Egyptian Event Europe, preview

The EEE is the largest straight Egyptian horse show occurring outside of America (why not Egypt?).

There is a society that insists only straight Egyptian Arabians are truly "purebred." This goes above my head. Al Khamsa. It's an elite society of certain Arabian horses, called "Asil" in Germany, and actually differentiated from other technically purebred Arabians. This implies some scandal, I know. Cuz neither of my Arabians could be considered purebred, Asil, based on this definition, but both are registered pure by their registries. So, WTH, Al Khamsa!

It was only an hour's drive, at a gorgeous castle, so I was there! I was curious if any horse would be related to Mag. As I left my man today I said, "I'm going to storm the castle!" He said, "Don't forget the key!"

As you know I have nicknames for the most popular handlers, and when I saw "curly haired guy" take the lead of #48, Zain Al Dean, I was excited....

Cuz that's Mag's "uncle." Son of Laheeb, Mag's sire's sire, straight Egyptian.

As you know from my sidebar Laheeb is one of the few Egyptian horses that Poland used to improve their Polish Arabians, and I can see why.

I stayed all day to see who would win the Senior Stallions class, and was sad when #48 got the Silver ("reserve Champion"). Even with curly haired Giacomo on the line (Europe's Boggs).

Just now I got home and looked up the show results online, and saw that they awarded Best in Show to #48!!!! I had no idea there was such a thing. I'm such a newbie: )

Photos and videos to come. For now, here's a glimpse of #48...




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I have to tell about what happened as we were leaving. We were touring the castle ground  and moat (complete with floating flowers and swans), and full of tourists also exploring the gardens and enjoying the chapels -think Butchart Gardens but with ancient architecture.....when some of the horse people wanted profi photos of their stallion in front of the castle itself (which was not in the background of the actual showing arena). So they brought him out, and brought out a mare to let him show off with.

He pranced and struck and reared up and put on the most fantastic display, even though at this point he had his 5th leg ready, making my professional photographer friends Michi and Angela zoom in on his face/forehand, they don't want that in their photos. A large crowed of tourists gathered and started snapping photos with their phones. More than half the people at the castle today were not there for horses. It was pretty easy to tell the difference by looking at them! (I almost thought I was at the wrong place when I arrived.)

The stallion kept making the most adorable noises, very quiet and becoming, the whole time he danced in front of the castle.

Then an Asian family saw this spectacle, but instead of taking photos like the Germans, the husband told his wife to go stand in front of the stallion and pose. And she did. She stood there smiling with this stallion acting up right behind her, as her husband took photo after photo. It could be, that Americans would do the same thing, but it was surprising to everyone there how only the Asians tried to pose in front of the horses. Some of the Germans were giggling at the Asians, and I think a lot of them got an extra anatomy lesson today they might not have expected to pay for (castle entrance fee is 9,50E.) 

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It was nice to hear Michi say, "OMG you could bring Mag here and no one would notice any difference, he belongs here!"

Except all of his scars, and lack of fitness, and no training.....but yah, I can see it too. There were horses today with Mag's faults, not like at the other shows I'd been to. Mag would have loved it. He would have walked up to that stallion at the moat and said, "Try to look as impressive as I am (absent libido)."

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As Michi hugged me goodbye, she said, "You have the better deal. You get to go home to MAG. A dream horse." I don't know what to say to that, but that she needs her own horse.

I have the scent of these fancy show horses on my hands, I cuddled with so many of them today, but I thank God for Mag. 

: ) more to come...