It all started with two, for us and our breeding program very influential, stallions.

  In memory of El Thay Thamam and El Thay Mameluk 

...gone but never forgotten

In an old farm building, lovingly renovated, we are living together under one roof with our straight egyptian horses as well as some cats, chickens and our greater swiss mountain dogs named Lissi and her daughter Amalia. With lots of work and an eye for the small details, Sabine and Holger created a peaceful, beautiful place outside of the workplace in Hamburg.

The start of the SE breeding programm was in 1985. Before Sabine owned already purebred arabians and partbred arabians. At that time back in 1985 when Sabine visited  El Thayeba Stud for the first time, she fell in love with the grey young stallion El Thay Thamam. Actually she wanted to buy her first straight egyptian mare but in the end she bought not only one mare, she bought Thamam as well. Thamam is sired by Madkour I and out of the imported El Zahraa mare Taghreed. Thamam himself was not only a wonderful stallion under saddle, he was a champion in the showring, too. His biggest win was being the entire champion of the Asil Cup in 1993. For all his successes Thamam received the Elite title from the VZAP German Horse Organisation.

In 1990 Sabine von Elm fall again in love with a young stallion. This time it was the two-years-old chestnut stallion El Thay Mameluk. He is out of the El Thay foundation mare Mansoura and sired by Ibn Nazeema, a very typey chestnut stallion, who fascinated many breeders worldwide. Mameluk clearly inherited traits from both: huge round black eyes and good movement from Mansoura, neat little twisted ears from Ibn Nazeema, bright colour and lots of classic type from both sides. He also had a wonderful character and was a pleasure to ride. Over the years he made an international career – being leased to Babolna and finally at the age of 19 being sold to Mr. Talal Al Mehri´s Aljazira Arabian stud in Kuwait, where many breeders used the chance to breed to these bloodlines.

In 1996 Emiratus B moved in to our stud. Emiratus B derives from Mameluk´s lease to the Hungarian state stud Babolna. He is one of the best sons of El Thay Mameluk and out of the elite mare 223 Ibn Galal I. He is the stallion who carries on the very best traits of Mameluk most. Many of his foals look very much like their grandfather and they certainly do have the typical exotic look and charisma. Emiratus qualities earned him a Premium stallion award (gold) at the stallion licensing in Aachen. 

Emiratus B was enjoying mostly all his life on our farm. He was not only a beautiful, kind stallion, a great sire...much more he was one of the best friends you could have. Emil was doing everything to make his rider happy, pleased and proud. Thank you Emil for 26 wonderful years together. 

Through serendipity Ghazal al Badia arrived in 2013 to our farm from the USA. Ghazal was just a few days old when Gail Mailloux of the Two Silos Farm was visiting us for a week. She told us all week long about this very special colt born at the farm of her friend, Laurie Schmelzle's Al Badia Arabian Stud, and that he should live at Al Ilaf Stud. After seeing his first pictures and being a big fan of his granddam Bint Saida Al Nasser, we just had to add him to our breeding program. 

Al Ilaf Talaya and Al Ilaf Mayada are the result of getting the connection between our Emiratus B daughters and Ghazal al Badia. To read more about our mares, please have a look at the "Mares & Fillies" page.

Over the last few years we have been blessed with some very promising fillies from different families.  They inherit the type of horse what we always try to focus on in our breeding decisions: the big black eyes, solid body, good tail carriage, movement and a gentle character. The combination of being pretty, rideable and being clear in mind are all important traits for us.