12 November, 2012

Sacred Innocence: Princeton Faaris

If I said that Princeton Faaris was a most precious horse; would you understand what I meant? I think some people would understand that Princeton Faaris was a horse of great value or a horse of great quality and refinement and maybe, a horse who was an outstanding sire, having reproduced his level of quality or better, in his offspring. Yes, Princeton Faaris was the embodiment of all these definitions but he was much, much more. His charisma, his magnetism, for those of us in love with Egyptian Arabian Horses, drew us to him. We searched for him, crossing mountains and rivers, because we wanted to be close to him, touch him, admire him. He was perfect and for many, he was their dream horse, come to life. We wanted to bask in his presence, warming our hearts and our souls with his inner beauty. Princeton Faaris was treasured by all of us, not only because he was beautiful, he was, but he also had this spiritual quality about him, whether his admirer knew it or not. He inspired us. He encouraged us. Long after seeing him, we wanted to have more like him, a piece of him, to bring back home and fill our lives with his presence, like a bright light to light a very dark room. For this reason, as hard-to-define as "it" was, he was most precious. His owner, Mari Silveus, said,
"He was THE most incredible horse I have ever known. One of the most incredible souls of any species. He was my horse-soul-mate. My once-in-a-lifetime horse. To tell you the truth, we were in love with each other.”
Princeton Faaris was born in 1977, a son of Faaris (Fa-Serr x *Maaroufa) and out of the black, Babson mare, Black Satin (Black Sambo x Diroufa), whose sire and dam were both son and daughter of the Babson mare, Biroufa (Khebir x Fay Roufa). Princeton Faaris was unique, as he was a grandson of *Maaroufa, forty-five years after she was imported to America and in fact, was line bred to her, carrying approximately 34.38% of her blood. He was bred by Gail Carmona of Princeton Arabians, Freehold, New Jersey and was later sold to Mari Silveus of Sunnyru Farm, then in Indiana, now in Georgia. He sired over 80 foals in his lifetime and was a leading sire of black-colored Arabians, including Blacklord Arabi, who in turn, has been a very successful sire of black-colored Arabian Horses.

One can see a picture of Princeton Faaris and sense the great sensitivity that the horse possessed and possibly, a very human-like intelligence. This sensitivity remains intensely electric, the energy oozing out of every pixel. I was immediately struck with his look, as I have never seen this look in a horse before. In a human, yes, but never in a horse. There is a boldness present but there was also a vulnerability in him, almost child-like and enough to cause a lump to form in my throat. This innocence, almost wild, is sacred and is a startling reminder to me, that there is so much happening in the natural world that I miss, as I live my too-busy life on my Blackberry. Mari tells me that he was always doing something, that he never stood still. Whether it was walking the fence line, watching over his mares or watching Mari through his stall window, Princeton Faaris kept himself busy. There was nothing that happened at Sunnyru Farm, without Princeton Faaris knowing about it first. Princeton Faaris was self-confident and he was bold, Mari says that he was full of himself, that he fully understood that he was a great horse, a king among kings. At Sunnyru Farm, the stallions were stabled next to each other, all seven of them, including Princeton Faaris. The barn was quiet, which is a testament to the effect that Princeton Faaris’ kingly presence had over all who encountered him, man or horse. When Princeton Faaris died, the barn was thrown into mayhem, as the quiet barn became a “noisy den of horses”.

How do you measure quality? I discussed this once with a friend, hoping to finally embrace this elusive and hard-to-define word. We finally decided that “quality” could be defined as "that extra-special something" in a horse, which you don’t necessarily see in many others. Yes, it is rare but when you see "it", you will never forget "it". And this "it" was Princeton Faaris. His coat color was a deep, intense bluish-black, almost as if he had an icy blue cast all over his body. His hair was very fine, almost like silk to the touch. People unfamiliar with Arabian Horses do remark about this quality, the first time they lay hands on a horse, however, in the case of Princeton Faaris, his coat was extra-soft, with the hair quality having this fineness that is extremely rare and not found in every Arabian. His bone was also fine, dense and flat and yet, as hard as hammered steel. You could see the bone structure in the horse and immediately recognize the quality of the bone. He had beautiful tail carriage, which accented his way of walking, which was similar to the walk of a panther. I guess with his jet black coat, thinking about black panthers, was only natural. His neck was longer, slender, nicely arched, with a very roomy throat-latch, large enough that a man’s fist would fit comfortably. On the lower side of his neck, he had a depression, like a divot in the skin, approximately the size of a thumbprint. In our community, we call this “the thumbprint of Allah” and only the most special horses are blessed by God with His thumbprint, as if God, when he created these horses, let His hand linger upon His work, admiring the horse He had just created.

Mari Silveus enjoyed a unique loving relationship with Princeton Faaris, on a level which most of us would like to experience with our own horses and possibly, we do not. He really loved Mari. When Mari was hurt once and needed to go to the hospital for medical attention, Princeton Faaris became very upset over her absence. He refused to eat and paced in his stall, throwing his weight around the space to indicate how unhappy he was. He was not sick but it was obvious to his care-takers that the horse was extremely upset. When Mari returned home, Princeton Faaris was in his pasture and as she walked towards the gate, he saw her, collected himself and galloping full speed towards her, he ran to the gate, to welcome her home. He could not get to the gate fast enough to see the person whom he most loved in the world. He started eating again and stopped pacing. He stopped throwing himself against everything, His girl was home and all was good again.

Princeton Faaris lived a good life, a long and happy life with Mari. One of the most touching moments, which underscores the love that both Princeton Faaris and Mari felt for each other, occurred when Princeton Faaris was buried. Mari asked the bulldozer operator to lower her into the grave he had dug, for one last good-bye. In this moment of overwhelming grief, Mari cut one side of her long, blond hair and wove it into his mane. One last kiss, one last hug, one last gesture to remind each other that even in death, nothing could separate this horse and this woman...they will be together forever.
"I love thee, I love but thee
With a love that shall not die
Till the sun grows cold,
And the stars grow old..."-Bayard Taylor
What must it feel like to have been loved like this?

EnJoy your horses,
Ralph

20 October, 2012

POWER & PRESENCE


"...you'll be whispering my name, as if sorrow were your friend and this world so alien, But life will call with daffodils and morning glorious blue skies. You'll think of me - some memory, and softly smile to your surprise."-from the song, When I'm Gone, written by Sandy Emory Lawrence and performed by Joey + Rory Feek

CH Michael Kariim, a 2000 straight Egyptian Arabian stalllion bred by Cheryl Horton, was a son of the Walter Schimanski-bred stallion, Masada Aheb, a Fa Asar son out of the Ansata el Sherif daughter, SF Khala Zahra. His dam was the Jay Gormley-bred JA Nirvana Halima, a Ra'adin Inshalla daughter out of Serouba, a Sirhabba grand-daughter. Primarily a heavily Babson-influenced horse, the blood of the new Egyptian stallion and Nazeer son, *Ansata Ibn Halima appears on both sides of the pedigree, as does the Nazeer daughter, *Ansata Bint Bukra. His pedigree represents the philosophies, dreams and the appreciation felt for older Egyptian bloodlines, by breeders who are no longer alive in this world. He was purchased by Laurence Perceval of Laurence of Arabians, Saint-Arçons-D'Allier, Auvergne, France who loved him deeply. 

"I remember driving 9 hours to Belgium just to "see"  Kariim...Love at first sight....the owner was amazed...I didn't travel with any buying intention at all ...and he wasn't for sale either... his owner was in shock..and so was I. The boy gave me goose bumps...his offspring even more...I even asked to also take one of his fillies, AG Hatsipsut. He is the only horse who triggered in me the desire to ride again...It is so hard for me to talk about him without tears...I see him in every of his offspring daily, I talk to him through his sister Li...how can I explain the unexplainable? He is my best, my gone treasure, my dad and my son..."-Laurence Perceval

It was Laurence's dream to further the influence of CH Michael Kariim in this world and pay tribute to the vision of the people, whose sacrifices made it possible for a horse like him to exist. CH Michael Kariim sired a small amount of progeny overseas. In May of 2011, this brilliant black horse was killed in a tragic traffic accident. He has a left a hole in the heart of his loving owner, who continues to miss the presence of her very special horse. At Laurence's farm, CH Michael Kariim's full sister, Mahrus Li Nirvana, provides some consolation; as does the promise, the legacy of his get.

As she pulled into the driveway, she looked across his field and noticed the fog, heavy and thick, like a smoky curtain hanging at the far back of the pasture. It was dark out, about an hour before the sun would rise and shine her warm light upon the earth. The fog would disappear in the warm morning light, as the temperature moved up from the mid-50's. She shivered. It was cold and damp in her heart. She paused for a moment, savoring the mysterious, almost sinister appearance of the fog in the dark. She could barely make out the silhouettes of the horses, as they continued to graze in the cool morning air, oblivious to her arrival. The blackness of the night enveloped her completely and reached deep inside, squeezing her heart and .releasing an intense wave of sadness that threatened to drown her, right there, on the  wet grass she was standing upon.  She heard her voice call out to him, as if the sound of his name could bring him back to her, from wherever death had taken him. Her heart had not yet gotten used to the fact that he was no longer here, he was no longer alive. She still looked for him, even on this dark and gloomy morning. How she missed him...still! On a morning like this, he would have been waiting for her at the gate, anxious to poke his muzzle into her jacket pockets, searching for a piece of something sweet and special, as her hands caressed his velvety face.  She had loved this horse deeply. She smiled through her tears as in her mind, she saw him and knew that one day, she would see him again.

"I feel privileged to be able to carry on his blood. I have already 7 offspring from him...His son Bukra is cherished as a spitting image and I just hope he produces as well as his daddy."-Laurence Perceval
It never stops from amazing me, the power that horses have upon our emotions. They quickly become part of us and although we, as individuals, choose horses for reasons other than self-empowerment, horses do help us to become better people. For many, horses have been our "constant" in a life that keeps evolving, keeps changing, a bit of security in an unstable world. I am reminded of  a quote from the biomechanics-focused riding teacher about this power.
"Whether you regard the horse with awe or love, it is impossible to escape the sheer power of his presence."-Mary Wanless 
In speaking with Laurence, that power is what impressed me the most in her story. That even though CH Michael Kariim had died, the power of his essence is still, very much alive. I can't think of a more honorable way to pay this wonderful horse homage, than by recognizing the power of his presence. 

Back at you with some JOY,
Ralph

24 April, 2012

Al Nahr Serroya


"In view of the fabled past of Farida/Abla, I believe that the E.A.O., should have retained and worked with many broodmares of this line...I am personally curious to see what this line could produce if further taken toward Ibn Rabdan blood."-Phillipe Paraskevas, from his book, The Egyptian Alternative, Volume II
Al Nahr Serroya was a 1966 daughter of the straight Babson Egyptian stallion, Fa-Serr.  Her dam was the EAO-bred, Anter daughter, *Nagat, out of Abla. A Dahmah Shahwaniyah by strain, *Nagat was a full sister to the mares: Looza, Rashika, Somaia, Eman, Ein and Adaweya.  Looza and Adaweya were retained for the EAO breeding program and the other mares, were sold. *Nagat was imported into the United States by Jay Stream in 1965, who bred Al Nahr Serroya.
 
When I think of this mare, I am fascinated. She was so unique! In pedigree, she combines individual horses who had been separated by exportation, for more than 30 years. Fa-Serr was a son of *Fadl and *Bint Serra I, horses who came from Egypt, from the programs of Prince Mohamed Aly Tewfik and Prince Kamal al-Din respectively. 
Fa-Serr was the first generation of the imported Egyptian horses, born at the Babson Farm. While *Maaroufa and *Bint Bint Sabbah were prolific broodmares at the Babson Farm, neither mare appears in the pedigree of Al Nahr Serroya. That's a bit different, as compared to the majority of Babson-bred horses who carry either one or both mares in their pedigree.
Al Nahr Serroya, as photographed by Johnny Johnston

There are three lines to Ibn Rabdan in the pedigree, through *Fadl, Hamdan and Bint Bint Dalal. The stallion, Rabdan el Azrak, who is the sire of Ibn Rabdan, bred by Prince Ahmad Pasha Kamal,  appears eight times in the pedigree and together with the three lines for Ibn Rabdan, brings the total lines to eleven, further intensifying the sire line of Gamil El Kebir and illustrating what the influence of Ibn Rabdan could do, as Phillipe Paraskevas explained in his new book. Her Blunt desert bred percentages are  low, approximately 11% and the Blunt blood comes via two sons of Queen of Sheba, as found in the pedigree of *Bint Serra I (*Astraled by Mesaoud and Ahmar by Azrek). Ahmar is also the sire of Bukra, the dam of Berk, who contributes Blunt desert blood on the bottom of the pedigree, through the sire line of Helwa's pedigree. 

Her production record is not extensive and  includes the 1972 bay stallion, Ser-Rom by AN Monte Carlo (*Ibn Moniet el Nefous x Bint Fada), the 1976 bay mare AK Serrmonietta by *Ibn Moniet el Nefous and the 1980 grey mare AK Bint Serroya by Na Ibn Moniet.

Al Nahr Serroya was a celebration, in physical form, of the wisdom of her breeder and his thinking outside the box, which in his time period was remarkable. I only wish there was more of her!

01 March, 2012

Al Fattah


Al Fattah was a 1969 chestnut stallion, bred by Gleannloch Farms. A son of *Morafic and the Sameh daughter, Safaa; Al Fattah was a balanced, harmonious,  round, curvey horse of gracefully flowing lines, suggesting a strong Dahman phenotype, maybe even leaning more towards Kuhaylan phenotype,  than his Saqlawi influenced pedigree. He is a horse who had a surprising level of refinement without sacrificing substance. He's strong. Look at his wide chest, the powerfully-muscled shoulders, a deep heart girth, a round hindquarter and a strong and smooth, short,back.

Al Fattah's EAO-bred dam, Safaa, was a Sameh daughter out of the Moniet el Nefous daughter, Lubna. This is the same Lubna who also produced the grey Ghalion by *Morafic and  the chestnut *Sultann by Sameh. Which makes the pedigree especially interesting, when you understand the close connections. It's amazing. Lubna and Mabrouka (the dam of *Morafic) are full sisters, both mares were sired by Sid Abouhom and out of the queen of Egypt, Moniet el Nefous. So, the doubling of Layla and Shaloul, both sired by Ibn Rabdan, may be the reason why we see a generously round and curvey physique on Al Fattah. In both tail female lines (sire side and dam side) Al Fattah traces to the Ali Pasha Sherif mare, Roga el Beda, which may also explain the overall quality and refinement that we also see in Al Fattah..  I also noticed that both sires, *Morafic and Sameh are grey in color and each stallion was bred to a chestnut colored mare. As Al Fattah confirms for me with his phenotype of how much he favors a long ago ancestor like Ibn Rabdan, I am reminded that Ibn Rabdan comes in through the female side of Al Fattah's pedigree on both sides and his chestnut color, may just be the final confirmation of which side of the family influenced him.

I think of similarly colored stallions from the Moniet el Nefous family, i.e.*Soufian and *Fahker el Din, and wonder if Al Fattah sired similarly and shared common ground with these horses?

EnJOY your horses,
Ralph

18 January, 2012

He Was a Goosebump Horse

That's what my friend, Anne-Louise Toner said about Asfour, an Egyptian Arabian stallion bred by Dr. Hans Joachim Nagel and purchased by Marion Richmond in 1985. Asfour was a son of Malik, a Hadban Enzahi son out of Malikah, who traced in tail female to Halima. Asfour's dam is the legendary queen of Katharinenhof, Hanan. It had been more than a few years and thousands of miles since Anne-Louise last saw Asfour at Simeon Stud.
"I was about 12, and Australia was holding its first-ever National Show.  I already knew I loved Arabian horses, so I told my Mum (who is a great mother) how important it was that I go see the horses at this show.  Suddenly, there was this PRESENCE in the ring.  Galal was a big bodied mare -I think a bit like Sonbolah, in some ways as well as color - and she curled her tail over back and snorted, and the energy about her was humming, palpable, so intense as she stood still - before curling up like a bow about to let loose an arrow, all this incredible, controlled power, and just elevated off the ground in the most amazing, huge, powerful, elegant trot across that arena.  She looked at (well, at the time I said she looked right at me but remember I was 12 and had read "The Black Stallion") the people ringside and snorted at us, and she was SO different!  There was nothing hurried or rushed in her movement, it was strong and deliberate and purposeful but light and effortless as a feather." 
When Anne-Louise last saw Asfour, he was barely out of colt-hood and yet, a rising star for Marion. He would ultimately exert a significant influence not only in Australia but throughout the world, in every place where the straight Egyptian Arabian is revered and celebrated.  Anne-Louise has had the good fortune to meet many great Egyptian horses since then, so, she wondered how Asfour would compare to some of the wonderful horses that she had met. "Would Asfour be just another good horse?" she wondered.
"He was in his box, tied to the back wall, and they had the top door closed as it was cold and rainy.  They opened the top door, and out of the darkness of the back of the stall, Asfour turned his head, just casually, to look at us.  It was like slow motion, a flea-bitten, masculine, dry, exotic face as it slowly turned, and then these two HUGE BLACK eyes in that white face blinked at me.  I had chills running up and down my back and down my arms and my knees were wobbly.  He hit you like a physical force, from 14 feet away.  We wandered in and patted him and I tried to be appropriately cool while I admired him."

Asfour was every bit extraordinary as Anne-Louise had remembered him to be. He was one of the most physically stunning horses she had seen in a long time, a flesh and bone incarnation  of the horse that gallops in a person's imagination, inspiring and encouraging a heart and soul to keep stretching and reaching for the stars, even when everything you have been told, reminds you that this type of horse is just not possible in the real world.


EnJOY,
Ralph

PS this feature is lovingly dedicated to *Simeon Sachi, an Asfour son owned by Anne-Louise Toner of Al Atiq Arabians in Germantown, Maryland.