THE FIRST IN A SERIES ...
Presents
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An Arabian Horse Journey—Arabians International by JEFF WALLACE
Sandro Pinha and Gil Valdez love what they do. They simply love the Arabian horse and attract people to Arabians International who feel the very same. Sandro and Gil together have created a family. A family of people who work with and assist them all day long, to an extended family of wonderful clients from all over the world—clients they enjoy and take care of in a superb, yet quiet fashion. You see, Gil and Sandro have
realized their dreams around the Arabian horse and gladly share them with everyone who becomes a part of their program, not only by putting them with the perfect horse, but by completing the cycle through marketing their horses the world over. They live up to the name of Arabians International. They are two men firmly rooted in the realities of how to create ongoing successes for their family of clients, and therefore, allow the shared dream to last a very long time. Members of that family, Stu and Carol Nierenberg, offer, “When Stu and I joined the team at Arabians International five years ago, we were warmly welcomed by Sandro, Gil, and Pam into a fabulous club. Sandro and Gil always make us feel important and we are far from their biggest client. They always encourage our visits and our involvement with our own horses. We are extremely grateful for their ongoing kindness, encouragement, generosity, and support— not to mention their amazing horse presentations and parties! As relative newcomers to the halter arena, we consider ourselves surprisingly lucky to have found Arabians International, through our exceptional Arabian friends and mentors, Robert and Dixie North. We owned and showed Evening Song IA with Robert and Dixie, and when it came time to market this young beauty, Sandro stepped up to the plate and now she has a home with Arabian Soul Partners of Mexico, and is carrying their banner high and proud in the show ring this year. This then allowed us to purchase an exquisite new weanling Ever After NA daughter from North Arabians for Sandro to show. Simply a wonderful and complete cycle with the Arabian horse. We just love it! Sandro, Gil and Pam are in a word, world-class.” Known by many, Sandro Pinha and Gil Valdez's backgrounds have been well publicized in the Arabian community; Sandro having grown up in Brazil, Gil in Mexico. Both loved horses, and they met in
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U.S. National Champion Stallion, *El Nabila B.
the mid-1990s in Minn., where Sandro got his first big break training and showing for a big name operation. In the meantime, Gil had been named manager of the training program at the same facility and emerged as one of the most accomplished conditioners in the Arabian industry. It was a learning experience that both remain grateful for today, but eventually, they were bound for careers on their own. They found them in Scottsdale, where Sandro became known for his work with North Arabians’ International Training Center, while Gil handled everything, from bottom to top, at a separate Scottsdale operation, before finally, in March 2010, they opened Arabians International together. Comments longtime client Dixie North, “Sandro and Gil are
very professional, but more than that, they have their horses care first in their minds. They finish a horse’s conditioning and training to perfection. They are quite warm and friendly and proud to show off the horses at the drop of a hat. I admire Sandro so very much in the way he has built his business while owning his own home and training center. Hard work and good customer relations make it all happen!” Adds another longtime friend and client, Lisa Markley, “I’ve had the privilege of knowing Gil and Sandro both personally and professionally for over twenty years. What I have observed in each of them is their extreme compassion for the horses which I hold in such high regard. I have had the pleasure of watching Gil over the years with all the
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babies and he is so kind and gentle with every single one of them. Gil allows them to build confidence and express themselves while having fun throughout the process.” Continues Lisa, “In the years since first meeting Sandro as a young boy in Brazil, I have had many opportunities to watch him school horses of all different ages. His timing is incredible and his methods are simple, which in the end makes it much easier on the horses and this is good. I truly believe Sandro has mastered the balance of getting a horse to stand up without losing their natural expression and style on the end of the lead. For all of these reasons, sending my gorgeous yearling filly Pitonisa AS to Arabians International is one of the easiest things I’ve ever done.” Through the years, Arabians International has continued to build on the original dream they share with an array of clients, many of whom are still with them today. They have handled some of the finest horses in the industry, all the Noft Al Nayfat, Aachen All Nations Cup Champion Yearling Filly and Silver Supreme Champion.
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while keeping a keen eye on global marketing to ensure overall success for everyone involved—keeping the dream alive. In the last five years, they have marketed close to 200 horses. Dedicated client Michael Weinstein and the Psynergy Enterprise Development Partners happily sing their praises. “We were lucky to have such good friends as Sandro and Gil as part of our team with *El Nabila B. They believed in him from the beginning and it continues. From the start in 2009 at the Las Vegas Show, where at the last minute Sandro stepped in to help us out by showing him, to his first big win at U.S. Nationals. Since then, Sandro has marketed both sons and daughters of *El Nabila B to wonderful homes in all corners of the globe. Success comes to Arabians International because they truly love our breed.” Mike continues, “As famous interviewer David Frost once said, ‘Don’t aim for success if you want it; just do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally’.” Gazala HBV Titan AS
Soul Of Marwan AS
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He Be Showy DFA
When you drive up to the facility today at Arabians International and step out of your car, there is a true genuine warmth that envelopes you from head to toe, and that is just what you are intended to feel. Not only the owners, but their entire staff as well, are always there to greet you with smiling faces full of passion for the Arabian horse and are ready to give you just what you want, an amazing tour of a beautiful full-service facility, and gorgeous and contemporary horse flesh. You will witness grooming and training techniques, babies at play in the desert sun, a wonderful staff veterinarian making certain all horses on the property are in excellent condition, breeding activity in the breeding department, and exotic Arabian faces gazing out of their stall doors as you stroll down the barn aisle. Just a few blocks away, Arabians International has an additional facility where very important and well-bred broodmares and foals are kept. In the office at Arabians International sits a very
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important person by the name of Pam Donnelly. Pam gets involved in most everything going on at the farm and has a very positive history will Gil and Sandro. Pam reflects back, “Sandro and I had a great working relationship at North Arabians and when he decided to go out on his own, he asked me to partner with him and start his new business. I jumped at the chance, and Arabians International was born. It was exciting to come in on the ground floor. We have been together now for six years, and each day offers new challenges and rewards. I also think Sandro is a marketing genius. Over time I have watched our business grow as a direct result of him traveling the world and coming home every time with new contacts which seem to always result in an added client to our most valuable roster.” It is at these two facilities many enjoyable times are had. From open houses, down to small intimate showings, all
are part of the dream—to enjoy the Arabian horse and all that that means. You will meet great folks who have been to numerous soirees at Arabians International, as well as brand new people with dazzled expressions on their smiling faces who are attending their very first engagement, all having a grand and relaxing time. The personalized service given you and the focused attention to your needs during the event is one-in-a-million as you are constantly being made to feel comfortable in the most subtle ways—so subtle you often times don’t even realize that it is going on. It is almost like being in a dream.
By design, Arabians International is a training center surrounded by the finest breeding stock, mares and stallions alike, ensuring great foal crops year after year, and keeping the show barn full of young beauties—just the way you want it. Sandro and Gil are two of the industry’s top trainers, yet are true breeders as well. This is very unique in today’s Arabian world and very special at the same time. It supports the term ‘full-service operation’ while reinforcing that you are dealing with true horsemen who understand the full cycle of the world you are dealing in. It simply says you are engaged with equine
Pam Donnelly
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Robert and Dixie North of North Arabians and their White Swan Collection of Falcon BHF daughters.
talent and artistry at its absolute finest. Cites clients Cordy and Gail Overgaard, “Sandro and Gil have been a great team for us. They have been our mentors providing candid guidance about what horses to buy, how to breed them, which ones to part with and, of course, letting us know the right ones to show—when and where. Thanks to them, our horses have been well trained and have excelled in the show ring. They are a pleasure to work with and we consider them good friends.” Another very satisfied customer is Dean Wikel of Scottsdale, who owns Soul of Marwan’s dam, the prized U.S. National Champion Mare, RD Challs Angel, who is producing competitive and beautiful foals one after another. Wikel’s second broodmare supreme, Miss Amerika, dam to the gorgeous Marwan Al Shaqab daughter, Miss Marwan PA, also a national champion, was marketed through Arabians International to Al Shahania Stud in Qatar. Let’s just say that Mr. Wikel is a very happy client. Success breeds success for all within the Arabians International family, just the way it should be.
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There are layers of beauty in all the breeding stock available to Arabians International through their clients. Overall and complete correctness, show ring dazzle, beautiful and exotic breed type, present in the current day show strings today at Arabians International come from the presence of great breeding stallions such as: Magnum Chall HBV, *El Nabila B and his gorgeous young chestnut son, Titan AS; to the great stallion battery from North Arabians including young legendary sire Ever After NA, dappled-grey beauty El Chall WR, and the up-and-coming young sire Grand Commandd. John Blincoe, longtime passionate supporter of the Arabian horse, who counts Dan Gainey Sr. of Gainey Fountainhead Arabians as one of his mentors, and has gone on to mentor some of today’s well-respected industry leaders, has added his current star, National Champion Marwan Al Magnificoo, to Arabians International’s stallion roster and where he calls home. He is a dazzling addition to the already impressive roster, which also includes Soul of Gazal SF, and the gorgeous
and white, Etro PA, son of European Triple Crown winning mare *Emandoria and U.S. National Champion Stallion Enzo. Not only are these impressive stallions a part of Arabians International, but they are joined by great producing mares such as HED Caramba, RD Challs Angel, Fadilla PCF, and Miss Amerika. Finally, are the treasures of Om El Arab, being used by client, Psynergy Enterprise Development Partners, to blend with the blood of their stallion *El Nabila B. Quite simply, icing on the mare band cake.Â
As much as we would all love to surround ourselves with the beautiful Arabian horses that we breed and simply keep them all, marketing around the globe, as mentioned above, is a present day must. The international clientele of Arabians International is second-to-none. The sale of such greats as Sir Marwan CRF for client Cedar Ridge Arabians is a great example. States client and friend Lara Ames of Cedar Ridge, “There are no two people who take care of their horses like Sandro and Gil. We have had multiple horses with them over the years and
EL Chall WR
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Marwan Al Magnifficoo
they have always been so upfront and honest. It has been really fun to watch their business grow, not only in the show ring but in the marketing arena as well. We were thrilled that our stallion Sir Marwan went to such a perfect new home in Brazil.” Great breeding stallion, Magic Dream, maternal grandsire to QR Marc, was marketed to the Strydon Stud in South Africa where he has become a very important part of the breeding programs alive in that country today. Guiliano, another impactful show horse and sire went to the famous ‘Land Down Under’ program of Mulawa Arabian Stud and
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this is just yet another short list of great horses being perfectly put or placed into the right hands. Lastly, ‘white swans’ of Battle Hill Farm, the daughters of the great Falcon BHF, ended up in the hands of Robert and Dixie North again through the efforts of Arabians International. There wasn’t a more perfect home for these breed treasures such as U.S. National Champions Felisha BHF and Falcons Lovenote BHF. Both glorious mares gave birth to stunning fillies this year sired by North Arabians’ super-sire Ever After NA. Of course, being quick on their feet to put the right horse with the right
owner, the gorgeous Falcons Lovenote BHF filly is now the pride of new owners, Barb and Wade Hill. A dream that is built showcases hard work and pride among many other wonderful things, but most importantly, it becomes a gift and delight to those who have chosen to experience it as it is so graciously offered while it continues to grow. Gil Valdez and Sandro Pinha together, along with a few very loyal employees, have built the dream of Arabians International, and in the center lies the beauty and gifts of the Arabian horse and all of the wonderful people whose passions are along for this unique and very special ride. As Pam so perfectly states, “I think the future is very bright at Arabians International with our incredible show string this year and the new ones that will surely come as Sandro and Gil travel the world looking for the next big stars.” ■
Arabians International invites you to enjoy their passion.
Magic Dream CAHR Etro PA
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