Tutto Arabi March Edition 2025

28 years with you

Shahalel AL SHAQAB

NAMOUS AL SHAHANIA | SIWAR AL SHAQAB

Gold Medal Junior Filly - GCAT Ajman 2025

Gold Medal Junior Filly - GCAT Riyadh 2024

Gold Medal Junior Fillies - KIAHF 2024 - GCAT Doha Edition 2024

Gold Medal Junior Yearling Fillies - World Arabian Horse Championship Doha 2023

Gold Medal Yearling Fillies - 39th All Nations Cup - Aachen 2023

Gold Medal Yearling Fillies - Mediterranean and Arab Countries AHC - Menton 2023

Gold Medal Yearling Fillies - Katara Int. Arabian Horse Festival 2023

Gold Medal Senior Mares - GCAT Ajman 2025

Gold Medal Junior Fillies - World Arabian Horse Championship - Doha 2023

Gold Medal Junior Fillies - Katara Int. Arabian Horse Festival 2023

Silver Medal Junior Fillies - World Arabian Horse Championship - PARIS 2022

Gold Medal Junior Fillies - 38° All Nations Cup - 2022

Gold Medal Junior Fillies - Mediterranean and Arab Countries AHC - Menton 2022

Gold Medal Junior Fillies - Dubai International Arabian Horse Championship 2022

Gold Medal Yearling Fillies - World Arabian Horse Championship - PARIS 2021

Gold Medal Yearling Fillies - Abu Dhabi International Arabian Horse Championship 2021

Gold Medal Yearling Fillies - Emirates Arabian Horse Breeders Championship 2021

B

eisan

SERAJ | RAH ROSALIA

D

ph. by Alessio Azzali

Jadem Arabians BVBA - Christine Jamar-Demeersseman

Berkensingel 24 - 2490 Balen - Belgium - info@christine-jamar.be - www.christine-jamar.be

MMURANAS NADER

EMERALD J | MURANAS NABILA

MMADAGASCAR J

EXCALIBUR EA | MISSISSIPPI J

BREEDING SEASON 2025

photo by Richard Cunill

BREEDING SEASON 2025 FROZEN SEMEN AVAILABLE

GOLD MEDAL JUNIOR COLTS

Kuwait Int. Championship 2023

SILVER MEDAL JUNIOR COLTS

Dubai Int. AHC 2022

BRONZE MEDAL JUNIOR COLTS

PSAIAHF 2022

GOLD MEDAL YEARLING COLTS

BRONZE MEDAL YEARLING COLTS

Paris World Arabian Horse Championship 2021

GOLD MEDAL YEARLING COLTS

International Cup Verona 2021

SILVER MEDAL YEARLING COLTS

Bruges Arabian Horse Event Int. B Show 2021 for info: Vetrò Giuseppe info@vg-arabians.com ph: +39 320 0633048

KAAHC 2021

EZz AlKhashab

Kuwait - instagram: al_khashab_stud

( EMERALD J X MALIKAT AL MOLUK )

IBN FARID | EKS BINT HELWAH

SILVER CHAMPION SENIOR STALLION

World Arabian Horse Championship - Paris 2024

GOLD CHAMPION SENIOR STALLION

International AHS - El Jadida 2024

SILVER CHAMPION SENIOR STALLION

World Arabian Horse Championship - Doha 2023

SILVER CHAMPION SENIOR STALLION

All Nations Cup - Aachen 2023

SILVER CHAMPION SENIOR STALLION

Mediterranean and Arab Countries AHC - Menton 2023

GOLD CHAMPION JUNIOR COLT

World Arabian Horse Championship - Paris 2019

GOLD CHAMPION JUNIOR COLT

All Nations Cup - Aachen 2019

SILVER CHAMPION JUNIOR COLT

Dubai International AHC - Dubai 2019

photos by Ewa Imielska-Hebda

SAHM Sarm

EKS FARAJJ | BANDAHLEEZA ZB

ROYAL ASAD | TRASURE AS

HAMED Sarm

2024

BRONZE MEDAL Junior Colts - GCAT Muscat

SILVER MEDAL Junior Colts - Dubai Int. AHC

GOLD MEDAL Junior Colts - PSAIAHF

2023

GOLD MEDAL Junior Colts - 6th Int. AHS

BRONZE MEDAL Junior Colts - 39th All Nations Cup Aachen

GOLD MEDAL Junior Colts - PSAIAHF

2022

SILVER MEDAL Yearling Colts - PSAIAHF

2021

GOLD MEDAL Colt Foals - 10th AHS for local Breeders in Saudi Arabia

email: sarm_stud@outlook.com

instagram: sarm_stud

Riyadh - Saudia Arabia

Alessio Azzali

AVAILABLE FOR THE 2025 BREEDING SEASON with Frederik van Sas!

Vigaro

RFI UNIQUE | VILLINA NVF by VERSACE

showsand events

PSAIAHF 30 Al Dhafrah AHC 65

Azzam Al Amal (El Galal Baahir x Arabesca Scarlet Moon) by Sidi Scorpio

Photo: Alessio Azzali

Proudly owned by Albidayer Stud

n.2/2025 March

pubb. bimestrale iscr. trib. di Milano n. 732 del 18/09/99 - Spedizione in A.P. 70% Milano

Alim Editrice s.n.c.

Via Ressi, 22 - 20125 Milano - Italy Tel. +39 02 36762850 info@tuttoarabi.it @tuttoarabi_magazine @tuttoarabi_showsandevents www.tuttoarabi.com

Direttore Responsabile / Publisher Simone Leo - (leo.simon@tiscali.it)

Editore / Editor Alim Editrice snc

Responsabile Clienti / Customer Service

Did you know that ‘farid’means incomparable? 81

Rothenberg Stud ............................................. 91

Al Murad Stud and the art of breeding 110 RFI Arabians. Strong foundation.................. 180

people

Interview with Szymon Głowacki 122

Memories of Erika Schiele ........................... 141

Celebrating Judith Forbis’s 90th Birthday 148

Fabio Brianzoni - (fabiobrianzoni56@gmail.com)

Ufficio Contabilità / Account Office

Barbara Belloni - (amministrazione@alimeditrice.it)

Ufficio Abbonamenti / Subscription Office

Barbara Belloni

Fotografi / Photographers

Alessio Azzali, Gigi Grasso, Lore Beckers, EAHS, Annette & Erwin Escher, Sylwia Iłenda, Ewa Imielska-Hebda, Jennifer Ogden, Amira Rahdi, Luiz Rocco, Auriane Schwanen, Sorvilo, Tupa

Testi / Writers

Fabio Brianzoni, Mirosław Kołodziej, Urszula Łęczycka, Giorgia Mauri, Jennifer Ogden, Monika Savier, Judith Wenning

Grafica e Impaginazione / Digital Artwork

Viviana Castiglioni

Stampa / Printed by AGF S.p.a. - San Giuliano M.se - Milano (Italy)

Pubblicità / Advertising

Alim Editrice - Simone Leo (+39 348 5640190)

Alim Editrice non risponde della veridicità e dei contenuti dei testi pubblicitari e degli articoli ripubblicati da altri editori o siti internet.

Alim Editrice is not responsible for truthfulness or the content of advertisement text and article republished and taken from other publishers or websites.

1722-9367

USHUAIA TMA

Magic Magnifique | PS Jubilee

2024

Gold Medal Colt Foals

Arabian Dream Verona

Silver Medal Colt Foals

Anica Nat. Championships

AJMANA

Ajman Moniscione | Janeira

2024

Gold Medal Filly Foals

Venice Land Cup International B show

Gold Medal Filly Foals

Montefalco in Tour

Bronze Medal Filly Foals

Bergamo Int. B Show

Owner: Alsayed Stud

LA DAMA

Sa Faez Simbad | Karima by Meda

2023

Silver Medal Colt Foals Milan Int. Cup

Bronze Medal Colt Foals Bergamo Int. Show

Owner & Breeder: Caterina Adelfio

HADIR

Naseem Alrashedyah | TB Helwa

Straight Egyptian Stallion

Silver Medal Junior Colts - Egyptian Event Bergamo

Gold Medal Junior Colts - Egyptian National Show

Bronze Medal Junior Colts - Straight Egyptian

Royal World Cup

JamilQARDABIYAH

PSAIAHF 2025 23-25

JANUARY

PRINCE SULTAN BIN ABDULAZIZ INTERNATIONAL ARABIAN HORSE FESTIVAL

by Fabio Brianzoni z photos by Ewa Imielska-Hebda

The King Abdulaziz Arabian Horse Centre (KAAHC) in Dirab, 30 km from Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, where the famous ‘PSAIAHF’ Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Arabian Horse Festival took place in January on the 23rd to 25th, is not only among the most beautiful in Saudi Arabia, but also among the most historically relevant. The show took place in sunny spring weather. The Arabian horse world will always have to thank the promoter of this show, who has continued the Royal Family tradition and love for the Arabian horse for many years: HRH Prince Khaled Bin Sultan, Chairman of the show.

Thanks also go to the General supervisor HRHP Fahad bin Khaled bin Sultan Al Saud.

Praise for the excellent work of the show’s Festival Manager: Mr Salah Al Ali, Mr Hakim Abdul Subhan, Festival Operations Manager, Mr Mamdouh Sami, Partnership Manager.

Once again this year, four DCs were engaged in controlling the 270 horses: Dr. Malak Benamar from Morocco, Dr. Bassem Badr, Eng. Obadah Zabadi and Mr. Saad Abdullah Qassim all from Saudi Arabia. There were also two Ring Masters: Mr. Eidah Taleb Almenhali from the United Arab Emirates and Mr. Waleed Al Haddadi KSA.

The ringing vocals of Mrs. Nabilah Al Ali and Mrs. Lina Al Harbih gave the show the right liveliness as always. Judges from all over the world were invited to judge the horses entered in the show: Mrs. Renata Schibler from Switzerland, Mr. Abdelouahed Maagoul (Morocco), Mr. Ali Shaarawi (Egypt), Mr. Mark Ismer (Germany), Mr. Elyas Ebrahim (Bahrain), Mr. Knowels Greg (USA),

Mrs. Paula Bohmer (The Netherlands), Mrs. Irina Stigler (Italy) and Mrs Pilar Cavero Pino (Spain). The show took place in complete serenity and harmony with perfect timing, which proves the quality and professionalism of all the organising staff. This show is certainly the most important in Saudi Arabia, both for the historicity of the event but also for the massive participation of the entrants. The prize money is also very high, thanks to the generosity of His Highness Prince Sultan bin Abdelaziz, and gives a chance of global visibility to breeders and owners who have only just started to enter the show world. The prize money has been doubled from last year’s edition to SAR 8,000,000 (about EUR 2 million), an important point that favours a good breeding programme at national level.

But that’s not all, there are also the Desert Bred on the Festival programme, there always have been. That is why they also have a reserved space within the days and also a prize money for each championship: SAR 500,000 (EUR 120,000). The quality grows year by year and the 2025 edition truly honoured all breeders for their work in their breeding programme. The last day of the “PSAIAHF” began with the historic and only championship for the DESERT BRED category where HRHP Ahamad Bin Abdulaiz Bin Abdurahman Al Saud Athbah Stud was confirmed as the absolute breeder with 4 gold and 2 bronze medals.

The day continued with the final championship of the international ECAHO Title Show class A, which denoted a leap in quality and great success for horses born and bred in Saudi Arabia, such as for the Gold Yearling filly “KHUZAMA AJMAL” owned by Ajmal Stud, followed by the Silver “FELWAH ALSABERYAH”

owned by Mr. Waleed Khalid Ali Almajed and the bronz medal “A F SHIKHA” owned by Aleiraqa Stud. Another success for Ajmal Stud in the Yearling Colt category with ‘ASEEL AJMAL’. , silver medal was “SHAMIKH AL AAMERIAH” owned by Almria Stud followed with the bronze medal by “MASHHOR AL ZAYED” owned by Mr. Saad Ssaeed Zaead Alaead. The championship continued with the awarding of the third gold medal to Ajmal Stud with “SHAHBRYS HVP” in the Junior Fillies class. Silver medal for a filly bred in KSA by Yaser Stud and owned in Europe by Hanay Arabian Stud “SHADEN YASER” . Bronze for Kuwait with Sheikh Jarrah Khaled Hamad Alsabah’s “JWH KAYA

ALHAMAD”. Gold again goes to a Saudi breeder in the Junior Colts class with the beautiful “SAHM SARM” owned and bred by Mr. Sultan Hamed Mastor Alharthi Sarm Stud. Silver is “SINAN AL BAHYA” owned by Aisar Al Arab Stud. The colt “SINAN AL BAHYA” of Akmal Stud won a Bronze. We now move on to the Mares Senior Championship, with Gold for the beautiful “JUDE ALJASSIMYA” of Asalat Nad Company For Purebred Arabian Horses. Silver medal for “MERAL BD” by Tala Stud. With this Bronze comes the Poker of medals for Ajmal Stud with this pearl bred by the historic Al Khalediah Stables “MESHAEL AL KHALEDIAH IV”. This Festival concludes with the Senior Stallions

Championship with the gold medal winner “WORTEX KALLISTE” bred in France by Kalliste Arabians and now owned by Horizon Stud. Another horse bred in Europe by SK Michalow is the silver medal winner “EQUATOR” now owned by AlRajhiat Stud. Bred and owned by Al Areeb Stud “SHAMAN AL AREEB” is bronze medalist.

I will now leave you to what will most make you realise how much everyone enjoyed this show, the photos by Ewa Imielska-Hebda for Tutto Arabi Magazine.

I look forward to seeing you at the next Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Arabian Horse Festival. Don’t miss it. q

KSA DESERT BRED Fillies

Gold Medal

AMEERAH ATHBAH

KHERAISAN ATHBAH X MANAYER

B: ATHBAH STUD

O: HRHP AHMAD BIN ABDULAZIZ BIN ABDURAHMAN AL SAUD

Silver Medal KUHAILAH AL JAZEERA

REZAIQ X NAJLAA EL JAZEERA

B/O: TURKI BIN MOHAMMED ZAID AL-SHAIBANI/SHIBHA AL JAZEERA STUD -

Bronze Medal MAJDOLAH ALARED

LAITH DIRAB X HAQWAH AL AARIDH

B/O: MAJID BIN HASSAN BIN NASSER AL GHASHYAN/AL AREEDH STUD

KSA DESERT BRED Colts

Gold Medal

ABAN ATHBAH

KHALEEL DIRAB X MANAYER

B: ATHBAH STUD

O: HRHP AHMAD BIN ABDULAZIZ BIN ABDURAHMAN AL SAUD

Silver Medal SHADAD ALARIDH

LAITH DIRAB X THABLAT AL JANADRIYAH

B/O: MAJID BIN HASSAN BIN NASSER AL GHASHYAN/AL AREEDH STUD

Bronze Medal ABYY ATHBAH

BALSAM ATHBAH X JOHARAH ATHBAH

B: ATHBAH STUD - O: HRHP AHMAD BIN ABDULAZIZ BIN ABDURAHMAN AL SAUD

KSA DESERT BRED Mares

Gold Medal

ESHRAQ ATHBAH

DREA II X FELWA ATHBAH

B: ATHBAH STUD

O: HRHP AHMAD BIN ABDULAZIZ BIN ABDURAHMAN AL SAUD

Silver Medal BADWEAH AL THALITHAH

DREA II X NOURAH VII BY AL HATAL

B: CUSTODIAN OF TWO HOLY MOSQUES KING ABDULLA BIN ABDUL AZIZ AL SAUD / JANADRIYA FARM

O: MAJED BIN HASSAN BIN NASSER AL GHASHYANNAL AREDH STUD

Bronze Medal MANARAH ATHBAH

KHERAISAN ATHBAH X MANAYER

B: ATHBAH STUD - O: HRHP AHMAD BIN ABDULAZIZ BIN ABDURAHMAN AL SAUD

KSA DESERT BREDStallions

Gold Medal

KHERAISAN ATHBAH

DREA II X

MANDOUBA

B: ATHBAH STUD

O: HRHP AHMAD BIN ABDULAZIZ BIN ABDURAHMAN AL SAUD

Silver Medal MAQBOL AL JANADRIYAH

FALAH II X MANAYER

B: CUSTODIAN OF TWO HOLY MOSQUES KING ABDULLA BIN ABDUL AZIZ AL SAUD / JANADRIYA FARM

O: MAJED BIN HASSAN BIN NASSER AL GHASHYANNAL AREDH STUD

Bronze Medal BALSAM ATHBAH

KHALEEL DIRAB X MANAYER

B: ATHBAH STUD - O: HRHP AHMAD BIN ABDULAZIZ BIN ABDURAHMAN AL SAUD

PSAIAHFYearling Fillies

Gold Medal

KHUZAMA AJMAL

MARQUIS CAHR X MYRIAM EL KHATIB

B: TURKI MOHAMMED ABDULRAHMAN

ALOTHMAN/ AJMAL STUD

O: AJMAL STUD

Colts

Gold Medal

ASEEL AJMAL

ROYAL ASAD X SK SARAH

B: TURKI MOHAMMED ABDULRAHMAN

ALOTHMAN/ AJMAL STUD

O: AJMAL STUD

PSAIAHFJunior Fillies

Gold Medal

SHAHBRYS HVP

ROYAL ASAD X REBECCA HVP

B: AGROPECUARIA VILA DOS PINHEIROS O: AJMAL STUD

EKS FARAJJ X BANDAHLEEZA ZB

B/O: SULTAN HAMED MASTOR ALHARTHI/SARM STUD

PSAIAHFSenior Mares

Gold Medal

JUDE ALJASSIMYA

WH JUSTICE (US) X TOSCANA PGA

B: AL JASSIMYA FARM

O: ASALAT NAJD COMPANY FOR PUREBRED ARABIAN HORSES

PSAIAHFSenior Stallions

Gold Medal

WORTEX KALLISTE

SHANGHAI EA X MIRWANAH KALLISTE

B: KALLISTE ARABIANS

O: AHMED HAMAD ALTHUMAIRI HORIZON STUD

PSAIAHF

Silver Medal Yearling Fillies FELWAH ALSABERYAH

Silver Medal Yearling Colts SHAMIKH AL AAMERIAH

GHAITH AL ZOBAIR X HALAH AL KHALEDIAH III

B/O: ABDULLAH MOHAMMED ABDULLAH ALAAMRI ALSUBEIENAL AMRIA STUD

PSAIAHF

Silver Medal Junior Fillies SHADEN YASER

AJ RADMAN X YARA YASER

B: YASER ABDULLAH HUMAIDAN ALHARTHI/Y H YASER STUD

O: NAYLA HAYEK - HANAYA ARABIAN STUD

PSAIAHF

Silver Medal Junior Colts SINAN AL BAHYA

AJ REDAN X AJ SARAY

B: AJMAN STUD - O: ABDULLAH MAWSIM T ALOTAIBI - QAISAR AL ARAB STUD

PSAIAHF

Silver Medal Senior Mares MERAL BD

D MSHARY X SIMPLY SIENSATIONAL B: NASER AHMED ALI BINDAHI AL ALI O: ABDULAZIZ AHMED ABDULLAH ALFOUZAN - TALA STUD

PSAIAHF

Silver Medal Senior Stallions

EQUATOR

QR MARC X EKLIPTYKA

B: MICHALOW STUD

O: ABDULAZIZ BIN SALEH BIN ABDULAZIZ AL-RAJHINALRAJHIAT STUD

PSAIAHF

Bronze Medal Yearling Fillies A F SHIKHA

ALEXXANDERR X KADI ALENAYA

B/O: FAISAL ABDULAZIZ SALEH ALBEHIEJAN - ALEIRAQA STUD

Bronze Medal Yearling Colts MASHHOR AL ZAYED

ZAYED AL ZAYED X LURA AL ZAYED B/O: SAAD SAEED ZAEAD ALAEAD

PSAIAHF

Bronze Medal Junior Fillies JWH KAYA ALHAMAD

SQ AGEEB X KALIAH

B/O: SHEIKH JARRAH KHALED HAMAD ALSABAH

Bronze Medal Junior Colts MISHAL AKMAL

PSAIAHF

Bronze Medal Senior Mares MESHAEL AL KHALEDIAH IV

Bronze Medal Senior Stallions SHAMAN AL AREEB

EL PALACIO VO X GHALA AL KHALEDIAH B: HRHP PRINCE KHALID BIN SULTAN BIN ABDUL AZIZ AL SAUD / AL KHALEDIAH STABLES

AJMAL STUD

EXCALIBUR EA X MORJANA AL NAWASI

B/O: FAISAL SAAD JOFAIN AL OTAIBE/ AL AREEB STUD

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Al DhafrAh

Arabian Horse Championship

photos by EAHS

GOLD MEDAL YEARLING FILLIES

Silver Medal MK JOOREYYAH

IBN FARID X D JAMRAH

B/O: MOHSEN HUSSEIN HUSSEIN EMARA

NOUF LIWA

EKS FARAJJ X ROSE LIWA

Bronze Medal JODA MA

B/O: ABDULLA AHMED HAMAD DAMENA ALMANSOORI

EXAGON OS X JOLEEN MA

B: HEINZ MADER - O: KHALIFA MOHAMED SAIF MOHAMED ALSUWAIDI

GOLD MEDAL JUNIOR FILLIES

TOKYO ALSALAM

FA EL RASHEEM X AMIRAT AL JANADREYAH

B/O: ALSALAM ARABIAN HORSE STUD

ZEUS EA (ES) X KALIFORNIA

B: KRZYSZTOF FALBA (POL) - O: JASSIM EID HASSAN MOHAMMAD

Bronze Medal KAHEELA

GOLD MEDAL SENIOR MARES

Silver Medal RAYANAT AL BAHYA

AJ AZZAM X AJ RAHEDA

B: AJMAN STUD - O: SALMAA MOHAMED SAIF BIN SEWAIF AL-ALI

FAM DONATELLA

DOMINIC M X D CRYSTAL MOON

B: FEDERICO JOSE MORALES JORDAN

O: JAWAHER ABDULRAHMAN M SH ALBAIDHAEI

Bronze Medal KAWTHAR AL SAYED

ALEXXANDERR X KAHILAH ALSAYED B: KHALID BIN SAID BIN ABDULLAH AL SAYED - O: LIWA ARABIAN HORSE STUD

GOLD MEDAL YEARLING COLTS

Silver Medal AMEER AL BAHYA

AJ RADMAN X AJA APHRODITE B: AJMAN STUD - O: SULTAN MOHAMMED SULTAN BIN HASSAN ALSHAMSI

MK AMEER

B/O:

Bronze Medal SAFWAN LIWA

IBN FARID X OMNIA AL HAWAJER

AMRO MOHSEN HUSSEIN HUSSEIN

MADIN AL BAYDAA X MASHA AL HAITHAM

B/O: LIWA ARABIAN HORSE STUD

GOLD MEDAL JUNIOR COLTS

Silver Medal SQ SAHARY

SQ WASIM X SQ SAHARA

B/O: ALSAQRAN ARABIAN HORSE STUD

ABSIM AL REMAS

SHANGHAI EA X FOLA AL REMAS

B: AL REMAS ARABIAN HORSE STUD

O: AHMED KHADEM ALHABROUT BUHELAIBA ALMANSOORI

Bronze Medal YAZAN MUGHAIDER

B/O:

E.S. SARAB X DAREEN AL HAWAJER

MOHAMED SAIF SAEED HAMMAD ALZAABI

GOLD MEDAL SENIOR STALLIONS

Silver Medal FD RAFALE

D MAYSOOR X D ARTA

B/O: ALFALAH ARABIAN HORSE STUD

RAWAN AL HAWAJER

EMERALD J X DOHA AL HAWAJER

B: MOHAMED GHANEM MOHAMED OBAID ALHAJRI

O: SALEH SAEED MOHAMED HOOFAN ALMANSOORI

Bronze Medal AHM MOTGATRES

Arabian

H orse Parco Vigna Show

Comune di Carmagnola

Dipinto del cavallo di Mauro Malacarne

Rothenberg Stud

GR Nashad | Shaylah Bint Iman

Rothenberg

“Do what you love to do with all your heart and force … and never give up!”

Emotional and inspiring talk with Annette Escher, the woman who keep fulfilling her dreams and reach the success no matter what comes the way.

by

Urszula Łęczycka: Your farm has been established more than 30 years ago by you and your husband Erwin. Nowadays you run it all by yourself and Straight Egyptian horses with GR prefix are worldwide known. You also run one of the largest Straight Egyptian black coloured herds in the world – that is in high demand nowadays.

Can you tell us more about the idea of establishing your breeding program? Was it the same from the beginning or it has been changing through the years and following the market?

What were your first horses and where did you get them from?

Annette Escher: We started our Straight Egyptian breeding with a small number of horses several years before we could buy the right place and built “Rothenberg Stud” in 1991. In 1992 the stud and pastures were ready and we moved our horses here... from this time on, having enough space, we looked for the right additions and as we didn’t find most of them in Europe (there were few Egyptians in Germany /

Europe at that time and almost nothing for sale), we travelled several times to the USA to look at studs and horses, driving thousands of miles a week. During this time we found and bought the foundation horses for my new breeding programme, so the mares like them: Halims Asmara (Ansata Halim Shah x Lancers

Asmara - US National Top Ten and twice World Res. Champion Mare), Dalima Shah (Ansata Halim Shah x AK Bint Dalia II), Ansata Aya Maria (Ansata Shah Zaman x Ansata Aya Halima by Ansata Ibn Halima)

- Bukra line and the black Champion Mare Maria Halima (Haziz Halim x Chelsea). Then we found the black mare Fasinah (Nahaman x Fatima) in Germany and before 1992 we already owned the mare Samara (Ibn Moheba x Safiniya by Ibn Galal), I still own her black great granddaughter GR Samantha who is now pregnant for the first time!

Over the years we have sometimes leased a mare or entered into a breeding co-operation to add foals from interesting dams and dam lines - this is how we bred our “Queen” GR Nashidah (by Classic

Urszula Łęczycka photos by Annette & Erwin Escher

Stud

Annette and GR Anastacia (Classic Shadwan x Halims Asmara) full-sister to Multi-Champion & gold premium stallion GR Amaretto

Rothenberg Stud

Dalima Shah Multi - & European Champion Straight Egyptian by Ansata Halim Shah - one of our foundation mares

GR Adelle

black filly 2022, by GR Ishad out of GR Anastacia (Classic Shadwan x foundation-mare Halim’s Asmara by Ansata Halim Shah). GR Anastacia is a full-sister to our homebred Multi & European- Champion SE GR Amaretto

GR Shakadah

black mare 2019, GR Ishad x GR Shakirah (Maheeb x Shatigah) great great granddaughter of Dalima Shah

Classic Shadwan (Alidaar x Shagia Bint Shadwan) Multi-Champion, foundation stallion

GR Aliyah (GR Faleeh x GR Anastacia by Classic Shadwan) first black out of Halims Asmara line

GR Faleeh (Madallan-Madheen x Fasinah) & Annette, the day before GR Faleeh left to Kuwait

Shadwan), who is the dam of the black Gold Premium stallion GR Nashad (exp. Kuwait, by GR Faleeh) and the black mare GR Layla (by GR Faleeh) who is the dam of our young broodmare GR Larissa (in foal to GR Fasin) and our future stallion GR Layad (both by GR Ishad). After moving to Rothenberg Stud we also bought our foundation stallions: Classic Shadwan (Alidaar x Shagia

Bint Shadwan imp. Egypt), who we found in France, was four years old at the time and the black MadallanMadheen; when we heard about a very special black colt born in 1994 out of special bloodlines, we quickly went to see him and bought him at the age of 6 weeks! He was the very first foundation of our black breeding programme! Madallan-Madheen was not bred to be black, his parents

Rothenberg Stud

GR Aya Malikah

black mare, by GR Faleeh out of GR Aya Mahiba (Maheeb x GR Aya Farida) goes back to our foundation-mare Ansata Aya Maria from the Bukra line. Black colt GR Malish 2023 (by GR Ishad) beside which was exported to USA

were chestnut (his sire Ansata El Salaam) and bay (the famous mare Madinah, dam of Imperial Madheen), but he turned black “by accident” and was just bred to be a great horse... and later won a rare gold premium ribbon from the German registry at the stallion licensing!

Most of our early blacks came from non-black lines ... blacks were rare and good blacks even rarer and usually impossible to buy! Since I was a child I have always been a big fan of black horses, but Erwin loved the greys the most - in the end we love all colours, so we only had a few blacks in the early years.

Over the years we got more and more black foals (also Classic Shadwan produced fantastic blacks) and after more than 30 years I have managed to get fantastic blacks out of all our foundation horses... for some of them it took several generations, but now I have a fantastic group of black and black producing broodmares, many of them already in the 4th and 5th generation of our foundation mares!

GR Aya Malaika

black filly 2022, GR Ishad x GR Aya Malikah (GR Faleeh x GR Aya Mahiba) goes back to Ansata Aya Maria, Bukra line

GR Moneef (show-winner GR Faleeh x GR Mona by foundation-stallion Madallan-Madheen) homozygous black stallion

But colour was not always the most important thing - we both loved pretty exotic faces, good (proven) straight Egyptian pedigrees and as we were also riders from the beginning we wanted a solid horse with good body, legs and movement to carry us over the fields! The aim was not to lose any of these points over the years ... type, body, movement ... and most importantly, the fantastic, people loving, sweet character the Egyptians are famous for.

UŁ: Straight Egyptian breeding is one of most difficult ones as you must use a very limited gene pool that creates some problems in avoiding inbreeding and breeding overall harmonius and typey horse. Limiting the Straight Egyptian breeding to black colour group only must be even more challenging. How do you find your way to keep breeding beautiful and correct horses with such a limited requirements?

GR Bint Asmara

(GR Moneef x GR Asmara by GR Lahab) 13.9.16 - 4 months after Erwins death

GR Asmara) this year high pregnant goes back to Halims

GR Bint Asmara

(GR Moneef x

Asmara

Rothenberg Stud

AE: Most of our foundation horses were not bred to be black, which means they had a larger gene pool, even though we bought mostly black in the beginning ... there were very few black and black producing lines at that time, which were already often inbred. And over the years we’ve always been open to using outside stallions, regardless of colour, such as World Champion Al Lahab, if we thought they would bring us something new in blood and look... in my current herd I have great mares from this line! We always used the straight Egyptian bloodlines that we personally liked, not looking for trends and what other breeders preferred... we went our own way for our own taste and what we loved!

UŁ: Did you manage to combine your goals of having the bloodlines, the strenght, stamina and also the colour and then keep into the fashion to win the show titles? It had to be extremely difficult task..

AE: Over the years we have shown many of our horses and many of our foundation horses and their offspring have gone on to become Multi-Champions and Gold Premium Stallions. For example, Dalima Shah and GR Layad

homozygous black colt 2023 (GR Ishad x GR Layla by GR Faleeh) Abbayyan line - future stallion at Rothenberg

GR Ishad (GR Nashad x Shaylah Bint Iman) homozygous black gold premium stallion

GR Larissa

black mare 2021 (GR Ishad x GR Layla by GR Faleeh)

Abayyan line, in foal to GR Fasin

GR Mahalia

black filly 2023 (GR Ishad x GR Maheeba by Maheeb)

Moniet El Nefous line - the future

GR Aisha

black filly 2022, GR Ishad x GR Anisha (GR Faleeh x GR Anastacia)

great granddaughter of Halims Asmara

GR Mahidah

black filly 2022 (GR Ishad x GR Maheeba)

Moniet El Nefous line - the future

Rothenberg Stud

her daughter Shadwanah (by Classic Shadwan) and Halims Asmara and her son GR Amaretto (by Classic Shadwan) won the Egyptian Event Europe Champion Stallion title. Also our first homebred black mares GR Marietta and GR Marianah (both Madallan-Madheen x Maria Halima) won several championships, which was very special at that time as there were hardly any black mares successfully shown! Later on, our black stallion GR Faleeh (exported to Kuwait; Madallan-Madheen x Fasinah) was shown successfully at the Egyptian Event Europe as a class winner and top five ... and many more.

We have sold and I still sell my foals all over the world and many of them have won and are winning a lot for their new owners - many championship titles in halter classes as well as endurance races or riding classes.

Our sold horses live all over the world as breeding horses and produce fantastic foals for their new owners... or they are just best friends and great riding horses that give their new owners fun and happy hours.

GR Mariyah

black mare 2018, by GR Moneef out of black champion-mare GR Marianah (by Madallan-Madheen) goes back to our black foundation-mare, the Champion

GR Famonah black mare 2021,  GR Moneef x GR Farasha (Maheeb x Fasinah) - in foal to GR Ishad

GR Samantha black mare 2019 (Maheeb x GR Safiniya by GR Faleeh) goes back to our first SE mare Samara (by Bint Moheba)

Maria Halima

GR Nasirah

black-bay filly 2022, by GR Fasin out of GR Nashidah (Classic Shadwan x Nejdschah).

GR Nasirah was the first foal of our young homozygous black gold premium stallion GR Fasin!

GR Nashidah (Classic Shadwan x Nejdschah) mother of our homebred stallions GR Nashad (gold premium stallion; father of GR Ishad) and GR Lahab. Black-bay filly GR Nasinah 2023 (by GR Fasin) beside

We have also bred several gold premium stallions at the stallion registry, for me one of the most difficult golds to get!

We got gold premium titles for GR Amaretto (exported to Iran, Classic Shadwan x Halims Asmara by Ansata Halim Shah), his ¾ brother Maheeb (black; Classic Shadwan x Bint Bint Mahiba by Ansata Halim Shah) and for the other black stallions GR Nashad (exported to Kuwait; GR Faleeh x GR Nashidah by Classic Shadwan), his black son at stud GR Ishad (GR Nashad x Shaylah Bint Iman by Classic Shadwan) and also for our young black stallion GR Fasin (Maheeb x our foundation mare Fasinah by Nahaman). And I have great hopes of continuing this fantastic line in the future with my promising young black colt GR Layad (GR Ishad x GR Layla by GR Faleeh)! He is also homozygous without any white markings and has an extremely dishy head - he is the future of Rothenberg Stud and I can hardly wait to breed the first mares to him next spring!

Rothenberg Stud

GR Shakirah

2011, black mare (black gold premium stallion Maheeb x GR Shatigah) & her daughter GR Shakadah (by GR Ishad) as a foal

UŁ: Did you manage to establish some dam and sire lines of your own that you admire until that day and continue?

AE: All my recent breeding horses are in direct line from our early foundation mares - and all of them carry either the blood of Classic Shadwan or Madallan-Madheen or both!

Over the years I have managed to breed fantastic blacks from all the foundation mares, which has made me very happy and proud, and I love to see the ones I have sold make their new owners happy too.

UŁ: There is probably no Arabian horse lover in Europe who does not know the photos taken by your husband Erwin, who passed away 8 years ago. Since then you have continued to run the farm on your own with just one helper. Your strength, passion and achievements could be an inspiration to many women or girls who, for various reasons, dream of or run a horse breeding business on their own. It must be hard, emotional but probably also satisfying if you manage to breed a great horse in the end? What would you say and advise to other women-breeders?

AE: Yes, Erwin’s death was certainly the worst time in my life, I thought my life had stopped too. But the horses helped me a lot, because giving up is not the answer, you have to go on day by day, they are waiting for you, they need you!

GR Nashadah

2018, bay mare by GR Darwan (Maheeb x Dalima Shah) x GR Nashidah (by Classic Shadwan). Granddaughter of our foundation-mare Dalima Shah

GR Shatigah

black mare 2003 (Pasha Farid x Shadwanah) last daughter of GR Shadwanah at stud; granddaughter of Dalima Shah

GR Shaminah

black filly 2024, by black gold premium stallion GR Fasin out of GR Shatigah (Pasha Farid x Multi-Champion mare Shadwanah) goes back to our foundation-mare Dalima Shah - the future

GR Farasha (Maheeb x Fasinah by Nahaman) - full-sister to GR Fasin

GR Myrella black filly 2023, GR Fasin x GR Maryah (GR Moneef x black Champion-mare GR Marianah by Madallan-Madheen) goes back to our foundation mare to Maria Halima

GR Fasin

2019 (black gold premium stallion Maheeb x foundation mare Fasinah by Nahaman) homozygous black gold premium stallion

Rothenberg Stud

Maheeb

(Classic Shadwan x Bint Bint Mahiba) - black gold premium stallion, sire of many of our breeding-horses

Halims Asmara (Ansata Halim Shah x Lancer’s Asmara, US National Top Ten and World Res. Champion mare). Multi- & European Champion Res. SE one of our foundation mares

In addition, Erwin’s second favourite mare GR Asmara (GR Lahab x Halims’s Asmara) died a few days after him from problems after giving birth and left her newborn filly GR Bint Asmara (by GR Moneef) alone with me. This baby almost died as well because of the replacement milk, so I had to take milk from other mares to feed this baby... you can imagine that I had almost no time to sleep for months, which was very hard but maybe good for me in this situation. My only aim was that we both survived ... and we did! Meanwhile GR Bint Asmara has given birth to three beautiful black fillies and her black yearling filly by GR Ishad even won a championship for her new owner in France this year ... all this made me very happy and gave me the strength to carry on!

My advice is to do what you love with all your heart and soul... and never give up!

Madallan-Madheen

(Ansata El Salaam x Madinah) - black gold premium stallion, foundation-stallion

Fasinah (Nahaman x Fatima); black foundation-mare, mother of homebred black show-winner GR Faleeh (exp. Kuwait) and my young black gold premium stallion GR Fasin

There are always good times and bad times in our lives ... you have to survive the bad times and grow in the good times and take it into your heart for the future. Like when my home-bred young homozygous black stallion GR Fasin (by Maheeb by Classic Shadwan), the last foal born much too early out of our foundation mare Fasinah (who nearly died several times in the first weeks of his life), got a gold ribbon from the German registry as a breeding stallion with just amazingly high scores in all points. And every birth when both mother and baby are doing wella miracle every time! Moments like these keep me going and make me happy!!!!

UŁ: What an amazing story and the best proof of your words of advice, which I would certainly use as the title of this interview! I wish you all the best in achieving your future goals and, of course, with those great and happy moments for every breeder.

Maria Halima (by Haziz Halim by Ansata Ibn Halima) Champion USA, black foundation-mare mother of black Champion-mares GR Marietta & GR Marianah (mother of our black broodmare GR Maryah)

Shadwanah (Classic Shadwan x Dalima Shah); first daughter of both her parents, Multi- & European Champion Straight Egyptian. Mother of black broodmare GR Shatigah

Annette Escher

86653 Monheim (Germany) - tel. +49 0 90913707 email: escher.rothenberg@t-online.de www.RothenbergArabians.com instagram: @RothenbergArabianStud

Regio Le Soleil

RFI Farid x Laheeba Le Soleil - 2019 grey stallion 2022 SPANISH NATIONAL CHAMPION

Progeny expected in 2025 at Le Soleil Arabians

Out of Persia Le Soleil by ZT Magnofantasy

Out of Pervinca Le Soleil by ZT Magnofantasy

Out of Nizwa Le Soleil by ZT Magnofantasy

Out of Bahar El Lawrence by Lawrence El Gazal

© Elvis Giughera

Al Murad Stud and the

“Of all the bloodlines of Arabian Horses in the world, straight Egyptians seem to evoke a special sense of history and the flowing river of time. While they may appeal to people from many walks of life, most who share a passion for Egyptian Arabians are also aficionados of art and culture, and possess a discriminating eye for harmony and classic beauty”.

Cynthia Culbertson

n ajya a l Murad (Mansour al Murad x el Thay k aya)

Art of Breeding

by Monika Savier

Al Mur A d Stud

Egyptian Arabian Horses

from the deep south of italy, from apulia, the al Murad stud farm has made its way to the centre of i taly. Today, the al Murad horses stand in the stables and pastures of the Tre Balzane stud farm in umbria.

Arabian horses have fascinated dentist Maurizio Morra Greco since his childhood. As an international art collector and president of a museum in naples (fondazionemorragreco.com), he developed a close relationship with these beautiful animals, which have written history like no other and are now experiencing a renaissance across continents.

In 2015, he founded his Arabian stud Al MurAd STud on an ancient farm in Apulia. His project, the breeding of pure Egyptian Arabians, was not a business model, but rather a cultural contribution to the preservation and development of Arabian horses.

Morra Greco is not only interested in the horses, but also in the emotions that they trigger or that are associated with them. In this respect, his stud farm is also a place of reflectionandretreat.However,thenecessary stud management, selection, breeding decisions and presentation are a reflection of today’s highly complex society between reproductive technology, globalisation and digital agriculture. All of this inevitably leads to the professionalisation of what was previously a romantic hobby. As a result, Maurizio Morra Greco decided to entrust his broodmares to the TrE BAlzAnE STud farm in umbria.

Straight Egyptians are special breed within the breed of the Arabian horses. Al MurAd STud aims to breed

beautiful Straight Egyptians of historical value in a natural environment.

Arabian horses that not only carry a long history through their genetic pool, but whose cultural heritage is combined with the demands of form and function, the objectives of today’s Arabian breeding for showing and riding. In breeding Straight Egyptian horses, the aim is mainly to maintain and to improve original bloodlines, horses with all their Arabian noblesse, their charm, type, elegance and their people-oriented character.

In order to buy a group of selected mares and fillies for the foundation of his breeding programme, Maurizio Morra Greco visited the countries of origin and finally imported horses from Europe. Straight Egyptian mares came from the El Thay, Al Qusar, Ponath and TrE BAlzAnE STud. By using the stallions Ansata nile Echo and Jamil Al rayyan, he was soon successful. His beautiful stallion Mansour Al Murad covered the first mares born at the stud this year.

Successful breeding is a great challenge nowadays and success will only be achieved if not only economic interests but also ethical ones regarding the horses are taken into account. With this in mind, Al MurAd STud is well on the way to success.

n ayla a l Murad

( jamil al r ayyan x insha Safrahna)

i n S ha Safrahna

(Miad al Shaqab x Simeon Sarice)

Man S our a l Murad (ansata nile echo x Maysouna halima by Maysoun)

n ajya a l Murad

(Mansour al Murad x el Thay k aya by Mashour halim)

r adalidaa

(Classic r ashman x Bint Classic alia)

d hakira h ali Ma (Baqir al Safi x dB isis by hawi)

Zahaara a l Murad (nabeel al r ayyan x Maysouna halima by Maysoun)

Mayfou S a (el Thay Mahfouz x Maysouna halima by Maysoun)

Mufajaa a l Murad (nabeel al r ayyan x r adalidaa by Classic r ashman)

Many good horses from the traditional stud farms of Europe have been sold to the Middle East in the last 30 years and have laid there the foundation for the best Arabian horses in the world. However, every now and then a gem comes along in Europe who is not only good looking and has an impressive pedigree, but who is also an excellent sire with outstanding fertility and reproduction. Here is such a stallion: MAnSOur Al MurAd. Born in South Italy, he is now with Tre Balzane in umbria and can cover your mares at a favourable price.

MANSOUR AL MURAD

* 2017, iTaly

an S aTa nile e C ho

an S aTa heja Z i

an S aTa hali M S hah

an S aTa S udarra

P rin C e fa M onie T

an S aTa W hi T e nile

an S aTa nile G if T

an S aTa hali M S hah

MayS oun

MayS ouna hali Ma

M oufi S a al kidir

MayS ouna

al kidir

M oufi S a hali Ma

Al Mur A d Stud Egyptian Arabian Horses

Info: Elisabeth Auer studmanager +39 346 9818427

+39 346 9818427

Interview with

Matteo Chincarini

by Giorgia Mauri

Tutto Arabi is pleased to inaugurate a new section inside Tutto Arabi Magazine - LLL dedicated to contemporary art and art history, thanks to the collaboration with Matteo Chincarini, curator and organizer of cultural events. Matteo boasts an artistic and theatrical background, having studied cinema in Rome and at the school of the Teatro Stabile in Verona.

Moving to Milan in 2012, he combined his work as a radio speaker and actor in theater and cabaret with his passion for architectural photography, which led him to exhibit his works in galleries and ateliers.

In 2015, on the occasion of Expo Milano, Matteo presented his work at the Italian Cultural Institute in Munich, starting a professional collaboration with the Italian Consulate in Germany. This experience led him to organize exhibition events and shows, consolidating his interest in the world of art and culture.

Since then, he has taken an independent professional path, founding a business dedicated to art organization. Graduated from Brera Academy of Fine Arts, Matteo Chincarini works mainly in the field of contemporary art, also collaborating with the world of fashion and design. Milan, the city where he lives and works, represents for him a vital center where fashion and design meet each other, synonymous with excellence and innovation.

Tutto Arabi: Your training was in theater and film. How does this relate to your work as an art curator?

Matteo Chincarini: I think an exhibition is, for all intents and purposes, a performance and a show. There is a protagonist: the artist, with his or her thought and aesthetic research, and there is an audience that makes this come alive. My theater training has taught me to conceive of each event as a true staging. I like to think of the exhibition as a moment in which the artist and his or her works are performed, and every detail must be carefully attended to.

TA: Fashion and art: how do they complement each other?

MC: Those who live in Milan cannot ignore the topic of fashion, being constantly immersed in this world. In Italy, aesthetic taste and sense of beauty are ingrained in our culture. Personally, I find fascinating not only the ephemeral and innovative aspect of collections, but also the historical and cultural context that surrounds them. For example, in 2022, we organized an exhibition at the Museo de’Medici in Florence, displaying historical clothes from the 14th to the 18th century that told the story of the evolution of costume at the Medici court. Another example is the Ballo della Luna (Moon Ball), an event I organize annually at the Bagatti Valsecchi Museum that aims to evoke the Milanese Sforza period of the late 15th century where guests wear Renaissance clothes to immerse themselves in an ancient atmosphere to evoke this historical period that laid the foundation for today’s fashion.

TA: Where does your work primarily take place?

MC: In addition to collaborating with art galleries and museums, I find it particularly stimulating to work with private entities. Businesses, law firms, studios, bistros, and wineries commission exhibitions to me to offer their clients moments of beauty and connection with contemporary art in a public relations moment. These unconventional spaces add value to the works and create unique experiences. I like to call them new patrons who are passionate about art to support the work of these artists and who want to offer contacts something extra that only art can provide.

TA: How do you select artists for your exhibitions?

MC: Selection is perhaps the most complex part of my work. It is essential to keep a trained and up-to-date eye, attending exhibitions, fairs and openings to catch the most current trends. I prefer artists who work on aesthetics and the figurative, focusing on beauty and creativity. I find that skillful use of color, proportion and perspective is more impactful than works that are too conceptual or abstract, which risk alienating the audience. Of course, each artist is selected to marry well with the space I have to set up; each exhibition is a project in itself and therefore unique.

TA: What projects are you working on that you are most passionate about?

MC: I am currently curating several projects that I am particularly proud of. One is a Land Art exhibition in an abandoned village on Lake Garda, where artists explore the theme of abandonment and return to nature. Another project, in collaboration with the Academy of Fine Arts in Milan, concerns an exhibition on the urban and industrial evolution of Milan in the early 1900s, hosted in the Museum of Design. Finally, I am very excited about a collaboration with a light design showroom, where artists explore the theme of light, highlighting its fundamental role in the visual arts.

Afran the fabric of time:

The art of giving new lif to denim

Between symbolism and contemporaneity

Talking about contemporary art today means best describing the philosophy and concept behind new forms of creativity, which have long since left behind the representation of reality to delve into abstract, profound and complex thoughts. In this column, curated by Matteo Chincarini, a curator and organiser of cultural events and exhibitions, we will try to explore how some representatives of contemporary art are akin to the search for beauty and the fascination with the power of nature, elements that unite them with the readers of the magazine “Tutto Arabi”.

The horse, a universal symbol of freedom, strength and connection to the earth, constitutes an extraordinary example in contemporary art practice and underlines how creative expression leads to the creation of sophisticated and imaginative works. Wanting to evoke an intense dialogue between materiality and symbolism, we introduce the works of the artist Afran, pseudonym of Francis Nathan Abiamba.

This Cameroonian artist, who has been working in Italy for years, investigates the symbiosis with one of the most democratic fabrics available to man: denim. Denim, with its robust texture and ability to age through an organic process of wear and tear, presents itself as a metaphor for resilience and transformation. Used in art to create textures, collages or textile sculptures, this material retains a historical and social connotation, evoking work, travel and an everyday life imbued with authenticity, celebrating scenarios ranging from popular culture to myth, from the epic to the everyday. Afran can be considered a sculptor who makes fabric plastic, giving it new meanings through his art. Denim recalls modernity, mass production and adaptability to any context, and highlights the artist’s focus on sustainability and critical consumption. The shapes the artist creates recall classical culture and the aesthetics of the ancient canons that have shaped Western culture. Thus Hellenistic heroes, characters from history and literature are reborn, modelled with all those details that denim can provide. Every element of the production is used to form the details of the pieces, such as buttons, zips and buttonholes.

Reuse of material.

This way of reusing materials started at the beginning of the 20th century, when the European avant-gardes broke with the past to explore new means of expression. In particular, the concept of objet trouvé (“found object”) describes the act in which the artist does not create a work ex novo, but elevates an already existing object to art, giving it a new aesthetic meaning. Similarly, the concept of the ready-made, introduced by Marcel Duchamp, emphasises how the artistic act can consist in the selection and recognition of an added value in an everyday object. Afran takes up this tradition, involving contemporary materials such as denim. This fabric, originally associated with work and practicality, is elevated to an artistic material to create works that dialogue with modernity. His sculptures transform denim into a surface rich in symbolism, capable of telling stories of resistance, transformation and identity. In a world marked by overproduction and overconsumption, Afran uses reuse as a tool for reflection and denunciation, bringing attention to issues of sustainability and critical consumption.

Through the creative use of denim fabric, the artist invites us to rethink the value of the materials that surround us and their artistic potential.

Optical illusion?

However, Afran does not limit himself to textile sculptures: his work also extends to painting, with extraordinary oil-on-canvas works that depict denim and its details with such precision as to generate an optical illusion. These paintings, true trompe-l’oeil paintings, capture the weave, wear, buttons and folds of denim, celebrating the material itself and its symbolic value. Through these works, Afran narrates not only a fabric, but also its experience and history, playing with the idea of reality and representation. The illusion of denim on canvas thus becomes a metaphor for appearance and substance, inviting the viewer to reflect on the value of the visible and the invisible.

Afran, Francis Nathan Abiamba, was born in Bidjap, Cameroon, in 1987. After attending the Artistic Training Institute in Mbalmayo, he graduated in ceramics. He cultivated painting, his great passion, at the ateliers of the greatest Cameroonian and Congolese painters. In 2006, he opened up to contemporary art thanks to Salvatore Falci, professor of visual arts at the Academy of Fine Arts in Carrara (BG). After numerous competitions and group exhibitions, in 2008 he presented his first solo exhibition at the Spanish Cultural Centre in Bata, Equatorial Guinea, a land to which he had travelled in search of his roots. This exhibition opened the door to a series of solo and group exhibitions between Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Spain and Italy, where he now resides. Afran has numerous international exhibitions between Africa, Europe and America, and has received several national and international awards, including the Premio Artivisive San Fedele and the Premio Liliana Nocera at the Permanente in Milan. The environmental and identity issues of contemporaneity underpin his artistic investigations. In addition to denim, his favourite material, the artist does not set himself any technical limits in order to recount the complexity of an era marked by radical changes.

His recent exhibitions include:

• Denim - Stylish, Practical, Timeless. Blue Fabric with a History, Spielzeug Welten Museum, Basel;

• Pei’s World. A Brief History of a Chinese Gallery in Italy, curated by Luca Beatrice, Arsenale di Venezia, Spazio Thetis. Afran was among the artists representing the National Pavilion of Cameroon at the Venice Biennale in 2022.

We chose to start this column on contemporary art in a journal dedicated to Arabian horses by talking about Afran for several reasons. First of all, his use of denim, a democratic and universal material, symbolises the idea of transformation and resilience, values that are also found in the essence of nature.

Denim carries with it an ancient and complex history: it is a fabric that connects the everyday with the mythical, the past with the present. In a way, Afran and his work embody that dialogue between creative force and nature that we wish to explore through this column.

In a world where we often find ourselves rushing without thinking, Afran’s art invites us to slow down, observe and rethink the value of things, be they material, symbolic or natural. And just like Arabian horses, contemporary art brings us back to our essence and the beauty of the journey.

Matteo Chincarini | Chincarinieventi.it | Info@chincarinieventi.it

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Memories of Erika Schiele

n by Judith Wenning

This article is to commemorate one of the most outstanding personalities and best authors on Arabian horses in the 20th century. The German Erika Schiele wrote numerous publications about Arabians. The world was a different place during Erika Schiele’s lifetime: She worked analogously of course as there were no smart phones, internet or let alone Facebook, etc. available at her time. Her phenomenal memory for pedigrees, names and details concerning Arabian horses was impressive.

My first contact with her was when my grandmother gave me the book “The Arab Horse in Europe” as a present when I was still at school. It was one of my first books on the subject and fascinated me deeply.

Erika Schiele had received a great talent. She was able to write in an easily understandable way, her descriptive style, which reads effortlessly and quickly, still captivates the reader today. She liked to embellish her texts with

stories and narratives. Nevertheless, she possessed great accuracy in recording facts and figures. Not to be forgotten was her photographic talent, which produced many historical photographs of Arabian horses. Her photos of Ghazal, Kaisoon, Negatiw, Bandola, etc. are today important historical documents.

Erika Schiele was born in 1914. In one of her books, she remembered: “Before my second marriage, my

Erika Schiele with Ghazal.

Photo: Erika Schiele, Fotoarchiv Deutsches Pferdemuseum e.V. Verden (Aller), Deutschland.

A historical document: Hadban Enzahi (Nazeer x Kamla). He was bred by El Zahraa, Egypt and imported to Germany together with his half-brother Ghazal. Photo: Erika

Erika Schiele’s stallion El Beshir. Photo: Erika Schiele, Fotoarchiv Deutsches Pferdemuseum e.V. Verden (Aller), Deutschland.

Schiele, Fotoarchiv Deutsches Pferdemuseum e.V. Verden (Aller), Deutschland.

husband-to-be said, ‘I shall only marry a woman who can ride a horse!’. So, at 40 years old, I learned to ride.”

In her standard work “The Arab Horse in Europe”, first published in Munich in 1967, she wrote: “Horses and especially Carl Raswan’s book “Drinkers of the Wind” changed my life and also my professional career. They inspired her to publish articles and photographs in magazines, books and calendars. When Erika Schiele was 50 years old, she travelled through Europe in search of

Legendary Ghazal (Nazeer x Bukra), born 1953. Bred by El Zahraa, Cairo, Egypt. Photo: Erika Schiele, Fotoarchiv Deutsches Pferdemuseum e.V. Verden (Aller), Deutschland.

Always a sight to behold: Ghazal running free. Photo: Erika Schiele, Fotoarchiv Deutsches Pferdemuseum e.V. Verden (Aller), Deutschland.

the Arab horse. This resulted in her writing ”The Arab Horse in Europe”, “Horse Buying”, “Arabians Pferde, Allahs liebste Kinder” (“Arabia’s Horses, Allah’s favourite children”), etc. Especially “The Arab Horse in Europe” brought numerous new people to the Arabian horse. No wonder it appeared in several editions and languages. Photos and texts of different breeding programs – many of them now historical – as well as pictures of eyecatching Arabian horse artwork fascinate the readers.

In her book “The Arab Horse in Europe” Erika Schiele remembered: ‘”One day, a good friend of mine rang me up. “You are fond of horses,” he began, harmlessly enough. “How would you like to see something particularly lovely?” I asked “Where?” curiously. And how was I to guess that curiosity was about to change my whole life? “Come to the Arab Society’s show with me,” he tempted. “I promise you will not regret it.”

Arabs in Germany! I had heard of such things, of course, but had no proper image of what this meant. So I asked my vet, who passed for a horse specialist in our district. “Arabs?” said he with the contemptuous gesture. “What do you want with those little runts? They can neither walk out nor trot, all they can do is canter. You leave them alone!” This was not exactly encouraging, but it did whet my curiosity.

On a golden September day, I drove down with my friend to East Friesland. In front of a moated castle whose delicate red bricks of local clay glowed against the blue sky our journey came to an end. On the smooth-rolled gravel walks of the castle grounds a large crowd had collected, to watch horses being let out and critically examined. There I saw Ghazal, the silver-grey stallion from the Egyptian desert. He looked charming as he danced gracefully along, his white coat gleaming in the sunshine like metal. His mane and tail seemed to be made of soft, wavy silk. When he came to a halt the fiery glance of his great, jet-black eyes hit me like a thunderbolt, leaving me silent and awed. I had met a creature such as I have never seen before in such beauty and perfection: a pure-bred Arabian horse!

Since then I have never been free of the Arab spell, and I have sought them out wherever they were to be found – from Scotland (or nearly) to the Bosphorus, from Gibraltar to the Bug. Like thousands before me I fell a prey to “arabitis” – that strange disease which is incurable but not lethal, its only effect being to make the patient happier the sicker he becomes.”

One of her best friends in Arabian horses was CarlHeinz Dömken. She had first met him in 1967 and appreciated him a lot. They often visited each other, talking endless hours about their common passion Arabian horses. Carl-Heinz Dömken managed to purchase the legendary stallion Ghazal. Erika Schiele was also very fond of Ghazal and enjoyed the times with him, especially when Ghazal pulled a carriage with her and Carl-Heinz as happy passengers.

In 1974, Dr. W. Georg Olms met with a group of dedicated breeders and idealists in Hildesheim to found the Asil Club. Among them were Erika Schiele, CarlHeinz Dömken, Georg Thierer, Heiner Buschfort, Elke Behrens, Gustl Eutermoser, Eberhard FranckZügel, Jean Kayser, Karl-Heinz Kirsch, Foppe Bonno Klynstra, Barb Müller, and Heinrich Parzeller. The aim of the Asil Club was and still is to preserve those horses that could reasonably be assumed to represent 100% desert origins. The Club’s definition was the following: “An Asil Arabian horse is a horse whose pedigree is exclusively based on horses bred by the Bedouins, without any evidence whatever of non-Arabian blood being admixed at any time. The word ‘asil’ is derived from the Arabian language meaning pure, noble and genuine.” (Asil Arabians, Vol. I)

Erika Schiele thought a lot about the purity of Arabian horses. However, she began to have doubts about the various purity theories. Initially, she was also a great advocate of Carl Raswan’s theories, but the more she studied his work, the more contradictions she discovered. She came to the conclusion that she only considered the things she also found in other sources - not exclusively in Raswan”s works - to be probable. She would have liked to bring more biological and scientific approaches into the consciousness of breeders - more objectivity, less discrimination. Over the years, Erika Schiele was not only a treasure trove of knowledge about the Arabian horse, she had also gained great caution and wisdom.

Erika Schiele also tried her hand as a breeder. She acquired three mares with great pedigrees and imported the stallion El Beshir from the United States. The asil El Beshir was born in 1969, sired by Faaris out of Sirulla. The heavily flea-bitten stallion exuberated the classic, old type and was not only eye-catching, but also powerful. He attracted a lot of attention when he beat the Polish racing cracks on the European race tracks. One of El Beshir’s daughters, lovely JK Blue Hadbah was acquired by Marbach State Stud and graced the “silver herd” for a number of years.

Unfortunately, Erika Schiele’s many trips got in the way of her horse keeping and, above all, her breeding projects. Therefore, after some time, her mares moved on to Luxembourg. El Beshir went on to several stud farms. With some melancholy and perhaps even a little envy, she looked at the lives of other breeders who lived their daily lives with their horses and followed their breeding programs. However, her love of traveling,

Akhtal (Amrulla x Hagir), a straight Egyptian stallion bred by the EAO and born in 1968. He was especially wellknown for his children Morhaf EAO, Taymour EAO, and Ibn Adaweya. Photo: Erika Schiele, Fotoarchiv Deutsches Pferdemuseum e.V. Verden (Aller), Deutschland.

visiting stud farms and meeting other like-minded people was her top priority. Shortly before her death, Mr. Ohliger - a fellow breeder - kindly drove her to East Germany so that she could attend the founding of the first private Arabian breeding association there. There, as usually, she offered her much appreciated advice.

At the time, she was struggling with the after-effects of a fractured neck of femur. Despite diligent physiotherapy, underwater exercise, massage and lymphatic drainage, she had great difficulty healing. Walking without a cane or crutches had become impossible.

Erika Schiele spent the last years of her life in an idyllic retirement home in Dießen at lake Ammersee in Bavaria. Three days after her 76th birthday, she lay down to rest in the evening and never woke up. The Arabian horse breed had lost a great personality, a clever, far-sighted and hard-working woman. According to Erika Schiele‘s will, her estate went to the German Horse Museum in Verden / Aller. It can be viewed there at any time by appointment. It was very important to Erika Schiele that her photos, records, etc. should be preserved for posterity and be accessible to everyone. A visit to this museum dedicated to horses is an event not to be missed! q

Ibn Sharzada (Anter x Sharzada) in El Zahraa. Photo: Erika Schiele, Fotoarchiv Deutsches Pferdemuseum e.V. Verden (Aller), Deutschland.

Riding Safari Club (RSC) is an innovative travel company and a one-of-a-kind community created for those with an insatiable passion for equestrian adventure uniting riders worldwide with carefully selected guides to craft unforgettable experiences.

In 2025, we eagerly look forward to welcoming new members who share our passion for meaningful connections and immersive experiences, as we ride together to explore the world’s beauty and spirit on horseback.

@ridingsafariclub

Photos

Strength of Spirit Celebrating Judith Forbis’s

Judi in her kayak

by Jennifer Ogden

90th Birthday

As the Arabian horse community gathered to celebrate Judith Forbis’s 90th birthday, it became evident that this occasion signified more than just a personal milestone; it represented a life rich in passion, creativity, and deep connections with both horses and the people who love them.

This celebration brought together friends and admirers from around the globe to honour a remarkable figure in the Arabian horse world. Known for her unwavering commitment to the breed and its rich heritage, Judi’s influence resonates deeply within the Arabian horse community, leaving a legacy that will inspire generations to come.

r enee Caspar Painting of Judith

When longtime friends Walter Mishek, founder of *Arabian Horse Times* magazine, and his wife Cheryl learned of Judi's upcoming birthday, they felt compelled to celebrate it in grand style. With infectious enthusiasm, they organized an invitational gathering at the beautiful home of Frank and Robin Semple in Tulsa, Oklahoma, coinciding with the 2024 US National Arabian Horse Show. They didn't stop there; they collaborated with their friend Stan Morey to arrange a short presentation in the ring where Judi would be honoured for her contributions to the Arabian breed, recognizing that many of today’s successful horses worldwide carry the blood of her Ansata breeding program. Notably, between 2011 and 2023 at the US Nationals, 16 Ansata horses were represented among the pedigrees of Senior Stallion and Mare Champions and Reserve Champions, with a total of 84 lines traced back to the Ansata breeding program, including Ansata Ibn Halima, who appeared 42 times.

As Judi's friends and family gathered to celebrate, it became clear that this was not just a birthday party but a tribute to the relationships and memories woven throughout her lifetime.

The ambiance of the Semples’ home, adorned with exquisite Native American art, was filled with laughter, heartfelt conversations, and an outpouring of love and gratitude. Guests eagerly shared their personal stories of how Judi’s passion for Arabian horses had shaped their own lives. The evening culminated in a special video tribute to Judi’s journey, produced by longtime friend Darryl Larson, followed by a heartfelt presentation recognizing her lifetime of contributions to the breed and community she so dearly loves. David Gardner then read a beautiful tribute he

don and Judith forbis

Judith and david gardner

forbis’s books

from left to right, frank Semple, Cheryl Mishek,

had written for Judi a few years earlier, which she proudly keeps framed in her office. She is a woman of letters and deeds, learned in the ways of desert horses. She knows of what she speaks. Regrettably, most people and their passions never cross paths. Others only brush sleeves with their passion in a hushed passing. Too often defeated for a thousand good reasons or ploughed under by life's unequal circumstances, they are ever wed to their passion. Scarcely one person each hundred years, in the rarified air of great creativity and dogged pursuit, chase their passion to the highest level of excellence and metaphysical understanding. The passion for desert horses is no exception. It is an exhaustive, unbending, unfaltering, all-consuming pursuit which taken in its entirety, leads to unprecedented

accomplishment. The result is a great and meaningful body of work for centuries hence. It is the most unselfish gift to others that will be embraced well beyond the grave of its giver such accomplishment, at the highest level imaginable, is the greatest glorification and the highest evidence to God that a gift that He has lent to us has infinite depth and meaning. This is you. With great admiration and affection, David Gardner.

After the show, my husband Paul, Bart Van Buggenhaut, and I travelled to Judi's home in Mena, Arkansas, where Paul and I settled into her cozy log cabin guesthouse for the week. Our days were filled with the warmth of her home, which overlooked Lake Wilhelmina, with every corner adorned with cherished art and mementos from a life devoted

Judith riding Her first Arabian mare Ceylon

Judith is a wonderful horse woman, here she is handling Ansata ibn Sudan for one of many presentations

Judith with Ansata Bint Bukra

Judith with Ansata ibn Halima

Judith with Ansata ibn Halima and Poopsi her first Chihuahua

Judith with Prince george & Sassy the six toed cat in front of the picture window overlooking Ouachita Mountains and Valley Below.

to travel and to the Arabian horse, particularly the legacy of the Straight Egyptian Arabian.

The first few days were spent relaxing as we indulged in delicious meals prepared by Judi while taking in the stunning Autumn colours through a large picture window that framed views of the Ouachita Mountains and the valley below. On the 29th, Judi's actual birthday, Bart invited all of us to enjoy lunch at the Queen Wilhelmina Lodge, perched atop Rich Mountain. Later that evening, several of Judi's local friends joined us at her home.

I was not surprised to discover that Judi was a talented artist and illustrator, having worked for a greeting card company in her earlier years, mentored by someone who had worked for Walt Disney. In addition, Judi has written and illustrated several children’s books and stories about the animals in her life. We spent an afternoon exploring some of her old portfolios, filled with delightful stories, illustrations, and cartoons.

During our stay, I had the privilege of conducting an interview with Judi, during which she shared her profound insights and memories. It was a remarkable opportunity to hear her story in her own voice, illuminating the treasures of her past. I also took the time to capture some memorable photos of her with her cherished and pampered Pomeranian, “George”, and 6 toed cat “Sassy” for this article.

Jennifer: What is the secret to your success?

Judith: Not everyone has the opportunity in life to do what they love, my advice is to do what you love, and love what you do.

There are things in life that are foreordained and that we come into this world for a purpose and if we are smart enough to make the sacrifices needed

to fulfil that purpose that is the greatest recipe for success. And you must have mentors along the way that believe in you. I was very lucky in that my parents and family supported my dreams, but I was determined to make them come true, regardless.

Jennifer: How did your passion for Arabians developed?

Judith: My passion for horses began at the age of three when my parents took me for an afternoon drive, and we passed a pony ring. Within minutes, I was riding the ponies-Minnie, a black pony, and Silver, a white one who quickly became my favourite. As I grew older and outgrew the ponies, I transitioned to riding Zsa Zsa Gabor's black gelding, Black Watch, which led to my first blue ribbon victory. At the time, Zsa Zsa was married to Conrad Hilton and lived near our home in Bay Shore, Long Island, New York.

When I was around five years old, my parents, William and Audrey Freni, divorced, despite the

separation, they maintained a connection with my Aunt Evelyn and her husband, George Whitwell. George, who was crippled from polio and unable to travel, had a deep passion for the mysteries and history of Egypt, which he instilled in me, sparking my own fascination with the Middle East. He also nurtured my love for animals; for my 12th birthday, he and my aunt gifted me Walter Farley’s book, *The Black Stallion*. This book profoundly changed my life, inspiring me to dream of racing Arabians across deserts in Arab lands and envisioning a future filled with Arabian horses. Both of those dreams eventually came true, and I later became friends with Walter Farley, who encouraged me to continue writing my own books.

Jennifer: Which have been the most important animals in your life?

Judith: I've had a deep love for animals for as long as I can remember, and I'm fortunate that my parents encouraged this passion. My first pet was a little black-and-white Fox Terrier named Skippy, who was my best friend until a tragic day when he escaped our backyard and was run over. I was heartbroken; however, it prepared me to handle life and death at an early age and to understand that animals are loaned to us only for an appointed time.

Throughout the years, I have owned many dogs, each an important part of my life. I developed a particular fondness for Collies, inspired by the movie *Lassie Come Home*, and eventually bred

Judith riding Silver her first pony

Judith with Black Watch owned by Zsa Zsa gabor, a Black gelding that she won her first blue ribbon on

rudolph Valentino and elizabeth Taylor like the movie stars. They were sitting on a Harley davidson

and showed several of this breed. Later, a special silver Miniature Poodle named Bel Tor Floodtide entered my life; he was a successful show dog who accompanied Don and me to Iran. One Christmas, Don surprised me with a tiny chocolate brown Chihuahua that we named Poopsie, a name chosen for obvious reasons. This sparked our love for this spirited little breed, and after Poopsie sadly passed away at the age of 14, we welcomed several more Chihuahuas, all named after movie stars: Charley Chaplin, Joan Crawford, Rudi Valentino, and our shining star, Elizabeth Taylor. Elizabeth loved to pose for the camera, and Richard Bryant captured some fantastic photos of her and Rudi dressed in Harley Davidson outfits, sitting on a black Harley bike!

After all the Chihuahuas had passed, I went for a period without any dogs. Then, while at a horse show, I laid eyes on an adorable Pomeranian puppy and instantly fell in love. I decided to enrich my life with a dog again and reached out to the puppy's breeder. She had a little blonde pup born on the same day as Prince George of England, so I named him Prince George of Ansata, who joined me and my rescued six-toed "Hemingway" cat named Sassy,

Judith with Poopsi a gift from don

who has ruled the house for years and continues to do so at the age of 14.

Jennifer: Of all the horses in your life, which one did you connect with best.

Judith: There were a few but for the mares, Bint Mabrouka was the love of my life. She only had one filly, and it died. That broke my heart, but she had three wonderful sons that have left serious marks on the breed. I loved Ansata Ibn Halima, but Ansata Ibn Sudan was my first love; he craved constant attention. I was there when he was born, and he was like my child. He loved people and loved to show off. He would bang on the stall walls until I would come and give him attention, and he would even sometimes play dead in the stall! He was a real character.

Sudan was the ultimate show horse, he had that special "look at me" attitude, and this is why I decided to show him. As many people know Hansi Heck and I had a real love hate relationship, but the same year Sudan won US National Champion, Hansi called and asked if I could look after Serenity Sonbolah and prepare her for the US Nationals so we had National Champion Mare and National

Champion stallion at our farm at the same time.

Jennifer: What are the most memorable experiences in your life?

Judith: There are certainly many unforgettable experiences to reflect on. Meeting Don Forbis while I was working with USAID in Ankara, Turkey, and later marrying him there stands out as a pivotal moment in my life. This relationship led us to race Arabians in Turkey and eventually travel to Egypt.

Don grew up riding quarter horses, and the first horse he raced was named Silver—ironically, the same name as the first pony I rode when I was three years old. After our marriage, we purchased two Arabian racehorses, one of which was a chestnut mare named Sohret. I rode her in races throughout southeastern Turkey, and she saved my life on several occasions. Despite her offset front knees, she carried me to many victories, teaching me that heart and determination often outweigh the imperfections of a horse’s conformation. This story is lovingly chronicled in my book, *Hoofbeats Along the Tigris*.

Another memorable experience was witnessing the magnificent horses at the Egyptian Agricultural Organization (EAO) in 1959, including celebrated

stallions like Nazeer, Aswan, Morafic, and El Sareei, as well as notable mares such as Bukra, Moniet el Nefous, and Mabrouka. That year, we also imported our first three yearlings: Ansata Ibn Halima, Ansata Bint Mabrouka, and Ansata Bint Zaafarana.

I also cherish the moments I spent watching the first foals sired by Ansata Ibn Halima, born to Ansata Bint Zaafarana (Ansata Ali Pasha) and Ansata Bint Mabrouka (Ansata Abbas Pasha and Ansata Ibn Sudan), all of whom became successful champions and sires.

Publishing my books has been another significant milestone in my life. My first book, “Hoofbeats Along the Tigris”, followed by “The Classic Arabian Horse” and “Authentic Arabian Bloodstock”—affectionately known as "the blue book," which has become a vital resource for Egyptian Arabian breeders—are all achievements I am proud of. Additionally, finding the Abbas Pasha Manuscript with the Ahmed Sherif family in Egypt and collaborating with Gulsun Sherif to translate and publish it in English, was a notable accomplishment.

Each book I have written serves as a milestone and provides valuable insights, regardless of the

bloodline’s breeders choose. I take great pride in my articles for Arabian horse magazines and my published works, just as I do with the Ansata breeding program.

Don’s and my contributions to the Arabian horse community have been widely recognized, which brings me immense pride. However, the true joy for me lies in witnessing the profound connections formed between horses and people—a bond I have cherished throughout my life.

Jennifer: How do you see the competitive environment of Straight Egyptian horses?

In today's competition arena, it has become increasingly challenging for Straight Egyptians to secure victories at the US National Championships, let alone for Egyptian horses to dominate both the senior mare and stallion classes in the same year. What factors do you believe contribute to this shift in competitiveness, and how do you perceive the current state of the show ring?

Judith: I find it unfortunate that Straight Egyptian breeders have been less involved in open shows compared to their participation from the 1960s to the early 2000s. During that period, Straight Egyptians consistently showcased their competitive edge, capturing prestigious titles at major events. Breeding programs like Ansata, Gleanloch, Imperial, and others, including Al Shaqab, Al Naif, and Al Nasser, played pivotal roles in highlighting the excellence of Straight Egyptian horses. The inception of the Egyptian Event in Lexington, Kentucky, was primarily aimed at being a social and educational gathering rather than a conventional horse show. However, over time, the event began to

add more Egyptian-related and Straight Egyptian classes, evolving into the competitive landscape we see today. Unfortunately, this change led many breeders to pull their Straight Egyptians from open competitions, choosing instead to focus solely on the Egyptian Event.

This shift has fostered the emergence of exclusively defined Straight Egyptian shows worldwide, which, while advantageous for marketing and social engagement, has created a disconnect from broader competitive arenas. By concentrating their efforts exclusively on these specialized events, many Egyptian breeders have stepped back from open shows. As a result, international bloodlines have come to dominate the open competition circuits, with the finest Egyptian horses largely featured at Egyptian events and farm presentations.

It’s essential to remember that Egyptian blood has been infused into the first three generations of many of today’s top-winning show horses, including Marwan Al Shaqab, Gazal al Shaqab, and WH Justice, among others. The original intent behind preserving Egyptian bloodlines as a "breed within a breed," as outlined by The Pyramid Society, was to maintain this unique lineage developed over centuries to emphasize "classic type." Consequently, breeders who make use of, or mix various bloodlines—be they Spanish, Crabbet, Polish, or Russian—can tap into this dominant Egyptian blood when desired.

With this perspective, I genuinely hope to see a resurgence of Straight Egyptians competing in open shows, reclaiming the significant presence they once enjoyed. It is crucial for the future of the breed and the preservation of its legacy that breeders showcase their exceptional horses within

the broader competitive arena, highlighting their impressive capabilities and contributions to the Arabian horse community as a whole.

Jennifer: What was your breeding concept for Ansata? Your breeding program was renowned for excellent conformation with strong bodies, the Dahman strain seemed to dominate, what do you think of the other strains, which cross worked well for you and which were not as successful?

Judith: Although we were unaware at the time, our initial imports were based on two of the most

esteemed strains admired by Abbas Pasha I of Egypt: Dahman Shahwan and Saqlawi Jedran. This realization dawned on us later while translating the Abbas Pasha Manuscript.

The Dahman strain provided us with a strong foundation, contributing to robust bodies and beautiful heads, exemplified by horses like Ansata Ibn Halima and Ansata Bint Bukra. In contrast, the Saqlawi strain added elegance and refinement, as seen in Ansata Bint Mabrouka and Ansata Bint Zaafarana.

While we originally didn't have any direct lineage from the tail female Hadban Enzahi (specifically from the Samiha line of Nazeer), this Hadban influence was

Ansata ibn Sudan and Maurice Wingo winning US national Champion Stallion

Ansata Bint Mabrouka

greeting Card Sketch of nazeer done from life

Judith’s first and only sculpture,

“The Pharoah’s Stallion” sculpted in egypt

ink sketch of The Three Wisemen

Judith Painting of Moniet el nefous

Moniet el nefous & Ansata Bint Bukra Pencil Sketch

Cartoon illustrations of animals that had been in Judith’s life

Watercolor study of an Arab r aid for potential painting

illustrations done for a children’s book Judith had written

Ceramic horse head - Al dahmacreated in egypt

and Bart Vanbuggenhout

prominent through Nazeer, the sire of our initial imports. This doubling of Nazeer in our program created a remarkable synergy.

Over the years, until we closed the Ansata farm in Mena, we successfully incorporated various strains in different combinations while staying true to our original vision.

The effectiveness of these combinations ultimately depends on the breeder’s creativity and selection process, including the percentages of each lineage and the specific goals of their breeding program.

One really must study pedigrees, and the individuals represented within the pedigree - what they looked like (phenotype) and how they produced (genotype) -consistent or not consistent for the attributes the breeder requires.

Jennifer: Finally, what is your advice to young breeders and new people falling in love with the Arabian horse?

Judith: Know your breed before you try and breed it. Love is the guiding force of the universe. For me, it was love at first sight at the age of three when I saw Silver, the grey pony - no explanation needed. Love was always the motivating force behind wanting to be with horses in some way all my life. One doesn't have to be a breeder to belong to the Arabian horse world. There are many avenues available besides being a breeder - so be sure you can deal with the joys as well as the heartbreaks in raising horses, be willing to make the sacrifices you will have to make, and "never give up"!

Becoming a breeder requires - most of all - learning about the breed through historical and current books, acquiring some knowledge and appreciation of all the arts (very important in understanding balance, rhythm and beauty) spending time with breeders, visiting horse shows and exhibitions, to discern the type and bloodlines one wants to breed. Cost factors enter in - it is expensive. "It is better to have once significant piece rather than many

Judith

from left to right, Bart Vanbuggenhout, Paul Ogden, Jennifer Ogden, Judith forbis

insignificant pieces" applies equally to horses.

I want to emphasize the importance of following your passion, whatever that may be. Again, Love what you do, do what you love! Life can take unexpected turns, just as mine did, but it is that very passion that will guide you and give you strength. Most importantly, cherish all the animals in your life—they are not just companions; they are teachers that impart invaluable

lessons about love, loss, and living in the moment. I would recommend anyone who is involved with animals to read: Kinship with All Life by J. Allen Boone. It is still available through various book shops and Amazon.

Jennifer: Thank you, Judith, for this interesting insight into your life and thoughts.

Beyond her profound contributions to the Arabian horse community, Judi Forbis possesses a zest for life and a lively sense of fun that many may not fully recognize. Her laughter is infectious, and her love for her animals radiates through her every action, revealing a playful spirit intertwined with her nurturing nature. Many who know her primarily through her work may be surprised to discover this vibrant side of Judi—its warmth and joy echoing through her interactions and her story.

As I listened to her speak, I felt a profound sense of admiration and gratitude wash over me. Judi’s dedication to the Arabian horse community, her incredible journey, and her unyielding spirit continue to inspire everyone who has the privilege of knowing her.

Celebrating Judith Forbis at 90 was not just about marking the passage of time; it was an honour to recognize a life that has woven a legacy of love, passion, and endless dedication to the things she holds dear.

MonZen EQUINE ART

Horse on the fire

Oceans of life

Serenity

MonZen EQUINE ART

Lady Jiullya

MonZen EQUINE ART

The Prince The Vision

King

The

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Strong Foundation

The impact of maternal lines on the success of RFI ARABIANS

by Giorgia Mauri

photos by Alessio Azzali, Lore Beckers, Gigi Grasso, Kelly, Luiz Rocco, Renato Sorvilo, Tupa

by Alessio Azzali

Jadem Arabians BVBA - Christine Jamar-Demeersseman Berkensingel 24 - 2490 Balen - Belgium - info@christine-jamar.be - www.christine-jamar.be

photo