We are pleased to share that this year the Israeli winner of the WAHO trophy, was our 2008 stallion Al Ayal AA, sired by Al Ayad and out of The Vision HG. He was presented with this award with great fanfare at our National Championship Show. With great pride we would like to now share what was announced at the actual awards ceremony:
"Al Ayal, at only nine years old, is an outstanding ambassador for the Arabian breed with many major accomplishments. Before he was even one year old, he received intense scrutiny and attention from all over the Arabian horse history and made history when he was quietly leased for three years by the royal stables of Ajman, the Ajman Stud, in the United Arab Emirates. This was a remarkable achievement as even today there are still no formal diplomatic relations between Israel and the countries making up the UAE. During the leasing period Al Ayal was campaigned both in Europe and the Arabian Gulf, where he won championship after championship and sired his first foals -- also show winners and champions -- and proved himself an extremely valuable sire, and not just another pretty face.
Al Ayal returned to Israel in 2012 and became the 'first choice' sire of Israeli Arabian breeders and the leading Israeli sire of show winners until once again destiny called him from afar.
One of Al Ayal's fiercest admirers is the world-acclaimed Aljassimya Farm of Doha, Qatar. A shared passion for Arabian horses makes for trange bedfellows and regional political realities were also in this case, once again cast aside:
In 2014 Al Ayal traveled to California USA where he served for two years as guest herd sire at Aljassimya's farm in Santa Ynez. During his stay Al Ayal was shown just one time, winning the Senior Straight Egyptian Champion stallion title at Scottsdale, considered America's most prestigious Arabian Show and where he again made history when his stud fee was publicly auctioned off for one of the highest fees ever paid in the industry.
In 2016 Al Ayal once again journeyed home where he covered mares for a short period. But soon he was off to Europe, this time to Ferdinand Huemer's influential Al Movida Farm where he covered most of the farm's broodmares over the course of a year.
Just three weeks ago Al Ayal arrived home at Ariela, giving us the opportunity to admire and honor him here today. But take a good look and enjoy him while you can because once again, he is not staying for long. Al Ayal will remain in Israel only until early December, and then he will soon be traveling-- once again he will stand at the Qatari-owned Aljassimya Farms in California. This new invitation is the finest of all compliments to any breeder and is based squarely on the superior quality of the foals he sired off the farm's treasured mares during his first visit.
Surely, we all can recall several other Israeli-bred Arabians who have been influential sires and show winners overseas. However, none have spent more than half of their lives as 'ambassadorsires' abroad as has Al Ayal, and none have opened more doors between Israeli and her Arab neighbors than Al Ayal.
A totally classic flea-bitten grey and extraordinarily refined, Al Ayal, at less than ten years old, has raised the worldwide standard for what is seen as perfection in an Arabian show horse. He symbolizes what all lovers of the Arabian horse dream of a horse so stunning that he not only inspires worldwide admiration, but also serves as an absolutely transformational catalyst that advances international relations, understanding, and good will among mankind.
Al Ayal is such a rarity, and we are honored to award him with the 2017 WAHO Cup.
All who love Arabian horses in Israel, should feel justly proud that an Israeli-bred stallion has had such enormous impact throughout the Arabian industry. Already a proven ambassador from Israel on behalf of the entire breed, only time will tell what future accomplishments lie ahead for this magnificent Arabian stallion."
