Al Shahania Stud by Arabian Horse World

Al Shahania Stud

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Al Shahania Stud

in Doha, Qatar, has established itself with its Arabian show breeding as one of the leaders in the industry. The Qatar stud was built in the 1980s on land where date palms and a few scattered buildings stood previously. But it possessed the essential ingredients for this arid place: freshwater springs and fertile soil. The stud that flourished in this stark landscape was driven by the vision of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Thani. Founded originally for the breeding of racehorses, seven years ago the stud began breeding Arabian show horses. Like the race breeding program, the show division is built on the Sheikh’s unerring eye for quality. The last twelve months have seen unparalleled success for such a fledgling program, and speaks to the breeding foundation Sheikh Mohammed has established. Horses are campaigned extensively in North America, Europe, and the Middle East. “The year 2016 is proving to be another very exciting year for Al Shahania Stud, with the different successes

Right: The Al Shahania Stud farm in Qatar is one of the most beautiful in the country, with its rural setting, palm-shaded pastures, and stunning barns with over 200 stalls. Amenities include an equine pool and 2,000 meter training track, making this a showplace befitting the champion residents. Facing page, top: Al Shahania’s property in Normandy, France, Haras des Cruchettes, boasts an equine reproduction lab for A.I. and E.T., 128 stalls and 50 pastures spread out over 308 acres. The region, known for its green, well-watered farmland and an old-fashioned charm, is still full of small family-owned dairy farms and apple orchards. However, where horses are concerned Normandy has always been one of the most important horse breeding regions in France.

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Above: Abha Qalams (Alfabia Damascus x Abha Mudira), 2010 U.S. National Champion Junior Mare, 2015 World Silver Champion Senior Mare, 2015 HighestScoring Mare at the Breeders World Cup in Las Vegas. Facing page, bottom: A 2015 colt by Padrons Psyche out of Abha Qalams.

in the U.S. and in Europe,” says manager Alexandra Newman. “We are all excited to see our horses in the upcoming shows. And another lovely crop of foals born in 2016 means we have a lot to look forward to in the future.” One of the stalwarts of the Al Shahania show string has been Abha Qalams (Alfabia Damascus x Abha Mudira). In 2010 she was U.S. National Champion Junior Mare and returned to the showring in 2015 at the Arabian Breeders World Cup to be the highest-scoring horse of the entire show and eventual Silver Champion Mare. The bay beauty was then jetted off to Europe and was named World Silver Champion Mare at the Salon du Cheval in Paris, with Michael Byatt on the lead. “It is a privilege, joy, and honor to handle such a rare treasure. I have had Qalams in my life since she was six months old,” Michael says. Another star of the Al Shahania show string is “the golden one,” Barzan Al Shahania (Stival x NW Siena Psyche). After setting Scottsdale on fire in his debut as a yearling when he won Junior Champion Colt, Barzan went on to win Las Vegas Gold Supreme Champion Yearling Colt and U.S. National Champion Junior 4 ▪ AL SHAHANIA STUD ▪ WORLD

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Colt. He repeated his success in Vegas and Tulsa the following years. Barzan spent his four- and five-year-old years recovering from an injury — but at Scottsdale 2016 proved that he had lost none of his powerful charisma and zest for life, and won first place six- to seven-year-old stallions and was awarded Reserve Champion Stallion. He will continue on to Canadian Nationals for 2016. So far, Barzan’s foals have their sire’s spirit, charisma, and quality. “It is easy for them to perform at a very exuberant level. They are really their father’s children in that department,” says Michael. Look for them to make a splash in the ring next year. While Abha Qalams and Barzan Al Shahania are well-known standard-bearers for Al Shahania, there are some exciting youngsters that will be carrying the banner for the stud as well. Amani Al Shahania (out of Psyches Amber Dream) is a bay 2014 filly that won at the Breeders Final as a weanling and her yearling class at Scottsdale and Region 11 Championship in 2015. For her two-year-old campaign, the Ever After NA daughter has netted unanimous Champion at Region 9 and will continue on to Canadian Nationals in 2016. “She is extraordinary,” exclaims Michael, “from the tip of her nose to her tail, she is very high quality. She has beautiful eyes and is very feminine. She is just a glorious horse.” Al Shahania also has two promising colts to campaign in North America. The eldest, Rehan Al Shahania (*Marwan Al Shaqab x Majalis) is headed to the U.S. Nationals in the Futurity Colt division. “I think he will excel in every area, including as a sire,” says Michael. “He is a full sibling to Badiaa Al Shahania, and that makes me think he is going to be a genetic star.” The yearling Seef Al Shahania (*Marwan Al Shaqab x A Special Versace) has already found success as a yearling. “I am going to show him at the Yearling Colt Class

Left: EKS Mansour (EKS Alihandro x EKS Phateena), 2015 Trapani Gold Champion Junior Colt, unanimous Champion Colt and Highest Score of the Show, and 2015 Menton Silver Champion Junior Colt. Facing page: Barzan Al Shahania (Stival x NW Siena Psyche), 2016 Scottsdale Reserve Champion Stallion, 2012 ABWC Gold Supreme Champion Junior Stallion, and 2011 U.S. National Champion Junior Colt. 6 ▪ AL SHAHANIA STUD ▪ WORLD

VESTY PHOTO

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at Nationals,” says Michael. “Seef was Region 14 Champion. He is wonderful — potentially a great one.” Of the Al Shahania European show string, one of the most exciting is the exotic bay colt Luigi. Sired by the extreme *Kanz Albidayer and out of the Om El Bahreyn daughter Lolita, Luigi burst on the scene with a unanimous Championship at the Tulip Cup in 2015 and then proceeded to produce superior results at Europe’s most prestigious shows. Luigi was Bronze Champion at the All Nations Cup in Aachen and Silver at the European Championships. His show season culminated with Bronze World Champion Yearling Colt in Paris. The 2016 campaign began with a Silver Championship at prestigious Menton. His regular handler, Tom Oben of Obi Training Center in Belgium, is understandably excited about the young prospect. “We found Luigi as a weanling. He always has this amazing charisma and attitude and tail carriage. Luigi is a horse you can always count on, one of the most amazing personalities for a horse, both inside and outside. He will go to Chantilly, and we hope to compete with him for the three main title shows at the end of the year in Europe. We have high hopes for Al Shahania and Luigi this year,” he says. Another filly that will be shown in Europe with Tom is Rasha Al Shahania, half sister to Zennyatta (both out of Love Chimes LD). This black pearl is by World Champion EKS Alihandro. With that genetic foundation, the Al Shahania team is also looking forward to her presentation in the showring.

Left: Rehan Al Shahania (*Marwan Al Shaqab x Majalis), full brother to the multi-champion mare Badiaa Al Shahania. Facing page, top: Amani Al Shahania (Ever After NA x Psyches Amber Dream), 2015 and 2016 Regional Champion Filly, 2014 Scottsdale National Breeders Finals Gold Champion Weanling Filly. Facing page, bottom left: Luigi (Kanz Albidayer x Lolita), AHO World Cup Gold Champion Junior Colt, Chantilly, France; Gold Champion Yearling Colt at Vichy and the Tulip Cup; European Silver Champion Yearling Colt; and Menton Silver Champion Junior Colt. Facing page, bottom right: Seef Al Shahania (*Marwan Al Shaqab x A Special Versace), 2016 Region 14 Champion Yearling Colt. 8 ▪ AL SHAHANIA STUD ▪ WORLD

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While significant wins and championships from horses that Sheikh Mohammed has found on his travels are hard-earned and well received, the ultimate reward is championships that are a product of his creation and vision. Now seven years old, the stud is entering a phase where Al Shahania-bred horses are carrying the Al Shahania name as breeder. It is this that has captured the excitement of Sheikh Mohammed. “I think we all feel it,” says Michael. “He is really excited to see this generation of horses taken to showrings around the world.” Already there is success on this front, with the Al Shahania-bred Badiaa Al Shahania (*Marwan Al Shaqab x Majalis), who was 2016 Scottsdale Reserve Champion Mare and Gold Champion Mare at the Arabian Breeders World Cup in Las Vegas. Those wins followed 2015 U.S. National Reserve Champion Senior Mare and 2013 U.S. National Reserve Champion Filly. For Badiaa’s handler Michael, these superstar achievements were expected. “She is a smooth-bodied, beautiful, and very complete mare, exuding type and feminity. By virtue of who she is maternally, she is going to get better and better,” Michael explains. “I always thought since the day she was born that she was a star and expected great things from her throughout her life. I always expect her to win; she is the epitome of what an Arabian mare should be: beautiful, well-made, and very classical and structurally correct.”

Rasha Al Shahania (EKS Alihandro x Love Chimes LD), 2015 filly. 10 ▪ AL SHAHANIA STUD ▪ WORLD

Above: Badiaa Al Shahania (*Marwan Al Shaqab x Majalis), pictured with Michael Byatt, was 2016 Las Vegas World Cup Gold Champion Mare, 2016 Scottsdale Reserve Champion Mare, 2015 U.S. National Reserve Champion Mare, 2013 U.S. National Champion Two-YearOld Filly and U.S. National Reserve Champion Filly, 2013 Scottsdale International Gold Champion Junior Filly and 2013 Las Vegas World Cup Gold Supreme Champion Junior Filly. Right: Hey Man Al Shahania (*Marwan Al Shaqab x *HED Caramba), 2016 Unanimous Region 9 Champion TwoYear-Old Colt and 2015 Canadian National Champion Yearling Colt.

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Another homebred that is showing a lot of promise is the 2014 chestnut colt Hey Man Al Shahania. Sired by legendary *Marwan Al Shaqab, he is out of the excellent producer, the Magnum Psyche daughter *HED Caramba. Bred in Argentina, *HED Caramba has produced 18 foals including the striking stallion AJ Thee Luca. Hey Man Al Shahania may, however, prove to be her best and already is Canadian National Champion Yearling Colt in 2015. At present he is with Michael, who is optimistic about the young colt’s future. “He is developing very well, we are looking forward to adding more important titles to his first National Championship.” Tom has also been impressed with what he has seen recently of the Al Shahania-bred foals. “Most of the foals from Al Shahania have been born in the U.S. so far, but last year at the farm in Qatar I saw a very cute filly by Kahil Al Shaqab out of an Audacious PS daughter. This year I was lucky enough to have her come to our farm and she was Gold Champion Yearling Filly in Holland in her first outing. She is Anwar Al Shahania (Kahil Al Shaqab x Sierra Tango TT), and she is full of style and charisma — just a very pretty Sara Al Shahania (WH Justice x Lumiars Love Song), 2014 Gold Champion Junior Filly and Best in Show, Salzkotten, Germany.

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Left: Marwa Bint El Nor (Mouadaar BKV x El Nor Kinaani), 2011 straight Egyptian mare, 2016 Bruges Gold Champion Senior Mare and Best Straight Egyptian and Vichy International Bronze Champion Senior Mare and Best Straight Egyptian. Bottom left: Anwar Al Shahania (Kahil Al Shaqab x Sierra Tango TT), pictured with Tom Oben, was the 2016 Gold Champion Yearling Filly in Holland. Bottom right: Salam Al Shahania (*Gazal Al Shaqab x Paloma De Jamaal), 2013 filly.

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filly.” Manager Alexandra Newman adds, “I am really excited to see what the future will bring for Anwar Al Shahania. She is the first of the foals bred, born, and raised at Al Shahania Stud, Qatar, to go to Europe to compete and she is already proving to be a true little superstar!” As Tom explains, “Al Shahania has not been breeding show horses that long, but Sheikh Mohammed has selected a wide range of broodmares with a particular focus on overall correctness, beauty, and great attitude. In particular from the foals born in the U.S. and foals from sires SMA Magic One and Kanz Albidayer born in Qatar, there have been some very promising foals. I am really looking forward to seeing how they develop. Based on the ambition and dedication of HRH Sheikh Mohammed and the way he manages his farm and staff, I think there is a very bright future ahead for Al Shahania. For me personally, Sheikh Mohammed has been an amazing client, always encouraging and very loyal. I am really looking forward to a continued fruitful collaboration.”

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Facing page, bottom: The 2016 filly (SMA Magic One x Nadira Of Rohan). Left: The 2016 filly (Kanz Albidayer x MFA Annies Song). Below: The 2016 Filly (Kanz Albidayer x A Special Versace).

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Sara Al Shahania

www.alshahaniastud.com

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