Pitonisa AS – America’s darling

From the moment Pitonisa AS first danced into the show-ring, she won the hearts of fans the world over. Now this statuesque mare is ready to dance under the brightest of spotlights as she takes to the centre ring at the US National Championships.

This bay beauty is owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Saud Al Qasimi’s Albidayer Stud in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Pitonisa AS is just one of his celebrated collection of Arabian horses, that include a small collection of carefully selected mares brought in for their bloodlines, standing alongside Albidayer homebreds including the stud’s incredible multiple-champion mare, Mozn Albidayer (SMA Magic One x Mattaharii).

Visel photo

Foaled in 2013, Pitonisa AS was bred in the USA by Lisa Markley and Leanne Reel, being out of US super sire Ever After NA (Sir Fames HBV x Entaicyng NA), who comes from the amazing sireline of Fame VF (Bey Shah x Raffoleta-Rose). Her dam is Psyches Amber Dream, by the iconic Padrons Psyche (Padron x Kilika) and out of Mi Amber Dream (Magic Dream CAHR x Mi Fire Dream). Thus Pitonisa’s pedigree contains some of the biggest sire names of the past 70 years, going back to the Polish and Egyptian giants, Bask (Witraz x Balalajka) and Nazeer (Mansour x Bint Samiha).

Pitonisa with Sheikh Mohammed and her US National Championship garlands. Hess photo

Pitonisa AS is a mare who is classic in type, but with a modernity to her beauty. And it is this beauty, this grace, that has captivated people ever since she made her debut at the Scottsdale All-Arabian Horse Show in 2014, where she was named Champion Senior Yearling Filly, before taking the Reserve Junior Female Championship – her only reserve of her yearling year. She would go on to take the Region 7 Champion Sweepstakes Filly title, the Arabian Breeders’ World Cup Gold Champion Yearling Filly title, and the US National Champion Yearling Filly title – adding the extra honour of being the highest-scoring yearling in the show’s history in the process.

Kelly Campbell photo

As a two-year old, Pitonisa AS took the Champion Two-year Old Filly title in Scottsdale and then went on to be named Junior Female Champion. At Las Vegas, back once more for the Arabian Breeders’ World Cup, she was named Silver Junior Female Champion. Back once more for the US Nationals, Pitonisa AS was the highest-scoring female of the entire show, and she earned her second US National Championship title, that of Junior Female Champion having already taken the championship in her age group.

Pitonisa competing in Scottsdale in 2015, where she took the Junior Female Championship. Lysa Roman photo

As a three-year old, Pitonisa AS once again stood Silver in Las Vegas, before storming the US National Championships, again the highest-scoring female of the show and garlanded US National Champion Futurity Filly.

As a mare, Pitonisa AS has been shown lightly, taking the Bronze Senior Female Championship at the 2019 Arabian Breeders’ World Cup. She has also had three foals for Albidayer stud, all colts – Salman Albidayer (by FA el Rasheem) in 2017, and Badr Albidayer (by Kanz Albidayer) and Sufian Albidayer (by Shanghai EA), both in 2018.

Now, Pitonisa AS returns to her favourite spotlight – that of the US National Championships. Here, with the crowds cheering her on and the constant hand of Sandro Pinha by her side, America’s darling is sure to shine once more. And as one would expect with a mare of this stature, the world will be watching, willing this great mare on to even more accolades.