What IS the Definition of a Polish Arabian?

(Thanks to Marsha Parkinson of Canterbury Farms, long-term dedicated breeder of Polish Arabians, and incredibly knowledgeable in the history of Arabians of Polish descent, for the information contained herewith.)

The long sought out meaning and acceptance of "Pure Polish" by the early members of the Polish Arabian Group in the 1980's, including many respected and noted breeders tn the United States and Europe ... was finally determined and defined and has been accepted for many years, although in recent times the term has been used according to ones's own "definition."  Today It is used primarily as a marketing and descriptive term, and not as definitive of type or history. (See below*)

The definition agreed upon 40 years ago is as follows:

1. A "Pure Polish Arabian" horse is one that was bred or owned by anyone in lands that ever belonged to Poland, no matter what the boundaries were. As example, horses bred in the Ukraine (no longer Poland but once was), and owned by Polish people were considered eligible for the category of Pure Polish (as an example, "Skowronek"). This included all of the Arabians bred over the centuries and their offspring if also fitting that criteria

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2. A Pure Polish horse was any Arabian horse entered into the Polish Stud books after 1929 (following WW I) and of pure breeding. The stud books were redone at this time and horses who were not of pure ancestry (as pure as any horse that could be from the Mideast) were eliminated. Thereafter, all horses must be registered in the PASB Studbook to have their foals registered as Pure Polish. 

3. Any Arabian imported (purchased or leased) by the Polish State Studs,subsequently entered in the PASB, and USED by the State Studs were to be considered to be pure Polish. Therefore, if the foals were born from an existing pure Polish mare or stallion, with the other parent fitting into this category (even if their sire and dams were not Polish), then both the import and the foals thereof would be considered pure Polish.

4. Any horse who was NOT bred by the State Studs, either in Poland or elsewhere, who traced in all lines to horses entered in the PASB, would be considered pure Polish.                                 
 

5. All horses bred by the State Studs, out of pure Polish horses would be considered Pure Polish.

The importance to all of this is that the horses (1)  had to trace in all lines to the Post WWI stud book or descendants thereafter, or, (2)  if an outside horse was used BY THE STATE STUDS, and physically BROUGHT INTO Poland and REGISTERED IN the Polish Arabian Stud Book (PASB), then that horse, and it's descendants could be considered pure Polish. This definition was set up long before transported semen, frozen semen, or the successful proliferation of private breeders in Poland. 

This meant that if a straight Egyptian stallion is physically brought into Poland by the State Studs, and USED on Polish mares, the offspring were considered pure Polish. If that same straight Egyptian stallion was brought into Poland by a private breeder, not used by the State Studs, the foals would not be pure Polish. Today, under this definition, horses who are born to outside stallions (or mares) who have not entered Poland physically, registered in PASB, and used only by the State Studs, would only be considered pure Polish IF BRED by the State Studs. This would then include the breeding used via frozen semen without the actual horse being in Poland and registered there....IF used by the State Studs.
 

By definition, therefore, those foals born by frozen semen from a horse NOT in Poland and/or not registered by PASB, but bred to a "pure Polish" mare owned by other than a State Stud, would not be considered pure Polish. Consider the comparison between the two Russian half-brothers, Menes by Nabeg (Arax x Nomenklatura by Naseem) and Tallin, also by Nabeg and out of Talantlavaia (Aswan x Teplitsa by Priboj):

Menes does not fit the definition of pure Polish. Not only was Menes not on Polish soil, he was not registered in PASB, nor was he used by the State Studs. He is "part" Polish via Arax (and others in his pedigree). Otherwise, his lines were all Russian. Tallin DID come to Poland, WAS REGISTERED in PASB, and WAS USED by the State Studs. Since Tallin was the sire of *Wojslaw, an eminent sire and the ancestor of many important and outstanding horses today, all of the *Wojslaw offspring and his many descendants are pure Polish. 

By examples of the definition established in the 1980's, significant horses imported into and out of Poland such as Pietuszok, Palas, Monogramm and others are now considered pure Polish because they DID step on Polish ground, WERE registered in PASB, and WERE USED by the State Studs. 

The definition of "Old World Polish Arabians" simply means that all horses in the pedigree are restricted to those original horses considered Polish and descended from the ancient stock. Imported  horses from Russia and Egypt, as examples, will not be found in the modern pedigrees. It is a matter of breeding adherence to the original Polish Arabian as a genetic "type," and has nothing to do with stud books or registration.