(Pictured left to right: Lenita, Sigi and Marietta Salas of Ses Planes)
What an interesting and uplifting exercise it is to contemplate the lives of two of the most influential breeders of our time: Lenita Perroy and Sigi Siller. My mother Sigi founded Om El Arab in 1970 in the Black Forest region of Germany. My mother and father imported 18 mares from Spain and three horses from Egypt as the foundation of the Om El Arab breeding program. The famous mare *Estopa and her lucky mate Shaker El Masri where among these horses, and together this pair have changed the breed through their son El Shaklan. Most people don’t realize that there were several other mares imported from Spain that have influenced the world of the Arabian horse, but I am getting ahead of myself…
In 1982 Lenita Perroy came to visit my parents at Om El Arab in Germany. She was looking for foundation mares for her newly founded breeding program Haras Meia Lua. She fell in love with an El Shaklan daughter bred by Om El Arab named Lydira El Shaklan and purchased her for her breeding program. Lydira’s dam, Lydia (Marpeso x Hezina), was bred by Diego Mendez Moreno and brought to Germany by my parents during their second wave of Spanish imports. Lydira El Shaklan has contributed to Lenita’s breeding program greatly, and to programs around the world through her son Ludjin El Jamaal and her grandson Jullyen El Jamaal. One of the most beautiful mares in the world, Jullye El Ludjin, has Lydira El Shaklan in her blood.
A year later Lenita again fell in love with an El Shaklan daughter bred by Om El Arab. This time she traveled to Doug Dahmen’s Intara Arabians in California - many Om El Arab horses called Intara home while the new Om El Arab farm in Santa Ynez was under construction. There she discovered the beautiful mare Naharra whose dam Niharra (Jaguay x Jabalina II), bred by Osuna Escalera, was also imported from Spain by my parents. With Naharra, Lenita created another dynasty. Nyhl El Jamaal (Ali Jamaal x Naharra), sire of Lothar El Jamaal and his full sister Nyagara El Jamaal, are just a few members of this family. Niharra can be found in Platinum World Champion Mare Tehama Ballalina and is very prevalent on our farm at Om El Arab as well. We just laid to rest double Reserve National Champion Mare, Om El Jimala, by *Sanadik El Shaklan and out of the Bint Jacio (Jacio x Niharra) daughter Om El Jazira. Om El Justadorable (x WH Justice) and Om El Jinaah (Al Lahab) continue the family of Niharra at Om El Arab exactly 40 years after Niharra’s import from Spain to Germany.
In 2007 Lenita once again incorporated a bit of Om El Arab into her breeding program by purchasing the Enzo daughter, Elle Dorada. Her illustrious dam El Dorada was by *Sanadik El Shaklan and out of Emigrantka. *Sanadik El Shaklan’s grand dam Morisca V (Tunante x Fabiola) bred by Juan del Cid, was one of the mares imported from Spain by my parents in 1970.
In 2015 and 2016 my mom and I decided to bring everything full circle and bred several mares to Lawrence El Gazal. He is double Lydira El Shaklan. It was the perfect way to incorporate Lenita’s famous breeding program and bring home some of the lines that were our origin.
Both Lenita and my mom Sigi, have transitioned to a higher plane. Those of us here on earth can learn a lot from the lives they both lived. They were masters of their craft, uncompromising in their talent… Bohemian women that walked their own walk and blazed the trail for the rest of us to follow.
It’s a great story to reflect on, especially at the beginning of the Scottsdale Show where the spirit of the Arabian horse is alive and well, stories will begin, chapters will perhaps end, and inspiration runs high. Ruminating on the strengths of these two women and the courage of their stories is one I will hold close to my heart this week, and I hope you’ll do the same.
