In The Arabian Breeders’ Magazine Collectors’ Edition 2021, we ran an in-depth feature on the legacy Monogramm through his incredible daughters. We are serialising this feature here on TheArabianMagazine.Com over the following weeks. If you would like to buy the original magazine with this feature in full, please click on the link above.
For part one in this feature, click here.
Zagrobla
The very first inclination that something extraordinarily special was transpiring with daughters of Monogramm appeared in the form of Zagrobla (ex Zguba by Enrilo), the undisputed diva of the inaugural foal crop. A maternal granddaughter of All Nations’ Cup Champion Zazula (Negatiw x Złota Iwa by Arax), Zagrobla was a firecracker from the moment she arrived. With quality and presence off the charts, Zagrobla was always on full alert, head and tail held high, with an effortless athleticism that promised a bright future ahead. Very determined with a keen intellect and an uncompromising insistence on doing things her way, Zagrobla was very much her father’s daughter with a natural affinity for the spotlight.
Zagrobla. Credit Erwin Escher
It would take her no time at all to find her way to the winner’s circle at the highest level all across Europe, becoming the very first of the Monogramm daughters to win a major title at the Polish National Show and the All Nations’ Cup as a filly. She was also the first of her sisters to win in Paris, outshining even the perpetually luminescent Kwestura to rightfully earn the World Champion Senior Mare title in 2000 in what is still remembered as one of the most unforgettable performances in the long and storied history of that prestigious event. Zagrobla would later take her winning ways as a senior mare to North America, earning the second US National Championship Mare title for her sire, as well as a coveted Reserve Senior Mare Championship at the Scottsdale All Arabian Horse Show. Closer to home, Zagrobla was also honoured as All Nations’ Cup Champion Mare just a few weeks before her monumental win in Paris, as well as twice named Reserve Champion Mare at the European Championships.
Most remarkably, the closest this legendary show mare ever came to the most coveted of all titles for females in the Arabian horse world, that of Polish National Champion Senior Mare, was in 2017 when, at 23 years of age, Zagrobla was awarded the title of Silver National Champion Senior Mare, impeccably reflecting yet another inestimable gift of Monogramm to the breed, that of aging with inspiring grace and remarkably youthful zest.
Zagrobla was honoured a year later with the WAHO Trophy for Poland for her enduring contribution to the breed, that includes not only her era-defining performances in the show-ring but her lasting legacy of exceptional Z-family descendants. Among these are respected matron Złota Orda (by Pesal) and her daughters Złota Orchidea and Złota Nić, both by Emigrant, multiple-international champion Zigi Zana (by QR Marc), Canadian National Champion and US National Reserve Champion Zahara el Marwan (by Marwan al Shaqab), Swedish National Champion Zigi Zan (by Padrons Psyche), and Polish chief sire Złoty Medal (QR Marc x Złota Orda).
Palestyna and Palmira
Michałów Stud has long been world-renowned for its glorious grey mares, ethereal white beauties of beguiling femininity and abundant broody goodness that were the speciality of the unparalleled breeding genius of Director Ignacy Jaworowski. It was, therefore, no surprise that, like Zagrobla, some of the most enchanting daughters of Monogramm were born to these desirable dams, including many famous pairs of full siblings that have impacted the breed worldwide.
Palestyna. Credit Stuart Vesty (and lead photo)
One of the most famous pairs was born to the seasoned show matron Palestra (Penitent x Patera by Bandos) in each of the biggest foal crops: Palestyna in 1994 and Palmira in 1995, both blessed with breed homeland themed names.
The perfectly balanced, more feminine and broodier Palestyna, considered the equal to Zagrobla when both were foals, would win her age group at the All Nations’ Cup before setting the demanding standard for Monogramm daughters henceforth to fetch significant six-figure sums in the annual Pride of Poland auction. Palestyna would live all her productive years at Evergreen Arabians in the Santa Ynez Valley of California, where she would leave a lasting legacy of athletic and accomplished descendants, many of whom excelled in multiple disciplines under saddle.
The younger Palmira was more akin to Zagrobla in temperament, a fiery show horse with a seemingly endless abundance of energy and attitude. It took several years for both sisters to be fully appreciated, as both were a very dark silver grey until well into adulthood. Once Palmira began to whiten, with significant flea bites developing in her lustrous coat, she became a formidable force in the show-rings of Europe. She would earn her first major title at the age of eight, as World Reserve Senior Female Champion in 2003 with her explosive trot and undeniable command of the spacious ring in Paris. Four years later at the age of 12, Palmira would earn her three most prestigious titles in the span of six weeks: Polish National Champion Senior Female and Best in Show on home turf along with Senior Female Champion and highest-scoring entry at the All Nations’ Cup in Aachen, winning both the Lady Harmsworth Blunt Trophy for Poland as the most successful country at the highly competitive event as well as the Major Hedley Memorial Cup awarded to the Best Breeder for Michałów, the ultimate honour in the breed.
Palmira. Credit Erwin Escher
Palmira would be the first of the Monogramm daughters to earn the WAHO Trophy in Poland, an honour that foreshadowed her enduring legacy of genetic greatness in Poland and abroad. Among the best of the Palmira descendants worldwide are Pistoria (by Gazal al Shaqab), a Gold and Silver European Champion and All Nations’ Cup Bronze Champion owned by Al Zobair Stud, UAE; the respectable matron Prawica (by Ararat); and multiple-international champion Parmana (by Al Maraam), dam of European Silver Champion Colt Ptolemeusz (by Złoty Medal).
Georgia and Gehenna
Another pair of international globetrotters admired the world over are full sisters Georgia and Gehenna, born in 1994 and 1995, to the esteemed aristocrat matron Gizela (Palas x Gilza by Espartero).
Georgia. Credit Fotograf Mattsson
Like Palestyna and Palmira, these well-conformed athletic sisters also took years to mature into their most glorious forms, with Georgia proving that age was no impediment to success in the show-ring. In addition to her Top Ten Senior Female title earned at the 2009 World Championships at the age of 15, Georgia would be honoured with her most important titles at 20 years young in 2014, earning the highest scores at both the Polish National Show and Al Khalediah European Arabian Horse Festival settling, most surprisingly, for the title of Silver Champion Mare on both occasions. A kind and generous soul with a spectacular frame, powerful purposeful movement, and a classic air of old-world elegance, Georgia was sold as a very senior mare to Athbah Stud in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, but not before she left an invaluable legacy behind for the breed. Both her daughter Galilea (by Laheeb) and granddaughter Galerida (Shanghai EA x Galilea) have been honoured as Gold Senior Female Champions at the Polish National Show, while the exquisite Galilea also holds the ultimate title of World Champion Senior Mare. Georgia daughters Ginevra (by Werbum) and Gemellia (by Piber) have both produced international winning athletes, the latter also being a World Cup Champion, while her son Georgetown (by Gazal al Shaqab), is one of the winningest horses in the history of the breed with over 100 titles to his credit in South Africa, where he still remains the only horse ever to be named National Champion both in halter and performance at the same event – not once, but twice. With Georgia in residence at Michałów and producing superlatively, younger sister Gehenna was offered as a premium lot in Pride of Poland 2006, selling for a very respectable six-figure sum to Australia where she was later named East Coast Champion Mare and left behind a modest but important legacy of descendants.
Gehenna. Credit Fotograf Mattsson
Etenta and Emocja
The incomparable ‘E’ family of mares at Michałów were a logical cross for Monogramm while in residence, not only because they were plentiful in numbers, but also because they represented the pinnacle of the breeding programme. This was the era of Emigracja (Palas x Emisja by Carycyn), the ‘Pearl of Michałów’ who was on the rise as a living legend, with a bevy of female descendants to her credit out-producing each other in successive generations with astounding consistency.
Etenta. Credit Gigi Grasso
Emigracja was bred to Monogramm twice while he was in Poland, for the extravagant moving Etenta in 1994, and the more exotic Emocja in 1995, the latter, rather surprisingly, a bright chestnut. Both sisters would prove to be flamboyant show horses, impressing judges and audiences alike with their athletic ability and superlative structure. Etenta found further fame as the dam of European Champion Stallion HS Etiquette (by Simeon Sadik), a powerhouse mover who later stood as chief sire at Janów Podlaski where he sired, among others, the Derby and Criterium winning racehorse Celtis (out of Celta by Pasat).
Emocja. Credit Fotograf Mattsson
Emocja would prove to be an even more prolific broodmatron, gifting her descendants with her luminous eyes, capacious nostrils, broad foreheads, and explosive energetic athleticism, producing more than twenty lifetime foals in her long respectable career including the enticing Polish National Champion Ejrene (by Gazal al Shaqab) as well as multiple-international champion stallions Espressivo (by QR Marc) and Emiliusz (by Laheeb).
Embella, Espadrilla, and Empiryka
The most important of the Emigracja daughters, Polish National, European and All Nations’ Cup Champion Emanacja (by Eukaliptus), was another of Monogramm’s most desirable mares in waiting during the height of her illustrious breeding career, producing three daughters, Embella in 1995 and two by frozen semen – Espadrilla in 1997 and Empiryka in 1998.
Embella would sell to the US in 2003 for the first six-figure price obtained for a Monogramm daughter at public auction, while Espadrilla would remain in Poland to produce quality offspring at Michałów. Like Emocja, Espadrilla would produce more than twenty lifetime foals, many of those produced via embryo transfer while on lease to Knocke Arabians in Belgium with World Champion QR Marc (Marwan al Shaqab x Swete Dreams by Magic Dream).
Espadrilla. Credit Fotograf Mattsson
An enchantingly feminine mare with an ultra-exotic head and a long, lean elegant neck, Espadrilla proved to be the most prolific producer of champions of all the Emanacja daughters, responsible for no less than ten champion progeny, including twice Chantilly World Cup Gold Champion and World Silver Champion Equiborn KA, Milan International Best in Show Elan de Marc KA, Belgian National Champion Mare Epica KA, and Bruges Bronze Champion Estokada KA, all by QR Marc, as well as World Top Ten Senior Female Emandilla (by Om El Shamaan), and Polish National Top Five Espinilla (by Al Maraam), the latter being the dam of four international champions in the Arabian Gulf including Abu Dhabi International Gold Champion AJ Tarim (by Emerald J).
Youngest sister Empiryka left several well-bred daughters behind at her maternal stud, many of whom later found success for breeders all across Europe, including Empiryka herself, who was cherished by Alberto Sorroca of Equus Arabians in Spain.
Embra and Emmona
Emanacja’s eldest daughter, European, Polish National and British National Champion Emilda (by Pamir), was also bred to Monogramm at the beginning of her breeding career, producing a pair of ethereal sisters that have since become legendary horses in their own right.
Embra. Credit April Visel
The first to arrive was Embra in 1995, another of Monogramm’s most memorable movers, who was named Champion Broodmare at the Arabian Breeders’ World Cup in Las Vegas in a sensational performance, standing alongside stablemate Emandoria (Gazal al Shaqab x Emanda by Ecaho) in the Supreme Championship as Reserve Supreme Champion Senior Female, while winning the Breeders Cup for Michałów in the process. Embra is still celebrated as the source of several important direct descendants including All Nations’ Cup and twice Polish National Gold Champion Emira (by Laheeb), Polish National Champions and chief sires El Omari (by Enzo) and Empire (Enzo x Emira), and World Cup Champion H Embrace H (by Besson Carol).
The younger sister out of Emilda was none other than Emmona, a superstar show horse from her youth as World Champion alongside Zagrobla, Ekstern and Kwestura to a consummate high score earner as a snow-white senior horse well into her teens, winning classes at every major elite level event all across Europe. Emmona was absolutely spectacular as Polish National Champion Senior Female and Best in Show in 2011, putting on the show of her lifetime to earn her most important title as the quintessential grey Michałów-bred mare. The Emmona legacy lives on in the Arabian breed through her son Eryks (by Gazal al Shaqab), a bold masculine Polish chief sire of multiple champions, his full sister Emmonida, Belgian National Silver Champion, and Emiriona (by Grafik), a consistent producer of quality produce and an international winner herself as Silver Champion Senior Female in Ströhen and Bronze Champion in Prague.
Emmona. Credit Fotograf Mattsson
For Part III in this feature, click here.
First printed in The Arabian Breeders’ Magazine Collectors’ Edition 2021.
For more features from The Arabian Breeders’ Magazine, click here.
