For Part I in this feature, please click here.
For Part II in this feature, please click here.
Breeding success
With El Nabila B safely at Om El Arab and enjoying life there, the partnership began looking at opportunities to get foals on the ground.
Janeenah. Credit Kelly Campbell
“We became involved with Sigi and Janina around 2009,” explains Michael. “We were looking for mares to breed to El Nabila. Om El Arab has some amazing mares, who are not only beautiful but have great pedigrees – plus, you can see the individuals in the pedigrees at the farm. As El Nabila B is out of a straight Egyptian mare, we thought reintroducing the Egyptian blood would be a good thing and would breed a modern horse. When breeding, you are dealing with genetics, and the better the odds, the more chance you have of breeding high quality Arabians. The consistency in the Om El Arab programme stood out, and Sigi and Janina were kind enough to let us buy embryos from some of their very best mares, in particular the daughters of Al Lahab (Laheeb x The Vision HG).”
Jena ENB. Credit Kelly Campbell
The partnership purchased embryos to Om El Jinaah (Al Lahab x Om El Jimala) from Janina and her late mother, Sigi Siller. The result was two fillies, Janeenah in 2011 and Jena ENB in 2013. Both Janeenah and Jena have gone on to become great producers for Psynergy, with one example being Janeenah’s daughter, Justina ENB (by El Tino by DA Valentino). Reserve Canadian Champion Yearling Filly, Justina is now five years old and is a very dark grey. Knowing she will take a long time to go white, the partners bred her to AJ Radman (AJ Mardan x AJ Rahifa), and she foaled a beautiful filly earlier this year.
“Janeenah is a beautiful mare, and she has been an amazing producer for us,” says Michael. “We have kept some of her daughters in our programme, and this line continues to shine. We have a beautiful grey weanling filly by Dominic M (Da Vince FM x Rosa la Valentina). Janeenah is also dam to Felix Ajmal Mora (by RFI Farid by RFI Maktub), bred and owned by Felix Arabia. She was the Gold Champion Junior Mare at 2021 Scottsdale Show and, at this year’s Arabian Breeders’ World Cup in Scottsdale, her daughter Felix Ajmal Malak (by Dominic M by Da Vinci FM), was named Supreme Gold Champion Yearling Filly. In the same championship, Psynergy Equine’s homebred Vision of Love (Dominic M x Symphony of Love by El Nabila B) was named Supreme Bronze Champion Yearling Filly. Plus, we have Janeenah’s two-year-old daughter, Jeneva ENB, a full sister to Felix Ajmal Mora whom we have sent to Europe this year in partnership with Noëmie.”
Vision of Love ENB. Credit Javan
One of the early foals bred by Psynergy was Titan AS, a superlative chestnut stallion by El Nabila B and out of Om El Beladeena (by Al Lahab). “Titan resulted from our relationship with Om El Arab,” continues Mike. “I remember when he was born, Sigi called straight away and said that Beladeena had produced an amazing colt by El Nabila. She never wanted us to sell him, but sometimes, you have to make these decisions. Titan did very well, and he won a lot of titles, including that of Gold Junior Champion Stallion at the Arabian Breeders’ World Cup with his new owners, Arabian Soul Partners, earning an astounding twelve 20s. He really was a magnificent horse, with huge beauty, a lot of refinement, great tail carriage, and incredible charisma. He got the best from both his parents and truly, how often does that happen? He had Beladeena’s face and stature, and El Nabila’s eyes, body, and structure.
Titan AS. Credit Kelly Campbell
“Titan passed too soon. He had the potential to be National Champion Stallion. He left some good daughters and sons. In our programme, we have two beautiful daughters, Aphrodite ENB (ex Carenza by Enzo) and Divina Luna (ex Divina Passion by El Nabila B). Aphrodite was US National Champion Yearling Filly in 2018 and was US National Reserve Champion Futurity Filly as a three-year-old. She has a very elegant 2021 daughter, Athena ENB (by EKS Alihandro by Marwan al Shaqab), who we sold to Duke Mendel. This year, Aphrodite had a colt by Sharif al Zobair (FA el Rasheem x Risalah al Zobair), who we are keeping a close eye on as something special for the future.
Aphrodite ENB. Credit Javan
“Divina Luna, meanwhile, is in foal for the first time, to Dominic M, for a 2024 foal. We don’t like to overbreed our horses or breed them too young. Her full sister, Anna MC, was sold to the Middle East, where she has won a host of titles including Gold Senior Female at the Milan International Cup and Gold Junior Female at the King Abdulaziz Arabian Horse Center Show in Dirab.”
Divina Luna. Credit Kelly Campbell
Another special El Nabila B daughter is Symphony of Love (ex HED Caramba by Magnum Psyche), who has been an exceptional mare for Psynergy, both as a show mare and as a dam. She has had many beautiful daughters, who have won many national titles both in the US and abroad. Her daughter Rshediah al Khashab (by EKS Alihandro by Marwan al Shaqab) was sold to the Middle East, where she was named Silver Junior Female Champion in Menton. Last year, daughter Bint Rshediah al Khashab (by EKS Farajj by Ibn Farid) was named Bronze Yearling Filly Champion while Rshediah al Khashab, in a return to the show, took the Bronze Senior Female title. Mother and daughter also placed third in their classes in Paris at the World Championships in 2022, with Rshediah al Khashab and Bint Reshediah both taking the Best Head award.
Symphony of Love’s four-year old son, Conqueror ENB (by EKS Alihandro out of OFW Psylhouette), is already a champion in the show-ring, including Canadian National Champion Futurity Colt in 2022. “We have a lot of faith in this stallion,” says Michael. “Conqueror is a blend of El Nabila B with Marwan and Psyche lines, which we know works well. We are looking forward to seeing his first foals. Additionally, Conqueror is currently in training with Ali Brady under saddle and is showing great promise.”
Conqueror ENB. Credit Kelly Campbell
Talk of Conqueror naturally brings us to Atticus ENB, the impressive, charismatic grey stallion foaled in 2015 by El Nabila B and out of Om El Benedine (Sanadik El Shaklan x Om El Beneera). Mike recalls: “I like the maternal granddam, Om El Beneera, who was by Sharem el Sheikh (El Shaklan x Samanna), who I always think was a horse ahead of his time. He was an impressive horse, very big with a long neck. Sharem el Sheikh was a unique horse, and I liked his scope. That was part of the reason I wanted to make this cross with El Nabila B.
Atticus ENB. Javan
“Atticus was a very pretty baby – and then he went gangly! We sent him up to Connie’s and turned him out for a couple of years. He had just turned three when we sent him to Sandro’s, who didn’t think Atticus was ready for the show-ring. In just two months, he went from being in the pasture to Silver Amateur Champion at the Arabian Breeders’ World Cup, which is really quite impressive. With Sandro, he became US National Reserve Futurity Champion Stallion at only his second show, and then tied for the title of 2019 Canadian National Champion Stallion, taking home the Reserve title. Atticus has since been named Arabian Breeders’ World Cup Supreme Bronze Champion Senior Stallion and Scottsdale International Silver Champion Senior Stallion, both in 2021.”
The Psynergy Partners didn’t breed Atticus until he was four years old, resulting in three fillies for themselves plus one filly for a client. One of those was Alesia ENB (ex Aliyah Vision PCF by PCF Vision), now owned by Rae-Dawn Arabians and named 2023 Scottsdale Champion Senior Mare. “By the time people saw Atticus’ first foal crop as yearlings, he was six. There was immediate interest in him, and last year, he was bred to mares in South America, the Middle East, Poland, Australia, and New Zealand. As you know, unless you have the horse of the moment, it takes a while. Stallions have to prove themselves as breeding sires, and Atticus did this from the moment people saw his first foals.”
RD Atlantis. Credit Alessio
However, it definitely is a case of quality over quantity. His first foal in the Middle East, Gamra al Hawajer (ex EKS Jasminah by Ibn Farid), bred and owned by Al Hawajer Stud, was named Gold Champion Filly Foal at this year’s Dubai International Arabian Horse Show. Rae-Dawn Arabians, meanwhile, bred the outstanding grey colt RD Atlantis (ex Giana Leah PCF by Polidoro PCF) who has been sold to Jennifer Dhombre of Kalliste Arabians in France. There were several people after that colt,” muses Michael. “You don’t often hear that about colts – when they are good, they are really good! To make it today, foals have to have the face, even if they have everything else, and RD Atlantis has it all.
“With every foal. Atticus ENB has proven himself as a sire of significance, but we do need to find outcrosses for him from our own programme. Last year, he sired the beautiful filly Shakira ENB out of Om El Sultanah (WH Justice x Om El Sofia) for us. We have always loved Om El Sultanah, and the dream was to get a foal by El Nabila B from her for our programme. We were never successful, so Janina suggested trying Atticus. We are so thrilled with Shakira, to have that incredible damline in our breeding programme, and out of Atticus; it is something very special indeed.”
Atticus ENB left for Europe, to join Noëmie Zeller and her breeding programme in spring, standing at Capecci Arabians in Italy. “Noëmie visited us last autumn and she saw a lot of Atticus’ foals as well as Atticus himself,” explains Mike. “We met with her in Paris at the World Championships last year and made the decision to send Atticus to Europe. He has more of an old world pedigree than a current one and European breeders appreciate that more, along with his movement and attitude, something that is missing in a lot of bloodlines. Plus, Atticus offers a pedigree free from the famous lines we see time and time again, those of Marwan, Justice, Psyche and so on. We are excited to see what Atticus will do with the access he will have there to some of the best mares in the world, plus it is great exposure for our programme.”
With Atticus went Jeneva ENB, a two-year-old daughter of Janeenah and by RFI Farid, a full sister to Felix Ajmal Mora, who is owned in partnership with Psynergy and Noëmie.
Jeneva ENB. Credit Kelly Campbell
“We also sent a horse to Europe, possibly to show under the Psynergy name,” adds Michael. “This is the very elegant bay yearling filly Coco Chanel ENB, by Ibn Farid (RFI Farid x Asawir) and out of Cameaa, one of our very special El Nabila B daughters and out of HED Caramba, both of whom have been amazing broodmares for us. Coco Chanel ENB has gone to Jadem Arabians in Belgium, and we look forward to seeing what she does for us in Europe. I always feel we very much breed a European style of horse, and Coco Chanel ENB has many of the qualities that we love.”
Coco Channel ENB. Credit Kelly Campbell
Meanwhile, the partners purchased embryos from some very special mares for 2024 Atticus foals. “The problem we have is that he is closely related to so many of our mares, so we have to look outside our own programme,” continues Michael. “We don’t always want to be doubling up on El Nabila. We have six foals coming next year, and we are excited to see them.”
The future
Looking to the future, the partners aim is to continue refining the breeding programme further, keeping it small with no more than eight-to-ten mares.
“Genetics is like playing cards – the better your hand, the better your chance to win,” continues Michael. “It is the quality of the horse and the predictability of the bloodlines. Also, is what you are looking to achieve doable? Give yourself the best opportunity you can with the horses you have in your programme.
“I feel we are in a great place with our own programme, but we are always looking to grow. We want to have mares that consistently produce high-quality progeny and keep the best of those for the breeding programme. We have a strong foundation of El Nabila B mares at the moment, and we hope to keep moving in the right direction.
Cameaa ENB. Credit Kelly Campbell
“Our younger mares are producing well. Aphrodite ENB, in particular, is an amazing dam. She has had four fillies, and they are all really high quality, just as she is. It is an exciting time for us. Her pedigree is so special – with Titan AS bringing in El Nabila B and Om El Beladeena, while her dam, Carenza, brings in Enzo and HED Caramba. They are all very well-bred horses, all individual champions, and Aphrodite has that close up in her pedigree.
“We have a beautiful collection of young mares – Aphrodite ENB, Divina Luna, Justina ENB, Vision of Love ENB, Coco Chanel ENB, and Shakira ENB. We also have the Brazilian born mare Sophie ELS (PA Gazsi x Nahja ELS), a National Champion of Brazil. Her first daughter was Wilma PCF (by Royal Asad by El Tino), owned by Khaled Nasser’s Al Khor Stud, and she was the 2021 US National Champion Yearling Filly. We have a bay yearling filly from her, Society ENB by Atticus ENB.
“In addition, we purchased back Mi Obsession GA (by RHR Marcedes by Marwan al Shaqab), a daughter of Symphony of Love who we sold as a weanling. She has been bred to EKS Farajj (ex EKS Bint Helwah by Laheeb) and she is going to the US National for us with Sandro in the senior mares.
“Finally, we have Miranda ENB, foaled in 2019, our youngest daughter of El Nabila B and out of MD Mirka (AJ Thee Luca x MD Psylk), who foaled a beautiful filly by Mahder el Jamal (Nader el Jamal x Mahity el Jamal) this year. Miranda ENB is a maternal sister to many champions, including World Champion Baz Aljassimya (by Exxalt), and once she has turned white, we will show her. She is a very special mare.”
Michael continues, saying that breeding mares is more predicable now than it was over 20 years ago. “The Polish mares were so hard to breed!” he says. “People would spend a fortune on Bandos (Negatiw x Bandola) daughters and be disappointed with the offspring. Now, we know our homebred horses and their pedigrees so well, we have a better idea of what we will breed.”
Atticus ENB. Credit Javan
“One thing that I do think is important is that people know the kind of Arabian we breed. Many people buy a bit of this and some of that. You have to have a programme, a commonality that pulls it altogether. When I first began breeding Arabian horses, everyone had their own style. You would see certain qualities coming through and know who the breeder was. Now, it is everything mixed together, meaning that if you really want to make changes, it is harder.
“Atticus ENB transcends that. He has no modern blood mixed into his unique pedigree, and he is a true descendant of Arax (Amurath Sahib x Angara). We cannot wait to see what he does with the mares in Europe, and to see his story continue.”
The story of Psynergy is unique. To have begun a programme founded on specific sires and bloodlines, all those years ago, and still be focused on the same blood over 40 years later is something very special indeed. The combination of Mike’s expert eye, deep rooted love for the Arabian horse, and extensive knowledge of pedigrees with Jean’s own knowledge and creativity, coupled with Arturo’s passion, has created a programme the likes of which few will see in their lifetimes. From Menes to El Nabila B to Atticus ENB and Conqueror ENB, plus their much applauded broodmares, Psynergy remains a truly world-class breeding programme, with so much more still to come.
Lead photo: Sophie ELS. Credit Javan
For part I in this article, click here.
For part II in this article, click here.
For more information on Psynergy, click here.
This feature is the cover story for The Arabian Breeders’ Magazine Volume VII Special Edition – buy your copy here.
