XXXVIII NATIONAL PURE-BRED ARABIAN HORSE SHOW – INFAMOUS RECORDS OF THE PRIDE OF POLAND 2016 AUCTION

Al Jazeera

This year's Pride of Poland auction passes into history as a record one, but it is not financial records we have in mind. Although permanent guests remember auctions several years ago when the financial result was at a similar level, this year’s event cannot be assessed only in terms of achieved revenues. This year Janów saw a record in the number of unsold horses (16 out of the 31 on offer), there was record media interest and a record number of spectators. Ticket sales for the Sunday auction ended already on Saturday morning with all the seats. It was clear that many people were in Janów for the first time, and that they heard about Arabian horses only recently. In fact it was difficult not to hear about Arabians over the past several months as the media continue to bring up the topic of the dismissal of the Directors of the Janów and Michałów Studs. It must be admitted that Polish Arabian breeding received a great deal of advertizing, but is this the kind of promotion it needed?

The events which took place during the auction overshadowed the entire Arabian Horse Festival, which apart from the auction also (or primarily) comprises the National Pure-Bred Arabian Championship.  Let us start from the beginning.

Stallions’ rivalry. Fuerte still on the rise …

Friday (12.08) afternoon saw the stallions’s contest. The highest score in Class A of yearling colts was awarded to Janów’s Abdank (Empire – Altamira), who won 90.88 points. He was immediately followed by Białka’s Elidus (HK Krystall - Elidia) with 90.13 points. In Class B the winner was Dastana (Equator - Dama Pik) bred and owned by SK Michałów, who won a score of 91.00 points. The second place went to another Michałów horse, the colt Esido (Empire - Esidona), given 90.88 points. The third place, with the same score, was awarded to Enigmat (Abyad AA - Eneria) bred and owned by SK Janów Podlaski.

9 contestants took part in the two-year-old colt class . It is obvious that the privately bred colt Fuerte (Shanghai EA – Frymuszka) caught the rising tide and with a score of 92.63 points (including „20” for type) took the highest position. He was followed by Folborek’s Sokrates (EKS Alihandro - Sotika) who won 91.13 points and Białka’s Milian (Lawrence EL Gazal - Mila) also with 91.13 points. It is to be remembered that Fuerte was bred by Mr Jan Dobrzyński and is owned by Sami Ben Saad.

Fuerte

In the 3-year old colts class the terms were dictated by only privately bred horses, with 5 contestants in all. The winner of the class was Calateon (Vitorio TO – Calatea) bred and owned by Mr Marek Kondrasiuk with a score of 91.00 points. The runner up with a score of 90.25 points was El Shanti (Kahil AL Shaqab - Eliwia) bred and owned by Mr Andrzej Wójtowicz. The second runner up was Garcia (Emarc - Gemellia) bred by Falborek Arabians and owned by Idris Hassan, with a score of 90.13 points.

Among the 4-6 year old stallions the highest score (91.38 points)  went to Espimar (Marajj – Espinezja) bred by Falborek Arabians, owned by Idris Hassan. Janów’s magnificent Barok (OM EL Bellissimo - Baida) with score of 91.13 points (including „20” for type) was in second position before Psyche Ull (Forteynas Magic - Psyche Victoria) bred and owned by Chrcynno – Pałac, who won the same number of points..

Elidus

7-year old and older stallions competed in two classes. In class A the highest score (91.38 points) went to Michałów’s Empire (Enzo - Emira). This stallion is the son of the mare Emira, who certainly won a place in history after the incidents at this year’s auction, but we shall come to that later. The runner up was Janów’s Amanito (Eden C - Altamira) with a score of 91.00 points. In class B the first two places went to Janów’s stallions. The higher score (91.88 points) was awarded to Almanzor (El Nabila B – Alantina). Three “20-ties” for movement certainly contributed to his victory! The runner up was Albano (Enzo - Alena), who also triumphed on Sunday as the Best in Show.

Albano

Saturday (13.08) – Mares’ competition. Palatina like a Hollywood star!

The large number of yearling fillies resulted in rivalry in three groups. In class A the first and second place went to Michałów’s and Janów’s fillies respectively. The highest position went to Emanolla (Vitorio TO – Emandoria/Gazal Al Shaqab) with 91.88 points. This score included high marks for movement, 3 x 19.5 and one „20”. The second position went to Praga (Vitorio TO - Perla). In the next class once again the two leading places went to Michałów and Janów mares. The winner was Michałów’s Poganinka (El Omari – Pentra), who won high stores for movement ( 2 x 19,5 and 2 x 20!), which gave her a total of 91.63 points. The runner up was Janów’s Beira (Pogrom - Berenika) with 91 points. In the last class of yearling fillies the horses from SK Michałów and Janów once again proved to be in the lead. This time however the first place went to Janów, the daughter of the unforgettable Pianissima, the magnificent Pamina (Pogrom - Pianissima), who won 91.5 points. The runner up was Michałów’s Elawira (Kahil AL Shaqab - Ekliptyka) with 91.13 points.

Emanolla

Two year old fillies competed in two classes. In Class A the winner was once again Janów’s Adelita (Kahil Al Shaqab – Altamira) with 92.5 points. She was immediately followed by Michałów’s Pontia (Equator - Polonica) with 92.38 points. Adelita and Pontia won the same stores for movement, 3 x 19,5 and one „20”. In class B the winner was Foggita (El Omari – Foggia) bred and owned by SK Michałów, who won 91.63 points. The runner up was Janów’s Prunella (Abyad AA × Pradera) with 91.38 points, including a „20” for head and neck.

Among 3 year old mares the highest score (92.5 points) went to Galerida  (Shanghai EA – Galilea) bred and owned by SK Michałów. The judges gave her high scores for type, 3 x 19.5 and one „20”. The mare Echo Ariadna (Kahil AL Shaqab - Echo Kallisto) bred and owned by Chrcynno – Pałac won 91.13 which gave her the second position.

Prunella i Pamina

4 – 6 year old mares competed in the arena in two classes. In Class A the leader, with a score of 92.38, was Anawera (Piaff – Altamira) bred and owned by SK Janów Podlaski. The runner up was Michałów’s Emandorissa (Abha Qatar - Emanda), with 92.25 points, including a twenty for type. In Class B Michałów mares were unequalled. Diara (Eryks – Diaspora) won 2 x „20” for movement and a „20” for type, which contributed to her score of 92.63 points. The same number of twenties for the same elements was given to her stablemate, Cheronea (QR Marc - Chimera).

Palatina

7 - 10 year old mares were also divided into two classes. In the first class the Janów-bred Palatina (QR Marc – Palmeta), who won a total of five twenties (2 x 20 for type and movement and 20 for head and neck) shone like a Hollywood star. The high scores contributed to a high final result of 93.5 points. Palatina’s owner is P.P.H. Parys. The runner up, also with a high score of 9.,00 points, was Janów’s Primera ( Eden C - Preria), who also won high stores for type ( 2 x 20 and 2 x 19.5) and a twenty for head and neck. In class B the first position went to Psyche Victoria (Ekstern – Pallas Atena), who was awarded a score of 92.75 points, including a „20” for head and neck. The mare is bred and owned by the Chrcynno – Pałac Stud. The second place was given to Michałów’s Lawinia (Ekstern × Luanda), who won a score of 92.5 points.

Lawinia

Finally the time came for 11 year old and older mares, who competed in one class. Białka’s Euspira (Gazal AL Shaqab - Euskara), who won 93.5 points, was unbeatable. This high result comprised scores for type (2 x 20 and 2 x 19,5) and high scores for movement, including one twenty. The second place was awarded to Michałów’s Laranda  (Ekstern - Larissa) with 93.13 points, including 2 x 20 for movement.

Sunday (14.08). Thebest of the best. The Championships start.

Sunday was a beautiful, sunny day in Janów, but as it later turned out, it was silence before a storm. The Sunday event gathered a numerous audience, at times there were not enough seats. The first on the podium in the junior mares championship was Janów’s Prunella, followed by also Janów’s Pamina and then by Michałów’s Galerida.

The junior stallions’ champion, to nobody’s surprise, was Fuerte. The silver went to Białka’s Elidus and bronze to Sokrates, bred and owned by Falborek Arabians. The result of the senior mares championship was easily predictable. The title of champion was awarded to Palatina, who stood on the podium with Euspira (silver) and Cheronea (bronse). Janów’s Albano won the senior champions’s class. The second place, to the great joy of the audience, was awarded to Espimar. The third place went to Michałów’s Empire.

Euspiria

Black Cloud over Janów? The Pride of Poland auction

After the championships the time came for a presentation of the horses offered at the Pride of Poland auction. Unfortunately the presentation took place in front of almost empty stands as the quiet weather was interrupted by heavy rain. Could this be a sign? Unfortunately so it seems, as the auction itself took place among similarly unpleasant circumstances.

Paradna

In the beginning of the auction it seemed that everything was prepared spick and span. The stands were full to the brim (sales of entrance cards was closed already on Saturday). The auction was led by Greg Knowles, who seemed to be a professional in his trade. A few minutes after 5 PM Michałów’s Emira, presented as the star of the auction, entered the ring. She was offered as Lot 0. The bidding began and was closely watched by hundreds of eyes. The auction gained momentum and finally auction gained momentum and soon we heard the final amount, EU 550 thousand and the information that the mare was sold. But to whom? There was no answer to this question.

Sefora

The next mare on auction was Janów’s Sefora, for which Qatar buyers offered Eur 300 thousand. After her Michałów’s Formia was sold for Eur 125 thousand, and will go to Romania. A Swedish buyer offered Eur 60 thousand for Janów’s Ballena. The next mare, Piaconell, was not sold. The next one to enter the ring was the awaited Al Jazeera, who was to warm up the atmosphere. Unfortunately things went in completely different direction and the mare was not sold. In addition it was still not known where Emira’s buyer was from. Questions and speculations began to circulate among the audience, the first voices were also heard that the mare was not sold after all...

El Emeera

Podczas aukcji

The auction went on. The next mare, El Emeera (Lot 6), reached the price of Eur 160 thousand and went to Qatar. The next lot, Białka’s Perforia, was not sold. For Janów’s Esparta Quwaiti buyers offered Eur 90 thousand. Unfortunately from this moment on, as in a domino effect, mares left the ring unsold: Paradna, Andala, Ekspiracja, Euskaria. The public was looping interest and the stands were slowly beginning to look empty. It was a far cry from the heated atmosphere which ought to accompany the bidding, and the auctioneers’ cries to heat it up were ineffective. Finally the mare Wabia reached the price of Eur 100 thousand and was bought by guests from Quwait. Janów’s Ebona was sold for Eur 30 thousand and she will go to France. Eur 50 thousand were offered by Quaiti buyers for Angelina. Cerena will also go to Quwait, for a price of Eur 33 thousand. Guests from Romanian made considerable purchases, apart from Formia they also bought Michałów’s Gabi for Eur 15 thousand, Cefena for Eur 15 thousand, Dama Trefl for Eur 18 thousand and Goltra for Eur 18 thousand. Janów’s Edwina was sold to Saudi Arabia for Eur 12 thousand.

Perforia

The other horses went back to the stables unsold, the bidding took place in front of practically empty stands. Just before the last offered horse, Alert, the auctioneers announced a surprise. And a surprise it was, those who remained could hardly believe their eyes. To their astonishment the allegedly sold Emira entered the ring once again. Surprise reigned in the stands. The bidding for Emira began once again, without any explanations from the auctioneers. The final price achieved by the 16 year old Janów’s star was Eur 225 thousand. She was bought by the Al Thumama Stud from Qatar. This was not the end of the surprises however. Al Jazeera was the next to be brought in for another round of bidding, and she once again left the ring unsold. Spectators were leaving the hall disoriented, hardly believing what they had just witnessed.

The Pride of Poland auction was widely commented in the media. Although the final results of Pride of Poland (Eur 1 271 thousand) and the Summer Sale (Eur 409 thousand) were not the lowest in history, the incidents which accompanied them were quite exceptional and entirely destroyed the unique character of the event, which had so far been its inherent feature. I am afraid this is not the end of unpleasant information associated with this year’s auction. Unfortunately the prestige of Arabian breeding in Poland, developed over centuries, is the one to suffer. Where is Polish breeding heading to?

Jolanta Gębka  

Photo Gallery by Marta Baranowska

Sefora

Sokrates

Calateon

Diara

Psyche Victoria

Albano

Andala

Perforia

Piaconella

Ballena

Złota Rola

Andala