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Chantilly 2018

Chantilly 2018

Arabian Horse Organization
"Shows Stories"

Text by: William Richardot De Choisey - Translation by: Sonja Smaldone
Photos: Courtesy AHO- Richard Cunill - AFCA - SPODEX - Private Collection

The last two decades have been extremely difficult for a large number of European breeders to maintain their activity, for economic reasons of continued existence, the best reproducers have often been handed over to rich investors who have created farms with unlimited means, sometimes generating effects with positive spin-offs. Among those involved in the huge diaspora of the purebred Arabian horse, there is a huge need for a sensible way to revive an activity by creating wherever possible a new type of quality horse gathering, one that offers an attractive show for this sector that has its own sociology. With the pugnacity of a man who knows how to speak to people in a convincing way, he was able to rally fans of the breed mainly from the Middle Eastern countries to proceed to the creation of the Arabian Horse Organization in 2010 under the statute of the Swiss Civil Code Art.60, on Associations matters, with the aim of promoting the breed through innovative and massively funded competitions with tempting awards, a blessing for a sector that has stalled. Seen that all new action does not just come on its own, precious advice was given to set up Rules of Procedure that would come in addition to this idea which materialized in 2012 at the beautiful ‘Polo Club de Saint Tropez’ in Gassin on May 12th and 13th. It is always useful to keep track of all the efforts made towards a phenomenon which should interest the Europeans operating inside of all intermediary bodies of the activity with the hope that everything is possible according to the talent that each one of us has, the European Breeders Championship was then launched with success thanks to a great team that was determined to achieve the great success that it proved to be. Under current conditions of participation, horses must be born in a European country and registered to a W.a.h.o. Stud Book plus restrictions upon titles won at major events, and the horse necessarily belonging to a European breeder. When going through the above timeline, it can be noted that horses’ attendance decreased this past year; but the heat or other causes cannot be the only ones to evoke, the actual round trip distance from the place of competition, which it used to be held in downtown Chantilly has made the access to the Ferme d’Apremont still difficult despite a short -distanced bird’s-eye view of the city, we had the pleasure to meet Barbie and Ken at the show that has become very exclusive. Although the Counsellor uses the help of specialists that it designates as such, this does not prevent from challenging notes where we can sometimes see this trend whereby an error of a judgment becomes a fault if we start all over again seen that fairness is justice with no pressure, in 2018 in the Senior Classes Mares and Yearlings Colts the evidence was there. Show guests who had loudly expressed their joys got frustrated at the announcement of the final results, a few serious questions should be asked vis-à-vis a foreign judge who should no longer be invited in Europe to judge. It would be interesting to test a random draw among all participant horses that enter a contest and then entrust them to the ‘Top Ten’ professional handlers, there is no longer certainty that they will get first places; judges would no longer be influenced, and only the intrinsic beauty of the horse would count. In the framework of the ‘Salon of Paris’, I had previously organized a very significant interaction with the public which would carry out their classification by way of technical support of the applause meter. If one wants to have an audience, it is necessary to offer her a highly anticipated ‘ Coup de Coeur’ as the approach is essential for any further development. The trophies presented on the field are exceptional, yet a reduction of prize money is undermining the goodwill of ‘Top Ten’ handlers to participate in though they are certainly not to be pitied, the conditions offered to horses do not often meet the comfort that equids who travel a lot do need, without overshadowing the long distance between the competition showground and temporary stables, which requires a team of grooms accustomed to walking or using their mountain bikes.
AHO WORLD BREEDERS CUP
A more recent event that has been added to the European Breeders’ Championship in the past four years, in an order which is the antithesis of the logic, this high-end competition is very special in nature and the conditions for participation are similar to the World Championship’s organized as part of the Salon du Cheval in Paris, with rules largely inspired by the World Cup in Las Vegas. The good facilities of the show at ‘La Ferme d’Apremont’ are never filled up with people in the beautiful VIP area, each event in its format tends to offer visibility to the purebred Arabian horse; the objective is achieved as to the goodwill of all actors volunteering at the event. The Disciplinary Commission at ‘La Ferme d ‘Apremont’ carried out their role, which does not prevent us from considering that its members who must be on their way to duty in the paddocks do not certainly have eyes also in their back, they should be more around the places, should not stay always grouped, and one of them should be circulating in the boxes where everything it is possible. To avoid suspicion, the key Technical Counselor of the 2018 edition of the shows in La Ferme d’Apremont was able to ensure the same organization of the showgrounds as in Menton, Vichy, and Paris where he has recurrently been displaced, the chill-out areas of these places are practically glued to the arena, the skyline is not obscured by service tents with an open view from afar or so close that everyone can see what happens in there somewhere. I unfortunately noticed the correction inflicted by one of the ‘Top Ten’ professional handlers upon a young horse when the animal left the show circuit, such brutality should be sanctioned by a suspension from all competitions approved by E.c.a.h.o for at least six months as it cannot just go unpunished, and that should be set as an example for all the international events, luckily enough, the Ring Master was in a state of mind to inflict a yellow card on a handler who is always in the ‘Top Tens’ and who thinks he can perform at the conditions that please him on the track. In many show organized in Europe, with a few exceptions, all the members of the Disciplinary Committee have no effectiveness in fulfilling their mission, too benevolent with professionals.

Arabian Vibe S.R.L.S. - Via Brignano Inf. - 84100 - Salerno - Italy - P.IVA:05458400651

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