Fine Arabian
Passion Heritage Horses
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SN
Wasama
SN Wasama (1987 Mare) Ibn Estasha x Winja al d'ama, by El Shaklan 3 | ROYAL JAAFAR STUD
or Majdi Al Saleh and his family—HRH Princess Zein of Jordan, their son Jaafar and daughter Jumana—breeding fine Arabian horses is not only a passion, but also a part of their heritage. Majdi has been fascinated with horses since his childhood; in the beginning, that interest encompassed all horses, and he still can appreciate any good one, no matter what the breed. But for more than 25 years, his focus has been on Arabians, as he has carefully developed and refined the breeding program at their Royal Jaafar Stud in Amman. The goal, he says, is simple: he wants to breed horses that are universally recognized for their quality. “I always hear about ‘a European style horse,’ or ‘a Middle Eastern style horse,’ or ‘American style horse,’” he says. “But, you know, I appreciate everything. I like the European or Middle Eastern horse, whatever you want to call its style, but I also like American style. Both of them have a lot to give for the breed; I believe we can take strengths from both, and try to produce something that can be called ‘an international Arabian horse.’ That’s what I’ve been doing, trying to find the best of both worlds.” For Majdi, every breeding selection begins the same way. First, he must like the individual. Only then does he turn to the pedigree. If both meet his standard of excellence, he makes sure that the horse represents the pedigree—that it looks like it should look, given the stallions and mares in its bloodlines. If all of that doesn’t fall into place, he does not go forward with a breeding. Sometimes, he says, he finds himself liking an individual whose pedigree, while admirable, he can be sure will not work with his lines. That, too, is a deal breaker. “That doesn’t mean the horse is not a good horse,” he is quick to point out. “It just means it is not right for my program.” He has been developing his program for nearly 30 years, he adds; he can spot what is likely not to be successful. Following those principles, he has developed a broodmare band which represents an array of bloodlines. Sometimes, he nods, it does appear that
he is following certain lines because names appear and reappear in Royal Jaafar pedigrees, but that, he says, is just because he liked particular characteristics in certain individuals. He has yet to go shopping for a mare or stallion because that horse represents a bloodline. An experienced breeder, he also notes that even the “perfect” combination of horses does not guarantee success. “There’s nothing sure in life, you know?” he observes. “A lot of it, I think, is luck, too. You try to increase your luck by ruling out certain things and concentrating on others.” And in his opinion, one must be prepared to keep studying, experimenting and trying, as he has done over three decades at Royal Jaafar. In those years, he has bred 25 to 30 foals per year, evaluated the colts and fillies that emerged, eliminated some ideas from future use and selected the best individuals to retain at the stud. Over that time, the Royal Jaafar broodmare band has taken shape. The foundation mare is SN Wasama, by Ibn Estasha, and out of an El Shaklan daughter (that offers the aspect of linebreeding, since El Shaklan and Estasha, dam of Ibn Estasha, are full brother and sister). From SN Wasama came two of Royal Jaafar’s most important broodmares, Noora (by AK El Sennari) and Waseemat Jaafar (by Ansata Safeer). “We built our program, basically, on SN Wasama,” Majdi says. “She crossed very well with certain Egyptian lines and with Padrons Psyche, so that is the way I have used her.” Both Noora and Waseemat Jaafar offer straight Egyptian sire lines, featuring some of the most acclaimed stallions in the world. But it is not just about the mares, Majdi points out with a smile. “It takes two,” he says. “A mare is extremely important, but you need the right stallion to continue your line. You have to believe in what you are doing, and choose what you need so that you don’t lose the type that you are producing.”
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That he has been successful is apparent in these pages: every horse included is a product of the Royal Jaafar Stud program.
then he grew up and we used him as a 3-year-old, and his babies were phenomenal. He does quite well with most bloodlines that we have.”
The stallion who excites him most now is the homebred Fahd Jaafar, by WH Justice and out of Waseemat Jaafar. The 2008 grey stallion is a classic representation of Royal Jaafar breeding principles, offering a pedigree of highly-qualified individuals, reflecting bloodlines known for their depth of type. To the generations of Royal Jaafar blood on Fahd’s dam side, WH Justice adds another cross to El Shaklan, and through his own sire line, the additional influence of *Padron.
It is fair to ask, given Majdi’s hands-on background in horses, what role athletic ability—usability— plays in the Royal Jaafar program. It is integral, he indicates. For him, athletic ability is a fundamental part of solid conformation, which, like beauty, is part of Arabian type
“To me, Fahd is probably the best colt I’ve bred in terms of what I’m trying to do,” Majdi says. “He is consistent with the quality of his dam line, and he has size and charisma; from the time I first saw him as a baby, I have had high hopes for him. And
Over the past decade, Royal Jaafar’s showing activities have been suspended, as Majdi preferred to concentrate on fine-tuning their breeding program. Now, he realizes, the results of his efforts are going to make it hard to stay at home. But in the meantime, the world is welcome to visit Royal Jaafar—the only thing as satisfying as breeding world-class horses, he says, is sharing them with the global community of Arabian horse lovers.
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Noora Noora (1998 Mare) AK El Sennari x SN Wasama, by Ibn Estasha
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Waseemat Jaafar
Waseemat Jaafar (2001 Mare) Ansata Safeer x SN Wasama, by Ibn Estasha
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Jamilah
Jamilah (2002 Mare) Ansata Safeer x Jumana, by Amr
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Austoora
Austoora (2005 Mare) Shamekh Al Shaqab x Jumana (by Amr)
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Fahd Jaafar
Magnum Psyche WH Justice Von Sher-Renea
Padrons Psyche A Fancy Miracle El Sher-Mann Renea
F ahd J aafar 2008 Stallion
Ansata Safeer Waseemat Jaafar S.N. Wasama ROYAL JAAFAR STUD | 14
Ansata Hejazi Ansata Samsara IBN Estasha Winja Al D'ama
Fahd Jaafar
Fahd Jaafar (2008 Stallion) WH Justice x Waseemat Jaafar
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Manar Jaafar Manar Jaafar (2013 Filly) Fahd Jaafar x Maria D, by Padrons Psyche
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Dalal Jaafar
Dalal Jaafar (2013 Filly) Fahd Jaafar x Bess-Delilay, by Ibn Estasha
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Shahrazadah
Shahrazadah (2006 Mare) Ansata Safeer x Tai Emerald Bay, by Padrons Psyche
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Iman Jaafar
Iman Jaafar (2008 Mare) WH Justice x Anmenes, by Menes
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Enas
Enas (2006 Mare) Nibrass x Electra J, by Ekstern PL
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Fayrouz Jaafar
Fayrouz Jaafar (2010 Mare) Anmar x SW Zinfandel, by Sterling Bey
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Hayfa Fahd Jaafar x ???????? 20??? mare
Hayfa (2006 Mare) Magnum Psyche x Karmen CT, by Lumiar Amadeus
Majdi Al Saleh (305) 915-1995 Juan Arcila (305) 244-3954 RoyalJaafarStud@gmail.com www.RoyalJaafarStud.com 25 | ROYAL JAAFAR STUD