When everybody in Poland is still excited by the Janów Podlaski show weekend, an international C-show was organized in Lier, a small Belgian town in the northern part of the country. It was linked with Polish Prestige classes (without the ECAHO affiliation), in which those horses that have a 50 percent of Polish Arabian participation in the pedigree, could be enrolled. Sylwia Eberhardt and Claudia Darius from Germany, as well as Christiano Moschini from Italy were invited to judge the show. On Saturday, 14th August, junior classes and the junior championships were held, while on Sunday there were senior and foals classes, senior championships, performance, the Polish Prestige and the Best in Show. The main sponsor of the show was Ajman Stud from the United Arab Emirates.

The yearling colts class was won by a stylish bay Marwan Al Shaqab son – Aria Santino RA (out of SF Shaklina). It is still a very young colt, however, correctly built; he also likes to show off, he has a good type, and he will raise larger interest in the future. His granddam from his dam side, a beautiful grey ZT Sharuby (from Al Shaqab Stud), is a 2002 Senior Mares World Champion. The colt is bred and owned by Pete Rosenau from the United States. A couple of hours later, the colt was given the Bronze Medal. In his show career he has already won the Belgian Foal Championship in 2009.

The most numerous and the best on account of horse quality, was the yearling fillies’ class. Many people had goose bumps (not only me), when QR Marc’s, Marwan Al Shaqab’s, Ajman Moniscione’s, and Mystic Jamaal’s daughters, one by one, were entering the ring. The class of fifteen cute, extremely delicate, and ‘girlish’ fillies must have been uneasy to judge and to choose the best ones. The fact that excellent daughters of Marwan Al Shaqab and QR Marc were 9th and 10th in the class, respectively, can only confirm it. The winner was, with 90 points, a chestnut Marwanah Rose-D (Marwan Al Shaqab – WH Marissa Rose), bred and owned by Dion Arabians from Belgium. In the afternoon championship she was chosen the Bronze Medal winner.

A dark bay Sultan BVA (Marajj – Ciara Bey), bred by Brookville Arabians from the United States, owned by Al Jassimya Stud from Qatar, won the two-year-old colts class with the result of 90 points. We shall emphasize that the judges were extremely demanding and weren’t giving the whole bunch of ‘twenties’, when a better horse entered the ring. In the three-year-old colts class a chestnut Marwan son – Spartakus, bred and owned by Ajman Stud, turned out to be the best one.

The two-year-old fillies class was won by a chestnut Mawee Athbah (QR Marc – Trejoria), that belongs to a Saudi Athbah Stud; she scored 91,33 points. And she was also chosen the Junior Mares Champion the same day. Michałów-bred and leased by the same stud as the champion – the prince’s Athbah Stud – El Saghira (Galba – Emira), was given 90,66 points, including two

‘20s’ for movement and won the three-year-old fillies class. Later she was chosen the Junior Mares Reserve Champion, although the majority of breeders and observers typed her, as a better moving and a very well-built one, as the highest title winner. The second place in the three-year-old fillies class was won by a grey Ajmana (Ajman Moniscione – Yazmin), bred and owned by a Norwegian stud Voran Arabians.

On Sunday we could admire senior horses, and the show was begun by a 4-6-year-old mares class. The winner was a grey Farhannah Bint Navaronne-D (Ansata Selman – Navaronne „P”), bred and owned by Dion Arabians (Belgium). In her final score, 90,66 points, there was one ‘twenty’ for type. During the championship she was appointed by the judges as the second Reserve Champion, it means, as the Bronze Medal winner. The second place in that class was taken by Michałów-bred and owned by Lutetia Arabians Faustyna (Emigrant – Felicjana/Ekstern). Unfortunately, she went lame before the championship and could not participate in the finals.

Unic All JP, Brazilian-bred and owned by a well-known in Poland French stud, Lutetia Arabians, a milk-white, dazzlingly beautiful mare, with a lovely head, won the 7-9-year-old mares class. This small, typical mare scored two ‘twenties’ for type and one for head and neck. She won her class with the result of 91,66 points, winning two other most important titles – Senior Mares Champion and Best in Show in Lier. In the championship, the Bronze Medal went to Michałów-bred grey Monogramm daughter Etenta (out of the excellent

Emigracja), who won the 10-year-old and senior mares class with the result of 91 points.

In the class of 4-6-year-old stallions the winner was a bay Dali El Bri (CH El Brillo – Pandora El Jamall), bred by La Movida Arabians from Austria, owned by Somerhausen family from Belgium. Another class, the eldest stallions – 7-9-year-old – was won by a grey, beautifully trotting SC Dyonn (Davidoff – Wenkum Gorba), who scored 90 points. He was also chosen Senior Stallions Reserve Champion. The Champion title went to the winner of the preceding class.

The fact that the Middle Eastern studs’ owners are very keen on Belgian shows is an interesting one. Horses whose owners come from the Middle East, take part in practically every single show in Belgium. No matter if the show is A-, or C-class – the kings’, sheikhs’ and princes’ horses are entered, they take part in the shows, and they win. As they are registered in Belgian Stud Book, they can compete in more important shows as well, like the European Championship, which is held every second year in Belgium.

It can also be interesting that even at the biggest world shows many Middle Eastern personalities cannot be seen as frequently as at the Belgian ones. In most cases Belgian shows are sponsored and are held under Middle Eastern breeders’ auspices. Maybe it’s because Middle Eastern horses are often being trained in centers placed in Belgium and Germany. Their horses are also bred in Belgium: out of many mares who became European and World Champions the embryos are taken in breeding stations in Belgium. The mares are being trained or already retired, while the substitute mares carry the champions’ embryos in enormous breeding centers (even 500 horses in each) and they give birth to their siblings, a couple foals each year.