True divas among Arabian mares and stallions with centuries-old pedigrees lured some of the world's top breeders to eastern Poland for one of the most exclusive horse fairs on the planet.
This year's favorite horse, a 14-year-old grey mare named Pilar, sold for 240,000 euros ($318,700) to Qatar at the three-day equine spree in the eastern Polish town of Janow Podlaski,
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6782EX20100809
Some brief history about the breeding history in Poland.
The Poles loved these characteristics for their cavalry force. King Sigmund Augustus (1548-1572) had a Royal Stud farm, called Knyszn, that bred pure Arabians.
In the 17th century, Polish noblemen sent emissaries out to search for the noblest desert horses from the Middle East. Prince Sanguszko at Slawuta, Count Branicki at Bialocerkiew, Count Dzieduszycki at Jarczowce, and Count Potocki at Antoniny were some of the best known breeders. The studs at Gumniska and Antoniny were founded with mares from Slawuta .
http://www.angelfire.com/mi4/polcrt/Arab.html
One of the most famous polish stallions was Skowronek
Skowronek was an Arabian stallion foaled in 1909. He was bred by Count Józef Potocki who owned the Antoniny Stud in Poland. He was imported to England as a young horse. Upon purchase by Lady Wentworth, Skowronek became a foundation stallion at Lady Wentworth's famed Crabbet Arabian Stud.
While Count Potocki apparently found Skowronek unimpressive as a colt, having sold him to Winans for a relatively low price, he matured into a very fine stallion. Lady Wentworth later turned down an offer of $250,000 from the Tersk Stud in the Soviet Union and bragged that she once received a cable "from the Antipodes" addressed to "Skowronek, England." The outcross of the original Crabbet stock with Skowronek was extremely successful, and the resulting animals not only sold thrughout England but were exported to Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Israel, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, Poland, South Africa, Spain, Russia and the USA.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skowronek
This might interrest you Sokrates
Poland and Hungary often exchanged breeding stock. For 173 years Hungary was ruled by the Turks until they became a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1699. In 1811, Tajar, a white Arabian stallion arrived in Hungary and became the stud of Count Josef Hunyadi. He was purchased by Count Rzewuski.
http://www.angelfire.com/mi4/polcrt/Arab.html
|
