Sierra Juell MRF

Pedigree Research by Nancy Pierce

A tall, necky 2018 bay beauty with a neat star and tiny strip, accentuated by three short white feet, SIERRA JUELL MRF, is sired by the international champion straight Egyptian stallion, BAHA AA (Al Ayad x Baaraqa AA by Laheeb) and out of the Varian-bred Jullyen El Jamaal daughter, SANTA BARBARA JUELL V (x Sweet Shalimar V by Ali Jamaal). SIERRA JUELL MRF is so far the only BAHA AA foal out of a Varian-bred mare, though, considering SIERRA JUELL’s success in her Scottsdale show ring debut, we may see more of this cross in the future.
SIERRA JUELL MRF’s sire, BAHA AA, is a pretty-headed, smooth-bodied 2008 Grey Straight Egyptian Stallion with a longer, more elegant neck than usually expected from a straight Egyptian horse. BAHA AA was bred by Ariela Arabians, imported into the U.S. by Raymond Mazzai and Inga Applequist, and is now owned by The Baha Partners, LLC., headed by Jeff Sloan. Sired by Al Ayad, also the sire of the well known stallion, Al Ayal, BAHA’s sire, the German-bred stallion Al Ayad, represented an almost total outcross for the Ariela breeding program. Though relatively unknown to American breeders, Al Ayad did enjoy success in limited showing in Europe, his two most notable victories being Senior Champion at the 2006 Israeli Egyptian Event and Champion Stallion at the 2008 Asil Cup Internationakub Germany, Most Arabian horse enthusiasts are very familiar with BAHA AA’s dam line. He is one in a series of very good stallions to come out of the highly lauded *The Vision HG dam line at Ariela Arabians in Israel.

So far a bit inconsistent as a sire, BAHA AA sired what would become his first National winning daughter, 2017 Canadian National Reserve Champion 2 Yr Old Filly Bint Euphoria (out of Euphoria NA, a full sister to famed stallion Ever After NA) in his first foal crop. A 2017 daughter, Najima Aria (x MD Hibat Allah by DA Valentino), earned the titles of 2018 U.S. National Top Ten ABS Yearling Filly, Region 1 ABS Yearling Filly Champion, and 2018 Scottsdale Top 3 (out of 22 fillies) Arabian Mares. Most recently, SIERRA JUELL MRF was named 2019 Scottsdale Egyptian Heritage Champion Yearling Filly, followed by the title of 2019 Scottsdale Egyptian Heritage Jr Champion Filly. With over 100 foals on the ground, BAHA AA has yet to sire an equally significant straight Egyptian foal, though he has sired every color, including six blacks.

That is not to say he has not sired ribbon winners, but so far, few of his straight Egyptian foals have brought home the big prizes. Of BAHA’s straight Egyptian foals, LF BintRakizah (x LF Rakizah by *Al Adeed Al Shaqab), bred and owned by Lyday Farm, appears to so far be the most successful, earning 2017 Arabian National Breeder Finals Champion Mare and 2018 Egyptian Event Straight Egyptian Most Classic Head Female titles.

BAHA AA has enjoyed the luxury of being bred to some of our industry’s finest, including the national champion mares BHF Dark Angel (twice), RH Triana, MD Hibat Allah (twice). His oldest foals are still young, so time will tell about their future successes.

SIERRA JUELL MRF herself was born beautiful, with long legs, big dark eyes set well in her short face, over-the-back tail carriage, and – by the time she was a weanling – considerable show attitude at liberty. Scottsdale 2019 was her first show, and shown by Sandro Pinha, she took home the blue in her Egyptian Heritage Yearling Filly class and the championship garland in the Egyptian Heritage Jr. Championship. Genetically, SIERRA JUELL MRF is half Egyptian through her sire; however, she also has considerable Egyptian blood on her dam’s side as well.

SIERRA JUELL MRF’s Varian-bred dam, SANTA BARBARA JUELL V, who traces three times to the national champion Ruminaja Ali son, *Ali Jamaal, is the result of breeding the *Ali Jamaal son, Jullyen El Jamaal, to the *Ali Jamaal daughter, Sweet Shalimar V, with the third line to *Ali Jamaal coming through Jullyen El Jamaal’s maternal grandsire, Ludjin El Jamaal.
A tall, elegant, long necked mare with large eyes, SANTA BARBARA JUELL V has the distinction of being the last daughter of one of the most successful mares in the astronomically successful Varian program – the beautiful bay Ali Jamaal daughter Sweet Shalimar V ( x SweetinspirationV by Huckleberry Bey V++); thus, direct descendant in tail female to some of the aristocrats of Arabian horse history – Sweetinspirationv, Spinning Song, Moska, Baychatka++, and finally, one of the three mares famed English breeder Patricia Lindsay purchased for Sheila Varian in Poland, the little powerhouse mare, *Bachantka (WielkiSzlem x Balalajka by Amurath-Sahib).

SANTA BARBARA JUELL V is maternal sister to the sensational performance sire, Sundance Kid V and his full sisters, national champion producers Sweet Silk V and Sweet Saphire V (all by Desperado V); multi-national top ten producer Sweet Caroline V (by Besson Carol; multi-national champion producer Sweet Klassique V (by *Fairview Klassique); and SANTA BARBARA JUELL V’s full sibling (by Jullyen El Jamaal) U.S. National Top Ten Western Pleasure Futurity Mare CA Vista.

The cross of the Varian branch of the *Ali Jamaal family on the straight Egyptian Baha AA appears to have worked quite well. Based on her initial Scottsdale victories, SIERRA JUELL MRF can reasonably be expected to continue her winning ways in the show ring if given the opportunity. The most recent of six fillies out of SANTA BARBARA JUELL V, SIERRA JUELL MRF may also be expected to carry on the legacy of good genes into the future.