Our readers voted – Al Ashar is Arabian of the Year 2019
He really is a great guy, Al Ashar, regardless of whether in jumping, in dressage, in eventing, in breeding, as a reliable teacher, or simply a guy “to fall in love with”. He is an Arabian as in the book. After all, aren’t we all talking about the versatility of our horses? He embodies it all! And he always proves it – and has done so for years.
908 votes to victory
No wonder that he has that many fans who were motivated by breeder and owner Helena Hecker and rider Neele Schlichte to take part in our “Arabian of the Year election”. And it worked: from 15th to 31st July our readers could vote from among eight horses. A total of 2518 votes were cast, of which Al Ashar was able to collect 908 (36%).
The now 14-year-old Al Ashar has received many awards in his life. In addition to many ribbons for his sporting success, there is of course the elite title from the VZAP due to his own and his offspring performance, the WAHO Trophy, which each association awards to a particularly deserved horse once a year, and now the choice as “Arabian of the Year”, which also makes him a reader and audience favorite.
He has done everything right in terms of breeding: Already when he started the licensing in 2010, he showed his jumping talent, for which he received the highest marks of the event. He has been licensed for all breeds, has left the stallion performance test in Hünfeld as the winner, has proven himself in sport, has been recognized by the Weser-Ems stud book for riding pony breeding, has been licensed and awarded by the Hessen Pony and Horse Breeders Association, and in 2016 he was standing at stud at the Dillenburg State Stud especially for the pony breeders. He was also used for breeding and had – and this is almost unusual in Arabian horse breeding – mainly foreign mares.
Small but oho!
Al Ashar is not the tallest at 1.52 m in height – which also predestines him for pony breeding – but he has a big heart, which he shows again and again in sports. With the only 10-year-old Neele Schlichte he found “his” rider. They have been “a team” since the beginning of 2018, and successes, especially in the jumping course, were not long in coming. In the meantime, the two have won in
A** – jumping and style jumping. A few years ago, other riders were victorious up to L. Both also started in the eventing class, only a few months ago Neele was able to claim the victory in the combined eventing competiton of the class E after the two had finished the dressage as well also won the X-country course and secured a victory in E-style jumping with a mark of 8.2.
And the apple does not fall far from the tree: a total of three of his offspring are active in (FN-) sport and his beautiful daughter Alisha SR (Parbred), who could be a purebred Arabian anytime, but actually is a partbred, will soon have caught up with her father in regards of lifetime winnings.
Ambassador of the breed
Al Ashar is the ideal ambassador to demonstrate the great character and performance characteristics of this breed to the “outside” world. He is an Arabian at first sight, a treasure in character, always ready to perform, he has courage and heart and melts the girls’ hearts. Many horses would still have these or similar characteristics, but in many cases the rider is missing. Finding these, forging a team of the two is not always easy, but it’s worth it. For the rider, for the horse – and ultimately also for the breeder.
Gudrun Waiditschka
