ELISA GRASSI PHOTO
A New Chapter Begins by Monika Luft
Shanghai E.A. (WH Justice x Salymah E.A.), 2011 European Gold Champion Junior Male, 2011 All Nations Cup Gold Champion Junior Male, and 2011 World Silver Champion Junior Male.
cottsdale, Arizona. February of 2012. The second highest price of the prestigious Signature Stallion Auction, after thrilling and spirited bidding, is achieved by Shanghai E.A., who was entered at the last minute. Rae-Dawn Arabians purchased the breeding for $13,500. The auction is widely considered a barometer of the market, for the most promising stallions whose breedings offer the best chance for a return investment. Murray and Shirley Popplewell of Rae-Dawn will definitely not lose money on their investment in Shanghai E.A. Already the offspring of this European Champion, All Nations Cup Champion, and World Reserve Champion Junior Colt are showing great promise. The yearling Excalibur E.A. (out of the Marwan Al Shaqab daughter, Essence Of Marwan E.A.) made his debut at the international show in Abu Dhabi, receiving an average score of 91.5 points. His future is also looking bright. Several Shanghai offspring stood out in the foal categories at shows in France and Italy in 2011, among them the filly My Whos That Girl (out of Lady Prue by Padrons Immage), who
won the Gold Medal at the Italian National Championships, and SH Canila (out of the Padrons Kadar daughter Casablanca), who grabbed the Gold Medal in Bordeaux and later the Silver during the French National Championships. Canila’s stablemate from Iberic Arabians, a Shanghai son, SH Faustinaï (out of Faustine O’Nil by D’Jeffral Nil), brought home another Silver from Bordeaux and a Gold from Caillac. Shanghai’s first foal crop proved his great breeding potential. He crosses well with mares from various dam lines. Matings with daughters of such sires as Marwan Al Shaqab (resulting in the above mentioned Excalibur E.A., among others), Magnum Psyche (with the incredible exotic Malaisia E.A.), Ali Jamaal, Khidar (resulting in lovely fillies: California E.A. out of Cyrea E.A. and TM Zahina out of Zarina E.A.), Emigrant (Encore RV out of Epifania) and Laman HVP (the filly L’Emperatrice E.A. out of Lamira), as well as granddaughters of the stallions Padron Psyche (like the Italian Champion Foal My Whos That Girl), Ali Jamaal (e.g. ES Wenonah out of Wenezia E.A.), Ansata Sinan, Gazal Shaqab, Monogramm, Eldon, Eukaliptus, Carmargue, Sanadik El Shaklan, Ibn Estasha, Al Lahab, El Perfecto, and Versache have turned out to be remarkably successful. “We wanted to try Shanghai out with Polish, Egyptian, Russian, Spanish, and American bloodlines in order to select the most suitable mares for him in the future,” explains Shanghai’s breeder, Albert Sorroca of Equus Arabians. “To our great joy, our expectations have been fulfilled!” Shanghai’s 2012 foal crop is looking every bit as great as the last. Many breeders would like to welcome Shanghai offspring into the world at their studs in 2013. Michałów Stud intends to breed him this year to twenty mares. “In my opinion, out of the entire young generation of stallions, Shanghai is a horse most worthy of our attention,” says Director Jerzy Białobok, who says that he finds Shanghai embodies the best traits of his sire WH Justice: a wide forehead, a pretty eye, a short head, a distinctively pronounced profile, and a high-set neck. “I also like the fact that Shanghai’s dam, Salymah E.A., is a genuine, correctly-built mare,” he adds. “I’m sure she owes this to her sire Khidar. I hold a huge sentiment for Spanish mares, whom I had many opportunities to judge some time ago. I love their wonderful black eyes, among the most beautiful in Arabian mares.”
Above: Shanghai E.A. at three years old in Paris.
Below: Shanghai E.A. as a yearling.
The sire: WH Justice
Magnum Psyche WH Justice Vona Sher-Renea
Khidar Salymah E.A. Libanon Azadika
The dam: Salymah E.A.
Shanghai E.A. as a yearling.
Padons Psyche A Fancy Miracle El Sher-Mann Renea Ansata Sinan Elizja Om El Azadik Warandes Shaklana
“To me now Shanghai E.A. and Equus Arabians is part of my life project,” admits Albert Sorroca. His Equus Arabians Stud near Barcelona, Spain, is the maternal home of many splendid horses, such as last year’s European Senior Champion Mare Alia E.A. (Khidar x Arabeska by Eldon). “We all want our ideas and passions to become reality and we devote a lot of energy to make that happen. I carried an image of an ideal Arabian horse in my head. Anyone who shares this passion strives to breed horses as close to his dream ideal as possible. It is rarely accomplished, but when it does happen, the satisfaction cannot be compared to anything else. Shanghai E.A. is a dream turned reality.” Albert Sorroca knew exactly what he was doing when he bred WH Justice to the snow-white, exotic mare Salymah E.A. He knew this dam line extremely well because he not only bred Salymah herself by crossing the broodmare Libanon Azadika by Om El Azadik with Khidar, but he also had Shanghai’s great-grandam, Warandes Shaklana by El Shaklan, and his great-great-grandam. “When you have the opportunity to observe four generations, you know how the foals from this line develop,” he explains. “And a thorough knowledge of the evolution of dam lines allows you to know that something remarkable was born in your stud in just one moment.” Equus Arabians has also been the home of Khidar’s grandparents (the parents of Elizja), the stallion Esta-Ghalil and the extremely beautiful mare Aica by Ibn Estasha. Shanghai’s pedigree was carefully thought out every inch of the way. Libanon Azadika has El Shaklan and his dam, the legendary Estopa, on both sides of her pedigree. In turn, Khidar, All Nations Cup Champion at Aachen and World Reserve Champion (2003) is one of the best sons of the straight Egyptian stallion Ansata Sinan, sire of the stallions Eternity Ibn Navarrone-D and AS Sinans Pacha. Also the pedigree of Khidar’s dam, Elizja, is interesting. She is a daughter of champion stallion Esta-Ghalil and a granddaughter (both on her dam’s and sire’s side) of the stallion Ibn Estasha, who in turn is a grandson
On the following pages we present some of the beautiful young offspring sired by
Above: Korea E.A., out of a Kubinec granddaughter, 2011 filly. Left: Coliseum E.A., a Monogramm grandson, 2011 colt. Middle left: TM Zahina, an Eldon granddaughter, 2011 filly. Bottom left: SH Canilla, out of a Padrons Psyche granddaughter, 2011 filly, owned by SH Iberic Arabians, France.
of the famous Estopa, tail female, thus combining the bloodlines of many renowned Egyptian horses. There are also many Polish accents in Khidar’s pedigree, such as Biruta, Exelsjor, Dardir, Sake, Gerwazy, and Lafirynda. This is where Salymah derives her beauty — the famous “Spanish eyes,” the correct conformation for which Polish horses are famous, spiced up with a pint of Egyptian blood. Her wellchosen partner, WH Justice, himself full of charisma, again brings in El Shaklan and Estopa through his dam Vona Sher-Renea, while his sire, Magnum Psyche, adds the influential genes of Padron, Patron, and Aswan. Shanghai E.A. is nothing short of a bull’s eye. His debut at the championships in Albi (France) brought him the first champion title of his career. The next trophy came in Bordeaux during the Arabian Masters show. His next steps on his way to success were: Menton (France), where he was awarded the
SIR PHOTOS
Top left: Malaisia E.A., out of a Magnum Psyche and Ali Jamaal granddaughter, 2011 filly. Top right: L’Emperatrice E.A., out of a Laman HVP daughter, 2011 filly. Bottom left: Alpes E.A., out of a Khidar daughter, 2011 colt. Bottom right: California E.A., out of a Khidar daughter, 2011 filly, pictured at nine days old.
prestigious “VIP Coup de Coeur” distinguishing him as the favorite horse of the show, chosen by the pubic; Hasselt (Belgium) and the title of Elran Cup Junior Champion Stallion; Verona and a Junior Stallions Silver Medal in the European Championships; and finally Paris where he took the Trophée Espoir (Espoir “hope”) for most promising young horse and the title of Best Head of the Show. However, his most spectacular triumphs came two years later, in 2011, when, with a full set of “20s” for head and neck, Shanghai won the junior stallions competition in Aachen, gaining the title of champion. He repeated this success in Verona, where he brought home the European Champion trophy. He ended the show season in Paris with the title of World Reserve Junior Champion Stallion. The Parisian duel in the junior stallions was one of the most thrilling in the show’s history. Posing like a porcelain figurine, Shanghai E.A.rned five “20s” for type and four “20s” for head and neck, winning not only won the silver medal, but also triggering a frenzy. “There is not one person who would not bow down before his charm. A group of his fans provided him with a one-of-a kind ovation … one couldn’t hear his own thoughts,”
Top left: Mississsippi E.A. is a Menes grandson, 2012 colt. Top right: Excalibur E.A., out of a Marwan Al Shaqab daughter, 2011 colt. Middle left: Nirvana E.A., out of a Padrons Psyche daughter, 2012 filly. Bottom: Nayade E.A., out of a Russian-bred mare, 2012 filly.
wrote Anna Stojanowska, the renowned Polish judge. It was a remarkable success for Equus Arabians, which bred, promoted, and led this colt to the very top all on their own — an exceptional achievement and quite a rarity in Arabian horse breeding. For Shanghai the focus in 2012 will be on breeding. The first crop of his offspring roused great hopes, so it is no surprise that breeders from all over the world wish to try him out on their own mares. Albert Sorroca is proud that Shanghai E.A. is becoming a part of many renowned breeding programs, including that of the famed Michałów Stud. “I began visiting Poland ten years ago,” he says. “Among the mares that became the foundation of our program many bear Polish pedigrees. I have always admired the consistency and intuition of Polish breeders. And today I am again visiting Poland, not as a buyer, but as a breeder of a stallion who is used here. What an honor.” In a year’s time the next crop of Shanghai foals will be born, this time not only in Spain and France, but also in Poland, Italy, the U.S., South Africa, and Australia. For Shanghai E.A. and Equus Arabians a new chapter has just begun.
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Shanghai E.A. at three years old.
Proudly bred & owned by Albert Sorroca tel: +34.93.317.63.63 and mbl: +34.65.091.98.61 fax: +34.93.318.03.53 Calders, Barcelona 08725, Spain Email: info@equusarabians.com or asorroca@hotmail.com www.equusarabians.com Bertrand Valette Manager tel: 00.33.613.62.70.18
Shanghai E.A. as a yearling.