My most precious memory with an
Arabian horse was as a young adult.
I had a few falls from several horses,
and I then bought a beautiful Polish
Arabian from the Bautista Stud called
Jazel and I renamed him Malaak,
which means angel in Arabic, because
he was such an angel. He would go
swimming with me in the ocean and
could do medium level dressage and
also let me ride him and gallop with
him without a saddle on the track.
He restored my confidence and my
trust in horses and myself. This great
legacy prepared me for Eralda, my
dream horse.
When I first met Eralda I was in
absolute love and awe! I couldn’t
believe her beauty. She looked like a
porcelain doll, and I just thought to
myself how lucky were we to get her
at such a young age and how on earth
God created such beauty! I think
Eralda has many strengths, but her
strongest point is who can deny her
most beautiful head? I have seen many
Arabians, and Eralda’s head is truly
magical to the point that I had an artist
create a sculpture of her head so we
can have it in memory of her forever.
Eralda has two personalities; on the
show ground she knows she’s showing!
She snorts and puts that tail up and
just moves like an engine parading her
beauty that she knows she has. She is
full of herself, confident and on fire.
At home Eralda is another story, she’s
a pet, and she loves her paddock time,
her cuddles and kisses and carrots.
She loves human attention, and she
is so safe to handle that anyone can
take hold of the lead and walk her
anywhere. She is one of the smartest
Arabian horses I have ever met, to
“
This great legacy filled my very
existence as I grew up in very close
contact to this noble animal.
”
have these two characters combined in one! I have seen that
rarely, especially in the Arabian show world where most are
always nervous and thinking they are at the show. Eralda
doesn’t; she knows when it’s time to work and time to be at
home —a happy horse and relaxed. She is the embodiment
of an Al Shiraa type: elegance and character. Each and every
filly or mare we purchase is super feminine, elegant, and most
importantly, each one has character.
Eralda made me so proud when she was European Gold
Junior Filly! She finally got what she truly deserved. That
was the proudest moment for me and my team, who love her
and worked so hard all these years to get her where she is.
On our calendar this year we had Eralda go to Menton where
she won the three-year-old filly class and later achieved
Silver at the final championship. We won’t be sending her to
many shows after that; we want her to relax and be a horse
in the paddock until the World Championships in Paris. We
believe in her, and she knows her job in the ring.
I wish more people knew and appreciated how loyal,
kind, and clever the Arabian horse is. They can multitask.
I’ve had Arabians who could teach amateur riders to jump
up to 1.15 meters, do some dressage, and teach people very
well how to ride on the flat. Most of all, they are, to quote
my late grandfather Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan, “Proud,
independent and generous like its desert master, as sturdy
and adventurous as the spirit of the land, the Arabian horse
can truly conquer the imagination.” As we enter a new
millennium, it warms my heart to see the progeny of the
mythical horse of Baz spread across the globe and to witness
the ever-increasing international interest shown in this superb
animal, whose beauty and spirit can once again be
seen to grace its homeland.
AL SHIRAAAHW > 5 > < 5 0 8.19< WORLD
sharon
(sharon)
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