, clinics on veterinary care and horse transportation, lectures on the history of Syria and origin of the Arabian horse, equestrian performances, conferences (“Judging the Arabian horse between originality and beauty”, “Arabian Horse in Syria – then and now”, “Embryotransfer”). This will be accompanied by an equine fair, whose offer will consist of stable equipment, accessories for both horse and breeder, smithery, stud booths, equine schools, international and domestic organizations connected with Arabian horses and sport, companies producing animal feed, horse trailers and walkers, insurance companies. The event will surely not lack artistic experiences – equine painting, sculpture, photography, as well as magazines, books and traditional Syrian craftsmanship are on the roster, too. The program also contains trips to Arabian studs in Syria and sightseeing. Damascus – a place referred to by Mark Twain as “the heaven of hidden treasures” – can undoubtedly offer foreign (e.g. European) visitors many unforgettable moments.

The event is held on slightly elevated terrain, between the city and an international airport. The scale of the event can be seen in the number of VIP invitations sent by the organizers to officials, politicians and fames from all over the world – 10,000. Tickets for the public will be available in box-offices at the entrance. Admission (in Syrian currency) is: adults: 300 SYP, students: 200 SYP, children under 14 (under parental care): free. 1 USD = 48 SYP.

A detailed program will be available in a few months’ time. Poles who would like to travel to Syria may reserve hotels, transport or tickets with the help of the organizer’s agent: Alaa Hallak, email: alaa@dawncreative.com .

Damascus has already been the destination of excursions for Polish and European breeders. Famous is the expedition of 1930, organized by Prince Roman Sanguszko, owner of an Arabian stud in Gumniska. The participants were: Bogdan Ziętarski (Prince Sanguszko’s employee, breeder and huge equine expert) and Carl Raswan, who, as Professor Witold Pruski writes, “often travelled to Arabic countries, resided there for a long time and brought back stallions and mares for enthusiasts of these horses in Europe and America”. They met in Babolna and headed together for Arabia. It was not the first excursion organized by the owner of Gumniska, but most likely the last.

Damascus, due to a great location, was often a place of prearranged meetings, from where, as Roman Pankiewicz writes, one would “hit the field” in search of horses. During one visit Ziętarski inspected even a couple thousand horses – one day at the racetrack in Cairo he looked at 800! He usually chose chestnuts, which were the Gumniska owner’s favorite.

Today two endurance horses Cyryl (Sinus – Cyrla) and Shanokk (Santhos – Sinjah) travel to Assisi to take part in an international CEI*** event Assisi Endurance Lifestyle, combined with CEIYJ, held on June 14-15th. The first contest will take place on the distance of 160 km, whereas the other one, also with a rank of three asterisks, but for juniors and young riders, on the distance of 120 km. Cyryl under Beata Dzikowska and Shanokk under Ola Ciesielska, in the colors of the “Champion” Riding Club, will start on Saturday, in the Senior Riders category, on the distance of 160 km.

Assisi is an ancient town, where Saint Francis was born. Two years after his death in 1226, when he was claimed a saint, in the north-western part of Assisi was founded the St. Francis basilica, now containing one of the greatest collection of works by XIII and XIVth century painters. The route of the endurance race leads through narrow streets of that picturesque town. “We are already awaiting beautiful views and unforgettable impressions”, says Beata Dzikowska, “and of course some good results”. Last year the event was promoted by the princess HRH Haya bint Al Hussein. There was also held a conference devoted to cultural, economic and turistic cooperation between Italy and the United Arab Emirates. Next year FEI is planning to organize in Assisi the European Championships.

The C ranked International Arabian Horse Show (part of the 2nd All Russian Equestrian Games in St. Petersburg) went under the name of St. Petersburg Open. Was the prestige of the show comparable to other exhibitions of this sort in Europe? Unfortunately not. Nevertheless it is worth to recapitulate on this specific and new experience for the Polish participants.

The Arabian horse show was part of a larger event which lasted from April 25th to May 4th. The program included paralympics in dressage, Russian Championships in horse stunts, a CSI 3* competition in show jumping and CDI 3* in dressage, Western and a countless number of special presentations – Andalusian, Lipizzaner, Akhal-Teke horses, stunt shows, ladies’ side saddle, a special presentation of the German Champion in harness driving and many more accompanying shows, which were performed at a truly high level. Surely the organizers of Polish equine events could make use of the ideas shown at the All Russian Equestrian Games. We will yet return to the special shows further in this article.

Poland was represented by eight Arabian horses (6 stallions and 2 mares), property of a couple of private studs: the two year old black Rascal (BS Black Fable – Ravenwood Nejma), bred and owned by Silvatica Black Arabians, the also black Ferro (BS Black Fable – Forsycja), bred by Silvatica Black Arabians, owned by Borys Padrus, Sortis (BS Ddiabolo – Silvatica/Fawor), bred and owned by Silvatica Black Arabians, Echo Ofira (Gaspar – Egzyna), bred and owned by Janusz Ryżkowski, Pilin Psyche (Padrons Psyche – Pilina), bred by Stanisław Redestowicz, owned by Czesław Witko, Fireball (Magnum Psyche – Flotylka), bred by Stanisław Redestowicz, owned by Tomasz Tarczyński, Garuna (Grafik – Gwarka) bred and owned by Agnieszka and Andrzej Wójtowicz, as well as Kashira (Magnum Psyche – Kahila IV), bred by Stanisław Redestowicz, owned by Agnieszka and Andrzej Wójtowicz. Without a doubt the greatest emotions belonged to the people who travelled nearly 1600 km in one direction (part of the team came by air) and who encountered many situations, both pleasant and horrifying. I was among them.

The Polish team began their journey to Russia already on the 27th of April. Horses from Silvatica Black Arabians and Echo Ofira spent the night at a befriended breeding facility in Suwałki and on Monday morning continued their journey through Lithuania and Latvia. The other horses departed from Bełżyce on the morning of the 28th of April, without stopping for the night along the way. In Latvia the Polish vehicles met at a previously arranged spot and so the attempt at crossing the Latvian-Russian border was undertaken by everyone together. The head of the Silvatica Black Arabians team was veterinarian Andrzej Bereznowski. Apart from him – a frequent visitor at Russian equestrian events – no one had the slightest premonition of what awaited at the border not only us, but mostly the animals, who were tired by the 1000+ km journey.

At the first gate, on the Latvian side, we were “handled” rather quickly. A real nightmare – stress, constant phone calls by turns to Russia and Poland, searching for documents, copying them, filling them out – began at the Russian gates. The stops at each of the next gates were getting longer and longer, to finally have the horses stuck for 8 hours between the customs clearance and veterinary clearance. Altogether they spent over 9 hours during this compulsory stop. We must admit that all in all they suffered the journey bravely, remaining calm and composed.

In the meantime we tried to communicate with the customs officers and officials speaking only in Russian. Dr Bereznowski knew the language perfectly, as the only one of our team. It turned out that without a fluent knowledge of Russian the entry into Russia and the filling out of all detailed documents (such as the number of buckets and brushes in every trailer) would be impossible. The slightest mistake in the document resulted in the crossing out of everything by the customs officer, anger and the handing back of the piece of paper – crumpled and crossed out. When we finally managed to cope with this task, a problem with the Polish documents turned up. Authorizations prepared in two languages (Polish and English) to drive rented vehicles were treated by the customs officers as illegible. One of our cars – a lorry, carrying four horses, was sent to be weighed. The other three passenger cars had to struggle through successive clearances. When it came to the veterinary clearance it turned out that the official veterinarian will not come out to us soon, because he has a lot of “paperwork”. Dr Bereznowski began strenuous negotiations, talks, pleas, calls to Russia, to Poland, again to Russia. The organizers of the show called the border with pleas, called back to the waiting Poles… The strangest thing in this hard, comic and sometimes dramatic situation was that as a convoy bearing animals we were served out of line! Finally the Russian vet came out, took some photos with a compact camera, signed the documents and we could travel on. At the final gate it turned out that the last truck with Polish horses lacks one, important document… However finally the ordeal to an end!

Now more than 500 km lay before us. Holes, holes, holes, where one could easily lose a wheel and even leave the entire suspension, sudden, unmarked narrowing of the road, forest, forest and again more forest, people standing in the middle of the road at night, asking for help, police in every village – all this on a road marked in the atlas as the main one. The Poles decided that they will never again complain about our Polish roads, as it would simply be a sin! The night journey through the “Russian taiga” lasted many hours. We arrived at Petersburg in the early morning. Before entering the city at an agreed spot a black Mercedes was waiting for us, with darkened windows, as from a thriller…

During the journey home the horses, which left in the early morning after the championships, spent “only” 4 hours at the border. However those that left the showgrounds in the evening once again had to wait at the gates between Russia and Latvia. But before that the Polish truck, bearing four horses, couldn’t leave the premises of the Petersburg facility! The problem was caused by an unpaid fee (800 euro) for an offence, which was the setting up of a barbecue next to the horse trailer. Despite earlier questions “if it’s allowed” and a permit to do so, it turned out that “it’s allowed”, but during the day, and when it gets dark, “it’s not”. In the morning there was gossip among the VIP tables that the Poles “caused mayhem”. In the end the security did not want to let the truck depart the premises. The horses were loaded, the people nervous… Again more phone calls. Finally the wire gate opened and the trailer headed for Poland. At the border it was again weighed and the horses required a payment of 250 euro each. In cash. Again phone calls to Poland, to the other Poles… In the end the money was paid by bank transfer from Poland to a Russian account and the confirmation sent by fax.

Andrzej Wójtowicz of Bełżyce Stud says:
“We feel like pioneers who conquered the Wild West. The scale of problems which we encountered is indescribable – from the officials creating difficulties at every step up to financial issues: the prices higher than in the West, but the standard of services much lower, plus the additional, unforeseen fees. Of course we are happy with the achieved titles and trophies, but there were moments when I felt it was not worth it. Surely I would not venture out on such a journey with the horses for a second time. If I ever do head in that direction it will be only by plane – or by land, if the Russians bring their perestroika to an end.”

Once we got to our destination we were surprised by the gigantic facility: an indoor arena able to amass thousands of spectators (during the Thursday championships the stands were full), tents set up for the horses, everything fenced tightly, secured by the police and tens of security guards. Urszula Łęczycka, the organizer of the trip for the Polish breeders, reports:
„The Sport and Concert Center with a huge arena and stands for 12,000 people, resembling our stadium in Katowice, was divided into two parts – the show section with the showring, VIP sector and mini-bar, as well as the warm-up ring. The partitions were concealed by natural sized models of historic buildings of Petersburg, which made a huge impression.”

Tomasz Tarczyński (Grabów nad Pilicą) adds:
„The standard level of the championship, in terms of place, surpasses the Expo de Versaille in Paris. An enormous indoor arena for some n-teen thousand people, the ring, the VIP room with tens of tables. And only the lack of interest from breeders, as there were only the representatives of 3 studs and 3 private persons”.

We were shocked with a couple of details, a general untidiness in the stable and… toilets without handles. While using them you had to hold the doors with one hand. Just a hint of toilet paper. At the show itself the lack of a Disciplinary Committee came as a surprise. We noticed only one ringmaster, who did a poor job at keeping everything in line – the horses lined up wherever and however they wanted. During the shows in Western Europe it would be unacceptable and the handlers would be punished with yellow and red cards. Besides, most of the horses were unprepared to participate in the show. The handlers could not cope very well with their horses, a large part of them did not stand still for even 3-4 seconds. From the conversations with the Russians I learned that these horses do not undergo show training, but work under saddle, the mares give birth to foals and the stallions breed. They spent entire days on the pastures; their long coats were clearly visible. No make-up is used, no olive-oil, gels, cosmetics to give some shine. Many trainers had not even heard about sweating out the neck. The Russian-owned horses were barely “trimmed up”, and this was also done to only a few. They came out on the arena unwashed, only swiped with a sponge and brushed.

The handler of Silvatica Black Arabians, Tomek Jakubowski, comments:
„The difference in the presentation of the horses was huge. I think it is due to the lack of experience of the Russian handlers in preparing the horses and showing them on the arena. Polish handlers prepare a couple, even some n-teen horses each year, out of which every single one requires individual feeding, an individual amount of movement and a different approach in everyday work. The Polish horses are shown a lot at domestic and foreign events, where the handlers exchange experience and learn from the best (in terms of cosmetics, trimming methods, the condition of the horses and the way of presenting them on the arena). In Russia the horses were shown by their owners or persons taking care of them on a daily basis, but without a clue about the meaning of “show” during the event. Currently there are no people in Russia who would be doing this professionally, perhaps up to now there was no need for that. I believe that if Russian Arabian horse breeding will be evolving, such persons will definitely appear. For now, the East and West are separated by an enormous gap.”

There was no English speaking commentator. Also, during the presentation of the horses before the judges, the organizer gave information about each horse, handler and owner, which is not even thought of at other shows. But we must admit that the show had a great atmosphere about it, there weren’t any great delays and we were informed quickly about any changes. Says Urszula Łęczycka:

„Igor Botchkaev, who was the announcer of the show, had a lot of kind words to say about the Polish horses and their owners, introducing us the entire time as „friends from Poland”. In his opinion it’s good that the Polish horses came to Russia – showing local breeders not only in what direction they should go with breeding “brave and beautiful” horses, but also how they should be prepared and presented. It’s nice that Polish private breeders – although they are still learning from the best themselves – are looked upon as an example by their mighty neighbors. A great connection was established with the audience by the owner of Echo Ofira – Janusz Ryżkowski, who bowed to the public during decoration and received a loud applause. After coming off the arena he commented: “We came to Russia for them – the public, to give them a good time”. A huge impression was made also by Marek Demczuk, who jumped out like “jack in the box” with the stallion Echo Ofira – one of the last in class – winning at the last moment not only his class, but also the Junior Stallion Championship.

Marta Napióra of Silvatica Black Arabians adds:
“The horses were very well evaluated (Rascal – 90,6), considering the terrible journey and their disposition after it. Sortis suffered it the worst, which unfortunately took toll on his movement and I think on the general impression as well.”

When I observed the Russian and Kazakh horses, trying to photograph them so that their beauty could be noticeable, I was haunted by these questions: what’s happening to Russian breeding? Why don’t these horses resemble the ones currently bred in Europe? Why do they look more like half-breds than pure-breds? Why aren’t foreign stallions brought in to refine type? Why does the arrival of Polish horses cause a complete failure of the hosts? Does Russia have any kind of breeding program? Do the horses undergo selection? Why aren’t they seen at international shows? What happened to the brave and beautiful horses from Tersk? Many breeders are proud that their horses posses Russian ancestors beside Polish ones. Where have the horses known from the tales and the photographs of old gone?

Says Tomasz Tarczyński:
„Horses bred in 3 major studs: Tersk, Lada Konsul and Pomoskowskij Stud look (with no offence to anyone) like horses from Kurozwęki from the time when the herd was put up for sale – strong bodies with good movement, but not much Arabian type, often with a head of a half-bred Arabian. Horses from Kazakhstan come mainly from Tersk, so they present a similar conformation to the Russian ones”.

Urszula Łęczycka adds:
„When watching the Russian horses I had a feeling that I travelled 10 years back and looked at horses from the Polish private studs. However I must stress how fast – observing the State and foreign studs (their methods of mating, the stallions they use, the preparation and training) – the Polish private breeders have bred horses which for a couple of years now have a lot to say on the domestic show arenas as well as abroad. It’s interesting that Russian and Polish horses – who in the majority have the same ancestors not so far back – are so different in type! The Russians – meaning Tersk, who was not that long ago the leading and only organized breeding of Arabian horses in Russia – decided to breed mainly racing horses, with good results. When I spoke with Igor Botchkarev, the organizer of the show, about the modern breeding profile in Tersk, he said: “ Tersk has a herd divided into race

horses and everything else.” But changes are already noticeable. This year a huge interest was stirred by the Tersk-bred chestnut daughter of Pobeditel, Belianka, who was a strong rival of the Polish Garuna – a strong mare, with good movement and a head worthy of any Western stud with a show profile. Two breeders from Poland even began negotiations to buy this mare. Another interesting mare, which was at once spotted by the Polish team (as her stall stood next to that of Kashira’s) was Madam Blius by Barkas, privately bred (Veles Stud) and owned (Tatiana Kosolapova) – refined, correct, with a large black eye, dry head and free movement. She became Reserve Champion in the show and Champion in the Liberty Class. Russian breeders are more and more bravely using fashionable foreign stallions – at the Petersburg show you could see youngsters by WH Justice or Psytadel, also a lot of breedings were bought lately of a young American stallion by Marwan Al Shaqab.”

“So I believe”, Urszula Łęczycka continues, “that in a couple of years’ time we will also see the Russian horses on arenas West of Petersburg and Moscow, especially since the Russians want to learn. When I asked Igor Botchkarev about the Russians’ feelings towards the fact that a group of horses from Poland seized almost all the trophies in the halter classes he said that… he is very pleased! Igor, descending from an influential in the world of Russian breeders Moscow family, owners of the Moscow club Socoros (host of the national show) and supporters of the publishing of the Russian stud book, is a very engaged propagator of the development of show breeding in Russia – it is mainly thanks to him that the Polish team came and left with smaller problems than they could have had”.

I also searched for the answers to these questions in Russia while talking with the breeders. It turns out that these horses aren’t really show horses, they never really have been, as Russia never intended to breed for showing. The Russian horse simply WAS. He was to be correctly built, with type and to be able to succeed in racing. The horses do not go West, because they are not prepared to do so. The breeding is “closed”, there is no dosage of foreign blood, the horses are mated within the “Russian breed”. The trends in the West have been changing, while in Russia they remained the same.

Mrs. Izabella Pawelec-Zawadzka, when asked by me about this explained, that Russian breeding went through many turbulent periods. Until such governors as Ponomariev, Poczkarev and other of their kind lived and supervised state breeding, the breeding maintained a certain level of quality, auctions and shows were organized, during which good horses were exported to the West, including the US. However breeding was devastated and drained by politics and the regime. In Russia, just like in the world, a lot of good was done in breeding by the blood of such stallions as the Egyptian bred Aswan, who in Tersk left his most superb progeny and whose blood was also brought to Poland, as well

as Balaton and his son Kubinec. However finally many good horses, often in an illegal, unexplained until this day way, found their way to private breeders. The chaos and political disarray left its mark on breeding. This disarray lasts in Russia until today. The situation of the downfall of state Thoroughbred breeding in Poland and the downfall of the racetrack is similar to the situation of breeding pure breds in Russia. Although state breeding still exists there, it doesn’t have a breeding program, which would allow the horses from Tersk to compete against the Western horses. Buyers from Russia or Europe don’t come to

Russia anymore, almost nobody comes. What’s worse is that Russia is not exactly eager to travel with their horses abroad. When in Poland the International Arabian Horse Show in Poznań was organized, the Tersk horses were warmly invited to participate in the show. However they did not come. Which comes as no surprise considering the problems which are encountered by horses wanting to leave or enter Russia! In addition to that there are the Russian roads. A two day journey would mean torture for the horses.

The Poles are wondering whether the presence of the Polish horses at Petersburg will change something, whether those breeders will open up for Polish horses, our market, our methods of feeding, training, preparation of horses, way of showing or even the apparel of the handlers. The Poles constantly repeated: “They must learn, not mimic, but observe, ask…” The Poles, travelling to shows in various parts of Europe, also learn. One more observation: presenters and breeders, meeting at international shows, greet each other with the simplest of gestures – a smile or a “hello”. In such way are new acquaintances made, friendships, contacts which are vital for exchanging experience and opinions. In Russia unfortunately no one was smiling, handlers and grooms walked by with their heads down without a trace of a smile. No one spoke to us, no one tried to start a conversation. Only in the evening when we were returning from tending the horses we heard shouts in Russian to come and drink vodka with them…

Tomasz Tarczyński recalls:
„Nobody showed any interest in the foreign horses – what are their pedigrees, whether they won anything, what we have, what we breed – and all this even though I was more than willing to speak in their national language. It was rather our breeders who “pestered” the Russians, asking about the pedigrees, selling, what other horses they have. Only a pair of breeders from Tersk were open to talk, told us about their horses, that they have bred to Psytadel and WH Justice, that they sell annually about 50 horses, mainly to Kazakhstan and some to Azerbaijan, to the buoyantly developing races in those countries. Sometimes a couple of good horses are picked traditionally by Kossak Stud from Holland. The other stud, Chriennowoje, and a large private Orońsk Stud do not participate in the shows, breeding mainly racing horses.”

Mrs. Izabella Pawelec-Zawadzka explains:
“We must remember that breeding such extraordinary animals as Arabian horses is always created by horses and people, not the horses alone. I think that currently in Russia there is a lack of both, especially people, who would be able to raise breeding and lead it into the right direction.”

Undoubtedly a bright accent of the event were the afore mentioned special presentations. Urszula Łęczycka recounts:
„One could have had the impression that the Arabian horse show was rather an addition to the special presentations which took place every evening. I had the opportunity to see such shows at other championships, but I must say that what the Russians presented even the Salon du Cheval could envy. The evening presentations, that took place nearly every day of the entire All Russian Equestrian Games, went under the joint name of World Conquered by Horses and consisted of a 2 hour presentation of groups from various countries – and so there was a fantastic show by the Spanish group of the 82 year old picador Angelo Peralta on Andalusian horses performing dance routines with flamenco dancers; the outstanding abilities of a 4 horse harness performed by a German-Russian pair; a two part show of the

famous “flying Frenchman” Lorenzo, who is known for driving 8 Lusitano horses while standing on their backs, which with and without harness jump obstacles and perform feats at the slightest sign of their trainer. Huge emotions were stirred by the stunts performed by the Kazakh Kossaks, who entered the arena not only with horses, but also with cannons. One has to admit that the stunts presented elsewhere are kindergarten when compared to what the afore mentioned group showed in Petersburg – dynamic music and a terrific speed, at which the evolutions were performed caused even the guests sitting in the VIP sector to watch the show standing near the barriers in order not to miss a single thing. Both the observers and the performers had a great time during the evening presentations. The afore

mentioned Lorenzo, who gives a show nearly every weekend in another part of Europe or the Middle East, came to St. Petersburg for the second time – despite a serious injury and doctor’s warnings and after the show he admitted: “The stage fright is huge each time – horses are only animals and you can never foresee what can happen on the arena at such speed, every time before entering the arena I curse myself for having chosen such a profession – however after the show the adrenaline drops and my show schedule is full. My work is my dream – and performances before such public as the one in Petersburg are a pleasure.” What was unusual was that so many and so well schooled horses could be seen in Petersburg at the special shows and that it was evident how widespread (much more than in Poland!) equestrian sport is. Horses of many breeds were shown, in various types of work, under riders of various age, there were even championships for the disabled. It should be noted that on the show grounds as many as 5 equine magazines were distributed”.

What was missing at this show? Again Urszula Łęczycka:
“In my opinion mostly the attendance of breeders and entered horses – the situation is not made easier by the distance from Western Europe and Russia’s political system and the mentality of the officials, who still find pleasure in making life hard for the common citizen. But we must remember that it is the only thing which is out of reach of the show organizers – everything else turned out splendidly. We must praise the splendor and richness with which the place of the show was prepared, the speed and efficiency of the technical staff changing the decor of the arena and the well-chosen music. And the charm of the hosts, who took care of the comfort of the guests not only on the show premises, but also outside it – we had the chance at sightseeing Petersburg, taste Russian vodka with a viper in the bottle (which some members of the party wish not to remember) and establish some new interesting contacts, which may bear fruit in the not-so-distant future. I believe that the Russians, making use of the experiences of the Western neighbors, have an opportunity to very quickly raise their breeding of show horses to a very high level and to establish and keep up the good contacts with their breeders, we must endeavor after them now.”

Similar to other members of the excursion, I also am wondering about the future of this event. Will any of the Polish breeders go there next year after the adventures they encountered this time? Will anybody else participate in it beside the hosts and Kazakhstan? Will this show be “international” only in the name of the event? Perhaps during the year the unpleasant memories will fade, and the only thing remaining will be the sweet smell of the Polish successes.

Results:

Junior Champion Stallion
Echo Ofira (PL)
Junior Reserve Champion Stallion
Rascal (PL)

Junior Champion Mare
Garuna (PL)
Junior Reserve Champion Mare
Belianka (RU)

Senior Champion Mare
Kashira (PL)
Senior Reserve Champion Mare
Madam Blius (RU)

Senior Champion Stallion
Lobeke (NL)
Senior Reserve Champion Stallion
Pilin Psyche (PL)

Class Top Fives:

Class I – 1-3 year old colts

1. Echo Ofira (Gaspar – Egzyna/Eldon), breeder/owner Janusz Ryżkowski – 126 points
2. Rascal (BS Black Fable – Ravenwood Nejma/Ravenwood Sihr), breeder/owner Silvatica Black Arabians – 120 points
3. Nubiec (Balaton – Neapolitanka/Piligrim), breeder Tersk, owner Tlevlesov N., KZ – 118 points
4. Ferro (BS Black Fable – Forsycja/Fawor), breeder/owner Silvatica Black Arabians – 118 points
5. Mizami (WH Justice – Nairobi/Balaton), breeder/owner Tersk

Class II – 1-3 year old fillies

1. Garuna (Grafik – Gwarka/Monogramm), breeder/owner A.A. Wójtowicz
2. Belianka (Pobeditel – Byl/Pakistan), breeder/owner Tersk
3. Miss Psytadel (Psytadel – Molvina/Balaton), breeder/owner Tersk
4. Geveia (Vivat – Glyba/Bagdad), breeder/owner Lada-Konsul
5. Gvadiana (Vivat – Gaiana/Nagan), breeder/owner Lada-Konsul

Class III – 4 year old and up mares

1. Kashira (Magnum Psyche – Kahila IV/Ibn Bint Inas, breeder St. Redestowicz, owner A. Wójtowicz
2. Madam Blius (Barkas – Molitva/Vatican), breeder Veles Stud, owner Tatyana Kosolapova
3. Miza (Piligrim – Mediana/Balaton), breeder/owner Tersk
4. Nerl (Balaton – Nevesomost/Mukomol), breeder Stanitsa Stud, owner Tatyana Kosolapova
5. Venta (Balaton – Vendetta/Naftalin), breeder/owner Tersk

Class IV – 4-5 year old stallions

1. Pilin Psyche (Padrons Psyche – Pilina/Eternit), breeder St. Redestowicz, owner Kielnarowa Stud
2. Fireball (Magnum Psyche – Flotylka/Emigrant), breeder St. Redestowicz, owner T. Tarczyński
3. Monomah (Madiar – Manana/Armaniak PL), breeder/owner Tersk
4. Bumbarash (Medunec – Bogara/Gwizd PL), breeder Voskhod Stud, owner Podmoskovie Stud
5. Sortis (BS Ddiabolo – Silvatica/Fawor), breeder/owner Silvatica Black Arabians

Class V – 6 year old and up stallions

1. Lobeke (Fiolek – Eleskirt/Testigo), breeder Marquesa de Borbon, ES, owner Zenith Arabians, NL
2. Gasir (Motamid – Braken/Fakateko), breeder Jaqueline van Dyke, ES, owner Zenith Arabians, NL
3. Eliksir (Sarkazm – Epika/Esplendor GB), breeder/owner Lada-Konsul
4. Sirdar (Nejma Zomorrod – Santa-Podova Statement (AU)/Fairview Amir Sah-Heer), breeder Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahayyan, AE, owner Tersk
5. Velburn (Balaton – Votchina/Nahodchivyi), breeder/owner Veles Stud

Liberty Class – mares

1. Madam Blius (Barkas – Molitva/Vatican), breeder Veles Stud, owner Tatyana Kosolapova
2. Galapeia (Parubok – Glyba/Bagdad), breeder/owner Lada-Konsul
3. Nerl (Balaton – Nevesomost/Mukomol), breeder Stanitsa Stud, owner Tatyana Kosolapova
4. Gvadiana (Vivat – Gaiana/Nagan), breeder/owner Lada-Konsul
5. Vivena (Vivat – Vepola/Paladin), breeder/owner Lada-Konsul

Liberty Class – stallions

1. Lobeke (Fiolek – Eleskirt/Testigo), breeder Marquesa de Borbón, ES, owner Zenith Arabians, NL
2. Monomah (Madiar – Manana/Armaniak PL), breeder/owner Tersk
3. Bumbarash (Medunec – Bogara/Gwizd PL), breeder Voskhod Stud, owner Podmoskovie Stud
4. Plan (Antigon – Princessa/Negesimyi), breeder Veles Stud, owner Tatyana Kosolapova
5. Niburg (Barkas – Naiada/Diatel), breeder/owner Veles Stud

See also: The Poles rocked St. Petersburg and take a look at the photo coverage!

During the past long May weekend horses from the Champion Equestrian Club competed in the international competition in endurance racing ranked CEI 1*/2*/3* in Babolna, Hungary. The annually held event took place on the premises of the Hungarian State Stud, which specializes in the breeding of half-bred Shagya Arabian horses. The riders from Champion EC participated in this event for the fourth time. The competition is part of the Central European Endurance Cup.

The distance of 120 km (CEI 3*) was tackled by Kamila Kart atop Cert (Balon – Certoza) and Beata Dzikowska atop Cyryl (Sinus – Cyrla). 12 pairs showed up at the start line, out of which 4 completed the course. The first pair (Kamila Kart and Cert) conquered the distance with an average speed of 15,67 km/h, placing fourth. Beata Dzikowska, who resigned after the first lap due to a sudden illness, says: “Despite my resignation, which was an unexpected decision but unfortunately an inevitable one, we consider the start in Hungary quite successful. Two 4th places of our horses during the event, which gathered many outstanding riders from Europe, are a good result. We treated the competitions as training before the event in Rambouillet, France (Amateur Elite GP – CEI ***), where our horses will show what they’ve got on the 7th of June over the championship distance of 160 km. So keep your fingers crossed…”

Another representative of the Champion EC in Babolna was Artur Landau atop the French bred Cricket Du Pecher (Kesberoy – Diamina du Cayrou). The pair competed over 80 km in the CEI 2* competition. Artur and Cricket finished the course at fourth spot with a good average speed of 18,73 km/h. This distance was tackled by 12 pairs and completed by 10.

Thursday saw the finale of the International C Championships in St. Petersburg. The Polish horses were a spectacular success. The Junior Champion Stallion title was awarded to Echo Ofira (Gaspar – Egzyna/Eldon, br/o J. Ryżkowski), while the Reserve to Rascal (BS Black Fable – Ravenwood Nejma/Ravenwood Sihr, br/o Silvatica Black Arabians). Garuna (Grafik – Gwarka/Monogramm, br/o A. Wójtowicz)gained the title of Junior Champion Mare, Kashira (Magnum Psyche – Kahila IV/Ibn Bint Inas, br. St. Redestowicza, o. A. Wójtowicz) – Senior Champion Mare. Among the senior stallions triumphed the Dutch Lobeke (Fiolek – Eleskirt), owned by Zenith Arabians, while Pilin Psyche (Padrons Psyche – Pilina/Eternit, br. St. Redestowicza, o. Cz. Witko, Kielnarowa Stud) was chosen as Reserve. Fireball (Magnum Psyche – Flotylka/Emigrant, br. St. Redestowicz, o. T. Tarczyński) also entered the finals.

Earlier in the class competition Echo Ofira turned out to be the best among the 1-3 year old colts (with 126 points, including the highest scores for movement), behind him placed Rascal (121), third came Ferro (BS Black Fable – Forsycja/Fawor, br. Silvatica Black Arabians, o. Borys Pardus) – 118. Among the 1-3 year old fillies triumphed Garuna (130) before Belianka (Pobeditel – Byl/Pakistan) and Nis Psytadel from Tersk. The 4 year old and up mares class was won by Kashira (129 points), the 4-5 year old stallions class by Pilin Psyche (124). Second in that class was Fireball (123), fourth – Sortis (BS Ddiabolo – Silvatica/Fawor, br/o Silvatica Black Arabians) -113. In the 6 year old and up stallions class the winner was the Dutch Lobeke (128 points, including 3 highest scores for movement) – just like in the Liberty class. The Liberty class for mares was won by the Russian Madam Blius (Barkas – Molitva/Vatican), br. Veles Stud.

Polish horses, although victorious, did not present themselves as well as they could have. This was affected by a long and full of complications journey. The Russian border was crossed only thanks to the help of the veterinarian from the Silvatica Black Arabians team. But still the Poles spent about 10 hours at the border and later travelled by very bad roads.

The show was well organized, though there were some deficiencies – for example there was no disciplinary committee. The Russian horses competing against the Polish ones were

decisively worse prepared – often they were only washed, not to mention the presence of any trimming or make-up. Besides horses from Poland (and Russia) St. Petersburg saw steeds only from Holland and Kazakhstan. The show took place in an enormous indoor arena, nearly in the center of the city. It was judged by three persons: Irina Stigler (Russia), Janice McCrea Wright (USA) and Renata Schibler (Switzerland) and the scoring system was a bit different than the one we are used to in Poland and other European shows. The Poles who came to Russia consider this event as a successful one, though tomorrow they will again embark on the long, tiresome journey home.

On the 25th of May, after the international A show in Wels, Austria, La Movida Stud, owned by the organizers of the Arabian championships, Mr. and Mrs. Gerlinde and Ferdinand Huemer, invites all exhibitors, breeders, handlers, journalists, photo reporters and special guests of the show to the Open House at La Movida Arabians. The stud is located in Krengblach. The organizer, a known judge and former president of ECAHO, Ferdinand Huemer, says: “Already today we would like to invite Polish breeders, owners and Arabian horse lovers to visit the Alp-situated Wels for our international show and the national show preceding it. We also invite you to the Open House at the stud run by me and my family. I can promise the Arabian lovers from Poland an organized transport from the place of the show to La Movida Arabians. Furthermore I invite all the Poles visiting us to the lunch at La Movida combined with a symbolical drink”.

“Right after the Wels Championships on Sunday noon we welcomed more than 100 friends and guests and had a very entertaining and relaxed get-together. We had some nice food (and drinks), a lot of talks (and gossips) and presented several of our horses. Friends and special guests make this day unique for us – very pleasant and valuable in the entire “horse year” of our stud.”

Persons who would like to take part in the “Open House” at La Movida are asked to contact: mateusz@polskiearaby.pl