We, women by Alim editrice

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w w w. t u t t o a r a b i . c o m

WE, WOMEN by Giorgia Mauri

We, Women is a project dedicated to women and open to all women of the Arabian horse world who want to tell their stories and want to support the young women of tomorrow with their words of encouragement. So if you want to be part of this extraordinary group of women, if you feel that supporting and encouraging is a revolutionary and urgent gesture then write to me at joinus.wewomen@gmail.com

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MARIA VIDAL

HELENA

Brazilian Association for Arabian Horse Breeders ABCCA’s cooperator

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I was born in Mozambique, a Portuguese colony in Southeast Africa. I left Mozambique with my family, as a result of the civil war for Independence. We went to Brazil. I started working as a secretary for ABCCA – Brazilian Association of Arabian Horse Breeders, in São Paulo in 1979. I used to work at the Directors´ meetings and later I was relocated to the Registry, where I stayed for many years. Later I became Public Relations and one of my assignments was to assist breeders and judges, both Brazilian and foreign, that were invited to our exhibitions. It is fascinating to meet people from other cultures. I´m always learning with those encounters. I research Arabian horses and in process I´m in contact with several organizations worldwide, including WAHO Secretary Katrina Murray, whom I

had the pleasure of visiting a few times in the past. I assist the organizers of the exhibitions. It´s always wonderful in witness all these horse presentations in those events. It´s impossible not to fall in love with this extraordinary breed that carries such rich culture and history. It has been an immense pleasure to work with Arabian Horse Breeders. I joined ABCCA through a family friend, who suggested it as a way for me to adapt to a new country. The environment captivated me quickly. I have a lot of respect for all the women involved with the breeding of Arabian Horses. When I joined this community, there was far less of a female presence in a world so dominated by men. It´s beautiful and heartwarming to witness this process happening.

M Y M E S SAG E I S T H AT W E S H O U L D D I SCOV E R O U R PAT H . ON E T H AT G I V E S U S GR E AT P L E A S U R E A N D L E A DS U S TO F U L F I L L O U R D R E A M S. W H E N I L E F T T H E C I V I L WA R I N MOZ A M B I Q U E I N E V E R T H O U G H T I WO U L D F I N D T H I S FA N TA ST I C A R A B I A N H O RS E WO R L D W H E R E I C U LT I VAT E D SO M A N Y F R I E N DS H I P S.

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I MAN

EL ESSAWY

Breeder

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| used to love all kind of horses since my childhood and often dreamed of having one. My luck came in 2004 when I was gifted one Arabian colt from Abdullah Al-Mousa (Al-Mousa Arabians) to raise for riding. His name was Dewahy Al Mousa, son of EAO mare called Amman.

This year Marmar Stud reached its 4th generation and my breeding program contains 4 main tailfemale family strains, which are: 1) Saqlawi through Moniet El Nefous, 2) Hadban through Kamla and Yosreia, 3) Dahman through Bint Bukra and 4) Obayyan through Wasfia.

By the end of 2007, I moved to London for work with JP Morgan in the banking industry. My friend Abdullah advised me to sell Dewahy and purchase a filly instead for breeding. I took his advise and purchased my first filly Marmar SEA (Set El-Hosen II EAO, by Karawan & Bahraweya, x Al Masry EAO by Adl & Bint Misr) from Mrs. Wegdan El-Barbari, Shams El-Asil Stud. She would later become my mentor and “Godmother” to guide me through my journey. Eventually, I named my farm Marmar Stud in her honor.

My Straight Egyptian breeding program is based on breeding sound horses while providing them love, care and passion in order to continue my journey in producing not only show champions but also charismatic horses with great stamina and performance under saddle. My goal is to preserve the identity and heritage of our authentic Arabian horses as they are the source of happiness, energy and life for me. Through my horses I have met some of the most helpful people who have supported me with advice, as well as offered breedings to their stallions. I have made many true friends over the years. The most rewarding aspect is to see the results of my breeding decisions, and to keep learning and improving with each generation.

Marmar Stud today is a Straight Egyptian Arabian horse little paradise. It is surrounded with picturesque palms and views of the Saqqara Pyramids on one side and Abusir Pyramids on the other. The small group of high quality Straight Egyptians residing on the farm represent 15 years of my breeding program.

My message to future generations of women is…

I F YO U H AV E PA S S I ON TO B R E E D A R A B I A N H O RS E S GO W I T H YO U R H E A RT D E S I R E S, T R U ST YO U RS E L F, D ON ’ T H E S I TAT E TO A S K , L I ST E N , D EC I D E A N D TA K E ACT I ON … I T M I G H T B E H A R D AT T H E B EG I N N I NG B U T T H I S I S T H E F U N O F T H E J O U R N E Y W H E N YO U S U CC E E D… U N L E A S H YO U R T R U E S E L F A N D C E L E B R AT E YO U R ST E P S N OT ON LY YO U R R E S U LTS A N D K E E P L E A R N I NG !

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P AULINA

VOGELGSANG

Small Breeder and stallion owner, rider, entrepreneur and judge

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SPECIAL Hi! My name is Paulina Vogelgsang, I am 26 years old and from Germany. I am a national judge, a rider and an entrepreneur in many ways. I have always had a passion for photography, so I started my business while still in school. Now I have a company with two of my best (girl) friends that produces video content for all kinds of industries as well as a fashion brand, Hanan International, where I design and sell leather accessories made in Europe for equestrians. Especially Arabian horse lovers- such as myself. My first encounter with the Arabian horse was through my mother. She has loved the breed since she was a little girl and bought Arabian horse magazines for us to read at home. When I was 13 she bought two mares and from then on the spell was cast upon me. Both mares were/are great riding companions and our big wish was a foal of our own. So breeding plans were made and we visited many stallions and shows throughout Europe until we had the fit we were searching for. The pairing resulted in a little grey filly who is now 12 years old. She is my inspiration and my joy. When she was a junior, I took her to all kinds of amateur shows and when she was old enough to be ridden, we started her ourselves. She is a great riding horse and we are able to perform high level dressage. Further she is my model for Hanan and has also starred in other video productions. For me she embodies what an Arabian horse should be. Through her I was motivated to learn more about the breed. When I was 16, I spent parts of my school vacation at Johanna Ullström’s farm where I learned a lot about how to handle horses from foals to stallions as well as different horse characters and overall Arabian type. I have always admired Johanna and the way she works with her horses. During my stays in Belgium, I was able to meet many people from the Arabian horse world that I now consider my friends. We visited many shows and it was then that I decided I wanted to be a horse judge myself. I would consider myself as a rather introverted person, which makes it difficult for me to directly

approach people in the (Arabian horse) world. For me, I sometimes have the impression of not really being taken seriously at the very first encounter as true professional- it might be because of my age, my benevolent nature, because I am a woman or a mix of it all. The second encounter is always different. And I must admit that there are indeed some people who I’ve met in the Arabian show scene, who seem ‘rather superficial’ in their love of the Arabian horse and are effectively lacking true knowledge of the horse and horsemanship. We of course are dealing with one of the most beautiful creatures in the world, and aesthetics and extremes play a big role- something that also gives me joy. But it reduces the horse only to his or her outside appearance, neglecting the true nature of the Arabian horse. It is important to remember that Arabians are also animals and there is, as with every animal, also a “less glamorous” side to life with horses. It is hard physical work and a lot of responsibility to take care of horses. This is something that many people forget or maybe just don’t care about. It is difficult for me to connect with these people as I am very straight with my beliefs in how you treat horses. For me it is important that there is more to Arabian horses than a beautiful face and glossy coat. A breathtaking stallion that is only teased with mares, jumps a phantom and does not have the body or disposition to be ridden or even handled by a nonprofessional lacks important qualities that should not be underestimated in a breeding horse. It is tough to put present trends aside and think more about the longterm consequences and also openly state your position- How does this affect the breed in pheno- and genotype as well as more economically the marketability of the Arabian horse? But this is not related to gender male or female. There is a separation between Arabians for riding and Arabians for showing- I think it should be our big concern to bring these two back together. That is my strong belief and also the reason I became a judge. I would really enjoy to exchange opinions and observations with likeminded Arabian lovers.

I ST I L L CON S I D E R M YS E L F PA RT O F T H E ‘ F U T U R E G E N E R AT I ON ’ . I H AV E B E E N A N D ST I L L A M I N S P I R E D BY H O RS E WO M E N A N D M E N A R O U N D T H E WO R L D A N D CA N ON LY R ECO M M E N D A N Y OT H E R G I R L TO L I ST E N TO H E R GU T F E E L I NG A N D T RY TO F I LT E R I N FO R M AT I ON A N D D E V E LOP A N OW N OP I N I ON . D E D I CAT I ON I S K E Y. YO U N E E D TO B E D E T E R M I N E D A N D H ON E ST. T H E SA M E Q UA L I T I E S YO U M U ST H AV E TO H A N D L E A H O RS E CA N A L SO B E T R A N S F E R R E D TO OT H E R A S P ECTS O F YO U R L I F E . www.tuttoarabi.com - TUTTO ARABI | 125

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GIORGIA MAURI

We, Women project creator, Tutto Arabi contributor

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SPECIAL My name is Giorgia. I am Italian, from Milan. I collaborate with Tutto Arabi Magazine in different ways. The most important was to create this project dedicated to women in the world of Arabian horses. I approached this world by chance having met and married the editor of Tutto Arabi. I observed this world from the outside with respect and curiosity and met extraordinary people in it who welcomed me and helped me to understand the great heritage and importance that lies behind the fabulous scenes. I tried to enter this world in my own capacity in many ways but when I became a mother to my second child, Blanca, who is a baby girl, I realized that I had a duty to connect her birth to my world, to this world and find meaning in what I was doing. I was given this extraordinary opportunity to reach out to great women all over the world, women who have different stories but all tied together by a passion. A great passion that has moved and conditioned their lives. Women strongly and deeply influenced by each other. What I thought was to create a project to collect all their stories and make them the baton to pass on to the next generation of girls to encourage them to become the pillars of tomorrow. I have always had an intimate desire in my life to be taught and guided by older, wiser people and I have always felt within myself the importance of that. I thought that maybe many people like me in their lives did not find their way early and followed the course of events discovering only in adulthood that one can be what one wants if one wants. And sometimes even this is not true because your will and desire must be accompanied by the luck of being born in the right part of the world where rights and talents are recognized by others and valued. I’ve thought deeply about

these topics, about the way a girl finds her way, by chance, by mistake, and is helped and pushed by the people she meets in her life, and I thought about how many talents are lost through wrong paths, without attention from people who fail to understand the value of that person. So with the project We, Women I would like to tell these girls that someone is looking for them, that they can follow their will, their feeling, their ideas and their dreams knowing that they are seen. I would like to create a group of women who can be a support for young girls who want to approach the world of the Arabian horse but not only, because I think the same rules apply outside. The project and all my efforts are aimed at women because I think and I see that women, all over the world and crosswise in different cultures, are still threatened, often killed, undervalued, underpaid, often still victims of prejudices that limit their life, their freedom. This needs to be said, not hidden. And girls must be supported and helped by other women and all people to become strong pillars of tomorrow. Our tomorrow needs to have strong women leading the world towards prosperity and equality. Our girls need to know that they can count on societies that consider them on the same level as boys, that open the same doors and use the same words to talk to them and describe their abilities and qualities as people. I believe this is the only way to achieve the goal of progress as a society. Everyone can be an inspiration. My experience has taught me that you can learn something from everyone, even from negativity. Adults, the people who have the power and voice to speak their mind have the duty to find ways to support young people.

M Y M E S SAG E TO YO U NG G I R L S I S TO F I N D T H E I R VO I C E A N D A S K FO R H E L P, A S K Q U E ST I ON S A S M U C H A S YO U CA N . D ON ’ T STOP I F YO U R Q U E ST I ON S A R E N ’ T A N SW E R E D. B E L I E V E I N YO U RS E L F B ECAU S E N O ON E W I L L D O I T FO R YO U. B E L I E V E I N YO U R ACT I ON , N O M AT T E R H OW S M A L L , I T M AT T E RS A LOT E V E N W H E N I T I S N OT S E E N . SO M E T I M E S, I F N OT O F T E N , YO U R FA M I LY A N D T H E P EOP L E A R O U N D YO U W I L L N OT H AV E T H E A B I L I T Y TO STA N D BY YO U, TO S U P P O RT YO U, T H E Y W I L L N OT U N D E RSTA N D YO U R I D E A S. T RY TO L I ST E N TO T H E A DV I C E O F YO U R LOV E D ON E S B U T T H E N L I ST E N TO YO U R H E A RT, FO L LOW W H AT M A K E S YO U SAT I S F I E D, F U L F I L L E D, W H AT I S R I G H T A N D WO RT H Y A N D I R R E P L AC E A B L E TO YO U. K N OW YO U R R I G H TS A N D D E M A N D TO B E R E S P ECT E D. D R E A M B I G A N D D ON ’ T FO R G E T T H OS E W H O W I L L CO M E A F T E R YO U. www.tuttoarabi.com - TUTTO ARABI | 127

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WE, WOMEN Margot Chazel Sunny Sassudelli Chiara Carrer Antonia Bautista Jennifer Dhombre Kamila Kozlowska Anna Maria Raffa Jennifer Von Dahn Urszula Łęczycka Kathleen Ohlsson Ally Nelson Mindy Peters Rosangela Brugali Elena Vignato Cristiane Durante Guardia Talitha Bakker Desiré Faraone Sandra Platzeck Raquel Jacovas Adriana & Alessandra Moura Magdalena Muraszko-Kowalska Helena Jodie Byrne Manuela Lucini Christie Metz Dana Russo Patrycja Makowska Mary Hellen Chavez Dulce Rosas Flávia Torres Kasia Dolińska-Witkowska Elisa Grassi Raquel Sorvilo Yassmin Atieh Nadia Boersch Paola Marinangeli Sandra Zänglein Lisa Brown Anna Scarpa

is:

Judith Forbis Taryl O’Shea Beth Ellen Hunziker Judith Wich-Wenning Martine Van Hee Nabila Al Ali Eileen Verdieck Samantha Mattocks Laurelle Anderson Diana Cantey Claudia Brugman Lætitia-Marie De Belsunze D’Arenberg Olivia Strauch Verena Heiss Vivian Tucci Alves Fonseca Ewa Imielska-Hebda Ilona Bax Saria Almarzook Barbara Morali Deirdre Hyde Johanna Ullström Laura Mascagna Dominika Pawłowska Annelieke Stoop Esther Detailleur Auroxochitl Monteiro Anna Stojanowska Maria Helena Vidal Iman El Essawy Paulina Vogelgsang Giorgia Mauri

@we_women_project

joinus.wewomen@gmail.com