2017 WAHO Conference: Bahrain and the Arabian Farm Tours

2017 WAHO CONFERENCE

Right: One of the conference

WAHO

organizers, Jenny Lees of

President Peter

Pearl Island Arabians, UK.

Pond with HH Sheikh Faisal bin Rashid Al Khalifa.

and the

A R A B I A N FA R M T O U R S

His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the stallion Mlolshaan Alyatim.

hosted under the patronage of

His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the Royal Ara bian Studs of Bahrain, Febr uar y 15, 2017.

H

by Caroline Reid orses are revered in the small desert Kingdom of Bahrain and the preservation of the Arabian horse is an integral photos by Sharon Meyers part of Bahrain’s heritage. This was the theme running and April Visel throughout the conference.

The Dilmun civilization has horses depicted here over 4,000 years ago and there are currently around 5,000 horses on this tiny island and over 2,000 are registered purebred Arabians!

Four official shows are held each year and indeed we attended the first ECAHO ‘C’ International while we were here. Racing is very popular and they also hold endurance, western, dressage, and jumping competitions.

The Kingdom of Bahrain itself is a small archipelago of around thirty islands, the largest of which is Bahrain Island, which is only around 32 miles long, 11 miles wide, and has a population of around 1.35 million, with just under half being non-nationals.

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For many years Bahrain was considered the best in the world for its pearls, with fishing its other main industry, and it was later that it became wealthy through oil. Eventually, as the oil reserves began to decline, Bahrain invested in banking, with many of the large financial institutions now in the capital of Manama. In the 1980s the 16-mile King Fahd Causeway opened, connecting Bahrain to Saudi Arabia.

There’s rain in Bahrain! Coming from a particularly wet winter in England it didn’t exactly phase me, but I don’t think any of us came prepared for inclement weather! My suitcase was already bulging and groaning with summer clothes (not because I have so many to choose from, but because I can’t choose, so I pack everything) and of course Cadburys. As if by magic, we were given gorgeous cashmere shawls in our WAHO welcome packs, so much of the time we boarded our coaches looking like a bunch of overgrown overaged school children on a trip in our identical uniforms!

THE OPENING CEREMONY Set in a vast and most beautiful ballroom at the Ritz-Carlton, we were greeted with a short film about the Arabian horse in Bahrain, explaining how it is considered a national treasure, and that His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa al Khalifa himself is a skilled horseman who is passionate about the Arabian horse, as was his father, and that the horses at the Royal Stables are bred according to tradition, with the King himself personally deciding the matings.

There are around 20 desert family strains, with Bahraini Arabians forming the foundation of Arabian families around the world, such as the stallion Kuhailan Afas founding the Comet line in Poland, and in doing so forged relationships worldwide. Even the police are

Delegates from China.

mounted on Asil Bahraini horses.

After the film a brass band arrived heralding the arrival of HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, the Crown Prince, who opened the ceremony.

We then had a brief, yet moving speech from Jenny Lees, who came to Bahrain from England in the late ’60s, and is now the “Ambassador of the Bahraini Arabian,” having long been an associate of the Bahrain Royal Family and instrumental in promoting Arabian bloodlines.

Jenny spoke warmly about the Al Khalifa Arabians, saying that these horses “ … are history on the hoof, ‘a window to the past,’” and that the criteria today has not changed: conformation, temperament, and soundness being paramount, as was speed (necessary in battle and now on the racetrack!) and comfort (they were ridden bareback).

Jenny gave us a fantastic quote from HRH Prince Hamad, who had said, “Throughout the centuries we needed these horses as our warhorses for our survival and now these horses need us. They took care of us and now it is our turn to look after them.”

WAHO President Peter Pond gave his opening address, thanking the royal family for their hospitality and all the delegates and attendees.

Peter emphasized that, “WAHO is a non-political and unique organization, which brings respective cultures together in a cohesive and cooperative way, not for ourselves, but for purebred Arabian horses.”

WAHO Secretary Mrs. Valerie Bunting told us about China and their application to join WAHO; this was voted on and their application accepted.

A minute’s silence was held to respect those who had passed away, and then we watched a short, beautifully made video by Horsefly Films about the wonderful Isabella Pawelec-Zawadzka, which brought tears to everyone’s eyes.

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2017 WAHO CONFERENCE

and the

A R A B I A N FA R M T O U R S

His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the stallion Mlolshaan Alyatim.

hosted under the patronage of

His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the Royal Ara bian Studs of Bahrain, Febr uar y 15, 2017.

H

by Caroline Reid orses are revered in the small desert Kingdom of Bahrain and the preservation of the Arabian horse is an integral photos by Sharon Meyers part of Bahrain’s heritage. This was the theme running and April Visel throughout the conference.

The Dilmun civilization has horses depicted here over 4,000 years ago and there are currently around 5,000 horses on this tiny island and over 2,000 are registered purebred Arabians!

Four official shows are held each year and indeed we attended the first ECAHO ‘C’ International while we were here. Racing is very popular and they also hold endurance, western, dressage, and jumping competitions.

The Kingdom of Bahrain itself is a small archipelago of around thirty islands, the largest of which is Bahrain Island, which is only around 32 miles long, 11 miles wide, and has a population of around 1.35 million, with just under half being non-nationals.

128 b ARABIAN HORSE WORLD b MAY 2017

Right: One of the conference

WAHO

organizers, Jenny Lees of

President Peter

Pearl Island Arabians, UK.

Pond with HH Sheikh Faisal bin Rashid Al Khalifa.

For many years Bahrain was considered the best in the world for its pearls, with fishing its other main industry, and it was later that it became wealthy through oil. Eventually, as the oil reserves began to decline, Bahrain invested in banking, with many of the large financial institutions now in the capital of Manama. In the 1980s the 16-mile King Fahd Causeway opened, connecting Bahrain to Saudi Arabia.

There’s rain in Bahrain! Coming from a particularly wet winter in England it didn’t exactly phase me, but I don’t think any of us came prepared for inclement weather! My suitcase was already bulging and groaning with summer clothes (not because I have so many to choose from, but because I can’t choose, so I pack everything) and of course Cadburys. As if by magic, we were given gorgeous cashmere shawls in our WAHO welcome packs, so much of the time we boarded our coaches looking like a bunch of overgrown overaged school children on a trip in our identical uniforms!

THE OPENING CEREMONY Set in a vast and most beautiful ballroom at the Ritz-Carlton, we were greeted with a short film about the Arabian horse in Bahrain, explaining how it is considered a national treasure, and that His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa al Khalifa himself is a skilled horseman who is passionate about the Arabian horse, as was his father, and that the horses at the Royal Stables are bred according to tradition, with the King himself personally deciding the matings.

There are around 20 desert family strains, with Bahraini Arabians forming the foundation of Arabian families around the world, such as the stallion Kuhailan Afas founding the Comet line in Poland, and in doing so forged relationships worldwide. Even the police are

Delegates from China.

mounted on Asil Bahraini horses.

After the film a brass band arrived heralding the arrival of HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, the Crown Prince, who opened the ceremony.

We then had a brief, yet moving speech from Jenny Lees, who came to Bahrain from England in the late ’60s, and is now the “Ambassador of the Bahraini Arabian,” having long been an associate of the Bahrain Royal Family and instrumental in promoting Arabian bloodlines.

Jenny spoke warmly about the Al Khalifa Arabians, saying that these horses “ … are history on the hoof, ‘a window to the past,’” and that the criteria today has not changed: conformation, temperament, and soundness being paramount, as was speed (necessary in battle and now on the racetrack!) and comfort (they were ridden bareback).

Jenny gave us a fantastic quote from HRH Prince Hamad, who had said, “Throughout the centuries we needed these horses as our warhorses for our survival and now these horses need us. They took care of us and now it is our turn to look after them.”

WAHO President Peter Pond gave his opening address, thanking the royal family for their hospitality and all the delegates and attendees.

Peter emphasized that, “WAHO is a non-political and unique organization, which brings respective cultures together in a cohesive and cooperative way, not for ourselves, but for purebred Arabian horses.”

WAHO Secretary Mrs. Valerie Bunting told us about China and their application to join WAHO; this was voted on and their application accepted.

A minute’s silence was held to respect those who had passed away, and then we watched a short, beautifully made video by Horsefly Films about the wonderful Isabella Pawelec-Zawadzka, which brought tears to everyone’s eyes.

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Atendees Lyman, Rosemary, and Terence Doyle, breeders from Oregon.

We then had a break for lunch, again held in the most beautiful of rooms, with simply huge crystal chandeliers dripping down above us.

The Ritz-Carlton in Bahrain is as sumptuous as ever, and apart from the magnificent rooms the conference was held in and the beautiful marble reception areas, there were many other thoughtful touches and most modern of gadgets throughout, with even the loos benefitting from some unusual extras … which of course, one evening, encouraged by Val Bunting and the effects of a large glass of red, yours truly decided to try.

Dim lighting and dimmer eyesight meant that there was no point in attempting to read the instructions, so I simply pressed all the buttons at once.

I can only imagine this is what it feels like to sit atop a volcano that’s shortly due to empty, as suddenly blasts of hot water and hot air attacked me from below. Escape was futile, as I realized that if I stood up it would be the whole of the cubicle as well as the whole of me receiving the washing machine/tumble drier-all-at-once-effect, so I thought it best to restrict the onslaught by staying put, while frantically pressing buttons trying to shut the damn thing down.

Since when has a “Stop” button been placed first in the line of controls?

And yet still, over the roar of water and the blast of air, I was able to hear Mrs. Bunting’s most unsympathetic and unrestrained howls of laughter.

Mention must be made of the food, as this lunch proved to be a “taste” of things to come. At every lunch or dinner we were treated to a hot and cold buffet, which in itself was superb, but the desserts! I defy anyone on that trip to say they didn’t round up a little, at least, while they were there. My “rounding” came to around five pounds! Chocolate, chocolate tarts, pies, mousses, puddings, fountains, bonbons and bombes, were my personal downfall, but that was just a small selection of what was on

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offer! Not only were they all delicious, but they were presented as stunning works of art, whether individual bites or huge caramelized-candy-flossed confections.

Who needs teeth or a waist anyway?

Back to the ballroom and now each country’s delegate gave their report for the last two years, giving information such as how many purebreds they have registered in total and how many foals were registered each year, who won their country’s WAHO Trophy, and any other such news.

Syria’s report was particularly saddening, but there is hope. They lost many horses, but also many remain and the government is helping to rebuild the facilities. Also Palestine, which had been under siege, so occupation meant they were unable to register their horses. Palestine, who really wants to be a member of WAHO in their own right instead of through the Israeli Stud Book, confirmed that the executive committee is working with them to facilitate this. Both the latter reports received a round of applause from all.

The previous evening we had been treated to a welcome reception dinner and presentation of some show-winning Arabians at the Ritz-Carlton in a huge marquee on the lawns, hosted by the Royal Arabian Studs of Bahrain. Tonight’s reception was hosted by the Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation and held at the Sofitel, again, in a huge marquee on the lawns. This time the horses were presented to us along

HRH Princess Alia bint Hussein

The WAHO Executive committee.

of Jordan, right, and Kim Cox,

Conference speaker Edouard Al-Dahdah.

Australia.

the beach — with the dark sea sparkling with the reflection of the harbor lights, the inky black sky lit by the moon, pale sand, and gently flowing palms, it made for a most idyllic setting.

The following day we sat down to reports about the World Registrars Meeting held earlier in the month plus the Treasurer’s report and then Dr. Ali Hassan Follad gave an interesting talk, “A Brief History of Bahrain.” The two sessions by Edouard Al-Dahdah, “Arabian Strains: Origins, Meanings, and Relevance Today,” and “The Golden Thread — Connecting Our Arabian Horses Heritage from the Past to the 21st Century,” were both informative and inspiring.

Edouard spoke passionately about preserving this wonderful breed and is extremely knowledgeable on its history. He told us that of the original 20 Arabic countries that had a significant number of the original desert Arab lines, only four remain: Bahrain, Syria, Egypt, and Tunisia.

His comments on type were interesting too! Saying that there is no single Arabian type, there are hundreds, yet in the West we are all trying to breed exactly the same type, the show horse, and sadly many now think that everything else is “off type.” Here in Bahrain they have the purest horses and their heritage is proven, yet the West would not consider them “typey.”

As much as Edouard spoke eloquently about type and strains, his main emphasis was on preserving their heritage. He said that horses represent history, culture, knowledge, heritage, folklore and even heirlooms passed on through generations of families and he encouraged us to research the history and strains of our own horses, to find the ancestral mare, the number of generations between her and what we have now, and to take care and pride in our very own valuable piece of history.

Edouard said that horses should never be treated as just an industry.

To finish with a favorite quote of his: “Despite losing their dignity horses have never lost their pride.”

The Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation presented horses on the beach at the Sofitel. Here is the stallion Ameen al Naif (Say Amen x SES Nafila).

A few of the conference attendees, left to right: Jaroslav Lacina, Gideon Reisel, Debbie Fuentes, Nabeel Shekhani, Marc Somerhausen, Jehangir Rustomjee, and Anette Mattsson.

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Right: The Jay W. Stream Traditional Arabian Horse Cup winner Zaizoom Al Uraiq and jockey Ahmed Riyadh.

THE RACES In the afternoon we went to the racetrack at Ar-Rifaa.

Now, I have to mention how we were transported to the various functions and events, because it was a cause of great excitement among nearly all of us, many more than liked to admit, and I saw more than a few who had feigned aloof grown-up-ness and casual disinterest, sneakily getting a video in or taking a few snaps!

Everywhere we went we had a police escort — not merely a car traveling with us, but a police bike at the front of our convoy of three or four coaches and numerous limos, and others behind and beside us, all with their blue lights flashing and sirens going constantly, plus! Every slip road was shut off by the police too, ensuring we had a clear road in front of us — and we got to glide straight through the red lights! Much as I felt (very slightly) sorry for the waiting queues of traffic, I’m pretty sure I wasn’t the only one feeling like a VVIP! On to the race meeting and we had warm weather at last. We were finally able to pack away the gorgeous shawls as it was such a beautiful day with a light breeze. Perfect.

As well as the wonderful weather, we were treated to unique and stunning views at the racetrack — a mass of flamingoes inhabit the picturesque lake just beyond the track, and on the desert horizon was a mosque and an oil drill.

There are two 2,400-meter grass tracks with a 600-meter straight and the club races year-round with 26 meetings a year and admission and race cards are free to the public.

After another lovely luncheon, this time hosted by the Rashid Equestrian and Horseracing

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club, we rushed off to watch one of the two featured Arab races on the thoroughbred card, the WAHO Cup Race.

There was a friendly and more relaxed atmosphere than what we’re used to, which reminded one of Arab racing when it first started in Europe. Although just as keen to win, there was less stress and more ambience and goodwill, which showed in the humans and horses being a little more relaxed in the paddock. There were hundreds of locals there watching with us and it made for a great afternoon.

The race was won by Al Tuwaisah (Obeyan 921 x Al Tuwaisah 859) and later we watched the other race for Arabs — the Jay W. Stream Traditional Arabian Horse Cup, with horses and riders racing in traditional tack and clothing. It was fun to watch, (at one stage a saddle did slip off!), and was won by the aptly named Zaizoom Al Uraiq. It made for an enchanting, colorful evening, against the setting sun while sipping fresh strawberry juice and with flamingoes enhancing the darkening desert backdrop.

After the races we were taken for a tour of the Memorial Museum, a beautiful and very modern building, and although there were the more typical artifacts from Bahrain’s pearl and fishing industries, the majority of exhibits were interactive. We even caught Marek Trela trying his hand with a different type of horsepower in an F1 car simulator that was set up next to Lewis Hamilton’s race winning McLaren Mercedes, Bahrain being the first of the Middle Eastern countries to hold a Grand Prix.

Desert Bred Arabians at Riffa Fort.

The Police Band at Riffa Fort.

This evening’s reception was hosted by the Court of the Crown Prince and held at the Riffa Fort where we watched a brass band (which included bagpipes, apparently very popular in the Middle East), and a traditional riding display. The backdrop of the Fort in the moonlight with beautiful Arabian horses made it another memorable evening for us all.

Conference speakers Dr. Samantha Brooks, left, and Jerzy Bialobok and Anna Stojanowska.

Saturday was the last day of the conference, with more insightful lectures and talks, starting with Deirdre Hyde, manager of Al W’Rsan Stables in the United Arab Emirates on, “A Quick Gallop Through the History of Arabian Racing,” followed by Dr. Samantha Brooks, the genetics specialist, who gave two lectures during the day, “How Science is Helping us to Help our Horses: New Findings on Laminitis Susceptibility and Equine Metabolic Syndrome in Arabian Horses” and “Genomics — The Door to the Future: Analyzing the Population Structure and Ancestry of the Arabian Horse.”

Both talks were fascinating in the parts that I understood, as were her slides, but I have to admit that I was a tad relieved, upon having a quick look around, to see others having a hard time following too, for as much as I concentrated more than a few points flew straight over my head!

In brief, Samantha told us that they have now identified the genes that have a major part to play in laminitis and are working on the gene that causes equine metabolic syndrome. A carbohydrate-rich diet, limited exercise, and genetics all seem to play a role in the development of EMS, but as yet they don’t fully understand why some horses are affected while others are not and they are hoping that their state-ofthe-art analysis (metabolomics — the study of metabolites, which are the substances caused by metabolism or a metabolic process), will generate new targets for early diagnosis and treatment. Once they have identified this they can find a cure. The wider effect in this could be helping with similar conditions such as diabetes in humans.

Samantha’s talk on genetics, although again fascinating, unfortunately lost me even more of the time, but there are around 2.7 million bps (base pairs) making up the full genome of the horse — and parentage testing uses 17 of them!

An interesting question from the floor for Samantha was regarding the use of genetic manipulation (GM) on horses, and she replied that although it had been used for such things as Holstein cattle to take away their horns, it had not been used in horses … yet.

The ethical questions this raises are significant!

Jerzy Bialobok and Anna Stojanowska gave a presentation on “The Kuhailan Afas Story: His Influence on the Arabian Horses of Poland and Worldwide.”

First we were all particularly pleased to see Anna, Jerzy, and Marek at the conference and they received a very warm round of applause at 134 b ARABIAN HORSE WORLD b MAY 2017

the lectern. The future of the State studs in Poland is still very uncertain and of course this was at the forefront of all our minds as they began their talk.

Anna talked us through the history of Kuhailan Afas (Kuhailan Wadnana x Kuheilat Afas) and his significant influence on the Polish breeding program, and she illustrated her talk with a wealth of fascinating slides showing just how influential this substantial, proud bay stallion had been through the generations, from Comet, to Wieza Mocy and on.

Kuhailan Afas was born in Bahrain in 1930. In 1931 Mr. Bogdan Zientarski, manager of the very wealthy and prestigious Gumniska Stud in Poland, visited Bahrain and fell in love with the bay colt which resulted in Kuhailan Afas and a few others returning with him to Poland.

Unfortunately Kuhailan Afas only had two seasons at stud in Poland before disappearing without trace following the invasion in 1939. He left two sons, Drop, who only produced one mare, and Bad Afas (1940, out of the French mare, Bad). Fortunately Bad Afas sired Abu Afas (1947) the sire of the great Comet (1953), whose dam line incidentally traces back to one of the mares brought back at the same time, Kuhailan-Haifi, and Comet was considered by many as the best stallion born after World War II and was even called the “Sire of the Century.”

Then, in 2014, 80 years later, His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa gifted a stallion of the same lines to Poland, again a magnificent bay, Kuhailan Afas Maidaan (Shawaf Al Betaar x Kuheilan Afas Nood). Let us hope these historic, precious bloodlines are allowed and encouraged to continue.

Emma Maxwell’s talk was “Precious Pearls: The Importance of Bahraini Foundation Horses in Breeding Programs Worldwide,” and somehow she managed to cram in slides of around 250 horses, all with pedigrees tracing back to three mares exported by Bahrain.

Emma Maxwell, who gave a talk on the influence of Bahraini Arabians on the breed, left, and Joanna Maxwell.

The following is an excerpt from Emma’s story:

“The foundation horse from Bahrain that

Lady Anne Blunt for £60, her only defect being described as ‘ears

you are probably most familiar with is Kuhailan

like bats.’ Her daughter Dalal fortunately did not have these ears

Afas whose story in Poland was told this morning.

and was described as having a gazelle-like head. However, I must

However there are also three mares who all left

note that the ears did not completely disappear as every now and

Bahrain before 1940. Two arrived in Egypt, Jellabiet

again looking for pictures of this family — I saw them. As all breeders

Feysul, in approx. 1846 and Bint El Bahreyn in 1898,

know, appearing to lose something in the first generation does not

while Nuhra left in 1940 for the U.K. These three

necessarily mean it is gone forever!

mares have founded significant female families for

“She was presented by the Ruler of Bahrain Sheikh Isa bin Khalifa

different groups of Arabian enthusiasts and today

to the Khedive Abbas Pasha II in 1903. She was then sold to Lady

seems to be the perfect opportunity to examine

Anne Blunt in 1907 and then sold on again in 1912. She did not found

their sometimes underrated contributions to

a line at Crabbet but despite being moved on every four years

Western breeding programs.

she has founded a family that continues to this day in almost every

“Imported in approximately 1846 to Egypt,

country possible that breeds straight Egyptians. She has not received

Jellabiet Feysul became one of the legendary

as much time in the limelight as the other Egyptian Dahma family so

collection of Abbas Pasha I, Viceroy of Egypt from

again today is a nice opportunity to for her to be centre stage.

1848. The first few generations of descendants that

“Shortly after King George VI came to the throne of England,

we have pedigrees for were bred by Ali Pasha

he sent his brother-in-law the Earl of Athlone on a tour of the Middle

Sherif, the breeder who did the most in preserving

East as his envoy in 1938. The Earl was presented with a colt and filly

the Abbas Pasha horses between his death and

by Sheikh Hamad bin Eissa Al Khalifa, ruler of Bahrain, and with two

start of the Royal Agricultural Stud in Egypt in 1921.

colts and a filly by King Ibn Saud. One colt jumped ship and swam

Yet with no straight Egyptian descendants in tail

back to the harbor in Jeddah but the rest traveled on to Britain.

female — it is lost to that fan base — although the

Nuhra was barely 14 hands in height and was covered initially by

blood does appear in Egyptian pedigrees with

Manak, an earlier gift from King Ibn Saud. Her immediate family was

frequency via two of the Crabbet exchanges with

in demand and from the first two generations there were exports to

the RAS in Egypt.

Prince Frederick of Prussia, the U.S., Thailand, Pakistan, Australia and

“The second mare from Bahrain of importance

New Zealand.

to the bloodlines currently known as straight

“Nuhra was a Keheilah Wadnah Al Khursanieh, and I think I am

Egyptian is Bint El Bahreyn, a bay mare. One does

correct in saying that she was the only example of this strain to found

feel sorry for horses who are immortalized in one

a significant family in the West. She was given to the Earl of Athlone’s

picture positioned in the worst possible position!

daughter Lady May Abel Smith who with her husband Sir Henry

She was a bright bay and was purchased by

started a stud based on this one mare only which ran for fifty years.”

The slides of the horses added so much to Emma’s very interesting talk as she traveled through each generation, perfectly illustrating the influence of Bahraini horses in the foundations of breeding stock all around the world.

We gave thanks to Emma for the immense amount of research and effort she must have done to put this many horses in front of us.

It is astounding just how many breeding programs have theses bloodlines within them — from winning race, endurance, and show horses to WAHO winners, and I wonder how many owners actually know? How much do we research our pedigrees?

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Finally, Deb Watson gave us the official invitation from the Arabian Horse Society of Australia to host the 2019 WAHO Conference and we were shown a short film to whet our appetites. Not that we needed it, having had such a wonderful conference here.

Thanks were given to the organizing committee, in particular WAHO Executive Secretary Katrina Murray for running such a fantastic conference. I’m sure there was the odd occasion where despite all seeming seamless and smooth, feet were paddling frantically under the water. The charming Registrar and Organizing Committee Member Jehangir Rustomjee also deserves a mention, he was extremely helpful and never ever stopped smiling throughout! No mean feat with us lot to look after, as was commented at one stage, “It’s like herding cats … ” The conference rounded off with the gala dinner hosted by the Royal Arabian Studs of Bahrain and held at the Ritz-Carlton. It was an excuse for us all to get glammed-up and we were treated to traditional music and dancing from a local fishing tribe and another presentation of private show horses before we sat to dinner.

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PEARLS OF BAHRAIN Sunday dawned at last, after the build-up of talks of heritage and history we were finally getting to see these horses in their natural habitat and at the King’s own Royal Stud at Rowtha’t Alghar.

We were all so looking forward to seeing this unique collection of Arabian horses, preserved in Bahrain for over 200 years by the rulers of Bahrain, the Al Khalifa family, and most recently by HH King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. Thirty foals a year are bred here and there are around 340 horses at this vast farm, comprised of twenty strains, some of which aren’t found anywhere else in the world, such as the Kuheila’t and Umm Zorayr strains.

Our convoy was hit by more rain in Bahrain on the way to the farm, but as we drove down the approach road, it magically eased off and we were greeted at the entrance to the stud by a “guard of honor” — two Arabian stallions and riders in traditional costume.

We drove into the rugged desert past the stables to where a line of marquees had been set up where we could sit in comfort. The grooms and local handlers were dressed in traditional costume, which really added to the whole experience.

Now this is what we had come to see! Excitement mounted as we eagerly waited to see some — dare I say — real horses. And we didn’t have long to wait. The clouds cleared away, the sun came out, and the first of the family groups was presented — a group of six: three grey mares, two bay and a bay colt foal from the Musannah family. And we weren’t disappointed! Family after family followed, shown in groups of two to six, big, chunky, well-made athletes, one could tell from their eyes and expression that they were brave and bold, yet still had a joie de vivre and great athleticism. And boy did you want to ride them! Short-backed, short cannons, proud self-carriage, they really were all horse. They had bone too! We were finally seeing these horses that were so obviously bred for bravery and stealth, courage and speed.

After a short while we realized it was easy to recognize the different strains through this presentation, such was their stamp, and the colors were mainly bay and grey with few chestnuts and not a lot of white.

The Ma’anaghieh group was a family I particularly liked, perhaps leggier and more athletic than some, they do rather well on the racetrack and were quite lively! Then we had the Obeah group and Obeyaan Shamet (Kuheilaan Aafas Falaah 916 x Obeah Karaeb 1041) was a white stallion we all fell for and he seemed pretty fond of himself too! The Obeahs were followed by the Tuwaisah family, again all enjoying themselves.

Next came the Mlolesh, one of the oldest families, happy and lively, and a black filly foal (Jellaby Balsam 1164 x Mlolesh Samra 1020) trotted about in a super-confident way. The Jellabieh group came next, taller and

To know that we were about to witness the history and heritage, knowing how proud these people are of the horses and what stock they hold them in, to see the source of so many of our own Arabians, it was a feeling of humble privilege unlike visiting any other farm. narrower, demonstrated by two grey and two bay mares with a bay colt foal, and truly most of the foals we saw today were very confident, strutting their stuff out in the open desert, much to everyone’s delight.

The Kuheila’t family were a little more elegant and one of my favorite groups. They had attitude to burn and I especially liked a really lovely bay mare, Kuheila’t Umm Zorayr Alia 1612 (Ma’anaghy Mesbah 1101 x Kuhelia’t Umm Zorayr Mafkhara 1387) (and I thought writing show results with Middle Eastern pedigrees was time consuming!). Her group was followed by the Shuwaimeh family, and a grey Saqlawieh mare with chestnut colt at foot.

Top: The 2008 stallion Jellaby Maroof (Jellaby Alyatim x Jellabieh Rayana) at Umm Jidr.

Middle: The filly Tuwaisah Ajla (Obeyaan Al Muheeb x Tuwaisah Sallamah) at the Royal Stud.

Bottom: The stallion Hamdaany Zaizoom (Saqlaawy Saba'an x Hamdanieh Khaznah) at the Royal Stud.

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We were finally seeing these horses that were so obviously bred for braver y and stealth, courage and speed.

The mare Kuheila't Umm Zorayr Alia (Ma’anaghy Mesbah 1101 x Kuhelia’t Umm Zorayr Mafkhara 1387) and colt Kuheilaan Umm Zorayr sired by Hamdaany Ra'an at the Royal Stud.

Finally we were shown some individuals, including a Tuwaisah, Tiuwaisah Ajla 1694 (Obeyaan Al Muheeb 957 x Tuwaisah Sallamah 1072) a super-cool bay filly who could really hover. Plus eight stallions, all displaying their wonderful switch on/switch off temperament for which they are famed, and all massive movers!

We were told that the foals are turned out at around ten months old, with colts and fillies split into two huge areas totaling around five square miles, and then brought back at the age of three to the racing stables, where they are backed and at four they are raced. In fact some of the horses shown today were in race training and it was a fantastic sight watching them all in a line in the distant hills being led back to the race stables at 138 b ARABIAN HORSE WORLD b MAY 2017

the end of the day.

After the presentation we gave thanks to the helpers and handlers, in particular to Ryan Jones and his team from the U.K., Stephen McCormick and Dave Smyth, who had only had a few weeks to work with these horses, and much as they had tractable temperaments, they certainly weren’t used to being run across the desert in front of several hundred people in huge marquees. It was a testament to the stallions’ temperament that they took it so well, especially when paraded in their family groups.

On the way home the conversations proved that this presentation was very popular and more and more of us were enthusing about these real riding horses with structure, charisma, athleticism, and although lively and strong there was no shanking and shaking!

The dinner that evening was hosted by Sheikha Mai Al Khalifa and held at the National Museum.

Throughout the lectures, and then seeing for ourselves at the Royal Studs, it is clear that preservation of these strains that form our foundation stock throughout the world is of utmost importance.

Top: The 2008 stallion Saqlaawy Ghazi (Rabdaan Alawsaj x Amapola) at Umm Jidr.

Middle: The 2007 stallion Hamdaany Al Faisal (Dhahmaan Alashgar x Hamdanieh Nagam) at Umm Jidr.

Bottom: The 2014 stallion Musannaan Al Sabah (Mlolshaan Wesam 1371 x Musannah Albushiya 1409) at the Royal Stud.

On the Monday we were treated to another visit to a Royal Stud, this time HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Al Khalifa Stud at Umm Jidr. It is difficult to describe the palpable excitement that going to visit these famous old studs out in the desert causes. To know that we were about to witness the history and heritage, knowing how proud these people are of the horses and what stock they hold them in, to see the source of so many of our own Arabians, it was a feeling of humble privilege unlike visiting any other farm.

Established by His Majesty the King’s late uncle, HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Khalifa, the stud’s main foundation stock is from the same source as the Royal Stud and is now in the hands of Prince Mohammed’s sons, who have enlarged the breeding program significantly. As in the Royal Stud, desert families are carefully preserved and there are now over 500 horses here. Horses are never sold, but are gifted between the studs so that the gene pool is enlarged and the protection of rare strains strengthened.

During today’s presentation we saw around 75 horses broken up into representatives from 15 family groups, so again, Ryan and his team really had their work cut out, especially as this group was a tad more lively and capricious. Dave Smyth (who’s no skinny wimp!) ended up with a few stitches in his head after a particularly excited stallion became a bit lairy with its front feet!

The presentation was started by a well-built chestnut mare from the Al-Ma’anagieh strain, which has existed within the family for more than 200 years, followed by two greys from Al-Tuwaisah, that started 140 b ARABIAN HORSE WORLD b MAY 2017

HH Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Salman Al Khalifa at Umm Jidr.

here when Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al-Khalifa asked to buy one from Sa’d bin Mutlaq Almutayri, a leader of the second Saudi State. Al Tuwaisah was then strengthened by the gift of two further mares to the late Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, ruler of Bahrain from 1932-1942. Four chunky greys from Al-Musannah followed, again a gift, this time from the ruler of Kuwait.

Al-Shawafah is considered to be one of the oldest and finest families in the Arabian Peninsula. It was called Shawafah due to the keenness of its vision and we were shown two big-moving, deep-bodied grey stallions and a pretty bay mare.

We admired group after group of family strains, and next was the Al-Suwaitieh family, a branch of the Kuheliat Al’ajuz strain. In the past this precious family belonged to the sharifs of Mecca and then spread among the Arabian tribes and is deeply rooted in the Khalifa family history. The Al-Krays followed — they are known for stamina and courage and it was reported that Al-Kray participated in one of the battles taking place in Bahrain in the beginning of the 19th century. Then Al-Krush, followed by the Al Mlolesh group, which derived its name from the sweetness of the neighing of the horse and it was reported that when Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa entered Bahrain he was on his mare Al-Mlolesh.

Al-Obeyah is one of the oldest strains in Bahrain having been brought to the island in the mid-19th

century when Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa was sent an Obeyah mare by one of the Sheikhs of the Subay tribe. Al-Shuwaimeh is also considered one of the oldest strains in the stables of Al-Khalifa and goes back more than 200 years and Al-Sai’da is part of the Kuheilah family and is one of the rarest strains. It is unique to the Al-Khalifa family and currently only Al-Mohammadia stables have their lineage.

Al-Jellabieh was a mare named after Ibn-Jalap, one of the Almurrah tribe and the mare and her foal arrived in Bahrain at the time of Sheikh Abdulla bin Ahmed, ruler of Bahrain (1821-1842).

Al-Rabda was gifted to Bahrain through Aldowaysh, one of the sheikhs from the Muteyr tribe.

Al-Hamdanieh is considered one of the most pure Arabian families as it is one of the strains of Kuheilat Al’ajuz and finally the A-Saqlwaieh group, whose predecessors were documented as coming with the ruling family upon entry to Bahrain.

Again, full credit to the lads for running again and again across that sand with those big-moving horses, especially the stallions, some of them were really motoring. Still at the end of the presentation we were treated to a traditional song and dance by all the grooms and handlers, including the bemused Brit lads!

Throughout the presentations we may not have applauded loudly for fear of upsetting horses whose eyes were already on stalks at us lot sitting in the marquees, but for sure in our heads we were applauding wildly. And we were so grateful to have attended these two very special days.

We reluctantly boarded our coaches and left with the perfect memories of our beloved Arabian horses in their natural habitat, in their natural state, it was all very “real.”

Well made athletes … one could tell from their eyes and expression that they were brave and bold, yet still had a joie de vivre and great athleticism.

In the early evening we were taken to the Al Rashediah Stud at Al Janabiyah.

Well, what a contrast! This most ornate stud belongs to Mr. Rashid A. Rahman Al Jasmi.

The luxurious, breathtaking beauty of this farm has to be seen to be believed.

Upon arrival we were treated to falconry, local sweet treats, teas, salukis, but nothing could distract from the beautiful castellated building that housed some of the stables and the driveway from it — lined with statues of white Arabian horse heads, tens of them, spouting water into brilliant turquoise, brightly lit 142 b ARABIAN HORSE WORLD b MAY 2017

channels running either side of the long driveway, with two rearing lifesize horses at the entrance and stretches of palms as a backdrop. All this against the black night sky was simply stunning.

We then saw a presentation of entirely different horses in the lovely arena, nearly all delicate and refined straight Egyptian, many of which Mr. Al Jasmi had collected from Ansata and Dr. Nagel’s lines.

The horses were all beautifully turned out and in show condition (in fact the one non-straight was a young EKS Alihandro son, who went on to take the Junior Male Championship at the show a few days later). We saw some ethereally beautiful mares, fillies and foals, but the grand finale was even more special with two giants of the SE breeding world — none other than Jamil Al Rayyan (Ansata Hejazi x Dana Al Rayyan) and ZT Faa’iq

The splendid evening at Al Rashediah featured a presentation of the magnificent stallions ZT Faa'iq (Anaza El Farid x ZT Jamdusah), left, and Jamil Al Rayyan (Ansata Hejazi x Dana Al Rayyan), right.

(Anaza El Farid x ZT Jamdusah), again both beautifully turned out, and we feasted our eyes on the snow-white fairytale Jamil in the arena with the dramatic dark bay ZT Faa’iq.

Having said all that, for me actually the best bit was the fact that all the horses seemed so calm and relaxed and the foals very trusting and wellhandled, surely a reflection on Mr. Al Jasmi’s horsemanship and love for his horses.

Unusual for the Middle East, Al Rashediah hosts stallion collection and has six quarantine stalls, as Mr. Al Jasmi was very keen to be able to use frozen semen and recently His Majesty granted that it may be done in Bahrain, so now Mr. Al Jasmi is able to bring his horses home from Europe

that were only there because A.I. wasn’t available in Bahrain.

After the presentation we were taken to a huge, beautiful marquee and truly wedding organizers couldn’t have done a better job with the decorations, fairy lights, and flowers, and while eating yet another sumptuous dinner with yet more delightful desserts, we watched a special new video by Horsefly Films, “A Pearl for the Ages,” commissioned by Al Rashediah, giving a short history on the Arabian in Bahrain.

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Top left: Gold Champion Stallion D Jad (Frasera Mashar x Muranas Je Taime), owned by Khalil Ali Mukhtar.

Top right: Gold Champion Mare H Perdita (Kunar T x Exotic Pearl), owned by Saeed Almaheshi.

Gold Champion Yearling Filly D Mastura Al Aqeed (Wadee Al Sahib Gold Champion Junior Colt Hermes (EKS Alihandro x Sanadina), owned by Mr. Al Jasmi.

x DF Yasirah), owned by Hamad Al Hajri.

THE SHOW On Tuesday and Wednesday the first Bahrain International C Show was held, at the Endurance Village.

The weather was not behaving well and it was such a shame! It was so cold, and raining. More akin to England (though the mud wasn’t anywhere near as deep) and not something we were expecting or ready for here.

The ring became extremely slippery and some of the handlers could have been a bit more thoughtful in the way they showed their youngsters with far too many horses slipping and sliding and even falling. Unfortunately it was so bitterly cold that many had to leave early, unprepared for this weather and not having enough layers on to keep the cold out!

The quality was higher than some were expecting and there were some very nice horses at the top of the line. What was nice was that families and friends were involved, again like the old days in Europe, and they were just thrilled that their horse was competing, even if it didn’t win, they were all 144 b ARABIAN HORSE WORLD b MAY 2017

there to support it, which made the whole thing much more fun, something we tend to be lacking elsewhere now. Also, it meant that not so much pressure was coming down onto the horses, so far better all round.

Extraordinary that this would be seen by many as going backward elsewhere in the Middle East, U.S., and Europe!

In fact the only thing to mar the showing was a handler from Europe, previously unknown to myself, who shanked everything he showed, non-stop, most especially in the championships and so much so that the stallion he showed continually mouthed at him.

The horse was not being disrespectful and he was trying hard too. This wasn’t pleasant, all the more so because

Coming here draws one into the histor y and heritage of the Arabian leaving one feeling even more privileged and proud to be involved with this exceptional, unique breed of horse.

he was setting an example to the people out here that shanking is the norm elsewhere and goes unpunished!

It’s awful to see these noble animals reduced to this by an unskilled and uncaring human being.

Fortunately on the second day the weather perked up, dried out and was warmer too, the arena was no longer slippery and the horses showed so much better.

The horses were mainly imported and of course more fine in type than those we had seen recently, however, we were all the more aware that most of them also did not have the athleticism and charisma of the horses we had seen at the Royal Studs. To be fair, the arena wasn’t huge. Gold Champion Yearling Filly was D Mastura Al Aqeed (Wadee Al Sahib x DF Yasirah), a refined bay owned by Hamad Al Hajri and the Gold in the Junior Fillies was Alia Al-Ameer (AJ Portofino x Ava), a stretchy pretty chestnut filly owned by Mr. Alaa Isa Hammad. Alia Al-Ameer was bred by Ajman Stud, as were quite a few here. Senior Females had some nice mares, perhaps more substantial and athletic, and the

Gold Champion went to H Perdita (Kunar T x Exotic Pearl), bred in the U.K. by Claire Chillingworth and owned by Mr. Saeed Almaheshi, a quality bay mare.Silver was another mover, the charismatic chestnut Forelock’s Jawaher (Makisa Adagio x Valeta F), owned by Mr. Abdulla Almadahki.

The males were of good quality too, a typically very pretty and refined SMA Magic One son, Saadoun Alzobair, went well to take the Gold Championship for Mr. Fadhel Aljamri, and as expected, Mr. Al Jasmi’s Hermes (EKS Alihandro x Sanadina) took the Gold in the Junior Male Championship, a stunning colt with all the flair of his sire, but a little too excited perhaps to show off his movement. In the Senior Male division Mr. Khalil Ali Mukhtar’s pretty dark bay D Jad (Frasera Mashar x Puranas Je Taime) deservedly won the Gold and we left with an arena full of happy friends and family.

And so ended the WAHO 2017 trip! The happy WAHO family had to split up and all go our separate ways, literally scattered all over the world.

Throughout the lectures, and then seeing for ourselves at the Royal Studs, preservation of these strains that form our foundation stock throughout the world is of utmost importance. Coming here draws one into the history and heritage of the Arabian, leaving one feeling even more privileged and proud to be involved with this exceptional, unique breed of horse.

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