2ND NOBLE STRAIGHT EGYPTIAN BREEDERS FESTIVAL SHAM STABLES, LOCHEM, THE NETHERLANDS JULY 14 & 15, 2018 St or y a n d p h o t o g ra p h s b y Betty Finke
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hen people from breeding parade in which horses at the shows anymore, different nations, international straight Egyptian while the spectators stay away united in their breeders presented their horses in droves, put off by the love for the to an appreciative (and, at that treatment of the horses. Arabian horse, time, huge) audience without The time was ripe for an get together and work together, any pressure of competition. alternative, and a group of magic happens. Back then, they all came, breeders got together to try Imagine this: an Arabian horse breeders large and small, even something different. German show without entry fees, classes, Bábolna State Stud from Egyptian breeders Dr. Hansjudges, or prizes. A show with Hungary. Joachim Nagel, Cornelia VIP tables and drinks and food Could this still be a viable Tauschke, Michael Ponnath, and for everyone, all Achim Dirnhofer, free of charge. A along with Maya show that is simply Jones from a day-long parade Switzerland, of the most Francesco exquisite straight Santoro from Egyptian Arabians Italy, and from many Mahmoud Al countries, without Anzarouti from Syria, now living handlers and in Holland, form posing, just running the Honorary free, with no Board that is competition and no actively engaged rivalry among the with the vision exhibitors. On the and strategy of contrary, they all the Festival. It help each other out. must be a Sounds like a mammoth job pipe dream? It’s EL THAY MAHFOUZ (Ansata Selman x El Thay Mahfouza), 2003 stallion, coordinating an not. It’s the Noble bred and owned by Cornelia Tauschke. event like this which Straight Egyptian brings together so many concept? It had not been done Breeders Festival, and it truly breeders. And of course, none of in over 30 years. But it is a fact is magic. it would work without the that the regular competitive The idea was first conceived in amazing generosity of Mahmoud halter shows are losing 2017, or rather, it was revived. It Al Anzarouti, whose beautiful spectators as well as exhibitors harkens back to the concept of stud farm Shams Stables at at an alarming rate. A huge the first ever Egyptian Event Lochem in the Netherlands majority of breeders in Europe Europe, held back in 1985 in have become disillusioned with Germany, and once again in provides the venue for the showing and never exhibit their 1986. It was essentially a event, as well as the stabling for A H W > 102 < 1 0 . 1 8
“IT IS OUR DREAM TO HAVE CREATED A PLATFORM, AN ATMOSPHERE AND A PLACE WHERE ALL THE MAGIC AROUND THIS EXQUISITE BREED CAN BE SHOWN WITHOUT JUDGING AND WITHOUT PRIZES.”
AA RASHAH (Simeon Sharav x Rhahila), 2011 mare, with filly ZL RHODORA BINT BUKRA, owned by Lilly Franke, Germany. t o p r i g h t : GHALIYAH BINT LAHAB (Al Lahab x Al Garbawia), 2012 mare, owned by Alexander Hofmann, Germany. m i d d l e l e f t : AL MUNTAHA FAIZA (NK Nadeer x Lubna), 2010 mare, bred and owned by Christian Kesseböhmer, Germany. m i d d l e r i g h t : HADDIYA JAMILL (NK Hafid Jamil x PA Shubani Il Nasek), 2006 mare bred, owned and shown by Dr. Daniel Wigger, Germany, with colt AMIR JAMIL by DF Malik Jamil. b o t t o m l e f t : A lineup of black mares and fillies owned and bred by Hägerhof Stud, Germany. b o t t o m r i g h t : HATEM II AL SAFI (Sahib x Hayat), 2010 stallion bred, owned and shown by Geert Oben, Belgium. top left:
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NK NABHAN (NK Nadeer x NK Nerham), 2014 stallion, bred and owned by Dr. Hans Nagel, Germany.
top:
bottom left:
Judith Forbis, Dr. Hans-Joachim Nagel, and Mahmoud Al Anzarouti, at a special ceremony honoring the anniversaries of Ansata Arabian Stud and Katharinenhof Stud. IBN IKHNATON (Ikhnaton x Maydhia), 2005 stallion owned by Topis Straight Egyptians, Belgium.
bottom right:
the horses and the catering for the guests. Last year’s Festival was a one-day affair, tucked on to the Egyptian Event Europe. It was a huge success with everyone, the exhibitors as well as the guests, for many of whom it was the highlight of the year. So they decided to do it again, and make it even bigger and better: this time, it was going to be not just one day, but two. Could it really be done? Could this outstanding success not only be repeated, but topped? As it turned out, it could. Rather than added onto the Egyptian Event Europe, it was pulled forward into July, right after the 50th anniversary
“ I T WOUL D B E E A SY TO F IL L PAGES W ITH DE TA IL S A N D P R A I S E S OF A L L THE HORS E S SH OW N ON THIS MAGICA L SU M M E R W E E KE N D, B UT THIS I S A S TORY B E S T TOL D IN P I CT URE S . IF YOU W E RE N ’ T THE RE , YOU MIS S E D SO ME THIN G WON DE RF UL . ”
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celebration at Dr. Nagel’s Katharinenhof Stud, which is just two hours’ drive from Sham Stables. This enabled guests from far away to make a big 3-day weekend of it, filled to the brim with gorgeous Egyptian horses. It doesn’t get much better than this. The two days were necessary, too, in order to do justice to the number of horses. Most of last year’s exhibitors had returned, along with a host of new ones, making a total of 29 breeders from five countries, exhibiting 126 horses. Those that were back included Marbach State Stud from Germany, this time showing two of their straight Egyptian broodmares in
NADER HALIM (Maydan Madheen x Moufisa Al Kidir), 2012 stallion, bred by Michael Ponnath and co-owned by Cornelia Tauschke and Claudia Scheidel, Germany.
top left:
NAJM AL RAYYAN (El Thay Mashour x Naama Al Rayyan), 2008 stallion, owned by Sham Stables.
top right:
KINDA AL SHAM (Rayyan Al Naif x Frasera Wahiba), 2011 mare, bred and owned by Sham Stables.
bottom left:
MONIET AL RYAH (Nader Halim x Maheebah Al Ryah), 2018 filly, bred and owned by Claudia Scheidel.
bottom right:
From the catalogue:
Hungarian harness, as well as most of the larger German straight Egyptian breeders in Germany whose horses you normally don’t see at the shows these days, such as El Thayeba, Birkhof, Ponnath Arabians, Al Muntaha Arabians, El Bediya Arabians, and Al Qusar Arabians. Even Dr. Nagel, who had hosted a big showing of his horses at his farm the previous day, took some of his horses to Lochem, including his new rising star NK Nabhan and some of his foals. Among the newcomers were Germany’s Hägerhof and Hardyna Studs, both specializing in beautiful black straight Egyptians, Pintar Arabians from Slovenia, and Topis Arabians and Al Safi Stud from Belgium. Small breeder Dr. Daniel Wigger from Germany, whose program is based on Dr. Nagel’s lines, had even brought all his horses – a half dozen – to Lochem, demonstrating what amazing treasures are hidden away at smaller farms. As an added bonus, the horses of Sham Stables were
To encounter a straight Egyptian horse is to meet the highest form of elegance, sensitivity, history and beauty in one moment. And as every true Egyptian horse lover knows: every day feels like you meet them for the first time. They have so much to tell us, so much to teach us, and so much to show us, and this is why we are here together at the Noble Festival 2018. It is our dream to have created a platform, an atmosphere, and a place where all the magic around this exquisite breed can be shown without judging and without prizes. Where breeders can proudly present their best horses: stallions and their valuable broodmares and offspring. And in this way give other breeders and enthusiasts an impression of their views so we can learn from each other and inspire each other.
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top left:
MORAIRA (Serenity Habib x Messaouda), 2000 mare, and MEMDUHA (Naheed x Messaouda), 1995 mare, bred and owned by Marbach State Stud, Germany. The mares were shown in traditional Hungarian harness.
top right:
bottom left:
RHEEMAH AL JABAL (Salaa Maysan x Latifa), 2009 mare bred, owned, and shown by Maya Jones, Switzerland.
bottom right:
shown in a special private showing on the evening of
two of Shams Stables’ beautiful white mares, and a
the first day, providing an opportunity to catch up
newly-planted tree specially dedicated to these two
with last year’s foals and to see the foundation
veterans — indeed giants — of straight Egyptian
mares, and of course the glamorous Straight
breeding, while a gospel band intoned “Amazing
Egyptian World Champion Kinda Al Sham. Sadly,
Grace” and “My Way,” there was barely a dry eye left
Mahmoud Al Anzarouti had recently lost one of his
in the audience.
best mares, Malaak Al Sham; her last foal, a filly by
RUA EL BEDIYA (Safeen x Marqeesa) and her daughters REEM EL BEDIYA (by Mashour Halim), right, and RANIA EL BEDIYA (by Khuwey El Bediya), left, bred and owned by Dr. Matthias Oster, Germany. TARISSIA B (Emiratus B x 214 Ibn Galal I), 1999 mare, bred by Bábolna Stud, owned and shown by Gregor Pintar, Slovenia.
It would be easy to fill pages with details and
Ansata Nile Echo born this year by embryo transfer,
praises of all the horses shown on this magical
was appropriately named Malaak’s Gift, and her
summer weekend, but this is a story best told in
proud breeder led her around the ring himself.
pictures. If you weren’t there, you missed something
On the same evening, there was also a surprise
wonderful. It is too early to say, but perhaps there
ceremony just before dinner to honor two very
will be another one, though this would be even
special guests: Judith Forbis and Dr. Hans Nagel,
harder to top. But maybe the magic will work once
now in the year of their 60th and 50th
more: that special magic created when people come
anniversaries, respectively, as Arabian breeders.
together and work together, united by their love and
With special gifts being presented in the presence of
passion for the Arabian horse.
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