The third edition of All-Polish Arabian The Horse Championship organised by the Polish Arabian Horse Breeders Association made history. On 5th-6th July 2025, at the charming Klikowska Ostoja Polskich Koni (Polish Horse Refuge in Klikowa) in Tarnów, two shows were held back-to-back: B-International and European Show, all under the patronage of Global Champions Arabians Tour and with generous support of a multitude of sponsors and enthusiasts who had devoted the last few weeks of their time to making sure everything would be as perfect as possible.
The horses entered in the shows were judged by two different panels of judges. The European Show was judged by Kathleen Ohlsson, Amira Safady and James Swaenepoel, while the B-International – by Cedes Bakker, Scott Brumfield, Bérengère Fayt, Zico Guardia, Joanne Lowe, Mohamed Oussidhoum, Caroline Reid and Jonas Salzmann.

The organisers must have booked the weather well in advance, and it was actually too good, as is was at times scorching hot, especially on Sunday, and even avoiding the sun and staying in the shade wasn’t enough to prevent you from getting a tan. The large, spacious, and, as always, exquisitely furnished VIP tent offered a tempting array of catering, and the staff ensured no one would get thirsty too quickly on these hot summer days. Unfortunately, as is sometimes does happen at a show in such weather, I personally had the opportunity to appreciate the helping hand of the paramedics on site.

People outside the VIP tent had access to stands for the audience along the shorter wall of the arena and to tiny shops and catering stands around the building known in Klikowa as Hubertus, or the hunter’s lodge. On Sunday, unfortunately, and weirdly so, with an increased number of people in attendance, the number of stands decreased, leading to some being a bit disgruntled, which is indeed quite logical. One must admit, however, that not everything is within the organisers’ control, and some unpleasant situations do occur in spite of one’s best and kindest intentions.

In this year’s catalogue, we could find a total of approximately 150 entries, and the International Show proved to be more popular among horse owners. Some horses were, naturally, entered in both shows, as well as in the ridden classes or the amateur handlers class, others were withdrawn, so overall we saw more or less 100 horses. This number certainly is impressive for one show, for two – slightly less so. Nonetheless, let us hope that the smaller number of horses was, generally speaking, due to the necessity of choosing one of the shows, and in a broader perspective, undoubtedly, due to the difficult times all of us are facing these days. Just keeping a larger group of horses nowadays generates higher costs than it did a few years ago, and when you factor in preparing your horse(s) in a show training centre and the costs of participating in events… your spending will increase exponentially. I think we all would hate to see the Tarnów Championships disappear from our calendars, since in Poland, we have such a limited selection of events for purebred Arabians. Therefore, every opportunity to admire these beautiful horses is probably worth its weight in gold.

What’s encouraging, however, is the large number of new names among owners of the horses shown, which is linked to the growing interest in Arabian horses. In my view, this might be due to the fact that the show is organised outside of Białka and Janów Podlaski stud farms. Another reason is probably the broader promotion of these horses, which had been seriously insufficient for many years. Furthermore, the community itself could have been potentially a bit scary to newcomers due to its somewhat closed-off nature.

I think many would agree with me that the hot weather and the extremely tight schedule—many horses, two parallel shows with numerous classes and two series of championships to compete in, equestrian sports, and a charity auction – were quite exhausting even for the most seasoned of us. Half-jokingly, the horses entered in both shows had it worst, losing their strength and lightness on Sunday afternoon during the championships. Perhaps it’s worth considering a “one-day, one-show” formula, although this too might not guarantee the horses would get enough rest, but it would prevent some of them from performing for judges and the public three times in one day.

Despite these minor hiccups, which some may not have even noticed, the entire event will without a shade of doubt go down in history as a marvellous event considering all the pleasant, emotional, and touching moments. We all held our breath during the amateur-presenters’ class, when the chestnut Esmina ran away from Eliza Tarczyńska only to hide in her stables? And then, the moment when Eliza was honoured – that’s right: honoured – with a special Bravery Award. A trophy just for her so that she would remember her performance fondly in spite of stress.

We all felt like crying during the symbolic ceremony marking the return to Poland of Białka’s legendary multichampion Pesal? Surely Renata Kurzyńska did cry, and did many other – both in awe and in shock. And there were many more such moments. The awards for the best Pure Polish horses were also a very nice touch, and so was the aforementioned class for amateurs. The charity auction for a local foster home for kids in Tarnów was also a memorable moment – for those involved in its organisation, the donors and bidders, and, of course, the kids who will benefit from the bidders’ generosity. Good deeds return with greater goodness, and I think that supporting places like this is truly important on many levels, and I hope the Tarnów auction will serve as a model for others.

The auction, the breeders’ evening on Saturday with fun and games, the “pierogi and nalewki” festival (with dumplings and traditional liqueurs) on Friday evening which included this year delicious goat cheese, are permanent fixtures at the Tarnów show. In my humble opinion, the ambiance at this show is designed and intended to build lasting interpersonal bonds, to integrate and unite, rather than divide people within this small community of ours. A more integrated, friendly environment, and a welcoming atmosphere surrounding the event are a simple recipe for success. The very idea of “resurrecting” the Radom championship with participation of its creators was in itself an act of healthy cooperation – proof of the need to do something together, and subsequent editions of this “new-old” show as well as the way it is organised and experimented with, only reinforce my belief that this is in fact true.

Dearest Reader, as you must have already noticed, this year (which is quite unusual for me), you shan’t find any information about the show results in my article. I refer you to www.arabianessence.tv, where you can find videos from each class and all the results in full details. Please consider these observations of mine as a subjective report to be attached to numbers and facts. And… see you soon!

As every year, traditionally, the show season in Poland began at Białka Stud with the Junior Spring Show, which took place on June 8-9, 2024 and was the 34th edition of the event.
A total of 92 horses were entered, including 28 colts and 64 fillies, and their beauty was assessed by a panel of judges composed of: Bérengère Fayt from Belgium, Bruce McRea from the USA, Jonas Salzman from Germany and Łukasz Goździalski from Poland. They were accompanied by DC members: Bart Beckers (Belgium), Farhang Fazeli (Iran), Anna Winiecka, Monika Szpura and Anna Mikuła from Poland. Joanna Krawczyk, who was making her debut in this role, kept order in the ring, and the show was also hosted by Paweł Grzechnik, who was making his debut as an announcer, and it must be admitted that both of them proved themselves in their new roles.

On Saturday morning, two series (although not very numerous) of yearling colt classes started this year’s edition of the show in Białka. 15 horses were entered in this age category, and in the end we saw 10 of them. Series A was won by the bay Partes (Dominic M – Protekcja by Ekstern) from Michałów, scoring 91.5 points, which is the highest score among yearling colts. Despite this, he had to settle for a silver medal in Sunday’s championships. Right behind him in the class, and then also in the championship, was the bay Poker Move (RFI Unique – Plivia by Kahil Al Shaqab), bred at Klikowa Arabians. Poker Move is a full brother to last year’s Polish Champion – Poker Face KL, although it must be admitted that his quality is still inferior to his brother. By an almost unanimous decision of the judges, the gold medal and the first place on the podium, deservedly, went to the winner of class IB – the grey, delicate in type, eye-catching colt Comoros (HL El Ganador – Cedora by Kahil Al Shaqab), who definitely stands out from the rest of the pack, bred and owned by Janów Podlaski. The Top Five of the championship was completed by the graduates of Michałów: the second place winner in class IB, the bay Egner (Promoteusz – Emdrona by Medalion) and the third place winner in class IA, the grey Palafit (AJ Azzam – Palanga by Ekstern).

The junior colts presented themselves in two classes and we saw a total of ten 2-year-old horses in class II and only three 3-year-old horses in class III. One colt stood out in each age group and they fought for the first place on the podium in Sunday’s championship. In the class of 2-year-old colts, everyone’s attention was undoubtedly drawn to the “typical Rasheem” bred and owned by Alsaqran Arabian Horse Stud – the bay SQ Helal (FA El Rasheem – SQ Miss Enzo by ES Harir). He scored 92.63 points (one of two of the highest scores in the show), including 2×20 for type, unanimously chosen as the gold champion of junior colts and the Best In Show stallion on Sunday! The silver medal of the championship went to the above-mentioned winner of the three-year-old stallions class, the phenomenal, very masculine grey Elon KL (QR Marc – Erigone by Ekstern), bred and owned by Klikowa Arabians. Elon KL is a full brother of Efora KL, the European Junior Champion from 2020, and Elon KL himself was chosen Polish National Yearling Silver Champion Colt in 2022, so it seems that repeating this mating was a bull’s-eye. The last place on the podium and the silver medal went to the third place winner in the two-year-old colts class, Gladius SA (Dominic M – Ginessa by Shanghai E.A.), known from last year, “always second”, bred and owned by Waldemar Bąk. Behind the podium, the Top Five was completed by the second place winners in their classes – the grey Palissander SW (Raoud Albidayer – Pilarosa by Al Adeed Al Shaqab) bred by Suweco Stud, owned by Polia Arabians and the bay, another graduate of Klikowa Arabians – Will KL (Dominic M – Wieża Czarów after Vitorio TO).

The classes of yearling horses in Białka, whether colts or fillies, are probably the most interesting due to the fact that these are the first public performances of the youngest generation of Arabian horses bred in Poland, although it should be mentioned that it is the fillies that attract the most attention, because in the future they will be the basis of the breeding thought of Polish breeders. It cannot be denied that the level of fillies has been noticeably higher and more equal than that of colts for years. In the yearling fillies championship, as in the case of junior colts, the judges were unanimous in their choices, and slight differences of opinion appeared only when selecting horses for the bronze medal.

Finally, on all steps of the podium at Sunday’s championships were the winners of each of the yearling fillies classes, although in a different order than they presented themselves to the public during Saturday’s competition. The winner of the A series – another graduate of Klikowa Arabians, the grey, delicate and breathtaking El Lyrica (Lyric E.A. – Erskina by Kahil Al Shaqab) was unanimously chosen as the silver champion of the Białka show. In the class, she narrowly overtook the daughter of the phenomenal Pustynia Kahila (Kahil Al Shaqab – Pustynna Malwa by Ekstern) – the bay Perlita (by Erantis), bred in Michałów. Both fillies scored the same number of points (91.38), but El Lyrica received higher marks for type and therefore won her class. The B series and the bronze medal of the championship were won by Elzoya, bred at Janów Podlaski Stud, the grey, extremely delicate type, eye-catching daughter of the legendary Prometeusz (FA El Shawan – Pianissima by Gazal Al Shaqab) and the wonderful Euzona (Om El Bellissimo – Euzetia by Ethogram). Series C unveiled the undisputed favorite of the yearling fillies championship. First place in the class with a score of 92.00 (1×20 for type, 1×20 for head and neck) and a gold medal were awarded to the grey filly Anagramma (Picasso Di Mar – Aminata by Abyad AA), bred at Janów Podlaski Stud. Anagramma is definitely a horse that is and will be talked about, as she was also awarded the title of Best In Show Filly. We are looking forward to her next performances. Right behind her in the class was the winner of the fourth place in the championship, who was nominated for the bronze medal, the beautiful bay El Alihandra (EKS Alihandro x Enrida by Ekstern), bred and owned by Paweł Dobrzyński. The Top Five of the championship was closed by the bay Doris Star (D Zeidan x Doris Fame by Enzo) from the stud farm of Tomasz Tarczyński, third in the IVC class, also nominated by one judge for the bronze medal.

The classes for two-year-old and three-year-old fillies probably brought the most emotions, because the judges in these classes most willingly awarded 20s, although still quite sparingly as compared to previous Białka shows. The two-year-old fillies were divided into three series and they selected the winners of the first five places in Sunday’s championship. Unfortunately, none of the three-year-old fillies made it to the top five at this year’s show.

The A series of two-year-old fillies was confidently won by the almost white Wildonara (Paris – Wildona by Shanghai E.A.), a graduate of Michałów Stud, with a score of 91.63 points (including 2×20 for head and neck). Unfortunately, she was only fourth in the championship, although two judges nominated her for a silver medal. Series B belonged to the Polia Arabians bred and owned by Adam Ochman – grey Katarina AO (Raoud Albidayer x Kadira of Sinus by Fadi Al Shaqab), who matures beautifully (which is my subjective opinion, because it is definitely my type) and after becoming loose in the ring, she presented herself to the judges as if “nothing happened”, and received 91.63 points, including 1×20 for movement, which resulted in her overtaking the bay from Janów Podlaski, known from last year Ebonita (Haash OSB x Etruzja by Pogrom). Despite this, Katarina AO finished in the Top Five in the championships, and Ebonita took the bronze medal for junior fillies to her home stud (two nominations for silver and one for bronze). Once again, the C series uncovered the gold medalist of the championship. The junior filly gold medal went to the bay Wencedora (Haash OSB – Wiga by Om El Bellissimo), bred and owned by Janów Podlaski Stud, who, next to the previously mentioned SQ Helal, scored the same, highest number of points in the show, i.e. 92.63 (1×20, 3×19.5 for the type, 1×20 for the head and neck). Wencedora matures nicely, catches the eye and makes you “want to see more of her”, in addition, she also received an award for the best legs in the show. Second place in the VC class and the silver medal of the championship was awarded to the delicate and, nomen omen, elegant Elegantia (AJ Azzam – Ellissima by Albedo), who comes from Michałów Stud. In the class she scored 92.00 points (for type 4×19, 5, for head and neck 4×19.5 and for movement 2×20, 2×19.5) and was honored with the award for the best movement of the show.

Unfortunately, none of the presented three-year-old fillies was recognized by the judges in the championships, but as a journalist it is worth mentioning that this class was won by Espajlita M (AJ Elaf – Espaja by Aja Justified), known from previous seasons, who scored 91.00 points, and was bred and belongs to Piotr Podgórny M Arabians. Right behind her was the bay Belluci (Star Farid – Bella La Fuerte by Fuerte) bred and owned by Wojciech Parczewski, and the third place went to the pitch-black Nezha Blacklady (Wadee Al Shaqab – Namirah KA by Tajj) from Black Lady Arabians of Anna Janas- Naze.

The award for the best head of the show was given to the filly Paelia (EKS Farajj – Pawita by WH Justice), bred by Lech Błaszczyk and owned by Marek Łukaszewski.

Another Junior Spring Show in Białka has gone down in history. There are opinions that it is a championship that you should be at, because it is, but it no longer attracts people with its atmosphere, has a modest setting and catering facilities. For me, shows are primarily a chance to observe, admire the beauty of horses, and escape from everyday life. And I wish this approach to everyone. See you in Tarnów!

The pleasant sound of the sea and the summer breeze on the back of our neck. Sopot is a holiday resort also obviously associated with the pier, promenade, amber booths, beaches and the ubiquitous crowd of people. And for four years now to us Arabian horse enthusiasts, Sopot has been associated additionally, and perhaps most pleasantly, with the Arabian horse championship. And so, on July 22nd-23rd, we had the opportunity and pleasure to meet at the Sopot Hippodrome for the fourth time at the Sopot Arabian Horse Show.

This show filled the gap, or even emptiness, after the Al Khalediah European Arabian Horse Festival in Nowe Wrońska, which last took place in 2019. Although the assumptions of both shows are fundamentally different, and the championship in Sopot from the very beginning adopted the Breeders Show formula (“Breeders Show” – a category in the pyramid of shows affiliated by ECAHO), once again we had the opportunity to see top-shelf horses, also from outside of Poland. And in fact, this is the only opportunity in our Polish backyard to admire Arabians known to us from films, commercials and foreign shows and to look at them, thanks to which we have the opportunity to form an opinion about them. It is well known that when we have a specific horse in front of us, we see more than we often see on the Internet or in the press, and in my opinion it is very pleasant to be able to confront your imagination with reality. That is why the information about the withdrawal of the stallion El Rey Magnum RCF (Basilio CS – Cirque Du Soleil BF by Apalo) from the show was a huge disappointment for me. Nevertheless, even despite the withdrawal of this horse, a whole galaxy of stars (current and future) presented themselves to us, so there can be no reasons to complain!

53 horses were entered for the show, 4 were withdrawn and finally in the mares and stallions classes there were 32 horses from Poland (bred in Poland or belonging to Polish breeders/owners) and 17 horses from abroad, and additionally 4 geldings in the gelding championship (3 from Poland and one foreign).

This is not a large number of horses, and it can even be said that it is small compared to previous years, but let’s hope that it is a temporary incident and next year it will only get better. The more so that the organization of this event is at a high level, and the Sopot show attracts not only with the location and quality of the horses, but also the pleasant, friendly, holiday atmosphere, even though the weather once again did not spoil the participants of the event. The show was judged by Marianne Tengstedt (Denmark), Janice McCrea (USA), Mohamed Omar Zagloul (Egypt), Chris Lowe (UK) and Elisa Grassi (Germany), and the ringmaster was none other than Gerard Oben.

The Yearling Fillies Championship was unanimously won by the winner of series B of the yearling fillies class, bred and owned by Dubai Stud (UAE), the bay D Ghamrah (D Shakhat – D Ghaliah by FA El Rasheem), who received the second highest score of the show, i.e. 92.15 points. D Ghamrah already has, among others, the Bronze Medal of this year’s show in Menton. The battle for the silver and bronze medals was fought by the grey CBA Isaura (CBA Illias – CBA Ilonah El Haleem by Haleem Al Safi) from Bouche Arabians (Netherlands) and Magical Duchess AF (S.M.A. Magic One – Duchess Amaiyya DMC by Aja Angelo) from Afifi Arabians (Israel). The winner of this match was the former, the runner-up in class 1B – CBA Isaura, and Magical Duchess AF, despite winning the series A of the yearling fillies class, had to please her owners with a bronze medal.

The Yearling Colts Championship belonged to the winner of class 4A, once again unanimously, the gold medal went to the charge of Qatar’s Al Jood Stud, the chestnut, eye-catching Majd Al Jood (AJ Mardan – Elle Marin by Ajman Moniscione), who scored a solid 91 in the class. The silver medal, as the first of seven that day, went to a Polish breeder. Known to us from Białka and Tarnów, the grey Gladius SA (Dominic M – Ginessa by Shanghai E.A.) added another trophy to his collection, bringing a lot of joy to the later Best Presenter of the Show – Marek Demczuk, but also of course to the owner Waldemar Bąk. The third place on the podium went to Janów’s bay Tebiano (Haash OSB – Tacjana by Ascott DD), known from previous championships this year.

In the Junior Mares Championship the judges were not so unanimous, but the line-up of fillies presented for the selection of the champion was also larger and of very high quality. The Gold Medalist of the Junior Mares was the phenomenal D Leen (D Seraj – D Maha by Eden C), bred in Dubai Stud and owned by the Polish stud Lubochnia Arabians, which decided to show its horses in Poland for the first time, achieving significant success. Second was the grey and also bred in Dubai D Henneyyah (D Shagran – D Haneen by FA El Rasheem), belonging to Al Jood Stud, who was also tipped for the gold medal, but lacked a bit of luck. The bronze medal was won by the winner of the A series of the junior fillies class, the grey Espajlita M (AJ Elaf – Espaja by Aja Justified) bred and owned by Piotr Podgórny’s M Arabians. In addition, this filly was chosen the Best Polish Horse, and her owners received not just any prize on this account, because VIP invitations to the December World Championships in Qatar, along with air tickets and accommodation for its duration.

The Junior Colts Championship ended with the triumph of a horse with phenomenal movement, the winner of the B series of the junior colts class and the winner of the show’s highest score, the striking chestnut Hafeet (Ajman Moniscione – El Omarissa by El Omari), bred and owned by the Slovak TM Arabians stud, whose owners are Kuwaiti. On his heels, but in the end winning the silver medal, was the grey Fajer AA (Shanghai E.A. – Fadwa AA by Fadi Al Shaqab) bred by Ariela Arabians (Israel), the winner of the series A of the junior colt class. Apart from the silver medal of this championship, Ariela Arabians stud will be fondly remembered as a sponsor of special cash prizes for the best European horses in each of the classes held. The third place on the podium went to another pupil of Dubai Stud, and another horse owned by Al Jood Stud, the bay D Wannas (FA El Rasheem – D Sayedah by Marajj), known from European show rings.

After the yearling and junior horse championships, it was time for the gelding championship and the class of amateur handlers, once again organized under the patronage of Bogdan Maślanka. The Geldings Championship was won by the well-known bay son of Morion, bred and owned by Al Thumama Stud – Wahaj AT (Morion – Wieża Róż by Ekstern). The Amateur Handlers class was won by Noah Ismer from Germany, presenting the chestnut mare IS Pialuna (Ascott DD – IS Piniata by Pallaton K). Cash prizes for participants in both classes were a nice touch, and it is certainly a great incentive for participants to sign up horses for these competitions.

The Senior Mares Championship emerged the last golden champion of the day and of this show, the bred in Dubai Stud, bay D Dawaly (FA El Rasheem – D Danat by SG Labib) owned by Lubochnia Arabians. The verdict of the judges was almost unanimous and as you can see, the quality of the horses owned by the stud near Gniezno is not just urban legends, as evidenced by two gold medals won by this stud in Sopot. The Silver Medal was awarded to the phenomenal, well-known from the show rings from a few years ago, the winner of the B series of the senior mares class, the chestnut Venice MI (Allegiance MI – Valentine MI by DA Valentino), bred by Mulawa Arabian Stud from Australia, and property of Albakhet Stud. The bronze medal was won by the grey Enara Babel (Fuerte – Eden Beauty K.A. by QR Marc), bred and owned by Babel Stud (Poland).

The Senior Stallion Championship was won once again unanimously, by the winner of series A senior stallion class, later Best in Show, the grey, expressive Rajeh Al Adwan (Asfoor Al Adwan – Wadha Al Adwan by Fayad Alfayyad), bred and owned by Al Adwan Stud from Kuwait. The second in the championship was the chestnut Erantis (Acott DD – Eugara by Om El Beellissimo), from Janów Podlaski Stud, which gains with age. The third place in the championship and the last bronze medal during the show at the Sopot Hippodrome went to the grey bred by Ismer Stud (Germany), the winner of the series B senior stallion class – IS Exxpu (QR Marc – IS Exelsia by Madkours Impuls).

And so another Sopot Arabian Horse Show came to an end. Once again, the organization and atmosphere of this event made me want to come back to Sopot. You want to feel the summer breeze on your face, listen to the sound of the sea, squeeze through the crowds of people on the promenade and see more beautiful horses at the Hippodrome that capture the eyes and hearts. So let’s hope to see you next year!

When in 2020 covid-19 paralyzed the world, when countries closed their borders, quarantines were introduced and most mass events were canceled for fear of the virus, Arabian horse shows also suffered. Important shows had disappeared from the calendar, including the All Nations Cup in Aachen, and in Poland the Al Khalediah European Arabian Horse Festival in Nowe Wrońska and the All-Polish Arabian Horse Championship, organized at the Aeroclub airport in Radom. Each subsequent year we saw these shows included in the ECAHO calendar, but neither in 2020, nor in 2021, nor in 2022, none of our Polish shows took place. Therefore, this year, when Radom was again on the list, it was hard to believe that this show would return to the Polish scene after three years of absence. Yet it has returned. And with a bang!

And although Radom was moved to Tarnów, and the championship was held in Klikowska Ostoja Polskich Koni, I don’t think anyone was angry with the organizer, in fact most of the participants were very curious about the new place and how the new team would cope with the challenge of organizing a new-old show in Poland.

Under the patronage of Prince Roman Władysław Sanguszko’s grandson

Tarnów is not an accidental location, because in the 18th century the Tarnów estate became the property of the Sanguszko magnate family and remained in their hands until World War II, but the heirs are connected with the Tarnów land to this day. The honorary patronage over the show was taken by Prince Paweł Sanguszko, grandson of Prince Roman Władysław Sanguszko, for whom horses from the Arabian Peninsula were imported by Bogdan Ziętarski himself, and both gentlemen played a significant role in breeding the Arabian horse in Poland.

The baton from Mr. Stanisław Redestowicz, who was responsible for the show in Radom, was taken over by the Polish Arabian Horse Breeders Association, whose newly elected board seems to have big plans and is not afraid to implement them. Thanks to this, we have another fantastic show of Arabian horses on the map of Poland, and the bar has been set really high. The efficiency in attracting people for cooperation and sponsors, thanks to which the show gained prestige, arouses admiration. Nevertheless, the atmosphere was friendly, you could not feel the embouchure, often present at Arabian horse shows.

Also noteworthy is the rich program of the event, which included saddle classes, special shows, a gelding class, breeders’ evening and a charity auction. It was impossible to complain about boredom!

Even before the official start of the show, the guests, trainers and exhibitors could integrate on Friday evening over Klikowski dumplings and liqueurs, and despite the fact that the weather was not so good on Saturday morning, everyone was in a good mood. Although the weather “did not spoil” us, it’s an understatement when you remember the beginning of the show. In a penetrating downpour, the guests were greeted by highlanders and Cracovians in traditional costumes, driving teams of Małopolska and Silesian horses, who brought the judges to the arena.

The show was judged by: Gianmarco Aragno, Peter Birch, Bérengère Fayt, Robbie Den Hartog, Helen Hennekens Van Nes, Jonas Salzman and Michaela Weidner, the ringmaster was Bart Beckers, the Disciplinary Committee was composed of: Christine Keyser, Farhang Fazeli and Paulina Malinowska, and the announcer was Mirosław Kołodziej.

Over 100 horses in the catalogue

The catalogue included over 100 horses, which means that shows in Poland are needed and even desired by breeders and owners of Arabian horses. Despite the unfavorable weather, the show started with a slight delay, and the first to arrive were the yearling colts, divided into two series. And already here it was known that the show in Białka has its own rules, and Tarnów has its own. Series A was won by Michałów’s Zigi Zahn (AJ Azzam – Zigi Zana by QR Marc), scoring a solid 91.67 points. Right behind him, with a score of 90.58 points, placed the grey, delicate Gladius SA (Dominic M – Ginessa by Shanghai E.A.), bred and owned by Waldemar Bąk. Both colts were appreciated by the judges in Sunday’s championship and took analogous places, so that Zigi Zahn was almost unanimously chosen the Yearling Champion Colt (6 out of 7 judges nominated him for the gold medal), and Gladius SA left Tarnów with the silver medal. The bronze medal in the championships went to the winner of series B of the yearling colts, the eye-catcher, Portado (Haash OSB – Portia by Kahil Al Shaqab) from Janów Podlaski Stud, who scored 91.25 points in class.

The classes of two- and three-year-old colts were traditionally symbolic in terms of the number of horses, and there were six stallions in total.

And so, the winner of the two-year-old stallions class, the bronze medalist from this year’s Białka, the dark bay Janów-bred Al Narciso (Erantis – Amorena by Pogrom) this time went home with a gold medal and the title of Junior Champion Stallion. The silver medal remained in the Tarnów region and went to the bay stallion Will KL (Dominic M – WieżaCzarów by Vitorio TO) from Klikowa Stud, who was third in his class. Thus, he brought great joy, but also surprise to his breeder, Mr. Marek Rzepka, who was sure that nothing would happen due to the movement not in his 20s. And yet!

The bronze medal of the junior stallions was won by the bay stallion Książę (RFI Farid – California by Ekstern), known from this year’s show in Białka, bred by Krzysztof Falby and owned by Ewelina Kania-Boć.

Three series of yearling fillies and a total of 24 horses is the number we are used to at the shows in Białka and Janów. It can be concluded from this that the Tarnów show aspires to be one of the most important for breeders in Poland. Series A was won by another horse omitted from Białka, bred and owned by Petroniusz Frejlich, daughter of Diodora (by Zeus E.A.) well known from the show rings and D Zeidan – the grey De Zeidana. By winning the class with a total score of 91.42 points, she secured her participation in Sunday’s championships, eventually finishing second on the podium with the yearling fillies silver medal.

Series B was the only one that did not “contain” any Sunday medalist, despite a good performance by the filly Eforina KL (EKS Farajj – Efora KL by QR Marc), whose dam we could admire a few hours later. Eforina won her class with a score of 91.08, but was not recognized by the judges in Sunday’s finals.

Series C, on the other hand, revealed the future golden champion of the yearling fillies of the Tarnów show, as it was won by the Michałów-bred Livorna (AJ Azzam – Liguria by El Omari) who was completely omitted from Białka, with a total of 91.83 points, including 1×20 for the head with neck and 1×20 for movement. Right behind her in class at the Tarnów show, but in third place in the championship was Janów’s chestnut Eleganza (Haash OSB – Eduarda by Pogrom), who had another successful performance and took another solid bronze medal to her home stud.

The classes of two- and three-year-old fillies are always pleasing to the eye, because the horses are already after their first or second show season, they are a bit more familiar with the show ring than the yearlings, which usually has a positive effect on their presentation. In two series of two-year-old fillies and one of three-year-old fillies we saw a total of 24 horses, which is also a very decent number.

The series A of the two year old fillies class had already selected two future medalists of the junior mares championship. The class, with a score of 91.83 points, including 1×20 for type, was won by Janów’s grey Abellia (Magic Magnifique – Axara by Kahil Al Shaqab), known from Białka. The second, but bronze medalist in this class, was bred at Equus Arabians, and owned by the stud in Klikowa, another grey filly Calgary E.A. (Shanghai E.A. – Cleopatra E.A. by Excalibur E.A.), who also received a 20 for type. Both the owner and the breeder of this filly, Albert Sorroca, who was present at the show, were proud and happy about the result. I think that the current owner of Calgary E.A., Marek Rzepka, could count on more medals in this championship, because the chestnut Pianissa KL (Ajman Moniscione – Pianova by Eden C), bred in Klikowa, won the three-year-old fillies class with a score of 91.67 and entered the championship. This filly is gaining confidence from show to show, which resulted in 2×20 for movement! Unfortunately, it was not enough to charm the judges in Sunday’s championships and she returned to the stud without a medal. But medals are yet to come for her!

The bay filly Wieża Uczuć (Medalion – Wieża Bajek by Abha Qatar), bred at Michałów Stud, found itself in a similar situation, which, winning the series B of the two-year-old fillies class with a score of 91.33 with 4×20 for movement, certainly aroused Michałów’s hopes for a medal in championship. Unfortunately for them, and fortunately for the Chrcynno-Palace Stud, the third silver medal of this championship went to their filly Psyche Apsara (Ghaith Al Zobair – Psyche Victoria by Ekstern), who needs no introduction, because she is known from show rings from past seasons. Psyche Apsara took second place in her class, but with 2x20s and 4×19.5 for head and neck and 1×20 for type, and a total score of 91.50 points. She only proved her worth in the championship.

Saturday afternoon, accompanied by increasingly beautiful weather, provided even more excitement thanks to three classes of senior mares. And already the first of them, series A of the 4-6 year old mares, won the audience, among others due to the victory of the Chrcynno-Palace Stud bred, grey Anastazja (Psyche Keret – Echo Aurora by Eternity Ibn Navarrone-D), who won 93.08 points, which is the highest score of the show so far, delighted the judges and received 3×20 for type, 1×20 for head and neck and 3×20 for movement. On Sunday, however, it turned out that even 93 points are not always enough to win a medal. It fell in the championships to the winner of the series B of the 4-6 year old mares class, well known to all of us, the chestnut mare El Belissima (Ascot DD – Ekliptyka by Ekstern) from Michałów, well known and awarded many times. She delighted the judges and, receiving, among others, 3×20 for type, 3×20 for head and neck and 3×20 for movement, she collected 93.58 points. Finally, she won the silver medal of the senior mares championship for her home stud in Michałów.

Zigi Zana the highest scored horse of the show

Michałów did not stick to the competition in Tarnów, all the medals of this championship
belonged to this farm. However, there is not even a gram of surprise in this, because the quality of the senior mares from Michałów Stud brought everyone to their knees. According to the order of the classes, the next, although bronze medal went to the equally popular Parantella (Kahil Al Shaqab – Palanga by Ekstern), who won her class with a modest 93.92 points, receiving 3×20 for type, 4×20 for head and neck and 5×20 for movement. Parantella was also awarded on Sunday afternoon with the award for the best head of the show.

The last class of senior mares, held on Sunday morning, selected the gold medalist of the senior mares championship, as well as Best in Show Female and the highest rated horse of the show, as well as the most exciting class of the entire show. This class, as well as the championship and Best in Show, was won by Michałów’s (obviously) Zigi Zana (QR Marc – Zagrobla by Monogramm), who scored 94.25 points, including 5×20 for type, 2×20 for head and neck and 6×20 for movement, she was second to none, though the competition in her class was hot on her heels. The entire class of 10-year-old and older mares was showered with generous 20s by the judges. And yes, each mare received her pack of 20s and scores over 92 points! Ah, what a feast for the eyes! Second in class, with a score of 93.17, her set of 20 and 17 for legs (!) was bred in Białka and owned by Anna Janas-Naze’s Black Lady Arabians Stud. However, in the case of Echo Anastazja, even 93 points in class did not guarantee a medal place in the championship. However, as Hulina’s breeder, Renata Kurzyńska, said, it was the biggest surprise for them in years. The team from Łódź went home with smiles on their lips despite the lack of a medal.

Dedicated to Shirley Watts

The classes and the senior stallion championship did not bring so many impressions, but a pleasant surprise was the “dusting” of several horses and bringing them to Tarnów. Senior Champion Stallion and Best in Show Male was chosen, the grey Alfabia Aragon (ZT Magnanimus – ZT Shakbey by El Shaklan), who has not been seen in Poland for a long time, but is stationed here permanently in the stables of Joanna Wojtecka and Paweł Kozikowski. Joanna dedicated the success of this horse and the titles he won in Tarnów to Shirley Watts and Halsdon Arabians, from which this horse was imported to Poland after the owner’s death. Needless to say, it was a touching moment.

The silver medal of the championship went to the well-known and likable, once regular participant of the shows, the chestnut stallion Eternal (FS Bengali – Ewitacja by Ganges), bred and owned by Jan Głowacki. The last place on the podium was taken by the well-known, with many fans, slightly crazy in the way of being, chestnut Belmari (El Omari – Bint Ermina by Kabsztad), coming from Białka Stud.

And that’s it for the championships. It is worth mentioning that between the in hand classes there were also two classes under saddle for Arabian horses, judged by Helen Hennekens Van Nes. The Classic Pleasure class was won by Agnieszka Romszycka with the stallion Edinet (Włodarz – Ellila by Wachlarz), and the Traditional Arabian Riding Classic by Oliwia Kowal with the stallion Elgoriusz (Medalion – Elgora by Poganin), who also entertained the breaks between classes and the breeders’ evening with her shows.

Charity auction success

Another important, although perhaps not the most exciting point of the program, which I mentioned at the beginning, was the gelding class, in which we saw three horses, and the winner was the grey Korab (Pegasus – Karbala by Emigrant), bred at Michałów Stud, owned by Magdalena Helak -Kulczyńska. The remaining two places were taken by horses bred at the Stud in Kilkowa and owned by Dominika Zaucha. Wonder KL (Aja Angelo – Wieża Nimf by Kahil Al Shaqab) was second, and Ginter KL (Medalion – Gracja GI by WH Justice) was third.

It is necessary to mention the great idea of the new board of PAHBA to organize a charity auction during the Tarnów show, from which all proceeds were donated to the “Friendly House” Care and Educational Institution in Tarnów. It is worth warmly congratulating the winners of the auction and thanking the founders of the three breedings intended for the auction, because the subject of the auction were the breedings of fantastic stallions: D Nayel, Emerald J and D Mezyan. It turned out that the breeding auction of the latter, the Gold Medalist of the World Championships, the stallion D Mezyan, aroused the most excitement. The auction stopped at EUR 10,000, proposed by Lubochnia Arabians stud! The breeding of D Nayel was auctioned by Michałów Stud, and Emerald J – by Teymour Razavifarahmand from Iran, and the total amount of proceeds from the auction was over 17,000 EUR! Something beautiful! What a great initiative!

This year’s new-old show in Tarnów brought a lot of emotions. The guests noted the very good organization of the event, but also the great atmosphere. Some were tempted to say that it was one of the best shows in Europe. And this is just the beginning! Because, as the organizers say: Next year will be even better! So we look forward to seeing you next year!