t h o ug h t s
a b o u t
E
r a l da
,
and the arabians in my life by HH Sheikha Fatima bint Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan
“
The love for
horses runs through my family’s blood, like blood runs through our veins, and
”
oxygen in our lungs.
Ever since I opened my eyes to the world, the love of the Arabian horse has been an indispensible part of me. My late grandfather, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, had a mare called Al Anood. A beautiful white mare who was his favorite and a most accomplished racehorse in the Arabian races. She captured my heart as a child; she is my first memory of the beauty of an Arabian horse and character. She was a family pet and loved by the entire family. She was ridden after her retirement and was a part of our family. Shortly after learning basic riding on ponies with my father, he then got me my first Arabian mare called Layla who taught me how to really ride a horse. My first experience of real riding was on her, and at the age of 11, she gave me so much confidence that I’d gallop in the open desert with her. I enjoyed and loved her very much. The Arabian horse has enhanced my life in many ways. I can’t imagine my life without them. All I can remember is growing up with them in our backyard. They give me so much happiness and joy just being around them, even just watching them parade themselves in the paddock with all their confidence and beauty. No matter how bad a day has been, they have always been the key to my happiness.
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Eralda as a yearling.
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My most precious memory with an Arabian horse was as a young adult. I had a few falls from several horses, and I then bought a beautiful Polish Arabian from the Bautista Stud called Jazel and I renamed him Malaak, which means angel in Arabic, because he was such an angel. He would go swimming with me in the ocean and could do medium level dressage and also let me ride him and gallop with him without a saddle on the track. He restored my confidence and my trust in horses and myself. This great legacy prepared me for Eralda, my dream horse. When I first met Eralda I was in absolute love and awe! I couldn’t believe her beauty. She looked like a porcelain doll, and I just thought to myself how lucky were we to get her at such a young age and how on earth God created such beauty! I think Eralda has many strengths, but her strongest point is who can deny her most beautiful head? I have seen many Arabians, and Eralda’s head is truly magical to the point that I had an artist create a sculpture of her head so we can have it in memory of her forever. Eralda has two personalities; on the show ground she knows she’s showing! She snorts and puts that tail up and just moves like an engine parading her beauty that she knows she has. She is full of herself, confident and on fire. At home Eralda is another story, she’s a pet, and she loves her paddock time, her cuddles and kisses and carrots. She loves human attention, and she is so safe to handle that anyone can take hold of the lead and walk her anywhere. She is one of the smartest Arabian horses I have ever met, to
“
This great legacy filled my very
existence as I grew up in very close
”
contact to this noble animal.
have these two characters combined in one! I have seen that rarely, especially in the Arabian show world where most are always nervous and thinking they are at the show. Eralda doesn’t; she knows when it’s time to work and time to be at home — a happy horse and relaxed. She is the embodiment of an Al Shiraa type: elegance and character. Each and every filly or mare we purchase is super feminine, elegant, and most importantly, each one has character. Eralda made me so proud when she was European Gold Junior Filly! She finally got what she truly deserved. That was the proudest moment for me and my team, who love her and worked so hard all these years to get her where she is. On our calendar this year we had Eralda go to Menton where she won the three-year-old filly class and later achieved Silver at the final championship. We won’t be sending her to many shows after that; we want her to relax and be a horse in the paddock until the World Championships in Paris. We believe in her, and she knows her job in the ring. I wish more people knew and appreciated how loyal, kind, and clever the Arabian horse is. They can multitask. I’ve had Arabians who could teach amateur riders to jump up to 1.15 meters, do some dressage, and teach people very well how to ride on the flat. Most of all, they are, to quote my late grandfather Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan, “Proud, independent and generous like its desert master, as sturdy and adventurous as the spirit of the land, the Arabian horse can truly conquer the imagination.” As we enter a new millennium, it warms my heart to see the progeny of the mythical horse of Baz spread across the globe and to witness the ever-increasing international interest shown in this superb animal, whose beauty and spirit can once again be seen to grace its homeland.
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E
ralda
’s Journey
by Antonia Bautista On a winter morning, Philip Looyens told me about a very nice filly in Poland. In between a hectic Middle East season, he went to see her quickly with Mr. Gerald Kurtz. It was a cold snowy day, he saw her for around 30 seconds outside, because the ground was very icy. Philip sent me a very short video, and the only thing I could see was a little hairball bouncing happily in a wet paddock, BUT...with the most stunning face.. Unfortunately, there was another client in front of us, so we had to wait three days for him to make a decision. Philip asked me not to send the video to Sheikha Fatima to avoid a disappointment, as the filly would possibly sell. Well, I did not listen, and I sent a short message to her saying: “You need to see this,” and forwarded the video. I got a very short message back after five seconds: “Whatever it takes, I need to have her.”
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The odds were on our side and luckily the other client backed out! We quickly arranged everything... That Eralda was joining Al Shiraa was a fact! It was a very smooth and easy deal with the Gozdzialski family of Falborek Arabians. The only condition was that the buyer had to go and pick Eralda up personally with the transport. Well, that was a bit of an issue, as Sheikha Fatima was in Abu Dhabi and it was not possible, so they accepted me as a representative of the farm to go pick her up. The trip was organized, and Philip and I took a small truck and drove from Belgium all the way to Poland. And Poland is far, really far! We made a pit stop in Magdeburg, in Germany, and again drove for the rest of the day until we reached the town of Brześć Kujawski. That was a tricky moment, because none of us saw her after she was purchased, and expectations were high! In the last kilometers, I have to confess that many doubts went through my mind: “What if she is not good enough, if she doesn’t grow, and if her body doesn’t balance, and if she lost the face?” It was snowing and starting to get dark when we arrived at the farm. We waited in the parking lot for Mr. Lucas Gozdzialski, and he asked if we wanted to have a coffee first, or see her. The answer was a unanimous“see her now!” The barn was a bit dark, and I looked right, where a pretty bay and a dappled grey mare were standing. Then I looked left, and in the first box, there was an extremely fluffy weanling, with the most unbelievable face I’ve ever seen sticking out. I just thought: “Please, I hope that one is ours!” I looked at Philip, and he confirmed. Well, as cheesy as it sounds, I started to cry. There she was! The Al Shiraa game changer. We are so happy to have been part of her journey since the beginning. Her first show was in Mallorca, the Balearic Championship. We needed to test her, and it was a great opportunity to do so just half an hour from home. She was easily Champion Filly and Best in Show. It was time to climb higher mountains... and 2017 was not an easy year for her; we showed her in Chantilly and Aachen, with disappointing results. She was not at her best stage, but still we could not understand why they could not see how special she was. She stole so many hearts from the public, trainers and other breeders, and they as well could not understand it. Even with all the struggling and not having the
expected results, none of us stopped believing in her, especially Sheikha Fatima. Show after show, she kept encouraging the team and saying: “I would not trade her for any of the Champions. One day she will get what she deserves!” The year of 2018 would be different. A more mature and confident Eralda started her show season as a junior filly at Abu Dhabi International. She won her class among more than 20 high quality fillies, and in the finals, she was named Bronze Medal Champion Filly. She came back to Europe, and she put on a wonderful show in Menton, being qualified for the championship, but the judges did not find her in the finals. So again, she was out. That was a crucial show as Menton often marks the path for the rest of the season. I have to admit, I felt a bit defeated. Of course, Menton is a difficult show, not the easiest ground for young horses... and with strong classes always.
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But still, she was a very special filly since day one, and our expectations were not matched. It was time to make a decision about showing her in Aachen. David and I, together with Sheikha Fatima, had a talk about it. Aachen and Europeans are close to each other, just around three weeks apart. On top of it, the arena in Aachen is small, with not so much space to play around and quite noisy when the music plays. Eralda prefers wider spaces and a bit quieter. So we decided to keep her at home and prepare her for the Europeans, thinking she would have better opportunities there. She did very well in the class, and she won. The next day in the finals, she had tough competition, but she easily won the Gold Medal! That was, for sure, an important achievement. She won one of the Big Five! And we wanted to finish the season on a good note, so we retired her until 2019 European season. In 2019, she again had a wonderful show in
Eralda winning 2018 Abu Dhabi International Bronze Medal Champion Filly.
Menton, winning her class with 5 x 20. And after this, she was named Silver Champion Filly! Next stop is the city of lights — Paris! We will always be grateful to Falborek Arabians to have produced such an outstanding filly, but mostly for letting us have her. In Paris last year, we were offered the opportunity to lease Eralda’s mother, Enezja, a beautiful Marajj daughter. And of course, Sheikha Fatima didn’t have to think twice about it, and told us, “go ahead!” So, if we are lucky, we will have two half-brothers or sisters to Eralda for 2020.
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“T
he
ArAbiAn horse is A horse
full of pride, smArt, A horse thAt likes to show off, with A
big heArt, very brAve.
you AlwAys
hAve to show them respect And offer them trust.
hAving
worked in different performAnce disciplines, And understAnding the biomechAnics of the horse, hAs helped me develop conditioning plAns thAt get the best of every horse.
through
different exercises,
i try to improve the movement, the bAlAnce. . . i AlwAys try to combine different exercises to keep things interesting, And mAke the work fun.
“erAldA is such A horse. she hAs A very eAsy disposition for work, she likes to leArn new things, sometimes she tries to pleAse too much And she gets A bit nervous, so you need to know when to stop.
“erAldA is not just one of the prettiest fillies in the world, she is A greAt show horse. she is very hArmonious, with delicAte shApes, with A very exotic beAuty. “her strongest point is the stAnd up, where you cAn see her mAximum expression. she is cApAble of A mAgicAl trAnsformAtion. she cAn go from A sweet And quiet filly, to A powerful individuAl who looks like A stAtue. it is very difficult to ignore her in finAls.” — DAVID PUJALT, TRAINER
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E
ralda
: l o o k i n g B e n e at h
the
Surface
by Betty Finke
Sire of Eralda, Emerald J (QR Marc x Emandoria).
Eralda is a horse that perfectly embodies her pedigree. The pedigree, in turn, is a prime example of modern Polish breeding: a combination of popular and successful sires with tried and trusted Polish dam lines. Eralda’s sire, Emerald J, is one of the oldest sons of QR Marc and, certainly at this point of time, also his leading son in terms of progeny. QR Marc in turn is one of the oldest sons of Marwan Al Shaqab and, while there are several contestants for the title of heir apparent to Marwan, right now the strongest contender. The fact that Marwan Al Shaqab himself is the leading son of Gazal Al Shaqab can hardly be denied. This is currently the world’s greatest dynasty of champions: Gazal Al Shaqab, Marwan Al Shaqab, and QR Marc have all won the World Champion title at least once, and Marwan has sired more World Champions than any other sire living or dead. This line of champions has also been a strong influence at the Polish state studs in recent years. Gazal Al Shaqab has been the most significant outside stallion used there since Monogramm, and
although Marwan himself has never been used, his sons QR Marc and Kahil Al Shaqab have, both giving great results with Polish mares. QR Marc, bred in the U.S. and owned by Paul Gheysens of Knocke Arabians in Belgium, is also one of Marwan’s most distinctive sons, getting much of his type from his maternal grandsire Magic Dream, a son of Ali Jamaal. This has given him a bit of extra dryness and refinement on top of a dam line that is based on strong old Crabbet-American lines with a dash of Russian and Spanish thrown in. Both a World and All Nations Cup Champion, QR Marc is certainly delivering the goods as sire as well, with notable get across the world. He has proved a particularly good cross with Polish mares, the results including the winning full sisters Wieza Marca and Wieza Mocy and two of the best young Polish sires today, Michalow’s World Champion Equator and Janow Podlaski’s Pogrom, who was Scottsdale Supreme Champion and has already sired excellent stock himself. Emerald J, bred in Belgium by Christine Jamar who also owns him, was from QR Marc’s second foal crop. He first burst upon the show scene as a yearling, promptly winning Gold at the Ströhen International B Show and continuing to live up to his royal heritage. And that is not just limited to QR Marc, though he is one of his sire’s most lookalike sons. His dam is none other than Emandoria, the 2013 Triple Crown winning All Nations Cup, European, and World Champion mare, as well as Polish National Champion and Las Vegas Breeders Cup Champion in 2009. Bred at Michalow State Stud, Emandoria is without doubt one of Gazal Al Shaqab’s best daughters. She comes from a dam line that never fails to deliver the goods, Michalow’s legendary “E” family descending from Emigracja (Palas x Emisja). Emandoria’s dam Emanda (by Ecaho) and Emanda’s dam Emanacja
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dam of Eralda, EnEzja (marajj x EspinEzja).
(Eukaliptus x Emigracja) were all prolific show winners and superb broodmares. Emandoria has produced several daughters, but Emerald J, as the foremost son of QR Marc, is so far her masterpiece. Initially sold to Al Muawd Stud of Saudi Arabia, he soon proved himself a top sire in a league with his sire and grandsire. He is now back with his breeder Christine Jamar and has proved a highly popular sire in Europe as well, siring winners from a broad variety of mares. His get includes, among others, the current World Champion Yearling Colt, Admiraal, whose pedigree has a bit more in common with Eralda’s than just the sire, as both also have a
E
ralda
Emerald J
close line to Psytadel on the dam’s side. Eralda’s dam Enezja also has a rich heritage. Her sire Marajj is one of Marwan Al Shaqab’s eldest and best sons and, similarly to QR Marc, comes from a strong foundation of old American bloodlines on his dam’s side. His dam RGA Kouress is a granddaughter of both Bey Shah and the Polish sire Eukaliptus, the sire of Emanacja. Altogether, Eralda has three crosses to that great Polish stallion as well as three crosses to Gazal Al Shaqab. Marajj, who is owned by Albidayer Stud in the UAE, was World Champion as a junior and has sired a prolific number of winners both throughout the Middle East and Europe. His daughters are also proving to be excellent broodmares, including Enezja. Enezja, bred by Falborek Arabians in Poland, is a daughter of Espinezja, the 2013 British National Champion Mare. This glamorous bay mare is by Psytadel (Padrons Psyche x Bint Bey Shah), who was the first stallion to bring the Padrons Psyche influence to Europe. He was a hugely popular sire there, with top sons such as El Amin, H Tobago, Psy Dream, Psyrasic, and S.M.A. Magic One as well as great producing daughters including AB Nastrapsy, Claudiaa, Haniyyah, Lady Nina DD, Pamira Bint Psytadel, and Psity of Angels. He was also one of the first “modern” stallions used by Polish breeders. Espinezja is the oldest of four full sisters, and to date the most successful broodmare. Her dam is Entaga, which is where we get back to proven old Polish breeding. Entaga, bred by Michalow, is by Ganges (Monogramm x Garonna), one of the two Monogramm sons retained by
QR Marc
Marwan Al Shaqab Swete Dreams
Emandoria
Gazal Al Shaqab Emana
Marajj Enezja Espinezja
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Marwan Al Shaqab RGA Kouress Psytadel Entaga
Poland, out of Entuza by Eukaliptus. In the dam line, we get right back to the Michałów “E” family of Emigracja, as Entuza’s dam Ekologia is a daughter of Emigracja herself. Her sire Piechur (Banat x Pierzeja) was himself a masterpiece of Polish breeding, as he was both Polish Triple Crown winner at the racetrack (winning eight stakes races, including the Derby, Produce, and Criterium) and a multiple international show winner who was British National Champion, European Reserve Champion, U.S. National Top Ten, and All Nations Cup Champion Stallion. He comes from the other great Polish dynasty besides Emigracja, namely Janow Podlaski’s legendary “P” family of Piewica, which also produced such famous World Champions as Pilarka, Pinga, and of course Pianissima. With the best of Polish breeding, including the “E” family through both her sire and dam, as well as three crosses to today’s top ranking line of champions linked with rock-solid traditional dam lines, Eralda’s future in both showing and breeding looks bright indeed.
E ralda ’ s 2019 colt by Fa E l r ashEEm . “W E brEd E ralda to r ashEEm bEcausE thEy arE tWo oF thE most bEautiFul
a rabian horsEs in thE World ” says hh s hEikha F atima . “a lso , thinking that r ashEEm could givE somE morE lEngth oF lEgs , and sizE . “t hE rEsult oF thE cross is an imprEssivE colt , complEtE , With a vEry bEautiFul FacE ! a ll What WE hopEd For . W E rEpEatEd thE cross this yEar hoping to gEt a Filly in
2020!”