Bassam’s breeding philosophy is humble and pragmatic. “I don’t believe I have a special breeding program yet,” he explains, “but I am trying to have one that is special; one that can produce incredible foals. In the end, only God decides, Inshallah. I am always traveling to farms around the world to try and find something unique to incorporate into my program. My favorite sire line is Padrons Psyche because it is really prolific, but I prefer not to use too much of the same blood. It is not always easy to find a right horse that can give you something distinct and improve your breeding program. I also am really fascinated by the science behind breeding, especially embryo transfer. It is not possible in humans, but thanks to God, it is with horses. This is a great advantage for all of us in the industry.” Bassam Al Saqran with the mare Donna Molta Bella SRA (DA Valentino x RD Fabreanna), above, and the stallion Baahir El Marwan (Marwan Al Shaqab x HB Bessolea), below.
by Jeffrey Wintersteen
“The Arabian horse is a passion, it is the breath of life for the soul,” believes Bassam Al Saqran of Al Saqran Stud. For Bassam, the Arabian industry is his life’s obsession, one that is not driven by financial gains, but for the horse first and foremost. “It is not about making money, it is about seeking the ideal Arabian; this is something I hope to do the rest of my life, Inshallah!” Over the last few years Al Saqran Stud has become a major player at key shows from Scottsdale, to Paris, to Dubai. Al Saqran Stud is comprised of three farms situated in three countries, and on two continents: Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S.A.; Dubai, UAE; and Kuwait. The biggest farm is in Dubai, but the Kuwait farm is growing bigger every day. The Middle East locations are used to campaign horses at the Gulf shows and major shows around Europe. The Scottsdale farm was recently purchased and will serve to train and send the stud’s horses to shows in North America.
Among the horses of Al Saqran, Bassam has no favorites. “There is no one horse that I like more than another — they are all like my children so I cannot say there is one I love more,” he says with a smile. “Unfortunately, I am too busy and cannot spend as much time with the horses as I would like. But when I have the time, I love to be at the farm and spend time with them.”