Our Story

It’s all about love and passion… Well everyone involved with arabian horses will tell it to you… They embodies beauty, fascination, emotion and obsession!

It is hard to describe you the real beginning because looking back now, I feel like I always owned Arabian horses! They are addictive!

I loved horses from my early childhood, loved to look at them while in the car with family and drawing them everywhere on my school material, I caught the horse virus very quickly It’s a family affair with horses!

On this picture it is my mother and my grandmother, some years ago!
In the small city of Cayeux S/mer on the northern part of France.

My mother was already horses addict, she brought me with her when she was riding and of course when I’ve been old enough to ride I jumped on a pony’s back!

Here is an “antic” photo of me, must be in early 80’s !
This is the first pony I regularly rode she was named Elsa and I loved her!

Certainly my first dressage lesson!
Elsa loved it but she preferred to escape from the arena going under the fences and letting me behind her!

Ah! Favourite things on earth! We were going to have a ride on the beach!

I was growing and my love for horses did the same! I was riding in equestrian centres around Paris where we were living but during holidays we were back to the northern part and used to ride in the famous Parc du Marquenterre where they created the Henson breed!

Pictures of me with Cristal de Henson at left and Vesta de Henson at right, two of my “loves” there! Early 90’s.

Then my mum made me the most incredible gift on a 1st of July 1995! I got my first horse, I was 16 and over the moon it was an “Henson” a French bred born from the cross between a Norwegian fjord pony and a saddle type mare (in fact they used many different breeds, my mare was out of an unregistered andalusian mare ) her name is Altie, she’s 22 now and still here with me for a well deserved retirement; along with her lifelong friend Viatka, owned by my mum who’s 23.

I did various things with Altie from dressage to endurance, and an incredible number of kilometres of trail rides!

This is me again with Altie after an exhausting endurance ride in 1997!

I’m on the left with Altie and my mum is at right with Viatka in 1998.
We enjoyed almost daily rides on this incredible beach at this period of our lives.

A very fun moment, crossing “La Seine” in Normandy with Altie and others during a several days trip on horse back!

In the same time we travelled a lot too, but we fell in love with Morocco and even more with their horses, for 4 consecutives years we spent Christmas in Agadir! I will never forget those moments, priceless, I discovered the essence of the horse, and the most emotional rides of my entire life in an incredible scenery and with some of the best riding horses I’ve ever met. The story had started… My dream was to own one of those desert mounts one day… From this moment I started to be literally obsessed by the Arabian horses, I visited stud farms and studied pedigree for hours, and tried to define my own ideal Arabian horse.

This is my mum on “Rif” one of the fabulous horses we rode in Agadir, this horse was used also for some TV spot and advertisement, he was a star!

And that’s me on “Psyche” my favorite horse in Agadir, along with “Elazri” who gave his name to my homebred stallion born 10 years after I met him!

Altie had some health issues a few years later and as endurance was my favourite discipline I went to a farm in France to choose an Arabian stallion to get a baby from my beloved mare. I found a great one, Nissousko a dark bay boy who was already quite old a son of Sirocco Sky an excellent performance Arabian.

Then I also inquired about a mare to purchase, bay or chestnut as grey was not my cup of tea. And at least 4 or 5 years old as I did not want to have a youngster to start, preferred an already schooled horse. So I will not surprised you when I’ll say I bought a 18 month old grey filly and paid twice the price I had in mind ! But that was her , just put my eyes one second on her and was sure she was the right one ! The rest is history!

Loïs in 1998; the day we bought her!

This is how Loïs entered my life; she is the foundation of Kenelm Arabians. She will never leave the farm. Loïs is the epitome of the Arabian mare, HUGE dark eyes, and perfect flea bitten colour, incredible expression and super sweet temperament. Loïs is sired by a Russian/polish stallion being a son of the great Vatican and out of Arnia by Arbor, her dam was one of the most exquisite mares I’ve ever seen, Medersa El Masan by world famous Masan and out of the full sister of the world champion stallion Maklouf.

In 1999 we moved from the Paris area until here in Herbignac (have a look at the farm page ) and in 2000 the first ever baby was born at Domaine de Kenelm, the part bred filly from my Henson mare and sired by Nissousko.

My mare Altie de Henson with her 2000 filly Maltiska de Kenelm.

I could not go back! It was the next step towards my dream, this first baby was evidence, I wanted to breed horses and I wanted them to be beautiful with top riding potential and pedigree.

Following my studies in the same time, after Loïs arrival this is Shamilah Jina Bea ( Warandes Plakat x Julia Bea by Ponomarev ) and Shamilah Samsara who joigned quickly the team ! An incredible opportunityJina had 2 fillies for us, before we sold her to a big farm in Spain. Her fillies have also found great homes. Samsara is still here, she’s maybe the best daughter of world reserve champion Nadir I and has herself a fabulous show record. Being National champion of France, multiple International and supreme champion and twice 3rd at the world championship in Paris! A dream coming true ! Samsara had 2 offspring for us a fabulous colt by Padrons Immage in 2002 named Kenelm Ibn Samsara who was multiple halter winner as a yearling, he was gelded later on and sold in France. In 2003 Kenelm Savanah was born, sired by Lumiar Amadeus, we were the first ever to use this great show champion in Europe. Then Samsara will not foal any other baby for us, she reabsorbed several times, aborted a filly a Christmas Day, was diagnosed with a quite severe uterus fibrosis and then turned out as an happy horse for some years when last year, in 2009 she got a terrific heat cycle… And she produced for me a true miracle this year, Kenelm Samazing, sired by Kenelm Elazri, don’t know if I’ll succeed into getting any other baby out of her but I’m so happy with this new one, keep his name in mind, maybe you’ll hear it again in the near future!

Shamilah Samsara by Nadir I my dream mare now enjoying life with us.

And it was just the beginning.

We bought then 4 mares in Belgium Anastacia AA ( Menes x Anyshia by Muscat ) born in USA in 1990 twice Belgian National Champion and Top 5 both at European and World championships! Anastacia is considered worldwide as one of the best Menes daughters ever, she looks like her sire and she’s stunning.

She offered the first purebred Arabian foal at Kenelm Arabians, born on April 12th 2001, it was Kenelm Angelina sired by AS Natsir Apal; since sold to Germany and multiple champion mare! What a beginning!

Kenelm Angelina our first homebred Arabian by AS Natsir Apal.

Anastacia since foaled many other super offspring for us and clients! I bought along with her a crabbet mare named Sazalah Ro who’s been resold to Belgium a few years after, then a Balaton daughter Eden’s Esmeralda who’s the dam to my stallion Kenelm Elazri and another AS Natsir Apal mare Eden’s Extasja Apal who’s since has been sold to France like Esmeralda.

From another stud farm in France we bought two Abakan’s daughters DSA Ghalia (x Gho Gha Al Tsania by Neman) who produced very well for us including my riding gelding Kenelm Genesis but also Kenelm Mona Ghalia by Monogramm who was the first ever Monogramm filly to be bred and born in France ! Mona had a successful show career with us and is now owned by a nice stud farm in The Netherlands and she has produced world-class offspring for her new owner .DSA Ghalia herself was sold and exported to Malta!

Ra Marhaba ( x HK Mazaa by Muscat ) was the second Abakan’s daughter I sold her in France several years ago after breeding very nice babies from her including Kenelm Madison by Lumiar Amadeus who was National Top 5 as a foal.

But something was missing… I was looking for that extra special look and attitude that gives me goose bumps so the next horses were chosen in America.

In 2000 we bought MSA Evening Song by Parys el Jamaal and out of Evening Staar by Muscastar, this mare captured my heart at first sight, I saw her for sale on the website of Michael Byatt Arabians and we bought her on a heartbeat she was just a few months old, we let her in training in US and she was shown to great successes!

I bought also Arjanna el Jamaal at the same time also a Parys daughter and out of a Bey Shah mare who’s out of an Egyptian Event supreme champion mare. Arjanna is an ultra tall and leggy mare with incredible attitude and what a producer she is ! all of her offspring have been sold as youngsters! she’s the ¾ sister of Aysia owned by famous Taylor Arabians in USA.

Then we bought two mares from Talking Waters Ranch in Wyoming, I discovered there one of the best horsewoman ever, Bobbi Stukenhoff. We bought Khaptivating Lady by Sanadik el Shaklan who was a 2 years old and also Raves and Roses by National champion Rave VF who was just a weanling. Lady has been sold to a farm in France but produced for us 4 excellent offspring including Kenelm Lady Krystal who has had a super endurance career in 2009 and still in training for 2010. Kenelm Khemostorm who was sold recently and Kenelm Kinshasa who have been sold too and were very successful as a yearling on the international show scene. Raves and Roses is still here, one of our favourites and also an excellent producer with offspring sold in UK, France and Belgium!

My two Parys el Jamaal mares while in USA.
Evening Song at left and Arjanna at right, both super producers for us.

In 2001 we bought also from USA the filly Malanje by Borsalino K who produced some nice babies for us before being sold to France.

I do not focus on a specific bloodline even if my favourites are the Spanish and Ali Jamaal bred. As a rider I want a beautiful but useful horse and I find it’s also very important for a show horse to be correct and balanced and not just a china doll.

My breeding program tries to produce Arabian horses that are very typey and exotic but also who can be use in various disciplines, in this permanent quest of versatility we chose our first breeding stallion in 2003, and then arrived the superstar Sandstorm JC by Fame VF. A dream coming true, one of the few Fame VF offspring in Europe and the only one in France a horse with a show record which speaks for itself and a world class producer. The Horse of a Lifetime!

Sandstorm with me in the fields of Kenelm Arabians in 2003.

Sandstorm in his kingdom

Born in 2002 Kenelm Elazri ( Padrons Immage x Eden’s Esmeralda by Balaton ) mainly Russian and polish bred is another stallion for us since 2005, his first babies have been a success for us and they all sold very quickly!

Before we stood our own stallions at stud we used outside sires, we created an artificial insemination centre in 2002 which allowed us to use frozen semen from worldwide.

I always try to innovate and do not want to follow the fads and fashions, for me true beauty and quality are timeless.

We were the first in Europe to use Psymadré (x Padrons Psyche) Lumiar Amadeus (x RSD Dark Victory) and Soho Carol (x Ali Jamaal).

Kenelm Madison, the first offspring of Lumiar Amadeus ever born in Europe, in 2003.

We lease an outside stallion from time to time and for 2010 this is the spectacular Adawy (x Borneo) owned by Emma Maxwell who is the new addition for the breeding season. Adawy is multiple champion both in hand and under saddle and his babies are stunning, 2011 should be an exceptional year!

Of course I love beauty and type and that’s my pleasure and my pride to see my homebred on the rings. 2010 will be a great year as we do have a very special show entry with Kenelm Paloma Bey (Mystic Jamaal x Prima Donna Bey by NV Beau Bey) currently standing at Schoukens Training Center in Belgium. This filly is out of this world and does have the qualities to compete at the highest level. Her first results are very encouraging and we do hope for more!

We regularly import new mares or stallions from Europe or USA. We had the stallion Perlaan el Javier (Javier el Jamaal x Porlamar) for 2 years before exporting him to Iran.

Perlaan el Javier imported from Austria and exported to Iran!

We also bought in Austria in 2007 two fabulous fillies, Scalina el Javier (Javier el Jamaal x Scala el Jamaal by Ali Jamaal) and Alika el Than (Jonathan el Ludjin x LM Alisha by CWP Chances Are) both are now full part of our breeding program and in foal for 2011.

In 2009 some mares arrived from USA and Canada. Mayssa by Besson Carol who’s been resold to France but we’re retaining her 2009 chestnut filly by HJ Gaiel Magnum named Kenelm Marbella who’s one of my all time favorites, her special chestnut color with flaxen and unbelievable movement will be great things for her in the show rings, ADF Athena by Gold Krugerand whom the 2009 son Kenelm Arizona Staar will be one of our future stallions and Prima Donna Bey, resold to the UK but we kept her 2009 black bay filly by Mystic Jamaal.

Kenelm Arizona Staar ( Staarwan x ADF Athena) future sire of Kenelm Arabians.

We try also to prove that the Arabian horse is far more than just a pretty face. Our horses have been show under saddle in reining (Kenelm Lucky Star has been exported to USA and has been a big reining winner then) western pleasure (Kenelm Elazri winner in front of quarter horses!) endurance (Kenelm Lady Krystal multiple endurance winner in 2009 and some sons of Sandstorm in USA have won a lot including one finishing with success the Tevis Cup!) show halter (Kenelm Ibn Samsara multiple international winner, Kenelm Kinshasa multiple international winner, Kenelm Elazri, Kenelm Mona Ghalia, Kenelm Angelina multiple champion mare etc etc etc).

Kenelm Lucky Star with me halter winner in France and multiple reining champion in USA.

Look at our homebred horses section so you’ll see what we’ve done so far but we expect to achieve so much more in the near future!

I’d like to thank my family for its continual support in this dream as well as some very special persons to my heart who are my daily light and love.

I’m lucky enough to live my dream I just try to create special horses that can help you to achieve your highest goals whatever your favorite discipline is.

Thanks for visiting this website and for reading this endless story! Hope to meet you one day; visitors are always welcome to the farm.

Look at our contact info to find us and hope you’ll enjoy the complete virtual tour of my little piece of Heaven.