If you love Arabians, you must know about this beautiful tradition we’ve had for many years now in Europe that every year after All Nations Cup, we go to Belgium for open days in some of the most renowned centres for purebred Arabians in the world. One of those places is Jadem Arabians where we saw last year the magnificent RFI Farid, multichampion and one of the most sought after sires to ever trot on this Earth. Will his son make the father proud? Let’s have a look at Farid Al Hawajer.

A legend is born

The bay and utterly handsome Farid Al Hawajer was born on 2^nd February 2018 at Al Hawajer Stud in the United Arab Emirates, and it took him less than a year to win his first medal. Sired by the icon of the breed RFI Farid and out of Jameelah Al Hawajer (we’ll get back to her), the then yearling was close to peerless at the 2019 Ajman Arabian Horse Show where he won the title of Silver Yearling Colt Champion, losing only to D Shakhat (D Khattaf – D Shireen / Kahil Al Shaqab) from Dubai Arabian Horse Stud. Those who have kept a close eye on the Arabian scene in recent years might remember Tom Oben accompanying a bijou and petite intensely bay yearling in January 2019 at Ajman Equestrian Club – yes, that’s the hero of our story.

Named obviously after his outstanding sire, Farid Al Hawajer from the very start had some pretty grand horseshoes to fill. And he did his level best to do that. At the 1st Sharjah Kalba Arabian Horse Festival in November 2019, also shown by Tom Oben, he was once again first in class, just like in Ajman, and won bronze in the 2 Years Old Colts Championship. And already as a yearling, he would score “twenties” for head and neck. But with young horses you rarely know how they are going to perform or what they might grow into. Over the course of the next couple of years, the young Farid was a bit less lucky in terms of medals, yet invariably showing promise as a potential future sire.

The big day finally came on 25^th March 2022 at the Emirates Arabian Horse Breeders Championship in Abu Dhabi. It was a massive show and the judges saw a total of 342 horses in just three days. Our hero had the highest score of the show: 92.20, ex æquo with AD Bdoor (AJ Azzam – Torfah Al Zobair / S.M.A. Magic One), the Dubai International Arabian Horse Championship 2021 Gold Filly Foal, bred by Hamad Adnan Abdulla Shaban Alshehhi. With three 20s for type (one scratched) and one more for movement (alas also scratched), he was destined for the noblest of medals. Needless to say, he was indeed victorious in the Senior Stallion Championship, living up to the expectations of his proud breeders and, as it happened, making his sire proud too. Tom Oben, who was at his side when he was still a kiddo, was there with Farid Al Hawajer again, together with Dr. Ghanem al Hajri, the founder of Al Hawajer Stud and Farid’s breeder himself.

Beauty personified

The dam of our hero is Jameelah Al Hawajer by Alixir out of Thee Midnight Angel by Al Baraki. The black mare whose name in Arabic means “beautiful” is a Straight Egyptian queen who made a name for herself not as a dam, but a mother of champions. Her offspring, albeit few, have made the headlines countless times.

In Paris at the World Arabian Horse Championship in December 2024, I asked Fariborz Vadipoor about his first impressions of Farid Al Hawajer and instead of telling me about Farid, he told me about… Jameelah: “Even before I heard the name Farid Al Hawajer or saw him for the first time, I was in love with his exquisite dam Jameelah Al Hawajer. Coming from an American Straight Egyptian line, this iconic black mare would produce amazing foals. The bay Mandela Al Hawajer was first, full brother to Farid as a matter of fact, in 2014. As a five-year-old, he won the title of Gold Senior Stallion Champion at the Emirates Arabian Horse National Championship. That’s years before Farid won his gold.”

I could see how much in awe Fariborz must have been that decade ago as he was first discovering the “gorgeous lady in black”: “The next year came Mandela’s sister, Bint Jamelah Al Hawajer by Royal Colours, an amazing black Straight Egyptian filly that grew into a refined mare. Then Jameelah gave birth to the bay Baraqah Al Hawajer by Dominic M who became the Silver Yearling Champion Filly at the 2019 United Arab Emirates National Championship.”

Just like in one of the movies by Hollywood’s enfant terrible, Fariborz had my curiosity, but then he also had my attention. I didn’t expect him to elaborate to such extent about Farid’s dam, nor his siblings, so I decided to dig a bit deeper: “For me, a stallion’s dam and sisters, if you know what you’re looking for and you trust your gut, can give good hints of the offspring he might produce in the future. So after I saw Farid’s offspring born at Al Hawajer Stud and how successful they were in the ring, I had no doubt that this handsome, charismatic stallion is not only a modern Arabian supermodel, but also a sire of the next generation of champions.”

Remarkable progeny

One quick look at Farid Al Hawajer’s offspring is more than enough to see that the foals that he produces are truly superb. Colts and fillies that were sired by this fantastic stallion are conquering Arabian horse shows all over the Middle East and they have even crossed the Mediterranean Sea to try their luck at events in Europe as well. But would the champion-making RFI Farid be proud of his Emirati heir? Let’s bring his potential as a sire in his own right under scrutiny.

Meet Shamikhat Al Hawajer, born on 28^th October 2022, a bay filly now owned by Al Thamer Stud. Shamikhat is out of Durah Al Hawajer by the one and only FA El Shawan and out of Gloryannaa by Versace. Don’t let her young age fool you – that sweet, extremely feminine cutie is already a four-time champion, thrice as a yearling. She won her first medal in November 2023 at the Sharjah Arabian Horse Festival. In class, she scored her first twenty for head and neck, qualified for the championships and won silver, losing only to Al Aryam Harbah (S.M.A. Magic One – Al Aryam Hamrah / Marajj).

They met again at the end of January 2024 at the Al Shiraa International Arabian Horse Show and looks like history likes to repeat itself, as here she won another silver medal which was followed in late March by a bronze medal at the 2024 Dubai International Arabian Horse Championship. Then in the first days of November last year, a month before the World Championship, she won her first gold at the 2024 Al Shaqab International Arabian Horse Show. In class she had twenties across the board for head and neck, and two days later in the Junior Fillies Championship won the gold medal, beating her half-sister…

… Farida Mudhar who won silver at that very same show. Born on 2nd April 2022, Farida Mudhar is out of A.L.R. Aseela (D Mshary – D Noorah / QR Marc). A year earlier, in mid-November 2023, she won here the title of Gold Yearling Filly, after taking the first place in class and scoring twenties for head and neck. It runs in the family – sire charmed judges and spectators alike with his eyes and smile, and so do his daughters. But before we move on to her half-brother, perhaps we should mention one more thing: she was fourth in the Yearling Fillies Championship at the 2023 World Championship in Doha – she lost by a point to the bronze medallist.

Speaking of her brother, his name is Adnan Mudhar and just like Farida, he’s bred and owned by Sheikh Hamad Ali Al Thani from the State of Qatar. Adnan is out of Soufiya Al Shaqab by S.M.A. Magic One. Her dam is Pretia, a Michałów Stud-bred daughter of Kahil Al Shaqab and Parmana by Al Maraam. This little fella was born on 13th February 2024 and won his first gold medal as a nine-month-old colt foal at the 2024 Al Shaqab International Arabian Horse Show, scoring more than twice than the silver medallist! That was indeed a good show for RFI Farid’s grandkids.

The list of young and very young horses that take Middle Eastern show rings by storm goes on, testament to RFI Farid’s legacy as a champion maker, a trait that Farid Al Hawajer seems to have inherited from his esteemed sire. Hasseeb Al Zobair is yet another example of a junior with a bright future ahead of him. Born on 12^th October 2023 out of Zoheya Al Zobair (Dominic M – Star of Al Zobair / Ajman Moniscione), bred by Sheikh Abdulla bin Mohammed Ali Al Thani and owned by Sheikha Maryam Ahmed Abdullah Al Thani, this bay youngster made himself known at the Sharjah Arabian Horse Festival in November 2024 where he won gold in the Yearling Colts Championship. This jolly and fun-loving lad made a huge impression on the judges, so much so that he had one of the highest scores of the show and three 20s for… that’s right: head and neck! So much so that, in the championships, seven out of eight judges chose him for gold.

Farid Al Hamidiya is another interesting colt whose career we might want to follow. Born on 3rd October 2023 out of D Awaly (FA El Rasheem – Ghazalah Alaalya / Monticeto LN), bred and owned by Ali Mohammed Eissa Bushehab Alsuwaidi, he triumphed in late March 2024 in the Colt Foals class, basically unrivalled.

Let’s go back to Farid Al Hawajer’s home in the UAE and pick a filly and a colt each that have the potential to reach for the stars as their sire and grandsire have, shall we? Moth’hel Al Hawajer out of Muth’hela Al Hawajer (FA El Rasheem – Gloryannaa / Versace) was born on 2nd October 2022 and this bay colt is already a double medallist. Currently owned by Abdulaziz Soud Almutairi, he was first in class and won the silver medal at the Emirates Arabian Horse National Championship in late March 2023. Shortly before Christmas 2024, at the 4th Doha International Arabian Horse Show, he won bronze in the Yearling Championship, scoring earlier four 20s for movement (one was scratched) proving Farid’s kids can move too.

Salymah Al Hawajer is the last horse we shall discuss, otherwise we’d need several pages more. This grey filly was born at Al Hawajer Stud on 20th December 2022 and her dam is Salymah E.A. (Khidar – Libanon Azadika / Om El Azadik, son of Sanadik El Shaklan). Thus far, she’s only been to two shows and her best result is the 2nd place in class at the 5th Sharjah Kalba Arabian Horse Festival at the beginning of December 2023, but with pedigree like hers, she’s bound to make a wonderful broodmare, and who knows…? Perhaps we’re looking at the future mother of champions that will follow in Jameelah Al Hawajer’s hoofsteps and who’s going to make her owners at Ramz Stud proud?

Epilogue, or to be continued

Thinking of Farid Al Hawajer’s offspring, Fariborz Vadipoor can’t help smiling: “Both colts and fillies by Farid show beauty, talent, and charisma, and they feel at home at some of the most important show in the Middle East. They leave those shows with championship titles making the celebrated Al Hawajer name even more famous, building on a lasting legacy that will undoubtedly have a meaningful impact on future generations of Arabians.” The question we ought to ask ourselves now is whether we want to contribute to this legacy? Are you ready to introduce Farid Al Hawajer into your breeding programme? After all, “farid” means “incomparable” in Arabic… Your call.

Farid Al Hawajer is owned by KHD Partnership from the United Arab Emirates. His semen, both fresh and frozen, is available in Europe and the Middle East at Danisa Training Center (now part of Privilege SFQ) in Belgium.

With the year 2024 inevitably, albeit slowly, drawing to a close, it is most definitely high time we began to sum up what we all have been doing since 1st January… Some of us will certainly wish they had done a little more and tried harder. On the flipside, there are people like Kathleen Ohlsson who seems to be having the time of her life. Who could blame her if a stallion like Medan Al Shaqab has just moved in to the stables at Sweden Arabian Stud?

For the win

All jocularity aside, Kathleen, together with her husband Joakim, have had a truly successful year indeed. Horses born on the outskirts of Uddevalla, a small town in the province of Västra Götaland in southwestern Sweden, have been making their breeders proud all year round. A quick look at their résumés and we’ll find as many as 15 horses with the initial O in their name happily jogging around arenas all over Europe as well as in the Middle East or North Africa. And we’re talking about events ranging from C-shows like Arabische Pferde in Westfalen, through Vesuvio Trophy Straight Egyptian, all the way to major shows like the All Nations Cup.

Eight gold medals, two silver ones and two more bronze – won by Alexandra O, Saga O or Pamela O to name a few – speak for themselves. While it’s obvious that luck is a vital component in any breeding programme, in the case of the Ohlssons, luck seems not to be a decisive factor, tertiary more like it, with professionalism, experience and vision taking over to produce results many would wish for. Consistency and hard work pay off – only a madman would dare say otherwise.

Love at first sight

If the name Medan Al Shaqab fails to ring bells, no need to worry. Here’s what you need to know about him – in a tiny nutshell… He’s a 10-year-old grey stallion born at Al Shaqab Stud in the State of Qatar. Sired by the Reserve World Straight Egyptian Champion Farhoud Al Shaqab by Al Adeed Al Shaqab, our soon-to-be teenager is out of Abha Myra, a Marwan Al Shaqab daughter which makes the legendary Gazal Al Shaqab her grandpapa. He’s also the maternal brother to World Champion Fadi Al Shaqab, and uncle to Afreen Al Shaqab. Basically… a pedigree to kill for, as none of the aforementioned purebred gentlehorses require any introduction.

“The very first time I saw Medan was two years ago. I was visiting Raphael Curti for a presentation at Privilege, and of all the horses there, he was the one I liked best. I thought to myself how great it would be to have him in our stables. However, we had another horse that we were leasing at that time, so I didn’t use him in my breeding programme. Yet! What I did was observe his offspring”, Kathleen tells us in Lier during the European Championship. Paying attention to Medan’s kids was undoubtedly a smart idea…

… because last year and this year too, colts and fillies sired by our majestic hero made several purebred Arabian headlines – for a good reason. Let’s take a walk down memory lane to 2023, shall we?

It’s early May and we’re in the Tuscan province of Lucca where Elisa Bonaparte ruled at the beginning of the 19^th century. In the town of Pietrasanta on the foothills of the Apuan Alps, an Arabian horse show is taking place: L’Arte del Cavallo. It was at this ECAHO B International Show that the Al Shaqab-owned Mayez Al Shaqab, out of My First Star by Windspress Mirage, first caught Kathleen’s eye, and then took home gold in the Junior Championship.

Moving on to late November that year – we’re in the Qatari capital of Doha participating in the Qatar National Arabian Horse Championship. Among the filly foals, there’s a cute little girl by the name of Kaltham Al Nasser who is out of Arwa Al Nasser by none other than Fadi Al Shaqab. The Al Nasser youth becomes the Gold Filly Foal of the 2023 Qatar Nationals, beating both Teha Al Shaqab and Sultana Al Thamer.

Mid-July 2024, many of us met in Ströhen for the International Days for Arabian Horses organised at Ismer Stud. There’s no distinction here for yearling and juniors, so all young horses go to the same championships. Who comes on top in the Fillies Championship? Unanimously the grey yearling out of Binta El Jyar by Jyar Meia Lua – “Benita, LM Benita” to paraphrase James Bond, from the Austrian stables of La Movida Arabians. And it was more than sheer luck as two months later at Purosangue Arabi a Bergamo Festival, she was once again unanimously chosen by the judges to become (this time) the Gold Yearling Champion.

There was one more yearling in Bergamo that weekend present at the show sired by Medan Al Shaqab, bred and owned by the well-known Gestüt Osterhof. A bay colt out of Afra OS by Antaris OS for whom it was his debut in the world of horse shows: Cyros OS. Karl-Heinz Stöckle’s boy first won his class, and then was awarded gold by the judges.

The last major success of Medan’s progeny came less than two weeks after Kathleen’s announcement. Rayyana Mudhar out of Mezen Al Zobair by the Marwan Al Shaqab son Marajj, bred and owned by Sheikh Hamad Ali Al-Thani, easily won the Gold Champion Filly Foal title with the highest score of all foals at the Al Shaqab International Arabian Horse Show. One might say it was testament to making the right decision regarding where Medan Al Shaqab would find his new home.

“Following the All Nations Cup, I met him up close in his box again and I knew I absolutely had to have him! His kind gentle personality and amazingly beauty touched me to the core. Not only with his incredible face, but with this type that I think we miss a bit today… Long croup, good body, alluring eyes – he is classic and modern at the same time with a different pedigree from his Straight Egyptian sire and very proven dam. For me he is the embodiment of true Arabian type!” Here Kathleen stops, most probably already thinking which mare she will use him on in the days to come.

For he’s a jolly good fellow

News like that which Kathleen dropped on the purebred Arabian horse world shortly before the European Championship travels fast, almost approaching the speed of light. A twice-Gold Junior Colt Champion from the Qatar International Arabian Horse Show and Gold Senior Stallions Champion from Bergamo is not a horse that’s easy to overlook. With offspring that’s promising to say the least, it’s even harder. No wonder then that congratulations to the entire Ohlsson family came from far and wide. Here’s what some of our friends told us…

“I’m proud I had the chance to share a part of my career with this gorgeous horse and to have him at my farm. We had a very successful time together in the show ring internationally when he was a junior and later a grown-up stallion. It is rewarding that many breeders acknowledge what he can offer to the breed, just like I visioned it. I’m happy to know that he will have an amazing life with a family who loves him.”
Giacomo Capacci

“It was a privilege and I personally take pride in contributing to the acquisition of Medan Al Shaqab by such an esteemed breeder as Kathleen Ohlsson. Representing Al Shaqab Stud over the years has been an honour, especially with a stallion like Medan who hails from a remarkable pedigree. As a son of Abha Myra, Medan shares his lineage with world champions Fadi Al Shaqab and Siwar Al Shaqab, making him a part of one of the breed’s most distinguished families. We are thrilled that after several successful seasons producing outstanding offspring in Europe, Medan has found a new home. We wish Kathleen, Joakim, and their family all the best with Medan. We know he will be loved and cherished at Sweden Arabian Horse Stud.”
Raphael Curti

“Everybody looks to Medan because of Abha Myra who of course is an icon of the breed, but many miss the fact that Medan’s paternal granddam is Johara Al Shaqab. Johara has been an outstanding matriarch that has produced countless champions and amazing broodmares for the Al Shaqab’s Straight Egyptian programme. While she remains less known than some other Shaqab-stars, she is most certainly equally valuable to the breed. I must admit I had a fixation with Medan as a colt, and I actually had an agreement to send him to Argentina for the first season. Unfortunately, we couldn’t make him go. What I love about him the most are his blessed contradictions: he is tall, yet very typey, classic, yet more stretchy than usual. Qualities like that are rare to find.”
Santiago Fornieles

All’s been said and just one more thing is missing. Dear Kathleen, congratulations and good luck!

Last year’s World Arabian Horse Championship in the capital of the State of Qatar, Doha, for many marked the end of an era: after four decades of the world’s most important Arabian horse show being hosted by the global capital of luxury, good taste and fashion, the Championnat du Monde du Cheval Arabe was moved to the Arabian Peninsula. All the irrational fears and doubts that the crowning event of the season would never return to the city on the Seine proved greatly exaggerated, and the horses presented this year far surpassed last year’s horses in terms of quality and diversity. As for the champions, one thing is certain: surprises rarely happen in Paris.

In December, the World Arabian Horse Championship returned not only to the French capital, but also to the Porte de Versailles Exhibition Centre in the 15th Arrondissement of Paris, which borders the 7th, where one is bound to find the Eiffel Tower, the Rodin Museum, the Hôtel National des Invalides with the tomb of Napoléon, and (last but not least) Musée du Quai Branly, dedicated in its entirety to indigenous art and cultures. Next door, in the 14th Arrondissement, there is Montparnasse, one of the most famous Parisian quartiers, home to countless bars that attract both tourists and locals. And so, the residents of Paris and tourists visiting the city alike got a gift for the Feast of Saint Nicholas in the form of an Arabian horse show, the apogee in last year’s series of events, which could easily and quickly (in Parisian terms) be reached by public transport. Therefore, the crowds visiting the Salon du Cheval and the Championship were not surprising at all. What was rather surprising, however, was the astonishment of the organizers of the Paris Horse Fair that the interest in the purebred event was so huge. In spite of the annoying drizzle, the queue Porte de Versailles seemed endless, and the corridors between the halls dedicated to equestrianism and Arabians were regularly blocked. But these are technical matters, let’s focus on what we’re really interested in.

Feminine Friday

A quick glance at the six female classes and among the 64 names in total, many of them well-known celebs, as many as 15 Polish-bred and/or owned horses (almost a quarter!). This must have made quite an impression on the guests from Poland, especially since many of them are show veterans and “graduates” of the All Nations Cup, the European Championship, Polish Nationals, Global Champions Arabians Tour or Prague Intercup. We saw all of them but two: Anagramma and Wencedora, and those in attendance did well despite rough competition.

In the Yearling Fillies Championship, we saw El Lyrica KL (Lyric EA – Erskina / Kahil Al Shaqab) from Klikowa Arabians and Sana OS (Exagon OS – Panamera OS / Psytadel), bred by Gestüt Osterhof and owned by Lubochnia Arabians. The following ladies qualified to the Junior Mare Championship: Bianca of Sinus (Fadi Al Shaqab – Ballena / Kahil Al Shaqab), bred by Sinus Arab Stud and owned by Polia Arabians, Wildonara (Paris – Shanghai E.A. / Wildona) from Michałów Stud, Ebonita (Haash OSB – Etruzja / Pogrom) from Janów Podlaski Stud and Bella Rose (Star Farid – Bogini Marajj / Marajj), bred by Paweł Redestowicz and owned by the Jahazi Family from Iran. Moreover, at the end of her class, Bianca of Sinus, who had one of the highest scores of the Championship (93 points) received the special award for Best Head in Class.

In the Senior Mare Championship, we had the pleasure to see the Michałów-bred Emarella (Sahm El Arab – Emandorella / Eden C), owned by Aljassimya Farm, Echo Anastazja (Psyche Keret – Echo Aurora / Eternity Ibn Navarone D), Pila (Abyad AA – Piba / Gazal Al Shaqab) from Janów Podlaski, Poganinka (El Omari – Pentra / Poganin) from Michałów and Pustynna Noc (WH Kaneko – Pustynna Rosa / Ekstern), ex-Michałovian and currently owned by Budhen’s Stud in Belgium. Interestingly, Anastazja, while bred by Chrcynno-Palace Stud, this time competed for Ahmed Hamad Althumairi, her new owner from Saudi Arabia. Although none of them won any medals, which is obviously a pity, each of them can boast the title of World Championship Top 10.

Purebred Top Models

From the very beginning of Friday’s spectacle, we had many a horse to marvel at. For many, especially among the enormous and packed audience (the stands were so full, organisers would let people in only in small groups, having made sure there was room for everyone), it was the first opportunity to see some of the top models they had been following all year long. Such equine celebrities included Durrat Albidayer (Jyar Meia Lua – A Vision MI / Allegiance MI). This year she appeared in three shows, always perfectly prepared by her team at Privilege SFQ, and each time she left the show with gold in the Yearling Fillies Championship. And we are talking here about GCAT Cannes in June, the All Nations Cup in Aachen, and the World Championship. Cherry on top: in Paris, the Albidayer filly scored a full set of twenties for head and neck, which is hardly surprising.

The next star and the first to score twenties across the board for type was Aisha Al Sheikh (Jyar Meia Lua – Algamra / AJ Portofino) from Al Sheikh Stud, like Durrat also shown by Raphael Curti. Moreover, she scored seven more twenties for head and neck, and it is rather noteworthy that her class was of such high quality that twenties came aplenty. Two days later, the first three juniors in this class took the whole Junior Mares Championship, but more on that in a moment.

There was also no shortage of extraordinary personalities among the senior mares, especially in class 3B (the last we saw on Friday), in which, apart from Poganinka, we also saw Bint Hazy Al Khalediah (El Palacio VO – Hazy Al Khalediah / F Shamaal), bred by Al Khalediah Stables and owned by Al Jumail Stud. This was the first appearance of this phenomenal mare after nearly a three-year-long break, in top form, although clearly unaccustomed to the atmosphere of shows. AJ Kayya (AJ Kafu – Aja Caprice / EKS Alihandro ) from Ajman Stud could have been a bit of a disappointment for some… The breath-taking Reigning Queen of GCAT gave the impression of a fatigued, yet diligent student. Her performance was top notch, but unfortunately she seemed tired from her constant travelling and training. A quick glance at her calendar and we’ll see that less than 3 weeks earlier she was in hot and sunny Riyadh, and right after her triumph in the GCAT ranking, she ended up in cold and humid Paris. She deserves a vacation. The aforementioned Poganinka, on the other hand, was beyond compare when it came to movement, not only in class, but of all the mares – close to perfection, as if taken from the definition of the ideal Arabian horse.

Masculine Saturday

There was no shortage of Polish horses in the male classes either, which were held in their entirety on Saturday. There were six Polish stallions out of 48, which is exactly one in eight, and we saw five of them, as Michałów’s Partes had been withdrawn. Besides, class 4A, in which he was supposed to compete, must’ve been unlucky, because less than half of the horses listed in the catalogue presented themselves in front of the judges and the audience. In the following classes it was much better and Polish fans of Arabians could cheer both live and on-line on Janów’s very own Comoros (HL El Ganador – Cedora / Kahil Al Shaqab), Monarchio (Star Farid – Minerwina / Kahil Al Shaqab), bred by Wojciech Parczewski and owned by Bogdan Maślanka, Pheniks Al Miro (D Zeidan – Psyche Lejla / Pogrom) from Evopegasus Stud, Pinito (EKS Alihandro – Piniata / Eden C), owned by Flaxman Arabians, and Paris (Kahil Al Shaqab – Palmeta / Ecaho), owned by Polia Arabians. Fun fact: the last two boys were both born in the stables at Janów Podlaski.

Comoros, Pinito and Paris qualified for the championships, and just like their colleagues from the female classes left the French capital with World Championship Top 10 titles. For some, simply being in Paris with their equine friends was a dream come true and an adventure of a lifetime. Bogdan Maślanka spoke in this spirit about Monarchio’s performance which was quite thrilling. First they made our hearts stop, only to show us how important is the relationship between horse man based on respect and trust.

Front page celebrities

Saturday started on a high note, as the first to shine that day at Porte de Versailles was AB Bandar (D Seraj – Priscilla OS / Poseidon OS) from Abhaa Arabians. He received twenties for type, movement and head and neck, an omen of excitement to come until the last class of senior stallions was over. In the second class of yearlings, we were all witnesses to a clash of young titans, as after several months, the grey Afreen Al Shaqab (D Mezyan – Siwar Al Shaqab / SMA Magic One) from Al Shaqab Stud once again challenged the bay Aesar Alwajba (AJ Radman – LR Altagracia / Excalibur E.A.) of Al Wajba Stud. They had to compete again the next day, also with the third in their class, the dark grey colt Azzaam Al Amal (EL Galal Baahir ZA – Arabesca Scarlet Moon ZA / Sidi Scorpio ZA) bred by Al Amal Arabians and owned by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Saoud Alqassimi.

One of the most anticipated stallions of the show was Baz Aljassimya (Exxalt – MD Mirka / AJ Thee Luca), bred by Aljassimya Farm and owned by Akmal Stud, who appeared in the same class as Fajer AA (Shanghai E.A. – Fadwa AA / Fadi Al Shaqab) from Ariela Arabians. It immediately became clear at the beginning of the class that one of them would go for gold. Both had proven themselves in recent years formidable showmen who can steal the show. Furthermore, their clash was something that had been expected for a long time, as these two veterans of, among others, GCAT had so far missed each other at various shows. Baz’s owners also had the ambitions to repeat his gold at the World Championship, which he won two years ago as a yearling. What else do these two have in common? Well, both are gold All Nations Cup medallists, so stakes were undoubtedly high. Ultimately, they shared twenty-three 20s, and the defending champion turned out to be better by 0.64 points.

The competition of senior stallions, who are only seniors in name, as their age category starts at 4 years old, was to be equally exciting. The stallion EKS Farajj (Ibn Farid – EKS Bint Helwah / Laheeb), bred by Willy Brown’s Elkasun Arabians and owned by Haras Royal De Bouznika, is a rare sight at shows these days. Last year at the World Championship in Doha, he was the Senior Stallion silver medallist, so expectations and ambitions were through the roof. Especially since we didn’t see him anywhere for 11 long months until he won gold at the El Jadida show in Morocco, where he currently lives. To say that he was unrivalled would be a grave understatement. In his class, of course, he was first, receiving the highest marks from the judges for type, head and neck, and movement, deservedly so. It was a pleasure to watch him present himself in front of the audience, full of vigour, in excellent humour, rested and relaxed. Not tired at all from the arduous intercontinental travels, he was clearly enjoying himself.

In the second class of senior stallions, in addition to the Polish-bred Paris, there were HL El Ganador (HP Shakir TE – Lonco Baby Maria / HP Emir), bred by Familia Dutch Matthei and owned by Hanaya Arabian Stud, and D Seraj (FA El Rasheem – Ladi Veronika / Versace ) from Dubai Arabian Horse Stud. Also entered was AJ Kafu (Shanghai E.A. – AJ Kahayla / QR Marc) from Ajman Stud, but he last participated in any show at the Dutch leg of GCAT, so he must be preparing for the 2025 season. We saw the first of them a few months ago in Aachen, where he won gold, but we hadn’t seen D Seraj since the first days of February… His performance was all the more exciting, and he was perfectly prepared and he was the first in the class with the highest score of all stallions this year – 93.71 points.

La crème de la crème à Paris

Sunday was devoted entirely to the championships, and before each of them, a chamber orchestra of the French Republican Guard would play fanfares. The longest performance separated the mares from the stallions, and in addition to the large orchestra of dragoons of the Republican Guard, an all-male choir performed for the guests of Porte de Versailles, making the experience all the more momentous. Especially since in the championships we had the pleasure of seeing once again all the “pure-blood” nobles, whom we admired so in their respective classes. And as I mentioned at the beginning: in Paris, they don’t really like surprises a lot. With the exception of only the Yearling Fillies Championship, in each one the winners were the winners of the highest scores in their age categories.

The first to be held was the Yearling Fillies Championship, which was won by Durrat Albidayer almost unanimously (only one of the judges had a “minority report”). The fight for silver and bronze was between the highest-scoring yearling D Rowa (D Seraj – D Danat / SG Labib) from Dubai Arabian Horse Stud, who took silver, and Royal Futurista (AJ Radman – HK Sweet Musique / HDF Luciano), bred by Cindy McGown & Mark David and owned by Al Wajba Stud, who won bronze. The GCAT multi-medallist Sultana Al Thamer (Dominic M – Weaam Al Jassim / Emerald J) this time lost to her more experienced colleagues.

The Junior Mares Championship was basically a rerun of Friday’s class 2B. All three medals were awarded to three-year-olds from this class: Aisha Al Sheikh (almost unanimous gold), D Najlah and D Raseel. Interestingly, in a way, the Dubai mares are “twins” as they have an identical pedigree: D Seraj – Elle Flamenca / Ajman Moniscione, and they were born just nine days apart. Bronze medallist D Raseel is less known than her titled sister, but she is developing beautifully and we will probably hear more about her quite soon.

In the Senior Mares Championship, the fight for gold took place between AJ Kayya and Bint Hazy Al Khalediah with the former ultimately taking it home. Now she can finally have time-off after an exhausting season, during which she won a total of eight medals of the noblest of colours. One should also keep in mind that she is a two-time World Championship bronze medallist, both as a yearling and a junior mare in 2021-2022. And the bronze was awarded to the well-known in Europe mare Basandra Settimocielo (Ajman Moniscione – MA Scarlet / Hadidi), bred by Maria Annaratone Ferraroni and owned by Ajman Stud. Also Emarella caught the eyes of the judges and their attention as I mentioned earlier, and one of the judges even thought she should win gold.

After three female championships, it was time for the stallions. As in the case of junior mares, among the yearling colts, the fight for medals turned out to be wholly within only one class, 4B. The order was identical as in class: Afreen Al Shaqab – unanimous gold, Aesar Alwajba and Azzaam Al Amal. So there was no surprise, although some of the audience certainly kept their fingers crossed for AB Bandar, who had the same number of points in his class as Azzaam. But oh well, great men’s favours are uncertain as the saying goes, and three votes for silver and two more for bronze were not enough to secure the title of reserve champion.

As we approached the last of the championships, excitement grew. There was no doubt that Baz Aljassimya and Fajer AA would once again face each other in the Junior Stallion Championship. What we didn’t know, however, was who would win what, although it could be assumed that Baz, who was in near-perfect form, had better prospects. And so he did – unanimously – as did Afreen three quarters of an hour earlier. Fajer finished with the bronze medal, and the silver, to the surprise of the audience, went to the little-known but quite intriguing Nesj El Jameel (EKS Farajj – Nesj El Yuliah / Ajman Moniscione), bred by Nesj Arabians and owned by Al Jumail Stud, who won his class by 0.07 points beating STA High Voltaj (Taj Raheem – Rose CME / Lark MCA), bred by Marion and Andreas Maschke and owned by Al Wajba Stud.

Everyone know the saying “to save the best for last”… As in each of the previous championships, the Senior Stallion Championship also boasted a phenomenal group of horses, including the previously mentioned celebrities, each of whom had a chance for triumph and eternal glory. For Dubai Arabian Horse Stud, this was their last chance to win gold – they had already won medals of the other two colours, but not gold, not yet at least. They were in luck! The judges decided that D Seraj was the best and in fact worthy of gold. The fate of the other two medals was uncertain until the very end, because both EKS Farajj and HL El Ganador left their individual classes with an identical score: 93.29, except that Farajj scored better for type, and Ganador higher for movement. Cosmic equilibrium, wouldn’t you say? Ultimately, type narrowly won over movement…

What comes after Paris?

One thing is certain. The attention of the Arabian horse world will shift more strongly to the Middle East. Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates will now enjoy huge interest. Thanks to modern technology, we can always keep up to date with what is happening in every part of the world, even should we have to pull an all-nighter. There will undoubtedly be no shortage of reasons to be thrilled. In our part of the world, life will slow down a bit, as “winter is coming”, although the foaling season is about to begin in a couple of week, so we’ll be experiencing a different excitement altogether at home. And next year, we will meet at the World Championship for the second time ever in history in the Qatari capital of Doha, in a formula never seen before.

Global Champions Arabians Tour took the world of Arabian horse shows by storm. Interest in GCAT was huge from the very beginning, from the moment the series was announced in early December last year, but at the time few people could fathom what was really in store for us. Meanwhile, a year later we got both a sequel in a refined formula and a spin-off on the other side of the Atlantic. What else could one wish for?

The events making up this year’s Global Champions Arabians Tour stirred up emotions from the very start, not only in the Middle East and Europe but all over the world. It was no different in Poland, and some even dreamt of a Polish show under the GCAT banner. For now, this remains a dream. But that’s okay, because at the beginning of December, the organisers made two announcements public that shook the world of purebred horses. Still, let us stay for a short while in…

2024

The first event with GCAT in its name took place just two months after the announcement of the series, and it was the Katara International Arabian Horse Festival – a prestigious event with a world-renowned reputation. For five days in the capital of the State of Qatar, Doha, festival guests had the pleasure of admiring some of the most extraordinary Arabian horses in the world, which did not change until the grand finale. There was also no shortage of horses bred in Poland, such as Michałów-bred Emarella (Sahm El Arab – Emandorella / Eden C), owned by Aljassimya Farm, and Wildona (Shanghai E.A. – Wilda / Gazal Al Shaqab), owned by Hanaya Arabian Stud. The former even won the bronze in the Senior Mares Championship.

Less than three weeks later, the sophomore event in the series took place – this time in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, and at the turn of March and April we were guests in exotic Muscat, the phenomenal capital of the Sultanate of Oman. The following two shows took place around mid-June and mid-July, respectively in the European capital of cinema on the Côte d’Azur, Cannes, and in the cradle of the Longines Global Champions Tour, the highly regarded international horse jumping competition, the Dutch town of Valkenswaard. The last European leg took place at the beginning of September, on the largest chariot racetrack of the ancient world in the Eternal City on the Tiber, Rome. And the recent finale in Riyadh secured for years to come the place of GCAT in the global calendar of events with Arabian horses in the lead role. If one were to sum up these events in two words, one would have to say: brilliant splendour.

The organisers of all seven shows set the bar very high this year. Probably everyone at least once asked themselves questions like “What will they surprise us with in Cannes, Rome or Riyadh?” – anyone, that is, who followed the entire series or took part in any one of the events. Because GCAT, as the organisers emphasised at every turn, was not just about horses! Of course, they play the first fiddle, but apart from them we have an entire extended symphony orchestra in the form of handicrafts, theatre, music and cuisine – from artistic Arabic pottery to neo-baroque Italian opera. Shall we then take a look at what we already know about what awaits us in…

2025

We first got to know the schedule for the second edition of Global Champions Arabians Tour, which will once again take place in the Middle East and Europe, with the first event in half a month, in the first week of January. This time, in the United Arab Emirates, we will meet in Ajman, not Abu Dhabi like last year. Perhaps the organisers are also planning shows in other emirates too in the coming years, such as neighbouring Sharjah?

From there we will go to Doha, then to Muscat and then back to Riyadh. Each time there will be a long enough break to catch our breath of about a month between the shows, all of them taking place at the beginning of the month or the first half of it. Four Arabian episodes in, we’ll cross, just as we did last year, the Mediterranean Sea and we will cheer on our favourites in Cannes (mid-June), Valkenswaard (second half of July), London (mid-August) and Prague (early September).

After these eight events, the series will return to Qatar, where the World Arabian Horse Championships will be held for the second time on December 3-6, 2025, combined with the GCAT finale. Especially for this occasion, the co-organisers have created the GCAT Supreme formula. The final show will be reserved for the victors of the previous shows of the European-Middle Eastern series and the newly created…

GCAT Americas

In case one couldn’t get enough of Global Champions Arabians Tour, they must’ve let out a cry of joy last week. Right after the World Championship, GCAT organisers officially announced the five South and North American shows at an Instagram-streamed press conference at the New World Center in Miami Beach, with their own Atlantic rankings but the same values, including, of course, a strong emphasis on integrity, culture, and tradition.

“The launch of the Americas circuit represents a bold step forward for GCAT. It’s a testament to the growing global appreciation for Arabian horses and their unique qualities. We are thrilled to bring this celebration of excellence to the Americas and build lasting connections across continents.” This is what Faleh Al Nasr, Chairman of Global Champions Arabians Tour, said about GCAT Americas during the press conference.

GCAT Americas will be inaugurated in the second half of February, between the shows in Doha and Muscat, in Scottsdale, Arizona. This place is well-known to Arabian horse enthusiasts, including those from Poland. It was here that Perfirka in 2016 and her daughter Perfinka in 2024 won the titles of Senior Champion Mare, both hailing from Białka Stud. And it was here that the unrivalled Pogrom bred in Janów Podlaski successfully reached for the title of Senior Champion Stallion.

The American Arabians Tour will then move to Miami Beach, Florida. The date of this show is not yet known. It will probably take place between the events in Riyadh and Cannes (or St. Tropez, the final decision on which of these coastal cities on the French Riviera the show will take place in hasn’t been made yet), which would suggest late April, but we will have to wait for confirmation from GCAT on that.

From there, we will cross the Caribbean Sea as the middle part of GCAT Americas is to take place in São Paulo. Formula 1 fans may know the city as the birthplace of Felipa Massa, but it is primarily the cultural capital of Brazil, and the Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo attracts South American classical music fans no less than the Musikverein and the Vienna Philharmonic. This part of GCAT is scheduled for the first half of July, a week before Valkenswaard.

Then, a week after the show in London, we will move to the Canadian state of Manitoba, thus remaining within the Commonwealth of Nations. The Canadian leg of GCAT will take place in a city little known on our side of the Atlantic, although with an interesting history. The city of Brandon lies on the prairie on the Assiniboine River, which played a large role in the Canadian fur trade, which European colonists took over from the indigenous people of America. At one time, the fur trade even financed the Christianisation of present-day Canada, and the Jesuits, among others, made money from it.

The GCAT Americas finale will be hosted in the world’s capital of gambling, Las Vegas. But this city has also long been associated with purebred horses, and Polish-bred horses have achieved much success here. Perhaps the greatest of these is the Breeders Cup won in 2009 by Michałów Stud thanks to two marvellous mares: Emandoria and Embra. They won the Senior Mare Championship and Reserve Championship then. In any case, there will be a small problem with the American finale… as it is scheduled for the very same weekend as next year’s All Nations Cup in Aachen

At the Miami Beach press conference, Cindy McGown, CEO GCAT Americas, highlighted the significance of bringing the GCAT formula to the Americas: “The Arabian horse has a deep-rooted legacy here in the Americas, and GCAT’s presence will only amplify the admiration and respect these remarkable animals deserve. This Tour is a unique opportunity to unite communities through the shared passion for these extraordinary horses and their incredible stories.”

Coming back now to the Qatari GCAT Supreme, for which we have to wait almost an entire year, the winners of all GCAT shows in both Americas are also invited to the capital of Qatar. Considering the wealth of local breeding and pedigrees that are exotic from our Eurocentric perspective, next year promises to be very interesting.

When a new series of events for Arabian horses titled Global Champions Arabians Tour was announced a year ago, few expected that the individual stages would be organised on such a grand scale. Obviously, no one had the slightest doubt about the quality of the horses we would see over the year, but the setting of each event had to surprise and satisfy even the most demanding guests of Arabian horse shows. The GCAT finale in the capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was nothing more than a testament to brilliance and splendour.

After the seventh and final leg of Global Champions Arabians Tour, the 2024 series is over. The series started in early February in Doha, the capital of the State of Qatar, from where it moved to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates that same month. From the Persian Gulf, at the turn of March and April, we moved to the Gulf of Oman to Muscat, the capital of Oman, after which we said goodbye to the Arabian Peninsula for over six months and flew across the Mediterranean to Western Europe. In June, the series visited Cannes on the Côte d’Azur, in July popped in to Valkenswaard in the southern Netherlands, and in September we celebrated the beauty of purebred horses in Rome. In mid-November, we returned to the Arabian Peninsula and witnessed the grand finale in Riyadh. Enough chronology. Let’s focus on the common denominators of these events.

Polish accents

Although GCAT did not visit Poland this year, there were quite a few Polish accents at each stage of the cycle. For a long time, there were two “graduates” of Michałów Stud in the female ranking: Emarella (Sahm El Arab – Emandorella / Eden C), owned by Aljassimya Farm, who won medals in Doha and Muscat, and Wildona (Shanghai EA – Wilda / Gazal Al Shaqab), owned by Hanaya Arabian Stud. Polish private-bred horses were also present at GCAT; in Brabant, among the older stallions, one could see Calateon (Vitorio TO – Calatea / Ekstern), bred by Marek Kondrasiuk and owned by C&S Arabians.

Polish judges were also present at each of the seven events, and each time there were two of them: Alicja Poszepczyńska, Anna Stefaniuk, Anna Stojanowska, Jerzy Białobok, Łukasz Goździalski and Tomasz Tarczyński. Furthermore, each of the invited judges from Poland judged at least twice, and there was also Jerzy “George” Zbyszewski who represented the US as a judge. And there’s more. The official photographer of the entire series was Ewa Imielska-Hebda. Also among the presenters, one could find Paweł Kozikowski, well-known to Polish fans of Arabians, who in Riyadh showed, among others, the French-bred stallion Wortex Kalliste (Shanghai EA – Mirwanah Kalliste / Marwan Al Shaqab), bred by Kalliste Arabians and owned by Ahmed Althumairi, as well as Jurij Samoilenko, who showed in the Netherlands horses from the stables of GT Arabians and the Grabów nad Pilicą Arabian Horse Stud.

Culture and traditions that go beyond horses

The mission of Global Champions Arabians Tour, according to the announcements of the creators of this series from a year ago, was to promote not only the beauty of purebred Arabians but also the traditions of each of the countries in which the series was to take place. The organisers took that pledge to heart and guests attending the shows, both on the Arabian Peninsula and in Europe, could enjoy art, craftsmanship, music and even avant-garde theatrical performances in between classes and championships. Caterers, in turn, did their best to surprise guests with extraordinary culinary experiences.

For example, anyone who has ever been to Arab countries must have come across popular drinks served hot or chilled in this part of the world. And something just like that awaited thirsty guests of the event in Riyadh, where the temperature in November rarely drops below 25°C when the sun is up. The names of the individual blends reflected the ambience of the show: “Sahara Night” (black grapes, blueberries and cloves), “Emerald Oasis” (lemonade with kiwi and spearmint), hayyak (rose water lemonade with pomegranate juice), jizani (mango, oranges, sweet pepper and chilli flakes). The cherry on top? On tables decorated with ice sculptures in the shapes of horses, one could find both fresh and candied fruit, while fans of cinema could try spiced popcorn.

The artistic programme was also beyond sumptuous. The military orchestra officially welcomed the guests on the first evening, and the orchestra, consisting of musicians playing classical and Arabic instruments, said farewell to the guests. Moreover, the orchestra closing the show was accompanied by an illuminated drone show, which in the cloudless Riyadh sky formed intricate patterns, including a running horse and the Global Champions Arabians Tour logo. Then the orchestra was surrounded by a galloping group of equestrians in traditional Saudi robes. In the middle of the closing ceremony, there was a fireworks show, which was undoubtedly an attraction (and a surprise) also for the residents of Riyadh. At the end, the winner of the “Horse of the Tour” title, AJ Kayya (AJ Kafu – Aja Caprice / EKS Alihandro), led by Glenn Schoukens, ran into the ring, having previously won the Senior Mare Gold Medal at each of the seven GCAT stages. The winner of the perfect GCAT score and her owners from Ajman Stud, headed by Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid Al Nauimi, were personally presented with the award by Prince Abdullah bin Fahd bin Abdullah Al Saud, Chairman of the Saudi Arabian Equestrian Federation and Chairman of the committee organising the show in Riyadh. But we shall return to the winners later.

Crème de la crème

The comeback of GCAT to the Arabian Peninsula meant the return of classes with more than 10 horses. While we are more accustomed to the slightly intimate classes that dominate shows in Europe, in Arab countries it is not uncommon for classes of up to 20 horses to be shown. In 16 classes, we saw a total of 204 horses out of 237 entered for the show, which is an average of 13 horses per class. For comparison, at this year’s All Nations Cup in Aachen, the largest class of 4-6-year-old mares had 14 entries and only 11 horses were presented.

Returning to Riyadh, what a shame and pity that we did not see in the 11-year-old and older stallions class the stallions Equator (QR Marc – Ekliptyka / Ekstern), bred by Michałów Stud Farm and owned by Abdulaziz Saleh Alrajhi, and EKS Alihandro (Marwan Al Shaqab – OFW Psylhouette / Padrons Psyche), bred by Willy Brown and owned by Abdulaziz bin Ahmad Al Saud, who were unfortunately absent. Undoubtedly, both the class and the championship that followed with their participation would have looked completely different! But let’s move on to the championships.

The yearlings of Riyadh

In the yearling fillies and colts classes held on Wednesday, 13th November, the would-be medal winners entered the championships from the first places, and deservedly so. In the Yearling Fillies Championship, Sultana Al Thamer (Dominic M – Weaam Al Jassim / Emerald J) from Al Thamer Stud took gold, although it was not her highest-scoring performance. She received 91.64 points from the judges – more or less in the middle of what she could, as she scored 91.07 in Cannes and 92.21 in Valkenswaard. The debutant Marwaa Alaoon (Hilal Alkhalediah – Marsoulat Alkhalediah), bred by Mhummed Altmmi and owned by Abdullah Alotaibi, won the silver medal, while the bronze medal went to another debutant Sandi RS (Ghaith Al Zobair – ZG Iklil / BS Raeed), bred and owned by Fahad Al-Khanfari Al-Qahtani.

It was similar among the yearling colts, with the first two medals won by both class winners. Afreen Al Shaqab (D Mezyan – Siwar Al Shaqab / SMA Magic One) from Al Shaqab Stud won gold, silver went to D Borkan (FA El Rasheem – D Ajayeb / RFI Farid) from Dubai Arabian Horse Stud, and bronze to Sinan Al Bahya (AJ Redan – AJ Saray / Marwan Al Shaqab), bred by Ajman Stud and owned by Abdullah Alotaibi. Let’s focus for a moment on the bronze medalist. He appeared at GCAT for the second time this year, as he made his debut in Muscat. Although he qualified for the championship also then, in March he performed much worse than two weeks ago. Kudos to the team of trainers for preparing him for the show, improving his condition, and helping him grow into a magnificent showhorse. And now let’s get back to the silver colt from Dubai. His score of 93.29 points was the second-highest on the first day of the finale, and above all his best in the entire series. His previous record was 92.93 from GCAT Abu Dhabi, and if he hadn’t “fooled around” while trotting, his score might have been even higher. It doesn’t change the fact that he won the GCAT 2024 stallion ranking and the Best Male award went to him.

The juniors of Saudi Arabia

At the end of the first day of the show, both classes of two-year-old mares were also held. Shahbrys HVP (Royal Aasad – Rebecca HVP / Magnum Chall HVP), bred by Agropecuaria Vila Dos Pinheiros and owned by Turki Alothman, despite a great performance in her class and a high score, won no medal during Saturday’s championships. Gold went to Shahalel Al Shaqab (Na-Mous Al Shahania – Siwar Al Shaqab / SMA Magic One) from Al Shaqab Stud, who won twenties across the board in class for type as well as head and neck, which gave her 93.50 points. It was her triumphant return to the GCAT ring after the massive premiere in Doha, where she was also awarded gold. No wonder, because led by Raphael Curti on a loose rope she charmed with her allure and calmness, never losing her spirit until the end, and when the judges were all done, a proverbial grin from ear to ear emerged on the presenter’s face. Silver and bronze medals went to two three-year-olds from Dubai Arabian Horse Stud, who showed themselves on Thursday, 14th November: D Najlah (D Seraj – Elle Flamenca / Ajman Moniscione) and D Sanayen (Wortex Kalliste – D Seeneyyah / FA El Rasheem). The first of them repeated the feat of Shahalel, winning all twenties for type and head and neck, but showed worse in movement, while the second had the best movement, for which she received a couple of twenties from the judges.

Both classes of junior stallions, i.e. two- and three-year-olds, took place on the second day of the show, on Thursday. Saturday’s championship was primarily a duel between two two-year-old stallions: D Shakhar (D Shakhat – D Shamkah / FA El Rasheem) from Dubai (92.43 points) and LR Anselmo (RFI Unique – LL Almudena / Bey Shahdow TGS), bred by Estancia Las Rosas and owned by Al Wajba Stud (92.29 points). Ultimately, the gold went to the latter, who, although he’d received 0.14 points less, simply proved to be a better mover. The bronze medal was a surprise because it was awarded to the horse that only came third in the three-year-old class, Adhm Sarm (Royal Asad – Bandahleeza ZB / Emerald J) from Sarm Stud. The intensely black Saudi colt is a show veteran on the Arabian Peninsula, and while his score wasn’t the highest, what immediately struck anyone who had the pleasure of seeing him was his self-confidence and his remarkably natural ease. Glenn Schoukens knew exactly how to bring out the best in him, and so this pair of dapper gentlemen won the bronze medal with effortless grace.

Seniors worthy of a Kingdom

Thursday evening and Friday afternoon, 15th November, were marked by senior mares and stallions, and purebred stars and celebrities ran into the ring time and again. Some of them came to Riyadh to fight for medals, titles and places in the ranking, such as the aforementioned AJ Kayya, Basandra Settimocielo (Ajman Moniscione – MA Scarlet / Hadidi), bred by Maria Annaratone Ferraroni and owned by Ajman Stud, or E.S. Harir (AJ Dinar – TF Magnums Magic / Magnum Psyche) from Al Saqran Arabian Horse Stud. Others came to “stir up trouble”, make changes in the rankings, or prove their position as archmasters in the world of Arabians, such as Xxpectations (Excalibur EA – MC Psynammon / Psymadre), bred by Families Butler & Collins and owned by Khalid Alroweidan, or Alexxanderr (Excalibur E.A. – AR Most Irresistible / ML Mostly Padron), bred by Frances Butler & Brandi Carson and owned by Khalid Alsayed.

In the Senior Mares Championship, AJ Kayya won the gold medal for the seventh time in a row, giving her 140 points in the mare ranking, the most perfect of all scores that no one else came close to. The second-best mare D Najlah had 128 points, and the best of the stallions D Borkan “a mere” 122. Her success was determined by a great performance, a full set of twenties for type and head and neck, exceptional movement and stunning charisma. The silver medal was awarded to Basandra Settimocielo, who could boast one of the highest marks for movement (although not half as perfect as SMG Ivana (Elle Narcisse – SMG Idaliha / Magic Magnifique), bred by Smedgårdens Arabstuteri and owned by Khalid Alotaibi, who received a full set of twenties for flawless movement, the absolute best of all horses in Riyadh). The bronze medal went to the aforementioned Xxpectations, who was something of a revelation or epiphany at GCAT – the debutant easily and gracefully won the 7-10-year-old mares class in the final part of the series with a score of 92.29 points.

On Friday evening in Riyadh, stallions ruled supreme, the best of which we saw in the championship on Saturday evening. Many “new faces” entered by Saudi breeders showed up in the classes, with many of their big boys presenting themselves in a fashion way beyond decent. Other stallions were extremely pleasant surprises, including the 2019 European Champion, Wortex Kalliste. Ultimately, Alexxanderr, who had not been seen at GCAT since the event in Qatar, reached for gold. In class, he had only twenties for type and head and neck, some of the highest marks for body and legs, and showed what it means to move. Also here, Raphael Curti didn’t even bother to hide his smile. With such unexpected competition, E.S. Harir, visibly tired after numerous shows and travelling from one continent to another in a short time, was left with a silver medal. Although it was already known after Rome that he would not be first in the male ranking, he had had a chance for second place immediately after D Borkan, but “only silver” this time made him drop to 4th place. In any case, he undoubtedly gained a group of ardent fans, which in itself is a huge success. Third in the championship was Amaar (RFI Farid – Adiya / WH Justice), bred by Al Juman Stud and owned by Sheikh Hamad Falah Al-Thani, a stallion last seen at GCAT in Oman. Shown in class by Giacomo Capacci, he was second-best immediately after Alexxanderr.

Mustaqbal means future

What awaits us in the future? A week after the finale in Riyadh, registrations launched for the opening event of the 2025 series in Ajman in the United Arab Emirates. A total of nine shows are planned for next year, including in new locations: London and Prague. The organisers will certainly surprise us many more times with both their unique take on national traditions and additional attractions. The fact that they set the bar very high for themselves this year works against them. But as we know, fortune favours the bold, so we can’t wait to see what mustaqbal brings.

Two years ago, we came up with a plan: let’s foster a growth mindset amongst Polish Arabian horse breeders. Sounds neat, doesn’t it? By then the wheels had already been set in motion to transform the Polish Arabian Horse Breeders Association into a “public benefit organisation” – this would grant us tax exemptions or free-of-charge access to public media, but first and foremost it would enable us to better educate the public about purebred Arabians and would make our charity work a lot easier. At the end of 2023, PAHBA was granted the status of PBO and it did in fact change a lot for us. For the better.

A lot has changed in recent years. First, the new Board of the Polish Arabian Horse Breeders Association were elected which turned out to be a game-changer. Headed by Mateusz Leniewicz-Jaworski who is backed-up by Tomasz Tarczyński, Magdalena Helak-Kulczyńska, Marek Błaszkiewicz and Łukasz Goździalski, the Association started growing again, gaining new members and conquering new fields of activity. The biggest institution in Poland that nurtures the prosperity of state studs and private breeders alike also implemented a new social media and communications policy that would help PAHBA better promote Polish horses around the world, highlighting the successes and vision of their breeders. All that with no support from the central government or agricultural agencies, and financed solely from our members’ annual premiums and generous support of our friends.

A new chapter is open

Our first course took place at the turn of September and October 2023, and you could say it was one of the final items on the checklist to become a PBO. Earlier that year, we organised a highly successful charity auction for Przyjazny Dom during the All-Polish Arabian Horse Championship in Tarnów. “The Friendly House”, that’s what the name of that institution means in Polish, is a foster home for local kids. It took us half an hour to raise 17,250€ after the final championship-qualifying class had ended. Our members, the Rzepka Family who own Klikowa Arabians, then invited the kids to their stables to show them Arabian horses up close. This year, we repeated the auction and raised 20.500€ for Słoneczny Dom, or “The Sunny House”, another local foster home, and we will continue to support kids this way in the years to come.

The 2023 edition of the All-Polish Arabian Horse Championship was a success too. Pre-COVID, this show had been organised by Stanisław Redestowicz in Radom. It was a popular National B-show that brought together a large part of the Polish Arabian community for a laid-back weekend of fun spent in good company. It was ambitious and risky to stage a revival of a show that people loved, but already in ancient Rome people knew that “Fortune favours the bold”. And speaking of favours, fate was in our favour – there can be no doubt about that…

One of the judges at that show was Bérengère Fayt of Faber Arabians, a well-known and accomplished breeder and judge with incredible insight into the purebred Arabian horse. When she’s not judging and looking after her horses, she travels the world as a mentor and teacher to fellow breeders. This year, she was a guest of honour at the first-ever Arabian horse show in Slovenia organised by our friends from Vineyard Arabians, the Vrančič Family.

Make hay while the sun shines

In 2023 after the show in Tarnów, we invited Bérengère to share her knowledge, experience, and passion with Polish breeders. Come autumn, we met in Grabów nad Pilicą Arabian Horse Stud. It was the first of our courses after we’d opened a new chapter in the history of our Association. The DC & Judging Course and Breeding Seminar, at which Bérengère together with Tomasz Tarczyński, Farhang Fazeli and Mariusz Liśkiewicz were instructors, was a triumph. Several people who participated have already finished their probation as judges and will soon become judges in their own right, others chose the path of DCs. And we’re proud of them.

We were still new to this even though years ago the Association did organise similar courses. Still, in a new reality, nothing ever is as simple as one would wish. But we realised it would’ve been pointless to rest on our laurels, because we had just identified an almost insatiable hunger for knowledge! So we continued our efforts looking for the most interesting teachers we could find.

As we all know, Arabians are not just show horses. They are both beautiful and BRAVE. That’s why so many of us go to races, participate in endurance competitions, or dabble in amateur sports – leisure, fun, pleasure (and every now and then, a little gambling). It was then only logical that we organise a dressage course. We invited Agnieszka Kolek-Kowieska, a graduate of Janów Podlaski Stud and accomplished rider who has won countless awards with her horses, to play the part of sensei at our next course. She accepted and last spring she coached a group of young equestriennes in the arcane art of dressage. Some of them, you could later see participating – and winning! – at the European Championship for Arabian Sport Horses in Wiener Neustadt or at the All Nations Cup in Aachen. Education for the win, literally.

Next came the ECAHO DC Course which preceded the 2024 All-Polish Arabian Horse Championship. Here the teachers were Janet Court and Dr Nils Ismer, and it was the first time the Association organised an international teaching experience. We had students not only from Poland, but also Italy, Denmark, even Kuwait and Australia! But this time, the course was a lot more complex and tough, as the practical part lasted two days. That’s right: two days in the scorching sun labouring as disciples of Janet, Nils and Farhang who joined them to help them get a massive group of followers under control. Once again, we were pleased to hear two magic words that Janet spoke with a broad smile on her face after the show: “Everyone passed”.

Aim for the stars

The news that the Polish Arabian Horse Breeders Association organises international courses for breeders and professionals working in the purebred industry seems to be travelling far and wide. This autumn, back by popular demand, we put together another Judging Course and Breeding Seminar, this time at Klikowa Arabians. We had 25 students from all over Poland, but also from Iran and a delegation from our fellow Arabian horse breeders association from Sweden, Svenska Arabhästföreningen. Those were two very intense days, packed with so much knowledge that even though we started in the morning, it took us until the early evening to cover the entire curriculum.

Even the list of teachers was quite impressive: Scott Benjamin, Allan Preston, Kathleen Ohlsson, Antonia Bautista, Łukasz Goździalski and Tomasz Tarczyński. By the way, when is the last time you had six lecturers and instructors take you on an educational journey to the realm of Arabians over a mere weekend? If you’re thinking it must have been a crazy experiment on our part, you’d be right. But as we’ve said ourselves a couple of paragraphs above “audentes Fortuna iuvat”.

We began with the most rudimentary of fundamentals, going as far back in history as 50 million years, all the way to the fox-sized forest-dwelling cute Eohippus. We covered the basic anatomy of modern horses, analysing all major body parts one by one, sometimes in excruciating detail, and still the students would ask questions. We discussed the purebred Arabian type, how and where this majestic breed evolved, most frequent and commonplace posture defects, faults and deficiencies, all four correct gaits, some of the most famous Arabians that roamed the global show stage over the past several decades, but also how to score, how to judge, what to look for in horses and why. It took us “only” 18 hours to do that and our teachers were gracious enough to answer all questions and dispel any doubts their students might have in a very thorough manner, for instance taking them step by step through the process of judging.

What the students also loved, and I’m not afraid to use that word, are the private, at times almost intimate, insights that our six mentors shared with them. Kathleen, Antonia and Łukasz told them their life stories, how they discovered Arabian horses, their first adventures in the world of purebred Arabians, their dreams and ambitions from the time when they were kids and teen – and how it impacted their decisions as adults. They spoke of their successes, mistakes, the horses they were proud of, what they personally look for in horses. They shared something of a more intangible nature that you simply won’t find in any textbook. And whenever they would share those special memories, you could see how the room fell silent, everyone taking in every little word spoken.

After all that, came the practical part. Whoever thought judging was easy was ruthlessly proven wrong. Maybe not ruthlessly, but stripped of any illusions judging is not a challenge nonetheless. The Rzepka Family hand-picked several horses from their stables, among them Prometeusz, the handsome son of Pianissima by FA El Shawan. Equipped in various scorecards, the longest of which had 24 items to be evaluated, the students got to work. The mock classes were followed by a mock championship, so they could test their skills to the fullest extent and after they were done, they returned all their scorecards to Tomasz Tarczyński. What followed was a written open-book exam – again, not as easy as it may sound. If one hadn’t been paying attention, well… you know the rest. Nevertheless, from what I was told, it looks like we are going to have some new probationer judges at European shows, so job well done!

More in store

Education is one of the Associations statutory objectives and we take it very seriously. This hunger for knowledge is not going away and even the best videos are not going to replace a real-life course during which you can freely interact with teachers, colleagues and fellow breeders. Next year, we will continue organising courses and everyone is invited – no matter where you’re from, come and learn with us.

And make sure to save the date 5-6 July 2025! The success of the two editions of the All-Polish Arabian Horse Championship in Tarnów as a B National show prompted us to once again refine the formula. Next year, there will be two back-to-back shows in the former city of the princely Sanguszko Family: B International and European. We shan’t tell you more now, however, we are certain this will be major Arabian horse event strategically organised between the two continental European legs of GCAT 2025. We hope to see many horses from all over Europe and farther corners of the world, and we count on you to enter the best you have in your stables. Have we got a deal?

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About PAHBA

The Polish Arabian Horse Breeders Association was founded on 4th January 1997 by breeders from the state studs in Janów Podlaski, Michałów, Kurozwęki and Białka, as well as private breeders of purebred Arabian horses. Janów Podlaski Stud was then designated as the seat of the Association. Currently, PAHBA has 110 members.

Time doesn’t stand still. Before we knew it, over two weeks had passed since the 40th edition of the All Nations Cup. Have the emotions subsided? Not necessarily – appetite comes with eating, and since the Polish Nationals in Janów Podlaski, we have already been to the Interup show in Prague and the All Nations Cup in Aachen. This means that the European Championships are fast approaching, this year in Lier, Belgium, but ere we visit Flanders, let’s stop for a moment in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Let’s NOT start with horses though

Each of us encountered the name Aquisgranum quite early in primary school during history lessons while discussing the early Middle Ages. Every child well prepared for a quiz knows that this was the capital of Regnum Francorum, the Kingdom of the Franks, where Charlemagne performed a miracle, legally resurrecting the Roman Empire. However, before Pepin the Short, the son of the most outstanding European majordomo Charles Martel and the ambitious father of Charlemagne, fell in love with the local thermal springs and whose son was crowned Emperor of the Romans by Pope Leo III, a lot happened in the territory of the current state of Nordrhein-Westfallen…

The first settlement in these areas dates back to times of the Celts. Local Celtic tribes left numerous burial mounds here, several dozen of which were discovered at the beginning of the last century. It is possible that already then, at the turn of the Bronze and Iron Ages, the locals were able to appreciate the health properties of hot sulfur springs. Perhaps they even worshiped their god of health, Granos (or Granus), to which the ancient Romans referred when they named their newly founded colony Aquae Granni. The spa properties of local springs are still popular today, and some older Germans call their city Bad Aachen, which means nothing less than Aachen-Spa.

Anyone who comes to Aachen and does not devote even a moment to the city, limiting themselves only to their hotel and the show, will miss a lot. Cathedral of St. Saint Mary, Mother of God is the burial place not only of Charlemagne himself, but also of Otto III, “a friend to the Polanian State”, who in the year 1000 came to Gniezno on a pilgrimage to the grave of St. Adalbert of Prague, martyr and missionary to the Prussians. In the neoclassical Elisenbrunnen pavilion you can taste sulfuric curative water, while a bike ride aroudn the city will also allow you to discover two preserved medieval city gates, of which there were originally four. The city can also boast a very interesting offer of pubs and restaurants.

Despite such a rich history and tradition, Aachen is increasingly associated with horses, not Carolingians. No wonder, considering the fact that horse shows and equestrian competitions under the banner of CHIO, i.e. Concours Hippique International Officiel, have been organized here for exactly 100 years. These four letters hide an extremely prestigious event combining jumping, dressage, driving, eventing and even vaulting… For over four decades, one of the most recognizable purebred Arabian horse shows has been held here – the stage on which Polish horses have won the some of the most important titles more than once.

Now about horses

At the end of September, the weather this year was not too kind to those visiting Aachen. For three days we were accompanied by unpleasant, strong winds, passing rains and even one powerful cloudburst with hail. There were as many as 27 horses out of 118 entered in this year’s All Nations Cup catalog with the suffix PL attached to them. All you need to do is perform a simple mathematical operation to know that horses of Polish breeding, Polish ownership or our breeding and ownership accounted for as much as 23% of the all those entered. Ultimately, as happens at every show, fewer of them danced in front of the judges, but they still formed a large group. In the stables you could meet another Polish mare, who, together with her owner, took part in sports competitions co-creating the Arabian horse festival, which is undoubtedly the All Nations Cup.

Aachen for beginners

As at almost every major European show, we didn’t have to wait long for Polish-bred horses. The third to perform in front of the gathered audience, in the first of two classes of yearling fillies, was the bay Ghaila AO (Morion – Ginevra / AJ Mardan), bred and owned by Adam Ochman (Polia Arabians), shown by Paweł Kozikowski. It was only the third show of this young, extremely charming filly, and after a successful performance in Prague at the end of August, where she won the bronze medal in the European Yearling Mare Championships, the stress of showing in a loud arena could have affected her here. After all, events organized at the Chuchle Arena hippodrome have a calmer atmosphere and take place outdoors, which means that many horses look completely different. Ultimately, the filly took fifth place in the class and did not enter the championship competition.

From an All Nations Cup perspective, it was a short day. It started just after 2 p.m., and by 5 p.m. it was all over. We saw two classes of yearling fillies, two classes of junior Straight Egyptian mares as part of the 5th edition of the ANC Straight Egyptians Specific Origin Show, and finally two classes of yearling colts. And the last of the classes held that day was the most spectacular from a purely Polish perspective.

Mateusz Tokarski and Comoros (HL El Ganador – Cedora / Kahil Al Shaqab), bred and owned by Janów Podlaski Stud, participated in this class. Mateusz left the warm-up arena calm and focused, unlike his playful companion, who was clearly in a good mood. Only after a while did he gain the presenter’s focus, which did not leave him until the end of the class. When they returned to the ring after a few minutes to make an individual presentation, Comoros showed a beautiful trot with a high-set tail. A subtle gesture from the Emirati ringmaster was enough for the pair to return to the preparation ring after the standing presentation. The judges assessed their performance very well, even awarding four 20s for movement, which gave him 91.83 points and first place in class, and therefore participation in Sunday’s championship. We couldn’t have dreamed of a better ending to the first of three days in Albert-Vahle-Halle.

Youth is a gift of nature…

Saturday morning brought another great portion of emotions. The first class of the day, i.e. two-year-old fillies, began with Artur Łojowski entering the ring, leading the grey Wildonara (Paris – Wildona / Shanghai E.A.) from Michałów Stud with a steady step. She is this year’s Polish National Junior Champion Mare. After a while, Mateusz Tokarski and the bay Ebonita (Haash OSB – Etruzja / Pogrom) from Janów Podlaski Stud, last year’s Junior Spring Show Yearling Champion from Białka, were the second to appear before the judges on the ring. Also absent from the class was Janów’s Wencedora (Haash OSB – Wiga / Om El Bellissimo), this year’s Junior Champion Mare from Białka. How did the first two fare?

Wildonara was extremely calm even when trotting and had a delicate aura of aristocratic haughtiness around her. Although this is probably only the impression of a viewer standing to the side. Undoubtedly well prepared, she was fully focused on following the presenter’s instructions. He was so focused on his work that he didn’t even notice when, at the beginning of the presentation, one of the judges stood half a step behind him, carefully looking at the front legs of the presented mare. The Dutch judge, Robbie den Hartog, was not disturbed by even the presenter’s whip, which hung in the air less than 30 cm from his ear. Wildonara finished the class with 91.42 points and advanced to the championship from second place. It is worth adding that the class winner, Dubai’s D Aserah (AJ Nofan – D Shihanah / FA El Rasheem), a young Middle Eastern multi-medalist, had only 0.04 points more.

The judges were less generous when assessing Ebonita, whose performance, although successful and scored 90.21 points, did not show all her assets or beauty in movement. Remembering her from other shows, for example last year’s European Championships, where she even received a twenty for type, or this year’s trip to Białka for the Junior Mare bronze, where she finished with a score of 91.63 points, one can assume that it was not her day. She finished her debut at the All Nations Cup as fifth in her class.

There was also a Polish accent in the next class: the two-year-old colts. Here we saw the colt Monarchio (RFI Farid – Minerwina / Kahil Al Shaqab), bred by Wojciech Parczewski and owned by Bogdan Maślanka, who is also his trainer and handler. The young Monarchio has managed to get us used to the fact that he usually performs better abroad than on the domestic arena. The bronze medal for junior stallions at the Dutch Eurozone Cup show and the gold medal won at the Czech episode of the Emirates Arabian Horse Global Cup in Prague gave hope for a place in the top five in the class. However, as his guardians said: he had other plans for that day and took a high sixth place. However, there are rumors from the Primastella Stable that the bay two-year-old has not yet said his last word.

In the three-year-old mares class, we again saw two competitors in red and white colors. First, the bay Bianca of Sinus (Fadi Al Shaqab – Ballena / Kahil Al Shaqab), bred in the Swedish Sinus Arabian Stud, currently owned by Polia Arabians, won the hearts of the judges and the audience, shown by Paweł Kozikowski. Her efforts brought the expected result and she received even two 20s from the judges for movement, but it was not enough to enter the championship and she finished the class in 4th place with 91.96 points.

The grey Abellia (Magic Magnifique – Axara / Kahil Al Shaqab), bred by Janów and owned by Flaxman Arabians, had similar “bad luck”, and these are the rules governing shows. Mateusz Tokarski showed her, thanks to which the mare could boast easy movement. And although she did her best, her high marks, including 20 for movement, turned out to be insufficient. The total number of points of 91.25 gave her only sixth place. Moreover, in the later female classes, the competition was even more fierce…

… but age is a work of art

Saturday afternoon marked the beginning of the death classes and that is not an exaggerated description. In just one class of 4-6-year-old mares, the catalog included as many as five representatives of Poland, Polish breeding or ownership: Babetta, D Leen, Echo Anastazja, Mamma Mia and El Medida. This year’s bronze medalists of senior mares from the Global Champions Arabians Tour in Rome and the Polish National Show in Janów, i.e. D Leen (D Seraj – D Maha / Eden C), bred by Dubai Arabian Horse Stud and owned by Lubochnia Arabians, and El Medida (Morion – El Medara) / Shanghai E.A.) from Michałów, were, however, withdrawn, which still meant that three fourths of the class were Polish mares.

The first Polish mare to appear was Babetta (Emerald J – Belinda / Kahil Al Shaqab) from the Janów stables, currently owned by Flaxman Arabians, shown by Koen Hennekens. Like each of the eleven pairs in this class, they had a successful performance, for which they received 91.50 points from the judges. Unfortunately, this result gave them only 6th place, despite four 20s for movement and decently high other scores.

Immediately after them, Paweł Kozikowski and the divine Echo Anastazja (Psyche Keret – Echo Aurora / Eternity Ibn Navarrone-D), bred and owned by Chrcynno-Pałac Stud and the Poszepczyński Family, ran into the arena. And here it’s time for a tear of emotion, because none of the other horses received louder applause this weekend in Aachen. The deafening roar of the Polish part of the audience, whistles and cheers surprised everyone present, and spectators and VIP guests from other countries watched the enthusiastic crowd with a mixture of admiration and horror. The atmosphere also spread to the slightly surprised presenter, who at one point even encouraged Anastazja’s fans with his hand to cheer even louder, which clearly encouraged her and brought a wide smile to Paweł’s face. Anastazja performed equally well in terms of correct conformation in the walk and standing position, which encouraged the judges to give more generous marks. At the very end, probably out of surprise, the line got tangled for a moment around the mare’s front right leg, but the experienced handler quickly dealt with it. The whistles and applause continued as the couple made their way down to the warm-up area. What’s more, Christian Moschini, who was sitting out this class, congratulated the couple. Apparently the Italian judge regretted that he could not judge this amazing mare.

How did the judges rate this couple’s performance? Two 20s and three 19.5s for type, a minimum of 19 for head and neck, the highest score of the show for legs and… a set of 20s for movement! When Eric Blaak, the presenter at the show, read the marks for movement again in the Albert-Vahle-Halle, there was a loud but short cheer, which for a moment scared away the mare D Jooreyah, who was present in the ring, for which Paolo Capecci even apologized to the judges. Echo Anastazja received 93.33 points from the judges and no one was able to beat her score, although her competitors did try – to no avail. She was led to the decorations from the warm up arena by an emotional Joanna Wojtecka, and behind them was a slightly dazed – not without a good reason – Paweł, who bowed to the audience with a broad smile on his face.

What comes after delight?

One of those who wanted to catch up or perhaps overtake Echo Anastazja was Mamma Mia (E.S. Harir – VA Magnifica / Magic Magnifique), bred by Tomasz Tarczyński and owned by Hanaya Arabian Stud. Frank Spönle did his best to charm the judges with the multiple gold medalist of the show, but after an excellent performance, which resulted in twenty for type and movement, they had to settle for 3rd place in the class with 92.54 points. It was a really strong class, in which none of the eleven mares had less than 90 points.

It was no different in the 7-10-year-old mares class – each of the presented competitors had over 90 points, and we saw as many as four Polish mares. There would have been five of them, but Platyna NA (Shanghai E.A. – Pantera / Ekstern), bred by Alicja Najmowicz’s Nana Arabians and owned by Hanaya Arabian Stud, was withdrawn. So who showed up?

The first bay was Wieża Orientu (Ganges – Wieża Mocy / QR Marc), bred by Michałów and owned by Flaxman Arabians, shown by Peter Wilms. Despite her age, she is a mare with limited show experience, but she works beautifully with people and gave her neck to Peter even more beautifully, as if under a spell. However, she finished the class in 8th place with 90.04 points.

The Janów-bred dark bay mare Pila (Abyad AA – Piba / Gazal Al Shaqab) did better, finishing her class in 5th place with 91.50 points. Mateusz showed her on a loose rope, without losing control over her for even a second. She repaid him with good humor and unforced obedience, carrying out his orders without stress.

At the end of the class, two Polish mares fought again: Poganinka (El Omari – Pentra / Poganin), bred and owned by Michałów Stud, as the penultimate one, and Wildona (Shanghai E.A. – Wilda / Gazal Al Shaqab), bred by Michałów Stud and owned by Hanaya Arabian Stud, who closed the class. The first one, confidently led by Artur Łojowski, who signaled at the very beginning to limit the applause, showed what he has best: movement. She trotted along in her white socks, and Arthur ran alongside her, smiling. No one had any doubts that the chestnut was in her element. No wonder the first thing the presenter did when she stood still was to pat her tenderly. She gave no less of herself in the standing position, which the judges appreciated with four 20s for movement, 16.5 for legs and one 19.75 for head and neck. With 92.21 points, she finished her class third and entered the championship.

Wildona was the one who tried to take away the highest score of the show from Echo Anastazja, which was attempted by Frank Spönle, who was clearly motivated to ensure that the snow-white mare, wearing the Swiss red and white colors, exceeded the threshold of 93 points. She was also better prepared than a few months earlier in Bruges. The judges deservedly awarded her four 20s for type and movement, but she was exactly a quarter of a point behind her biggest competitor!

In the last class of 11-year-old and older mares, we again had someone to cheer for. Two distinguished ladies of Polish origin, currently playing for the Belgian team, met there: Pustynna Noc (WH Kaneko – Pustynna Rosa / Ekstern), from by the Nida River and owned by Budhen’s Stud, and Euzona (Om El Bellissimo – Euzetia / Etogram), from by the Bug River and jointly owned by Elizar Arabians and Sea Horse. At the end of the class, the Michałów-bred Emandilla (Om El Shahmaan – Espadrilla / Monogramm) appeared in front of Polish and international fans.

The successes of Pustynna Noc may still come as a surprise to many. When Michałów Stud sold her a few years ago at the Summer Sale auction to Flaxman Arabians, no one expected that she would be a show mare. But Nathalie de Haes and her family noticed that “something” in her, and this year Ekstern’s flea-bitten granddaughter caught the wind and is doing great at shows. Let two silver medals at the Bruges Arabian Horse Event and the Elran Arabian Cup and a gold medal at the West Coast Cup speak for themselves. In Aachen, she was shown by Tom Schoukens, thanks to which she was relaxed, although perhaps excited about performing in an indoor arena, something she had not experienced during previous performances. This had a small impact on the scores from the judges, who nevertheless assessed her very honestly, awarding her three 20s for lightness and freedom of movement, but the 91.67 points she scored gave her only 4th place in her class. Let’s remember that the result that allows you to be in the top five in an Aachen class is already a huge success.

Euzona has been absent from shows for several years. Unsold at the 2022 Pride of Poland Sale, she was sold a year ago in the Flemish Maldegem at the STC Auction to Belgium, therefore she stayed with the Schoukens family for a longer time. She was shown by the second of brothers, Glenn, with whom she managed to score 91.50 points in a difficult class. It was a successful performance, very correct and even – it’s a pity that she didn’t get at least one twenty for her move, but let’s remember that she hasn’t had contact with the ring and the judges examining her from every side and from every angle for a long time. She took 5th place in her class.

Three 20s for movement like those of Pustynna Noc also went to Emandilla, who ran into the main ring in high gear. Applause for Artur Łojowski, who sprinted her full circle, not slowing down even for a second, so that the bay mare could show her flawless trot. In her case, the scores awarded for head and neck might have been disappointing for us, the viewers, but the judges certainly saw more from up close than the VIP fans or the fans from the stands. Ultimately, with a score of 90.96 points, she was 7th in the class, and the viewers could feel a little dissatisfied.

More ladies, less men

Out of a total of 27 horses of Polish breeding and/or ownership, there were as many as 21 mares, including five that were withdrawn. The remaining six consisted of the three colts discussed, one of them absent, one gelding and two stallions. Let’s start with the middle category.

There was also a Polish competitor in the two gelding classes: 6-year-old Passar (Atius O – Perkilla / Al Maraam), bred by Dębno Stud (Adam Lachera) and owned by the Saudi Yas Stud. This year he triumphed at the Dutch Arabian Masters in Tarnów and Ströhen, winning gold, silver and gold again, each time with Paweł Kozikowski. However, the competition in Aachen turned out to be so strong that he finished his class fifth, less than one and a half points behind the winner.

In the first of two senior stallion classes, there were three gentlemen, none of whom scored below 92 points. In this small group of horses, we had the pleasure of seeing the chestnut Pinito (EKS Alihandro – Piniata / Eden C), who was transferred from the Janów stables to Flaxman Arabians a few years ago. He is a show veteran who started his career as a yearling in Białka, but had to wait five years for his first medal and finally caught the wind while working with Peter Wilms. Although he took 2nd place in the class with a score of 92.63 points, and did not win a medal in the championship, it must be given to him that among all ten adult stallions he had the best movement at the All Nations Cup this year – a set of twenties! What’s more, the judges scored his legs the best out of all the horses – five times 16 and one 16.5! And no one will take this away from him.

In the last class, the Janów-bred Paris (Kahil Al Shaqab – Palmeta / Ecaho), currently owned by Adam Ochman’s Polia Arabians, performed. There is something about the fact that Polish horses can boast movement and usually have better legs than their colleagues from other countries… Paris in Aachen scored better than recently in Prague, which was enough for silver there, but here he didn’t really want to show his long neck to the judges and finished 3rd in his class with 92 points, which is still a very good result. There was a chance for 2nd place, immediately after the stallion HL El Ganador, but maybe next time.

Championships for the 40th time in Aachen

A total of eight horses of Polish breeding and/or ownership advanced to the final competition: Comoros, Wildonara, Echo Anastazja, Mamma Mia, Poganinka, Wildona, Pinito and Paris. The titles of champions went to two of them: Wildona and Echo Anastazja in the Senior Mare Championships, both of which first advanced to the finals after very good performances in their classes, which might’ve as well be called “deadly”… If you were there, you saw it!

Maybe it’s not quite a standard solution, but I’ll start with the Senior Mare Championship. Nine mares met there, four of which were Polish-bred. The judges needed the most time in this championship, and a careful observer could have noticed how some of the judges were wandering among the horses with a confused look, trying to choose the best three in their opinion. The fact that the bronze medal for Echo Anastazja was decided by Robbie den Hertog’s single vote for gold shows how incredibly divided their opinions were! Two judges chose Wildona for gold, but she also received two silver and one bronze, so she won silver in the championship. The gold went to the grey D Shahla (Marajj – FT Shaella / Shael Dream Desert), bred and owned by Dubai Arabian Horse Stud.

Now let’s go back to the beginning. The Yearling Mare Championships were dominated by fillies from the Arabian Peninsula. The gold went to the gold medalist of the Global Champions Arabians Tour from Cannes, Durrat Albidayer (Jyar Meia Lua – A Vision MI / Allegiance MI), bred and owned by Albidayer Stud. The silver went to Royal Futurista (AJ Radman – HK Sweet Musique / HDF Lugano), bred by Royal Arabians and owned by Al Wajba Stud. Interestingly, she won bronze at GCAT Cannes. The bronze medal in Aachen went to D Thaw (D Seraj – D Fannanah / Excalibur E.A.) from Dubai Arabian Horse Stud, who was also bronze at the Intercup in Prague recently, and gold at the GCAT show in Rome.

That Comoros had to return to Poland sans medal was indeed a disappointment, as he had the best scores among the yearlings in both male classes. Although five of the seven judges chose him for bronze, it was a few points too little, but for the Polish audience he was still the best yearling colt. The championship gold went to AB Bandar (D Seraj – Priscilla OS / Poseidon OS), bred and owned by Abhaa Arabians. Silver and bronze were won by the sons of the stallion Royal Asad: KH Habs (out of Dhma Alaainah by Wadee Al Shaqab) from Al Khawolid Stud and Ashgar Akmal (out of Akira AS by Titan AS) from Akmal Stud. Each of these three yearlings can boast similar “stage” experience as Comoros, having medals from the title show of the Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Arabian Horse Festival, the Belgian West Coast Cup or the Italian Montefalco in Tour, which makes the Polish Champion’s place off the podium even more painful.

In the Junior Mare Championships, the first gold during the All Nations Cup for Dubai Arabian Horse Stud was won by D Raseel (D Seraj – Elle Flamenca / Ajman Moniscione), a titled three-year-old who was silver in Aachen as a yearling mare. Last year, gold in Menton, this year silver in Aachen – this is how Alawiya Al Sheikh (Shanghai E.A. – Algamra / AJ Portofino) from Al Sheikh Stud ended her adventure in Albert-Vahle-Halle. The judges awarded the bronze to Reef AQ (Ghaith Al Zobair – Shikha Al Jbreen) owned by Hanaya Arabian Stud. As a consolation, we could say that young Wildonara’s honor was saved by her dam, Wildona.

The Junior Stallion Championships were quite exciting. Although no Polish colt appeared in it, the live view of the young and charismatic, already three-year-old Fajer AA (Shanghai E.A. – Fadwa AA / Fadi Al Shaqab), led to victory by the fearless Mussa Nijm, must have made an impression on everyone. And it was this young man from Ariela Arabians who received the noblest medal. He took the silver with him to the stable of RD Rajan (Polidoro FC – RD Quianna / Shanghai E.A.), bred by Rae-Dawn Arabians and owned by Hanaya Arabian Stud. He took gold with him in Valkenswaard, the Netherlands, in the summer. And the chestnut STA High Voltaj (Taj Raheem – Rose SME / Lark RCA) representing Al Wajba Stud won a bronze medal.

We have already discussed the senior mares, so let’s move on to the Senior Stallion Championships. It was no surprise that the gold medal went to Comoros’ sire, the stallion HL El Ganador (HP Shakir TE – Lonco Baby Maria / HP Emir) owned by Hanaya Arabian Stud. The USA-bred Pilatus PCF (Exxalt – Alexandria PCF / PCF Vision), performing in the colors of Amer Stud, took the silver, and the Emirati Sinmar Albidayer (Shanghai E.A. – Salwa Albidayer / Marwan Al Shaqab), currently owned by Xin Wang, won the bronze. The joy of the Chinese team, for whom it was their debut at the All Nations Cup, was enormous and uncontrollable, and it was nice to watch the riot of emotions, from excitement to tears, which they did not hide. This is the first time in the history of the All Nations Cup in Aachen that a horse owned by Chinese breeders won a medal.

Final remarks

The 40th edition of the All Nations Cup was different from the previous ones. The “Straight Egyptian” classes in the 5th edition of the specific origin show were intertwined with the classes of the title show, also in the championships. The German Championship had its final on Saturday between younger and older horses at the All Nations Cup. In the background there was an outdoor riding class that seemed to be known only to riders and horsewomen and their families and friends. One element had not changed for years. The music played at the opening of each class, and here the opinions are usually extremely divided: you either love this song or you hate it.

Looking at my notes from the show, I’d like to say one thing: a lot is bound to happen at the upcoming European and World Championships. This year we could take a closer look at hundreds of horses at a huge number of shows in Europe and beyond. Among the novelties we have the GCAT and EAHGC series, in which Polish horses also take part, and Poles are more willing to try their hand in what is unknown to them than ever before. Therefore it might get very interesting.

The European part of the Global Champions Arabians Tour series has come to an end. For those who were there, it will be an experience to remember. And those who weren’t there, grab your notebooks and add the following to your New Year’s resolutions: I’ll go to GCAT in 2025. The Italians without a doubt surprised their guests present at the show in Rome with glassful of Italian culture, two millennia in a nutshell, that most probably no one had ever poured before: a bubbly essence of Italy, as expressive as it was delightful. Against such a background, an epic group of horses trotted and held their heads high in the majestic Circus Maximus, while presenters took no prisoners, ruthlessly fighting with their protégés for gloriam aeternam.

Inizi orribili, or horrible beginnings

The fate of the Roman leg of GCAT for a moment found itself on the chopping block a few days before the show. The unpredictable, deranged even, weather that we are seeing this September also in southern Poland, took its toll on the organisers. The purebred Arabian community held its collective breath waiting for an official announcement from the flooded arena. When it finally came, all one could hear was a sigh of relief.

The end of August and the first week of September were a time when horses reigned supreme at the Circus Maximus – first as part of the Longines Global Champions Tour, and then the Global Champions Arabians Tour. Both events, celebrating show jumping and Arabian horses respectively, were merely separated by a few days, during which the organisers were to “update” the decorations on the ancient Roman arena. Three days before the grand opening of the Arabian horse show, a cloudburst over Rome, the likes of which had not been seen in the Eternal City for a long time, washed everything away. When the skies cleared, the organisers without hesitation or delay rolled up their sleeves so that on Friday 6th September at noon the first yearlings could run out onto the largest chariot racetrack in history. And a special thankyou goes to the Rome City Hall for their support on this occasion. Local authorities helped get the battlefield that the storm left behind under control.

Cultura italiana

Before the gladiators appeared in the arena, the guests coming to the event experienced their first taste of the emotions and cultural impressions that were to come. A military band dressed as grenadiers and royal guards played the Italian national anthem “Il Canto degli Italiani” and battle marches foreshadowing the clashes that would take place in individual classes. Those entering the VIP area and walking around it were greeted by characters symbolising various periods of history, elements of culture and individual regions of the Apennine Peninsula. There were carnival goers from Venice in their best attire, hiding their smiling faces behind traditional maschere veneziane, ancient deities, including the female incarnation of the winged Mercury, Roman legionaries, distinguished patricians, legates and consuls. The Italians’ attachment to folklore, traditional music and the Tricolore was simply ubiquitous.

There was also no shortage of other attractions either… We saw a Roman chariot with its driver in festive vestment. There was a fashion show – after all, Milan is, next to Paris, the most important European fashion capital… There were elements of ancient theatre and baroque opera, for which Italian culture is known all over the world – librettos for the operas of the greatest European composers were written in Italian for a long time, even if they concerned stories not necessarily related to Italy, although one could perhaps argue about Haendel’s “Arminio”. Even though Arminius was a prince of the Germanic Cherusci, he served in the Roman army (which he later defeated, earning the nickname of the liberator of the Germanic tribes in Tacitus’ “Annales”). Gioco della bandiera – the tradition of flag waving and throwing which dates back to the Middle Ages – definitely got the crowd’s attention. With their art, the sbandieratori express the pride of medieval guilds, as well as refer to the early use of flags as signals during warfare.

So much for soul food. And what did the artisans’ village located on the side of the arena have to offer? Paintings, perfumes, Italian vetreria – the highest quality blown glassware, or fashion inspired by Italian and equestrian motifs, both high fashion and equestrian sports clothes, some of it inspired by the first half of the 20^th century, and of course the kind of food one could eat: Italian biscotti, candy, chocolate cakes that Belgian maîtres chocolatiers would not be ashamed of, and obviously… gelati and sorbetti. It was impossible to leave the stands without overwhelming one’s senses, especially the palate…

One might wonder whether this was too much. But let’s face it… What else did we expect from Italians, whose pride in their multi-faceted tradition, culture and history dating back to the 8th century BC is so well known?

Gladiatores arenam intrant

We didn’t have to wait long for Polish-bred and owned horses. Already in the first class, two yearling fillies entered Circus Maximus, and the grey El Lyrica KL (Lyric EA – Erskina / Kahil Al Shaqab) led by Glenn Schoukens was actually the second horse to present herself to the audiences at this show. The dignified filly, already with some show experience (Silver Medal Yearling Filly at the Junior Show in Białka), bred and owned by Klikowa Arabians, looked very relaxed. A moment later, at Paolo Capecci’s side, we saw the also grey Sana OS (Exagon OS – Panamera OS / Psytadel), bred by Gestüt Osterhof and owned by Lubochnia Arabians. She, for a change, seemed excited to greet the crowds, which is not surprising considering she is the gold medallist of this year’s Vesuvio Trophy. And this is exactly how they presented themselves individually to the judges: the former an oasis of serenity focused on her presenter, the latter – full of unforced vigour, both charismatic and classy. Ultimately, El Lyrica was 4th in class with 91.43 points, and Sana took 2nd place, which gave both of them a chance to compete in the championships. Sultana Al Thamer took the first place in this class, receiving only half a point more – 91.93.

In the second class of yearling fillies, there were no horses representing Poland in any way, which does not mean that there were no Polish accents at all. This class was judged by Anna Stefaniuk, former main breeder of Janów Podlaski Stud and student of Andrzej Krzyształowicz. It was a very strong class, as evidenced on the one hand by the points awarded by the judges – D Rowa, Teha Al Shaqab and D Nafayes all received no less than 92 points, and on the other hand by their performances in the championships, but more on that in a moment.

Next came the two classes of yearling colts and we saw Tomasz Tarczyński in action for the first time judging at this show. He was one of the judges who had the pleasure to see Afreen Al Shaqab up close first, who presented himself from the best side in front of the judges together with the French presenter Raphael Curti. He is a young horse, already with a lot of experience, reacting great to the crowds, clearly pleased with roaring applause coming from the audience, and there is no sign of fatigue in him. With his dynamic performance, he outclassed his rivals, finishing the class with 20s for type and head & neck, as well as great scores for legs and movement. He returned to the stables with 93.14 points, second highest score of the day. The same number of points was awarded to the undefeated AJ Kayya, and only Shahbrys HVP scored 0.07 points more. It became clear that Afreen was in Rome for his fifth gold medal, having previously won them in Doha, Muscat, Cannes and Valkenswaard…

In the second class of one-year-olds, his biggest competition D Borkan charmed the crowds, but despite Paolo Capecci’s best efforts, he did not really want to show his moves. The judges gave him higher marks for head & neck, and also awarded twenty points for type, but he returned to the warm-up arena with “only” 92.36 points. The gold medallist from Abu Dhabi has much more luck with silver medals, and as we were to see the following day, it was true this time as well.

La forza è dei giovani…

The 2- and 3-year-old female classes were dominated by their winners: the aforementioned phenomenal 2-year-old chestnut Shahbrys HVP and the graceful 3-year-old grey D Najlah, who scored 93.21 and 92.93 points respectively. The judges were generous, giving out 20s for type and head & neck. The audience also reacted exceptionally lively to them from the very beginning. There was also a Polish accent among the female youth – or should I say “accentess”? In the second class, the bay Bella Rose (Star Farid – Bogini Marajj / Marajj) ran into the showground led by Nicolas Frere. Currently owned by the Jahazi Family from Iran, this 3-year-old filly is bred by Paweł Redestowicz. She is the 2022 Yearling Filly Silver Medallist at the Polish National Show in Janów Podlaski, and just recently she won bronze at the West Coast Cup in Koksijde on the Belgian coast of the North Sea. This time she went from third place in the class and almost 92 points to the championships. She even received a twenty from one of the judges for movement, but it was rejected (when there are at least 9 judges in each class, the highest and lowest scores do not count towards the overall result).

The same thing basically happened in the 2- and 3-year-old colt classes. Here too, the later championship winners dominated the scene. And here too, a Polish accent appeared – this time in the form of the 3-year-old colt Nisser Babel (Sinharib Babel – AJ Nasheeda / AJ Portofino), bred by Babel Stud and owned by Hamie Hamie Stud. We saw him for the first time at GCAT in mid-June in Cannes and two weeks later at the international B show as part of the Venice Land Cup where he almost unanimously won the gold medal in the Junior Stallion Championship. Six out of seven judges nominated him then for the title of the golden boy. At his second appearance on the Arabians Tour, he did slightly better and one of the judges even gave him an unfortunately rejected twenty for type. He also scored better for movement – and rightly so, as he showed a more than correct trot. Ultimately, he qualified for the championship from the 5th place, with 90.79 points (compared to 90.07 in Cannes).

… la prudenza degli anziani

It would be a shameful oversimplification to say that both the senior mare and stallion classes were a “one man show”. Yes, we have become accustomed to a few “big names” whose stars shine the brightest this year. The rankings are testament to this fact as they undergo merely cosmetic changes at most after each edition. It may be worth considering in future editions in how many stages of the series individual horses may partake. This way, the lower predictability of the rankings would make the series a lot more thrilling… Just food for thought.

There can certainly be no complaints about the level of the senior mare classes. Out of the 14 presented mares, only one received from the judges less than 90 points, and it was more like a temporary indisposition, because this not-so-successful performance happened to this year’s bronze medallist of the Trapani Arabian Horse Cup. Maybe this is due to her relatively small experience at shows and stress got the better of her? In any case, both classes of adult ladies were captivating, and the mares fighting for the right to compete in the championships were alluring. AJ Kayya did not surprise, winning 12 twenties (that’s after rejecting the lowest and highest scores), although she definitely did not show her best movement this time. The only two mares that really moved were the Swedish-bred and Kuwaiti-owned SMG Ivana and the Omani Alexandra RC – both were third in their classes.

The performance of the long-unseen DA Little Princess was a pleasant surprise. Last seen at the GCAT in Doha, she finished the B class of senior mares in 2^nd place. The Austrian-bred and Italian-owned signora, led by Giacomo Capacci, was relaxed, and the crowd gathered around her in the ring did not intimidate her. Anna Stefaniuk was also clearly delighted with her, and it seems that she shared a kind word with Giacomo, because his face suddenly beamed with joy.

From our Polish perspective, the performances of both Lubochnia Arabians-owned mares: D Leen (D Seraj – D Maha / Eden C) and D Dawaly (FA El Rasheem – D Danat / SG Labib), were undoubtedly noteworthy. They took second and fourth places in their classes, receiving 92.21 and 91.93 points from the judges, which guaranteed both of them participation in the championship. Cherry on top, they shared a few 20s for head & neck.

The second day of the Italian leg of the series began with a little less testosterone than we saw in France or the Netherlands. Although there were twice as many gladiators as in the truly intimate Cannes, there were half as many as in Valkenswaard, and on top of that the first class of senior stallions was very calm, with the exception of the bay Rhan Al Shahania. Giacomo Capacci whom we have just mentioned above led the noble stallion in an easy-going manner, allowing him to feel the beat of the arena, first jogging alongside him, before shifting into higher gear, and after a moment allowing him to trot majestically. Considering the almost inevitable shows of strength at such events in the stallion classes, it was an exceptionally pleasant sight. Charismatic Rhan, with his head held high, showed the judges what a great walk looks like, then bowed to the presenter to have his forelock combed and gave his stress-free best in the stand-up position. If we were to judge only the cooperation between man and beast, then out of the more than 70 horses shown in Rome, this pair would undoubtedly receive gold. It was an example not so much of cooperation, but of a partnership full of mutual respect.

In the second stallion class, which again was rather calm, the last to enter the arena was E.S. Harir. It was known from the beginning that in this class he would compete against the also grey Equiborn KA, shown by Tom Schoukens and owned by Budhen’s Stud. Harir, metres away from the entrance to the show ring, encouraged by Paolo Capecci and being on a relatively loose rope, gave an astounding performance of rearing. The seasoned presenter knew that in order to win another gold, he had to present his star student in such a way that no one would have any doubts that the snow-white stallion deserved it. Ultimately, the judges appreciated the efforts of this pair – Harir was the only one to receive twenties for type across the board, and thus had the highest score of the show: 93.64!

Campioni di Roma

The chestnut D Rowa (FA El Rasheem – D Rawyanah / Emerald J), bred and owned by Dubai Arabian Horse Stud, won the gold medal in the Yearling Filly Championship, probably to a little surprise. Two weeks earlier, she had won gold at Prague Intercup, so it seems that the Czech show was a two-in-one warm-up and rehearsal. At GCAT, we previously saw her in Cannes, where she was fourth in the championship, and before that in Muscat. In the Omani capital she won bronze, which could have been disappointing for the gold medallist of the Dubai International Arabian Horse Championship and Sharjah International Arabian Horse Festival. And now she is in her best shape ever. The silver medal went to the GCAT veteran, bay Sultana Al Thamer (Dominic M – Weaam Al Jassim / Emerald J) representing Al Thamer Stud. Emerald’s second granddaughter in this championship is the gold medallist from Valkenswaard, silver from Muscat and Doha, and bronze from Abu Dhabi. And the bronze medal was awarded to Teha Al Shaqab (Marwan Al Shaqab – Marbella PCF / Exxalt) from Al Shaqab Stud, for whom this is already her third bronze medal in this year’s series, having previously won them in Qatar and the Netherlands.

It was no surprise to anyone that the grey Afreen Al Shaqab (D Mezyan – Siwar Al Shaqab / SMA Magic One) from Al Shaqab Stud won gold in the Yearling Colt Championship. He came to the Italian capital to win his fifth GCAT gold and left the city of Caesars with a sense of duty well done. His biggest rival, the bay D Borkan (FA El Rasheem – D Ajayeb / RFI Farid) representing Dubai Arabian Horse Stud, returned to the stables after the championship with silver. The choice of the bronze medallist, however, was a surprise – the judges decided that the most deserving of the third place was the bay Samir DA (HL El Ganador – Savannah OS / RFI Farid) bred and owned by Danubius Arabians. In the first yearling class, he was second after a successful performance, but keep in mind: this was his debut at GCAT. He had already made his mark in the purebred Arabian community when he won silver and gold medals this year in Bruges and Ströhen respectively. After Rome, he is now the proud owner of medals in every colour.

The Junior Fillies Championship was tense, as it was not entirely clear until the very end who would leave Rome with a gold and who with a silver medal. All we knew was that two amazing heavyweights would put up a fight for the championship belt: the grey D Najlah (D Seraj – Elle Flamenca / Ajman Moniscione) from Dubai and the chestnut Shahbrys HVP (Royal Asad – Rebecca HVP / Magnum Chall HVP), bred by Agropecuaria Vila Dos Pinheiros and owned by Ajmal Stud. The former was the gold medallist from Abu Dhabi and Valkenswaard, and silver medallist from Doha and Cannes. The latter won the bronze medal in Doha, Abu Dhabi and Cannes, left Valkenswaard with silver and Muscat with gold! Ultimately, more judges chose D Najlah for gold. What is quite noteworthy is how the judges’ votes are almost equally divided between the first two fillies. D Najlah and Shahbrys HVP are always neck and neck, going head-to-head, and the victory in Rome as well as in previous editions is decided by single votes. And the bronze medal in this championship went to the grey TM Bella (TM Itaipu – TM Fahdeelah / Shanghai EA), bred by Jose Orlando & Teixeira Junior and owned by Aljumail Stud.

In the Junior Colt Championship, two youngsters were similarly neck and neck: bay Dubai-bred D Shakhar (D Shakhat – D Shamkah / FA El Rasheem) and grey Bandar Aljassimya (Picasso di Mar – Miznat Al Jassimya / Monther Al Nasser) from Qatar’s Aljassimya Farm. Bronze in Doha and Cannes, silver in Abu Dhabi, Muscat and Valkenswaard, and finally gold in Rome – that was the fate of D Shakhar. His rival, the GCAT gold medallist from Doha, Muscat and Cannes, had to settle for silver. Fajer AA (Shanghai EA – Fadwa AA / Fadi Al Shaqab), competing in the colours of Ariela Arabians, won his second bronze medal in a row having scored one previously in Valkenswaard.

The hitherto undefeated queen of GCAT, the grey AJ Kayya (AJ Kafu – Aja Caprice / EKS Alihandro) from Ajman Stud, won her sixth gold medal at the Global Champions Arabians Tour 2024. The Emirati beauty is the only recipient of exactly 120 points in the GCAT ranking out of a pool of 120. The silver medal was awarded to an absolute show veteran Basandra Settimociello (Ajman Moniscione – MA Scarlet / Hadidi), bred by Allevamento Settimocielo Maria Ferraroni and owned by Ajman Stud. Previously, this grey mare had won bronze in Cannes and also silver in Valkenswaard. Then the biggest surprise for the Polish part of the audience both on site and on-line came when the winner of the bronze medal in this championship was announced: D Leen! A triple grey championship indeed. Dobrochna and Przemysław Wawrzyńczyk, the owners of Lubochnia Arabians, with their family were moved to tears at the prize-giving ceremony. And as was the case of Samir DA, this was D Leen’s debut at GCAT even though she has a tonne of show experience to her name. Last year, as a junior mare, she won the silver medal at the All Nations Cup in Aachen and gold medals in Sopot, Palermo and Travagliato.

The Senior Stallion Championship featured all nine stallions we had seen in both classes earlier that day. The three gentlemen who made the biggest splash were the ones who drew the most attention: Rhan Al Shahania (Marwan Al Shaqab – Jwaaher Al Shahania / FA El Rasheem), bred by Al Shahania Stud and owned by Sheikha Reem Al Thani, Equiborn KA (QR Marc – Espadrilla / Monogramm), bred by NV Zoutekreken and owned by Budhen’s Stud, and E.S. Harir (AJ Dinar – TF Magnums Magic / Magnum Psyche), bred by Sheikh Abdulla bin Majid Alqassemi and owned by Al Saqran Stud. To make matters even more interesting: each and every one of them a veteran of several GCAT events and numerous other title shows. And while the gold for the snow-white Harir was fairly obvious (a minority report came in the form of one vote for Rhan), the outcome of the fight for the silver and bronze medals was not known until the dust settled. Ultimately, by a minimal margin of votes, silver went to Rhan, and bronze to Equiborn – largely thanks to the previously mentioned single vote for gold.

Impact on rankings

The rankings have become set in stone. The lack of restrictions on the number of shows a horse may participate in results therein that the top of the rankings remain virtually unchanged – for several editions now. In the ladies’ ranking, only D Najlah and D Nafayes swapped second and third places in the top 10.

The first four places in the gentlemen’s ranking seem to have frozen and it turns out that E.S. Harir currently has a very slim chance of going to the very top, considering that there is one last stage of GCAT left… He is one point behind the second D Shakhar (unchanged since Valkenswaard), and still 5 points behind D Borkan in the lead (3 less than in July). The rest of this ranking changed in favour of Rhan Al Shahania and Bandar Aljassimya, but this is only due to the absence of Aesar Alwajba, Mushwash Al Shaqab and AJ Kafu at this particular show. Equiborn KA, in spite of his sublime performance, is still 10^th –just as he was before!

There is also no chance of a shift in the presenters’ ranking – it is almost certain that the top five will remain as they are until the closing ceremony in Saudi Arabia, and (since Italians love football) the equivalent of Ballon d’Or will go to the Italian superstar Paolo Capecci.

Showdown in Riyadh

Thus the European incarnations of Global Champions Arabians Tour came to an end that was beyond spectacular. As football jargon comes in quite handy, we could joke that with the semi-finals over, it is high time for the final. The last stage of GCAT, in the heart of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in the city of gardens (that’s what Ar-Riyad means in Arabic) is less than two months away. We can already bet that, just like in the previous Arab editions, we will experience shades and hues of culture of the Arabian Peninsula completely unknown to Europeans. Our Eurocentricity has dulled our senses to the charms of Middle Eastern art, and GCAT allows us to discover them anew, throwing off the shackles of stereotypes and prejudice. We already know from Muscat and Doha, among others, how fabulous Arab handicraft and artisanship are, how rich the cuisines of individual nations, how proud the peoples of the Peninsula are of their music.

And the horses? They will be exactly like in all previous GCAT location: Apollonian and angelic.

The last show of the Global Champions Arabians Tour series on the Old Continent is about to start. The show in Rome closes the European part of the series before its glorious return to the Arabian Peninsula, the homeland of the purebred Arabian. Still, ere that happens, pure-blood gladiators will fight for championship titles and rank, and all this in a place where Arabian horses have never been before – the largest arena of Ancient Rome.

Rome: the Eternal City

When people in the Far East speak of an “Eternal City,” they usually refer to Kyoto, the former capital of Japan, from where Japanese emperors ruled their vast domains for over a millennium. Westerners on the other hand use this centuries old nickname for the city of Rome. In his life’s masterpiece “Aeneid”, Virgil wrote: “Sit Latium, sint Albani per saecula reges, sit Romana potens Itala virtute propago”. John Dryden in his English translation rendered these thoughts very close to the original: “Latium be Latium still; let Alba reign, and Rome’s immortal majesty remain”.

The work was written in the times of Emperor Octavian, the glory days of the Empire, so there was nothing to suggest that in later centuries the city would change hands many times between various magnates and invaders, be pillaged by pirates, besieged or destroyed. Despite this, it survived even the greatest of storms and tempests, and the stones on which both Trajan and Adam Mickiewicz walked can still be seen on the Palatine Hill.

Rome like Chicago: the Windy City

Speaking of storms and tempests… At the turn of August and September, on the ancient Circo Massimo, the Italian part of Longines Global Champions Tour took place, the most prestigious show jumping competition in the world. As is the case of Arabians, for sport horses this is the last European leg of their cycle too. The Grand Finale will be organised in Riyadh, the capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. After the end of the event, it was time to prepare for the Global Champions Arabians Tour. The events are just five days away, but…

On Tuesday, 3rd September, the capital of Italy was hit by torrential rains hurricane-like winds, the likes of which Rome has not seen in a long time. Even the Arch of Constantine, one of the most beloved and most photographed attractions from the times of the Roman Empire, suffered damage. When the skies over Rome cleared, the city’s archaeological services quickly secured the stone and rubble broken off of the Arch, which had been treacherously struck by a powerful lightning bolt during a downpour. Capricious weather did not spare the Circus Maximus either. The decorations and tents were carried away by the wind and flooded by the rain. Nonetheless, the organisers did not wring their hands, but rolled up their sleeves even higher, because they have quite an event ahead of them.

Horses and games!

Paraphrasing the Roman satirist Juvenal, the author of the saying “panem et circenses”, meaning “bread and games”, we might as well say “equos et circenses”, because that’s precisely what we want from the Roman leg of GCAT: horses and games. For over a month now, we have been asking ourselves what sort of surprises do the Italians have in store for us? How will they choose to enchant us, while celebrating their culture and traditions, and how will they combine them with purebred horses? The Dutch set the bar cruelly high, throwing a “festa” that the Brazilians would not be ashamed of during the carnival, and so did the French before them, who toyed with art and convention with a Mediterranean-worthy ease. It is commonly said that Italian cuisine is the best on the Old Continent, and every Italian will proudly say that the best chef in the world is their grandmother. Not Massimo Bottura from Modena, whose Osteria Francescana boasts Michelin stars. So perchance, our Italian hosts are preparing a feast not only for our eyes? We’ll see soon enough…

Furthermore, we are now more than just used to a phenomenal quality of horses – rendering us dumbfounded. Breeders and owners of horses with top positions in the male and female rankings know that they have a lot to lose. In both cases, the situation is extremely tense, and the order in the top three could be decided by a trivial, seemingly insignificant, mistake of the presenter. Nerves will be eating away at our friends and colleagues from Dubai Arabian Horse Stud, Al Saqran Stud and Ajman Stud, present at the venue ,whose stallions and mares are as of now on top.
Will AJ Kayya remain undefeated? Will E.S. Harir beat D Shakhar and how close will he get to D Borkan? What Polish-bred horses, or maybe even -owned, will we see in the arena where chariots raced two thousand years ago? One thing is for certain. Just as the Roman screamed their heads off in Hadrian’s time, cheering on Diocles, one of the greatest charioteers in history (and certainly the richest), so too will we lose our minds on Saturday evening.

Global Champions Arabians Tour Rome – Friday and Saturday 6-7 September 2024 at Circus Maximus.

Livestream on Arabian Essence: https://www.arabianessence.tv/events/gcat-roma-2024/820/.

A hundred horses, flawless organization, a show that was buttoned up and the best that Dutch culture has to offer, including a love of bicycles, all under one roof, yet outdoors. GCAT Valkenswaard will remain in the memories of breeders, owners and lovers of purebred horses for a long time. And the blankets for the winners of the championships? The haute couture of Parisian catwalks does not live up to them.

Although it may not be entirely appropriate, I will venture a rather bold thesis at the very beginning: the Netherlands outshone France in terms of scale… The Dutch leg of the Global Champions Arabians Tour was as impressive as the Kingdom of the Netherlands: undeniably royal, and the omnipresent color orange did not let us forget that we were in a country ruled by the Oranje-Nassau dynasty, which celebrated its 480th birthday literally a week earlier (founded on July 15th, 1544 by William the Silent).

As in previous editions of GCAT, here too there were Polish accents, both equine and human. Out of 99 horses that entered the ring, we saw eleven of thirteen entered for the show of Polish breeding, as well as the stallion SQ Helal, who triumphed in Białka and Tarnów. The twenty-person panel of judges was co-created by Anna Stojanowska and Jerzy Białobok, as well as guests of the All-Polish Arabian Horse Championship in Tarnów from a month ago, Allan Preston and Scott Benjamin. We will soon see both of them at the Arabian Horse Days at the Stud Farm in Janów Podlaski – as judge and ringmaster. In addition, one of the members of the Disciplinary Committee at the Valkenswaard show was the president of the Polish Arabian Horse Breeding Association, Mateusz Leniewicz-Jaworski. Knowing the personal details and knowing that over 10% of the horses were from Poland, let’s get to the point. Especially since it’s really worth it!

In the former capital of falconry, horses rule

What is Valkenswaard famous for, called Valkeswird in the local Brabant dialect? Once for falcons, today for horses. In this area, several hundred years ago, Dutch falconers caught falcons, which were then sent to the most distinguished European courts – German, French, British. Historically, this art is close to Polish tradition, because Polish falconers were highly valued both in the country and in German and Russian courts. However, this tradition naturally disappeared with the progressive retreat from hunting, and was replaced by horses near Eindhoven.

In 2015, near Valkenswaard, just two kilometres from the Belgian border, Jan Tops, a Dutch Olympian from Barcelona ’92, where he won the gold medal in team show jumping, an entrepreneur and founder of the Longines Global Champions Tour, opened the Longines Tops International Arena here. This is how equestrian sports on an international scale came here, and this year there is a dazzling show of Arabian horses, a Lucullus feast for the senses…

Brabant adventures of Polish horses

We didn’t have to wait long for the representatives from Poland, because our yearling was the second horse we saw during these two days full of excitement. It was the grey, slightly girlish El Lyrica KL (Lyric E.A. – Ersikna / Kahil Al Shaqab) from Klikowa Arabians, a granddaughter of the stallion Shanghai E.A. She entered the ring confidently, led by Glenn Schoukens. It was obvious that she was relaxed, and the large beds of bright flowers, for which the Netherlands is famous, made little impression on her. The only thing that could “surprise” her was the 15-person crowd that suddenly appeared at her side during the “stand” assessment. She even received two 20s from the judges for head and neck, which unfortunately were rejected as extreme marks. With a high score of 91.14 points and 4th place in the class, she went on to the championship, losing just over a point to the class leader Sultana Al Thamer.

In the second class of yearlings, Polish fans of Arabian horses had someone to keep their fingers crossed for again. With number 025 on his back, Jurij Samoilenko ran into the ring, leading Doris Star (D Zeidan – Doris Fame / Enzo), Silver Champion Yearling Filly from Tarnów. The bay medalist from Klikowska Ostoja presented herself perfectly, she listened to her handler, whose calmness rubbed off on her – however, the judges did not appreciate her as much as three weeks earlier, and the mark of 20 for movement was rejected as… extreme. It was not an easy class, however, and in the end, the graduate of the Grabów nad Pilicą Arabian Horse Stud took 6th place (out of twelve horses!) in the class, which was won by the Dubai-based D Nafayes, well-known to GCAT fans.

The yearling classes were dominated by two colts who qualified for the championships from the first places: Afreen Al Shaqab and D Borkan – the first of whom received the highest marks for legs of all the horses presented this weekend in Valkenswaard… In these two classes, Poles at the Tops Arena and those watching the livestream could keep their fingers crossed for the colt who won silver in Deurne at the EuroZone Cup in May this year. On this day, Achilles Star (D Zeidan – Aidah Star / Magic Sourman), bred and owned by Tomasz Tarczyński, had a worse day despite the efforts of Jurij Samoilenko. He is still a very young horse, so with age will come experience, and with it, it is possible that more medals.

In the junior mare classes, we were supposed to see one Polish-bred filly each – the bay Kalanthe Dream GT (Magic Magnifique – Kalaluni / Emerald J), bred and owned by Gabriela Thiry (GT Arabians), and the chestnut Okana (Pireno – Orla Grań / Etnodrons Psyche), bred by Paweł Redestowicz and owned by Łukasz Kuzawiński. In the end, only Kalanthe Dream, an elegant two-year-old filly, trained by – and this is worthy of praise – her owner, appeared. She almost had a chance to show herself in the championships, but her rivals were outclassed by the Brazilian-bred chestnut Shahbrys HVP, who performed 3 minutes later.

Then came the junior stallion classes. In the first one, won by D Shakhar, we saw Monarchio (Star Farid – Minervina / Kahil Al Shaqab), bred by Wojciech Parczewski and owned by Bogdan Maślanka, and SQ Helal (FA El Rasheem – SQ Miss Enzo / E.S. Harir) from Al Saqran Arabian Horse Stud. The first one was presented by Bogdan Maślanka, and the second one was run into the ring by Glenn Schoukens. Although the two bay colts were separated by only 0.79 points, it was the Kuwaiti one that advanced to the championships.

Titanomachy

In the classes of older mares and stallions we saw as many as six bred in Poland, although Emarella (Sahm El Arab – Emandorella / Eden C), bred by Michałów Stud Farm and owned by Aljassimya Farm, was also entered in the catalogues.

The first of the two classes of older mares, with the highest score of the entire show – 93.64, was won by AJ Kayya and it was known from the beginning that it would be almost impossible to threaten her position. She came out second, immediately after the bay mare Babetta (Emerald J – Belinda / Kahil Al Shaqab). Bred in Janów Podlaski and owned by Flaxman Arabians, the bay four-year-old is the apple of the eye of her presenter and trainer, Koen Hennekens, who fell in love with her at first sight in the Janów stables before last year’s Pride of Poland auction. Since last year’s European Championship, he has been entirely responsible for her, and his work with her has already brought the pair a bronze medal at this year’s EuroZone Cup. In Valkenswaard, they took a strong 4th place, receiving, among other things, several twenties for movement and a total score of 91.71. Wieża Orientu (Ganges – Wieża Mocy / QR Marc), also bay and also owned by Flaxman Arabians, but bred in Michałów, did slightly worse. Despite almost 91 points, she did not enter the championship.

In the second class, in which Basandra Settimocielo triumphed with exactly 93 points, we saw two more bay mares from Poland, this time bred at Janów Podlaski Stud: Adyga (Kahil Al Shaqab – Amiga / Piaff) owned by C&S Arabians and Alsa (Kahil Al Shaqab – Alameda / Wachlarz) owned by Hanaya Stud. They performed one after another in front of the crowd gathered at the Tops Arena, led by Nicolas Frere and Frank Spönle. Both were breathtaking, but it was Alsa who showed better movement and a certain charisma that won over the judges and earned her a place in the championships.

The senior stallion classes were a theatre of several actors, the most outstanding of whom was the unbeaten this season, last year’s World Championship Gold Medalist E.S. Harir, who scored the highest among stallions: 93.5 points! He showed up last with the highest catalogue number 121 and it became clear that this time he came for nothing else but gold. Pinito (EKS Alihandro – Piniata / Eden C), bred by Janów Podlaski and owned by Flaxman Arabians, qualified for the championship in the first adult stallion class. Shown by Peter Wilms, he showed better movement than Saif Albidayer and Rhan Al Shahania, although both of them took higher places in the class than him, receiving higher points for type and head and neck. Calateon (Vitorio TO – Calatea / Ekstern), bred by Marek Kondrasiuk and owned by C&S Arabians, showed up in the second class. He had an excellent start, which the judges appreciated greatly, highly evaluating his movement. Unfortunately, as the owners admitted, he did not want to cooperate with Nicolas during the “stand-up” presentation, clearly preoccupied with something else.

Championships in orange

It cannot be said that any of the participants in the Yearling Fillies Championships were a surprise. Gold was won by Sultana Al Thamer (Dominic M – Weaam Al Jassim / Emerald J), bred and owned by Al Thamer Stud. She stumbled on five stages only in Cannes and left the championship without a medal. She won bronze in Abu Dhabi, silver in Doha and Muscat, and this time she finally won gold. Silver in the Yearling Fillies was won by D Nafayes (D Seraj – D Danat / SG Labib) from Dubai Arabian Horse Stud. This is her second silver after Cannes, and she had won gold three times before. Bronze, in turn, went to Teha Al Shaqab (Marwan Al Shaqab – Marbella PCF / Exxalt) from Al Shaqab, who repeated her achievement from Doha.

The Yearling Stallion Championships were a bit less obvious. The fourth gold in a row went to Afreen Al Shaqab (D Mezyan – Siwar Al Shaqab / SMA Magic One), who was not present only in Abu Dhabi. D Borkan (FA El Rasheem – D Ajayeb / RFI Farid) claimed his fourth silver, winning – exactly – gold in Abu Dhabi. The surprise was the bronze, which was not repeated by his winner from Cannes and Muscat, Aesar Alwajba. Instead, it went to Azzaam Al Amal (El Galal Baahir – Arabesca Scarlet Moon / Sidi Scorpio), bred by Al Amal Arabians and owned by Azzam Al Amal Partnership. This is his first medal in this GCAT series, and it certainly won’t be his last.

The Junior Mare Championship was fought out between the GCAT veterans. The second gold medal, with three silver medals, was won by D Najlah (D Seraj – Elle Flamenca / Ajman Moniscione) representing Dubai Arabian Horse Stud. The first silver medal, with three bronze and one gold, was won by Shahbrys HVP (Royal Asad – Rebecca HVP / Magnum Chall HVP) from the Brazilian Agropecuaria Vila Dos Pinheiros and the Saudi-owned Ajmal Stud. And the second bronze and silver in Abu Dhabi after Muscat was won by TM Bella (TM Itaipu – TM Fahdillah / Shanghai E.A.) representing the Qatari Aljumail Stud.

In the Junior Stallion Championship, we witnessed a comeback in great style. Its winner from Abu Dhabi, later the great absentee, RD Rajan (Polidoro FC – RD Quianna / Shanghai E.A.) owned by Hanaya Stud, returned for the gold. He made a huge impression on everyone in the class, deservedly winning 93 points and twenty points for type, head and neck and movement.

The winner of the silver medal, D Shakhar (D Shakhat – D Shamkah / FA El Rasheem) from Dubai Arabian Horse Stud, was no surprise. After five stages, this GCAT veteran has five medals – bronze, silver, silver, bronze and silver. Will it be another silver in Rome, or will he break through and reach for the gold? The bronze champion was a surprise, albeit a small one. This title went to the three-year-old Fajer AA (Shanghai E.A. – Fadwa AA / Fadi Al Shaqab) bred by Ariela Arabians, who returned home with silver at the Sopot Arabian Horse Show a year ago.

The hottest emotions were connected with the championships of the senior mares and stallions, but in both of them, the judges were one vote short of unanimous decision on who to award the gold! Will AJ Kayya (AJ Kafu – AJA Caprice / EKS Alihandro) from Ajman Stud receive the gold medal in the Senior Mares Championship for the fifth time in five stages of the GCAT? Yes! The undisputed queen of the GCAT 2024 also left Valkenswaard with the highest title. The silver medalist was Basandra Settimocielo (Ajman Moniscione – MA Scarlet / Hadidi), bred by Allevamento Settimocielo, owned by Maria Ferraroni and owned by Ajman Stud. Earlier in Cannes and Abu Dhabi, she reached for bronze. Aijana OS (Ajman Moniscione – Mikaella Pin / FT Wuotan), bred by Gestüt Osterhof and owned by Al Shaqab Stud, caused a surprise. It was her first appearance at the GCAT and it was a huge success – she received almost all twenty points for type from the judges!

The Senior Stallion Championship was held at the end as usual. There is no denying that E.S. Harir (AJ Dinar – TF Magnums Magic / Magnum Psyche) owned by Al Saqran Arabian Horse Stud is in the form of his life, although he is clearly tired from the shows and probably the intercontinental travels. Despite this, wherever he goes, he attracts the attention of the entire crowd. Gold medals in Doha, Muscat, Cannes and now Valkenswaard only confirm this. He is fighting for the first place in the ranking and has a great chance of getting it. The silver and bronze medals were shared between Pinito’s classmates: Saif Albidayer (Excalibur E.A. – Nesj El Markhisa / Marwan Al Shaqab) from Albidayer Stud and Rhan Al Shahania (Marwan Al Shaqab – Jwaaher Al Shahania / FA El Rasheem), bred by Al Shahania Stud and owned by Sheikh Reem Al-Thani. The former has only just begun his GCAT adventure, while the latter has repeated his result from Doha, and won silver in Muscat.

What do the rankings say about all this?

In fact, the only major changes in the rankings were in the handlers’ rankings. Tom Oben, whose horses were shown by his colleagues, was absent from Valkenswaard. As a result, he dropped to 7th place from 5th, which was taken by Tom Schoukens.

Sultana Al Thamer is climbing in the mare rankings, now in fifth. Emarella and Basmah Al Bidayer have dropped out of the top ten, while Almaha RC and Alexandra RC – both from the Royal Cavalry of Oman – have entered. Wildona has also dropped by a point and is currently in 18th place in the 20-horse field.

E.S. Harir is closing the gap with the first two in the male rankings, D Shakhar and D Borkan, with each show. Bandar Aljassimya has dropped from 5th to 8th place, which was taken by Aesar Alwajba. Mushwash Al Shaqab and AJ Kafu moved up a notch, while Equiborn K.A. jumped from 13th to 10th place. However, once again there was no earthquake.

Een nieuwe standaard van shows

It would be safe to say that the Dutch outdid themselves in preparing together with the organizers of the Global Champions Arabians Tour for the show in Valkenswaard. Live music from the stage, a souvenir shop inspired by the Netherlands with an Arabic twist, Dutch chocolate and special shows at the opening and closing – all of this made a colossal impression.

Suffice it to say that E.S. Harir ran into the ring when the air was orange like a monochromatic Holi celebration and confetti was falling from the sky. The embroidered, ornate horse blankets were works of art in themselves – emphasizing the Dutch attachment to tulip cultivation, pride in their national colors (white, red, blue and orange) and also white and blue Delft faience. Both Kayya and Harir in their champion horse blankets looked like heirs to the throne just before their coronation. There would have been a sceptre, and an apple – without a doubt!

Joie de vivre, Oranje!, bella vita

Before the Global Champions Arabians Tour returns to the Arabian Peninsula this autumn, we have one more European leg to look forward to – in a city to which all roads supposedly lead. On the sandy coast of the Mediterranean Sea in Cannes, the Qataris, together with the French, organised an intimate, artistic edition of GCAT. In cooperation with the Dutch, in turn, in green Brabant, they went for elegance and pomp, albeit with a wink, and such a fiesta would not be ashamed of during the annual King’s Day. In September, we will travel back two millennia, to the times of Ancient Rome.

The last European show of this year’s series will take place in a place that Robert Makłowicz would probably call “exceptional”: Circus Maximus! The history of this circus, in the original meaning of the word, dates back to the times of Tarquinius the Elder, the king of Rome from the turn of the 7th and 6th centuries BC. It was here that Pompey staged a fight between barbarians and twenty African elephants, and Julius Caesar organized lion hunts. Pliny the Elder claimed that the audience could accommodate up to a quarter of a million people at a time. However, this place became famous primarily for chariot races, an ancient version of traditional carriage driving, over a distance of 8 km.

The last games with chariots in the main role were held in the Circo Massimo, as the Italians call it, in 549 AD, during the time of the Ostrogothic king Totila. Later, the circus fell into oblivion and slowly disappeared from memory and the face of the earth. In recent years, various mass events, concerts and festivals have taken place in this ancient arena. In September, after 1475 years, horses will once again visit the Circus Maximus. What and how will the hosts in Italy surprise us? Will they manage to beat the Netherlands? We’re going to see what the future holds. We’ll see what the future brings.

The end of June, the Klikowa Polish Horses Refuge (Klikowska Ostoja Polskich Koni), hot tropical weather, guests from almost 20 countries around the world, great moods, floral dresses, silk ties, prosecco cooling the palates and most importantly – over a hundred purebred horses – this is how this year’s edition of the All-Polish Arabian Horse Championship could be briefly described. How about taking a closer look at the Klikowa show? Let’s take a closer look at the second edition of this show in Tarnów.

A year ago, the Polish Arabian Horse Breeders Association quite boldly undertook the task titled “Reactivation of the All-Polish Horse Show”, several successful editions of which took place before the COVID-19 pandemic. The coronavirus interrupted this new “secular tradition”, which breeders and owners of purebred horses took with sadness. However, the memory of the championships in Radom remained indelible and after a few years – as a surprise and an experiment at the same time – the idea was revived. The reaction of the community was unexpectedly enthusiastic, and the reception of the event exceeded the organizers’ wildest expectations.

How did they summarize the initial feedback while resting after two days of the show? Carola Santopaolo from Arabian Horse Magazine asked them two questions. Let me quote them along with the answers: “So what was it like this year?” – “Great!” – “And what will it be like next year?” – “Even better!!!”

In the joyful wave of elation associated with the success of the show, it is easy to allow ourselves to be so optimistic, but as is well known: it is easier said than done. Especially since the organizers set the bar very high in every respect – from the number and quality of horses to the experience of catering and the evening of the breeders. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that there were doubts whether the show would be as successful as last year. From my personal perspective, I could feel a growing interest in how far last year’s success could be repeated and to what extent the 2024 show would be different and better. And the interest was huge.

Changing the formula, redefining the show

Let’s break down the events in Tarnów into prime factors – first from last year, and then from this year’s June. A year ago, we met at the very beginning of July for two magical days. The organizers of the show, together with the hosts of the event, the Klikowska Ostoja Polskich Koni Foundation, hosted Arabian horse lovers at the historic stud farm of the Sanguszko Princes with great grandeur. A VIP tent decorated with horse-themed art, catering with overflowing tables, presentation of traditional Małopolska and Podhale horse-drawn carriages, spectacular classes and exciting championships… What more could you want? Do you even want anything more? Yes, yes.

This year we met for a total of four days, i.e. twice as long, although in subgroups.

New DCs wanted

The length of this year’s events in Tarnów may be surprising. What four days? After all, the broadcast on Arabian Essence included only two shows: Saturday and Sunday. For the momentary purposes of this article, let’s replace the word “show” with “festival”, because it better reflects the nature of the Klikowa event. Only now can we break down the 2024 edition.

The first part, although at first glance indirectly related to the later events in Klikowska Ostoja, began on Thursday morning. Anyone who closely follows matters in the Polish world of Thoroughbred horses probably noticed the spring announcements about a course for members of ECAHO disciplinary committees, which was to be conducted by instructors Janet Court (UK) and Nils Ismer (Germany). The response was almost immediate and, interestingly, international. People from several countries, including Denmark, Qatar and distant Australia, signed up for the Thursday-Friday course! After two days of an extremely intensive DC course – not for beginners – it was time for the practical part, which was not only a summary of the course, but also an exam. The students, under the supervision of both lecturers and Fahrang Fazeli (Iran), who accompanied them, had to use the acquired theoretical knowledge in the stables and warm-up arena during the weekend horse show. How did they do? They coped perfectly in the scorching heat and with almost 120 horses. Despite sweat, fatigue and locally red skin from standing in the sun for hours, Janet told the organizers with undisguised pride in her voice: “Everyone passed.”

However, we know from the participants themselves that the course was very demanding. Fluency in the Blue Book and professional jargon were essential. Therefore, our graduates deserve even more congratulations and words of appreciation.

It is also worth noting here that organizing courses for DC members, accompanying horse shows, is a good and proven learning method. Years ago, such theoretical and practical classes were organized on the occasion of prestigious Western European shows, e.g. in 2018 during the Belgian Elran Arabian Cup. The organization of such a course in Tarnów clearly proves that the show in Klikowska Ostoja was noticed by the international community, which is a reason to be proud.

Endurance

Another novelty at the festival in Klikowa were endurance competitions – a sport for which purebred horses are born, and which is clearly gaining popularity between the Odra and Vistula rivers. This is also visible in the results of Polish competitors in foreign competitions, from which they always return with medals. However, unlike other ultrasports, such as enduro cycling or mountain trail running, in endurance you are not alone – but with a horse that must be properly taken care of.

But let’s start from the beginning. A total of 18 pairs took part in the Klikowa endurance competition. Four over 20 km and seven over 40 and 80 km. The temperature on Friday before the show fluctuated around 28 degrees in the shade, but in the open space, devoid of the shade of the surrounding trees, it was scorching hot, which the competitors returning after the 20-kilometer loop spoke openly about. Ultimately, none of the distances was completed by the full group of horses, which reported to the judges and veterinary commission in the morning for a pre-start inspection. Three out of four pairs completed the one-loop distance, five out of seven pairs completed two loops, and the longest four-loop distance was completed by six out of seven pairs.

However, everyone deserves applause. Over the distance of 20 km, the best pair was Justyna Kryca and Perfekcja, whose ride lasted one hour and 37 minutes (excluding 8 seconds). The second pair, Zofia Szczepańska and Elegiusz, had a time slower by only 4 seconds. The third to reach the finish line were Artur Chrzanowski and Echaron, whom we saw during the show and who performed in the colors of the 1st Mounted Rifle Regiment Riding Club from Michałów.

The fastest distance of 40 km was covered by Michał Bochenek and Farilla from the Volunteer Cavalry Association of the Cracow Cavalry Brigade – Riding Club of the 5th Horse Artillery Division. The double loop took them just under two hours and 36 minutes. Andrzej Korabik and Malto, representing the same team, were second, and Matylda Kowalik and California Dream from the Świętokrzyskie Horse Riding Club in Brzezinki were third at the finish line.

In turn, Piotr Mądel and his charge Wiraż z Gór, representing the Interregio Foundation, were the best over a distance for the toughest of the tough. It took them over five hours and 12 minutes to complete four loops. As a reminder, we are talking about a distance of 80 km in heat and unbearable sun.

The remaining two medal places went to two pairs who reached the finish line after almost five hours and three quarters of an hour: Magdalena Nowak and Olimp, and Diana Kozyra and Saint Bomer – all four in the colors of the Provincial Riding Club in Lublin.

The question remains whether the endurance competitions were successful. Judging by the satisfaction of the riders, their excellent moods, as well as the satisfaction of the entire team creating this part of the festival, judges, veterinarians, stable staff, endurance coordinators and the blacksmith, “there is no problem.” Repeat next year!

Let’s hope the weather is a little less excessive, because this is the only factor over which the organizers have no, even the slightest, control. This year’s competition was nationwide, organized under the aegis of the Polish Equestrian Association.

Under sadle classes

It’s not just endurance that’s gaining popularity. Thanks to, among other things, the efforts of the creators of the Polish Arabian Horse Sports League, centered around the Primastella Stable, as well as the Polish Arabian Horse Breeders Association, which co-organizes sports workshops, the use of purebred horses under saddle is becoming more and more popular. No matter how you look at it, the Arabian horse is not only for show, but also versatile. Arabian horses race on racetracks around the globe, and some races attract racing enthusiasts from all over the world to their computer screens.

It is therefore not surprising that since last year, the program of the All-Polish Arabian Horse Championship show also includes classes under saddle. Last year they were Classic Pleasure and Traditional Arabian Costume, and this year the first class was Traditional Polish Costume, a typically Polish competition, which will have its next edition as a prelude to this year’s Polish National Arabian Horse Show in Janów. In Tarnów, both classes were judged by Weronika Sosnowska and Graham Smith, an experienced sports and horse judge who came to Poland from the antipodes.

Five pairs took part in Saturday’s under saddle class, Polish Historical Costume, and the best turned out to be Artur Chrzanowski and Echaron (Ontario HF – Echara), bred and owned by the Michałów Stud. This is an even greater feat because the day before they had covered 20 km as part of the endurance competitions, and on Saturday the weather was equally extreme. The second best rated pair was Lena Zgórska and Cekin z Gór (Portel – Cirilla z Gór), bred and owned by Wacław Sajdak, and the third place was taken by Adam Dębiński and Paristan (Psytadel – Parsua), bred by Józef Pietrzak and owned by his rider. The entire competition lasted only 24 minutes.

It was no different the next day during the Native Costumes class, with the difference that there were eight pairs and ten entries. Just like the day before, the audience was delighted with the show of equestrian skills and costumes, richly decorated costumes of riders and horsewomen, and horse riding. It cannot be denied that these are always extremely spectacular competitions.

The best that day were Karolina Ziobro and Purytanin (Kabsztad – Pustynna Malwa), bred by Michałów Stud and owned by Marcin Ziobro. The second place went to Hanna Dziża and Cygarro z Gór (Portel – Cirilla z Gór), bred and owned by Wacław Sajdak, and the third place went to Marta Jaros and Złoty Medal (QR Mar – Złota Orda), bred and owned by the Michałów Stud . The fourth pair in this competition was interesting: Lena Dębińska and Paristan. Amazonka received a special prize for the youngest participant. She was under 10 years old on the day of the competition.

What has changed is the lack of special shows. This type of attractions at shows are part of the regularity. Before the pandemic in Radom, these included: shows of Katarzyna Stawiska-Semeryło and the stallion Barbarossa (Gazal Al Shaqab – Barka), bred by Janów Podlaski Stud, and her students from the For Pleasure Riding Club, last year we watched Oliwia Kowal and the stallion Elgoriusz (Medalion – Elgora), bred by Michałów Stud, who showed the gathered guests what a burning garrocha is during Saturday’s Breeders’ Evening. This year, with such a huge number of horses, it would probably be impossible.

Charity event

Last year, the Polish Arabian Horse Breeders Association opened a new chapter of its activities – charity for children from orphanages. The first institution supported by PAHBA was the “Przyjazny Dom” Care and Education Facility in Tarnów. During three breeding auctions, we managed to raise as much as €17,250 for children. A month after the show, the Association transferred almost PLN 76,500 to the “Przyjaźny Dom” account.

This year there were six breedings – four Middle Eastern, one by Albert Sorroca and one by the Klikowa Arabians stud: Madin Al Baydaa, E.S. Harir, D Nayel, Adwan Al Sheikh, Zeus E.A. and Lyric E.A. – and in addition, two paintings were donated to the auction. The first was the original watercolor decorating the cover of the show catalog, painted by Małgorzata Świertok, purchased by PAHBA and donated to the auction by the Association, the second was slightly unorthodox. Francesco “FORCE” Girardi began painting a three-dimensional painting during the Friday dumplings and liqueurs festival – in front of guests. He finished the painting the next day and donated it to the judge’s tent as one of the auction items.

Ultimately, during the auction, the amount of €21,000 was collected for another local orphanage, the “Słoneczny Dom” Care and Education Facility in Tarnów, which is the equivalent of approximately PLN 90,000. The most expensive breeding was the stallion D Nayel, which was auctioned by Bogdan Maślanka for €4,250. Interestingly, Małgorzata Świertok’s work was also very popular, for which Farhang Fazeli paid €3,500 – the same amount as Szymon Głowacki for a breeding to the stallion E.S. Harir! After the auction, the clearly surprised artist joined the delighted DC member from Iran for a group photo. The painting in a new frame (the old one had to remain in Poland) already hangs on the wall in Farhang’s house in Tehran. In turn, for €750, the avant-garde 3D painting painted by FORCE was purchased by Petroniusz Frejlich, who also bought one of the breedinds. The rest went to Paweł Lis and Beata and Marek Błaszkiewicz.

The highlight of the program

The main part of the festival in Klikowa was, of course, the purebred Arabian horse show. And there were a record number of them, also taking into account the times of the show before the pandemic and moving it from Radom to the princely residence of the Sanguszko family. It was therefore the most heavily attended Arabian horse show in Poland in recent years. Why am I mentioning the local aristocracy again?

This year, the All-Polish Arabian Horse Championship show was held under the honorary patronage of the heir of the Sanguszko Family, honorary citizen of the city of Tarnów, Prince Paweł Franciszek Roman Sanguszko. Moreover, the third name refers to his grandfather, Prince Roman Władysław Sanguszko – a philanthropist, motorist and passionate breeder of Arabian horses, for whom Bogdan Ziętarski brought horses from the Arabian Peninsula by land and sea. The heritage of the breeding of the Sanguszko princes is still visible in the pedigrees of currently bred Arabian horses.

Moreover, the show was held under the patronage of the Mayor of Tarnów, Jakub Kwaśny, and the Marshal of the Małopolska Voivodeship, Witold Kozłowski. This is not the end, because 3 weeks before the show, PAHBA signed a strategic partnership agreement with Global Champions Arabians Tour. Under this agreement, Polish breeders and owners of horses with the first two places in classes received a free voucher to participate in GCAT in Valkenswaard in the Netherlands.

Individual classes of horses aroused considerable emotions among the guests gathered in Ostoja from Saturday morning. The judges included Claudia Darius, Gideon Reisel, Paula Böhmer, Cristian Moschini, Abdulaziz Al Marzooqi, Janice McCrea and Graham Smith. And no wonder, because we started with a high C. The first yearling we had the pleasure of seeing, Michałów’s Partes (Dominic M – Protekcja), received the first “20” from the judges for head and neck of the day! Despite the early time, because it was only 9:45 in the morning, Artur Łojowski asked not to do the honorary round. In fact, the weather was taking its toll and we only had rounds the next day and only in the championships, to which the first three horses in each age class qualified.

Champions from Tarnów – Anno Domini 2024

The championships evoked even greater emotions, and everyone had their favorites, also in the strongest competition for senior mares. When asked about the level of the horses, the judges said openly: “I became a judge for such great championships” – these are Graham’s words, “I would like to see these horses in my stable” – this is how Abdulaziz assessed them. Interestingly, the choice of champions turned out to be such a hard nut to crack that the judges were never unanimous! Even when choosing both Best in Show…

Finally, in the Yearling Female Championships, Monserat (EKS Farajj – Magnumka), bred and owned by Wojciech Parczewski, won the gold. The day before, she scored two 20s in the class and won the class hands down. It was a pure pleasure to watch her free movement and lightness in the ring, as well as the trust in her trainer and presenter Marek Demczuk. In the honorary round she was led by his son Kacper. The judges awarded the silver medal to Doris Star (D Zeidan – Doris Fame), bred and owned by Grabów nad Pilicą Arabian Horse Stud by Tomasz and Elżbieta Tarczyński, and the bronze medal went to the filly Elzoya (Prometeusz – Euzona) from the Janów stables, who received one “20” in class for movement.

In the Yearling Stallion Championships, the gold was won by the above-mentioned Partes. This time, Artur did not refuse the round of honor and did a quick circle with the winning colt to the cheers of the audience. The silver went to his neighbor from Michałów, Egner (Prometeusz – Emdrona), and the bronze to the bronze champion from Białka, Poker Move KL (RFI Unique – Plivia), for whom Klikowa Arabians has high hopes and you can’t blame them, because the colt has a big potential.

With each subsequent championship, emotions grew, although some of the results could be predicted if you carefully followed the competitions in the classes the day before. The Golden Junior Champion Mare went to Antyfona (Haash OSB – Anima), who received five out of six 20s for movement. The two-year-old from Janów Podlaski looked and moved phenomenally, which was appreciated not only by the judges, but also by the audience. Wildonara (Paris – Wildona), bred in the green Ponidzie region in the Michałów stables, returned home with silver, and Pretina (Haash OSB – Paterna) with bronze.

In the Junior Stallion Championships, SQ Helal (FA El Rasheem – SQ Miss Enzo) won his third gold in his career – his third gold this year after the Dutch Arabian Masters in Deurne and the Junior Show in Białka. With 20s for type and head and neck, the handsome colt bred and owned by Al Saqran Arabian Horse Stud from the UAE confidently won the highest honor in the championship. Well-deserved silver and bronze medals, in turn, went to Fawoniusz (Wolare – Finga), bred and owned by Krzysztof Jagielski, and Palissander SW (Raud Albidayer – Pilarosa), bred by Suweco Stud from the Czech Republic and owned by Polia Arabians.

There was real pandemonium during the senior horse championships. The undisputed favorite among the mares, with eleven 20s in the class for type, head and movement, was Adelita (Kahil Al Shaqab – Altamira), bred and owned by Janów Podlaski Stud. The winner of the highest score in the show and the Special Award funded by Prince Paweł Sanguszko for the highest-rated horse in the show (94.08 points) became the Gold Medalist of the Senior Mare Championships. The winner of the first place in the 4-6-year-old mares class (section B) won the Silver Medal in the finals, El Medida (Morion – El Medara) bred and owned by the Michałów Stud, while the bronze medal went to the owner of “only” five 20s in their age class – Ascalona (E.S. Harir – Alsara) from Janów Podlaski.

The last one to be held was the Senior Stallion Championship, which was won by Wizard KL (FA El Rasheem – Wieża Czarów), who stood like a bronze sculpture, bred and owned by Klikowa Arabians. The Silver Medal was awarded to the stallion Paris (Kahil Al Shaqab – Palmeta), bred and owned by Polia Arabians in Janów, and the bronze medal went to the oldest horse in the show, the stallion Alert (Piaff – Andaluzja) born in 2005 from the Janów stables.

The titles of Best Horses in Show went – deservedly – to the mare Adelita and the stallion SQ Helal. Special prizes were also awarded. Echo Anastazja (Psyche Keret – Echo Aurora), bred and owned by Chrcynno-Pałac Stud, received the Award for the Best Head of Show. Adelita also received the Ganges Award for Best Show Horse with Racing Career.

Anything else?

Of course! The show in Tarnów once again fulfilled its social function as an environmental integrator. After the first day of the DC course, the organizers of the “Arabian horse festival” invited the students to visit Tarnów with a guide and for a pizza with a glass of wine. On Friday evening, a festival of homemade dumplings, regional delicacies and delicious homemade liqueurs took place in Hubertus in Klikowa. And on Saturday’s Breeders’ Evening, inspired by the evening games and entertainment in the Dutch Deurne after the EuroZone Cup in May this year, Natalia Ciman organized a trilogy of games that required, above all, physical fitness and good humor. Until recently, I doubted whether the mid-show fun model could be transferred from the Meuse to the Vistula. Today I know that I was simply wrong then.

At the very end of the show, Arabian Prometheuses were awarded – special PAHBA awards for those who made outstanding contributions to the breeding of Arabian horses in Poland. This year it was awarded to a unique character. The Management Board presented the Arabian Prometheus award to Michał Bogajewicz, a regular attendee of horse shows, whose great passion was carriages, which he built and reconstructed himself, and whose works are known throughout Europe. A few years ago, he was also a guest of honor at the Traditional Driving Competition of Princess Daisy von Pless in the Stallion Depot at Książ Castle. He is also the breeder of the stallion Girlan-Bey, which once made Polish breeding famous internationally, winning, among others, as the first private Polish horse in the history of Paris, a World Championship medal.

Also honored were Marek Rzepka, the creator of Klikowa Arabians, whose enthusiasm and optimism were one of the main driving forces thanks to which the show at Klikowa Ostoja achieved success and recognition on an international scale. This year, Klikowa Arabians received the Award for the best breeder of a show horse for 2023 for breeding the stallion Poker Face KL. The management board also thanked Marek Błaszkiewicz, owner of the Podlesie Arabians stud farm. His charisma and commitment are the organizational driving force thanks to which the All-Polish Arabian Horse Championship show develops at an excellent pace year by year.

Those present at the show will confirm that this year’s edition was spectacular. The bar was set very high. And now it’s even higher.

See you in Tarnów next year!

Anyone who expected a staggering number of horses could have been disappointed. The French stop of the Global Champions Arabian Tour on the French Riviera was indeed grand, but on a more European scale. But then again… is it bad? Not really. It’s a pity that more horses that we haven’t seen before were not presented in Cannes. Because the rankings have become a bit set in stone.

Before we talk about the horses, let’s focus on the show itself. From the very beginning, the organizers of the Global Champions Arabians Tour promised spectacular experiences on each show of the series. This time they did not disappoint either and provided spectacular attractions, starting with a military brass band in historic French dragoon uniforms of the Napoleonic era (accompanied by screeching seagulls) and ending with a touching performance of “La Vie en Rose” by Édith Piaf. Of course, the part of Boulevard La Croisette closest to the show was dominated by art, cuisine and handicrafts, although less impressively than on the Arabian Peninsula.

Although there were many more horses entered in the azure section of the GCAT, ultimately the judges saw only 56, but from 13 countries. At the last Arabian stage of this year’s cycle, there were 97 equines from seven countries around the world, and already then one could get the impression that the cycle was shrinking a bit. Compared to the show in Abu Dhabi, it was a positive difference – unfortunately, a show where almost each class has a dozen or so horses and practically every age category is divided into at least A and B is simply tiring after a while. In the aforementioned Abu Dhabi, there were even classes with 17 and 19 horses, and the show lasted for 4 days. An event for the most persistent… So, answering the question posed at the very beginning “is it bad that there were fewer horses?”, I would lean towards “not at all”. It is a pity, however, that most of the registered Polish horses did not come to the Hesperides Stadium.

List of attendance

We are undoubtedly accustomed to the presence of at least Polish-bred, if not owned, Arabian horses at European shows. A glance at the catalog and there was hope that we would support the six bred in Poland. Every one in ten horses is a “Polish horse”. Meanwhile, it turned out that Adyga (Kahil Al Shaqab – Amiga / Piaff) and Calateon (Vitorio TO – Calatea / Ekstern) were missing. Bred by Janów Podlaski Stud and by Marek Kondrasiuk, respectively, and currently owned by the Dutch C&S Arabians, i.e. Chantal and Sebastiaan Volker, we had the pleasure of seeing them in Deurne. Pireno (Shanghai EA – Pirana K.A. / QR Marc), bred by Paweł Redestowicz and owned by the Saudi Zaan Stud, can also be considered a great absentee. The young Ederrada (Zeus EA – Epogra / Pogrom) bred by Adam Bączyk, purchased by Irina Stigler, also did not appear on French soil. So who represented the red and white team?

Both show goers and those closely following the struggles of purebred horses at shows in Poland and abroad had no problems with identifying horses whose potential successes are partly attributable to Poland. Emarella (Sahm El Arab – Emandorella / Eden C) has previously competed at GCAT, winning a bronze medal in Abu Dhabi and a silver medal in Muscat, so we expected her presence. What was new was the start of the three-year-old stallion Nisser Babel (Sinharib Babel – AJ Nasheeda / AJ Portofino). How did they fare?

A shower of „20s”

Emarella’s high result in the class – almost 92 points – did not mean that she had a guaranteed medal place in the Senior Mare Championships. Judges have recently been sparing in awarding high marks, and yet in both classes of senior mares there were “20s” for type, head and neck and movement. But on the second day of the show, this phenomenal grey mare, who was born 6 years ago in Michałów, did not come to the championships at all. Despite two previous medals, her current owners Aljassimya Farm decided that she would stay in the stable during the final showdown… It’s hard to say what she thought about it, but her fans certainly felt disappointed. Even if her Saturday performance in the Mediterranean breeze was not the best of her career, she still received high marks from the judges, including for type. But it’s not for us to judge.

In turn, the bay Nisser Babel, bred by Wieża Babel and now operating under the Hamie Hamie Stud flag, although finishing his junior stallion class with a score of over 90 points, took last place in the class, winning only against his absent sixth colleague. So he didn’t make it to the championship, but in his case it was obvious that it wasn’t his day. He neither wanted to show himself in motion nor thought of cooperating with the presenter in this more static part of the presentation. The last place in the class was not surprising, but it left us unsatisfied, because his performances last year in Białka and Prague, or two years ago in Sopot and also Prague, were so much better that he won medals – gold and bronze; the silver still ahead of him…

End of year show evaluation

I will quote myself from before the Cannes show. “We have the first of three European stops of GCAT ahead of us, before the series returns to the Arabian Peninsula to Riyadh. The stages in Cannes, the Dutch Valkenswaard and Rome could cause a stir. But will this happen? We will find out the answer to this question soon…”

Did they make a stir? Not really, so the changes to the rankings are mostly cosmetic. Despite the “boycott” of the championships, Emarella only dropped from 9th to 10th position in the “girls’” ranking, and Wildona (Shanghai EA – Wilda / Gazal Al Shaqab) was completely absent from 12th to 17th. The top of this ranking did not move an inch despite medals in the championships for some new horses. Therefore, in the female ranking, the undefeated AJ Kayya (AJ Kafu – AJA Caprice / EKS Alihandro) from Ajman Stud remains in first place – 80 points. The second place from the very beginning belongs to D Nafayes (D Seraj – D Danat / SG Labib), bred and owned by Dubai Arabian Horse Stud – 77 points, and the third place was taken by D Najlah (D Seraj – Elle Flamenca / Ajman Moniscione), also with Dubai Arabian Horse Stud – 71 points.

The situation is more dynamic with the gentlemen. The snow-white E.S. Harir (AJ Dinar – TF Magnums Magic / Magnum Psyche), who has an excellent streak and became the gold medalist of the Senior Stallion Championships almost unanimously, made it to the top three. Magnum’s grandson, winning his second gold, took third place in the male ranking, with the first two still belonging to D Borkan (FA El Rasheem – D Ajayeb / RFI Farid) and D Shakhar (D Shakhat – D Shamkah / FA El Rasheem). It is worth mentioning, as the letter D at the beginning of their names suggests, that these are horses from Dubai Arabian Horse Stud.

What about the presenters? At the top of the third ranking conducted by the Global Champions Arabians Tour are invariably three gentlemen well known to Polish Arabian horse lovers, always smiling. Moreover, they increase their advantage over the competition. After four GCAT stages, Raphael Curti is in the lowest place on the podium with 193 points (plus 60 points), Glenn Schoukens is in second place with 207 points (plus 52 points), and Paolo Capecci is in the lead with 219 points (plus 51 points).

Vacation

The July stop of GCAT in the Kingdom of the Netherlands is ahead of us. On the weekend of July 20-21 this year Arabian horses will conquer North Brabant, on the outskirts of the quiet town of Valkenswaard, right on the Belgian border. It comes to life only during horse and motorcycle events, and apart from that, life goes on lazily there. In this former capital of falconry we will see Polish horses for sure. At EuroZone in Deurne in May this year, several horses received vouchers for this event and their owners decided to take advantage of the opportunity. Moreover, vouchers will also be awarded in Tarnów for the All-Polish Arabian Horse Championship and there will be as many as 30 of them for the first two places in the halter classes, excluding geldings and the amateur class. Especially for Polish breeders, the organizers will open registration for one day only on Monday, July 1st. Let’s hope they take advantage of it – tickets worth €1,000 including boxing? It’s a sin not to take advantage!

But let’s go back to the question “how will the change of continent affect the rankings?” which I asked two weeks ago. After Muscat I assumed an earthquake. The closer to the Mediterranean stage, the more I had the impression that there would be a collapse. For now, we have minimal corrections. What will the remaining two European stages, Brabant and Italian, bring? I still claim that horse judgments are unexamined, although now I think that this probably does not apply to horses or presenters at the top of the rankings, but to further places. We will see.