SUFIAN TAHA

The art of judging Arabian horses' conformation and movement takes some practice, but anyone who has spent time with these beautiful creatures can learn. A judge usually looks for a combination of balance, structure, muscling, gait, and breed-specific characteristics. Mr Sufian Taha from East Jerusalem is the subject of my interview for the Summer issue of 2022. I appreciated his taking the time to walk me through some of the main aspects of his professional experience judging Arabian horses. 1.Hello, Sufian! I appreciate you accepting our invitation so graciously. Tell us a little bit about you, your family, and your education to help set the stage for our readers. 1. Hello! Thank you so much for the interview. My name is Sufian Taha. I am married to a beautiful, intelligent, and horse lover, Rania Taha. Together, we have four children, one girl, and three boys. I studied Economics at the City University of New York. I have been a journalist working for the Washington Post and the Guardian newspaper for the past 20 years covering the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. I am an O.P.C. Award winner in journalism. 2. When did you start getting interested in the pure-bred Arabian horse? 2. Arabian horses have been part of my family since I was a kid. As a 10 years old kid, I used to wake up on a Friday morning just to watch those two beautiful fillies belonging to my uncle trotting up the hill dancing with elegance and pride. I remember their silky tails melting with the sunlight, their trotting with pride and elegance, something magical. I remember it as if it is happening now. Since then, I have been under the spell of their beauty. 3. At what age have you become a judge? What specific preparation did you get? 3. In order to be good at something you must practice it, life will not give it to you on a silver plate. To become an ECAHO judge was not an easy thing, and it can't be taken for granted. There were a lot of things to learn and a lot of practice to do. I did seven times probation judging. In one of those probational judging, I met two experienced judges who helped me to get through with their experience and knowledge, namely Sylvie Eberhardt and Doug Dahmen. Sylvie was always there for me when I needed some help or a piece of advice, and she always put me on the right track. For that, I am humbled to say thank you, dear Sylvie. I took my 1st exam in Brussels in 2013. It was not an easy one, but I did pass it the first time. My 2nd exam, I took in Poland at Janow Podlaski Stud Farm. It was also a very tough exam both in theory and practice, but thank God I passed because I didn't take things for granted. I studied really hard... Before the 2nd exam, I also needed to do three international probation with experienced ECAHO judges to become an ECAHO judge. In 2015, I eventually became an ECAHO judge! Nothing comes easy, but hard work pays you off in the end! After 19 years of judging experience, and 7 years of being an ECAHO judge, I find out that the more I learn, the less I know about the art of judging. It is a never-ending story! " In order to be good at something you must practice it, life will not give it to you on a silver plate..." 4.What are, in your opinion, the strengths of the Arabian breed? How do you tackle the concepts of 'beauty' and 'functional correctness'? 4. The Arabian breed has always been protected by deities always watching over the Drinkers of the Wind. When the Middle East was smothered by wars and revolutions, the Arabian horse got harboured by European and worthy American breeders who took the breed to the ultimate level. And when the Middle East was ready to harbour this magnificent creature, the Arabian horse came back to its original inhabitants. Therefore, the bond and the cooperation between Europe and the Middle East is very important and essential for the preservation of the breed, make no mistake about it! As long as this cooperation is working out, I don't need to worry about the future of the breed. The beauty of an Arabian horse must be taken as one piece, it can't be altered or changed, either you take it as a whole or leave it as a whole. We as judges have the duty to preserve the breed by encouraging the desirable characters within the breed and correcting the undesirable ones. The Arabian horse has to be beautiful and functional at the same time, we can't exclude one on the account of the other, this is what makes the Arabian horse so exquisite and precious. 5. Which horse or horses have you judged that have left the strongest impression on you? Why? 5. One of the horses I have judged, and I will never forget is Naseem al Rashidiah, a stallion that displays enchanting beauty and functionality, a masterpiece that illustrates the future of the breed from my own perspective. One of the horses I have judged, and I will never forget is Naseem al Rashidiah, a stallion that displays enchanting beauty and functionality, a masterpiece that illustrates the future of the breed from my own perspective. 6. What do you feel has been your most recent rewarding show as a judge? 6. The most rewarding show that I have judged recently is the Katara Arabian Peninsula Straight Egyptian Show, in Doha, Qatar. As a straight Egyptian breeder, I was enchanted by the beauty of the most exquisite Straight Egyptian horses in the world. It was a dream come true to see all those outstanding, beautiful horses before your eyes in one show! 7. What particular skills are necessary to become an accountable judge in front of the public? Do the most meritorious horses in terms of the breed's standards win at shows today? 7. A great judge needs to have an eye that appreciates and spots beauty immediately when he/she sees it. To sense and feel quality immediately. And believe me, it is not an easy thing! You must have in you what distinguishes a great judge from other judges. It is very few who can appreciate classical music. It is very few who can enjoy and understand the Painting of Picasso. And also it is very few who can look deep and appreciate the Arabian beauty and enchantment. When a judge poses this power and is gifted with this talent, the most meritorious horses always win. 8. How has the global health crisis affected the Arabian horse industry? Has it affected your job? 8. The past two years were awful years for the Arabian horse industry due to the pandemic (Covid-19). Many shows were cancelled, and it affected me as a judge and a show organizer. We had to cancel our shows in Palestine, and I was not able to attend many shows I was invited to due to the closures of the airport and travelling restrictions. I hope the whole world will get over it and life will go back to normal again. 9. Sufian, are you also a breeder? 9. Yes, I am. I had my first Arabians in 1996 and ever since I have been breeding Arabians and Straight Egyptians under the name of Al Okab Farm. I did my first judging course in Egypt in 2003, and I had the honour to judge the very first Palestinian National the same year. I remember there were only around fifty horses, but everyone was happy to have the first show in Palestine. 10. In 2023 and 2025, the World Arabian Horse Championship will be held in Qatar. How do you feel about this? 10. I think it is a good thing to have the Word Championship rotated between countries members of the Ecaho. I believe a country like Qatar has the ability and the experience to host such an important event. However, I also believe it should not be limited to one country, but any Ecaho member country that has the power and the strength to host such a significant event should not be excluded from hosting this prestigious event. I also believe that ECAHO should have the upper hand as far as the selection of judges and officials to maintain transparency, accountability, fairness to the event. 11. What else would you like to accomplish at this stage of your career? How do you picture your future, Sufian? 11. As a judge, I had a very wonderful time judging Arabian horses all over the world. I really would like to become an ECAHO instructor. Maybe, I can add something or learn something for the sake of the breed. The more I know about Arabian horses, the more I want to learn and go deeper into the soul of these magnificent creatures… Thank you very much for granting me this opportunity to express myself and share my experience with you! Thank you very much, Mr Sufian. I really enjoyed the interview. We all at