2015 POLISH NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
AND PRIDE OF POLAND SALE by Jeff Wallace and Theresa Cardamone
Each year, eager lovers of the Polish Arabian horse, flock to one of the breed’s most famous and revered settings, the barns and fields of the State Studs of Poland. The festivities surrounding the Polish National Championship show and annual Pride of Poland auction, held at Janów Podlaski, also include the “living pedigree” breeding parades, held at Michalów, Bialka and, of course, Janów.
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Pepita, highest selling horse at Pride of Poland Sale.
Best in Show trophy
There is a feeling at Janów that is not replicated in other places, a connection of horse and man so deep, it is rooted in the very land itself. There is timelessness, despite the beckoning presence of the landmark white clock tower barn that is the symbol of the stud. It is here that Poland’s finest Arabian horses vie for the annual championship titles and where well-heeled bidders come to purchase a treasured mare.
The Sale
Children from Sieraków State Stud playing with Konik (Polish primitive horses).
This year, the whole place was abuzz over the sale of Lot 1, the 2014 Polish National Champion Mare, Pepita. There had been a good bit of anticipation prior to the auction, due to her memorable win last year. She received the extremely high score of 94.5, including six 20s while earning the gold over Georgia, another mare being offered by the State Studs at the auction. Ironically, Georgia had won her class by an even higher score of 95.17 with seven 20s, before being named Silver Champion behind Pepita! Such a dramatic win sets Pepita up as one of the favorites for Aachen and Paris, an attractive lure for buyers. The stage was set for a record“Number girls” with Scott Benjamin.
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Special Awards ... breaking night with interested parties from all over the world expected to be present. And the buzz began. It couldn’t have been scripted any better. Several prominent Middle Eastern breeders were represented, some with the owner in attendance, some by proxy. The undercurrent of expectation was that Pepita, a daughter of Ekstern and the Eukaliptus daughter Pepesza, would make her new home somewhere in the desert countries. The Pride of Poland sale is staged with a VIP seating area on one side of the display arena, and general seating on the other side. People were scanning the VIP section, trying to identify potential bidders. The crowd drew their collective breath in anticipation, as Pepita entered the ring. 1.4 million euro later, Pepita was sold by Janów Podlaski to the “man in the pink shirt, with a backpack,” sitting in the general admission. The crowd was stunned. A new record had just been set for an Arabian mare sold in Poland, but it was not to any of the expected bidders. The Arabian community is fairly tight, with many occasions where paths cross and relationships are nurtured, but no one seemed to know him. At one point, a rumor ran around the room . . . it was a new Iranian breeder making his first foray into a public setting. Next, some people professed that he was a Lebanese businessman living in Saudi Arabia. Others were convinced that he was the proxy for an Israeli partnership. It still remains a mystery as, of this writing, Pepita’s new owner has yet to be revealed. And what about Georgia? The gorgeous 21-year old daughter of Monogramm and the Palas daughter Gizela, was sold to Athbah Stud, who eagerly stepped up to provide this great mare with her next loving home. That was an important consideration for manager Ward Bemong. Georgia has produced incredible offspring, beginning with her very first foal, Galilea, the 2005 Polish National Champion and World Champion Mare. Galilea, in turn, has produced Galerida, the 2014 World Gold Champion Filly. Georgia will spend her days in the company of the many other treasures of Athbah currently residing at Schoukens Training Center in Belgium. Another very wise purchase was Wieza Roz, a deep chestnut daughter of the fantastic sire Ekstern, who has generated a wealth of valuable daughters. This time, he was crossed on a Laheeb mare, Wieza Babel, who is a granddaughter of 1977 U.S. National Champion mare Wizja. This is the same dam line as Michalów State Stud’s international champion Wieza Mocy, currently being shown by David Boggs while on lease to Oak Ridge Arabians. Dana Al-Meslemani gave 270,000 euro to acquire Wieza Roz for her Al Thumama Stud.
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Best Head, Parmana.
WAHO Trophy winner Palmeta, with Marek Trela from Janów Podlaski Stud.
Best Movement, Lawinia.
Judges, l-r: Marianne Tengstedt, Denmark; Deirdre Hyde, United Arab Emirates; Helen Hennekens van Nes, Belgium, and Murilo Kammer, Brazil.
In a poignant moment, Al Zobair stud bought the 11-year old Gazal Al Shaqab daughter, Pistoria carrying a foal by Vitorio TO, who has served two seasons in the State Studs on lease from Janey Morse in America. Pistoria is a daughter of Monogramm and a granddaughter of the gorgeous Palestra, whom Al Zobair had purchased in the 2001 sale and who recently passed away. Although they had retained daughters of Palestra, Al Zobair came to bring her granddaughter Pistoria, daughter of Polish National Champion mare Palmira, by Monogramm, home to continue Palestra’s legacy. They paid 625,000 euro to Michalów, which added to a dazzling total.
This year, the beautiful Palanga dazzled as the Silver Champion Mare. As a young filly, she was Ekstern’s first representative to light up the show ring and she emulates her famous sire with her incredible attitude and presence. Her mother, Panika, is a daughter of Eukaliptus who was purchased by Athbah Stud a few years ago. Ekstern has been a very successful cross on Eukaliptus daughters for the Poles, and Palanga is a great example of that. She exemplifies the best qualities of her sire: his compact, correct body, superior carriage, and dynamic motion blended with the stretch, refinement, and length of neck of her dam.
There have been high bidding years, such as when Kwestura brought 1,125,000 euro in 2008 or when the stallion Bandos sold for $609,000 USD in 1982, and there have been low years when astute buyers were able to add to their herds without breaking the bank. This year, the Pride of Poland auction grossed a stunning 3,995,000 euro, by far the record. When the results of the silent Summer Sale are added in, 4,598,500 euro changed hands, a ringing endorsement for Polish Arabian horses.
The Gold Champion and Best in Show was the elegant Piniata, from the world famous “P” line of Janów Podlaski. A daughter of American-bred U.S. National Champion Stallion and Silver World Champion Stallion Eden C, who was also used by the State Studs, Piniata is out of the magnificent bay beauty, the 2012 World Champion Mare, Pinga. Pinga, like her daughter Piniata, was a force to be reckoned with every time she entered the show ring, and was herself the Polish National Champion Filly and Best in Show in 2005. Pinga’s dam Pilar and her grand dam Pipi, a direct daughter of the immortal Pilarka, provide further links in what is arguably the most accomplished branch of the most accomplished mare line in the world.
The Championships The Polish National Championship horse show is always a beautiful mixture of culture and heritage. With small Polish breeders and each one of the State-owned studs competing against each other, a friendly competitive spirit is often in evidence. Judging panels seem to do their job holistically here, where certain elements less tangible than those that appear on the scorecards seem to be given heavier weight than at other venues. For example, if a mare has produced a good daughter or son, there may be deference given for that achievement if the mare is herself shown. To the educated public, it sometimes seems like silver is the new gold.
In addition to Vitorio TO and Eden C, other visiting stallions have left and continue to leave, fantastic offspring in Poland that are now reaching the show ring. Kahil Al Shaqab duplicated his overwhelming success as a sire at the earlier Bialka Spring Show with two gold national champions. Pustynia Kahila is a dark bay, Kahil Al Shaqab delight, from the Ekstern mare Pustynna Malwa. She walked out
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Parade ... of Paris the Gold World Champion Yearling Filly in 2014, before earning her Polish Gold Champion Junior title this year. In the Arabian world, Pustynia Kahila is the hottest thing since sliced bread. Breeders from all over are lining up in attempts to lease her, seeing her as the next Wieza Mocy, just as Wieza Mocy has become the new Pianissima and Emandoria. Pustynia Kahila is a shining example of the profound effects of the now legendary Gazal Al Shaqab sire line, a brilliant and bay branch descending from the immortal Nazeer.
Janow Podlaski Stud breeding manager Anna Stefaniuk and chief of grooms Artur Bienkowski.
Paris, the elegant grey yearling Kahil Al Shaqab colt, is out of the Ecaho daughter Palmeta. Ecaho, a Polish National Champion Stallion, is an own son of the stunning Etruria. Palmeta earned a Polish National Championship of her own, topping it off with the title of Best in Show in 2012. Paris was the 2015 Gold Champion Junior Colt, a repeat of his win earlier this year at Bialka. Paris is destined, due to his looks and good breeding, to warrant a permanent stall in the Janów Podlaski stallion barn. Polish National Gold Champion Stallion Cefir is notable for several reasons. One, he is a beautiful representation of his double-Monogramm pedigree being by Eryks, a son of Gazal Al Shaqab who is out of a Monogramm daughter and out of Celina, who also carries Monogramm on her sire line. Secondly, Malopolska Hodowla Roslin, Ltd. privately owns Cefir, making it one of the rare occasions when the national stallion championship was won outside the State Studs. It is heartwarming to see the successful expansion of Polish breeding into the private sector.
Parade presentation of Amiga with colt Amarillo, by Pogrom.
The Silver Champion, Barok, is a young stallion of note, sired by visiting stallion Om El Bellissimo who carries a double dose of the blood of the magnificent Estopa. Barok’s mother, on the other hand, provides two close-up crosses to Bandola, the first named “Queen of Poland.” There will be a keen eye kept on the unfolding of this young stallion, who could be of considerable value to all three State Stud farms as a future breeding horse. As the summer turns to autumn and the show calendar dwindles to the remaining few venues, some of the Polish show horses prepare to carry their honors to Aachen for the All Nations Cup and then on to Paris for the World Championships. With an amazing group of horses scheduled to compete from all over the globe, the competitions should prove to be among the highlights of the year for every exhibitor, Poland included.
Parade presentation of Perespa with filly Pregola, by Vitorio TO.
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2015 POLISH NATIONA L CH A MPIONSHIPS SHOW R ESULTS
Gold Champion Senior Male CEFIR (Eryks x Celina), owned by Malopolska Hodowla Roslin Ltd.
Gold Champion Junior Male PARIS (Kahil Al Shaqab x Palmeta), owned by Janów Podlaski Stud.
Gold Champion Senior Female and Best in Show PINIATA (Eden C x Pinga), owned by Janów Podlaski Stud.
Gold Champion Junior Female PUST YNIA KAHILA (Kahil Al Shaqab x Pustynna Malwa), owned by Michalów State Stud.
Senior Male Championship—
Junior Male Championship—
Senior Female Championship—
Junior Female Championship—
Gold Champion: CEFIR (Eryks x Celina), B: Bialka/PL, O: Malopolska Hodowla Roslin Ltd./PL Silver Champion: BAROK (Om El Bellissimo x Baida), B/O: Janow Podlaski/ Bronze Champion: GIRLAN-BEY (Pesal x Gracia Bis), B: Niewierz/PL, O: Kristoffersen/SE Gold Champion: PINIATA (Eden C x Pinga), B/O: Janow Podlaski/PL Silver Champion: PALANGA (Ekstern x Panika), B/O: Michalow/PL Bronze Champion: ELLISEINA (Galba x Ellissara), B: Michalow/PL, O: Polska AKF/PL
Gold Champion: PARIS (Kahil Al Shaqab x Palmeta), B/O: Janow Podlaski/PL Silver Champion: WOJ (Empire x Waranga), B/O: Michalow/PL Bronze Champion: WIRON (Kabsztad x Wirka), B: Chrapkowski/PL, O: Kustra Lech/PL Gold Champion: PUSTYNIA KAHILA (Kahil Al Shaqab x Pustynna Malwa), B/O: Michalow/PL Silver Champion: PRUNELLA (Abyad AA x Pradera), B/O: Janow Podlaski/PL Bronze Champion: CELITA (Lawrence El Gazal x Cella), B: Bialka Stud/PL, O: Malopolska Hodowla Roslin Ltd./PL
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Jerzy Białobok
Anette Mattsson
Guy and Christine Demeersseman Jamar.
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Marek Trela
Tom Schoukens
Hilke de Bruycker, Al Thumama Stud.
Bassam Al Saqran
Sheikh Hamad Bin Ali Al Thani
Catharine Schoukens, Murilo Kammer and groom from Schoukens Training Center. HOR SE T I MES
Fahad Abunaief, Al Muawd Stud.
Andrew Nolan, auctioneer
Pride of Poland Top seller, Pepita, € 1.400.000.
Auction list ... Pride of Poland Top Ten sellers … Wieża Róż, € 270.000.
Pepita, € 1.400.000 Pistoria, € 625.000
Wieża Róż, € 270.000 Wkra, € 260.000 Wasa, € 252.000
Altamira, € 250.000 Adyga, € 130.000
Georgia, € 105.000 Ganga, € 88.000
Berenika, € 75.000
Summer Sale Top seller, Melody, € 60.000. n Adyga, € 130.000. Volume 46, No. 5 | 173