Essteem

photo: Aline Sagrabelny

Doug Dahmen, Arabian horse breeder and trainer in California, saw Fame Maker R winning the yearling colt class at Scottsdale in 1990. Fame Maker R was out of an El Shaklan daughter.
As Dahmen was very impressed by what he saw, he decided to bred his own El Shaklan daughter Espressa to the sire of Fame Maker R: Fame VF.
Fame VF was a son by Bey Shah, a top US sire of multiple champions in halter and performance. The bay Bey Shah was from the sire-line of desert bred stallion Mirage whose line produced the sires Bay Abi and his son Bay El Bey who are the great grandsire and grandsire of Fame VF respectively.
Fame VF was the most producing son of Bey Shah. He died untimely in 1994 at the age of 12.
In 1991, Espressa, who traced to the desert bred mare Abeyah, gave birth to her Fame VF foal, a chestnut colt by the name of Essteem.
Essteem was imported to Austria by Ferdinand Huemer of La Movida Arabians in 1993, bringing the bloodline of Fame VF to Europe which was rare there.
In 1994, Essteem competed at the three major shows in Europe: European Championships, All Nations Cup and World Championships. And the chestnut colt fullfilled the expectation from Doug Dahmen. Essteem was named Junior Champion Colt at all three shows which made him the first Triple Crown winner in Europe ever!
Outside the show ring, he was used as sire in Austria and Southern Germany for example at Sax Arabians. For Sax Arabians Essteem produced valuable broodmares like Esstascha and Essteema.
His daughter Essteema stepped in her father's hoofprints by being awarded first female Tripple Crown Winner in 1999 at just two years old.
Two of his daughters, Al Estrella and LM Porleen were named Austrian National Champion Mare and Filly respectively.
Essteem most producing son was Esstashan who sired Psadisho Ibn Esstashan, German National Champion Colt 2004. Another son should also be named here: L.M. Fellini who was awarded Gold at the German stallion licensing show.
In 2001, Essteem was leased to England siring the bay stallion ROE Laheeb who was successfully shown at regional shows in the U.K.
Back in Austria, Essteem was shown at the National Championships in 2007 where he was named Austrian National Senior Champion Stallion. He was last shown in public at the evening presentation at the All Nations Cup in September the same year.
After that presentation he was retired at the small stud of Nicole Barth near Karlsruhe, Germany where died in 2015 at the age of 24.