La Movida, Batistah & Corona Virus

Living within the shadow of New York City, it got to a point where I didn't want to turn the news on anymore, in fear of what I may hear or even worse, what I might see. What new images would replace the ones that were already haunting me in the very dark hours of sleepless nights, when people should be sleeping soundly without a care in the world? The very real dangers of Corona Virus seemed to lurk around every corner, ready to inflict respiratory distress and send me to the hospital, never to return. As the anxiety grew and grew, it seemed that all that I loved most in this world, no longer interested me, instead, the Corona Virus dominated every waking and sleeping thought. I recognized that in order to survive the pandemic, I had to find ways to cope that offer escape from what troubles the heart, mind and soul. My local fire department has already discouraged me from engaging in any cooking or baking activities and the truth is that I can't sit still for longer than a few seconds, so scratch meditation and yoga off the list too. Jigsaw puzzles? C'mon, you must be kidding now. So, out of necessity and seemingly out of nowhere, I discovered  a new video series on You Tube from who else, Arabian Essence TV.  In each episode of Stay at the Farm, Marco Vignato, his daughter, Elena Vignato and Elvis Guighera, over the course of two hours  interviewed a variety of guests representing a diversity of interests, bloodlines and levels of participation within the Arabian horse community. It's both interesting and extremely enjoyable.

In this particular episode (#3), originally broadcast on Friday, April 10th, Ferdinand Huemer of La Movida Arabians in Austria presented four of his horses, the mare Bali el Marwan by Marwan Al Shaqab and three of her progeny: Binta el Jyar, Bari el Jyar and Basilea el Justice. What all four horses have in common is the pure Spanish mare, Batistah, owned for many years by Ferdinand Huemer of La Movida and now owned by Elvis Guighera of Le Soleil Stud. Batistah is a daughter of El Perfecto (Vallehermoso x Example) and out of  Baraquessa (Aram x ABHA Batista).

Batistah (El Perfecto x Baraquessa)

My anxious mind was already wandering when I heard Ferdinand Huemer say, "she's huge, huge..." and those words grabbed my attention from wherever my mind was in that moment and I saw an unbelievably stretchy, strong-bodied and ultra-typey chestnut mare brilliantly trotting all over my television screen. So, I hit the back button, to 24:49, so I can watch Binta el Jyar all over again, while paying close attention to what Ferdinand was saying about his horse: "she is very, very close to my ideal. She's huge, huge, super body, fantastic neck, incredible movement." Immediately after Binta, came her full brother, also by Jyar Mei Lua, the bay stallion, Bari el Jyar, followed by their dappled grey maternal sibling, Basilea el Justice, a WH Justice daughter.  I marveled over the consistency of this family of horses, as each horse was outstanding in their breed type, conformation and presence. It would be very difficult to choose only one and say with any certainty that the horse you picked was your favorite, when really, you would be more successful in selecting your favorite by closing your eyes and letting the luck of the draw choose the favorite for you. The horses are so fantastic, that you would be thrilled with any of them.

At one time, La Movida Arabians was primarily focused on breeding within pure Spanish bloodlines. While Spanish blood is still an important part of Ferdinand's breeding program, through Batistah and also, the Galero-sired daughter, Porlamar (out of the Jacio-sired daughter, Hamida), Ferdinand has added the blood of Ali Jamaal (through Lenita Perroy's program and Doug Dahmen's Dakar el Jamal), as well as modern stallions like Pystadel, El Shaklan, Gazal al Shaqab and Al Ayal AA, to name only a few of the influences that Ferdinand has skillfully brought together to further develop and refine the La Movida program, as we know it today.  What impresses me most about the program at La Movida is what  Ferdinand Huemer has been able to accomplish and that is, to very selectively, working within a wide diversity of blood, form a cohesive program, that comes closest to producing the horse that he envisions as his ideal: a horse possessing charisma through his good movement and beauty which includes a well-set, longer neck with length in the poll and fine  throatlatch, excellent tail carriage and larger, deeply black eyes. Also, Ferdinand, when speaking of the special attributes and qualities that El Perfecto brought to his program, said, "they have been very human minded." This intangible quality is every bit a part of breed type, as are the tangibles that we can see with our eyes. It is at the very fiber of a horse breed known for having an "in-your-tent" disposition and also, an attribute that is part of the La Movida breeding program.

In another place, another time, when a word like "Corona" reminded people of a beer and not a deadly sickness; I don't know if I would have had the endurance to watch a show like Stay at the Farm or to have been suitably impressed by how much common ground we share with others. That would be the silver lining of a strange time like we are living within today. We are learning to appreciate, all that we may have taken for granted. Truly, in our world of Arabian horses, we are more similar, than we are different because we are all bound by the love we feel for the same horse...the Arabian horse. While I don't know Ferdinand Huemer personally; however, I have been involved in Arabian horses for a long while, I know of him and his farm named La Movida but if anyone were to have asked me about his program, I don't think I would have been able to speak intelligently about it and that's where Arabian Essence TV and people like Marco, Elena and Elvis, figure prominently in our lives, utilizing modern day technology to connect us with each other and to breeders like Ferdinand Huemer, who inspire us. Arabian Essence TV has brought the world of Arabian horses into each of our living rooms and made it, so that globally, the world does not seem so big or even, overwhelming. We can understand each other better now, that is, we all share similar dreams, hopes and fears and we are all impacted by the same conditions, as you will see and hear in Stay at the Farm. It's a great gift from Arabian Essence TV and in closing, the only thing that can be said further is THANK YOU to all at Arabian Essence who made Stay at the Farm possible.