Al Najma Ovid
January 24, 2026, Photo © Aline Sagrabelny
Al Najma Ovid
The grey Straight Egyptian stallion, Al Najma Ovid was born in May 1997 at Al Najma Stud in Germany, bred and owned by the Knoch family.
From the beginning, Al Najma Ovid carried the weight and promise of an exceptional pedigree. His sire, the celebrated Ansata Sinan (Prince Fa Moniet x Ansata Nefara), had been imported to Germany in the late 1990s and stood among the most important straight Egyptian stallions of his era in Europe. A World Reserve Champion Stallion in 1995, Ansata Sinan was also the older full brother to Ansata Iemhotep and the sire of Mishaal HP, later exported to the United States, where he stood at Arabians Ltd.
Prince Fa Moniet, Al Najma Ovid’s grandsire, was a true Saqlawi, deliberately chosen at Ansata Arabians as an outcross for linebred Dahman mares descending from Ansata Bint Bukra and Ansata Ibn Halima. On the dam side of Ansata Sinan, the silvery-white mare Ansata Nefara traced in direct tail-female line to the great matriarch Ansata Bint Bukra. Her sire, Ansata Halim Shah, revolutionized straight Egyptian breeding world-wide.
Al Najma Ovid’s dam, Orayana was by the German Elite Stallion Maysoun and out of Oraya, a daughter of the Maiworm Arabians' foundation mare Ora by Ibn Shaker I. Oraya herself was by the German Elite stallion Messaoud and became the successor to her dam as a broodmare at Maiworm Arabians. She produced Orayan (1990–1996), also by Maysoun, who earned the title of Senior Male Reserve Champion at the European Championships in 1996. Orayan, in turn, sired The Princess of Egypt, a highly successful show mare with championship titles at the All Nations Cup, European Championships, and German Nationals between 1999 and 2000.
Despite the halter show achievements of his ancestors, Al Najma Ovid was never bred to be merely decorative. At Al Najma Stud, the breeding guideline was clear: Beauty is welcome, but performance is essential. This philosophy found a perfect embodiment in Al Najma Ovid. Licensed in 2009 in Alsfeld, Germany, he won the stallion licensing event and impressed the commission profoundly, earning the exceptional score of 9.0 for breed and gender type. He was later awarded the title of premium stallion of the German Association for Arabian Sport Horses (ZSAA).
Yet Al Najma Ovid’s willingness and ability to perform were proven most convincingly beyond the show ring. In 2009, he demonstrated extraordinary endurance at the AraberWeltweit Trophy, where he emerged victorious after covering an astonishing 1,227 kilometers over multiple distances. This achievement underscored his soundness, mental strength and athletic capability.
In 2011, Al Najma Al Najma Ovid was leased to the State Stud of Marbach, where he sired four foals, however none of them were kept by the stud.
As a breeding stallion, he was valued for passing on balance, correctness, and a willing temperament, traits that reflected both his pedigree and his training.
After more than twenty years at Al Najma Stud, Al Najma Ovid had become more than a stallion; he was a constant presence, shaping the identity of the breeding program through his offspring, his performance record, and his unmistakable character. His influence could be seen not only in pedigrees, but in the lived experience of breeding horses that were expected to be both beautiful and capable.
In his son Al Najma Orkan, licensed with the ZSAA in 2018 and awarded Best Straight Egyptian Arabian at the Alsfeld licensing, Al Najma Ovid’s legacy found a clear continuation. Orkan stands as a reminder that refinement and functionality need not be opposites, but can coexist when guided by a clear breeding vision.
In October 2017, the Knoch family made the difficult decision to let Al Najma Ovid go. His passing marked the end of an era at Al Najma Stud, but not the end of his influence. Through his descendants, his endurance successes, and the philosophy he embodied, the star of Al Najma continues to shine.
From the beginning, Al Najma Ovid carried the weight and promise of an exceptional pedigree. His sire, the celebrated Ansata Sinan (Prince Fa Moniet x Ansata Nefara), had been imported to Germany in the late 1990s and stood among the most important straight Egyptian stallions of his era in Europe. A World Reserve Champion Stallion in 1995, Ansata Sinan was also the older full brother to Ansata Iemhotep and the sire of Mishaal HP, later exported to the United States, where he stood at Arabians Ltd.
Prince Fa Moniet, Al Najma Ovid’s grandsire, was a true Saqlawi, deliberately chosen at Ansata Arabians as an outcross for linebred Dahman mares descending from Ansata Bint Bukra and Ansata Ibn Halima. On the dam side of Ansata Sinan, the silvery-white mare Ansata Nefara traced in direct tail-female line to the great matriarch Ansata Bint Bukra. Her sire, Ansata Halim Shah, revolutionized straight Egyptian breeding world-wide.
Al Najma Ovid’s dam, Orayana was by the German Elite Stallion Maysoun and out of Oraya, a daughter of the Maiworm Arabians' foundation mare Ora by Ibn Shaker I. Oraya herself was by the German Elite stallion Messaoud and became the successor to her dam as a broodmare at Maiworm Arabians. She produced Orayan (1990–1996), also by Maysoun, who earned the title of Senior Male Reserve Champion at the European Championships in 1996. Orayan, in turn, sired The Princess of Egypt, a highly successful show mare with championship titles at the All Nations Cup, European Championships, and German Nationals between 1999 and 2000.
Despite the halter show achievements of his ancestors, Al Najma Ovid was never bred to be merely decorative. At Al Najma Stud, the breeding guideline was clear: Beauty is welcome, but performance is essential. This philosophy found a perfect embodiment in Al Najma Ovid. Licensed in 2009 in Alsfeld, Germany, he won the stallion licensing event and impressed the commission profoundly, earning the exceptional score of 9.0 for breed and gender type. He was later awarded the title of premium stallion of the German Association for Arabian Sport Horses (ZSAA).
Yet Al Najma Ovid’s willingness and ability to perform were proven most convincingly beyond the show ring. In 2009, he demonstrated extraordinary endurance at the AraberWeltweit Trophy, where he emerged victorious after covering an astonishing 1,227 kilometers over multiple distances. This achievement underscored his soundness, mental strength and athletic capability.
In 2011, Al Najma Al Najma Ovid was leased to the State Stud of Marbach, where he sired four foals, however none of them were kept by the stud.
As a breeding stallion, he was valued for passing on balance, correctness, and a willing temperament, traits that reflected both his pedigree and his training.
After more than twenty years at Al Najma Stud, Al Najma Ovid had become more than a stallion; he was a constant presence, shaping the identity of the breeding program through his offspring, his performance record, and his unmistakable character. His influence could be seen not only in pedigrees, but in the lived experience of breeding horses that were expected to be both beautiful and capable.
In his son Al Najma Orkan, licensed with the ZSAA in 2018 and awarded Best Straight Egyptian Arabian at the Alsfeld licensing, Al Najma Ovid’s legacy found a clear continuation. Orkan stands as a reminder that refinement and functionality need not be opposites, but can coexist when guided by a clear breeding vision.
In October 2017, the Knoch family made the difficult decision to let Al Najma Ovid go. His passing marked the end of an era at Al Najma Stud, but not the end of his influence. Through his descendants, his endurance successes, and the philosophy he embodied, the star of Al Najma continues to shine.