Like many horse lovers before him, Philippe started breeding horses without a clear vision of where it would lead. “Very quickly though, I distanced myself from the prevailing modus operandi and from showrings,” he says. “It took me a long time to develop an alternative to the mainstream. I looked long and hard for the best specimens of some neglected bloodlines and experimented with those, and I am proud of the result. Our horses reflect our philosophy; we strive to live by our credos. I am not a commercial breeder, but a preservation breeder and a passionate practitioner of 30 years devoted to the conservation of rare and precious bloodlines. “First and foremost, we have developed a family of horses of our own, horses bred out of a combination of EAO bloodlines that are becoming hard to find. Caring for a large number of horses is no easy task, and it would not have been possible without the dedication of my stud manager Hammad Rabei and that of his family. In the past week, we were thrilled to get our latest foals, including a black Krusheya filly that we named Eitr el Leil — she is the ninety-sixth foal that we have bred (all conceived via natural cover, I might add). In order to care for our horses in the way they deserve, we employ a little army of grooms and riders; 20 people full time and six part time.”
11 ▪ PARASKEVAS ▪ WORLD