Albadeia Stud of Giza, Egypt and Ariela Arabians of Bnei Zion, Israel announced an historic two year lease-exchange of stallions which will coincide with the start of the 2008 breeding season. This is the first such lease agreement to ever take place between these two countries.
Albadeia’s stallion Simeon Sharav (Asfour – Simeon Shuala) will travel from Egypt very early next year to spend the entire 2008 and 2009 breeding seasons at Ariela Arabians in Israel. Ariela’s stallion Laheeb (Imperial Imdal – AK Latifa), soon to arrive in Poland, will travel to Egypt in July 2008 after completing prior breeding obligations, and will stand at Albadeia through March of 2009. Al Hadiyah AA (Laheeb – The Vision HG), on lease to La Movida in Austria next breeding season, is slated to arrive in Egypt in July of 2009 to stand at Albadeia until early 2010.
Nasr Marei, owner of Albadeia Stud commented, “We both believe that this cooperation will serve to enhance both of these two major breeding programs one step further. Both breeding programs have already proven themselves by producing horses of exceptional quality with major achievements worldwide, including World Champions. We believe in evolving and in bettering what we have. The achievements of Eitan Wertheimer and his very talented farm manager, Chen Kedar, are well established. Ariela is relatively new in the world of Straight Egyptian horse breeding, and yet, in a very short time Ariela has become one of the most important programs in the world. The “Old” and the “New” have gotten together in a collaboration that WILL work for both. I am quite thrilled and full of anticipation to see the outcome at both sides of the borders.”
Ariela farm manager Chen Kedar added, “In the late 1980’s I first visited Albadeia Stud. This was the fulfillment of a dream as over the years I had read everything I could find about their breeding program, which was then already some 50 years old. I had the chance to meet Nasr, his brother Hassan, and their family, and to experience firsthand the genuine warmth and generous hospitality of the Egyptian people. Entering this beautiful farm with the
pyramids and sand dunes in the immediate background was absolutely unforgettable. It felt like walking right into a tale of the Arabian nights. Could there ever be a better place to breed Straight Egyptian horses? We see the present opportunity as a chance to share some of Ariela’s bloodlines with one of the most prestigious and oldest breeding programs in the world. This is an extraordinary opportunity for all of the stallions involved to breed some of the world’s finest mares – mares that they, under ordinary circumstances, would never have met. For years we have been trying to incorporate Asfour blood into our program. Thank you, Nasr, for making this dream come true.”
By Tzviah Idan, released at www.StraightEgyptians.com
Many of Polish private breeders planning 2008 breedings are very much looking forward to Laheeb coming to Michałów State Stud as well.
