Al Dawla

AN ARABIC WORD THAT TRANSLATES INTO ENGLISH AS the cycle of freedom

Since I last spoke to Diaa Karaali for Arabian Studs & Stallions, I can’t help but think that this new name for his stud, Al Dawla, is so much more appropriate for where he is today, compared to just a few years ago when we first met. There is a sense of freedom about him, a sense that he excludes doubt when making decisions, and just follows his heart.

At that time the stud was named Southern Chariot, Diaa had recently purchased the twice Australian National Champion Stallion RHR Heir of Marwan (Marwan Al Shaqab x LC Psychesheiress), one of the highest profile stallions in the country, and was busy looking for a few mares to breed to him and a property to house them. The love and admiration Diaa feels towards RHR Heir of Marwan is almost palpable. The tall, masculine and charismatic stallion had been a sensation from the moment Karin Panuccio imported him from the United States in 2009. ‘Heir is a consistent sire with a golden pedigree, and now an international show icon. He is one of the most influential Marwan Al Shaqab sons and out of LC Psychesheiress, a Brazilian National Champion mare sired by the legendary Padrons Psyche and out of Jamaara Fa who also is in the tail line of DA Valentino. It was based on Heir that our breeding program was initiated and later on developed.’

With Diaa, in 2017 RHR Heir of Marwan embarked on a journey to Europe to be shown, returning home with a Senior Stallions win at the World Championships in Paris and a Bronze Championship at the Milan International in 2018, amongst other wonderful results at Menton, the Chantilly World Cup and winning his class at Aachen with the third highest marks for a stallion. His contribution to the stud and to the Arabian gene pool is assured – the world knows the name RHR Heir of Marwan.

In a bid to calculate his best chances for success, Diaa has bred Heir to mares of a variety of bloodlines, both in Australia and around the world. ‘We collected valuable information over the past few years and it is very interesting to reveal the latest results of our structured experience and knowledge.

‘In my opinion, the most successful lines to cross to RHR Heir of Marwan have been the Australian dam lines which combined classical Crabbet families with El Shaklan sire lines, in most instances those borne from the imported stallions Amir El Shaklan (El Shaklan x Sascha) and SK Shakla Khan (Sanadik El Shaklan x Sunking Raindrop). One of my favourite foals of this cross is the chestnut filly Lulu Al Dawla by Heir and out of Bandagold.’

Bandagold is one of the most important acquired broodmares for Al Dawla. Bred by Jenny Rogers of Aspin Hill Arabians, I know this mare well and she is absolutely divine…the type to take your breath away. She is herself by SK Shakla Khan and out of a mare named Trystan Bandamira, an Amir El Shaklan daughter from a mare who tail females to Rafina (Rusteem x Risala). Bandamira was known for her extreme length and shape of neck, and this trait continues to be inherited in each generation.

‘Secondly, we named another Heir daughter, Haneen Al Dawla. Haneen is out of Chelleason Crown Empressa who goes back in her tail line to Fairview Amira Enshallah, one of the golden cross products of Amir El Shaklan and Esperanza (Shakhs x Esperada).’

Both these fillies have moved from their home in Australia to now join the Schoukens Training Center in Belgium. ‘They are the cream of our crop and we are looking forward to seeing them campaigned in Europe this season.’

Left to fly the flag for Al Dawla in Australia is the recently crowned Silver Champion Yearling Filly at the Australian National Championships, Jazzaba Al Dawla, from Sa-har Sweet Malody (GG Magnetism x Santa Padova Silhouette) and Shuwayma Al Dawla out of Bremervale White Rose (Desperado x Bremervale Bey Accolade), Top Five Yearling Filly at the 2021 East Coast Arabian Championships.

‘All four are chestnut fillies with the stamp of their consistent sire, RHR Heir of Marwan. There is a noticeable consistency in the Spanish lines uniquely yielding the best cross within our Australian program.

‘As an educated development resulting from this experience, we recently acquired the aged grey stallion Fairview Touch of Magic, bred by Peter Hall.’ Touch is sired by the famous SK Shakla Khan and is out of the legendary Australian National Champion Windella Silver Shadow (Amir El Shaklan x Windella Silver Glitter), arguably one of Amir El Shaklan’s best daughters. Touch is a Reserve Australian National Champion Stallion and has sired some exceptional foals with close to 40 currently registered in Australia. We will continue his breeding career with us at Al Dawla Arabians and we are looking forward to seeing the results next year. He has bred some of our best mares and is a joy to simply have at the farm.’

Diaa has also purchased the extremeheaded Nalla Al Kha-dafy, sired by the USA import Al Kha-zar (Thee Asil x Inifdels Princess) from Fairview Sweet Dreams (Estasan Ibn Estopa x Ultimate Dream), adding a little Egyptian blood to his preferred mix of Spanish and Crabbet blood. This stallion has not been used extensively as yet, however the quality of his few foals makes his addition to the breeding program rather exciting.

Overseas in Europe, Al Dawla is utilising frozen semen from Heir to use on mares he has purchased or leased, with exceptional results.

‘We have used Italy and Belgium as a base for our mares, however we do keep one mare in Poland as well. In Italy, we leased the Shanghai EA daughter Nihal, who is from GS Libera (Wahid x M Charlize). She is the 2021 Gold Champion Mare at L’Arte del Cavallo, and as a filly was Gold Champion at Citta di Castello. To Heir, she produced a beautiful filly of a similar type to the Heir fillies produced so far in Australia.’

Also in Italy, Diaa purchased another two WH Justice granddaughters, the first being Nouhaila (AM Emiro x Nagiba AB) who has produced a beautiful grey filly by Heir of Marwan. The second is Nalii Del Falco, by AMG Dalii (WH Justice x Abha La Luna) from Isabel Lady Del Falco (Mial x Aja Sanagors Lady) who had a very promising filly by Heir last season, and is currently in foal to the Straight Egyptian stallion Bashir Al Rayyan (Ansata Nile Echo x G Shafaria).

‘We have leased a mare named AD Stella BGP (Hadidi x Carina Dei Mori), Gold Champion at Forli International Arabian Horse Show, who gave us a beautiful filly.

PC ALESSIO AZZALI PC DAVID GILLETT

LULU AL DAWLA OPPOSITE PAGE RHR HEIR OF MARWAN ABOVE FAIRVIEW TOUCH OF MAGIC

HALIMAS EGYPTIAN PRINCE

PC PETER POND

The mare we bought at the Polish State Stud auction, the beautiful grey Elgora is currently in foal to Heir. She is by Poganin (Laheeb x Pohulanka) and out of an Ekstern daughter Elgina, who is out of a Eukaliptus mare. This is a cross we have chosen for Heir, dreamed of for many years and the fruit will soon be available for all to see.’

At the Elran Cup this year, a filly bred in Europe by the stud Raneem Al Dawla was awarded unanimous Gold Champion Yearling Filly. Sired by FA Rasheem (FA El Shawan x Virtuosa MLR) from GW Frida (Ajman Moniscione x Primadonna PA), Raneen is a very impressive young filly with a big future ahead of her.

In the Netherlands, Diaa was able to secure an embryo from the famous mare ASE Bisiriya Hlayyil (Bishr x Manilah). A splendid mare of a similar type to her much-admired grandsire Hlayyil Ramadan (Kamar El Zaman x Haboub), she was as well known for her beauty as she was for her athletic ability, equally at home in the

VAN GOGH’S DREAM halter ring, the endurance track or as a broodmare. Before her untimely death, she produced a bay filly by Heir, Bisharat Al Dawla, who was purchased by Talitha Bakker, who bred and owned her dam. Diaa has retained the WH Justice daughter he bred from ASE Bisiriya Hlayyil and she will be campaigned in Europe this season.

The purchase of embryos from this mare led to Diaa acquiring from Talitha one of the most talked about colts of the last few years, the jet black ASE Justice El Jamaal. As his name may suggest, he is sired by WH Justice (Magnum Psyche x Vona Sher-renea) and is from Geraldyne El Jamaal (Ali Jamaal x Gai Natasha), a magnificent mare who at 18 years of age is still competing successfully in endurance, an important discipline for her owner. ‘Justice El Jamaal will stay in Europe for now,’ says Diaa ‘and he will join our show team there. Of course, we cannot wait for him to come home to Australia, but for now he has the opportunity to reach his full potential across the international shows.’

Also in Europe is a young mare Diaa purchased in Australia, Van Gogh’s Dream, sired by Van Gogh AM from Mystica Laos (LC Prince Magnum x Shakla’s Silver Dream). ‘This filly is appropriately named, she is a dream come true. From the moment I saw her I knew she had to join our stud. It took some time, but we got there, and I cannot wait to see her in the ring. She of course goes back on the tail female line to those magnificent Windella mares and I am sure she will cross well with Heir when her time comes.’

ASBEEHAT AL DAWLA

JUSTICE EL JAMAAL Meanwhile, here in Australia Diaa continues to expand his Straight Egyptian program alongside his Purebred program. ‘I have always loved the classic, grey Straight Egyptians such as those bred by Ansata Arabians, and I have bought one or two over the years to breed to Heir, but I have not bred them Straight. Now that I have purchased what I consider to be the most ideal to my type stallion in Australia, I will further delve into this exciting project.’

The stallion to which Diaa so nonchalantly refers to is Halimas Egyptian Prince. Bred by Peter and Jenny Pond of Forest Hill Arabians, Halimas Egyptian Prince is sired by Royal Jamill (Royal Jalliel x Bint Jamilla) from AK Faressa (Prince Fa Moniet x AK Nameesa).

‘I have also purchased his full sisters Halimas Bint Faressa and Halimas Monessa, and two daughters Halimas Egyptian Princess from Halimas Desert Temptation (Anaza El Nizr x Joda Desert Temptation) and Halimas Royal Ma’isah from Halimas Bint Maisa (Royal Jamil x Rusima). Together with Simeon Stella (Anaza Bay Shahh x Raffaalaa), this group will form the nucleus of my Straight Egyptian program.

‘RHR Heir of Marwan has allowed us to filter out the broodmares and bloodlines from our initial selected group of mares, and today we are focussed on yielding the best Arabian horse produced from all Arabian lines, spread across the globe. Through that particular experience we seek to expose the secret of a conceptual structure for successfully breeding these beautiful beings.’

Al Dawla has foals due in 2021 by the Australian National Champions RHR Heir of Marwan (Marwan Al Shaqab x LC Psychesheiress) and Vesuvio (Azteq LBA x Valouria), and Australian National Reserve Champion Fairview Touch of Magic (SK Shakla Khan x Windella Silver Shadow).

Such is the freedom which the Arabian has historically given the human and continues to do so in present and will do so into the future, universally across time and space.

My long term goal with Al Dawla Arabians is to utilise those broodmares selected from amongst the historical treasures bred in Australia, and blend them with the greatest sires in Europe and the Middle East.

Interview with Diaa Karaali Images courtesy of Alessio Azzali, David Gillett, Peter Pond & Renato Sorvilo