Supreme Stallion Mostly Padron

Economic downturn did not slow down the enthusiasm for the Arabian Breeders World Cup as the prestigious horse show returned to the South Point Hotel on Las Vegas Blvd South for the third consecutive year April 16th through 19th. Some 240 horses entered the competition, the same number as last year, to compete for $75,000 in prize money. Fourteen foreign countries were represented in the entries.

The World Cup is sponsored by the Arabian Horse Breeders Alliance (AHBA), a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the Arabian horse and providing opportunities for those unfamiliar with the breed to become acquainted with the horses and get involved in the Arabian horse industry.

The concept of the World Cup is patterned after European Arabian shows, designed to flow at a slower pace with shorter hours, leaving more time for socializing and enjoying the companionship of fellow Arabian owners. Classes are judged by a five-member international team using the European style World Cup Scoring System, similar to renowned shows in Aachen, Germany and the World Championships at the Salon du Cheval in Paris, France. In a presentation similar to that of figure skating, scoring results are displayed to the audience after each horse is judged.

Cox Communications in Las Vegas partnered with the World Cup this year to introduce a group of some 350 grade school children to the Arabian. This special attraction was staged on Thursday morning prior to the afternoon start of classes. Some of the children had never touched a horse before and thanks to this experience many young minds may now dream of one day owning a beautiful Arabian.

The social hallmark of the World Cup is the opening night gala, this year hosted at nightclub PURE in Caesars Palace. This club was selected by the E! Network (Entertainment Television) as the “Number 1, Hippest/Hotspot” in the nation. Guests were treated to unparalleled views of the Las Vegas Strip and four different nightclub experiences within the club’s two stories.

Champion and Reserve Mares

The third World Cup competition brought the best of the best in for intense competition as well as giving breeders the opportunity to evaluate bloodstock for the future. Champion Gelding was Relentlyss, shown by Jeff Schall with Amnestey and Chiqueno Rega named to the Reserve title. In the Junior division, Layan al Khalediah and Greg Gallun claimed Supreme Championship honors for breeder/owner Prince Khaled of Saudi Arabia, with the Mallorcan-bred *Abha Palma and Michael Byatt capturing the Reserve title for Saudi owner Prince Abdullah. Junior Champion Stallion was Stival shown by Greg Gallun with El Chall WR and Rodolfo Guzzo taking Reserve, for US owners Peri Tilghman and Bob and Dixie North, respectively.

Poland’s Michalow State Stud and Gallun Farms swept both mare titles – a first for the World Cup. Senior Supreme Champion Mare honors went to Emandoria, bred and owned by Michalow, while Embra, currently on lease to the Hennessey/oOne partners of Florida, was named Reserve champion with handler Rafael Curti. Senior Stallion Supreme Championship Reserve title was awarded to Dakharo, handled by Greg Gallun for Prince Khaled of Al Khalediah Farm of Saudi Arabia. ML Mostly Padron with Ted Carson, owned by the ML Mostly Padron Syndicate, USA, captured not only the Senior Stallion Supreme Champion but thrilled the audience as he paid homage to his heritage with the classic Padron on-his-back-legs stance. It should be noted that under World Cup rules lively stallion behavior is not cause for ring dismissal but certainly cause for crowd delight.

Champion Gelding Relentlyss

In addition to crowning Supreme Champions on Sunday the ABHA presented the 2009 Lifetime Achieve Award Dr. Hans Nagel, of the Katherinenhof Stud in Germany. Although educated as an economist, Dr. Nagel has devoted his life to animal husbandry concentrating on the importance of agriculture in developing countries. His work extended to the Middle East where he purchased three Egyptian fillies that became the foundation mares of his stud. For 22 years he served as President of the German Arab Horse Society and since 1994 he has been the Vice President of WAHO. Las Vegas entertainer Wayne Newton was the first recipient of this prestigious award in 2007.

For a complete listing of Arabian Breeders World Cup results and photo gallery visit http://www.arabhorse.com and make plans now to attend the World Cup in 2010 as the show returns to Las Vegas.

For horse show attendees accustomed to early morning and late evening classes, unpredictable weather and inconvenient drives to the show grounds, the South Point offers a Supreme Champion experience of its own. Enjoy a comfortable well appointed room or suite, in-hotel café or fine dining at several different restaurants, casino entertainment and a totally climate controlled show event from the commercial exhibit floor to the stalls to the arena no weather concerns to dampen the spirits – or mess the hair. This is truly a get-away long weekend must for Arabian horse lovers next April.

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