Sharing the second part of our coverage from the Dubai Arabian Horse Stud presentation as part of WAHO. Our WAHO coverage is kindly sponsored by Rifat Arabians, Australia. All photography by Sharon Meyers. Please click here for part one of our coverage.
Ladi Veronika family
The next family was that of Ladi Veronika, a daughter of Versace (Fame VF x Precious as Gold) and Nisrs Natevka (Ansata el Nisr x Fez Feather), who has since passed away. A former Silver World Champion, this mare was truly beautiful, and her legacy remains important.
Her first daughter to be presented was D Awzan (by RS Raeed), a soulful, fleabitten grey eight-year-old mare. Her daughter, D Wozoon, was next, a chestnut and flaxen two-year-old filly who was keen to show off! She is by D Shuja’a, thus bringing two important damlines together – FT Shaella and Ladi Veronika. Dubai Arabian Stud places great emphasis on the damlines, which is wonderful to see.
The fleabitten ten-year-old D Maitha followed, by Wadee al Shaqab and out of Ladi Veronika, shown with a filly foal at foot. D Maitha is a lovely, classic mare and, watching this group unfold, it is clear that the Ladi Veronika daughters are truly special.
D Nebras is an interesting cross of Ladi Veronika with the modern lines of EKS Alihandro (Marwan al Shaqab x OFW Psylhouette). A ten-year-year old bay, D Nebras has a serenity about her that is hard to ignore.
The next mare is incredibly special, being the only full sister to D Seraj, the sensational stallion who has taken the show-ring, and breeding barn, by storm in recent years. The mare is D Qasayed and, understandably, she is a hugely important part of Dubai Arabian Stud, being not only a daughter of Ladi Veronika, but the only mare from the cross of her with FA el Rasheem. They have never shown D Qasayed, and it was truly delightful to see her in the arena.
D Sayedah was next, a bay daughter of Ladi Veronika and this time, out of the great Marajj (Marwan al Shaqab x RGA Kouress), who is owned by Albidayer Stud and stood at Dubai Arabian Stud for a season with great results. D Sayedah, now eleven-years-old, is a really lovely mare, and she is a wonderful example of this cross.
Her daughter, D Seyadah (by FA el Rasheem) followed; again, she was a wonderful example of this cross. She had a lovely width between her eyes, and she was short and compact. You could easily imagine her being ridden, and D Seyadah grew in confidence before us. There is much to admire about this mare.
A Ladi Veronika granddaughter was next, D A’baq, sired by D Shakhat (D Khattaf x D Shireen) and out of World Champion D Ajayeb, by the late RFI Farid (RFI Maktub x RFI Fayara el Shiraz) and out of Ladi Veronika. D A’baq is gorgeous – she has a lovely eye, gentle expression, and she oozes quality. A maternal half-sister to D Borkhan (by FA el Rasheem), who is winning big in the Global Champions Arabians Tour (GCAT), D A’Baq charms and captivates in equal measure.
The classical looking D A’mmah is next, also out of D Ajayeb but out of AJ Nofan (AJ Mardan x AJ Noor Kwestura), who was brought in from Ajman Stud to bring new lines to the programme. D A’mmah is four years old, and she has that same old world look that Ladi Veronika had.
D Borkhan’s full sister follows, D Rama, a powerful four-year-old fleabitten grey mare with great expression. We are told that D Rama has had a lot of injuries, but she will clearly be an asset to the breeding programme. She really moved her way around the arena and was a joy to watch.
The final mare was another out of D Ajayeb, this time D Taraneem, by D Jernas (SG Labib x Nefertarji), a five-year-old grey with a foal at foot. My notes read “I really like this family” and, as I write this feature now, it is clear Ladi Veronika has left an impressive legacy.
Allamara MA family
The Allamara MA family is one of the smaller ones presented to us, but it is hugely important to the future of Dubai Arabian Stud. Allamara MA was sired by Marwan al Shaqab (Gazal al Shaqab x Little Liza Fame) and out of RA Miss Siagon (Exceladdinn x Angophora). While Dubai Arabian Stud never owned Allamara MA, as she was bred by Markelle Arabians and owned by Royal Arabians, they did purchase two of her incredible daughters with whom they started this beautiful family.
First out is her daughter Elle Ajmara, sired by Ajman Moniscione (WH Justice x Anthea Moniscione), a chestnut mare foaled in 2016. Shown with a young foal at foot, this was a gentle way to begin this part of the presentation.
Her yearling daughter D Hawayej by D Seraj followed, a bay filly with lovely width between the eyes. She was very overawed by the sight of so many of us and perhaps didn’t shine as much as some of the other horses on the day.
The amazing Elle Flamenca, a personal favourite of mine, was next. A full sister to Elle Ajmara, we are told that this eleven-year-old chestnut is the stud’s most consistent-producing mare. I have loved Elle Flamenca since she took Gold at the Arabian Breeders’ World Cup in Las Vegas, and it was a joy to see her again. She certainly has created her own legacy at Dubai Arabian Stud, as the next horses would show.
D Fannanah (by Excalibur EA) was next, a seven-year-old grey with a foal at foot. D Fannanah has all of her dam’s pizzazz, and she showed off beautifully to the crowd. She is one of those mares who, when she turns it on, elevates to another level.
Her impressive two-year-old daughter followed, D Thaw (by D Seraj). This grey filly was absolutely full of herself, so much so that the handler could hardly keep up with her! D Thaw has a huge show career in front of her, and she is very beautiful as well as expressive. She does, of course, combine the blood of Ladi Veronika and Allamara MA, making her doubly precious.
D Neom was next, by D Seraj and out of Elle Flamenca, a two-year-old chestnut filly. She is the first of three full sisters we would see, and D Neom will possibly make her showing debut later this year. She is a beautiful filly, with much to offer.
Her full sisters, D Najlah and D Raseel came next, both four-year old grey mares. D Najlah was a huge winner in the 2024 GCAT competition, while D Raseel also took a multitude of titles. These sisters were foaled nine days apart, and they are both in foal for the first time. They were a lovely pair, and they showed wonderful Arabian type as they powered around the arena.
Elle Jaharra followed, by Exxalt and out of Allamara MA, who was leased by Dubai Arabian Stud for one year. Her first foal was D Expo, who we would see next, and they decided that Elle Jaharra was such an incredible broodmare, they would keep her at the farm. This eight-year-old grey was shown with a filly foal at foot, and they are a lovely pairing.
D Expo is next, a daughter of D Seraj, and she looks great! Now four-years old, D Expo caused a sensation as a yearling, winning everything in sight before retiring on a high. Her first foal is due next year, and this superb young mare really did put on an impressive show for those gathered. What a family group!
FT Shaella family
The final family group was that of FT Shaella, a feminine mare bred in Brazil and still very much at the heart of Dubai Arabian Stud.
Two full sisters were presented first, starting with FT Saamira. Foaled in 2010, FT Saamira has just arrived from Brazil to further infuse these bloodlines into the breeding programme. The second full sister is FT Shayalla, an eight-year-old mare with a beautiful face and expression. Knowing FT Shaella so well, it was lovely to see her sisters at the farm, and I have no doubt that they will be influential.
FT Shaella herself was next. Now eighteen years of age, she still has it! She freely showed off her amazing movement and received a wonderful applause. We are told “We owe everything to this amazing mare,” and knowing the importance of her progeny, that almost feels like an understatement! From FT Shaella, Dubai Arabian Stud bred four generations of World Champions, and there are very few horses you can say that about. She remains an absolute superstar, and she is truly loved.
D Gharam (by FA el Rasheem) followed, a multiple champion mare with a filly foal at foot. One of the aims of Dubai Arabian Stud is to breed their own champions, and that is why they place such emphasis on the broodmare foundations.
The Marajj/FT Shaella cross produce extraordinary results, and we see the eleven-year-old bay, D Safana, next with her colt foal at foot. Again, this is a lovely pairing.
D Refaal followed, by D Nawaaf (AJ Nofan x D Nebras) and out of D Safana. Looking at this dark grey yearling filly, you can see that she needs a lot of time for her coat to lighten, but Dubai Arabian Stud is all about letting their horses do just that. She is a prime example of when breeders need patience, and she will be one to look for again in the future.
The most magical cross of Marajj over FT Shaella is, undoubtedly, D Shahla. Incredibly, this mare is now thirteen years old, and it seems just like yesterday when she was wowing the world in her yearling year. D Shahla is a truly magical mare, and she was Dubai Arabian Stud’s first homebred and home-produced World Champion. She is getting better with age, and she is the kind of mare you could just watch and enjoy all day.
Her daughter, D Tamayyuz (by FA el Rasheem), follows, an eight-year-old fleabitten grey mare with a foal at foot. This really is a superb mare, and she underlines the vision of Dubai Arabian Stud.
D Shamaa (by D Nawaaf) is out of one of D Shahla’s most well-known daughters, D Shihanah, and this leggy yearling filly is somewhat surprised to see so many people in her arena. This filly will, no doubt, be one to watch for in the future.
Maternal half-sister D Shuhrah follows, sired by D Shakhat (D Khattaf x D Shireen), who represents four generations of Dubai Arabian Stud breeding. This three-year-old filly has a lovely width between her eye, and she has a lovely elegance to her. She underlines the promise yet to come in D Shamaa, and D Shuhrah is a quality filly.
Two three-year-old maternal half-sisters follow, D Sheikhah (by AJ Marzan) and D Aserah (by AJ Norfan), who are shown together. D Sheikhah is a lovely bay full of quality, but her grey sister has that little extra something. She will be incredible once she is white, and they are two very beautiful fillies.
There is only one mare left to show, and that is the dam of these beauties, and daughter of D Shahla, D Shihanah herself. This incredibly regal eight-year-old mare was undefeated in the show-ring in 2023, and it is easy to see why. She is incredibly feminine, lightly fleabitten, and she just oozes quality. What a beautiful way to end what had been a fabulous presentation. Except…
Dubai Arabian Stud decided they cannot let us leave without seeing their two superstar sires themselves, and it was with great excitement that father and son FA el Rasheem and D Seraj came bouncing into the arena! This was a wonderful, unexpected bonus, and everyone clamoured to pick their cameras up again to capture the moment. FA el Rasheem is now fourteen years old, and just last year, added the Gold Senior Male title to his collection at the Dubai International Arabian Horse Championships. D Seraj was foaled in 2015, and he has a string of titles to his name, most recently being named 2024 World Senior Male Champion. It was a perfect way to end this incredible afternoon.
With time to finally draw breath, we made our way through to the adjoining marquee and enjoyed a delicious dinner. The chatter was all about the horses – how they had been shown so naturally, how we got to see the horses behind the scenes as well as the show-ring stars, and how wonderful to see them all presented as family groups.
At heart, while we are all used to seeing the Dubai Arabian Stud horses in the show-ring, it is a breeding stud, and to see these horses in the flesh was a true highlight of the trip for so many. Thank you, Dubai Arabian Horse Stud, for treating the WAHO delegates to such a memorable event.
