Leased to Albidayer Stud in the United Arab Emirates at the start of his yearling year, Excalibur placed second at the Sharjah International Show. He then went to Ted Carson’s Butler Training Center in North Carolina, USA. Very much a European-style horse, Excalibur immediately created waves during his US show-ring debut when he claimed the US National Champion Yearling Colt title.

Watching with interest at the US Nationals was Olivia Strauch, Manager at Estancia Las Rosas in Uruguay. Owned by Princess Laetitia d’Arenberg, all at Las Rosas were looking for that special horse that would give their farm a global appeal. As soon as Olivia saw Excalibur, she knew that they had found the horse and her early faith in him has been proven time and time again. In Scottsdale, where Laetitia and Olivia first saw Excalibur in the flesh, the young colt took the Champion Scottsdale International Arabian Breeders’ Classic Two-year-old Colt title, and soon after, he became part of Estancia Las Rosas.

His first show for them was the Arabian Breeders’ World Cup, and it is there that I myself witnessed the power of Excalibur EA. The presence of this young colt was immediately evident – his huge movement invoked a reaction in people that is rarely seen in the youngstock classes these days, and it was evident that this was an Arabian horse with that true ‘wow factor’.  Winning his class and going Silver Supreme Junior Stallion, Excalibur’s destiny was set.

Excalibur then went to Uruguay, where he relaxed away from the show-ring and, having already covered some mares while at Ted’s, this young colt also covered his first mares for Las Rosas. This first foal crop, from 2014, has already proved to be phenomenally successful for this young stallion; more on that shortly.

Continuing Excalibur’s Triple Crown season, Christine Jamar of Jadem Arabians in Belgium, on visiting Estancia Las Rosas, was so impressed by Excalibur that she suggested that he come to Europe for the 2014 show season. Arriving into Belgium, trained by Tom Schoukens at the Schoukens Training Center, history would be made.

Having placed third at Menton in an extremely strong class, Excalibur went to Ströhen and the West Coast Cup, claiming the Gold Junior Male Champion at both. With such success behind him, the Triple Crown shows were next.

In Aachen, Excalibur took everyone’s breath away as, in his class he scored 95.33 points, the highest score ever awarded at the All Nations’ Cup. The following day, took the Gold Junior Male Championship, following this up with Gold at the European Championships in Moorsele a few weeks later.

With the Paris World Championships offering a very different competition, Laetitia and Olivia hardly dared to wonder whether Estancia Las Rosas, a relatively unknown farm from Uruguay, and their beloved Excalibur EA would take the last title of 2014. Having won his class, all anyone could do was wait, and hope… Come Sunday, Las Rosas, and Uruguay, won their first World Championship as Excalibur EA took the title – and the 2014 Triple Crown award in the process.

Exxalt
Photo by Carmin




LR Princess Laetitia





IA Samurai
Photo by Contraluz





Alexxanderr
Photo by Nawaf Al Johani

History does, it seem, repeat itself: just as Excalibur was born the same year that his sire nearly won the Triple Crown, so the 2014 year proved to be great for the next generation. From that first foal crop bred at Ted’s came two international champion two-year-old colts, Exxalt (ex Vesperra by SF Veraz) and Alexxanderr (ex AR Most Irresistible by ML Mostly Padron). Exxalt wowed all in his yearling debut at Scottsdale last year, winning the Gold International Junior Male Championship for his owners/breeders Francis Butler, Sybil and Jeff Collins, and Kay and James Smith, while Alexxanderr, bred by Brandi Carson and Francis Butler, has gone on to take a host of titles for AlSayed Stud from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. These include Gold Yearling Male Champion in Menton, Silver Yearling Male Champion in Paris and, just recently, Gold Junior Male Champion at the Prince Sultan International Arabian Horse Festival. Meanwhile, at Estancia Las Rosas, the filly LR Ellinore (ex Fhemyna Serondella by Alessandro El Jamaal) was Junior Female Champion at the Expo Otoño, Uruguary, in 2015. At the same show, IA Samurai (ex ROL Ithadtobeyou by Out of Cyte) was Junior Male Champion. He would go on to take the same title at last year’s Uruguayan Nationals, while LR Princess Laetitia (ex Gaia El Lethyf by Lethyf El Jamaal) was crowned Junior Female Champion. LR Axxel (ex LR Aguamarina by FA El Shawan) and Chewaka OD (ex Partyssima OSB by Sir Fames HBV) stood respective Reserve Champions for their owners/breeders. All in all, the potency of Excalibur as a breeding sire as well as a show horse is truly underlined.