Wangelis
June 26, 2026, Photo © Gudrun Waiditschka
Wangelis
Every good horse has a story. Some begin on the racecourse, others beneath the bright lights of the show ring. Wangelis wrote his own in the riding arena. A six-time Polish National Under Saddle Champion—twice in Dressage and four times in Western Pleasure—the chestnut stallion was foaled in 2002. He was bred by Tomasz Tarczynski in Poland and later owned by Marek Suliga. Wangelis inherited the best of two worlds within Polish Arabian breeding. His sire line traced to the Kuhailan Haifi sire line through Monogramm and Bask, whose descendants became synonymous with athleticism and success in both the show ring and performance disciplines. His dam's sire, Wermut, represented the racing tradition, earning distinction as a producer of race and derby winners.
Wangelis was sired by Empres (1995–2026), a Pure Polish bay stallion bred at Michalow Stud. Empres was by the celebrated Monogramm and out of Empressa, placing him among the many successful descendants of Monogramm that influenced both European and North American Arabian breeding. During his years in Poland, Empres sired 25 foals before continuing his breeding career abroad.
After leaving Poland, Empres stood in the Netherlands before being exported to the United States in 2007 and subsequently to Canada in 2011. Throughout his international career he was owned by several breeders, including Klarenbeek Arabians and later Prue Critchley. Both in Poland and later in North America, his progeny proved capable of succeeding in disciplines ranging from halter and sport horse competition to dressage, western performance and endurance. In North America, Empres left Empressed (x Keepalo Profile), a multiple Canadian National Top Ten and Regional Champion Sport Horse, the National Champion mare Empreska (x Sandomierza) and the endurance horse MV Fabulous Empression (x Farouche).
The dam of Wangelis was the grey mare Warta, foaled in 1994 and bred at Kurozweki Stud. She was sired by Wermut, one of the better-known sons of the influential stallion Probat. Bred at Michalów Stud, Wermut later served as an important sire at both Bialka and Kurozweki Studs, where he established a reputation as a producer of racehorses. Among his successful race offspring were Expo and Dzierzawca, winner of the 1993 Polish Derby. Wermut was exported in 1995 to Germany where he left the sire Zebulon (x Zalotnica) of Enserhof Stud. Three years later, Wermut was sold to the United Kingdom.
Notably, both Wermut and Warta's dam Warownia trace to the same female line descending from the mare Szweykowska, a Saklawiyah mare foaled at the historic Slawuta Stud. Through Janow Podlaski's broodmare Werbena (1945), this family has remained an enduring component of Polish Arabian breeding for generations.
The pedigree of Wangelis united two distinct but complementary qualities of the Polish Arabian. From his sire came the elegance, movement and charisma associated with Monogramm, while his dam contributed the proven athleticism of the Probat line through Wermut, a stallion remembered as an outstanding sire of racehorses. Together, these influences produced a horse winning six championships across two disciplines.
Wangelis was sired by Empres (1995–2026), a Pure Polish bay stallion bred at Michalow Stud. Empres was by the celebrated Monogramm and out of Empressa, placing him among the many successful descendants of Monogramm that influenced both European and North American Arabian breeding. During his years in Poland, Empres sired 25 foals before continuing his breeding career abroad.
After leaving Poland, Empres stood in the Netherlands before being exported to the United States in 2007 and subsequently to Canada in 2011. Throughout his international career he was owned by several breeders, including Klarenbeek Arabians and later Prue Critchley. Both in Poland and later in North America, his progeny proved capable of succeeding in disciplines ranging from halter and sport horse competition to dressage, western performance and endurance. In North America, Empres left Empressed (x Keepalo Profile), a multiple Canadian National Top Ten and Regional Champion Sport Horse, the National Champion mare Empreska (x Sandomierza) and the endurance horse MV Fabulous Empression (x Farouche).
The dam of Wangelis was the grey mare Warta, foaled in 1994 and bred at Kurozweki Stud. She was sired by Wermut, one of the better-known sons of the influential stallion Probat. Bred at Michalów Stud, Wermut later served as an important sire at both Bialka and Kurozweki Studs, where he established a reputation as a producer of racehorses. Among his successful race offspring were Expo and Dzierzawca, winner of the 1993 Polish Derby. Wermut was exported in 1995 to Germany where he left the sire Zebulon (x Zalotnica) of Enserhof Stud. Three years later, Wermut was sold to the United Kingdom.
Notably, both Wermut and Warta's dam Warownia trace to the same female line descending from the mare Szweykowska, a Saklawiyah mare foaled at the historic Slawuta Stud. Through Janow Podlaski's broodmare Werbena (1945), this family has remained an enduring component of Polish Arabian breeding for generations.
The pedigree of Wangelis united two distinct but complementary qualities of the Polish Arabian. From his sire came the elegance, movement and charisma associated with Monogramm, while his dam contributed the proven athleticism of the Probat line through Wermut, a stallion remembered as an outstanding sire of racehorses. Together, these influences produced a horse winning six championships across two disciplines.