Beware the Man You Think You Know

***In the spring of 1959, George H. Conn published an anthology of literary material, which he called The Arabian Horse in Fact, Fantasy and Fiction. The diverse collection includes poems, essays, scripture, inspirational quotes and short stories, as well as excerpts from books previously written by Lady Anne Blunt, Roger Upton and Major General G. Tweedie.  My favorite is the story of Duldul and His Master, a work of fiction written by James Baldwin in the late 1800's and originally published in his book titled, The Horse Fair. I "tweaked" the story a little bit, just in time for the spooky holiday we know as Halloween.***

Once, there was a Bedouin chieftain by the name of Hatim. He was the most prosperous of all the desert sheikhs, his camp occupied a fertile oasis, in the middle of the great desert. His flocks of sheep, goats, camels and horses were the largest in the land. Hatim was a noble man, generous and kind. No guest ever left his camp empty-handed, receiving far more than a person could ever expect to receive. His compassion for his fellow man was legendary and many of his people never forgot the day when 400 men, women and children arrived in their camp, driven from their homeland by famine. Hatim ordered the slaughter of forty camels, which he then had roasted, so the people without a country could begin to satisfy the hunger that burned within them. Even in the most mundane moments of life, Hatim honored the code of conduct established by those who came before him, with honor, tolerance and kindness. When he was a child, the story of Abraham and how he had unknowingly entertained angels, had made a strong impression upon him, which he never forgot. Should an angel ever decide to visit him, he would find a comfortable place to rest, where his hunger and thirst would be met, until the moment he decided to continue his journey. 

Hatim practiced his beliefs, always with a smile upon his face and love in his heart, giving freely to all who asked, never questioning the need of those who stood before him and asked for help. Despite the goodness of Hatim's generosity, some were suspicious of his altruistic nature and felt the need to test Hatim's good nature. One such man was the Sultan of Roum, a cold-hearted ruler who was jealous of Hatim and the love people felt for him. He wasn't willing to share his people's affection with anyone, much less Hatim. He believed that Hatim's philanthropic nature was not genuine, a way for Hatim to initially build trust and then, manipulate it for his personal gain. For example, a man would say, "here is Hatim, who freely gives to the poor.  I will buy from Hatim, because he defrauds no one and I will pay his full price, rather than haggle with him, as I believe that he is being as fair with me, as he is with others." 

One day, the Sultan decided to put Hatim's generosity to the test. He wondered what Hatim cherished and would refuse to give to another. He asked this question of his vizier, who was also convinced that Hatim's generosity was false.  And so spies were sent out into the oasis where Hatim lived, to observe him and to find the one thing that Hatim loved, more than anything else he had ever known.  

Duldul was a sparkling white stallion, rumored to be the finest horse bred by any Bedouin in the desert. Many Bedouins have spent their lifetimes trying to breed a horse like Duldul, never to realize the level of quality that Hatim had bred within his own herd.  Duldul was raised with Hatim's children, living in the same tent with them, sharing daily life and all that goes with it. Duldul loved Hatim, for he had never been spurred or whipped and was a cherished member of Hatim's  family. 

Duldul was the fastest horse in the desert, the winner of many races, the prizes of which had made Hatim a celebrated breeder of asil desert horses. The horses that Duldul sired were the envy of the other tribesman who did not dare to wage war against Hatim, for fear of the skilled horsemen mounted on Duldul's get, who were not only as fast as their sire was but never tired. When the spies returned and told the Sultan of Duldul, the Sultan then decided that Duldul offered the greatest opportunity to test the generosity of Hatim. "I will not ask him for a price," the Sultan explained, "but I will ask for the horse as a gift. If he refuses, which I believe he will, then all the world will know that Hatim's generosity is a farce and I will finally destroy him!" 

Accompanied by ten of his finest soldiers, the Sultan sent his trusted Vizier towards the camp of Hatim. It was a long journey, made during the wettest season of the year.  For 20 long days the group made their way in the desert, meeting many challenges and experiencing great hardship. They had underestimated the difficulty of their journey and when they finally arrived at Hatim's camp, they were half-starved and in pitiable condition. Soon, a horseman, astride a magnificent stallion met them. It was none other than Hatim, mounted on Duldul, who immediately took pity on the Vizier and his men. He had quickly assessed the situation and realized that the men were in dire shape. He hastened to provide quickly for their comfort and ushered them into the most comfortable section of the largest tent in the camp. Their wet clothing was exchanged for warm, dry clothes, the best that Hatim could offer them, taken from his own personal chests. Dinner was delayed but when finally served, the men were amazed over the great variety of meats served to them. There was little food in the camp, as the rest of the tribe was still on their way back from the summer pastures. There was no fruit and a little bread to offer, however, the meats, which were broiled, boiled, roasted, made into soups and savory dishes, were beyond anyone's imagination, a reminder  of the royal meals they enjoyed at the Sultan's palace. After eating their fill, the men retired and slept soundly, which they had not done since leaving the palace. In the morning, after personally experiencing all of the bounty of Hatim's generosity, the Vizier was ashamed of the errand that the Sultan had charged him with and so,  the Vizier explained to Hatim, the Sultan's wishes.  To which Hatim replied, "if only you had told me this, when you first arrived at my camp. I was not prepared to receive guests, as we have only arrived in this oasis for a few days, the rest of my tribe and the flocks of sheep, goats, camels and horses are still on their way, having been slowed by the torrents of rain we encountered on our way home  from our summer pastures. When you arrived, wet, hungry and at death's door, what else could I do but provide comfort to you? For what would be said of me, if I failed to provide you with a warm place to sleep, dry clothes to wear and nourishing food to eat? Then my hospitality and generosity would be a falsity and people would forever know me as Hatim, who sent the hungry away from his tent unfed. I could not bear the thought of not offering my guests the nourishment that you so obviously needed. When you return to the Sultan, tell him that the horse he wished for, the horse that he sent his most trusted advisor and soldiers to find, Duldul, who knew my every wish, obeyed my every word, who brought joy to my heart and put a spring in my step, was cooked for your supper.

AK El Sennari

AK El Sennari (*Ibn Moniet el Nefous x Il Bint Khedena)

In a couple of weeks, on October 17th,  we will remember Nasr Marei, on the 8th anniversary of his death. Even after all this time, I still have difficulty seeing Nasr's name together in the same sentence with the word, "death." So many questions remain unasked, so many answers are left without a voice to express them, so many things I wish I had told him, will forever remain unsaid. Now, in these days, we are left with only memories, which inspire and encourage us to see the world as beautifully as he saw it. Recently, I stumbled upon a photo of AK El Sennari, who entered Nasr's breeding program, in the twilight of his life. 

Little did Mrs. George Fox understand how her efforts would impact AlBadeia in Egypt almost 40 years later, when she purchased Fa Dena, a Fa-Serr daughter out of Khedena (a Fa Deene daughter) from the Babson Farm. Mrs. Fox bred Fa Dena to  *Ansata Ibn Halima, to produce the full sisters: Bint Fa Dena in 1966 and Il Bint Khedena in 1968, both of whom were purchased by Robert Cowling of Houston, Texas. When Jarrell McCracken purchased Robert Cowling's horses, he intensified the Saqlawi strain even further, by breeding Il Bint Khedena to *Ibn Moniet el Nefous, to produce the stallion, AK El Sennari on February 21, 1980. Through Il Bint Khedena, AK El Sennari traces in his matriline to the 1932 Babson Egyptian import, *Bint Serra I, a Saqlawi strain mare bred by Prince Kemal el Dine. *Ibn Moniet el Nefous is also Saqlawi-in-strain, as he traces through Moniet el Nefous to Roga al Beida in his matriline, making AK El Sennari pure-in-the-strain Saqlawi (both tail female lines, the sire and dam, are Saqlawi). More on this later.

He was exported to England, owned at the time by Ronald and Anne Hutchings. While in Europe, he was a competitive show stallion at the international level, winning the Belgium Senior Stallion championship. Eventually, he spent time with Pascal Lavreau at his stud farm and from there, to Jordan and the Royal Jaafar Stud. In 2000, Nasr was looking to expand the genetic mix of blood within his program. 5 years earlier, he had successfully added the bloodlines of the American Egyptian breeding program, Imperial Egyptian Stud, through the use of the stallion, Imperial Madori, which yielded the World Champion Mare, Gelgelah Albadeia. It was the first time that Nasr had used a foreign born straight Egyptian stallion in his program. Little did he know at the time that Madori was paving a new path for other non Egyptian born horses to join the Albadeia program like the *Ansata Ibn Halima son, Bar Sama Halim bred by Rick Heber and the Australian Simeon Sharav, an Asfour son out of Simeon Shuala, in the hope that he would add a more upright neck and shoulder to his herd. Also in the same year, Nasr, together with Dr. Aly Abdel Bahim purchased AK El Sennari, as he wanted to improve the croup in his horses, as well as adding more movement. He was 20 years old at the time of his purchase. 

The core of the foundation of the AlBadeia breeding program was the stallion, Nazeer (Mansour x Bint Samiha) through the strategic use of his sons, daughters and grand-get over the years. I think of the extraordinary Nazeer get like *Morafic, *Bint Mona and *Ansata Bint Mabrouka, aĺl out of Saqlawi strain mares and I can  understand Nasr's application of the Albadeia formula in reverse, that is, covering Nazeer-bred, Hadban-strain mares with a Saqlawi-strain stallion, like AK El Sennari. I am not sure of the fertility that a 20-year old stallion would possess, however, AK El Sennari was a proven breeding stallion and he did sire a small amount of get for Albadeia:

• 2000 - Attalah Albadeia - stallion out of Anhar Albadeia
• 2000 - Bondok Albadeia - stallion out of Walaa Albadeia
• 2000 - Hanoomat Albadeia - mare out of Hawanem Albadeia
• 2000 - Simeon Safra - mare out of Ibtehag Albadeia
• 2002 - Shakraa Albadeia - mare out of Sabriat Albadeia

Nasr Marei in response to a question asked by Samantha Mattocks, of how his breeding goals may have changed over the years, gives the reader a better understanding over the addition of horses like AK El Sennari to the Albadeia breeding program,  "My goals have been the same since the beginning. It is always to breed a better horse. My approach to doing this has evolved over the years, I continuously challenge myself as a breeder by trying to apply what I have learned. My eye as an artist contributes to this process. I am always critical of my own horses, I look at them, and judge their strengths and weaknesses. Then I try to determine how I can correct whatever I feel needs adjusting. Expanding my gene pool was a major decision but I believed it was necessary and I have been gratified by the results." -  The Breeder's Interview, The Arabian Breeders Magazine, Volume I, Issue 1, 2016

SUPERSIZE

What I really appreciate in this photo is the statement it immediately makes concerning *Morafic's height. He is tall! In many of the photos, especially those with Tom McNair; he dwarfs over *Morafic, creating the illusion of a smaller-sized horse. A maternal grandson of Sid Abouhom, *Morafic appears to be influenced by his maternal grandsire,  who was recognized by racing fans as "Nabeeh", his exceptional hocks allowing him to drive his powerful body forward, burning up the racetrack before him, just like his sire, El Dere, had also done. On the other side of the pedigree is Mansour, *Morafic's paternal grandsire, who was prepotent for good legs.*Morafic, blessed as he was with the most extraordinary genetic material available at the EAO, matured into a giant among the horses of his time. *Morafic stood 15.2 hands tall (157 cm), a giant in the hearts of the men who loved him. He was their finest work, all for the love of an Arabian horse.

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***Many thanks to Brittany N Thompson who posted the photo of *Morafic in the Facebook group, Arabian Horse Shows: The Good Old Days***

The Conformity of the Rhino

My favorite photo of *Lancers Sahm

Do you know that when Sheikh el Arab was alive, he sired less than 20 get and of this number, the larger part were fillies? Despite siring a very small number of offspring, General Von Szandtner believed him to be outstanding as a sire. Sheikh el Arab, foaled in 1933, was a Mansour son out of Bint Sabah. Dr. Mohamed El Marsafi believed he was more elegant than Nazeer. Sheikh el Arab possessed a strong and smooth croup, good legs and excellent tail carriage. His daughters matured into legendary broodmares, founding multi-branched, vibrant families of their own. Rouda, the maternal great-granddam of *Lancers Sahm was not only a Sheik El Arab daughter, she was one part of the 3 pairs of full sisters (Medallela, Fasiha & Bint Rissala): 

• Yashmak, 1941 out of Bint Rissala (full sister to Hafsa)
• Wanisa, 1941 out of Medallela (full sister to El Bataa)
• Hafsa, 1942, out of Bint Rissala (full sister to Yashmak) 
• Mahasin, 1942 out of Kasbana
• Kamla, 1942 out of Samha
• Yosreia, 1943 out of Hind
• Wadida, 1943 out of Fasiha (full sister to Rouda)
• Rouda, 1944 out of Fasiha (full sister to Wadida)
• Halima, 1944 out of Ragia
• El Bataa, 1944 out of Medallela (full sister to Wanisa)
• Sodfa, 1944 out of ZamZam
• Zeina, 1945 out of Kateefa
• Fadila, 1946 out of Zareefa

Knowing that General Von Szandtner preferred to cross the Sheikh el Arab daughters with Nazeer, it is interesting that Rouda was bred to Sid Abouhom instead. This cross yielded the mare Galila, who in turn was bred to the Nazeer son, Alaa el Din, producing Aziza, the dam of *Lancers Sahm. It is also interesting to note that Alaa el Din provides the only Nazeer line in the entire pedigree. 

"Like all Rabdans, Gassirs can certainly move and when they do so in earnest a charging rhino is hardly more intimidating." - Philippe Paraskevas

The mare Aziza, was bred to Sabeel, a Gassir (Kheir x Badia) son, out of the Inshass bred Shahbaa (Hamdan x Shahd), who traces in her matriline to El Kahila, the only source of the Kuhaylan Kurush strain in straight Egyptian breeding. Philippe Paraskevas, in the 2nd volume of The Egyptian Alternative wrote, "...Sabeel, a superb Gassir, true-to-type and quite acceptable in the back, with good croup attachment and with an interesting and masculine expression. Regrettably, this is a stallion that was not much noticed and consequently little bred." 

Despite siring 146 get over his lifetime, I still find myself wishing that *Lancers Sahm had been bred to select, key Egyptian mares of the time, significantly multiplying the outcross potential in the straight Egyptian genepool. Considering the growing dominance of the Nazeer influence at the time, we needed an alternative source(s) in our gene pool before we "painted" ourselves into a corner, with no way out. Philippe, within the same book, further wrote about the strength of the Gassir influence and used correctly, of the functional  impact that Gassir could have upon the phenotype, "Gassirs are often the heaviest and most powerful of all Rabdans, if not always the tallest...Taking into consideration these characteristics, you can imagine the Gassir potential for your breeding program - beneficial or harmful - according to whether or not you understand his use. Gassir was a Dahman of the peripheral Bint El Bahrain strain, inherently one of the most Kohalian-in-type of all strains, an outcross strain." Knowing what we know today and given the same opportunity,  why as breeders are we not incorporating more individuals like *Lancers Sahm to widen the diversity within the genepool of straight Egyptian breeding?

***If you are interested in straight Egyptian Arabian horses, then Volume II of Philippe Paraskevas', The Egyptian Alternative is a book you must have in your library. If you can only purchase one book, I strongly recommend this one. Many thanks to Judith Forbis for the photos of Sabeel and Aziza. Many thanks to Sheila R. Cone for posting the photo of *Lancers Sahm in the Facebook Group, Photos and History of the straight Egyptian Arabian Horse***

The Melancholy of September

Hermann Marsian took this unique photo of *Ansata Ibn Halima+ in 1980, at Ansata Arabian Stud, then located in Lufkin, Texas. I had never seen this particular photo before and probably, if you don't participate on Facebook, you have not seen the photo either. Hermann posted the photo a long time ago, in December 2017, within a Facebook group dedicated to the Egyptian Arabian horse, Photos and History of the Straight Egyptian Arabian Horse

Who is *Ansata Ibn Halima+? The legendary straight Egyptian stallion, imported from Egypt by Don and Judi Forbis, was foaled in 1958, sired by Nazeer and out of Halima, a bay Sheikh el Arab daughter out of Ragia (Ibn Rabdan x Farida). 

Not a flattering photo of Halima, some may even criticize me for using it. Apologies, I like it, as it very obviously shows the desert-like dryness of Halima's head, the prominence of bone in her face is evident. In the 66 years from his date of foaling, it is interesting to consider the enduring influence of*Ansata Ibn Halima+, within the context of his RAS-bred dam. Halima, a 1944 broodmare, represented the classic breeding formula used by General Tibor von Pettko-Szandtner at the EAO: Mansour top-crossed onto Ibn Rabdan. Combining Sheikh El Arab (Mansour x Bint Sabah) with Nazeer, also a Mansour son, intensified the impact of the Ali Pasha Sherif horse, Saklawi I,  and yet, was also a very smart decision, as Nazeer was known for carrying the influence of a mare forward, to the next generation. Little did anyone realize at the time when Halima was bred to Nazeer, that her double Mansour colt would one day become the living standard by which many other horses would be judged. 

Within the last few weeks, I blogged about the stallion, Gazal Al Shaqab, as defined by his breeder, Michael Byatt, within a podcast he appeared in, for We Love Arabian Horses. In that episode, Michael defined Kajora (Kaborr x Edjora) as a stretchey, elegant bay mare possessing a great neck, longer, finer poll and prominent bone in her face. Michael explained that he wanted to take all the great qualities that Kajora had and breed her to Anaza El Farid, a proven straight Egyptian stallion to produce a more exotic horse that was not only pretty but athletic. Gazal Al Shaqab was the desired end result and *Ansata Ibn Halima+? He is the maternal grandsire of Anaza El Farid through his daughter, Bint Deena.

quote from Saint diamonds.com 

***Many thanks to Edouard Aldahdah for the photo of Halima, posted in his blog, Daughters of the Wind, November 2019. Also, I need to credit Judith for her photo of Kajora and of course, Hermann Marsian for his photo of *Ansata Ibn Halima and that brings us to the We Love Arabian horses podcast, one of my favorites and the school of thought inspired by the interview with Michael Byatt***

Prince Hallany++

Prince Hallany++ at the 1963 Scottsdale show, photographed by George Axt

Prince Hallany++, whose name refers to a sensitive, quick-natured prince, was a 1957 bay stallion by Hallany Mistanny (*Zarife x *Roda), out of  Rodanna (Ferdin x Rafa), bred by Lenora P. Gilkey, Rafa Farm Arabians, Corcoran, California. 

Hallany Mistanny, although bred in America by General Dickinson of Travelers Rest in Tennessee, was out of *Zarife and *Roda, who were 100% Egyptian horses, bred by Prince Mohamed Aly Tewfik and imported from Egypt by W.R. Brown. Uniquely bred, Hallany Mistanny's pedigree was completely free of the Blunt ancestral elements like Kars, Queen of Sheba, Azrek, Jerboa, Rodania and Dajania.  Despite the volume of material that has been written about the Blunts, their adventures, and the world famous Crabbet Stud; I don't think it is possible to fully understand the far-reaching influence of the Blunt-bred Arabian horses, until one tries to find a pedigree that does not carry the blood of these horses. For this reason, it is interesting to consider his dam, Rodanna, who proves the accuracy of this statement, as she does carry the blood of the desert bred horses like Rodania, Ferida, Queen of Sheba and her son, Astraled, primarily through the stallion, *Ferdin. Although Rodanna was bred by Robert L. Wing of Fresno, California, her sire *Ferdin (Nureddin II x Ferda) was bred by Crabbet; her dam Rafa (*Raseyn x Amaana) was bred by W.K. Kellogg in Pomona, California, combining the 14 horses, including *Raseyn, that Carl Raswan had selected in England for W.K. Kellogg plus the horses that Carl Raswan had selected for Chauncey Clarke. It was at the Desert Arabian Stud in Indio, California, where  Carl Raswan met W.K. Kellogg for the first time. Out for a drive, looking for something different to do, Kellogg and a doctor friend were led to Clarke's ranch for a visit. Kellogg became interested in the horses and made subsequent visits to Chauncey Clarke's ranch. When Chauncey Clarke became ill, W.K. Kellogg purchased the 11 or so Arabian horses belonging to Clarke. Included in that purchase was Amaana's sire and the co-star of Rudolph Valentino's silent movies, Jadaan (Abbeian x Amran) and the mare, Amham (Hamrah x Dahura), the dam of Amaana.  While most of the horses that Chauncey Clarke purchased came from Peter Bradley's Hingham Stock Farm, Masachusetts, the horses were of Davenport breeding. For example, Jadaan's maternal granddam was the mare, *Wadduda. 

Prince Hallany++, age 19

Despite any genetic contributions made by the horses who make up Rodanna's pedigree, it is my opinion that Prince Hallany++ was deeply influenced by Hallany Mistanny. He looks like his sire. If you believe in the coat color following the phenotype, then a bay father-to-son relationship is further proof of the phenotype familiarity in both horses. Also, Hallany Mistanny's pedigree reflects a little bit of line breeding to the mare, Negma (Dahman Al Azrak X Bint Yamama). Her daughter Mahroussa, is the dam of *Zarife and a maternal sister to *Roda, the dam of *Hallany Mistanny, while there is no Ibn Rabdan blood in Hallany Mistanny's pedigree (he is usually credited as the source of the circular lines), you will find individuals like Dahman Al Azrak, the sire of Rabdan Al Azrak, who just happens to be the sire of Ibn Rabdan. Perhaps Dahman Al Azrak is from where the circular influence comes from in these horses. 

Prince Hallany's pleasing conformation, short back, smooth topline, deep heart girth were strong qualities that won him fans wherever he was shown. In 1961 and 1962, he was shown locally in Del Mar, Santa Barbara, Fresno, San Fernando Valley and the Cow Palace. In 1963, he was named a Reserve Champion stallion in Scottsdale.  Later in the same year, trained by Jeff Wonnell, he was not only a United States National top ten stallion in halter, he also earned a national top ten park horse title. The following year, he was in the top 5 champion stallions at the Pacific Slope show. His national wins, combined, with his class A show wins helped Prince Hallany++ earn the most prestigious honor a show horse can win, his legion of merit award in 1964.

A proven sire with 152 purebreds and 9 Half-Arabians to his credit, his get, like W.A. Apollo and Ibn Rafa++ among others, went on to earn national wins too furthering the successful legacy of Prince Hallany++. He was a good horse for the breed.

***Many thanks to JMarie Hamilton and her group, Out of the Past Arabians, Teri Boese Cox and the post she made in Arabian Horse Shows: The Good Old Days and PG Gregory and the post made in the same group as Teri. Without any of these 3 people, there would not be a blog today about Prince Hallany++. Also, I continue to be grateful to Mary Jane Parkinson and her book, The Kellogg Ranch - The First Fifty Years. It's one of the best books I have ever purchased about the Arabian horse.***

GAZAL AL SHAQAB

Gazal Al Shaqab, painted by Michael Byatt

 

I was listening to the latest We Love Arabian horses podcast episode with Michael Byatt this weekend, when I heard Paul Kostial use the word "iconic" in reference to the stallions, Gazal Al Shaqab and his son, Marwan Al Shaqab. Massively significant in breeding programs all over the world, the word "icon" does not convey the dominance that these 2 horses have had within our gene pool, to the exclusion of other key bloodlines.  I have not thought of these 2 horses in terms of being "icons" and use of the word to describe the intensification of their influence, well, surprised me. Maybe because I think of landmarks like the Statue of Liberty or the Eiffel Tower, which have become iconic for their geographical locations or the "golden arches" which are immediately recognizable for the fast food company, McDonalds. These are but a few examples of iconic imagery which not only provokes a strong emotional reaction but possibly, inspires action too. Can one horse become an iconic image for a breed which includes such a wide diversity in phenotype?

Foaled in 1995, Gazal Al Shaqab was the beautiful, more exquisite horse that Al Shaqab had desired to produce, when they purchased Kajora, already in foal to Anaza El Farid (Ruminaja Ali x Bint Deena). A United States National Champion mare in 1982, Kajora (Kaborr x Edjora) was the stretchey, elegant bay mare with a great neck, longer, finer poll and prominent bone in her face. Michael Byatt explained that he wanted to take all the great qualities that Kajora had and breed her to a straight Egyptian stallion to produce a more exotic horse that was not only pretty but athletic, a horse that would offer a little bit of everything to breeders. Al Shaqab, in aligning with Michael Byatt's wisdom, proved to be so ahead of their time, as Gazal Al Shaqab was the successful outcome of all that Michael Byatt had hoped for, when he bred both horses together. 

As a sire, Gazal's success in Poland in 2002 and 2003, at both state studs not only proved his great consistency, it yielded many wonderful horses including the trio of breath-taking mares: Pianissima, Pinga and Emandoria. How many tears were shed globally, when the world said goodbye to Pianissima? Enough to fill an ocean? In 2012, the most famous mare within the straight Egyptian community, The Vision HG, produced a bay colt by Gazal, named Al Ghazali AA, now owned by Al Ghanayim in Kuwait. Not even the king of Poland, the beloved Ekstern enjoyed this kind of opportunity!

In the podcast, Michael Byatt impressed me when he said that since 2001, when Marwan Al Shaqab and Gazal Al Shaqab were pinned as World Champion Colt and World Champion Stallion, the relevancy of these 2 horses has never diminished.  At the recent GCAT show held in London, 30 years since he was foaled, the Champion Stallion, the Champion mare, the Champion Junior colt, the Champion yearling colt and Champion yearling filly all trace back to Gazal Al Shaqab. The same can be said at the GCAT show in Denver, as the Champion Stallion, Champion Mare and Champion Colt, all share common ground in claiming Gazal Al Shaqab as a recent ancestor. At the Canadian Nationals this past week, Empire Al Shaqab, a Gazal grandson, made history at the show by earning the Canadian National Champion stallion title, in addition to winning the National Champion Junior Hunter, the National Champion ATH Purebred stallion and the National Champion Performance Halter.

Many best wishes and congratulations to Rob Janecki and Joe Alberti for Empire Al Shaqab's historic wins in Canada!

***Without We Love Arabian Horses Podcast with Michael Byatt, this blog would not be possible. So, many thanks to Paul Kostial for all of his efforts to promote our incredible breed of horses! And of course, thanks to Michael Byatt for sharing his insight, which comes from over 50 years, side-by-side with the Arabian horse.***