On August 25th in the US, at the age of 25, died one of the world’s most famed sires of the last two decades – Sanadik El Shaklan 1983. This extremely stylish and handsome, unusually harmonious, full of type, with a beautifully long neck and exquisite head, milk-white stallion was the best European son of El Shaklan 1975 (Shaker El Masri – Estopa/Tabal), a result of an Egyptian-Spanish combination, successfully executed by Heinz and Sigi Merz, owners of Om El Arab stud in Germany. El Shaklan, a representative of the sire line of Morafic, after the first phase of his breeding career (during which he produced Sanadik, but also his full brother – the grey El Mokari 1981, European Junior Champion Stallion from 1982, as well as the chestnut Sharem El Sheikh 1983) and winning the titles of European Champion and World Reserve Champion Stallion in 1981, was transferred, together with part of Om El Arab stud, to the US where he confirmed his potential with more successful sons: CH El Brillo 1985 and El Sher-Mann 1985. Later fate had him transferred to Brasil (after the Mertz’ divorce). Ultimately El Shaklan ended his life in 2001 in Argentina, at Haras El Atalaya stud, property of Count Federico Zuchy-Thyssen, where another one of his famous sons was born – ZT Shakfantasy (out of RH Light Fantasy/Bey Shah). What’s interesting is that in Argentina El Shaklan’s last female partners were the Janów Podlaski-bought: Cedynia/Eldon and Pistacja/Probat. Out of all El Shaklan sons the best and most famous was irrefutably Sanadik El Shaklan, whose dam was the German bred Mohena, champion from Belgium, one of the best daughters of Hadban Enzahi (EG), another – beside Morafic – son of the legendary Nazeer. Descending from Hadban’s line is among others Asfour, the black Simeon Sadik (AU) or the used in Poland HS Etiquette, however Hadban himself gained acclaim mainly as a sire of broodmares.

Jay and Sigi Constanti of Om El Arab International in Santa Ynez, California look to the source of Sanadik’s breeding success in his successful Egyptian-Spanish combination. “We really don’t breed „Spanish Arabians”, they told Arabian Horse World in March of this year, “but rather we incorporate the Spanish qualities and gene pool as part of the basis of our breeding program.” They emphasized that Sanadik, similar to his sire El Shaklan, is a 50/50 percent mix of Spanish and Egyptian blood. “Sanadik represents our ideal of the classic Arabian stallion. He possesses exotic type, balanced conformation, and has a kind and personable character.” In their opinion it was Estopa, the founding mare of Om El Arab International, who passed on to her descendants the most coveted qualities. “If it can be said that one individual horse put a breeding program on the map, it’s a true statement about Estopa”, they stressed with pride.

Sanadik became an excellent and fashionable sire in the US, extremely desirable by breeders all over the world. He was already a wielder of the World Junior Champion Stallion title from Paris. His numerous progeny (more than 350 get) includes many show champions, but also valuable breeding daughters and sons used in the best studs of the US, Europe and the Middle East. Among the most known and titled descendants of Sanadik is the beautiful Michałów bred grey El Dorada 1998 out of Emigrantka/Eukaliptus, who inherited from him a fantastically long and delicate neck, presence, as well as style and charisma. El Dorada is considered today one of the most valuable and acclaimed mares of Polish breeding of the last decade. This European and Polish National Junior Champion, European Senior Reserve Champion, as well as Polish National, All Nations Cup and US Senior Champion from 2007 is also the dam of the constantly improving bay El Medina 2004 by Gazal Al Shaqab (92 points at this year’s Polish Nationals and 4th place in the 4-6 year old mares’ class). In Michałów her “spear side” half-sister was the grey Eligia 1998 out of Escalona/Eldon, who produced 3 daughters, including the grey Elirdia 2006 by Poganin. While stabled in Janów Podlaski is another typey daughter of Sanadik, the grey Andaluzja 1998 out of Antwerpia/Eternit – dam of the grey Alert 2005 by Piaff, Polish National Junior Champion Stallion from 2006. Two colts sired by Sanadik were foaled in the private stud of Falborek Arabians: the grey El Emadik 2003 out of Emanta/Pamir and the grey Pesolid 2002 out of Perturbacja/Eukaliptus. The former participated at this year’s Polish Nationals at Janów Podlaski and received 88 points in the 4-8 year old stallions’ class. The last to be born in Poland descendant of Sanadik is Michałów’s grey Gioconda 2007 out of Gailardia/Ekstern, who does not have a chance of following El Dorada’s footsteps, because (as it turned out in Białka – 87,67 points and 12th place in class) she does not have her half-sister’s beauty, which however does not rule her out as a future broodmare. Looking at her one can draw the theory that the daughter of Ekstern was not optimal material for the classically Saklavian Sanadik.

Among Sandik’s European descendants a name for himself has been made by the German born, just like his sire and grandsire, grey Om El Extreem 1998, son of Om El Bint Shaina by Sharem El Sheikh, making him closely linebred to El Shaklan. A couple of mares in Poland were inseminated with the semen of this stallion (Spanish National Champion from 2004) – who stands a large chance at becoming the true successor to Sandik (beside Om El Bendigo, Om El Shahmaan and Om El Exquisite, full brother to Om El Extreem), including Janów Podlaski’s Olita/Ecaho. In such a way the world welcomed the grey Oktavia 2003, who in her debut produced the promising grey Orletka by Ararat. In the private stud Dar Duni also born by Om El Extreem was the grey Armida 2003 out of Armenia/Tallion, sold to Germany, and the show-successful bay Wextreem 2003 out of Wiersza/Egon – winner of the 2 year old colts’ class in 2005 in Białka, who has a chance at becoming a worthy representative of the line of El Shaklan in our breeding.

Searching for „Polish traces” of Sanadik El Shaklan we should stress the fact that he is also the grandsire – through his superb, perhaps best daughter Om El Sanadiva (US), World and All Nations Cup Champion – of the splendid and titled (World and All Nations Junior Reserve Champion and US National Champion among others) bay FS Bengali by Kubinec (SU), imported last year to Kielnarowa Stud. Om El Sanadiva was numerously bred to Kubinec in Germany, producing a superb descendant every time (Bay Diva, Bint Sanadiva, Sweet Sanadiva, Bay Dream, Shakaar Ibn Sanadiva). What’s interesting is that one of the last foals by Sanadik is the American son of the exported a couple of years ago Janów-bred Artemiza/Eukaliptus – the grey Presley FF 2007. And so both El Shaklan and Sanadik El Shaklan ended their breeding careers with Polish-bred mares; also both left a significant mark on world breeding, creating an own charismatic subline within the line of Morafic and the mighty sire line of Saklawi I d.b.