26 January, 2010

*Simeon Sachi

*Simeon Sachi is an Asfour son (Malik x Hanan) out of Simeon Sheba (Ra'adin Royal Star x 27 Ibn Galal V). He was bred by Marion Richmond, of Simeon Stud in Australia and purchased by Anne-Louise Toner of Al Atiq Arabians in Maryland, USA. I liked the combination of bloodlines in Sachi's pedigree, blending EAO blood with Katharinenhof, Babolna, Babson and Sirecho bloodlines. Alaa el Din, Bukra, Hamdan, Yosreia and her daughter, Farasha...all the horses that I love, were here, in one pedigree. I focused on the Babson mare Allah Ateyyah, an Ar-Ra'ad daughter (Faaris x Dahma Al Zarka) out of the Fay-el-Dine daughter, Khamsa, who when bred to Sireff (Fa-Serr x Sirefa), produced the mare Ra'adin Hilal. Bred to *Tuhotmos, she produced a chestnut beauty, Om Khamsa. All of these wonderful old-time horses were part of Sachi's pedigree.

I will never forget meeting Sachi, as he was a wonderful surprise, unexpectedly more typey in person, than in any picture I had seen of him. As Anne-Louise slid open the stall door, I was greeted by a most beautiful, short, wide head, with large, elastic nostrils already working overtime. Crowning the top of his head were smaller, sharp, tippy ears. Huge jowls, looking like they had been chiseled out of the finest marble, were placed on each side of his head, leaving enough room for an extra-large man's fist to fit in the throatlatch comfortably. His eyes were big, round, black and so shiny, they sparkled like fine jewels. "This is Sachi?" I remember asking Anne-Louise. And she smiled. 
THIS IS REALLY SACHI???
Sachi's personality was child-like, as he was friendly, very inquisitive and curious about people, underscoring the breed's history of intimate closeness with man. He wanted to know who I was. As we haltered him and snapped the lead chain and started our walk to an outside ring, I looked over his body, which was smooth, short-coupled, with a nice angle to his shoulder, well sprung ribs and a very round, full, well-muscled hindquarter. His legs were beautiful, with a nice ratio of forearm-to-cannons and lovely pasterns, which suggested to me that this horse would do extremely well in some type of performance discipline. He was a most correct horse and strong. When Anne-Louise let him loose and he started trotting across the diagonal, I could not believe the extended trot I was witnessing. The angle of the shoulder that I had just admired, allowed this horse an incredible freedom, resulting in a powerfully floating gait, which literally ate up the ground in front of him.

I haven't seen Sachi since this day, almost 7 -8 years ago. I wondered how he had matured and if he looked like any one of the other Asfour sons who I also admire like Simeon Stav, Simeon Sharav, Simeon Sadik and Simeon Safsal. I wrote to Anne-Louise and asked for a recent photo of Sachi and when I opened the file, I smiled. Everything that I once loved about this horse and wanted to capture for my own, is still here, alive and well in this magnificent horse.
EnJOY,
Ralph

11 January, 2010

Atiq Hazaya


216 Haszuna B was a much valued daughter of Ansata Nile Pasha, out of 227 Ibn Galal I (Ibn Galal I x 202 Ibn Galal). Up until she died recently, 216 Haszuna B lived in Israel, at Idan Atiq, far from the Babolna pastures where she was raised. One can say that 216 Haszuna B was the anchor in Idan Atiq's breeding program, allowing Kuti and Tzviah to incorporate the blood of a mare like 227 Ibn Galal I, her dam. Haszuna's tail female line goes back to the Hadban Enzahiyah mare, Hind, through her daughter Fasiha, a half-sister to Yosreia. The chestnut stallion, Galal, was a son of Farasha, a celebrated daughter of Yosreia. Bred to Mohga, the black daughter of El Sareei and Yosreia, Galal sired Ibn Galal, who was double Yosreia and therefore, double Hind, top and bottom. Ibn Galal is the sire of both Ibn Galal I and 202 Ibn Galal, who together produced the mare 227 Ibn Galal I, the cornerstone of the Idan Atiq breeding program. Before leaving Babolna for Israel, 216 Haszuna B produced the beautiful chestnut mare, Hora B by Halim Shah I, who also was purchased by Idan Atiq. However, after arriving in Israel, 216 Haszuna B produced one colt, after another. No fillies. The sons were very nice but Idan Atiq yearned for a daughter. This past breeding season, something happened, something changed.

216 Haszuna B foaled Atiq Hazaya, a filly by Atiq Hilal, an up-and-coming stallion at Idan Atiq, who is a son of Laheeb, out of the mare Hila B, who is sired by Salaa el Dine and out of Haniya B, a 227 Ibn Galal I daughter (sired by Efendi B, an Ansata Nile Pasha son). When bred to 216 Haszuna B, these common blood elements are intensified, on both sides of the pedigree, specifically for Hind, Hanan and the Ansata blood through Ansata Nile Pasha, Ansata Halim Shah and Ansata Imperial. As you can see from the photo, her feminine charm is accentuated by a very shapely hindquarter, round and curvey, with much fullness and hinting at the power that will drive this filly across the ground, in true wind-drinker fashion. I also see the influence of horses like Sirecho and Sameh, who appear in the paternal side of the pedigree, through Asal Sirabba and Romanaa II. Expressive, with beautiful eyes, Hazaya will eventually join Hora B, in furthering the line of the much revered 227 Ibn Galal I for Idan Atiq Stud.

Many thanks to Tzviah Idan for telling me about such a sweet filly and for this picture of Atiq Hazaya, taken last week.

07 January, 2010

Majiid EQ


Majiid EQ is owned by John and Susan Fox of Equinox Arabians, Eatonton, Georgia and was recently leased to Vincenzo Pellegrini of Assa Egyptian Arabians in Treviso, Italy for the next three breeding seasons (2010, 2011 and 2012). I exchanged messages with Vincenzo and in addition to breeding, his plans also include a few shows with Frank Spönle holding the lead line.

Majiid EQ is sired by the Salaa el Dine son, Shahir IASB and out of Miss Maggie Mae, a daughter of The Minstril, out of Ruminaja Ali's dam, Bint Magidaa. When I studied his picture, I was confused. I knew the horse was not bred by Imperial Egyptian Stud but he really looks like an Imperial-bred horse. He is balanced, with many rounded lines and curves. He is scopey, with a longer neck and roominess in his throatlatch, a quality which is missing in today's Egyptian horses. He has nicely muscled forearms and that big Imperial hindquarter. That's what I find so appealing in him and so familiar. He has substance. He has muscles. Everything flows together...everything looks like it belongs on the horse. So, when I studied his pedigree, I smiled when I saw Salaa el Dine, as he is an Ansata Halim Shah son. This horse, Ansata Halim Shah was one of, if not THE epitome of balance, when he was alive. For me, he has become with time, even more so, the standard by which I measure all horses. As I kept looking at the pedigree, I realized that the stallion Shahir is out of an Imperial-bred mare, Imperial Im Phayana, an Ansata Imperial daughter out of Imperial Phanadah (*Ibn Moniet el Nefous x *Pharrah).

Do you know who Imperial Phanadah is? She was a phenomenal broodmare for Imperial Egyptian Stud, producing sons and daughters who have gone on to spread the Imperial influence, farther and wider than anyone thought possible, in her day. This pretty chestnut-colored mare also produced Imperial Phanilah, the 1994 World Champion Senior mare, who was owned by Al Shaqab, up until her death in 2007. Shahir's dam, Imperial Im Phayana was Imperial Phanilah's full sister. Imperial Phanadah also produced by Ansata Imperial, the full sisters to Phayana and Phanilah: Phanusa and Pharida. By Imperial Imdal, she produced the stallion Imperial Pharaj and the bay mare, Imperial Phandala, who is now with Anne-Lousie Toner of Al Atiq in Maryland. By Imperial Al Kamar, she also produced the stallion, Imperial Pharouk and the mare, Imperial Pharasha (who is now with Al and Judi Parks of Abbasiyah, having produced a lovely colt by Abraxas Moonstruk.) Bred once to the stallion, *Ibn Safinaz, she also produced the mare, Imperial Phateena.
For me, there are no words to express the powerful feelings I experience, when horses from long ago, materialize in front of me and are no longer dead...they are very much alive. All it takes is for the horse to stand a certain way or maybe, turn his head a little this way or place his hoof just so and a very much missed horse, whom you never thought you would see again, is suddenly standing in front of you. I get all choked up. It is interesting to study Majiid EQ from this perspective and look for the influence of Imperial Im Phayana, Ansata Imperial, Imperial Phanadah and her dam, *Pharrah.
It will be exciting to see the impact that Majiid EQ will have in Europe, both as a sire and as a show horse.

Best wishes to all and Happy New Year 2010,
Ralph

06 January, 2010

2 MOONS


In December, we enjoyed a phenomenon in our night-time sky which does not occur frequently, maybe every 2-to-3 years: two full moons, one at the beginning of the month and the second, at the end of the month, which we called a "blue moon".
"Blue Moon, you saw me standing alone,
Without a dream in my heart,
Without a love of my own..."-from the song, Blue Moon, lyrics by Lorenz Hart and music by Richard Rodgers
Majid Alsayegh is the breeder and owner of the 2003 stallion, Badraan Al Majid, who is pictured above. Already the owner of an *Ibn Safinaz daughter, Imperial Safemaa (out of the full sister to El Hilal, Negmaa), Majid wanted to incorporate more of Imperial's influence into his program and leased the Imperial Madheen daughter, Imperial Mahzeera (out of Maar Bilahh) from Anne-Louise Toner. He bred Mahzeera to Imperial Al Kamar, producing Badraan, whose name means two moons.
Two moons, you ask?
Well, Imperial Al Kamar, whose name means "the moon" is a son of El Hilal, whose name means "the crescent moon". Two moons in one horse.

“The moon, like a flower
In heaven's high bower,
With silent delight
Sits and smiles on the night.”-William Blake
I see Maar Bilahh in Badraan and this comforts me, less than a month after her death. Badraan, like his grandmother, has a wonderful temperament. He is a sweet horse, kind and loving. Also like Maar Bilahh and her sire El Halimaar, both of whom were influenced by *Ansata Ibn Halima (he appears 3 times in the pedigree of Badraan: through El Hilal, Hossny and El Halimaar), Badraan's head shape is familiar: short and wide, with very expressive, liquid black eyes. Maar Bilahh's most captivating, most enchanting feature was her eyes. Badraan has that timeless look about him, maybe even, a traditional look. Large, elastic, nostrils frame one end of his head and wonderfully short, sharp, tippy ears frame the top of his head, underscoring all the features which endear sweet-looking horses like Badraan, to a human heart. This is a horse to hug and to whisper promises of wither-scratches and pockets filled to over-flowing with cut carrots. Like Maar Bilahh, he is smooth-bodied, harmonious, with substance, including a muscled chest, which flows into a nice shoulder, topped with a generous wither, testifying to the presence in Badraan's pedigree of strong-bodied horses like Sameh and his daughter, *Serenity Sonbolah. With good, strong legs and hard, round feet, Badraan was conditioned in endurance, doing well in limited distance, up-to-15 miles with good recovery rates.

Majid plans for Badraan to eventually compete in a 25-mile ride. It is important for Majid, that Badraan is tested athletically, before using him for breeding purposes. Majid tells me,
"He has certain qualities that would be an asset to the Egyptian breed such as a good temperament, good strong legs, and well formed, circular feet. The farrier always has good things to say about his feet! Important for a good riding horse!"
Badraan has proven that he possesses the correct conformation and the intelligence to handle a demanding discipline like endurance racing, however, those physical qualities and his temperament are strong reasons why Badraan should be bred to select, straight Egyptian mares. He has much to offer the breeder looking for an authentic Egyptian horse.

Happy New Year,
Ralph