Basmah Albidayer

Our beautiful cover star is the graceful mare, Basmah Albidayer. Bred and owned by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Saud Al Qasimi at his Albidayer Stud in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, Basmah Albidayer has a special place in the stud’s history, being out of their Polish mare Bidayer, the first foal born at Albidayer Stud. In this special edition of The Arabian Breeders’ Magazine, we celebrate Basmah Albidayer, and the breeding programme of Albidayer Stud.

While it may be the stallions who steal the headlines, it is the mares who are truly at the heart of breeding programmes around the world. Sheikh Mohammed astutely based his breeding programme around the incredible Emigrant (Ararat x Emigrantka by Eukaliptus) daughter, Bidayer. She is out of the famed mare, Eskalopka (Monogramm x Egzotyka by Probat), bred at Michałow State Stud, and part of a celebrated group of champion horses from these lines. Both sire and dam have a host of titles to their names, and Bidayer added to this success. Bidayer was imported in utero with her dam, and from the moment she was born, she made her mark.

Foaled in 2005, Bidayer was named Junior Female Champion at the 2006 Ajman Ramadan Show, beating the older fillies while still a yearling. While undeniably beautiful and a very complete show horse, with all the Polish panache one could want from such a pedigree, it was in the breeding barn that Bidayer made the biggest impact – most notably through her daughter, our cover star, Basmah Albidayer.

Foaled in 2015, Basmah Albidayer’s sire is the acclaimed Al Shaqab stallion, Fadi al Shaqab, bred by Michael Byatt and Orrion Farms. Named World Champion Stallion in 2013, Fadi al Shaqab is an irresistible mix of some of the most recognised bloodlines in the world, being sired by Besson Carol (Parys el Jamaal x Classic Krystall by Simeon Shor) and out of the Marwan al Shaqab (Gazal al Shaqab x Little Liza Fame by Fame VF) daughter, Abha Myra (ex ZT Ludjkalba by Ludjin el Jamaal out of ZT Shakalba). The blend of the Jamaal blood with the Gazal lines and the ethereal Polish beauty of Bidayer resulted in Basmah Albidayer – a very complete, very correct mare who continues to shine time and time again in the show-ring.

In 2017, Basmah Albidayer was named Silver Junior Female Champion at the Fujairah National Show before returning in 2021. Now six years of age, added the Silver Senior Female Championship, earned at Fujairah Arabian Horse Championships to her name.

This year, at the Sharjah International Show, Basmah Albidayer won her class with a huge score of 93.37 points and was, unsurprisingly, named Gold Senior Female Champion. More success followed, with wins at both the Dubai International Arabian Horse Championships and the All Nations’ Cup in Aachen. Basmah Albidayer would also take the Bronze Senior Female title at both shows. It is her many outstanding qualities that make Basmah Albidayer shine – true Arabian type, powerful movement, good limbs, and that extra ‘something’ that makes Arabian mares so captivating.

Besides her show-ring successes, Basmah Albidayer has also produced two foals for Albidayer Stud – the 2019 colt Samer Albidayer (by Dominic M by Da Vinci FM out of Rosa la Valentina) and the 2020 filly Lana Albidayer, sired by Albidayer’s own Wahaj Albidayer (Versace x Baila de Djoon OS by Ajman Moniscione). Basmah Albidayer is currently in foal to Sinmar Albidayer (Shanghai EA x Salwa Albidayer by Marwan al Shaqab), Albidayer Stud’s young stallion who has just been on a two-year lease to Israel.

There is no doubt that Albidayer Stud, managed by Dawn Martin, is one of the leading breeding farms in the Middle East. From homebred superstars Mozn Albidayer (SMA Magic One x Mattaharii by Magnum Chall HVP), now owned by Al Wajba Stud, and her paternal half-brother Raoud Albidayer (ex DL Marielle by Marwan al Shaqab) to Lahab Albidayer (Vervaldee x FS Madeline by Magnum Psyche) in the United States, Albidayer Stud has bred some of the most significant horses in current generation. Add in Marajj (Marwan al Shaqab x RGA Kouress by Kouvay Bey), their first superstar, to Pitonisa AS (Ever After NA x Psyches Amber Dream by Padrons Psyche) and A Vision MI (Allegiance MI x Always Valentine MI by DA Valentino), all carefully considered additions to the breeding programme, and it is clear that Albidayer Stud is in an exciting place as the stud approaches its 20^th year of breeding.

All photography Elisa Grassi