Danubius Arabians, an 800-hectare expanse of Romanian forest and fields owned by Dr. Sorin Paul Stanescu is now home to the spectacular El Jahez WH (Jiuliusz De Wiec x Chili Pepper V, by Jullyen El Jamaal). While viewing livestream coverage of the 2019 Brazilian National Championships, the men recognized him as a stallion that would be a catalyst for the farm and propel them to the next level of accomplishment as breeders. He immediately set his sights on bringing El Jahez home to Danubius. 

A magnificent individual with a commanding presence, El Jahez has a tapestry of bloodlines that includes nearly every great American breeding horse of the last 50 years. It is a dynamic blend of the best of treasured Polish, Egyptian, and Brazilian lines. It is also an outcross for most contemporary pedigrees because it does not contain the Padron/Al Shaqab lines that frequently appear in modern Arabians. Bred in the United States by Fred and Mary Widman at their Widman Hill Arabians, El Jahez is a rare example in today’s breeding, boasting a tail male line to the immortal Bask through Negatraz, Monogramm, and the Polish-bred Debowiec.

Debowiec’s dam, Debowka, was by Eternit, himself a son of Bandos (Negatiw x Bandola) and the ethereal Etna (Faher x Elzunia), an exquisitely refined and typey product of Janow Podlaski breeding and the founder of a superior dam line. Credit is due to the Widman’s, who chose to breed their prized mare, the Varian-bred Chili Pepper V, to Jiuliusz De Wiec to get El Jahez. Chili Pepper’s sire is a full brother to the dam of Jiuliusz De Wiec, both being by Ali Jamaal and out of Jullye El Ludjin (Ludjin El Jamaal x NV Justa Dream, by Bey Shah). Chili Pepper’s dam is linebred to Bay El Bey through Bey Shah and Huckleberry Bey, with a female line steeped in Crabbet and Kellogg breeding. It is a pedigree packed with beauty and motion.

El Jahez was exported to Brazil as a yearling after being noticed in Scottsdale by legendary Brazilian breeder, Lenita Perroy. He had an abundance of type, and the long, elegant neck and fluid motion that Perroy valued for her breeding program. It was a fantastic find that brought the story of El Jahez full circle; Perroy had bred the colt’s sire, Jiuliusz De Wiec, at her Haras Meia Lua, then sold him to America as a yearling. In a remarkable coincidence, she was also the breeder of El Jahez’s maternal grandsire, Julleyn El Jamaal. Her influence is seen all across the pedigree of this stunning stallion.

Lenita Perroy showed a dedicated breeder’s discerning eye in selecting El Jahez, recognizing the traits and qualities in him, which she had been promoting for years. She was responsible for importing Debowiec from Poland to Brazil in the first place, purchasing him at the Pride of Poland auction. A mixture of masculine power and classic type, Debowiec was shown to the title of Brazilian National Champion Stallion. Years later, his son, El Jahez, would follow suit. Following his importation, El Jahez was named the 2011 Brazilian National Champion Junior Colt.

For the next few years, El Jahez stayed busy in the breeding shed where he sired 47 Brazilian foals, of which 12 were colts and 36 were fillies. He did an excellent job with the many Haras Meia Lua Ali Jamaal daughters but really clicked with Elle Dorada (Enzo x El Dorada, by Sanadik El Shaklan), who was bred by Manny Vierra at his Valley Oaks Arabians in California. Indeed, it was a golden cross. El Jahez and Elle Dorada produced a dozen full siblings, including triple-United States Reserve National Champion, Elzunya Meia Lua.

From a rich class of 23 competitive females, Elzunya was named the 2015 U.S. Reserve National Champion Yearling Filly, then added U.S. Reserve National Champion Two-Year-Old and U.S. Reserve National Champion Junior Mare titles in 2016. Not only did she prove herself in the show ring, but Elzunya has also established herself as a valuable broodmare. Her son by Na-Mous Al Shahania, Nabhaan Al Shahania, was the unanimous Scottsdale Junior Champion Colt in 2019. She is also the dam of the striking Alizandros (by EKS Alihandro), the East Coast Champion Stallion as a yearling in 2019 and the Region 15 Champion 2-Year-Old Colt in 2020.

Elle Dorada also had two daughters that have been excellent crosses for El Jahez. Interestingly, they bring no additional lines to the pedigree because they were the result of inbreeding Elle Dorada to her own sire, Enzo. Elluzya Meia Lua is the mother of the promising Ellusive Meia Lua, while her full sister, Ezeyda Meia Lua, is dam to Austrian breeders La Movida Arabians’ emerging stallion, Eifell Meia Lua. Sadly, they are among the last few crops of foals produced at Haras Meia Lua. In early 2018, the Arabian world lost Lenita Perroy, and the estate dispersed the horses.

A savvy consortium of breeders made up of Haras FT, Haras Panorama, Haras Serondella, and Wolf Arabians took the opportunity to band together to purchase El Jahez. It was under their ownership that El Jahez WH returned to show ring at the 2019 Brazilian National Championships. His coat now a gleaming white, the stallion is the model of a classic Arabian horse. His refinement has deepened with age, and his power and charisma have grown exponentially. His presence is so palpable, it transmitted across the airways to faraway Romania.

The senior stallion class was scored by a sterling panel of international judges, who wasted no time awarding El Jahez his second Brazilian National Champion title. Judge Koenraad Detailleur had only seen the horse in photos prior to that day and wasn’t prepared for his own reaction when he saw him in the flesh. “He overwhelmed me in the extreme,” Detailleur enthuses. “Standing in front of him in the championship gave me goosebumps. He is a horse well in balance, with an extreme lay of shoulder and an amazing neck. We can use a stallion of his quality in Europe to breed to the very typey mares to improve their bodies’ stretch and length of neck. He is a great horse!” International judge Willie Brown of EKS Arabians in South Africa was in the audience. “El Jahez made quite an impression,” says the man responsible for breeding World Champion EKS Alihandro. “I look forward to seeing the impact he will have in Europe.”

Noted trainer Tom Oben was also a spectator at the show and was no less taken by El Jahez from his seat in the stands and upon closer inspection in the barn aisle. “It is not often that you come across a horse that leaves you with that “special feeling,” Oben states. “Without a doubt, that is what happened when I saw El Jahez in Brazil. His look and expression captured me the moment he stepped out of the stable, beautiful and powerful! His style, elegance, stretch, athleticism, and presence are hard to find nowadays. I truly believe that El Jahez will be a game-changer in the breeding industry, and I am looking forward to witnessing his impact on the breed.”

Karl-Heinz Stoeckle, of Osterhof Stud, is another horseman who recognized El Jahez as a new opportunity for European breeders. “He appears to be a very different stallion from what we have available in Europe today,” he states. “His neck and shoulder look spectacular, it’s certainly what needs improvement in our horses. And with his interesting pedigree with Bey Shah, Ruminaja Ali, and Monogramm inside, he is a stallion I am planning to use on some of my mares.”

Back in Romania, Dr. Stanescu was truly impressed by El Jahez WH. He knew that this was the right stallion for Danubius Arabians. And so, a deal was struck, and arrangements were made with Randi Moreau-Sipiere of Centurion Stud and Export Service to transport him to Europe to take his place as the head sire at Danubius. “As soon as El Jahez stepped off the van, his presence was undeniable,” Moreau-Sipiere enthuses. “He is the total package—beauty, correctness, size, motion.  And oh… that neck and those eyes!! He is very tuned in to his people and I was honored to be a part of his journey to his fantastic new home. I can’t wait to see the success he will have as his next chapter unfolds.”

James Swaenepoel remembers the anticipation he felt when he imported a significant stallion to Europe from the USA. “We knew Psytadel was a horse who would improve the breed and bring it to a better level,” he recalls. “Danubius Arabians probably has a similar feeling bringing El Jahez WH here. We love to see bloodlines other than Psytadel (Padron) and Marwan Al Shaqab. It makes our breeding choices more interesting and exciting. His neck is unreal, and we would love to use him in our program.” With his unique outcross pedigree and near-perfect phenotype, El Jahez will be in hot demand by European breeders. And, hopefully, he will grace the European show rings in the not-too-distant future. In the meantime, El Jahez will be creating the next tier of his legacy with the foals he will produce from the mares of Danubius Arabians. El Jahez is finally home. 

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