A valuable Arabian purebred mare that was leased to Saudi Arabia has not been returned to its Polish stud farm, despite interventions from diplomats and members of parliament.
Encarina, a prize-winning four-year-old, was loaned from the world-famous stables in Janów Podlaski to breeders in the Middle East in November 2019, initially for six months. This period was then extended to August 2020, but the horse has not been returned, reports Rzeczpospolita.
“This is an enormous loss,” Alina Sobieszak, a specialist on purebred horses, told the newspaper. “We don’t know what has been happening with this mare for the last year, and if she comes back to Poland, what state of health she’ll be in.”
When PiS came to power, it replaced the management of the world-renowned 200-year-old Janów Podlaski stud farm with political appointees.
Since then, profits have turned to losses, auctions have been disastrous, and two horses owned by Shirley Watts died https://t.co/eScxkcs3KS
— Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) August 9, 2019
According to Sobieszak, the mare was only leased to ease the financial situation at the 200-year-old stud farm. Famous for its Arabian purebreds, it had long been seen as a national treasure, but its reputation suffered after the current government came to power and replaced its long-term boss with an inexperienced political appointee.
“So many young mares were sold, which is all the more reason that Encarina should have stayed in Poland,” Sobieszak told Rzeczpospolita.
Two MPs from the opposition Civic Coalition (KO), Dorota Niedziela and Kazimierz Plocke, lodged official questions to the ministry of agriculture enquiring about Encarina’s status. They were informed that, despite numerous requests, the stud farm has not received a response regarding the mare’s return.
The Saudi Arabian embassy in Poland has been informed and its Polish counterpart in Riyadh has also become involved, according to deputy agriculture minister Szymon Giżyński.
Niedziela is not convinced by the ministry’s response, claiming that it is doubtful whether the mare, currently residing at the Al Wabel stables in Saudi Arabia, will return to Poland.
In addition, “there is something bad going on with her, because a former champion is getting increasingly bad results at exhibitions, which means she is in irresponsible hands,” she told Rzeczpospolita. At a show in the UAE in March 2020, Encarina placed only 11 out of 13 horses in her class.
At the time when Encarina was leased, the Janów Podlaski was led by government appointee Grzegorz Czochański, who was heavily criticised by Polish horse-lovers, reports Rzeczpospolita. Last year, then agriculture minister Jan Krzysztof Ardanowski promised “consequences” for the people responsible after reports of neglect in the horse stables.
The stud farm’s reputation has suffered in recent years, following the change of management. It has overseen a botched auction and the deaths of two mares belonging to Shirley Watts, the wife of a member of the Rolling Stones, who threatened to sue the Polish authorities.
Main image credit: Pixabay/Michał Andrusiuk
Ben Koschalka is a translator and senior editor at Notes from Poland. Originally from Britain, he has lived in Kraków since 2005.
