16 September, 2009

Wazir's Flag is Flying

Maybe you wonder, what kind of a sire is this horse, Wazir El Kheil?

Well, meet Atiq Tamah. She is a chestnut beauty and Wazir El Kheil's daughter out of Tzviah Idan's and Kuti Aharon's in-utero import from Babolna Stud, Atiq Tamaara (Halim Shah I x 230 Ibn Galal I). She combines so many of the Egyptian programs that I admire: Babson, EAO, Al Badeia, Ansata, Babolna. It will be a life full of suspense, to see how she furthers the influence of Fa Mahfina in her country and hopefully, all over the world.

EnJoy your horses,
Ralph

PS Many thanks to Tzviah Idan for telling me about Wazir El Kheil and Atiq Tamah!

14 September, 2009

The Babson Influence of Wazir El Kheil

Wazir El Kheil is a 1998 straight Egyptian Arabian stallion, sired by the leading race sire in Israel, Bariq Al Amal. In turn, Bariq Al Amal is out of the leading dam of Israeli race horse sires, Al Sachra Bint Amal, a daughter of Morhaf (an Akhtal son out of the Alaa el Din daughter, Mahlaha) and Amal Albadeia (who is out of the Seef daughter, Asilat Albadeia). There is so much to like about this horse. Physically, he is beautiful. An athletic horse, Wazir holds the track record for short distances in Israel, in addition to his show ring wins as a halter horse. On the sire side of the pedigree, the presence of *Malekat El Gamal, is very touching, as I knew this mare from Imperial Egyptian Stud and really loved her. Egyptian horses, recognized for their superior athletic ability, appear in the pedigree of Bariq Al Amal. Horses like Amrulla, Seef, Alaa El Din, Sameh and Aseel. However, for me personally, the other side of the pedigree, the dam side, is especially interesting, as Wazir is out of a straight Babson Egyptian Arabian Horse: Fa Mahfina. Yes, that's right.

Wazir El Kheil's dam is Fa Mahfina, a straight Babson Egyptian Arabian sired by the Babson Farm stallion, Serr Rou, who is a son of Bahrou, out of Aaroufa, sired by Fabah. Thanks to Chen Kedar of Ariela Arabians, this is what Fa Mahfina looked like, when she was alive:Fa Mahfina's dam is Mah Fina, who is a daughter of Mahrouf and out of Roufina. Both Mahrouf and Roufina are also out of Aaroufa, by different sires: Mahrouf is a Fabah son and Roufina is a Fa-Serr daughter. So, Mah Fina is 50% Aaroufa and together with Serr Rou's 25%, Fa Mahfina is close to 75% Aaroufa!! WOW! To further illustrate the concentration in Fa Mahfina pedigree, I need to point out that her great-grandparents are Fa-Serr, Fa Deene, Fabah and Aaroufa. That's 4 individuals...FOUR..out of EIGHT possible horses. Amazing, to fully consider the concentration of a few key horses. In previous entries, I have explained that the winning formula practiced on the Babson Farm was Fabah to Fa-Serr daughters and Fa-Serr to Fabah daughters. In Fa Mahfina, we see this breeding practice at work. One can consider fully the implications of a 60-year old closed breeding program, based only on 5 horses from studying and yet, the full realization of what this means comes only alive when you see the pedigree in front of you. Then, you get it and you wonder, "how is this possible".

Wazir physically, has been positively influenced by his Babson Egyptian pedigree, as he is a curvy, smooth-bodied, circular, athletic, willing and well-tempered horse. His owner loves him and has a solid relationship with the horse, which to me, speaks loudly about his wonderful disposition. He is beautiful. Together with the the Ibn Rabdan influence found in more modern Egyptian horses like Sameh, *Ansata Ibn Halima, Shaloul, Zaafarana, Sid Abouhom, the concentration of Ibn Rabdan becomes very strong in this horse. His deep chestnut color is very reminiscent of Ibn Rabdan and the look for which horses carrying his influence are recognized. If there is one aspect of this blog, for which I hope you will remember, is my enthusiasm for the influence of this most special horse...Ibn Rabdan.

EnJoy your horses,

Ralph

PS Many thanks to Tzviah Idan for telling me about this most excellent horse and to Chen Kedar for the picture of a Babson beauty, Fa Mahfina!

07 September, 2009

Atiq Hazaq

Hora B (Halim Shah I x 216 Haszuna B) with her filly Atiq Hanah, sired by Atiq Nadeem (Al Maraam x Alhambra B)
Atiq Hazaq is sired by Nader al Jamal, the Ansata Sinan son who is also the sire of Atiq Sofha Dereh, the filly out of Idan Atiq's blond beauty, Atiq Sofsof. His beautiful dam is the Babolna-bred, Hora B (Halim Shah I x 216 Haszuna B). In Hebrew, Hazaq means “strong”. When I was a child, I was fascinated by the story of Samson. When Samson became a young man, he set out for the land of the Philistines and while in the city of Tinnah, he fell in love with a young woman. On the way to the woman's house, to ask for her hand in marriage, Samson is attacked by a lion. He grabs the lion and with his superhuman strength, he tears the lion apart with his bare hands. Later on, on his way to his marriage, Samson passes by the very spot where he had killed the lion and observes honey bees, who have nested and made their honey comb in the lion's mouth. He is overwhelmed by God's grace, for anyone else would have been devoured by the lion but because God blessed him with this amazing strength, he defeated the lion. He takes the honey and shares it with his parents, relishing in the sweetness that had come out of the mouth of so savage a beast.
"Out of the eater, something to eat; out of the strong, something sweet."-from the story of Samson, from the Book Of Judges
Tzviah tells me that this colt is so special, he is a strong candidate to become a herd sire, from this year's foal crop. I believe her, especially because of the strength of his mother and the program which gave birth to a strong family of horses.

Atiq Hazaq (Nader al Jamal x Hora B)
Hora B is in foal to Simeon Sharav for 2010. My imagination is working overtime, trying to think of this foal and what he/she will look like.

All the beautiful pictures of Atiq Hazaq were taken by Menashe Cohen, a wonderful photographer who is able to not only capture the very spirit of these horses but everything that makes them an Arabian. Thank you Menashe!

05 September, 2009

The Story of Atiq Sofsof and Atiq Sofha Dereh


Atiq Sofha Dereh (Nader al Jamal x Atiq Sofsof)
Atiq Sofha Dereh is sired by Nader al Jamal, an Ansata Sinan son out of Savannah CC (Thee Desperado x Miss Maggie Mae). Her dam, Atiq Sofsof, whose name means "finally" in Hebrew, was the first filly foaled at Idan Atiq Arabian Stud, after a series of 5 colts, one right-after-another. Al Maraam is Sofsof's sire and the Babolna mare, 230 Ibn Galal I, is her dam. Tzviah and Kuti imported 230 Ibn Galal I in 2000, already an aged mare. Her dam is 211 Zohair (Zohair I x 28 Farag). Tzviah tells me that many considered 211 Zohair to be one of the most beautiful straight Egyptian mares ever bred by Babolna. The dam of 211 Zohair, 28 Farag is a full sister to the Imperial mare, Pharrah. The tail female of this mare is 9 Tamria, a *Tuhotmos daughter out of the Nazeer daughter, Kamar. Over the years this bloodline has become not only influential but treasured by breeders all over the world.
Atiq Sofsof with 230 Ibn Galal I
Atiq Sofsof and her dam, 230 Ibn Galal I loved each other until 230 Ibn Galal I died at the age of 26. Now Atiq Sofsof is the same way with her daughter Atiq Sofha Dereh. Although Sofha has now been weaned from her dam they do not like being apart from each other. They are still attached, mother-to-daughter and daughter-to-mother.
"Just like her mom she knows she's got the kind of face that no one can resist, and is just as sweet and charismatic, with the wonderful tail carriage and movement of this family, and great balance, thanks to her sire."
Kuti Aharon named this filly Sofha Dereh, which in Hebrew, is like an American expression that we use when something is so phenomenal, so incredible, it is "out-of-sight". When Tzviah emailed me the pictures of her new foals, my eyes were immediately drawn to Sofha's pictures. Her quality oozed out of the pictures and captured my attention. Like Tzviah told me, it is too impossible to ignore her. Her silhouette, even at a young age is classical, with unbelievable refinement. I can't imagine how much nicer she will become as she grows into all of her parts.

All the beautiful pictures were taken by Menashe Cohen, a wonderful photographer who is able to not only capture the very spirit of these horses but everything that makes them an Arabian. Thank you Menashe!