Today sees the world-renowned stallion WH Justice turn 27 years of age. The impact that this stallion has had on the world of the Arabian horse simply cannot be underestimated. He changed show-rings around the world, and created a new standard for ‘type’ that exists to this day. As WH Justice, now owned by Hanaya Stud in Switzerland in his retirement, turns 26, we share this feature from The Arabian Breeders’ Magazine 2020, which focused on this legend’s 21st birthday. WH Justice, we salute you!
This year [2020], the stallion WH Justice turned 21 years of age. For so many, a life without Justice seems impossible – he has been a hugely significant sire, and his progeny have gone on to win around the world. As this giant of the breeding barn celebrates this milestone birthday, we look back at the influence of WH Justice, and just how one foal born in the United States has changed the look of show-rings across the globe.
Few can have known that a truly global star was born when, on 16 May 1999, a beautiful grey mare lay down at an Arabian breeding farm in Utah, USA, and foaled a typey grey colt. The mare in question was Vona Sher-Renea, owned by David and Jo Anne Goodrich but leased by Wendell Hansen. When the colt was just four months old, the path was set for greatness as he was sold to Equid System Ltd in Europe. The colt’s name was WH Justice, and he would grow to become known around the world for his beauty, his prowess as a sire, and as one of the most loved Arabian horses of a generation.
The pedigree
WH Justice’s pedigree is certainly an illustrious one – although all astute breeders know that this is no guarantee of breeding a special foal. However, the stars aligned when Wendell decided to breed Vona Sher-Renea to Magnum Psyche. The resulting foal, WH Justice, helped to secure his sireline as one of the greatest in history, while also making a name for himself as ‘the champion maker’.
Magnum Psyche is sired by the late, great Padrons Psyche, a stallion who goes back to the Egyptian stallion Mansour (Gamil Manial x Nafaa el Saghira I), foaled in 1921. This line from WH Justice to Mansour is one of the most notable in modern Arabian horse breeding – with the other being the sireline of Marwan al Shaqab (Gazal al Shaqab x Little Liza Fame) – a line that also goes back to Mansour, seven generations earlier. The WH Justice sireline goes from Magnum Psyche (ex A Fancy Miracle by Sasaki) to Padrons Psyche (ex Kilika by Tamerlan) to Padron (ex Odessa by Bright Wings) to Patron (ex Podruga by Priboj) to Aswan (ex Yosreia by Sheikh el Arab) to Nazeer (ex Bint Samiha by Kazmeen) to Mansour. All of these horses are hugely significant and influential in their own way – and when you add in the power of the dams as well, with their Crabbet, Polish, and Russian lines, it is clear to see why this line remains so potent and important today in the modern breeding world.
WH Justice’s dam is the late Vona Sher-Renea, a daughter of the illustrious El Sher-Mann (ex Gazira by Gazi), a son in turn of El Shaklan (Shaker el Masri x Estopa), another of the most iconic Arabian stallions of the 20th century. Vona Sher-Renea’s damline is significant as she is out of Renea (ex Shamillazzan by Shahmilla), a daughter of the stallion Jassen (ex Jamal Colleen by Sur-Lee) who was by Mohssen, a hugely important straight Egyptian stallion sired by Ansata Ibn Halima (Nazeer x Halima) and out of Bint Mona (Nazeer x Mouna). Her whole pedigree is one of predominantly Egyptian bloodlines crossed with Spanish, going back to Crabbet, and the resulting mare was one filled with grace and beauty.
When WH Justice was born, the Fates ensured that he encapsulated the very best of his forebears and as time went on, his name would become one that would shine in lights.
The early years
WH Justice was one of a handful of foals born in 1999 and so Wendell made the decision to sell him and the Fates once more played their part as Equid System Ltd entered this young colt’s life. “We were looking for a promising young colt or stallion to bring to Europe, and Fernando Poli sent us a video of WH Justice,” they recall. “He was just four months old, but I fell in love with him straight away and we quickly arranged the purchase. However, we agreed to let Justice stay in the US so that he could compete in Scottsdale. There, he was placed Top Ten in both his class and the Magnum Psyche Futurity – and then, he came to us in Europe.”
With his new owners, WH Justice placed three times in the Paris World Championships Top Ten (2001, 2002 and 2004), also taking the Most Beautiful Head Award twice. He has also been named UK International Champion Stallion, All Nations’ Cup Champion Stallion, and Reserve European Champion Stallion among other titles. In 2013, leased to Aljassimya Farm and standing in the Santa Ynez Valley, California, WH Justice won his class at the Arabian Breeders’ World Cup in Las Vegas and placed Silver Champion Stallion. It was there that he was reunited with his breeder, Wendell, and it truly was a magical moment.
WH Justice has seen success with many farms, being leased not only to Aljassimya but also Al Shaqab Stud in Qatar and has also stood at Knocke Arabians in Belgium. However, his owners love to have him at home with them, when they take him on long rides through the countryside and allow this great stallion to just be a horse.
And what a horse he is. WH Justice is a very distinctive stallion, with his fleabitten coat and true bloody shoulder. His neck is amazing, naturally long and hooky, and set perfectly on to the shoulder. His dished face is set off by large, gentle eyes, and his expression is kind. When he walks, WH Justice is proud and when he moves, he is flamboyant, powerful, and mesmerising. To his progeny, Justice passes on his fantastic head and neck, as well as his powerful movement. While there is no such thing as a perfect horse – and Justice has generally received lower marks for his body – his offspring are predominately correct, especially when put to the right mare to help balance both sire and dam together. Taking all this into consideration, it is with little wonder that he has captivated breeders wherever he has gone in the world, and that he continues to do so to this day.
Part two of this feature, which celebrates WH Justice as a sire, will be published next week.
