SIGI SILLER AND Om El Arab ast May, the Arabian world lost one of where through the assistance of Dr. Ameen its greatest breeders, the indomitable Zaher of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Sigi Siller. Join us as we recount her many stallion Shaker El Masri (*Morafic x Zebeda contributionsL to the breed we love on the by El Sareei) was purchased from the Egytian following pages. Agricultural Organization and five mares Sigi’s acquaintance with Arabians came from Dr. Sayed Marei, a private breeder. early. Her father Franz Siller, a German Those animals (plus 11 more Spanish mares horseman and breeder, owned an Arabian imported in 1978) comprised the breeding mare Dindara, purchased from the world- Sigi Siller with *El Shaklan stock at the stud Om El Arab in the Black renowned Marbach State Stud in Germany. In the late 1960s, Forest of Germany. Sigi read Carl Raswan’s Trinker de Lufte (Drinkers of the Wind) From that foundation stock emerged a type specific to and, at her father’s suggestion, enrolled in a horse-husbandry Om El Arab — a type characterized by a dished and finely school at Marbach. This course gave Sigi a solid foundation chiseled head, short back, strong loin, long flat croup, well- in equine conformation, nutrition, horse care, reproduction, shaped neck, straight legs, deep barrel, a pleasant disposition, riding, and stable management. charismatic personality, proud movement, and a naturally high- Sigi visited many private studs in Germany and was the set tail carriage. model of the good listener as she absorbed information on Within ten years, Om El Arab was in a leading position in breeding programs, bloodlines, and the importance of certain European showrings, much of that distinction coming through stallions and mares in Europe. Soon another book influenced the Spanish/Egyptian cross, particularly that of Shaker El Masri Sigi’s life: The Arab Horse in Europe by the late Erika Schiele, on Spanish mares. The combination soon proved the most a celebrated Arabian horse authority in Europe. Descriptions outstanding in the stud’s program and became the new “golden of the bloodlines of Arabian horse breeding programs in Spain cross” of Europe, particularly as demonstrated in the mating were of special intrigue and, of Shaker El Masri to the in 1971 with the help of Spanish mare *Estopa (Tabal Mrs. Schiele, Sigi visited x Uyaima by Barquillo). the farms of a number of Among the many prominent Spanish breeders, Much would be different today if not, 47 years successes of this breeding and brought home 18 mares is *El Shaklan, a 1975 grey from six different breeders ago, a young novice breeder had set her faith stallion. *El Shaklan and — the largest exportation in an equally young, unproven mare that was eight of his offspring were of horses from Spain to brought to the United States a European country to not of fashionable bloodlines. In doing so, Sigi late in 1982 so that they that time. might compete in American The quality of the Siller created something entirely new, something shows. Sigi followed a Polish-bred stock also totally different and uniquely her own, that bit later and Om El Arab attracted Sigi, and a 1971 (“mother of Arabians” in the visit to Poland netted two would profoundly change Arabian breeding Arabic language) became one mares and the stallion Laos, of the many notable breeding the last *Naborr son in throughout the world … how many breeders farms in the Santa Ynez Poland. Egypt was next, would dare to take such a chance today? Valley in California. From “Om El Arab International,” by Mary Jane Parkinson, Arabian Horse World, December 1991. 90 b ARABIAN HORSE WORLD b OCTOBER 2017 Sigi Siller and *Estopa (Tabal x Uyaima). THE GLOBAL INFLUENCE OF *Estopa And How Sigi Siller’s Breeding Choices Profoundly Changed Arabian Breeding Throughout the World by Betty Finke *Abha Qatar. AJ Mardan. Ajman Moniscione. Belladonna AT. hat do these horses — bred in such various countries as *CR Jasmeenah. Da Vinci FM. *El Dorada. *ES Harir. Essteema. Spain, the Emirates, Italy, Britain, the U.S., Poland, Saudi *Excalibur EA. FA El Rasheem. Fadi Al Shaqab. FS Bengali. HL WArabia, Germany, Brazil, Qatar, Austria, Belgium, South Africa El Ganador. Khidar. *Jullyen El Jamaal. *Lawrence El Gazal. and Australia — have in common, beside being household *Kanz Al Bidayer. Luigi. RFI Farid. Shanghai EA. *SMA Magic names in the global Arabian breeders’ community? They are all One. Navarrone P. Tehama Ballalina. Trussardi. *Valentinos Angel descendants of *Estopa, a mare who influenced the breed more MI. Versace. Vitorio TO. WH Justice. than any other in the 20th century. 91 b ARABIAN HORSE WORLD b OCTOBER 2017 It’s safe to say that you *Estopa tended to give her size, much less better. will not find an Arabian her disposition, her action and her But *Estopa, it seems, breeding country on earth was the exception to every that does not number showiness. Even today, at 23 years of rule. Despite being both *Estopa descendants among age, *Estopa still snorts and blows and a champion and not easy its most successful horses. to get (and keep) in foal, The list above could have wants to be the queen of the ranch. She she delivered the goods, been easily extended to fill always has her head up — she’s just and then some. All of the the entire page, and I am 12 foals she produced in certain that if one were to a dream. Shaker El Masri, on the other her life became successful examine the leading sires hand, was distant — he really didn’t breeding animals. Not only of all Arabian-breeding want to socialize. But he had a wonderful that, but they changed countries, one would the world. find one or more *Estopa body (he stood 15 hands), a lovely, In 1971 the natural descendants near the very refined, long neck, and a very thing for Sigi and her top of the list, if not in husband to do was breed top position. level topline. — Sigi the mares to the stallions That’s not bad going of Marbach State Stud. for a mare imported in Marbach was the place 1970 by a pair of German where they had first breeders who were just starting out. *Estopa was just one of 18 encountered, and fallen in love with, Arabian horses, it was mares imported by Sigi Siller (or Merz, as she was then) and her not far from their farm in the Black Forest, and since it was first husband Heinz Merz, and one of the few that were from a state stud, the fees were affordable. Most of the mares were the start registered in Sigi’s name. There was nothing to single bred to the chief sire, the straight Egyptian Nazeer son Hadban her out initially. While she may have been the most beautiful of Enzahi. *Estopa, however, went to his more glamorous half- the lot, her breeding was no more (or less) illustrious than the brother Ghazal, who was regarded as the most beautiful Arabian others. It was Spanish breeding, which was little known and not stallion in Germany at the time. However, this was one of the exactly flavor of the moment. She was five years old and had not occasions where she remained barren. Since Ghazal was a great yet produced a foal, and she turned out to be a difficult breeder. sire in his own right, we can only speculate what magic might She was, however, a wonderful show horse and in her brief, but have occurred, had the breeding been successful. It was never brilliant career achieved the titles of both German National repeated, because one year later, Ghazal was dead, and Om El Champion and International Champion. It is well known that Arab now had its own resident Egyptian stallion, the *Morafic mares of extraordinary beauty who win huge show accolades, son Shaker El Masri. In 1972, he covered all the mares at the are not always the best broodmares. After all, if you have a mare farm. like this in the first place, there’s nowhere to go but down. Few *Estopa’s first foal was duly born in 1973, when she champion mares even manage to produce anything their equal, was already eight years old. There used to be a belief among The Egyptian stallion Shaker El Masri (*Morafic x Zebeda), when crossed with the *Estopa, above and facing page. Spanish lines of *Estopa, became the new “golden cross” for Om El Arab. 92 b ARABIAN HORSE WORLD b OCTOBER 2017 If *Estopa had produced just one foal in her life, and that foal had been *El Shaklan, her immortality would have been ensured. But there was still more to come. 93 b ARABIAN HORSE WORLD b OCTOBER 2017 breeders, which (quite At Egypt’s El Zahraa Stud in September were used as stallions, but rightly) is mostly forgotten not to a very large extent. today, that first foals never 1971, EAO’s Dr. Marsafi paraded 20 It was the older sister, *Bint amount to much. In stallions before us. I made notes on Shaker, whose contribution *Estopa’s case, that couldn’t was to prove more lasting. have been farther from the all of them, and the nicest one, the She was one of the mares truth, because *Estopa’s most beautiful type-wise, was Alaa El that came to California first filly, Estasha, turned Din, but of course he was not for sale. in the early 1980s and out to be one of her most remained at Om El Arab significant daughters, both My second choice was an eight-year- International all her life, in terms of showring and old chestnut stallion named Shaker where her family is still alive breeding achievements.