*El Nabila B: A Modern Romance

*ElNabilaB —

A

Romance

M o d e r n

by

Nancy

C.

Ryan

T

he couple were on a pilgrimage. In all their trips to Eastern Europe, they had never had the intent, or the purpose to visit the ancient town in the hills northwest of Budapest — until now. That’s because a recent event back home had sparked their desire, and now there they stood, peering into an empty stall in one of the mustard and white barns beside the Baroque era Szapary Castle of Hungary’s Babolna State Stud. Director Tamas Rombauer was escorting Andrea and Jeff Sloan on a special tour. The trio were retracing the hoofprints of one of the most successful and best known stallions born and bred at the stud — International Champion *El Nabila B (Kubinec x 218 Elf Layla Walaya B) — a stallion of whom the Sloans were now part owners.

The stallion *El Nabila B represents the culmination of hundreds of years of methodical Arabian horse breeding in Hungary, utilizing a blending of the best in Russian and straight Egyptian bloodlines.

Previous page, left, and right: *El Nabila B (Kubinec x 218 Elf Layla Walaya B).

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“I have a passion for the history of the Arabian horse.

In particular, I find it fascinating to relate the history of an important Arabian horse to the history and culture of a particular time period in which that horse lived and contributed to our breed,” says Jeff Sloan. “When I found out *El Nabila was from the Babolna Stud, my wife Andrea and I were compelled to make a journey to Hungary to learn more about *El Nabila’s story and about the place where he was born and raised during his early years. We went to Babolna and saw the very stall where

he was born and the one where he lived as a young colt growing up at Babolna. We also walked the very pasture where he was turned out every day.”

But beyond his obvious attributes, the reason the Sloans journeyed to Hungary may have been because *El Nabila B stirred something deeper.

“He is the kind of horse who conjures the desire in you to want to know him and know about him. I remember director Rombauer telling us that *El Nabila was the kindest horse that

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he ever had around — he was a horse that loved people. Director Rombauer would turn him out in the pasture with the rest of the foals and if anyone came to visit, it was *El Nabila who would be the first to run to greet them. Director Rombauer made it clear that he was such a special individual even as a young horse. He was always just such a gentleman.”

Jeff first met this equine gentleman three years ago at the Scottsdale show. Jeff had befriended Brazilian breeder Murilo Kammer, who was *El Nabila’s owner at that time and who had brought the Brazilian National Champion Stallion to North Arabians’ Scottsdale training center.

Murilo discovered *El Nabila’s many attributes early on.

He was looking for a stallion with a European flavor to add to his Brazilian horses, specifically a Kubinec son. *El Nabila was standing in Germany and had returned to Hungary. “I tried with

no success to get them to put a price on him. Finally, he went back to Germany for the stallion licensing and Tamas Rombaur gave me a price. I went to see him; they turned him loose and he was magnificent.” *El Nabila arrived at Murilo Kammer’s farm in Brazil at 3:00 a.m. on an April morning in 2002. “We didn’t know him, and we thought, ‘If this horse comes out of this truck and he wants to run, he will get lost in the dark.’ We pointed headlights from our tractors and cars at him. He came out of the truck, went down the hill, went into his stall, had a drink of water, started munching some hay, and that was it. He was so well mannered. He is the kindest, kindest horse — the most educated horse. You could have a baby with him in the stall and he wouldn’t hurt it.

“There are many things about him that I absolutely love,” Murilo continues. “His eyes in particular. He puts good eyes on everything, and that comes from both sides of the pedigree.

And short faces — there aren’t many stallions in Brazil that can do that — we have nice faces but not short faces. I also love the tail and the attitude — he comes out of his stall with his neck hooked and his tail in the air — the long neck, the long legs. He sires surprisingly long legs.”

“Murilo had been telling me about the horse,” recalls Jeff, “and just shortly before that show we had purchased *Sashaa LHT (*El Nabila B x Giovanna JM) from David Boggs. *Sashaa was the Junior Champion Filly in Brazil. So we were excited to see her sire because she was so incredible. (*Sashaa later went on to become the 2007 Scottsdale first place two-year-old filly).

Plus, Jeff happened to be in the market for a stallion for Aria International, the Arabian marketing and management business he started with his brother Rich.

“We were looking for a senior stallion. We didn’t have one at the time, and we wanted an international-style horse — we were looking for something different. And the fact that he was a horse from Babolna as opposed to some of the other, if you will, common sources, was very intriguing and romantic to us.” *El Nabila B arrived in Scottsdale about midway through the show, and Jeff was among the first to see him come out of the barn and into the American spotlight.

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“I love the horse — he’s a wonderful horse to be around,” says trainer Sandro Pinha, who showed *El Nabila B to his class win at the Vegas World Cup. “I think people in this country should take a good look at him as an excellent outcross. What I have seen him sire in Brazil and in America shows me that he’s the horse we’re looking for as far as shortening up faces and putting a little bit more Arabian type into American Arabians.”

“It was at night,” Jeff remembers, “and Rudolfo Guzzo brought him out. He had his blanket of yellow roses on from the Brazilian National Championships. *El Nabila was romantic in every sense of the word.”

Also at the rail that night were Howard Kale Jr. and Mike Weinstein. As soon as they determined they were all interested in the same horse, they decided to enter into a partnership to purchase *El Nabila.

Ironically, Mike Weinstein wasn’t really looking for a stallion. “In fact,” he jokes, “the last thing I wanted to do was get back into the stallion business. But a friend had told me about this horse and told me I really needed to see him. When I arrived at North Arabians in Scottsdale, Jeff Sloan was also there looking at the horse to purchase. Jeff and I had known each other from many years ago, back in the ’80s. So we started talking and from there we decided to invest in the horse together.”

Mike also explains why *El Nabila B’s pedigree captured this interest from all three men, and may even have captured their sentimentality. The stallion’s sire, Kubinec, is the grandson of both Russian superstar imports *Menes (Nabeg x Metropolia), once owned by Mike’s family, and Arabian triple crown winner *Muscat (*Salon x Malpia), whom Howard brought to the U.S. *El Nabila’s straight Egyptian dam line was particularly appealing to Jeff. Mike notes, “It is interesting how the horse’s pedigree had a little bit of all of our breeding programs in it.”

Now Mike, and his business partners in the mental health rehabilitation business, Jean Edwards, Chris Zubiate, and Arturo

Uribe, own a significant share of *El Nabila B. And Mike prefers owning him in partnership. “It is such a huge responsibility owning a stallion. You have such a responsibility to everyone involved — the people who breed their mares to the horse and have the offspring — and you have to make it work. Getting involved with Jeff and Aria International and the programs which he is doing such a great job with, and winning, and the great broodmare band he has put together, made the idea of having a stallion a lot easier.”

Jeff has equal words of praise and support for Mike. “I grew up in the Arabian horse business when Mike Weinstein, who is a few years ahead of me, was an idol of mine because of *Menes and all the things his family was doing in the Arabian horse business. And the fact that Howard Kale wanted to be a partner on the horse was such an honor. For me to be able to do something with Mike and Howard was really a dream come true — to have these people getting behind the horse was really exciting and powerful.” Also joining the partnership was Frank Hennessey of Hennessey Arabians, Jeff ’s parents J. Bernard and Deena Sloan, Laetitia D’Arenberg, and Al and Ruth Glancy.

The partners set about finding the best mares for *El Nabila.

“We went to Om El Arab and leased two of their best mares,” explains Mike. “They are both *Al Lahab daughters and we are doing ET with them. One of them — Om El Excella (*Al Lahab x Omel Bint Shaina) — won her two-year-old filly class in Las Vegas this year. Both mares are very refined and very typey and athletic and good-size mares. We are also breeding a *Dakar

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“El Nabila has gotten under my skin and gone straight to my heart, in the best way possible,” says photographer April Visel. “He was such a joy, a gentleman, and he’s just plain sexy! He’ll go down in my book as one of my favorite horses to photograph!”

daughter we leased from Doug Dahmen.” One of the more exciting foals by *El Nabila is out of *HED Caramba (Magnum Psyche x HED Cajun Queen). Symphony Of Love, shown by David Boggs, was the unanimous Region 10 Champion Filly and the Region 12 Reserve Sweepstakes Filly this year. She is owned by Jim and Sally Bedeker of Gemini Arabians in Morris, Illinois.

“Symphony is one of the most beautiful fillies we have had the pleasure to market and show here at Midwest,” says trainer David Boggs. “And we are delighted she remains in our hands!

It was a joy presenting her dam to National Champion and I’m certain that Symphony is following right in her sire and dam’s hoofprints.”

“I certainly think this filly has National Champion potential,” states Mike. “She is what I have seen *El Nabila siring — very good quality, high, well-shaped necks, very good bodies.” Several other *El Nabila B offspring are turning heads, including a beautiful grey filly owned by Greg Knowles of Arabian Expressions named XA Greta (x Garbo C by Genesis C). “Greta has the most beautiful face I’ve ever been next to,” says Greg. “She’s a 20 type, 20 head, 20 motion. “*El Nabila is a wonderful individual. His dam is a beautiful straight Egyptian mare, his sire is a great horse, and his sire’s dam Kosmetika was probably the best *Muscat daughter who ever lived. So it all adds up. I think he has a great chance of being one of the standout breeding horses of this country.”

Mike likes the fact that *El Nabila B is out of a wellrespected mare — the straight Egyptian 218 Elf Layla Walayla B is one of Europe’s most winning show mares. Among her accomplishments: 1998 World Reserve Champion Mare, European Reserve Champion Mare, and Nations Cup Reserve Champion Mare. In 2003, she was named Egyptian Event Europe Supreme Champion Mare and in 2004, Swiss National Champion Mare. Besides *El Nabila B, she is also the dam of another national champion, the stallion Hanaya Bariqh, the 2006 Spanish National Champion Stallion. Elf Layla Walayla B is owned by Nayla Hayek of Switzerland.

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Nayla believes *El Nabila B inherited much of his overall quality from his dam and thinks this is part of what gives him such widespread appeal. “I think first of all it’s the quality of the horses and then it’s an international pedigree of champions; both parents are multiple champions,” she says. Nayla also hopes American breeders embrace him as a sire. “I hope he will have as large an influence in the States as his two half brothers — one a son of The Minstril (Ruminaja Ali x *Bahila), The Brigadier, who was National Champion in Spain — and the other one in my stud by multi-champion Alidaar (Shaikh Al Badi x Bint Magidaa).” *El Nabila B’s sire, the Russian Kubinec, was a European triple crown winner, having captured the All Nations Cup, the European Stallion Championship, and the World Championship at the Salon du Cheval. He sired dozens of international

champions, including *FS Bengali and Koronec. This year *El Nabila B is standing at Rohara Arabians in Orange Lake, Florida, in the care of Roxann Hart. There in the lush rolling pastures of one of the world’s most respected breeding and training centers, he joins a line of outstanding stallions that have stood at Rohara over the years. *El Nabila ranks high on Roxann’s list of stallions she has known, and although she has a discriminating eye for horses, this one seems to have really won her over. “The first time I saw him I was galvanized by him, and that doesn’t happen often. I think he is very unusual. He elicits the flavor of Old World paintings and histories and monuments — the feeling you get in the Old World cities — but he is also a modern Arabian horse and that is a unique combination. I saw Kubinec in Germany many years ago and was quite taken, and I have seen many of his get. I had

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heard about the excellence of this horse on my trips to Brazil, and had seen his offspring that were just incredibly beautiful.”

Roxann thinks she understands what may set this stallion apart from the rest, and it’s not what you might think. “You know,” she surmises, “when you are close to an exciting horse, you zone in on one thing that really attracts you. It’s a quality they project. In his case I think it was his eyes. *El Nabila B has the eyes of an old soul. He is very knowing. The great ones know everything. They know where they are at all times. He is very comfortable in his surroundings and knows individual people here at the farm. He projects these inner qualities.” And there is something else about him — the same thing director Rombauer said back at Babolna. “He is a kind horse. He turns it on and off and you can turn him out in the pasture and he is perfectly at ease and comfortable in his own skin. He really is a unique individual.”

Most breeders who know him agree that *El Nabila B offers an outstanding and unique outcross for American breeders.

“He is a very smooth and correct horse with great legs and a high tail carriage, and he is a good mover,” observes Mike. “He is putting correct foals on the ground that are athletic. He is putting great bodies and beautiful eyes on his foals and doing it pretty consistently. I think this is something that we have seen happening very well in crosses with Padrons Psyche daughters.”

Roxann agrees. “I think we in the U.S. have more of the Padrons Psyche lineage than anything else. To me he is the perfect genetic outcross to those lines, and the fact that he has no Padrons Psyche is important. He also truly anchors the beauty line.”

Although he arrived late in the season, Roxann has bred some of her better Rohara mares to *El Nabila. “I just bred him to a Don El Chall daughter, a Versace daughter, and a *Marwan daughter.

“I see him passing on type,” she continues, “true Arabian type and beauty. He also has four great feet — all perfectly formed and all the same size — and he has excellent leg structure. He is pretty much the complete stallion. What I mean by that is that you don’t have to breed him with the intent of overcoming something in a mare.”

Jeff says *El Nabila B is available to outside mares. “He is a horse whose time has come. I believe that what he is clearly now demonstrating as a sire is elevating his status among serious breeders, and I also believe his popularity will grow significantly.

And of course, *El Nabila’s win at the Arabian Breeders World Cup in Vegas this year demonstrated, in a very competitive class, that he still has what it takes in the showring too. Adding to his Brazilian National Champion Stallion title is 2009 World Cup Champion in the twelve and over stallion class.

“Sandro Pinha did a beautiful job training, conditioning, and handling Nabila,” explains Jeff. “He believed in the horse all the way, and much of the credit goes to Sandro for doing such an incredible job with him.”

“When the economy is like it is,” considers Roxann, “breeders have to go with a stallion that is proven, one that has a name brand, name recognition. That is the key. There have been enough professional horsemen who have used this stallion and have chosen to include him in their breeding plans and continue to do so.”

Roxann predicts that *El Nabila B may one day be considered one of the breed’s greatest sires. “He can breed to a regular mare and improve everything. You can breed to an excellent mare and improve the next generation. The great ones do that. An average stallion could improve a normal mare, but a truly great stallion is capable of improving a great mare and *El Nabila B has that ability. It gives you what you want to see in the next generation. It took me a while to realize that fact about breeding.”

*El Nabila B offspring: Top right: 2009 Region 7 Top Ten Yearling Filly Aria Delphine (x MC Bessona), owned by El Nabila B Partners, LLC, milford, Michigan.

Top left: XA Greta (x Garbo C), owned by Greg Knowles, Scottsdale, Arizona.

Bottom right: 2005 Middle East Championship Top Five Junior Champion Mare Llayla (x Chiara K), bred by Ailton Jose Braga Domingues, Brazil.

Bottom left: *Ardant Carol (x Anita K), owned by Taylor Arabians, Houston, Texas.

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*El Nabila B

Winners List

INTERNATIONAL WINNERS

Llaya (x Chiara K) 2004 grey mare 2005 Middle East Championship First Place Yearling Filly 2005 Middle East Top Five Filly 2005 Saudi Arabian National Show Second Place Yearling Filly 2006 Egyptian Event International Second Place Two-Year-Old Filly 2007 Dubai International Top Five Filly and Second Place Three-Year-Old Filly 2007 Egyptian Event International Second Place Three-Year-Old Filly Camar Gaziyah (x Galina II) 2002 chestnut mare 2004 Ströhen (Germany) Champion Filly Treasure Nabila EQ (x Treasure World) 2005 Expogrande Show (Brazil) Junior Champion Filly Stig Ludovck (x AF Tabla) 2005 Brazilian National Third Place Colt 8-10 Months 2006 Brazilian National Second Place Colt 18-21 Months TM Elbila (x TM Fhaela) 2004 grey colt 2005 Brazilian National Junior Junior Champion Colt 6-12 Months 2005 Brazilian National First Place Colt 10-12 Months *Sashaa LHT (x Giovanna JM) 2005 bay mare 2005 Brazilian National Champion Junior Filly 2005 Brazilian National First Place Filly 8-10 Months

Top: 2005 Brazilian National Junior Champion Filly, and 2006 Buckeye Sweepstakes Junior Champion Filly *Sashaa LHT (x Giovanna JM), owned by Dynasty Arabian Horse Partners, LLC, Milford, Michigan.

Bottom: Stig Tarsila (*El Nabila B x AF Tabla), 2007 Brazilian National First Place Yearling Filly.

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Fynt Serondella (x Dhyeva ATA) 2004 grey stallion 2005 Brazilian National Top 3 Colt 6-12 Months 2005 Brazilian National Second Place Colt 10-12 Months 2006 Campos de Jordão Show (Brazil) Junior Champion Colt 2006 Uruguay National Champion Young Stallion Farenheit GAT (x Hannah K) 2004 grey stallion 2005 Brazilian National Second Place Colt (8-10 Months) 2006 Brazilian National Second Place Colt (21-24 Months) 2006 Festival de Inverno Show (Brazil) Junior Champion Colt 2008 Egyptian International Show Second Place Three-Year-Old Colt TM Electra (x AF Madalena) 2005 Brazilian National Second Place Filly 14-16 Months Tiffany EB (x Hesse Reyna) 2005 Brazilian National Third Place Filly 14-16 Months Raila Maclb (x Duda Maclb) 2005 grey mare 2006 Brazilian Nationals Second Place Junior Filly 6-8 Months HSE Dalakhani (x EC Donna Parada) 2003 grey stallion 2006 Brazilian Cup Champion Stallion (for Brazilian-bred horses — not same show as Brazilian Nationals)

2007 Brazilian National First Place Western Pleasure Gentlemen to Ride 2007 Brazilian National Second Place Western Pleasure Ladies to Ride Seven western pleasure championships in Brazilian shows Stig Tarsila (x AF Tabla) 2006 grey mare 2007 Brazilian National First Place Yearling Filly

NORTH AMERICAN WINNERS *HSE Noelani (x HSE Naomi) 2003 bay stallion Western Pleasure Junior Horse Champion *Sashaa LHT (x Giovanna JM) 2005 bay mare 2007 Scottsdale First Place Two-Year-Old Filly 2008 Scottsdale Top Ten Three-Year-Old Filly Multi-Halter Champion including Buckeye Junior Champion Filly Nabilas Fantasy (x R Desperada) 2007 bay mare 2009 Region 7 Reserve Champion Sport Horse Mare ATH 2009 Region 7 Top Five Sport Horse Mare Aria Delphine (x MC Bessona) 2008 grey mare 2009 Region 7 Top Ten Sweepstakes Filly

Special Note: *EL NABILA B get earned him the title of Reserve Champion Get of Sire at the 2005 Brazilian Nationals

*HSE Noelani (x HSE Naomi) 2003 bay stallion 2007 Brazilian National Champion Western Pleasure Junior Horse

Right: 2009 Scottsdale Top Ten Yearling Filly January 1-April 15, Symphony Of Love (x HED Caramba), owned by Jim and Sally Bedeker, Morris, Illinois.

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* E l

N a b i l a

B

by Arlene Magid

E

*

l Nabila B is a masterpiece of breeding from Hungary’s Babolna Stud, known for its superb straight Egyptian horses who are noted for their great refinement, overall elegance, and extravagant movement. With a stroke of genius, Tamas Rombauer, the Director of Babolna, decided to outcross some of the straight Egyptian Babolna mares with the supreme Russian stallion Kubinec, although Egyptian outcrosses are usually done through Egyptian stallions. This nick resulted in 1997 Wels (Austria) Junior Champion Colt Malik B, and *El Nabila B, a champion in Europe, South America, and North America. His European titles include two regional championships in Germany in 2000 as well as second in his age class at the Nations Cup and European Championships.

In 2001, he was named the Kreuth International Reserve Champion Stallion and won a gold medal at the German Stallion Licensing Show. He was then exported to Brazil, where he was named the 2004 Brazilian National Champion Stallion.

After coming to the U.S. in 2006 as an aged stallion, *El Nabila B has been named 2006 Region 1 Champion Stallion, 2007 Scottsdale Top Ten, and Las Vegas World Cup First Place Senior Stallion Twelve Years Old and Older. *El Nabila B sired winners in all the countries in which he has stood at stud. His German-born daughter Camar Gaziyah won the Junior Championship at the Ströhen Show in 2004.

His Brazilian-born daughter Llaya has been a Middle East and Dubai International Top Five Filly with multiple class wins or second places at significant shows in the Middle East. Other outstanding *El Nabila B get born in Brazil include Brazilian National Champion Junior Junior Colt TM Elbila; Uruguay National Champion Young Stallion Fynt Serondella; Brazilian National Champion Junior Filly *Sashaa LHT (who won her class at Scottsdale after importation to the U.S.); Brazilian National Champion Western Pleasure Junior Horse *HSE Noelani (also a western pleasure junior horse champion in America); and Farenheit GAT, who has multiple halter wins in Brazil and a second place in his class at the Egyptian International Show. *El Nabila B’s American offspring were first eligible to show in 2008, and include the regional halter winner Aria Delphine and multi-regional halter winner Nabilas Fantasy. *El Nabila B’s sire, the Russian-born Kubinec, won the “triple crown” of European show competition for Arabians by being named Nations Cup Champion

PedigreeResearch

Stallion, European Champion Stallion, and World Champion Stallion at the Salon du Cheval in Paris. Through 2008, he has sired over 25 national or international champions, among them Koronec (Nations Cup, European and World Junior Champion Colt, and Middle East Reserve Champion Stallion) and *FS Bengali (Nations Cup and World Reserve Junior Champion Colt and U.S. National Champion Stallion and sire of national champions in Europe and America). *El Nabila B is one of only two Kubinec sons in North America (the other is Canadian Top Ten Futurity Colt Spago WA).

Kubinec’s sire, Balaton, is a European Champion and Dutch National Champion Stallion. He was named “the Horse of the Century” by Tersk State Stud Director Alexander Ponomarev, and he lived up to the promise of that designation with his many champion get. He is also the sire of the extraordinary racehorse Sambist, who won all five of Russia’s classic races and went on to win 13 major races in Europe and the Middle East. He retired to stud in England, where he was named the UK’s Racehorse Sire of the Year five times. Kubinec’s

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*Menes Balaton Panagia Kubinec Muscat Kosmetika Karta

El Nabila B

1996 grey stallion bred by babolna stud

Ansata Halim Shah Assad Arussa

218 Elf Layla Walayla B Ibn Galal I 223 Ibn Galal 1-13 23 Ghalion-2

Top: *El Nabila B’s sire Kubinec.

Bottom: El Nabila B’s dam 218 Elf Layla Walala B.

dam Kosmetika also produced his full sister, Qatar International Champion Mare Kabardinka.

Kubinec is a grandson of two major Russian icons: *Menes, and U.S. and Canadian National Champion Stallion *Muscat.

The cross of *Menes on a *Muscat daughter has produced U.S. and Canadian Top Ten Futurity Filly G Menatin; U.S. and Canadian Top Ten Western Pleasure Junior Horse and National winner sire G Silk Boy; and multi-National Champion in hunter pleasure Metropolitan. *Menes is the sire of 15 North American National winners including U.S. National Reserve Champion Futurity Filly Parada; U.S. National Champion Futurity Colt Emperator; U.S. National Champion Western Pleasure Junior Horse and Canadian Top Ten Futurity Colt Septer; Canadian National Reserve Champion Hunter Pleasure RA Cheyenne; Amedeus (who has 9 National wins in English pleasure and native costume); and multiple National 13 b EL NABILA B b WORLD

Nabeg Metropolia Aswan Pustinia Salon Malpia Arax Kapella *Ansata Ibn Halima Ansata Rosetta Madkour I Hanan Ibn Galal 10 Hanan Ghalion 6 El Aziza

championship winner in western pleasure Alibi EF. *Menes is also the sire of European National Reserve Champion Stallion Medalj, and British National Champion Stallion Gonorar.

Fourteen *Menes get have produced North American National winners. *Menes is a paternal brother to U.S. and Canadian Top Ten Stallion and National Champion sire *Pesniar and to U.S. and Canadian Top Ten Mare *Poznan, dam of NDL Pericles, who has won more National titles than any other Arabian. *Menes’s dam is a full sister to the dam of *Muscat. *Muscat has sired over 200 champions and 55 North American National winners, including U.S. National Champion Mare Amber Satin and National Champions in western pleasure, reining, and hunter pleasure. Seventy-eight of his get have produced North American National winners through 2008.

Kubinec’s grandams are both excellent producers. Panagia, the dam of Balaton, also produced American champion producer *Pomona, and *Princip, sire of North American national winners in show hack, country pleasure, and western pleasure, and of the multi-stakes winning racehorse BW Rasputin. Panagia is a full sister to *Paluba, dam of race winner and successful racehorse sire RD Five Star. Panagia is by Aswan, sire of U.S. National Champion Stallion and National Champion sire *Marsianin and grandsire of U.S. National Champion Stallion *Padron. Panagia is out of *Pustinia, a full sister to Palmira (dam of Dutch National Champion Stallion Peleng and U.S. Top Ten mares *Pristan and *Poznan, all National winner producers). *Pustinia is also a maternal sister to National winner producers Pesnia (dam of U.S. Top Ten Stallion and National Champion sire *Pesniar), *Park (sire of U.S. Top

Ten Half-Arabian English Pleasure Pifata), and *Parketnaia (dam of Canadian National Champion Western Pleasure and National Champion sire Namaskar).

Kubinec’s maternal grandam, *Karta, also produced German National Reserve Champion Stallion Kilimanjaro (known in Germany a Kilimandscharo), an international sire of champions including U.S. and Canadian Reserve National Champion Mare and National winner producer *Penalba and of *Kilifa, second dam of U.S. National Reserve Champion Stallion and National Champion sire Padrons Psyche. *El Nabila B is out of the ethereal straight Egyptian 218 Elf Layla Walayla B, one of Europe’s most decorated show mares.

Her titles include 1998 Marbach Senior Champion Mare and Kauber Platte Champion Mare, 1998 World Reserve Champion Mare, European Reserve Champion Mare and Nations Cup Reserve Champion Mare, 2003 Egyptian Event Europe Supreme Champion Mare, and 2004 Swiss National Champion Mare.

She is the dam of two National winners, as her son Hanaya Bariqh is the 2006 Spanish National Champion Stallion. 218 Elf Layla Walayla B is linebred to the great mare Hanan, to whom her sire traces in tail female and to whom her dam’s sire traces in tail female.

Elf Layla Walayla’s sire Assad also sired the 2008 British National Champion Mare Zee Zee Top. He was bred by the outstanding German breeder Dr. Hans Nagel, who worked in close cooperation with the Babolna Stud and helped facilitate their imports from Egypt’s El Zahraa Stud as well as developing their straight Egyptian program. Assad is a three-quarter brother to Salaa El Dine, who is by the same sire and out of Assad’s

Jeff and Andrea Sloan at Babolna Stud with Director Tamas Rombauer.

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maternal grandam. Salaa El Dine is a noted sire in Europe whose get include Qatar International Champion Mare RN Farida; German National Reserve Champion Stallion Fay Sabun; twice World Reserve Champion Stallion Crusader; and 2005 Scottsdale Second Place Mare Eight and Over and Egyptian Event Reserve Supreme Champion Mare *Asra Salaa.

Salaa El Dine is the paternal grandsire of European and World Champion Stallion and National Champion sire Hlayyil Ramadan.

Assad’s sire is the magnificent U.S. Top Ten Futurity Colt Ansata Halim Shah, whose get have been recognized for their superb quality worldwide. To name just a few — Qatar National Champion Mare Ansata Selket; Qatar International Champion Mare and National Champion producer Ansata Majesta; Argentine National Champion Mare Ansata Tabitha; Qatar Reserve Champion Mare Aisha (a three-quarter sister to Salaa El Dine); Nations Cup Reserve Champion Stallion El Thay Mansour; German National Reserve Champion Stallion and National Champion sire Maysoun; and German National Reserve Champion Stallion and National Champion sire El Thay Ibn Halim Shah. Perhaps Ansata Shah Halim’s best son is World Champion Stallion and Egyptian Event Supreme Champion Stallion *Al Adeed Al Shaqab, also a National Champion sire.

Ansata Halim Shah’s sire, three times U.S. Top Ten Stallion *Ansata Ibn Halima, is the only imported Egyptian stallion to sire both a U.S. National Champion Stallion (Ansata Ibn Sudan) and Mare (FA Halima). *Ansata Ibn Halima is also the sire of the all-time leading Egyptian sire of champions, El Hilal. Assad’s dam Arussa also produced Ameer, who was also used at Babolna as a sire.

Arussa is a full sister to U.S. Top Ten Stallion *Jamilll (sire of World Champion Mare and National Champion producer Tiffaha, Imperial Mistill (dam of three National winners), Brazilian National Champion Mare Kapriole, Danish International Reserve Champion Stallion and National Champion sire Ansata Nile Pasha and grandsire of Nations Cup Junior Champion Filly and twice Egyptian Event Supreme Champion Mare *ZT Shakjamara.

Arussa is by German National Champion Stallion and National Champion sire Madkour I, a paternal brother to National Champion producer *Sanacht (for many years the breed’s leading dam of champions with 12 to her credit). Arussa is out of the treasured mare Hanan, whose blood is not common in America and whose record as

a dam and grandam of international winners is peerless. Her offspring include Salaa El Dine, Ameera (dam of Swedish National Reserve Champion Stallion and National Champion sire Shahin), U.S. Top Ten Stallion *Jamilll (already mentioned), Asfour (sire of Australian National Champion Stallion and World Reserve National Champion Stallion Simeon Sadik, 1997 Swedish National Reserve Champion Stallion Simeon Shemini, Australian National Champion Mares Simeon Sukari and Simeon Salome), Ibn Galal I (sire of U.S. Top Ten Mare *Ibn Galal 1-7), etc. Other notable linebred Hanan horses besides Elf Layla Walayla include Shahin (already mentioned), and Safir (leading sire in Qatar for three successive years with get like Middle East Champion Colt Hacho and Middle East Champion Filly Najmat Al Shaqab, Qatar Junior Champion Colt Wahaj Al Shaqab, Middle East Reserve Champion Stallion and Qatar National Champion Stallion Safi Al Shaqab, and twice Qatar International Reserve Champion Stallion Ashal Al Rayyan, also a National Champion sire, etc. Hanan is one of 12 producers

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“I have great admiration for *El Nabila B as both a horse and a sire,” says Scott Benjamin. “Of the important stallions in the breed right now, he ranks highly among my favorites.

He represents the ideal combination of both his illustrious parents — the commanding masculine presence of Kubinec and the ethereal beauty of ELF Layla Walayla. The best of his heritage can be found in his get with great consistency. Most of all, I love his character — while 100 percent male when he wants to be, El Nabila is the kindest, gentlest, and most trustworthy stallion I have ever known. Just the way the very best Arabian stallions should be.”

of National winners sired by the great Nazeer son Alaa El Din, also a sire of National winners in halter and performance.

218 Elf Layla Walayla B is out of 223 Ibn Galal 1-13, a paternal sister to U.S. Top Ten Mare *Ibn Galal 1-7 and to Ibn Galal I-8, dam of 1994 World Reserve Junior Champion Filly Al Harimba. She is by Ibn Galal I, whose sire Ibn Galal also sired Australian National Champion Mare 27 Ibn Galal 5, the maternal grandam of U.S. and Canadian National Champion Stallion and World Champion Stallion *Simeon Shai. Ibn Galal was a three-quarter brother to U.S. National Reserve Champion Mare and multi-National performance winner *Nahlah. Ibn Galal I is out of the phenomenal producer Hanan, already discussed.

223 Ibn Galal I-13 is out of 23 Ghalion-2. Her sire *Ghalion EAO (known as Ghalion at Babolna) was imported to the U.S. at age 19 and sired a small group of get there but later returned to Germany where he died in 1991 at age 26.

He spent most of his stud career in Hungary and Germany. *Ghalion EAO is by *Morafic, sire of 30 National winners and 39 producers of National winners. *Ghalion EAO is a maternal

brother to *Sultann, the only Egyptian stallion imported to America to sire three National Champions in performance: U.S. National Champion Sidesaddle and Reserve National Champion Native Costume *Manzoura; *Sakr (14 National wins including multiple National Championships in park and native costume); and U.S. National Champion Stallion and English Pleasure *Asadd. Both *Sakr and *Asadd are National Champion sires. *Ghalion EAO is also a maternal brother to *Safaa, dam of U.S. Reserve National Champion Futurity Filly and Top Ten Western Pleasure Muzahrafa and U.S. Top Five Futurity Colt and National winner sire Al Fattah, both threequarter siblings to *Ghalion EAO as they are by *Morafic.

23 Ghalion-3 is out of 6 El Aziza, a paternal sister to National winner sire *Zaghloul (also found close up in the pedigree of leading Egyptian sire and U.S. Reserve National Champion Stallion Thee Desperado) and to Sabeel, sire of National winner sire *Lancer’s Sahm. 6 El Aziza’s dam Zabia also produced the noted black stallion *Adhem, who appears close up in the ancestry of a number of National winning sport horse competitors.

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