|
|
|
 |
Two events lead to the foundation of Kullatorp Arabian Stud in 1996. During this year our first love foal is born and we bring our first breeding mare home – Zalotna (Monogramm-Zaleta) from Michalów. By the year 2000, Zalotna has been accompanied by six additional mares from Poland:
Emanzypacja†2007 (Falsyfikat-Emigrantka), Prognoza (Etogram-Palestra), Zenia (Grandorr-Zenobia), Calisia (Eukaliptus-Catalina), Estetyka (Piechur-Estancja) and Warszula†2006 (Palas-Wacpanna).
These beautiful polish mares have laid the foundation for all the beauty, quality and bliss that is currently growing from Kullatorp. They have conquered a total of 12 international Champion titles between them and in the meantime their children and grandchildren are now flourishing. They represent our contribution to the development of the Arabian Horse for the future!
We invite you to browse through these pages and enjoy our wonderful horses and take part in everything that we value.
 |
About the People Behind Kullatorp
 |
It is me, Maria, who carries the dream of creating and shaping a small set of world class stars. In my opinion the Arabian Horse is the most beautiful and noble of all horses. It is the model for the Fairy horse and the Unicorn all over the world. This beauty is what I wish to be a part of conveying and bringing into the future. Our concept of beauty includes accurate conformation, and a good and human friendly mentality… resembling the strong, brave, friendly and supernaturally beautiful horse from the ages of the fairy tale. This means that horses from Kullatorp through my work with breeding and our handling, are equipped to perform as well in Show as in the different performance disciplines.
I am also motivated by the creation of beautiful and positive places for the Arabian Horse and its humans; not only at Kullatorp. It is just as important to support our clients who become new breeders and owners of Arabian horses and who share our values. I am driven by creating a communication between the horse and humans and also between us humans on the basis of respect and understanding for the remarkably unique in every individual.
The Arabian Horse needs more guardians who understand their uniqueness both as a race and as individuals. Several employees here at Kullatorp have themselves blossomed into own careers and businesses on the basis of the Arabian Horse.
The running and development of Kullatorp is my passion. I also have another great interest, that of being Chief Executive at Kundvärden AB. Kundvärden AB works with businesses and organisations for progress and development through focus on value based business and customer base development. For more information about Kundvärden, please visit our homepage at www.kundvarden.com.
My background with horses was probably first nurtured by my mother who wanted her daughter to have something exciting to occupy herself with, as well as something to look forward to as a lively and very intensive eight year old with a warm heart for animals. She could not possibly have imagined all that this would eventually lead to...
I was taught every Friday at riding school between the ages of eight and fourteen and competed at club level in show jumping. This was the only available time for riding since my parents also demanded excellent achievements in school. Horses filled my life as a young girl; I felt great belonging and immense excitement to be able to float across on these creatures with all the powers that they possess. This is where I met my first Arabian horse. Her name was Fancy and no one was as perceptive and special as she was. And I would devour books about horses; Wahlströms “Britta and Silver”-series could describe the euphoric feeling, better than all the others, of how it felt to ”enter a soft canter” on moist and fragrant paths through the woods… and then of course the movies and the books about “The Black Stallion”!
I grew up, but through a series of events in my life, a door was opened that would take me back to the love of my youth; the Arabian Horse. I chose to walk through that door… and so here I stand.
 |
As for me, Jan Erik, I found my interest in horses through my Maria and it is fulfilling for me to see how her vision of Kullatorp is gradually taking its form. Our horses know me better as “the Carrot Man” and I have the privilege to be the only provider of carrots directly from the hand. Being greeted by a choir of mumbling muzzles gives me a sense of great belonging.
I have a special bond to some of our younger horses that I have, perhaps against better knowledge, treated as faithful companions through miserable terrain avoiding obstacles high and low crawling under branches and leaping over fallen trees, both of us unaware of the inconceivability of two inexperienced collaborators doing just that. And with the mares in foal I take long pleasant walks where we both allow ourselves to stop
and ponder by adequate tufts of grass. I have come to appreciate the Arabian Horse for its perceptivity and interest in understanding the human around her.
Part of my time is dedicated to being a professor at Lund University in Management and Development of Complex Organizations. I also have great interest in developing Kundvärden and our Foundation the Rendahl Institute, www.rendahlinstitutet.com, together with Maria.
The Vision, Breeding Goals & Challenge of Kullatorp
Kullatorp wants to actively contribute to a better world for the Arabian Horse and it’s humans. Our value is that compassion is one of those characteristics that give meaning to life and is one of the finest qualities in humans. Maybe the only quality that gives us the right to call ourselves humans and by doing that also put ourselves above the animals.
 |
As breeders, we have taken over nature’s natural selection. We choose which individuals and which genes that are to carry the Arabian Horse into the future. This gives us as breeders a big responsibility. It is basic ethics for every breeder to, based on all that is known, only breed on that which is healthy; for the long-term survival of the race and out of compassion for the individual.
My goal in breeding is to create stars; preferably the brightest ones. Just as in any other area – sports, movies, theatre, literature, art and science – every time has its stars and “Gods” that rise above the masses. To be a part of creating such stars in our time is my aspiration and challenge.
Our goal to reach the stars is the driving force, but how and in what way we reach these goals is to everything. No victory is worth it if it is based on suffering, force and punishment. True victories are won through good breeding and mutual communication based on the horse’s right to respect for its particular nature and natural needs.
History and Direction for Kullatorp
We moved to Kullatorp in 1995 and Kullatorp Arabian Stud was born in the spring of 1996 when our first foal – Monroe – was born. Her mother is Malakat el Nil (Muzannif – E-Vensong), my first Arabian horse and my great love and companion through life. Malakat el Nil, she listens to the name of Malla, will be given her very own space on our homepage eventually.
 |
Malakat el Nil and a visit to a national show in 1992 was the start of a series of events that lead to the birth of little Monroe and Kullatorp. About this time another adorable foal was born at Kullatorp, namely the colt Kristos. My mother had bought the mare Kitty (Rycersz-Khiva) for her other daughter, that I was to be given the care and responsibility for.
The sire of Monroe and Kristos was CA Emir †2006 (WN Oquendo – Zazada). He was acquired as a small, tall-legged, elegant and loveable foal as a love gift to my future husband Jan Erik for his birthday in August of 1993. Shortly prior to this, Jan Erik had joined me for a visit to Aspenäs Arabian Stud where I was enchanted by Bilboza’s Medalj-daughter, that I later named Batseba. She was very beautiful, but within short turned out to have brain damage. Based on the advice of the breeder and on my own assertion she was put to sleep.
The year after, in 1994, we visited Oppreva Arabians, Britt and Jörgen, and I was completely stunned by their supernaturally beautiful, charismatic and proud mare Lidia that had been announced European Champion Mare in 1991. At her side she had a little cocky and showy colt named El Nobel (by Metat). “Would you like to have him?” asked my Jan Erik with a big smile. How do you answer a question like that at the start of something wonderful? “Yes! Of Course!”
There will in due time be a picture here of Lidia & El Nobel.
Shortly thereafter Britt and Jörgen rang me up and told me of a very special little foal by the name of Shanelle (Proceder – Shantie)… and so I found myself with foal once again!
So, in the year of 1994 this is what we have; There is my beloved 2-year mare Malakat el Nil, a 1-year old stallion CA Emir and two foals; El Nobel and Shanelle. We’re living in Stockholm and have no stable of our own. We searched for two years before we found our paradise, Kullatorp.
By that time I was completely new in “the world of Arabian horses” and many a head was shook from side to side at my enthusiasm and madness of buying three foals, believing I could be successful in show. CA Emir was crowned Junior Champion Stallion at Vilhemsborg and All Scandinavian Open, and later Champion Stallion in Norway. Shanelle became as a yearling Best in Show, Class winner at the National Show and as fully grown Best Swedish Born Horse at the All Scandinavian Open and second place Elran Cup, Belgium. El Nobel became International reserve Junior Champion, Class winner at the National Show, All Scandinavian Open junior reserve Champion, and the year after, International Junior Reserve Champion, Vilhemsborg and Winner of Liberty.
I was proud and thrilled but was soon told that “winning with purchased horses is no real achievement…”. I had to understand that the only thing that really mattered was winning with home-bred horses. CA Emirs first offspring Kristos is awarded All Scandinavian Open Junior Champion and Norwegian National Champion Colt!
That’s when I realized that I might have something to offer within the breeding of Arabian Horses. I accepted an invitation to Michalów, Poland, in the spring of 1996, to attend the Junior Spring Show that precedes the Polish Nationals in August. That’s where I saw them! I watched them enter the show ring; a pearl necklace of wonderful yearling fillies. I saw Kwestura, Fallada, Palmira, Elandra, and I saw the 2-year olds Zagrobla, Georgia, Palestyna… and they all had the same sire and his name is for ever written into the history books of international breeding: Monogramm. It was obvious for me that it was on a mare by Monogramm that I would base my breeding. And at Michalów I found Zalotna and then it was all systems go…
At my first Polish Nationals that same year I was surprised at some of the scores that were awarded, which I have later reflected on. A few examples; 1x18 p for head and neck on Kwestura, 17-18-19 on arab type and 17-18-18 head and neck on Palmira, 2x17 p on arab type and 3x17 head and neck on Palestyna? These three mares are today ranked as the most beautiful among the beautiful and have crushed most competition in the show ring. Palestyna was later sold for 300 000 Euro and the icon Kwestura in August 2008 for 1 125 000!
These scores have taught me to trust my own judgment and not to let anyone else make that decision and also to be patient and allow a young individual that I perceive something remarkable in, the time to blossom.
To be continued.
