On the first weekend of August, as with tradition, the Polish National Arabian Horse Show and the Pride of Poland Auction took place at the Janów Podlaski Stud Farm. These events are the symbolic culmination of the show season in Poland.
For the second year in a row, the organisers decided to surprise the guests with a new location of the show-ring and this year, I must admit, it was a positive surprise. The Janów Hall was designated as the venue for the championship and auction. They arranged the interior in an elegant and thoughtful way, and the show-ring itself was spacious and decently lit. This year, the weather was the complete opposite of what we saw last year – the sky was full of heat and organising the event in the hall turned out to be a success, as the temperature inside was pleasant.
The judges
And in these pleasant circumstances, the Janów weekend started on Friday 11 August with the colt and stallion classes, under the judging panel of: Christine Jamar and Martine Van Hee from Belgium, Mohammed Aziz Kadan from Israel, Abdelaziz Al Marzooqi from the United Arab Emirates, Joseph Polo from the United States, and Eiad Safady from the Netherlands. The reliable ringmasters Roberto Ceccaroni from Italy and Mohammed Hammad from Egypt accompanied them, as well as Disciplinary Committee, which included Peter Hegemann from Germany, Fahrang Fazeli from Iran, and Gianpaolo Teobaldelli from Italy.
Colts and stallions
Poker Face KL
The Gold medal and title of Polish Champion Yearling Colt went to the phenomenal winner of the second class of yearling colts, the bay Poker Face KL (RFI Unique (BR) x Plivia by Kahil al Shaqab (US)), bred and owned by the Klikowa Arabians. He was shown for the first time in Poland, and scored 92.7 points in his class. Poker Face KL was also honoured with Girlan-Bey Award for the Best Yearling Colt, awarded for the first time in history and founded by Girlan-Bey’s breeder, Michał Bogajewicz. Girlan-Bey (Pesal x Gracja-Bis by Monogramm) is a horse who, in 2003, symbolically began the era of blurring the differences between Arabian horses bred in Polish State Studs and those bred by private breeders. He became the first privately bred Champion Stallion in the history of the Polish shows as well as Best in Show during the championship held in Białka. The Polish National Silver Yearling Colt title went to the grey Gladius SA (Dominic M (US) x Ginessa by Shanghai EA (ES)), bred and owned by Waldemar Bąk. Thus, Gladius SA was awarded silver medal for the third time in a row, having also taken the title in Tarnów and Sopot. Bronze went to the winner of the first yearling colt class, the eye-catching, impressive Phenix al Miro (D Zeidan (UAE) x Psyche Lejla by Pogrom), bred and owned by Mirosław Rogowski.
Gladius SA
Phenix al Miro
El Draco RA
The two- and three-year-old colt classes were, as usual, not large. The unanimous title of Polish National Junior Male Champion went to El Draco RA (Morion x El Medisa by Shanghai EA (ES)). He was also honoured with the Izabella Pawelec-Zawadzka Polish National Junior Stallion Challenge Trophy. Trained in Italy, and shown for the first time in Poland, El Draco RA is bred and owned by Regina Arabians by Czesław Gołaszewski. Right behind him on the podium was the Michałów-bred, three-quarter brother to El Draco RA, the shimmering gold, award-winning El Medar (Morion x El Medonia by Shanghai EA (ES)). Bronze went to the dark bay Al Narciso (Erantis x Amorena by Pogrom), bred at the Janów Podlaski Stud, who repeated his result from Białka.
El Medar
Al Narciso
Złoty Medal
Sunday’s Senior Male Championships were an event pleasing to the eye and the heart. The first reason that made our hearts feel warmer was the well-known Złoty Medal (QR Marc (US) x Złota Orda by Pesal), who, after winning the senior stallion class with a score of 92.7 in great style, with the highest score among senior stallions, was finally awarded the gold medal written in his name; Złoty Medal means literally Gold Medal. After many years, this stallion finally took the title of Polish Senior Male Champion. The Silver title went to the 2019 Bronze National Yearling Colt Champion, the dark bay Wolare (RFI Farid (BR) x Wieża Marii by El Omari), who has not been seen at shows for some time. He has matured and remains in very good condition, thanks to which he won his class with a high score of 92.1 points. Bred by Wojciech Parczewski, Wolare is owned by Sławomir Bubas. The last male place on the podium for this year’s National Championships went to Janów’s milky-grey Barok (Om El Bellissimo (US) x Baida by Balon), who place second in his class, just behind the Złoty Medal.
Wolare
Barok
Fillies and mares
Wencedora
They divided the yearling fillies into three strong, very balanced classes, and selecting the champion among them on Sunday morning was difficult, as evidenced by the split between the judges for the medal spots. The title of Polish National Champion Yearling Filly stayed at the Janów Podlaski Stud and went filly who placed second in the third class, and Silver medallist from Białka, Wencedora (Haash OSB (UY) x Wiga by Om El Bellissimo (US)). The winner of the first class, and the only one among the yearlings to receive a 20 for head and neck, had to settle for Silver. This was the beautiful Cararra (D Zeidan (UAE) x Calatina by Emerald J (US)) bred by Marek Kondrasiuk and owned by Alicja Najmowicz from Nana Arabians. The Janów-bred chestnut Eleganza (Haash OSB (UY) x Eduarda by Pogrom), who took third in her class, took the Bronze, thus repeating her result from Białka and Tarnów.
Cararra
Eleganza
Abellia
We saw a total of 15 horses in the two- and three-year-old filly classes, with six competing in Sunday’s championship. The judges unanimously chose the winner of the two-year-old filly class for the Gold, adding to her Championship title from Tarnów, Abellia (Magic Magnifique (IT) x Axara by Kahil al Shaqab (US)) from Janów Podlaski. The Silver medal went to winner of the three-year-old filly class, the bay Psyche Apsary (Ghaith al Zobair (AE) x Psyche Victoria by Ekstern). Bred and owned by Chrcynno-Palace Stud, she also repeated her result from Tarnów. Bronze went to the chestnut Bellaria (Wortex Kalliste (FR) x Bokasa by Ekstern), bred by Janów Podlaski Stud, who had placed third in her class.
Psyche Apsara
Bellaria
Evett Magic (and cover photo)
The mare classes were traditionally very large, and the judges once again faced a very difficult task in the championships to select the best of the best and honour them with medals. And so, the Polish Senior Female Champion, and then the Best in Show of the XLV Polish National Arabian Horse Show, was last year’s bronze medallist of the National Championships, the phenomenal Evett Magic (SMA Magic One (BE) x Evolett by Ajman Moniscione (IT)), bred by Katarzyna Dolińska-Witkowska from Zalia Arabians and owned by Tomasz Tarczyński. The successes of Evett Magic, as well as several other horses bred at the stud farm of Mrs and Mr Witkowski, including Excalibria, Exfaria Zalia, Extina Zalia, Perlaf Zalia meant that once again, the owners of the small Zalia Arabians stud were honoured with the Breeder of the Year Award, granted each year by the Polish Arabian Horse Breeders Association. Evett Magic also received a special award for the Best Head of the Show, Although she took second place in the class with 92.5 points, on Sunday she was the best in the eyes of the judges who nominated her as the champion, with just one judge having a different opinion. The silver medal went to Echo Anastazja (Psyche Keret x Echo Aurora by Eternity Ibn Navarrone-D (BE)), highly placed in both Janów and earlier in Tarnów. Bred and owned by Chrcynno-Pałac Stud, Echo Anastazja was additionally awarded the prize for Best in Show – Pure Polish, and she won her class with a score of 93.2 points. Bronze at this year’s championship went to Ziga Zana (QR Marc (US) x Zagrobla by Monogramm (US)), bred by Michałów Stud, who won the senior mare class with a score of 93.1 points. The Michałów Stud also received several other awards, including the Highest Scored Mare in the Show for El Bellissima (Ascot DD (BE) x Ekliptyka by Ekstern), and Best Breeder of the Show, while Artur Łojowski, who presented the Michałów treasures, was chosen as the Best Handler of the Show.
Echo Anastazja
Zigi Zana
It is worth mentioning that the quality of the mares entered is best demonstrated by the fact that in the four classes, where we saw 31 mares, only one scored below 90 points and 14 scored above 92 points. I feel sorry for the judges that they could only award three medals in the championship!
Awards
Altamira
I must also mention that award for the Best Movement of the Show was awarded to the oldest participant of the show, Altamira (Ekstern x Altona by Eukaliptus), bred by Janów Podlaski Stud and owned by Adam Ochman from Polia Arabians. The award for the Best Racehorse of the Show went to Patanga (Om El Bellissimo (US) x Pepita by Ekstern) from Janów Podlaski.
Patanga
The championships ended with the presentation of a temporary award, the WAHO Trophy for an outstanding representative of the Polish Arabian horse breeding. This year, it went to Pogrom (QR Marc (US) x Pętla by Visbaden (SU)) from Janów Podlaski, who has not been seen for a long time, but is still loved and has a large fan base. He was presented by the Best Trainer of the Show, Mateusz Tokarski.
Pogrom and Mateusz Tokarski
And so, the XLV National Purebred Arabian Horse Show went down in history, and I think it will be well remembered, mainly due to good organisation, the beautiful visual side of the event and the large number of horses entered. We can only hope that, despite some shortcomings, the organisers will make every effort to avoid similar mistakes next year and the 2024 show will be even more successful. See you!
For more show reports, click here.
To find out more about Patrycja Makowaka, click here.
