REPORT AT 2011 WAHO CONFERENCE:
Dr. Mohammed Mahmoud Mohammed Najem, Iraq. Mr. President, Executive Committee members, delegates, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Mohammed Mahmoud Najem, I am Registrar of the Iraqi Arabian Horse Organization. On behalf of the Board of the Iraq Arabian Horse Organization and the Iraqi Equestrian Club, I would like to thank our hosts, Qatar, for their warm welcome. And we thank all people who have done such a lot of work in organizing this marvellous Conference.
In Iraq the number of Arabian foals registered in 2010 was 27, in 2009 was 28, in 2008 was 26, in 2007 was 37 foals. Currently we have 600 purebred Arabian horses, of which 21 stallions and 70 mares are used for breeding purposes. Over the last 4 years 30 horses have been exported to France, Sweden, Syria and Saudi Arabia. We have imported two horses from the UAE and Saudi Arabia. This year we published Volume 8 of our studbook which contains all the foals, imports and exports of the last 4 years. We publish our studbook regularly every 4 years. We do parentage verification by DNA typing for all foals, before registration. All registered horses have been microchipped and we issue passports. We would like to send our thanks to WAHO for their support.
Arabian horse racing, and endurance continue to be the most popular activity of this breed. At the Baghdad Equestrian Club racecourse, we have 2 races weekly for purebred Arabians with an average of 100 races each year to encourage people to obtain and own Arabian horses. The results of those races are published on the IFAHR website. Thank you all for your attention.
STATISTICS FOR 2011:
Foals registered: 46; Horses exported: 3; Horses imported: 1
REPORT MADE AT 2009 WAHO CONFERENCE:
I am Dr. Mohammad Al-Nujaifi, Head of Registration and the Stud Book Committee, with me is my colleague Dr. Mohammed Mahmoud Nejem the Registrar, comprising the Iraqi delegation to this meeting. First of all, I would like to thank His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said, The Royal Court Affairs in the Sultanate of Oman, and the Organizing Committee for arranging such a wonderful Conference.
Concerning the registration of the Arabian horses in our Iraqi stud books, there are now about 700. There are 20 stallions from different bloodlines which are all available at stud free of charge, all by natural covering. There are 100 producing broodmares in Iraq. We have about 40 living foals registered every year after proper parent verification by DNA typing. We have produced our stud book Volume 6 in 2004, and Volume 7 in 2006 and we are expect Volume 8 to be published soon, which will cover the foals from 2006 to 2009.
The main activity for Arabian horses in Iraq is flat racing. There is a race every week, with about 44 races a year. We adhere to the WAHO rules and regulations and also we are awarding the WAHO Trophy every year. Last year’s winner was a colt called Dahman Baghdad, by an imported stallion of desert bloodlines from Saudi Arabia out of an Iraqi broodmare. He has now retired from racing and will stand at stud.
We have exported about 20 horses and they have been re-exported and registered in five different countries, including Syria, France, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Although before 1991 the number of Arabian horses in Iraq was about 2,000 the number dwindled down but now we are building our stock up again. Thank you.
REPORT MADE AT 2007 WAHO CONFERENCE:
In the year 2006, IAHO succeeded in the face of many problems to publish the Iraq Arabian Stud Book Volume 6. This volume contains all the living stallions and broodmares from the previous 5 volumes of our stud book, together with the imported horses and other normal chapters, including foals born until 2003. All horses you find in this Volume had been parent verified by DNA typing. Since the WAHO Conference in Warsaw in 2004, IAHO has concentrated on taking care and following up the produce of around 80 broodmares and 20 stallions, most of which are from the bloodlines imported from some European countries and from the UAE.
In April 2007 IAHO issued our Stud Book volume 7, which covers the years 2004, 2005 and 2006. All foals are also parent verified by DNA, exactly as for volume 6. Microchipping of all our registered horses will be carried on within a couple of months.
Many activities have been arranged by our Organization, among these are the Arabian horse races which are held once a week. In our agenda is to arrange the Arabian Horse Shows and the endurance competitions, but the recent bad security conditions enforced us to postpone these activities temporarily.
No artificial insemination or transported semen is available in the country at the moment. Embryo transfer is not used. Some larger studs are making their stallions available free of charge for Arabian breeders, to encourage the Arabian breed.
In 2007, Iraq registered 40 foals, and one horse was imported.
| AWAITING RESULT |
| ASAD SAIF Grey stallion, 1993. (Zad Al-Rakib / Idat Sa'ab). Breeder and Owner: Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Nujaifi. Strain: Seglawi Jedran (Ghazwat Hamid, 1949) | |
| The Iraqi Arabian Horse Organization is plesaed to announce they have awarded their 2012 WAHO Trophy to the stallion Asad Saif. | |
| This stallion has been the cornerstone of Arabian breeding in Iraq for many years, where he has been the leading sire several times. He is the product of several generations of home-bred horses from Iraq's longest established stud-farm of Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al Nujaifi, located near Mosul. | |
| His progeny have won races not only in Iraq but also in Europe. He has also proved to be an excellent sire of broodmares, his grand-daughter Gharra'a (Matador / Wadhha Al Thania by Asad Saif) has won top races in Europe and was chosen as the 'Horse of the Year' in Sweden in recognition of her racing success. | |
 Iraq 2012 WAHO Trophy Winner sad Saif |
| AWAITING RESULT |
| RAQY Chestnut stallion, 2007. (Mencour / Raqiat Mustafa). Breeder: Mr. Zeyad Abdul Aziz Al Nujaifi. Owner: Mr. Emad Al-Hilo. Strain: Kuhailan Kubaishan (Khawlat Nawaf) | |
| The Iraqi Arabian Horse Organization has awarded their 2010 WAHO Trophy to the stallion Raqy, bred by Zeyad Al-Nujaifi at the Jedaidat Halla Studfarm of Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Nujaifi, 40km to the north of Mosul. He was sold to his owner Mr. Emad Al-Hilo as a two year-old. The brave and athletic colt Raqy was the best racehorse in Iraq as a 3 year old, winning the Derby in 2010, a feat which he repeated in 2011. He is still taking part in racing, including the 2011 season to date he has run in 25 races so far, winning a total of 9, taking second place 10 times, and fourth place 4 times. His sire is the magnificent French stallion Mencour who is half brother to the legendary French stallion Dormane. Mencour sired another twice Iraqi Derby Winner and WAHO Trophy winner, Hilal Al Zaman, who is now racing successfully in France. In fact, Mencour sons have won the Iraq Arabian Derby for the last 4 years. | |
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| Raqy after winning Derby | Raqy, Iraq 2010 Trophy Winner/td> |
| HILAL AL-ZAMAN Chestnut stallion, 2005. (Mencour / Amal Al-Thania). Breeder: Al-Nujaifi Farm. Owner: Dr. Mohammad Al-Nujaifi. Strain: Seglawi Jedran (Shohob) |
| The Iraqi Arabian Horse Organization has awarded the WAHO Trophy to the stallion Hilal Al-Zaman. He is by the imported French stallion Mencour out of a mare of 50% old Iraqi bloodlines and 50% British lines having 2 crosses to the imported stallion Valiant Gold. This well-made colt was the best racehorse in Iraq for two seasons, winning the Derby at 3 and 4 years old. He won a total of 12 races and was second 3 times out of 15 starts. |
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| Hilal Al-Zaman |
| DAHMAN BAGHDAD Grey Stallion, 2005. (Sattae / Ghalia Al-Thania). Breeder and Owner: Omar Mohammad Al Nujaifi. Strain: Ubiyan. |
| The Iraqi Arabian Horse Organization is pleased to announce their 2008 WAHO Trophy winner. |
| The young stallion Dahman Baghdad has already proved to be a race champion, having won 4 times from 5 races to the end of March 2008, with one 4th place. He won the G1 equivalent of the 2,000 Guineas for Arabians in Iraq, a race for 3 yo colts and fillies, on March 19th 2008. He is very nice looking, resembling the classic Arabian Desert-bred type and has shown the athletic performance expected of his pedigree. The dam comes from a very old and celebrated Iraqi blood-line from a well established pedigree that produced many race champions in the past. The sire Sattae, of the Suwaiti Al Firm strain, was imported to Iraq from Prince Turki bin Fahd bin Mohammed Al Saud’s Nejd Stud Farm in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which breeds 100% Saudi desert-bred horses that are not mixed with any other bloodline. It is hoped that in the future, Dahman Baghdad will become a breeding stallion to reinforce the reintroduction of these rare, traditional and important desert bred lines to Iraq. |
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| Dahman Baghdad |
| 2007 winner: AL-HUSSAM. 2002, Chestnut stallion. (Al-Hassim / Lina Al Thania). Breeder: Ziad Mohammad Abdul Aziz. Owner: Talib Abdul Hussien. Strain: Ubaiyan Sharaki (Al-Na’ama). |
| The Iraqi Arabian Horse Organization has pleasure in announcing that they have awarded their 2006 and 2007 WAHO Trophies at the same time, seeing this as good encouragement to the Arabian horse owners of Iraq who are experiencing exceptionally difficult times. At present, it is not possible to hold any shows or endurance events in the country due to the security situation, however Arabian racing has continued in Iraq and these two stallions were the best race horses in Iraq for the seasons 2005/2006 and 2006/2007, respectively. |
| Al-Hussam and Osailan are paternal half-brothers. Their sire Al-Hassim was bred by the Royal Stables in the Sultanate of Oman from French and Russian lines, and both their dams were bred in Iraq, from very old and highly valued Iraqi desert-bred female lines – in Al-Hussam’s case through Al Na’ama and in Osailan’s case through Shohob and Lina - with both having the imported British stallion, Valiant Gold, further back in their pedigrees. They epitomise the modern Iraqi Arabian, athletic and attractive. Their proud owners have high hopes of these tough, sound and fast horses in their future careers as breeding stallions. |
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| Photo: Al-Hussam |
| 2006 winner: OSAILAN. 2003, Grey Stallion. (Al-Hassim / Amal Al Thania). Breeder: Dr. Mohammad Al-Nujaifi. Owner: Ahmed Al-Hijia. Strain: Saglawi Jedran (Shohob). |
| The Iraqi Arabian Horse Organization has pleasure in announcing that they have awarded their 2006 and 2007 WAHO Trophies at the same time, seeing this as good encouragement to the Arabian horse owners of Iraq who are experiencing exceptionally difficult times. At present, it is not possible to hold any shows or endurance events in the country due to the security situation, however Arabian racing has continued in Iraq and these two stallions were the best race horses in Iraq for the seasons 2005/2006 and 2006/2007, respectively. |
| Al-Hussam and Osailan are paternal half-brothers. Their sire Al-Hassim was bred by the Royal Stables in the Sultanate of Oman from French and Russian lines, and both their dams were bred in Iraq, from very old and highly valued Iraqi desert-bred female lines – in Al-Hussam’s case through Al Na’ama and in Osailan’s case through Shohob and Lina - with both having the imported British stallion, Valiant Gold, further back in their pedigrees. They epitomise the modern Iraqi Arabian, athletic and attractive. Their proud owners have high hopes of these tough, sound and fast horses in their future careers as breeding stallions. |
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| Photo: Osailan |
| RAJWAT OMAR [Amal Ali / Ghalia Al Thania]. 2001, Chestnut Mare. Breeder and Owner: Omar Mohammad Abdul Aziz. Strain: Ubaiyah Sharakia (Ghaliah). | |
| Due to circumstances, it is only now that the Iraqi Arabian Horse Organization is able to confirm the winner of their 2005 WAHO Trophy. They are therefore delighted to announce that their 2005 winner is the delightful chestnut mare, Rajwat Omar. This fine athlete was the best race mare in Iraq for generations. She achieved an amazing double, beating all the colts to win the Derby twice in succession, in 2004 as a 3 year old and again in 2005 as a 4 year-old. This has never been done before by a filly in the 90-year history of Arabian racing in Iraq. Her pedigree combines highly valued old Iraqi desert-bred dam lines from the mares Wadhat Al-Furat, Lina and Ghaliah, together with two crosses to the stallion Valiant Gold (General Gold/Dreaming Gold), bred by Mrs. P.A.M. Murray in Britain and imported to Iraq in 1983. It is hoped that Rajwat Omar will prove to be a significant addition to Iraq’s broodmare band in the future, passing on her beauty, courage and athleticism to her offspring. Her first foal, a 2006 colt by Sheridhan (FR) is very promising. |  IRAQ 2005 winner RAJWAT OMAR |
