WAHO Conference

2006-header
The WAHO Conference was highly successful and enjoyable, and we sincerely thank our hosts, the Syrian Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform and The Syrian Arab Horse Association, for such a wonderful event.

WAHO OFFICIAL BUSINESS:
All Agenda items which required a vote of the Delegates to the WAHO General Assembly were passed. These included:

  • The re-election of the WAHO Executive Committee with two new members, Dr Marek Trela (Poland) and Mr Sami Bin Suleiman Al Nohait (Saudi Arabia);
  • The re-activation of the Applying Registering Authority Membership of Ecuador;
  • The acceptance of new Applying Members Estonia and Croatia and permission for Chile to register the Arabian horses of Peru.
  • The updated WAHO Registration and Stud Book Rules contained in the booklet “Requirements for Establishing & keeping a Stud Book” were approved in their entirety;
  • That all parent-verified foals of registered purebred Arabian parents must be eligible for registration provided they fulfill all WAHO and Registering Authority Member registration rules, irrespective of whether or not the sire has any form of ‘stallion licence’;
  • That there can only be one registering authority member per country or area of jurisdiction without the express permission of the existing Voting Member;
  • That apart from formally agreed exceptions (eg. Germany registering the Arabian horses of Luxembourg) all Arabian foals must only be registered in their country of birth;
  • That WAHO does not allow the registration of cloned Arabian horses, or any offspring or descendants of cloned Arabians.

A new Consultant, Mr Xavier Guibert from France was appointed to the WAHO Executive Committee.

Rear-Admiral James Carine, who has helped WAHO in several capacities over the years and who has been Independent Chairman of the WAHO Stud Book Advisory Sub-committee and Independent Co-Chairman of the World Registrars Meeting, was made an Honorary Life Individual Associate Member of WAHO by unanimous vote of the General Assembly on the occasion of his official retirement from WAHO.

There was also a very moving tribute to the late Jay Stream, former WAHO President.

Reference the situation between WAHO and Arabian Horse Association (AHA) and Purebred Arabian Trust (PAT) of America. WAHO President Dr. Hans-J. Nagel reported to the Assembly that the door has always been open for further discussions. A meeting was held in Argentina in April 2006 between several members of the WAHO Executive Committee and some of the PAT Board Members. These discussions were reported back to the full Boards of both organizations and some correspondence followed, but at the time of the Conference no firm progress had been made. The Purebred Arabian Horse Registry (PAHR) therefore remains the WAHO Registering Authority Member in good standing for the USA, Canada, Mexico and Panama Imports into America and exports from America continue to be processed by PAHR in the normal way.

WORLD REGISTRARS MEETING:
This meeting was very detailed with extremely useful discussions and interchange of ideas between Registrars. All these discussions and related recommendations were reported in full to the General Assembly.

MORE INFORMATION
Below are some further links, information and photos that should give you a flavour of the wonderful events, people and horses which those lucky enough to be in Syria will never forget.

A specially commissioned DVD of the WAHO Conference and Associated events made by Dragonfly productions, USA, is now available for purchase – to view a short extract from this film, and to make your order, click on the W.A.H.O. link at this website: www.dragonflyproduction.net

“A DVD is also now available from Ivy Productions featuring all of the horses from the Conference events and then from the subsequent Desert Tour – a 5 disk set and 5 hours and 40 minutes in length the DVD also comes with accompanying stud catalogues, pedigrees and showing lists where these were available. To purchase or obtain more information please visit http://ivymediaproductions.com/Preview/Syria1_2007_0.html. Further DVDs will also be released and will include the History, Music and Culture of Syria of which there was an abundance and of which we all are very grateful to our very generous Syrian hosts and to the very warm and friendly Syrian people.”

The beautiful and thought-provoking 50-minute film “Children of the Wind” which was shown at the WAHO Conference can also be purchased direct from the makers, WAHO members Gerhard & Astrid Skorianz. Please visit: www.kinderdeswindes.com for all contact details.

WAHO thanks our member from Australia, Sharon Meyers, editor of AHSA Magazine, for so kindly letting us use her excellent article which has been made available through the following link: www.waho.org/Conf2006AHSReport.html“. If you want to read more then Sharon Meyers second article on the conference is also available in PDF format through the following link: www.waho.org/ASyrianAdventureSM.pdf.


Click Images to Enlarge


The unique Arabian Horse Parade through the streets of Damascus was part of the Opening Ceremony.

Riders brought their Arabians to the Opening Parade from all over Syria, including this group of Shammar Bedouin.

Safa Alrooh, a beautiful mare of the Keheileh Da’ajaniet Al Kashrah strain at the Basil Al Assad National Stud.

Safa Al Rooh (Basil/Najwa), 11 year old mare at the National Stud .

The Bedouin dinner hosted by the Al Bashakem Tribe included feats of horsemanship.

Ma’aroof (Mehrez / Mayadah) a handsome 9 year old stallion of the Kehailan Haifi strain at the National Stud.

Majd (Basil / Mayadah), the 14-year old senior stallion at the National Stud, of the Kehailan Haifi strain.

Just some of the WAHO Post-Conference tour group at Palmyra.

Anezeh encampment.

The Race is On.

Lain Al Sahra (Majd / Leiali Al Samr) a pretty 2 year old of the Hamdaniet Ibn Ghorab strain at the National Stud

Traditional race, Anezeh tribe. The Bedouin are skilled riders, with or without saddles.

Welcome banner at the Tai reception in Al Qamishli.

A Hamdaniet Ibn Ghorab mare at the Shammar parade with her owner, Mouhammed Abd Alaiada Aldara’an Ibn Ghorab, whose family own this strain.

Al Naif, a fine stallion of the Kehailan Rabdan strain at the Shammar parade.

WAHO Group welcomed by Sheikhs of the Tai and Allied Tribes.

Motorbikes and Arabians are both equally useful modes of transport in the Syrian desert.

Bedouin breeder with his fine foal.

Father and son share a ride on their way to join the celebrations arranged for WAHO by the Tai tribe.

Everyone wanted to congratulate the winner of the traditional race organized by the Anezeh tribe (Fedaan and Sebaa clans).

Bedouin girls enjoying the WAHO party.

Waho conference participants were welcomed everywhere we went.

Making Bread
Full WAHO
Conference Report
to Follow

© All Photographs are the copyright of Natalie Meredith, Dr Hazaim Alwair and Gudrun Waiditschka and may not be copied or reproduced in any medium or any format without the express permission of the copyright holders.

To see more Photos, Videos & Articles by participants of the 2007 Waho Conference and Pre/Post-Conference-Tours – Click here

WAHO CONFERENCE, DAMASCUS, SYRIA. APRIL 2007

On behalf of the President and Executive Committee of WAHO, and of all our Delegates and Individual WAHO Members who were lucky enough to participate in the WAHO Conference in Syria, we extend our most sincere thanks to all the people who gave their invaluable help and generous hospitality in planning and hosting the WAHO General Assembly and Conference in Damascus. WAHO also thanks all the Guest Speakers, as well as everyone who arranged and hosted all the unforgettable associated social events and celebratory meals, horse parades and Post-Conference tours. WAHO would also like to extend special thanks to all the Arabian horse owners and breeders throughout Syria who brought their beautiful horses for us to admire throughout the Conference period. Many had great distances to travel, either on horseback or by truck. Together they were all responsible for ensuring that the WAHO Conference in Syria was such as resounding success.

WE THANK THEM ONE AND ALL.