Swiss Stock Show 2001

Report

If you want to know what's up with Swiss Arabian breeding, you go to the Swiss Stock Show. That's the place where breeders present their breeding stock and newly imported horses to the jugdment of three judges. Points are given for

The highest score to give was 10 points. Horses that reached an average of 7 points  were called back into the ring for the "rapell" and given a medal.

While last year only 12 of the 50 horses present reached the "rapell", this year the judges were less severe and more than half of the 68 horses present reached or surpassed the saught after 7-points-score. This certainly was not only due to the sunny weather, but also to the good quality of horses. Good scores were given to the young horses and foals. The stallions were judged very strictly. Some horses were judged in unison, other horses got very different scores from different judges. Not everyone left the show with a happy face, it was very disappointing if for example a generally high scoring horse was pulled bellow the 7 points because of one low score. The lowest scores were reached for hind- and frontlegs.

The highest score of 7.7 was reached by three mares:

• The Holland-bred two years old chestnut mare Anatevka Kossack (by Nikel, out of the Balaton-daughter Arabella), who already reached very high scores the year before,
• MFA Bint Monien (by Farazdac out of the Theegyptianprince-daughter MFA Monien), an exotic grey mare with Egyptian bloodlines,
• and another grey mare, the 19 years old Narissa (by Mashab, out of the Kilimandscharo-daughter Neposa) bred by Silvia Garde-Ehlert.
  

The prize for the highest score of the show was given to MFA Bint Monien for having the best score for "type" of the three.

Four horses reached the score of 7.6, three of them of Swiss breeding:

• The very mature and typey three year old chestnut colt Nil Khatan (by Kubinec, out of the Versal-daughter Nil Nubja),
• the enchanting fillies Balinka (by Bajkal, out ot the Esplendor-daughter Evelina) and Ahira Bint Narym (by Narym, out of the Grand-daughter Asari Bint Grand)
• and another grey mare with type and charisma to spare: the Tersk-bred Mashuk-daughter Tesma (out of the Naslednik-daughter Tantra).

Again the score for type was decisive in chosing a winner: Nil Khatan won the prize for the best Swiss bred horse and made his breeders, family Aeschbacher of Nile Arabians, very proud.

Worth mentioning are the two Balaton-sons Narym (out of Nemara) and Bajkal (out of Rishah), who both not only reached the "rapell", but also proved themselves through their offspring: the young Swiss bred Bajkal, also presented under saddle, through his first foal Balinka, and the well known Narym, whose seven foals present all made it into the "rapell" with points to spare.

Balaton was the prevailing sire within the "rapell"-horses, directly or through his sons Kubinec, Narym and Bajkal. All in all the Russian influence in Swiss breeding is very strong, and it is easy to see that good results have been gained by breeding Russian stallions onto Egyptian or Spanish bred mares.

For some years now riding competitions are also part of the Stock Show. The English classes were won by Sandra Thut on Hanaya Ramsis while the Western classes were won by Gaby Buechler on Bafran El Sharak. A special highlight for the public was a performance by several horses and riders in costumes.

The Swiss Stock Show is a serious breeding show, but it is also a festive occasion, with food, music, and lots of people milling and mixing, sharing a common love and admiration for the Arabian horse. It's not always the high-scoring horses that win our hearts on such a day, but maybe rather one of those who did not "make it". Like the mare Al Guwa Amira (6.8 points) who has her legs washed by the two years old daughter of her owner, they will always be the best, most beautiful and beloved in their homes, no matter their score. Characteristics like gentleness and intelligence are hard to be measured and judged at a show, but they are as much part of what makes us love our horses so much as their more visible qualities.

Text by Christa, pictures by Evelyne and Christa

 
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