for the love of a horse...

Just a warm little miracle on a really cold Sunday morning...

2012-01-22T09:49:00.000-05:00

"Fairy tales can come true, they can happen to you, when you're young at heart..."-from the song Young at Heart, written by Johnny Richards and Carolyn Leigh

This is Haliluyah MH, an El Halimaar son out of RDM Maar Hala, as photographed by the very talented, Christine Emmert. When I think of Haliluyah, I think of his miraculous beginning,

“Desperate to produce another foal or two, Maar Hala was left with an equine reproduction specialist in Santa Ynez, CA. The vet was given carte blanche to ‘do whatever it takes to get her pregnant.’ By this time, Maar Hala was 21 years old but was in excellent health. At the end of the season, she was not pregnant so the decision was made to bring her home, reassess in the spring, and then decide if her reproductive career was over. At home she was pampered and treated like the queen that she was, but she was not teased and her cycles were not tracked. In April of 1995 the vet returned to examine Maar Hala to determine if it would be worth our while to try again. Upon examination, the vet told my dad to sit down because Maar Hala was pregnant. Dad exclaimed, ‘Hallelujah!’ and we had the name of Maar Hala’s next and last foal, Haliluyah MH.” -Jody Cruz, in his article, RDM Maar Hala, appearing in the September 2009 issue of The Australian Arabian Horse News

Who said miracles don't happen anymore? This particular one, warms my heart and soul.

EnJOY,
Ralph

He Was a Goosebump Horse

2012-01-18T21:37:00.000-05:00

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. Ahhh, Simeon, the magical place where a mighty mare by the name of 27 Ibn Galal V once lived. This mare had made a profound impression upon Anne-Louise, changing the way she looked at all horses forever..

"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 beautiful and one of the most physically stunning horses she had seen in a long time. He took your breath away. Asfour was 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.

Oh, yeah?

you ask of the naysayers and then you say confidently, "well, you haven't met a horse named Asfour."

"Not to take away from other, beautiful horses who make you happy just by seeing them, but those horses, for me, were completely different. Not perfect, beyond perfect to the point where the imperfections are irrelevant. Maybe some horses are just destined to be immortal, beyond the silly confines of mere human bureaucrats and their petty criticisms."

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.

We Three Kings...

2012-01-05T06:00:00.000-05:00

"We three kings of Orient are
Bearing gifts we traverse afar
Field and fountain, moor and mountain
Following yonder star..."-from the lyrics of the song, We Three Kings, written by Rev. John Henry Hopkins

Melchior cantered into the darkness, away from his camp, where his friends lay sleeping. It was early morning and by all appearances, still night. The cool morning air rushed past his face and the sound of the wind filled his ears, blocking all other sounds. He needed to be alone, to meditate and to pray. So, he drove his horse farther and faster into the desert. His mind was troubled and he felt better, comforted even, out in the wilderness, under the night sky, with nothing between him and God. His prayers felt stronger out here and more powerful, without any of the interruptions and obstacles that would weaken them, as they made their way to God's ears. So much had happened, since leaving his home, to follow the path of the star. He would return to Persia, not only a changed man spiritually but committed to living a new life, which reflected the joy that he had discovered in Bethlehem. Prior to starting his journey, he had complained that life as he knew it, had become stale, tedious and well, tiring. He wanted to electrify his life and in Bethlehem, he found the spark that now ignited the raging bonfire in his heart, soul and mind. He kept thinking of His eyes. No matter how hard he tried to forget, he could not erase the image of the little child's eyes. As he reached the top of the hill's rise, he brought his mare, Magilia to a stop. Unconsciously, he rubbed her affectionately on her neck, twirling the fine, silky mane hairs around his fingers. Melchior loved his mare and he was grateful for her presence on this dark morning. Magilia was exquisite. Her beauty was outstanding and throughout this journey, Melchior had been on edge, as word of the mare's unrivaled beauty started to spread ahead of the caravan's path. He expected a raid at any moment, by one of the horse-breeding desert tribes and Magilia would be the highly coveted and sought after prize. While making ready, Melchior had been undecided as to whether he would risk Magilia's safety on this journey and lose her forever. He couldn't bear the thought of life without her but he also couldn't bear a separation for any extended period of time. Finally, he decided that he must bring her. This was no ordinary trip and Melchior needed to depend on someone like Magilia. Melchior had known her dam, who was revered for her exquisite beauty and also, for her red hot speed. Many successful race horses were produced from this family of horses. Melchior had bargained with Magilia's breeder, a Bedouin Shaikh, who was like a brother to him. On a long ago night, the Shaikh had been bitten by a sand viper and Melchior, with his powerful understanding of alchemy, had saved the Shaikh from the jaws of death. Their relationship had grown stronger since then. The Shaikh had bred Magilia to be an important part of his stud and had planned to keep her but finally, Melchior's offer of one hundred and fifty camels, a promising stud colt, fifty donkeys, two hundred and fifty ewes, three renowned sight hounds and two hundred and fifty sacks of jasmine rice proved too irresistible for the Shaikh. He thought of this, all the while he stood in the same spot, twirling Magilia's mane round and round his finger. Anything to distract him from all the thoughts which filled his mind and his heart. From out of nowhere, a woman's voice whispered into his ears. "Why do you doubt all that you have seen?" she asked and continued, "He is whom the prophecy has foretold." He placed his hand on Magilia's neck and turned in the saddle to face the woman but no one was there. He looked to his left and to his right but no one was there. "Who is out there? Who has just spoken?" he asked. "show yourself!"

All was silent.

And then, from nowhere, the voice returned to say, "Melchior, it is I, your horse, Magilia, who speaks with you."

MAGILIA?????

"Melchior, I have been your companion on this journey to follow the star which your people have been studying for an awful long time. You know the prophecy well and have spent your life, studying and preparing for the moment that the star would reveal the glory of God to you. Yet, you have become trapped by the 'science of the study' and somehow, the simple message has become lost for you, despite witnessing His glory. Why? He is who He said He is. You have been blessed with an opportunity to see the glory first hand. Embrace it, as soon, the glory of God will become a very important part of who you are."

Melchior was stunned. He looked at Magilia. His beautiful mare, so exquisite in her beauty was not only speaking to him but she spoke with a wisdom one would never expect from a horse. She turned her head to the left, to face Melchior, aware of the thought in his mind. He couldn't think, he couldn't speak, he couldn't fathom what was happening to him now. All Melchior could do, in this moment, was to pray...in thanksgiving.

God had blessed him, profoundly.

And the gift was underscored in Magilia! He thought for a long time. He thought of the visit with the child and also, with His Mother, who appeared initially concerned and skeptical over the Magi visit. "Men from the east? Magi? Who has sent you and what do you want with my son?" she demanded of them. She was sure that King Herod was behind all of this and had sent his henchmen to hurt her son, possibly even kill Him. Melchior assured her that his group, his caravan, meant her son no harm. He explained the star prophecy and of their desire to meet and worship the little King, whose coming had been foretold for ages in his country. Once again, he thought of the child and of his private visit with Him. And he thought of the miracle that he personally witnessed. Melchior couldn't understand how it was possible that the baby could change his physical appearance into that of a middle-aged man, right before his eyes. He also detected a bit of sadness which resided deeply in His eyes. As if there was a great tragedy that only the Child knew about. He was lost in his thoughts and had not noticed the growing brightness which illuminated the spot where he stood. Suddenly, a thousand voices broke out in song, with voices so beautiful, so melodious, like nothing he had ever heard before. Melchior was startled. He suddenly found himself looking deeply into the eyes of the child and his mind heard the words that the child said to him, "do not be troubled Melchior, for everything is as you have seen and heard, all for the glory of God. Your faith will now direct you, to where you need to go. Prepare the way for my coming. Go now and tell others all that you have seen and spread my glory far and wide, bringing joy to all who will listen." Melchior cried deeply with a joy so enormous, that he felt he would explode. With a new perspective, he thought of all that he experienced over the last few days and understood the message that God was sending to him. We are all connected to each other, through the glorious love of God. And, personally, it was so simple to understand that Melchior almost had missed the message. For that, he thanked Magilia, who was as beautiful inside, as she was on the outside. Yes, he would return to Persia a changed man, to testify to the glory of God's love, all for the love of a horse.

EnJOY,
Ralph

I must give credit to Ann Hatchett-Sprague for her most wonderful painting, Nejd Lady. I love it and when I first saw this beautiful Nejdi, I couldn't think of a more perfect "Magi-lia."

A Quiet Dignity: The Story of Imperial Falaah

2011-12-31T09:00:00.000-05:00

"For 'twas not into my ear you whispered but into my heart,'twas not my lips you kissed but my soul."-Judy Garland

I had walked into the broodmare barn, focused on a conversation with Beverly Sziraky on the suitability of Egyptian Arabian horses for Dressage. I was really excited, as it had been a very long time since my last visit to Imperial and the barn we were walking into, was a veritable HALL OF FAME of crucially important broodmares like BB Ora Kalilah, Imperial Safilla, and Imperial Mistilll. I am embarrassed to tell you that I didn't even notice Imperial Falaah at first. The focus of my day was seeing Imperial Mistilll one more time. Across the aisle from Mistilll, was the *Pharrah grand daughter, Royal Kamiel. To her right, was Falaah, and in the stall next to her was Imperial Baarillla, a Baarez daughter who literally, knocked my socks off. Across the aisle from Baarillla was BB Ora Kalilah, next to her was Safilla and then in the next stall was Phandala. I was like a kid who had eaten too much sugar. I was darting from one stall to the next, not sure of who to stop and admire, as they were all gorgeous mares. I couldn't concentrate on just one horse! As I settled in front of Imperial Baarillla's stall, Falaah kept looking at me, waiting patiently. She stretched her neck out towards me and very gently, bumped me over and over with her nose, trying to get my attention. I was oblivious to what she was doing, as I was so enchanted with Baarillla. I turned around, to see who was tapping me and saw this beautiful face, "WOW, who are you pretty girl?" and I paused, as in that split second, I recognized a beauty so fierce, I could not hear or see anything else but her. "Oh my gosh, you are so pretty" I said, as I scratched her forehead, straightened her forelock hairs and the beautiful mare smiled in satisfaction. She didn't make a sound, not a whinny, nicker or even a thumping of the stall door with her hoof, as most other horses would to demand attention. Falaah had too much dignity, too much grace. A few minutes later, I was actually holding her head in my arms, as the mare dozed, content to be in close company with a human being. "Beverly, who is this mare?" I asked. She smiled and said, "That's Falaah, one of our Imdal daughters and one of our best producing mares on the farm. Remember that chestnut colt you liked so much? That's her son." The chestnut colt that Beverly referred to was none other than Imperial Amir Kamar, who had given an electrifying liberty performance, earlier in the day.

Imperial Falaah, a 1991 grey mare, was a daughter of Imperial Imdal and out of Imperial BTFawkia. Her pedigree primarily reflected the breeding program of Gleannloch Farms, as the majority of the horses in her pedigree like Dalia, *Morafic, *Romanaa II, and *Hoyeda were either bred or imported into America by the Marshalls. She is also one of the straight Egyptian horses with a lower Blunt desert blood percentage, less than 6%. Her Egypt I, Egypt II and Inshass ancestral elements, combined, total to almost 95%! What's also interesting about the components in her pedigree, is that for the most part, they represent the first wave of horses produced at Imperial. That is, the foundation horses and the first few generations produced with the foundation, before *Orashan, *Imperial Madheen and *Ibn Safinaz were added to the program. Once the broodmare band was selected and after initially breeding some of these mares with horses like Amaal and Hossny, Imperial purchased two colts who would not only complement their powerful mares but establish consistency and predictability, for the next decade and beyond.

“In truth, every one of Imperial’s leading ladies have been hand-picked and held to the highest standards-a necessity in breeding programs, large or small. I believe the mare’s contribution to her foal to be at least 60 percent, so she is extremely important. Many of our mares were successful show mares before entering our broodmare band. I’ve bred or purchased mares that I felt would be good crosses with Imperial stallions and I’ve bred or purchased stallions specifically for select mares.-Barbara Griffith”

The first colt was Ansata Imperial (Ansata Ibn Sudan x Ansata Delilah), who will forever be remembered for siring the great Imperial Imdal. Much has been written about Imperial Imdal and the impact that he has had not only on Egyptian Arabians, but for Arabian Horses of all bloodlines. Imdal's influence has traveled farther and wider, significantly impacting stud farms all over the world. What I remember most about Imdal, was his abundant charisma. I loved him. There was just something about him, that really got you and you felt compelled to stand next to him, to touch him, to adore him. Susan Gilbert experienced his magnetic presence very personally, when she saw Imdal for the first time at the 1997 Egyptian Event, during the stallion presentation,

"I became aware that this magnificent stallion had an air of complete presence that was emotionally overwhelming to his many onlookers. As I touched his shoulder, Imdal turned his head towards my face, acknowledging my own presence with a calming power deep within his gaze. I continued to admire his completeness and the sheer beauty standing in front of me and I realized that I was crying .. he had touched my soul and heart. There was an aura to his nobility .. a hum of energy.-Susan Gilbert"

The other foundation stallion at Imperial was the Bentwood Farms-bred Moniet el Nafis, who started life with the name of AK Amin Bey. Known on the farm as "Nafis", he was an *Ibn Moniet el Nefous son, who sired Falaah's beautiful dam, Imperial BTFawkia. Nafis was a two-time Scottsdale champion stallion and the leading Arabian race horse sire in the late 1980's,

"...oh, what a horse he was! He had lovely legs and conformation, with strength and refinement, tremendous heart girth and shoulder, great tail carriage, presence, movement, and he reflected Arabian type although his head was not as typey as today's standards demand. As a sire, he produced a fair share of show winners and numerous race horses, at a time when Arabian racing was just beginning to take on a life of its own."-Lisa Lacy

Imperial BTFawkia was a lovely mare, a daughter of the Sameh-sired mare, *Fawkia, pictured to the right. Although I never met Sameh personally; I felt that I knew him, through his daughters, like *Fawkia. Sameh stamped this mare very unmistakably. So many years later, after seeing her at Imperial in the 1980's and if you believe in coat color inheritance to phenotype, I believe that *Fawkia favored her sire, more than her dam. Although Kuhaylah Rodaniyah by strain, *Fawkia looked physically, like what I imagined a Saqlawiyah to look like. *Fawkia was very different in type from her half-sisters, Serenity Sabra and Serenity Sonbolah but yet the same, if that makes sense. *Fawkia was smooth and strong of body, alabaster white and she trotted in the same style as her half-sisters, that is, her elastic nostrils became HUGE and she would snort that snort that came from somewhere deep inside of her, maybe pulled from the tips of her toes with her tail curled over her back and a powerful floating trot, elastic hocks driving into the ground pushing the mare to cover a lot of ground in a few strides. I guess, trying to remember what made the most powerful impression upon me was how this quiet mare changed into a powerfully charismatic personality when turned loose in the ring. If Sameh is responsible for the dynamic personality in *Fawkia, then the influence of Sameh is multiplied in Falaah, as she has two additional lines to Sameh, through Romanaa II and Ansata Bint Misr. I feel that Imperial Falaah inherited her strength, her smoothness, her substance but most of all, her character, from *Fawkia. When Falaah moved, she had many of the Sameh-like characteristics. She was electric.

Imperial Falaah produced more sons than daughters.In 1996, she produced Imperial Sarouf by *Ibn Safinaz, Imperial Amir Kamar by Imperial Al Kamar in 2001. Then, she produced Imperial Birak in 2004, Imperial Baaron in 2005 and Imperial Baaru in 2006, all three colts sired by Imperial Baarez. Her two daughters, Imperial Koublah by Imperial Al Kamar and Imperial Orahllah by *Orashan were produced at Imperial, while her third and last foal born in 2010, Nadira al Hadiyah by Ramses Mishaal Nadir was bred by Susan Gilbert of Sumerlan Egyptian Arabians in Texas.

"..Imperial Falaah's daughter, Nadira al Hadiyah, by Ramses Mishaal Nadir, graces our farm with the same magic and nobility etched in time by her beautiful dam and grandsire. Falaah's last gift to me .. in gratitude for loving this beautiful mare who captured me.-Susan Gilbert"

Well before Beverly died and well before Imperial announced their closing, I had called Beverly to inquire about Falaah, as the memory of my last visit was still so strong in my mind. I just had to have her. Beverly was firm with me, "she is not for sale at any price, Ralph. She is only one of two Imdal daughters that we have and she is very important to our program." I wasn't surprised and felt that even if she were available, she would be well outside of my budget. It was the closest that I came to owning a mare who was like a princess to me. She had so much class, so much dignity, so much love in her heart. No horse could ever be sweeter than Falaah was, not even the ones I already owned.

"If I am a princess in rags and tatters, I can be a princess inside. It would be easy to be a princess if I were dressed in cloth of gold, but it is a great deal more of a triumph to be one all the time when no one knows it."-Frances Hodgson Burnett, A Little Princess

I went about my business, content that I had done everything that I knew to do and well, time passed and eventually I forgot about Falaah. In the meantime, Susan Gilbert visited Imperial Egyptian Stud with the memory of Imperial Imdal still vivid in her mind.

"In August, 2006, the spirit of emotions created that day by Imperial Imdal were realized the first time I saw his beautiful daughter, Imperial Falaah. It was a beautiful day spent with friends as Beverly Sziraky spoke passionately about each stallion, each mare, and each foal. Imperial Falaah was one of the last mares we saw that day, and she was standing on her own basking in the day's sunlight as if the day belonged only to her. She drew me into her gaze the very same way her noble sire had drawn me back in 1997. She imprinted my heart so much so that I asked to come back to the farm later that day to see her once more."

In February of 2007, Imperial Falaah was sold and her buyer was Susan Gilbert. Of all the people who had expressed interest in Falaah, Beverly picked Susan. The impression that Susan must have made on Beverly that summer, when she visited Imperial must have made a profound impact and convinced Beverly of where Falaah must go. I think that Beverly Sziraky had made a very big statement, as to how she felt and the fact that she could not trust anyone else, with Falaah. She wanted a forever home for Falaah. That's how valuable Falaah was for Imperial. For Falaah, she had been blessed, as she could not have been purchased by a more loving and adoring owner than Susan.

"Falaah graced our farm in every way possible. Each day spent with her was a gift which touched my spirit. Many onlookers visiting our farm were so captured by her presence that they were drawn to ask me if they could lead her back to her stall. Such were the gifts this magnificent mare offered to one's heart. She lived and died in complete nobility. I miss her so much that I have not spoken to many. The loss feels like it is happening again today as I write this. I will never forget her."-Susan Gilbert

Earlier this week, while casually reading on the internet, I learned the very sad news that Imperial Falaah tragically died a year ago, from cancer. I was stunned and found myself reading the same sentence over and over. "How could this be?" I thought over and over. The princess, the sweet mare who had captivated me, so many years ago, was gone, leaving the planet as quietly as she had entered my world, so many years ago with both dignity and grace. Now, she lives in the memories of all who loved her, her children will now carry her name and her influence far into the future. And one day, one of these horses will stretch their neck to bump the pant leg of someone with their nose, for attention. A long ago memory then becomes fresh and new, and the rest of us will smile, because we have just witnessed that the princess, the very sweet and dignified Falaah still lives.

"Promise me you'll never forget me because if I thought you would, I'd never leave."-A.A. Milne

Goodbye dear, sweet Falaah,
Ralph

*opening photo of Imperial Falaah credit: Carol Maginn, Bear Creek Ranch, Photos of Moniet el Nafis and *Fawkia credit: Johnny Johnston

NK Nadeyrah

2011-12-28T06:00:00.000-05:00

"Promise me you'll never forget me because if I thought you would, I'd never leave."-A.A. Milne

I have sad news to share with you today. The very beautiful straight Egyptian mare, NK Nadeyrah has died. She was one of Usamah Alkazemi's most treasured broodmares and a NK Hafid Jamil daughter out of NK Nadirah (a full sister to the perennial Queen of Ezzain, NK Nada). She had a very interesting pedigree, having four lines to the Ansata Halim Shah son, Salaa el Dine. However, what I liked most, was the fact that at the very top of the pedigree appears the Alaa el Din daughter, Lotfeia, as well as the very bottom. Yes, in tail female, she traced to this mare who was purchased by Dr. Nagel from Babolna and became an important broodmare at Katharinenhof, giving birth to Nashua, a crucially important mare for the program. In tail female, through the Sheikh el Arab daughter, Kamla, Nadeyrah traced to the celebrated Hadbah Enzahiyah mare, Venus. So in one horse, you have the influences of the Abbayyah-El Obeya Om Grees, the Hadbah-Venus and the Dahmah-El Dahma. Which one would have the most influence on Nadeyrah?

I was captivated by NK Nadeyrah.There was just something about her that I couldn't explain. I emailed her picture to my friends, as I didn't want them to miss seeing such a beauty. "Why do you like her so much?" they asked and I had difficulty expressing with words what I felt. My eye kept going back to her pictures and video for an answer. I was fascinated by the power that her body conveyed. The connection of her chest and her shoulders was strong and smooth. Her neck came out of her chest a bit higher, which helped to give her more reach in the front. Her chest was wider, balancing the strength of her hind end. She was a picture of harmony..

I just love how she used her back, almost as if she is trying to curl her hindquarter under her, driving into the ground, to P-U-S-H her body forward and sail across the ground.

Her head was dry and the prominence of the bone in her face was amazing. Her muzzle was tapered, with large, flaring nostrils, delicately curved upward and her eyes were round, large and black, with no trace of white in them. NK Nadeyrah was refined and elegant and yet, has the substance that reminded me of a long ago horse, racing across the desert sand, tail held high proclaiming the truth of what she was...a true daughter of the desert.

Goodbye Nadeyrah, goodbye.
Ralph

I must give credit to Jennifer Ogden for capturing this beautiful mare with her camera.

The Story of *Malekat El Gamal

2011-12-27T09:00:00.000-05:00

Malekat El Gamal, a 1968 grey mare, was imported by Imperial Egyptian Stud in 1974, in foal to the *Morafic son, Kayed. She was bred by Sayed Marei of Al Badeia and was sired by Waseem, a Nazeer son, out of the Kuhaylah Rodaniyah mare Malaka, a daughter of Bint Bint Riyala. Malekat's dam was the Nazeer daughter, Nagdia, out of the Sid Abouhom daughter, Zahia. Malekat El Gamal, by virtue of her sire and dam, was 50% Nazeer, which is the equivalent of having Nazeer as a sire, even though the horse had died eight years earlier. I met Malekat in person a few times and she was unforgettable, an absolutely beautiful mare. She had the most incredible face...so soulful...her eyes just captivated you, no, actually, I got that wrong...her eyes, they, well, just enchanted you.

“...when the heart isoverwhelmed with beauty and the imagination is electrified by some hauntingquality in the world or by a spirit or voice speaking from deep within a thing,a place or a person.Enchantment may be...“-Henry Louis Mencken

I'll never forget her look. I guess her eyes not only pierced my heart, she also pierced my soul...forever. She was harmonious, close-coupled, balanced and smooth. I think she was perfect, not too big, not too small, everything looked like it belonged on her.

Her son, Ameer AlBadeia, also by Kayed, was a very significant horse for Al Badeia, siring the extraordinary, multiple champion stallion Farid AlBadeia, an influential and consistently strong sire for the Marei's breeding program. Ameer also sired the mare, Anhar AlBadeia, who figured prominently in the Al Badeia program, spreading the influence of Ameer farther in the world by producing the World Champion Mare, Gelgelah AlBadeia, by Imperial Madori.

At Imperial, *Malekat El Gamal was bred to Ibn Morafic, to Amaal, to Hossny, to Moniet el Nafis, to Ansata Imperial and *Ibn Safinaz. Beautiful mares resulted from these breedings like Imperial Ajmalika, Imperial Saahebah, Imperial Al Amali, Imperial Nadirah, Imperial Namunifa, Imperial Nafilah and sons like Imperial Hasib, Imperial Amir Nafis, Imperial Na Malis, as well as the lovely stallion named Imperial Im Mahal. However, *Malekat El Gamal's greatest achievement, would be made through *Imperial Sayyah, a full sister to Ameer AlBadeia, who made a very significant impact not only upon the breeding community of straight Egyptian Arabian horses but for lovers of the classic Arabian Horse everywhere. Without Imperial Sayyah, there would not be a Sundar Alisayyah and without Sundar Alisayyah, there would be no Al Adeed Al Shaqab, the horse who danced in people's minds for a long time, until the time the vision became flesh and bone. For me, there is no finer tribute to a most extraordinary mare...*Malekat El Gamal.

Thank you for being a fan of this blog and for the many wonderful comments you have left over the years. For those days when it was challenging to find just the right words to say, you inspired me and encouraged me to keep going...for the love of a horse.

THANK YOU...a million times over.

Hard to believe that six years has passed so quickly and now, this long journey comes to an end for me but not for you. Take what I have offered and embark on your own personal journey, to discover the horse of your dreams. He is out there, waiting for you.

EnJOY,
Ralph

Albaheiah Ezzain

2011-12-26T10:07:00.003-05:00

There is a reason why the stallion Nooreddine Ezzain is one of my favorite horses bred by Usamah Alkazemi of Ezzain Arabian Stud in Kuwait. Her name is Albaheiah Ezzain and she is the oldest daughter of Nooreddine Ezzain and NK Nakeebya, a NK Hafid Jamil daughter out of Nabilah (Nahaman x Nashua). Through both her sire and dam, Albaheiah traces to the mare, Nashua, a Salaa el Dine daughter out of the Alaa El Din daughter, Lotfeia, a Babolna broodmare who also became an important broodmare for Katharinenhof, producing the stallion Nejdy, as well as Nashua. Both NK Nakeebya and Nooreddine are grand progeny of Nashua, as each horse is out of a Nashua daughter. NK Nakeebya is out of Nabilah, while Nooreddine is out of Nada.

"The remarkable fact about Nashua is that she produced daughters, not sons: four mares by Adnan and three mares by another son of Salaa El Dine, Nahaman. NK Nada has three full sisters: NK Nasrin, NK Nadirah and NK Nadeerah."

To further underscore how closely related Nooreddine and NK Nakeebya are; both Nahaman and Adnan are Salaa El Dine sons. Nahaman is out of Ameera, a Madkour I daughter out of Hanan, while Adnan is out of Ghazala, a Ghazal daughter out of Hanan. So, the difference in pedigree between NK Nakeebya and NK Nada are two horses: Madkour I and Ghazal.

I love many things about this mare, Albaheiah. She is a taller mare with a nice, wide chest conveying substance but still, very refined and elegant. She has fine skin quality with excellent pigmentation. I like the prominence of the bone in her face. Her muzzle with the larger sized nostril is not heavy or meaty and accentuates the shape of the head, which is shorter and wider with the loveliest black eyes, deep, round and placed lower in the head with much width between them. She is close-coupled and her back is strong and smooth. Her tail carriage is extreme; even while standing, her tail is like a flag, proudly carried.

I admire the courage and the vision of Usamah Alkazemi. The horse that he is producing, is an ultra-refined, elegant Arabian, the horse of Kings. Every time that I feel that he has reached the pinnacle and can go no farther, along comes yet another horse to prove how wrong I was in my thoughts. He has bred Albaheiah to Yasoob Ezzain, who is also closely related to Nooreddine, as he is out of NK Nada as well. I dream about the resulting foal and the role this horse will play in the Ezzain breeding program, towards breeding Usamah's version of the ultimate Arabian horse.

EnJOY,
Ralph

Lost in a Sense of Wonder

2011-12-22T09:12:00.002-05:00

Christmas time...for many people, especially children, it's the magical season of wishes, dreams and wonder. A few years ago, a friend shared the following poem with me and for the first time, the feelings that I experience whenever I see a picture of the straight Egyptian stallion, Al Adeed al Shaqab, have words. For me, it was like magic, that someone who had lived a long time ago, through the words of a poem, gave a voice to the 'thing" that happens to me, every time I see a picture of this horse.

I wonder about you and me
you are the ultimate wish of all wishes
You drew me closer and closer to you
Until I lost myself and became one with you
I lost myself in a love so deep
That I no longer existed as me
Oh my blessing, my life and my solace after death
I have no one but you
You are my every fear and my refuge
You, whose garden blossoms with all of your senses,
embracing all that is beauty
If I could wish for one
YOU
are all that I could wish for.

May the wonder of the holiday season, never stray far from your heart.

EnJOY,
Ralph

This poem, I Wonder, was written by Al Hallaj, a Sufi poet, of Persian origin, who lived from 858 to 922 AD and was translated into English by my friend, Mr. Majid Alsayegh. I would have to say that that this particular picture is one of my favorite photos of Al Adeed Al Shaqab, as the horse is not only physically beautiful but he is also a beautiful horse inside, as one can see the depth of the relationship that exists between the horse and his beloved friend, Sheikh Hamad. This is the people-loving disposition, for which the horse is famed and loved by all.

A Christmas Angel

2011-12-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

If only I had a horse...how many times had I said this to anyone who would listen? If only I had a horse, I would be so happy. If only I had a horse, my life would be so much better. If only...I was getting desperate...and older. I was afraid that owning a horse would never happen for me. I was losing hope.

HOPE

The thermometer registered 15 degrees Fahrenheit. It was a bitter cold December morning. My hands ached. I drove them deeper into the pockets of my coat, searching for any warmth I could find. The snow crunched under my boots, as I walked carefully on the sidewalk, towards the building where I worked. It was Christmas time and lights twinkled all over town and yet, I felt bleak and gloomy inside. I had been working harder than I have ever worked before and the results? I was making less than I ever earned before. How could I even consider owning a horse in this mess? I thought of all the bills that I needed to pay by month's end and my stomach started churning. A horse, really? Well, that was the least of my worries now. My boss had been riding me pretty hard, as my sales were falling short of my budget.

"Your sales are really, really bad and your pipeline is weak. Unless you do something about it, and do it fast, we are going to be having a different kind of conversation." he said.

"Pressure, pushing down on me, Pressing down on you, no man ask for, Under pressure, that burns a building down, Splits a family in two, Puts people on streets"-from the song, Under Pressure written by David Bowie and Queen

My head was spinning. "Doesn't he understand the state of the economy and the effect it is having on everything, including my sales?" The fact was that my sales were a little less than 90% to budget; a worthy accomplishment on its own, in terms of the new growth which cushioned the impact of cautious customers buying significantly less than in previous years. It had been a long, challenging year and frankly, I just wanted to get past Christmas and into a new and more prosperous year.

I heard him before I could see him. "C'mon Angel baby....let's go!" he shouted at her. He slapped the reins hard against her back and she sprang forward, digging her hooves into the asphalt, every muscle in her powerful body straining, until finally, the carriage started moving. She was a dark bay colored mare, about 16 hands tall, with powerful shoulders and a well-muscled hindquarter. She really didn't look like a carriage horse. I thought she looked more like one of the scopey Warmblood horses advertised in the English riding magazines. She was beautiful and her body just screamed to be ridden. I picked up the pace and soon, I had caught up with the carriage. Now that I was closer, I could see that the mare looked tired, cold and hungry. "yup, she's no carriage horse." I thought.

The carriage driver was an older man, about 60-something, maybe a little older. "Hey mister, how much for a ride?" I asked.

He turned to face me. "Where you headed?" I noticed the twinkle in his eye and a faint smile of recognition spreading across his face.

"500 Market Street, right at the corner of Broad." I told him.

He looked at me intently, as if he was studying every feature on my face. "10 bucks, not a penny less." he said.

I dove deep into my pockets and pulled out a ten dollar bill and gave it to him. He nodded at me, tipped his top hat and then, he patted the empty seat next to him. "C'mon up and sit here next to me kid. I want to talk with you. You remind me of my nephew." he said.

I jumped up into the carriage and sat down next to him. "You on your way to work, kid?" he asked me. I nodded and added, "unfortunately."

"I know how you feel kid, I know how you feel. This cold weather...it's not for me. I am tired of it. I'm cold all the time. No matter what I do, I'm just cold. I want something warmer. Today, I am dreaming about Florida. You know, my sister has been trying for years to get me to retire down there. She's got a cute little place in Cocoa Beach. You know about it?" I shook my head. "Well, it's all about palm trees, flowers, blue sunny skies and no worries. I think she's onto something. Yup, I really think it's time." he said and then he asked me, "so, what time is it for you? Looks like you are about ready for a change too." The mare turned her head around to look at me and then, I noticed the shape of the star on her forehead. It looked like a "thumbs-up". I couldn't believe it and I laughed. "You think it's funny to move to Florida?" he asked.

"No sir, I just noticed the shape of your mare's marking, on her forehead. It looks like..."

"a thumbs up" he interrupted, finishing my sentence.With a sweet face, begging me to help her, she nickered to me and SUDDENLY, what I had been thinking, illuminated into an idea and from there, a plan.

"Hey kid, I think she likes you. That's my Angel, always flirting with the boys." he chuckled to himself.

I looked at my watch...quarter past seven. Time was running out and I needed to be in the office in a little more than an hour.

"Hey mister, it sounds like you are ready to make a change in your life and well, meeting you this morning is proving that I need to do something different too. So how 'bout it, are you up for Florida and a change?" I asked him, summoning up every bit of courage I could and hoping that this quickly concocted plan would work..

"Many dollars later, a first class ticket to Florida and a newly emptied savings account; I was the proud owner of Angel, a Percheron-Thoroughbred cross mare with a "thumbs-up" mark on her forehead. When the driver had pulled the harness off of her, it was hard not to miss the loud sigh of relief that came from a place deep down inside of her. Her head rubbed my chest, her warm breath finding every cold spot on my person and making me feel warm and wonderful. I rubbed her forehead and whispered, "Merry Christmas, my sweet Angel."

"Angels and archangels may have gathered there, cherubim and seraphim thronged the air; but his mother only, in her maiden bliss, worshiped the beloved with a kiss." -from the song, In the Bleak Midwinter written by Christina G. Rossetti and music by Gustav Holst

"If only..." had finally arrived, SUDDENLY and unexpectedly, in the form of a carriage horse named Angel, who was now on a horse trailer, headed west to begin a new chapter in her life and mine. It was not exactly how I expected horse ownership to happen for me. "Gosh, what a morning this has been. It's like a miracle." I thought and then,

STOP

I suddenly felt hot and a bit weak, like I was going to faint. "Hey wait a minute." I shouted in my mind as the realization of something really profound hit me, like a block of concrete.

"Just who is the real angel in all of this?"

as the image of the carriage driver's face popped into my head.. "I thought there was something really familiar about the guy. And it wasn't because he looked like Peter Falk either." I laughed at the thought, as I saw the private detective, Columbo, in his trademark trench coat in my mind. My heart, which had been so weighed down with discouragement only a few moments before, became happy and light.. "Could it have been a little miracle, could that driver have been an angel in disguise, sent down from heaven to help me this morning?" I asked myself. I shook my head, trying to shake off such crazy thoughts. "Gosh, I am starting to sound like I have been watching one too many Lifetime channel movies.but...it's pretty hard to dismiss that I was stressing like no tomorrow, before I met this guy and now, I have the one thing I have always desired, since I was a little kid. That's another thing too..he kept calling me kid." I smiled, after all, it was Christmas and I really felt it now, both inside and out. I felt like singing at the top of my lungs, for all the world to hear...HARK THE HERALD ANGELS SING.....I got a horse for Christmas...my very own Christmas Angel!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS,
Ralph

NO BLUNT BLOOD

2011-12-13T07:00:00.000-05:00

Hallany Mistanny and a subsequent discussion with a friend, became the catalyst for a new way of thinking, regarding a more authentic Egyptian horse, namely, horses with absolutely NO Blunt desert horses in their pedigree. Hallany Mistanny, although bred in America by General Dickinson of Travelers Rest, was out of *Zarife and *Roda, who were 100% Egyptian horses, bred by Prince Mohamed Aly Tewfik. His pedigree is completely free of the Blunt ancestral elements like Kars, Queen of Sheba, Azrek, Jerboa, Rodania and Dajania.

He is 100% Egyptian, genuine, pure and authentic.

ARE THERE OTHERS LIKE HIM? I started to think about other horses, who like Hallany Mistanny, are free of the Blunt desert horses. So, I checked the Babson horses and to my surprise, *Bint Bint Sabbah has 9.4% Blunt desert blood, as the stallion Kazmeen is the sire of her dam, Bint Sabah. Another Babson foundation mare, *Bint Serra I has the highest percentage of Blunt desert blood wirhin the Babson group: 25%, as Sotamm is her sire and Jemla, while predominantly an Ali Pasha Sherif mare, has Bint Nura in her pedigree. *Bint Bint Durra, an Ibn Rabdan daughter out of Bint Durra, has 12.5% Blunt, as Saadun was an 'Ubayyan Sharrak stallion bred by Shaykh Mishari Ibn Sa'dun of the Muntafiq and imported in 1911 to Egypt by Lady Anne Blunt. So, only three Babson horses: *FADL, *MAAROUFA and *BINT SAADA are free of all Blunt DESERT ancestral elements...100% Egyptian!!!! While *Fadl and *Maaroufa are generously represented in SE breeding, unfortunately, *Bint Saada is not. Which makes me sad, because time and a few horses have taught me that the presence of *Bint Saada in the pedigree, gives a horse a little extra something, than similarly bred horses without *Bint Saada.

OK, so where to go from here?

Inshass...Not all but some of the Inshass horses, who have been so misunderstood, have no Blunt desert breeding either. The mare pictured to the right, is the beautiful Hafiza, the dam of one of the most beautiful horses ever produced in Egypt, El Araby and a Hamdan daughter out of Mahfouza. She is authentic Egyptian, her ancestors having been bred by Prince Ahmad Pasha Kamal, Prince Mohamed Aly Tewfik, the RAS and Ali Pasha Sherif, as preserved by Lady Anne Blunt. While Hafiza is technically considered 87.5% Egypt I and 12.5% Inshass; if you check her Inshass line which comes through El Mahrousa, the dam of Mahfouza, you will notice that her sire is El Zafir, a horse bred by Prince Kamal el Din and out of a mare named El Shahbaa, an 'Ubayyah Umm Jurays of Muhammad Ibrahim al-Hajj of Cairo, Egypt, purchased in 1931 by King Fuad.

It wasn't so long ago, maybe within the last fifty years, that the possibility of establishing a breeding program (within the straight Egyptian gene pool) focused on producing horses with no Blunt desert blood (0%) was more realistic than it is today. The horses that were needed for this type of initiative are long gone now, like the stallion, *Ibn Hafiza and unfortunately, this horse was not utilized in a combination that would preserve his non-Blunt-desert-horse pedigree for future use. Unless of course, you go outside of straight Egyptian breeding (but still within Al Khamsa) and use the Hisani horses, which are a combination of the Egyptian horses like *Fadl and Sirecho, combined with the non-Egyptian desert mares Muhaira and *Turfa. For now, the only option (within straight Egyptian lines) is to use horses whose Blunt percentage is very small, maybe under 10 and even, in fewer cases, under 5 percent. Considering the heavy influence of the stallion Nazeer and the fact that it is getting more difficult to find a horse without lines to him, it is a good option to have a source of blood whose ancestral elements are a bit different from his, for out cross purposes. It is in situations like these, that I think of people like Jane Ott and I start to understand where she was coming from, so long ago. Her message concerning the Blue Star horses was so important and well, I wish that more of us had listened to what she said. There would be more choices to make today.

EnJOY,
Ralph

PS-The photo of Hallany Mistanny is from the Billy Sheets collection, via Daughters of the Wind Blog and the photo of Hafiza is a Judi Forbis photo.

HALILUYAH, I LOVE HER SO

2011-12-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

"That's why I know, yes, I know, Hallelujah, I just love her so."-Ray Charles, from his song, Hallelujah I Love Her So

This is the 2006 filly, Amirah Moon MH, an Haliluyah daughter out of the El Halimaar daughter, Moon Storm MH. She was bred by Rancho Bulakenyo and is now owned by Ali and Yasmine Shaarawi of Shaarawi Arabians in Egypt. I wanted very much to support the statement that I had made in my recent blog about ibby, regarding the quality of the get that Haliluyah MH has and is siring.

Amirah Moon MH, by virtue of her pedigree, is concentrated in the blood of *Ansata Ibn Halima and the Babson horses: *Fadl, *Maaroufa, *Bint Bint Sabbah and *Bint Serra I, as you have an El Halimaar son, bred to an El Halimaar daughter. However, the maternal side of Moon Storm MH's pedigree introduces some Inshass blood through Sameh and the Hamdan-sired get like Ameena, Mahfouza and Anter, as well as the EAO horses like *Morafic and Alaa el Din. The Dahmah tail female line, through *Bint Maisa el Saghira traces to the Bahraini mare, Bint El Bahreyn, while at the same time bringing in an additional line to the *Ansata Ibn Halima son, El Hilal.

The effect of intensifying *Ansata Ibn Halima, as well as *Bint Nefisaa in the same horse, results in an intense concentration of the Farida bloodline. Between these two horses, there are fourteen lines to Farida which when added together with the one line through Balance, the sire of Yaquota, results in FIFTEEN lines to Farida. FIFTEEN! It is also very interesting to consider the influence of the Saqlawiyah mare Ghazala, the daughter of the Ali Pasha Sherif mare, Bint Helwa. Shahloul and Hamdan were full brothers, both horses out of Bint Radia, so with every line to Moniet el Nefous, Kateefa and Maisa, you have a line to Shaloul, and of course, Bint Radia. Combine the lines to Shahloul with those of Hamdan and very quickly, the pedigree jumps from five lines to eight lines plus one additional line through Zareefa, bringing the total to nine lines.

"Incorporating the Saqlawi type brings length back to neck and leg, which can be lost with intense use of Dahman and Kuhaylan strain types. It also yields finer bone structure and produces flatter and less prominent muscling. Too much Saqlawi can produce a long back and ears. Dahman type brings back an overall balance and harmony, including more dished heads and larger eyes, and shorter backs, but also has the tendency to produce shorter necks and legs, heavier muscling, and more bone."-Walter Schimanski

Amirah Moon MH confirms the wisdom and courage of her breeder and now, in Egypt, expands the influence of Haliluyah MH much farther, to include a new chapter in the birthplace of his ancestors.

EnJOY,
Ralph

PS-The photos of Amirah Moon MH were taken by the wonderful photographer, Jeff Little

Home

2011-12-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

"Hi Marky, it's Mom. Just calling to tell you that I hung the ornament you made, on the tree today. Remember that? I love you and miss you so much. Please honey, come home soon." I knew my mom well enough to recognize that her voice, so warm and soothing, was holding back a sob. She was trying hard to sound strong and courageous. I thought of my mother and of the loving home that she created for me, all these years. Gosh, I lost count of how many times I must have broken her heart, including tonight.

HOME...

"I'm dreaming tonight of a place I love
Even more then I usually do
And although I know,
it's a long road back
I promise you
I'll be home for Christmas."-from the song, I'll Be Home for Christmas, written by Kim Gannon, Walter Kent and Buck

Like Dorothy, in the Wizard of Oz movie, I wanted to click my heels together and say, "there's no place like home" and find myself walking the long gravel driveway that led back to the farmhouse with red shutters, a warm and inviting glow radiating from all the windows. Home...my home. My heart fluttered. How I missed home. I imagined opening the front door, to fall into the waiting arms of my loving mother. Nothing could define home more concisely than my mother.

When I left home, I was determined to become my own person and do all the things I wanted to do, when I wanted to do them and never apologize.

LIVE FAST and DIE YOUNG.

Life, for me, was meant to be lived on the edge, played hard and loud...like rock music. And yes, I had done exactly that...except that I hadn't bargained on living a life that was less than full, a life that paled in comparison to the quality of life I lived when, yup, you guessed it...when I was home. I was tired, ready for a change and now, listening to my mother's voice...well, I was not so proud of my so-called independent life. And yet, I knew that no matter what I did, what I said or how ugly I got, I knew that my mother would still love me. My mother still believed in me, even when I wasn't worthy of her trust. I craved forgiveness and I was struggling with the whole concept of redemption...and God. "Maybe, that's how I need to think of God...like I think of my mother, a person whose love knows no limits, always there for me. That's how God must love me too, maybe...even more."

"God calls us to come home for Christmas. God calls us to come back from all those places where we have settled for less...God calls us back from all the ambitions and possessions we have pursued, thinking they would satisfy us...Preparing for Christmas means looking deep within ourselves and asking if our hearts are truly at home in the lives we are living. "-Mary Lou Redding, from her book, While We Wait: Living the Questions of Advent

I really needed to do something, maybe I needed to accept this gift of love that I had been given...and so, I picked up the receiver and dialed.

One...two...three rings...no answer...

...just when I was ready to hang up...

"Hello?"

*pause*

"Hello?"

I was quiet for a second, thinking of all I wanted to tell her and couldn't. I was afraid.

"Hello?

*pause*

Is someone there?

*pause*

Marky? Is this you?

*pause*

Please, Marky, say something...anything."she pleaded.

*pause*

"Hello...Mom...uh, yes...it's me, I mean, it's Marky." I paused and said, "Mom...uh..I'm sorry...for everything. I've been so wrong about so many things...and..about Christmas, well, can I come home?" as I finally started to tear down the walls of anger and bitterness, that kept me separated from the people and the place I knew as...

HOME.

EnJOY,
Ralph

A Very BLACK STALLION Christmas

2011-12-08T08:00:00.000-05:00

"If I had influence with the good fairy who is supposed to preside over the christening of all children, I should ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life."-Rachel Carson

Every Christmas, I looked for the horse of my dreams under the tree. I would wake up early, before anyone in my family would awaken, to look for and greet the horse that Santa Claus had left for me and that I spent the entire year waiting for. I expected and looked for

A MIRACLE

Many years later, the twinkling lights on a tree and the aroma of fresh pine and I think about these days. Christmas was and still is the perfect magical setting, for dreams, for discovery, for something BIG like a much dreamed-about horse to find its way to your heart.

Mari Silveus is a breeder of Egyptian Arabian Horses. I admire Mari as a person who cares very deeply about all horses, about all life. She is breeding farther within the strain we knew for a long time as Kuhaylan Jellabi, than anyone I have ever known and producing horses who are refined and elegant, with a phentotype that is the antithesis of what most people feel is Babson type.

A funny thing happened when I wrote about Princeton Faaris. I hadn't really planned to write about Gurjani El Jilani. And then, that's where Christmas trees, Santa Clauses, dreams and horses come together. Who would have thought that Princeton Faaris and Gurjani El Jilani would come together, in a blend so powerful, to ultimately create my magical Christmas horse? SR Manial Faaris is a son of "the black pearl", Gurjani El Jilani and out of the mare SR Bint Faaris, a Princeton Faaris daughter out of the mare, Rou Amirah (Amir Ibn FaSerr x Roulett). It is interesting to study the tail female of this horse, as Roulett was sired by Mahrouf, out of Roufina's daughter, Roulena. Roufina and Mahrouf were both out of the mare, Aaroufa. These two horses are siblings to famous horses like Fada, Aarouser and Roufas, to name a few members of this awesome family. The overwhelming influence of Bint Yamama present in this horse is amazing, as well as the influence of *Bint Serra and to balance it all out, the Dahmah, *Bint Bint Sabbah. I love the antiquity of this horse, who remains timeless in his appeal, both as an individual and as a breeding stallion.

A successful Hunter Pleasure Horse, SR Manial Faaris created living history at the 2003 Egyptian Event, becoming the first stallion, the first four year old, the youngest horse EVER, to capture the entire Hunter Pleasure division at the Egyptian Event. As a matter of fact, he won against the number one hunter horse in the country, at the time. He was an amazing success under saddle and at Mari's farm, he has transitioned from a champion hunter to a successful sire.

So, maybe, miracles do happen? Possibly not in the way we expect them to occur, like under a Christmas tree with your name written on the gift tag but believe me when I tell you that miracles are an everyday occurrence, especially to those who still have hope that miracles happen...SUDDENLY...and their magic, well, let's say it's the season for a child-like sense of wonder.

“There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle.”-Albert Einstein

EnJOY,
Ralph

ibby

2011-12-04T22:00:00.000-05:00

"There are white horses, but no more knights;
there are war horses, but no more warriors;
there are cavaliers, but no more chivalry;
there are authentic blooded horses, but fake horsemanship.
Yet hope is revived by your presence, and good fortune is tied to your forelock."-Rania Elsayed

IbnHalimElMansour is a 1997 bay stallion, a son of the *Ansata Ibn Halima son, Halim El Mansour and out of the El Hilal daughter, MFA Bint Maarree.When I think of ibby, I always start at his pedigree and marvel over the concentration of a few horses:

*Ansata Ibn Halima
*Bint Nefisaa
*Fadl
*Bint Bint Sabbah
*Bint Serra I
*Maaroufa

That's it...six horses...six completely wonderful horses...ibby's entire pedigree is made up of these 6 horses...used wisely and in different combinations, the end result is this handsome bay stallion, whom I know as "ibby".

STOP

There is another horse that I know about, bred similarly to ibby. Do you know who it is? We discussed him before.

Haliluyah MH

He is an El Halimaar son out of RDM Maar Hala.

El Halimaar and Halim El Mansour are full brothers, so the sire line is exactly the same in both horses. The ONLY difference between both horses is that Haliluyah has a double shot of the mare Maar Jumana, through RDM Maar Hala. Since ibby is out of MFA Bint Maarree, the mare Maar-Ree is much closer up in the pedigree, as compared to the position of Maar-Ree in Maar Hala's pedigree. There is no Maar Jumana to separate MFA Bint Maarree and Maar-Ree.

It's also extremely interesting to consider the coat color difference between both stallions, as this difference in coat color also existed between Halim El Mansour, a bay and El Halimaar, a grey but phenotypically, both ibby and Haliluyah are very similarly-built horses full of curves, generous proportions and rounded, flowing lines, maybe, ibby's topline is a bit stronger than Haliluyah's.

ibby was bred by Caryn and Mark Rogosky, who owned both Halim El Mansour and MFA Bint Maarree. Eventually, Halim El Mansour was sold to Marilyn Lang at Fantasia Arabians in Sealy, Texas, where he lived, until he died.

One of the last times that I saw ibby, before blindness stole the joy that sparkled from his eyes; Caryn had turned him out for me in a large field and suddenly, this little horse grew in stature and proceeded to eat up the ground with stride after stride after stride. The youthful exuberance that he felt was contagious, and I found it extremely hard to stand still and not join ibby as he floated effortlessly around us, one circle after another after another. The joy pulsed from my heart, through my veins, finally escaping through my open mouth, disguised as laughter. "Gosh Caryn, I love this horse, I love everything about him but more than anything, I love who he is...I love his joy. It's infectious. It makes me happy just to see him." I remember saying.

"Why can't I find you
Why have you gone away
Where is the laughter
You used to bring me..." -from the song, Where Are You Christmas, co-written by James Horner and Will Jennings

ibby was sold to Christina Muller-Levan of Breezewood Stables, Pennsylvania, where he has lived happily and quietly, as naturally as a horse can live, within fenced pastures. I spoke with Christina and she said of ibby,

"He is so beautiful! And yes he is doing well. He is still turned out in the same pasture with one mare. WK Norah Moniet."

While ibby has not yet sired any get, Haliluyah has sired horses at Rancho Bulakenyo and at Al Abbasiyah, where he currently resides. The new foals are outstanding. One can only wonder what ibby might sire, given similar opportunities.

EnJOY,
Ralph

Gabriel

2011-12-03T07:30:00.000-05:00

The night air was cold upon her face, even without the wind. She wept. Her heart, was broken in two and drowning in loneliness. The desert was a big place, especially at night. "How could she do this to me?" she wailed, "How could

do this to me?" Her inner rage boiling, the fury launching from her lips,

"THIS IS ALSO HIS SON!"

Her tears, like icicles, frozen forever on her cheeks, a harsh reminder of the icy heart that betrayed her and driven her away from a place of comfort...her home. Her son, now fast asleep, wrapped himself tighter in her cloak, as the wind blew a little harder, a little colder. Yes, it was going to be cold in the desert tonight and Egypt was still a few more nights away.

"God of Abraham, I have no reason to trust you but if you are everything Abraham says that you are, please, do not abandon me!" she screamed into the black night.

The wind suddenly grew stronger and the sand, suddenly airborne, blasted angrily against all in his path. A whirling, dervish of sand surrounded her and her child.

"What is this, what is happening?" she questioned, with great concern.

"Hagar, your faith in the living God has been heard and God has sent me to you, to help you, in your time of need."

Suddenly, out of thin air, the handsome young man, with hair of gold, materialized out of thin air, right in front of her eyes.

"Peace to you, Hagar and to your son, Ishmael..." as the young man confidently walked towards them.

The angel Gabriel figures prominently in three world religions: Islam, Christianity and Judaism. I find this fact amazing, as many people, all over the world, share common ground through Gabriel. גַּבְרִיאֵל, Gavri'el, Gabrielus, جبريل Jibril, Jibrail, جبرائيل , Gabriel, in all the various names which people know him, means "strength of God". In all three religions, Gabriel is a messenger, between God and His creation.

In the time of Babylon, Daniel was visited by the Angel Gabriel, who helped Daniel to interpret visions that he experienced and did not understand. Gabriel's revelations bring wisdom and understanding, where there was none and bears witness to a God who loves His people and cares for each of us so much, that He would send an angel to Daniel, to counsel him.

"I am Gabriel, who stands before God.."-Luke 1:19

In Christianity, Gabriel is the angel who informs Zacharias of his wife's forthcoming pregnancy. Elizabeth, despite an advanced age, gives birth to a son, John, whom we know as John the Baptist. However, Gabriel's greatest message was to Mary, when He visited her to deliver the news that she would give birth to Jesus. Subsequently, Gabriel visits Joseph in a dream, to warn him of Herod's jealousy and his mission to slaughter all the newly-born male babies in Bethlehem. While the New Testament does not tell us that Gabriel was in fact, the Angel who delivered the news to Mary Magdalene of the resurrection, most Christians believe that Gabriel was the angel who said "Why do you search for the living among the dead?" Most Christians also believe that Gabriel was the angel who ministered to Jesus, as He agonized in the Garden of Gethsemane, the night before His passion.

In Islam, Gabriel is also an angelic messenger, delivering messages from God to His beloved people. During the last days of Ramadan, on Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Great Value), Muslims remember the night that Gabriel descended to earth, to reveal the Qur'an to the prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him). Muslims also believe that Gabriel accompanied the prophet on his ascension into the heavens.

One fact is amazingly clear, whether you read the Qur'an, the Bible or the Tanakh; Gabriel has been trying to get our attention. He wants to help us get closer to God, in the hope that we may form a deep and loving relationship with Him. Gabriel reminds us that all good things come from God and in times of great desperation, when we need God the most, his message is full of great joy and hope.

God loves you. God wants you.

For those of us who love the Asil Arabian Horse, we are connected through the much-loved legends that have passed from one generation to the next, concerning the origin of the horse. Gabriel figures prominently in many of these stories.

"My blessed companion and friend of my creator, thou wilt never fail me."-from The Classic Arabian Horse written by Judith Forbis

"Who are you and where have you come from?" she asks, as she backs up towards her sleeping child, positioning her body between the stranger and Ishmael, offering her child protection.

Although she does not recognize him, she asks

"Has Abraham sent you for me?"

with a little hope still in her voice.

"I mean you no harm Hagar, the Lord God has found great favor in you. For you have remained steadfast in the faith of Abraham. You have not strayed from God and worshipped the pagan gods," he explained, "God is my strength and has sent me here, to this desert, to you, to bless you."

And as his words drifted into the growing wind, Hagar felt the heat rise and the sand started to swirl around her and from nowhere, the sound of a beating heart, amplified, pulsing in her eardrums, faster and faster.

"What is happening?"

And then, the most beautiful creature Hagar had ever seen, materialized out of the wind and stood before her, looking at her. She was extraordinary in her beauty and in her spirit, for she imparted an immediate feeling of peace upon Hagar, the likes of which she had never known. The creature was smaller than the camel but larger than the donkey, with eyes set wide apart in her broad head. In the middle of her head was a white mark, shaped like a star, as if the star had fallen out of the night sky, landing upon her bulging forehead. She reached her nose out to Hagar, stretching her long neck and soon, her warm breath was dancing upon Hagar's skin. Her broad chest flowed into powerful shoulders, conveying the fact that this creature could fly like the wind, across the sand and away from danger. Her tail, like a flag, was blown from side to side, as if made from the finest silk.

"What is..?" her question, unfinished, drifted in the night air.

"She is a gift, from God. Her name is Kuhaylah and her children will inspire and encourage people for many years to come, long after you are gone from this place, for God has found favor with you Hagar and with your prayers...."

Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled
Joyful, all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies"-from the song, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, written by Charles Wesley

EnJOY,
Ralph

PS The painting by Mary Haggard was the poster for the 2002 Scottsdale All Arabian show. The scond painting of the chestnut Arabian Horse is by Fred Verbeek

Oreana CF

2011-11-27T07:30:00.000-05:00

"She's..a..Dav..en..port?" I asked incredulously, my mind stuttering on the words, as I realized that I had been completely wrong and she was not the Babson Halima mare that I had believed her to be.

Oreana CF is a Plantagenet daughter out of Oriole, a Sir daughter out of Ceres, who is an Aramis daughter out of Dharebah. Both Plantagenet and Oriole are out of the same mare, Ceres, making them half-siblings. But actually they are more closely related than half-siblings, as Prince Hal (the sire of Akmet Haffez, Plantagenet's sire) and Sir (Oriole's sire) are full brothers, while Portia (the dam of Iras) and Aramis (the sire of Ceres) are full siblings, both by Tripoli and out of Dhalana. The concentration of a very small group of horses in Oreana's pedigree is stupefying and for me, underscores the skill and wisdom of her breeder. Oreana was born in 1984, bred by Charles Craver, who single-handedly rescued the Davenport horses from extinction. Oreana is not a straight Egyptian horse, she is a Davenport Arabian and by virtue of the second generation Kuhaylan Haifi horses who appear in her pedigree: Dharebah, Dhalana, and El Alamein, she is recognized as Core Haifi.

Oreana is extraordinary, very beautiful, with the classic shorter, wider head, so desired by Arabian horse enthusiasts. Her eyes are so black, large and round, projecting a positive energy of kindness. They are set on the side of the head, with a broad area in between. Her muzzle is dark and fine, with exquisite nostrils, larger-sized but delicately shaped. Her pigmentation, as a gray colored horse is fantastic. However, it's the prominent bone in her face that really gets to me. Look under her left eye and notice how wide the bone is, how much the bone juts out from her face. Her jowls are large, like dinner plates and you know, from looking at the picture that a man's fist can fit comfortably in the area between the jowl bones. Even though we can't see the rest of her, you just know that she is gracefully substantial, smooth of body, close-coupled, her body comprised of rounded flowing lines. There is luster to her coat that is so striking, it is easy to see. I notice this quality in the Davenports. Their coat has a sheen, a luminescence that other bloodlines just don't have. I have always wondered about this special quality and why only the Davenports and the Bahraini horses consistently share this coat quality.

In the Al Khamsa roster, she is credited with producing only 3 foals. A mare by Javera Thadrian named Arietta CF and two sons: Tesio CF by Atticus and Tribute CF by Telemachus. Both stallions have sired get and Tesio even has grand get credited to him.

While it is important to protect the integrity of the Davenport breeding group, as it is also to preserve any of the many wonderful breeding groups within Al Khamsa, I long for the day when breeders will become more courageous and utilize all of the Asil bloodlines in combination, without the fear of losing an advantage by forgetting all about a straight label, in favor of producing a more well-rounded, diverse and authentic Arabian horse. There is more freedom, when you learn to color outside of the lines.

EnJOY,
Ralph

Masada Bellesabah

2011-11-26T06:30:00.000-05:00

"She was in my opinion, one of the top horses on the place: a classic flea bitten gray with extraordinary type and presence even in the company of some of the top Egyptian show horses of the day. She made me gasp looking in her eyes!"-Jill Erisman

Masada Bellesabah, was bred by the late Walter Schimanski. She was by Walter's beloved *Fadl son, Lothar, and out of Belle Echo, a double Sirecho grand-daughter. She was also a double Habba (*Fadl x *Bint Bint Sabbah) as Lothar was out of Habba, as was Bel Gordas, the sire of Belle Echo. The "double-shot" of Habba, combined with the tail female line to Fa Saana, results in three lines to *Bint Bint Sabbah, however, the influence of *Fadl is substantially more than that of *Bint Bint Sabbah, with seven lines, not to mention that there are two lines to *Nasr, which are essentially the same lines as *Fadl, except that the horses which are farther back in *Fadl's pedigree are closer up in *Nasr's pedigree. The impact of horses of horses like *Fadl and *Nasr on the pedigree, help to boost the percentage of Egyptian blood and reduce the influence of the Blunt desert blood, which is approximately 2% in Masada Bellesabah.

Her progeny by *Fakher El Din were outstanding.

"He passes on the humor and gaiety, boldness and independence, a deep sense of self, and always the excitement of being. Trust and loyalty are given to a disarming degree. There is a great delight in athleticism and in constantly testing that athleticism with the quick spins and dramatic stops of the ancient Bedouin war-horse. He passes on style, cadence, and balance - combined with physical beauty and one of the loveliest heads in our breed."-Sara Loken

Akira Zarif, her 1982 *Fakher El Din daughter was a snow white beauty, one of the most beautiful mares I have ever personally seen. She was so harmonious, so smooth bodied, possessing an old world type, substantially built, with a lot of curves but a lot of grace. She looked like she had been sculpted out of the most pure and priceless alabaster. As dazzling as her sparkling white body was, it was her eyes that had me spell bound. They were liquid pools of melted obsidian, huge, round, dark and full. Looking into her eyes, stroking her neck, it was difficult to remain composed and not jump for joy or scream in ecstasy. She was a gentle and quiet beauty, radiating warmth and kindness, gentleness and compassion. Bill & Edna Weeks of Hatchie Hill Farm, produced two full sisters and a brother: Sabbah Din in 1979, Dahmah Din in 1980 and Khalif El Din in 1981. I continue to catch myself while looking at *Fahker El Din's picture, while thinking of mares like Masada Bellesabbah and how well they blended with *Fakher El Din, producing horses who are beautiful and sound in mind, body and spirit. I find myself wishing that there were more of them.

EnJOY,
Ralph

Fakher el Din

2011-11-25T06:40:00.001-05:00

The cross of Nazeer and Moniet el Nefous yielded two horses: *Bint Moniet el Nefous in 1957 and *Fakher el Din in 1960.

"The cross of Nazeer on Moniet EI Nefous added the presence, the brilliance, and the tremendous vitality of that extraordinary stallion while at the same time reinforcing the genetic strengths of Moniet EI Nefous herself."-Sara Loken

*Fakher el Din was a sweet-natured stallion, with a gentle disposition and I am amazed over the number of daughters he sired (as compared to the number of sons) representing a wide diversity of bloodlines including Pritzlaff, Babson, Bentwood and Masada; even the important Davenport mare, Bint Alamein, an El Alamein daughter.

While his full sister, from a breeding perspective, was trapped within the Pritzlaff program; *Fakher el Din, by virtue of his stallion-hood, could rapidly spread his influence across a wider variety of bloodlines, leaving more choices and a wider legacy for breeders to utilize in the future. *Fakher el Din died in 1984, seventeen years after his importation to America. I find myself looking at his picture over and over, while dreaming of the possibilities that a horse like *Fakher el Din offered, in mind, body and spirit. I really liked him...alot.

EnJOY,
Ralph

Alaa el Din & Plantagenet

2011-11-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

Alaa El Din was a chestnut son of Nazeer, foaled in 1956, out of the Shaloul daughter, Kateefa. General Pettko Von Szandtner, liked the young colt so much, that he selected Alaa El Din, while still a young horse, as a breeding stallion for the EAO. He started his breeding career in 1961. Alaa El Din was also a successful race horse and then, a sire of race winners. Alaa El Din was so successful in passing his athletic ability to his children, that the breeders in Poland expressed a very strong desire in purchasing him, for use in their breeding program.

Yesterday, Daniel Wigger posted a comment concerning the strong resemblance between Alaa El Din, a straight Egyptian Kuhaylan Rodan stallion (pictured above) and Plantagenet, a Davenport Kuhaylan Haifi stallion (pictured below).

"did you notice the strong resemblance between Plantagenet and Alaa El Din, a KAIR?"

They are both elegant horses, refined, not heavy in their appearance. Both horses have great necks, with good length. They share similar body types, more rectangular in their body shape with leaner builds and a longer back, as compared to the rounded, more curvey type with a heavier-muscled phenotype. Both horses are built more like race horses, favoring the type we associate with very refined, more Arabian-looking Thoroughbred horses. It is interesting to compare and contrast both horses, as I agree with Daniel that these horses are more similar than they are different. I wonder, as both horses are of the Kuhaylan strain, whether there are common ancestors between the Rodans and the Haifis, way, way back under Bedouin ownership. However, Plantagenet is heavily influenced by the Saqlawi mare, *Wadduda, who was also a chestnut. And Kateefa, the dam of Alaa el Din, was a daughter of the Saqlawi Shaloul, one of the horses that Judi Forbis had called "the fabulous four". Shaloul was out of Bint Radia, who traces in tail female to Bint Helwa and ultimately to Ghazieh. I wonder over the impact that *Wadduda had, in determining the look of Plantagenet, as I wonder the impact of Radia, in determining the look of Alaa el Din?

WHAT

do you think?

EnJOY,
Ralph

Plantagenet

2011-11-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

"I heard footsteps running back across the yard and excited voices coming closer. Two heads appeared at my door. One was that of a young boy who looked at me for a long time, considering me carefullly before his face broke into a beaming smile. 'Mother,' he said deliberately. 'That will be a wonderful and brave horse. Look how he holds his head."-Michael Morpurgo, from his book, War Horse

Plantagenet was a 1976 chestnut stallion, bred by Charles and Jeanne Craver. He was sired by the Prince Hal son, Akmet Haffez and was out of the El Alamein daughter, Iras (out of the Tripoli daughter, Portia). Plantagenet is not a straight Egyptian horse nor does he have any Egyptian lines in his pedigree. He is Asil, Al Khamsa, CMK and is considered a Davenport Arabian horse, because he traces in all the lines of his pedigree to the horses imported and bred by Homer Davenport, as well as the horses imported by the Hamidie Society for the World's Fair, i.e. the mare, *Wadduda. Plantagenet is Kuhaylan Haifi by strain, tracing in his tail female line to the Antez daughter, Antarah.

"All living Davenport horses belong to one of four tail-female lines (Kuhaylan-Haifi, Kuhaylan-Kurush, Hadban, or Schilla)"-Davenport Arabian Horse Conservancy

In Davenport breeding, Plantagenet belongs to a group of horses which are known as "Core Haifi" which means that he is a result of the second foundation of Kuhaylan Haifi horses like Dharebah, Dhalana, Tara, Dharanah, El Alamein, Saranah, Dhanad, and Dharantez, blended with the stallion Tripoli, a Hanad son out of the *Hamrah daughter, Poka. Plantagenet has three lines to Tripoli in his pedigree, which further concentrate the influence to the 1899 bay mare, *Urfah, as well as *Wadduda.

"Davenport Arabian horses are wonderful horses. They represent a unique snapshot of the genetic material of the Bedouin Arabian horse."-Davenport Arabian Horse Conservancy

Plantagenet, well, he was magnificent.

EnJOY,
Ralph

Asal Sirabba

2011-11-20T09:00:00.000-05:00

"In each family a story is playing itself out, and each family's story embodies its hope and despair."- Auguste Napier

Asal Sirabba, a 1958 grey mare, bred by Mrs. John E. Ott, was sired by Sirecho and was out of the Babson mare, Habba. By virtue of her pedigree, she is representative of the type of horse that defined the breeding program of Prince Mohamed Aly Tewfik. No surprise, as both *Nasr, the sire of Sirecho and *Fadl, the sire of Habba, were bred by the Prince, as was Mabrouk Manial, the sire of Baiyad. When combined with the other horses in the pedigree bred by Abbas Pasha Hilmi II, Ahmed Bey El Sennari, Prince Ahmed Kamel, the percentage of true Egyptian blood reaches almost 98%! Which means that the percentage of Blunt desert breeding was very low in this mare, about 2%. The only Blunt horse appearing in the pedigree is Kazmeen, the sire of Bint Sabah. While this pedigree history helps us to understand the horse we breed today, how do these long ago horses continue to remain significant and desireable, to today's breeder? While Asal Sirabba was bred to *Ibn Moniet el Nefous, producing the mare AK Nadira in 1976; I believe the answer is found through the family of horses that resulted from breeding Asal Sirabba to *Ansata Ibn Halima, a stallion who also traces to El Dahma, through his tail female line. It would make sense, because of the intense concentration of El Dahma blood, that Asal Sirabba's daughters by *Ansata Ibn Halima: Silima in 1966, Raalima in 1967 and particularly, Siralima in 1971, would be her strongest and most outstanding progeny...to the present day.

Raalima was a prolific mare for Bentwood Farm, producing daughters by the stallions, *Ibn Moniet El Nefous, The Egyptian Prince and Shaikh Al Badi. Among those daughters are AK Shahlima, Bint Raalima, Ak Tarifa, AK Zayaadah, Thamin Amira, Latifa Raqqasa and Our Kibriya.

Silima, when bred to Hadbah, produced the stallion Anchor Hill Halim, who went to Germany and became a successful sire, having produced daughters like Mona I, Moregha, *HS Mayeda amd *Moshana.

"I remember in the old days the very best horses belonged to people of moderate means. A man who has one foal, especially if it be well-bred, feels that it is a part of himself, and gives it every possible attention."-Prince Mohamed Aly Tewfik

My favorite daughter of Asal Sirabba was Siralima, pictured at right. I feel she was the best producing mare of the three daughteres and was owned by Bob Cowling (the same man who owned Fa Halima). Siralima was bred primarily to *Ibn Moniet El Nefous and produced AK Monalima, AK Jamila, AK Il Malika and AK Latifa, who was sold with her Imperial Al Kamar filly, Imperial Kalatifa to Ariela Arabians in Israel. AK Latifa would produce four foals for Ariela, who would eventually become Israeli National Champion horses!!! Yes, all four!!!

1-2-3-4...
FOUR...
ALL FOUR!

Imperial Kalatifa, when bred to Imperial Imdal, produced the multi-champion halter mare, Loubna. This wonderful mare has earned more prizes, in more countries, as proof of her outstanding beauty. She is now owned by Sheikh Ammar Bin Humaid Al Nuaimi of Ajman Stud.

World Champion Mare at the Salon du Cheval
Dubai Champion Mare
All Nations Cup Champion Mare
European Champion Mare
Middle East Champion Mare
Egyptian Event Europe Champion Mare
Israeli National Champion Mare and Filly
Gold Champion Mare, Abu Dhabi

However, it is AK Latifa's son, Laheeb, also by Imperial Imdal, who has spread the influence of Asal Sirabba all over the world having stood at stud at Janow Podlaski and Michalow Stud in Poland, at Al Badeia in Egypt; as well as in America, at Ferlita Arabians in California.

It is amazing to consider what this family of horses has accomplished, when one considers all of the progeny who descend from this beautiful grey mare, Asal Sirabba and how they remain as a vital, relevant part of the straight Egyptian breeding community.

EnJOY,
Ralph

PINK..in 3-D

2011-11-13T09:10:00.001-05:00

“Almost all words do have color and nothing is more pleasant than to utter a pink word and see someone's eyes light up and know it is a pink word for him or her too”-Gladys Taber

Evelyn Lauder died yesterday. Together with Alexandra Penney, Evelyn Lauder created a pink ribbon to raise awareness for breast cancer. Initially, the ribbon was given to women at department store makeup counters, to remind them to schedule a breast examination with their doctor. However, the ribbon became much bigger and ultimately, Evelyn Lauder succeeded in raising awareness for breast cancer in a very big way, with Congress eventually designating the month of October as breast cancer awareness month. Whether you buy a container of Yoplait yogurt or even, a bag of Purina horse feed, the packaging changes to the color of pink for the month of October. All because of an idea that an amazing woman once had. So, in tribute to a most wonderful lady, I thought of three beautiful horses, who share something in common...a little bit of pink on their nose, as a result of what happens, when a white marking appears on a gray-colored horse..

Above is the pure Polish Arabian stallion, *Kordelas, a Monogramm son out of the Palas daughter, Kabala., as captured on film by his owner, Dick Reed of Toskhara Arabians.

Pictured above is the straight Egyptian stallion, Fa Halii Halim, an El Halimaar son ouf of the Ansata el Sherif daughter, Fa Sherifaa, as captured by camera by his owner, Marilyn Lang of Fantasia Arabians.

Above, is the straight Egyptian stallion, Imperial Baarez, a PVA Karim son out of the *Orashan daughter, BB Ora Kalilah as captured on film by Nasr Marei.

I imagine Evelyn Lauder seeing these horses and wanting to rub that little bit of pink, as I do, every time I see their picture. It's really cute.

EnJOY,
Ralph

Still Authentic: Black Dahman

2011-11-10T20:00:00.000-05:00

"Looking back, you realize that a very special person passed briefly through your life..."~Robert Brault

"Oh my gosh Gail, what a cute colt and he is so black!" I said in complete surprise, as enchanted, I watched a smooth black colt trot effortlessly around his dam, his tail curled over his back, head held high and his giant nostrils fully dilated. Gail smiled broadly in acknowledgement, an unspoken affirmation of the happiness and pride she felt for her colt. He was the living picture of the image many picture in their minds, when they think of an Arabian horse. I had never seen a colt quite like this before. He was so fancy, yet really friendly and seemed to have a desire to get closer to people, to sniff them, lick them and kind of figure out what people might be all about. Already, at such a young age, the colt showed an amazing amount of refinement. Comparing him against the other colts on the farm, he was different, making the other colts look coarse. Yes, he was really special and the excitement in Gail's voice, conveyed fully what this colt would mean for Princeton Arabians' future.

Pri Gamil Halim was a 1983 black stallion, bred by Gail Hoff-Carmona of Princeton Arabians. He was sired by Ansata Halima Son and was out of Princeton Gamila, a Faaris daughter and one of Gail's most important broodmares. He had all of the elements in his genetic make-up as the Ansata Nile family, with the added influence of the *Nasr son, Sirecho. When you study the pedigree, you may find it interesting that at the very top, through Sheikh el Arab, the sire of Halima, is Bint Sabah, a Kazmeen daughter out of Sabah, who is a great grand-daughter of El Dahma, an Ali Pasha Sherif mare from 1880, who is recognized as the foundress of the Dahman Shahwan strain. At the bottom of the pedigree, via Habba, is the same tail female line. However, somewhere in the middle of all this good stuff, appears Ansata Damietta, who traces to Bukra, another Bint Sabah daughter. That's alot of Bint Sabah and combined with the other lines that lead to El Dahma; Pri Gamil Halim had approximately 32 lines to El Dahma in his pedigree, not to mention, because of the reduced number of Blunt desert horses, a significantly higher percentage of authentic Egyptian breeding, as compared to other Egyptian horses. When I started studying Hallany Mistanny and specifically *Zarife and *Roda, I became aware that there were real Egyptian horses, particularly those horses which descend from the stud of Prince Mohamed Aly Tewfik, who are free of the desert horses that Lady Ann Blunt exported from the desert. In Pri Gamil Halim, his Blunt component is 6.2%, while his Egypt 1 percentage is 86%. In a breeding community where it is challenging to find breeding horses bred differently from the majority, i.e. Nazeer, the Blunt-free pedigrees, while harder to find and smaller in number, can be an opportunity for the breeder to do something well, a little differently.

I remember standing against the fence of the paddock, admiring this very cute, charismatic black colt. He would come over to where I stood for a few minutes, curiosity getting the best of him and I would get to "sweet-talk" him, as I lay my hands all over his silky-soft coat, before he ran back to his mother's side. Gosh, it was so obvious to me at the time, that this little colt could be the kind of friend I so desired to find in a horse!

"Alec forgot his problems in the beauty of the stallion as he swept along, graceful in his swift stride, his black mane and tail flying." -Walter Farley, from The Black Stallion

Those were magic moments and back then, I don't think I fully understood the significance of what was, essentially a gift. I was fascinated by the colt and I looked forward to arriving at Los Alamos a bit earlier than my scheduled lesson, in the hope of playing and developing a friendship with "Halim". Pri Gamil Halim was an attractive colt, very close-coupled; his silhouette framed with flowing, circular lines. He wasn't a big horse but he had a lot of balance, his proportions were harmonious and well-suited to his body. Everything looked like it belonged on him, exactly how he was created, exactly how you would imagine a Dahman Shahwan horse to look. I thought he was perfect. My mind would wander, thinking about all the possibilities and how much better life would be, sharing it with a colt like this. Unfortunately for me, my life was about to change significantly, taking me away from the horses that I loved. By then, I had fallen in love, became married and embarked on establishing a career and family. While I still loved horses very much, a dream like horse ownership was just not possible...for a long time. Although I missed much of his transition into maturity, I did get to see Pri Gamil Halim a couple of times, as a performance horse, under saddle, in the open houses at Los Alamos and I have to tell you, I felt a little like a parent, my heart bursting with pride, as I watched "my not so little anymore" black colt perform as part of a Pas De Deux, set to music.

"Oh my gosh, Halim, what an elegant horse you have become!" I silently whispered, in complete surprise.

I was so proud of him, as I watched him focused intently on all that his rider asked of him, his long black tail swishing from side-to-side, keeping time with the music. He was so sweet and willing, demonstrating to all watching, the compliant nature of these horses and why this breed, above all others, are particularly well-suited for people who desire more from their horses, enjoying the kind of relationship people like Pat Parelli already enjoy with their superstar horses, showcasing the positive results of natural horse training . And that's why, no matter what may be happening in my life at any given moment, the happiness I experience from just thinking about horses and all that is possible, helps me to make it from one second to the next. THAT, is a real gift.

“It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.” -Paulo Coelho, from his book, The Alchemist

EnJOY,
Ralph

SHINY HORSES

2011-11-04T07:58:00.000-04:00

The pastures surrounding Sharga lake, in Mongolia, are famous for producing horses who mature into tough horses. Similar to Ireland and to the state of Kentucky, USA, there is something in the soil, possibly limestone, which helps to build strong bodies, strong bones and strong horses in this still wild nation. A mountain range borders the south side of Sharga lake. Mongolians believe the first horses came down from heaven and entered a small lake, located at the top of these mountains. This lake has an underground spring, which feeds cool, clear, cold mountain water into Sharga Lake. The horses swam down to the lake bottom, through this spring, to emerge below, in Sharga Lake. Looking around the lake, the horses observed the good grazing grounds and decided to make Sharga Lake their home. From these heavenly horses, the herd of horses grew and grew, spreading the fame of these wonderfully strong, fast and shiny horses all over Mongolia and as Mongolians believe, all over the world.

Have you read THE HORSE BOY by Rupert Isaacson? It's a great book. I learned that "Sharga" means "shining", as in, "when a horse's coat is really shining." I thought of horses whom I have known with naturally shiny coats. Many of the Davenport Arabian horses, like the Tripoli daughter, Fancy Flight, pictured at left, have a metallic sheen to their coats, particularly the chestnut-colored horses. Maybe it is more noticeable in a chestnut, as opposed to the other body colors. It's a deep luster, that makes them sparkle and twinkle in the bright day's sun. I was surprised, when I saw pictures of the Arabian Horses in Bahrain, as I saw this quality in the coats of the horses pictured. My friend, writer and Crabbet historian, enthusiast and breeder, Gari Dill-Marlow, in her travels to England, was able to see the hide of the influential Crabbet Arabian Horse, Skowronek, and his hide was still so shiny, it glowed. So, when I read the explanation for the name of "Sharga", this great story really got my attention. Is a naturally shiny, metallic, glowing coat one of the signs we can look for, to determine the authenticity and antiquity of purebred horses?

EnJOY,
Ralph

Remembering Ansata Halima Son

2011-10-22T10:10:00.001-04:00

Ansata Halima Son was a 1977 grey stallion, by *Ansata Ibn Halima, out of Ansata Damietta, a daughter of the *Morafic son, Ansata Shah Zaman and out of the Sameh daughter, Ansata Bint Misr. In his tail female line, Ansata Halima Son traces to the Dahmah Shahwaniyah mare, Bukra. I knew of Ansata Halima Son because he was the sire of Pri Asali Halim and Pri Gamil Halim, both stallions out of Princeton Gamila, the dam of my mare, Princeton Maarena. Although I never saw Ansata Halima Son in person, I was impressed with the consistency of the horses he sired, horses which I knew personally. Another son, Ansata Ibn Aziza (out of the Ansata Bint Zaafarana daughter [tail female line to Farida] Ansata Aziza) became an important sire for Dr. William M. Hudson, Jr. of Zandai Arabians. His most influential daughter is Ansata Jumana, who through her dam, Ansata Judea, traces to the Sameh grand-daughter Ansata Jamila and *Ansata Bint Sameh. Ansata Jumana was a prolific broodmare, producing many daughters who matured into successful broodmares for Ansata and other breeding programs around the world. She also produced by Asjah Ibn Faleh, the beautiful and athletic black stallion, Ansata Exemplar, who was exported overseas and earned a gold medal at the German Stallion Show. And for me, that is the most amazing fact about this horse, that bred to a reduced number of mares, his influence has spread far and wide in the world-wide community of straight Egyptian Arabian horses.

EnJOY,
Ralph

Burlap & Satin

2011-10-14T23:27:00.000-04:00

We rounded the corner, and as we walked back towards the main barn, we came to a smaller sized pen, with an older, black mare inside. "Who is that?" I asked. "That's Black Satin" Gail replied.

BLACK SATIN

She was Gail's beloved foundation mare, one of the most critically important mares at Princeton Arabians. With 13 foals produced, ten of which were daughters, she was an excellent broodmare. I remembered Black Satin. The last time that I had seen her, Gail had been trying to get her in foal and her body was comprised of rounded and smooth-flowing lines. When she moved at liberty, she took your breath away, with her bright, ground covering trot. She was an old-time horse, Rubinesque in build and her deep black coat, enhanced her look and made it much more dramatic, lending an air of exciting mystery, full of promise and romance. She was the kind of horse you can never forget.

"Can I go in and say hello? I haven't seen her in a long time."

I walked up to her slowly and talked to her. I told her how pretty she was. She looked toward me, a bit unsure, her eyes worried-looking and I could tell that she was trying to catch my scent. She knew that I was there, she just didn't know what, I was. I turned my head to look at Gail and she said, "she's blind now and, she has no teeth. She is 30 years old."

"Trust and respect are two-way streets. We want the horse to accept us as leaders of the herd, to guide them safely and to provide protection and comfort. In return, they will give us their respect, and willing submission to our ideas about what to do next, and when and where. But this respect can only be based on well deserved trust."-Walter Zettl

How did that happen? How did that much time pass by? I continued walking towards her, talking softly and when I got to her side, I placed my palm carefully on her shoulder, to let her know that I was there. She stood like a statue, as I wrapped my arms around her neck, burying my face deep inside her wonderful, black, silky coat, her long and silky mane hairs carressing my face. "Gosh, I really miss being around horses." I thought. I breathed in deeply. She smelled wonderful. "I missed you." I said to her. "I think you are even prettier than I remember." And it was true. Something had happened to Black Satin, since I last saw her. The definition of bone had become more pronounced. Her face appeared sculpted, chiseled, imparting a dry elegance, unique to the Arabian horse. "When did your jowls start growing...they are so huge!" I exclaimed in wonder. I was amazed and...enchanted. We stood like this for a long while, basking in the soft black glow of a special horse, while asking Gail tons of questions, which she patiently answered. Sometime during our conversation, I realized that Black Satin was resting her head on my shoulder and her nostrils were blowing warm air onto my face. I was thrilled to the very core of my being.

Black Satin was a daughter of a black stallion named Black Sambo, pictured at left. He was a Mahroun son out of Biroufa. Bred to Diroufa, Biroufa's half-sister, the black beauty named Black Satin was born in 1960. She was a straight Babson Egyptian Arabian horse. In both of her tail female lines, she traced to the Babson import of 1932, *Maaroufa, a Prince Mohamed Aly Tewfik-bred mare. Her sire, Black Sambo also traced to *Maaroufa in both of his tail female lines. With eight lines to *Fadl, *Maaroufa's full brother, the pedigree is deeply influenced by the blood of Ibn Rabdan and Mahroussa. No wonder that Black Satin's physique was made up of curves and circles. Together with the four lines to *Bint Serra I and one line to *Bint Saada, Black Satin had a heavy concentration of the Saqlawi strain.

Black Satin was bred to Ansata Ibn Sudan, to produce Pri Sufa Kuhaylah, the dam of Pri Serr Sudan. When Pri Sufa Kuhaylah was bred to her half-brother, the *Soufian son, Pri Rabdan Moniet, she produced Pri Rabda Kuhaylah. This mare, in turn, was bred to The Minstril son, Say Amen and produced the mare, Say Si Bon. Black Satin was also bred to the *Mirage grandson, Jaspre, to produce a breath-taking flea-bitten grey mare named Princeton Jaroufa, who was owned by Albert Gilbault of Abitibi Farm in Canada. I knew Princeton Jaroufa and she was gorgeous, really gorgeous. Statuesque and scopey, with a long neck;, Princeton Jaroufa's silhouette was outstanding. Black Satin was bred to the Fa-Serr son, Faaris, to produce one of the most beautiful black Babson stallions, Princeton Faaris. Black Satin was also bred to the *Raffles grandson, Sarolle, to produce Princeton Nargela in 1966, Princeton Shiga in 1967 and Princeton Sumi in 1968. Black Satin was also bred to the Hallany Mistanny son (and maternal grandson) HMR Hallany, to produce another daughter named Princeton Santeen in 1971. However, it was in 1985 and 1986, when Black Satin was finally bred to Serr Maariner to produce what would be her last foals, a beautiful black-bay mare named Princeton Maaroufa and a chestnut stallion named Princeton Maariner. I loved both horses dearly and never ceased to be amazed by the fact that this mare delivered these foals when she was 25 and 26 years old!

When I left Princeton Arabians, I did not realize that I had just seen Black Satin for the last time. I went back to my busy non-horse filled life and soon, the sight, the feel, the scent of the beautiful horses disappeared, like smoke in the wind and all that I had experienced, was pushed far back in my mind, to be pulled out and revisited, every now and then.

"There is no such thing in anyone's life as an unimportant day."-Alexander Woollcot

EnJOY,
Ralph

Pri Serr Sudan

2011-10-13T06:35:00.000-04:00

Pri Serr Sudan was a 1980 chestnut stallion, who was sired by the straight Babson Egyptian stallion, Serr Maariner, and out of Pri Sufa Kuhaylah, an Ansata Ibn Sudan daughter out of Gail Carmona's beloved foundation mare, Black Satin; hence the "Kuhaylah" in the name. At the time of Pri Sufa Kuhaylah's life, the tail female line of these horses, via the 1932 Babson import, *Maaroufa, was recognized as Kuhaylan Jellabi in strain. However, the academic research into the notes and letters of Lady Anne Blunt, together with the mtDNA study done by Michael Bowling, succeeded in changing our level of understanding about these horses, who have been mistakenly identified as Kuhaylan, when in fact they are Saqlawi. I wonder, had this information been made available during the lifetime of these horses, would this mare's name change to Pri Sufa Saqlawiyah?

Pri Serr Sudan has four lines to the 1932 Babson import, *Bint Bint Sabbah. Two of those lines are through Khebir, the other lines are through Fa Saana and Fabah. Ansata Ibn Sudan, as a son of *Ansata Ibn Halima, has an additional line to Bint Sabah, who was the dam of Sheikh el Arab, the sire of Halima. Bint Sabah was also the dam of *Bint Bint Sabbah. This brings the total to five lines, for *Bint Bint Sabbah. Only *Fadl, with twelve lines, appears more in this pedigree. What I also like about Pri Serr Sudan's pedigree is the presence of *Bint Saada, who is not often found in Babson horse breeding. In the Babson horses that I have liked most, there was always just a little bit of extra special something, that I could not explain with the right words. I still can't. I attribute *Bint Saada with boosting the level of quality in these horses. Pri Serr Sudan has two lines to this mare, through her son Faddan. I also am happy to count the multiple lines to the *Bint Serra I. I counted seven lines. Together with the line to Moniet el Nefous through Ansata Bint Mabrouka and the two lines to *Bint Saada, that's ten sources of Saqlawi blood and don't forget about the seventeen lines previously considered Kuhaylan, which are now Saqlawi. If you add up all of the sources of Saqlawi blood, there are twenty-seven lines to the Saqlawi strain, making this horse predominantly Saqlawi and he looked it. AMAZING!

Pri Serr Sudan was one of my favorite horses at Gail Carmona's farm. I looked forward to seeing him, every time I had a riding lesson. He was stabled in a smaller stallion barn, across from the indoor arena. Serr Maariner was in the middle stall, Sudan was on the left and Ansata Mourad Bey was on the right. It was a champion's barn, a veritable hall of fame and I, in my youth, had little idea of how special this opportunity was for me. "Sudan" was really beautiful and my favorite, with an expressive face, which included his big, black eyes, wrapped in the most beautiful coat color of horses. I enjoyed talking to him and touching him, with his super silky-soft hair, luxuriant to the touch. He was magnificent and I always believed he was Serr Maariner's best son. As beautiful as he was standing still, he was also an athletic horse and Gail took him far in Dressage, all the way to the US Nationals. I enjoyed watching Gail, with "Sudan" under saddle. He tried so hard for Gail, doing everything she asked,, his face focused and intent on accomplishing the task. I'll never forget the "try" this horse had.

It is amazing to consider the memories of one particular horse, thanks to a long-ago picture. I still have not forgotten this special horse and hope that one day, I am blessed with a beautiful and willing partner, as Sudan was for Gail.

EnJOY,
Ralph

Nil Blanc du Gréou

2011-10-11T21:57:00.003-04:00

The late stallion, Ansata Nile Pasha, when bred to Ansata Nile Dawn, sired Nil Blanc du Gréou, a 1997 grey stallion, who makes his home in France. If ever there was a horse, who underscores the close connections in our Egyptian community, this horse would be the one. Nil Blanc du Gréou's dam is a half-sister to his sire's dam, Ansata Nile Dream, as both mares are out of the Ansata Ibn Sudan daughter, Ansata Nile Queen. Ansata Nile Dawn was sired by the *Sakr son, Nabiel; while Ansata Nile Dream was sired by her maternal grand sire, Ansata Ibn Sudan. In both tail female lines of the pedigree, Nil Blanc du Gréou traces to El Dahma, through the Babson import of 1932, *Bint Bint Sabbah. He is a pure-in-the-strain Dahman horse. While you may consider the Hanan son, *Jamil, an outcross horse in this pedigree, consider that *Jamil's sire, Madkour I, was out of the mare Moheba II, a mare who traces to Farida, through Ragia, in her tail female line. *Ansata Ibn Halima, who appears five times in Nil Blanc du Gréou's pedigree also traces to Farida through Ragia, in his tail female line. There are six crosses to Farida in the pedigree. When looking beyond the close connections of the Ansata-prefixed horses, the outcross horses appear to be Hanan, Sakr and Magidaa. And yet, Hanan and Magidaa are both Alaa el Din daughters; while Maysa, the dam of Magidaa, is a double Hamdan grand-daughter and shares this horse with Mona, the dam of Hanan (Hamdan grand-daughter) and Enayat, the dam of *Sakr (also a Hamdan grand-daughter). I think you will agree with me, that the pedigree of Nil Blanc du Gréou is concentrated in the blood of our most celebrated and influential foundation horses. I am fascinated by this horse and the overall impression of refinement and elegance that he conveys.

EnJOY,
Ralph

PS Many thanks to Clo Nollet for letting me use the beautiful picture of Nil Blanc du Gréou

FULL SIBLINGS...*Ibn Moniet el Nefous x Maarena

2011-10-10T08:00:00.000-04:00

The cross between the new Egyptian stallion, *Ibn Moniet el Nefous and the straight Babson Egyptian mare, Maarena, produced the stallions AK El Zahra Moniet (chestnut), AK El Malouf (grey) and AK Monareena (grey). There was a fourth horse, a gelding by the name of AK Bareem (grey), who was a successful show horse, earning a US Top Ten in Native Costume. In their lifetime, these horses were considered Kuhaylan Jellabi, by their tail female line. I found it interesting that today, thanks to the continued academic research and the mtDNA study by Michael Bowling, these full siblings are now, pure-in-the-strain Saqlawi strain horses, tracing to the mare Ghazieh, in both tail female lines. I always wondered why the Kuhaylan Jellabi horses became more refined, more elegant, the further they were bred within their strain. Now, I know the reason.

EnJOY,
Ralph

Her Name is Vona...Vona Sher-Renea

2011-10-09T09:39:00.001-04:00

Vona Sher-Renea is a 1989 grey mare, sired by the *El Shaklan son, El Sher-Mann out of the Mohssen grand-daughter, Renea. She is Saqlawi Jedran by strain, tracing in her tail female line to the Blunt desert-bred mare, Basilisk. She has three Egyptian lines in her pedigree, through the *Morafic son, Shaker el Masri and the *Ansata Ibn Halima sons, El Hilal and Mohssen. That's five lines to Nazeer, two lines to Moniet el Nefous and three lines to Farida in this mare's genetic make-up. While the Crabbet lines which incorporate Skowronek and the Spanish lines through *Estopa exclude this mare as an Al Khamsa-recognized horse; Vona Sher-Renea has a high percentage of Asil breeding, not only through the Egyptian lines mentioned but also, via the multiple lines to the Wadduda grandson, Antez and the Muson son, *Letan, not to mention the high percentage of Blunt desert breeding, throughout the majority of her pedigree..

"Who knows when love begins? Who knows what makes it start? One day it's simply there, a life inside your heart. It slips into your thoughts, It infiltrates your soul, It takes you by surprise, then seizes full control."-from the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, Love Never Dies

It is difficult not to remember the theme of this year's Al Khamsa convention, which reminds everyone of CONNECTIONS...we are all connected through our horses and I can't think of a better way to celebrate these connections than to spotlight this precious mare, who has produced for our world, the most beautiful stallion of recent times, WH Justice by Magnum Psyche. Preservation cannot just be an end unto itself. There has to be a very real reason why preservation makes sense. Why are we saving these bloodlines, if we don't use these elements together with other essential ancestral elements to breed better horses? There needs to be a motivating reason why Arabian Horse breeders will tap into the rich repository of Asil breeding. And nothing motivates people more than a beautiful, champion Arabian horse! Using preservation breeding, TOGETHER with other Arabian bloodlines makes sense and in this example, of a real live beauty like Vona Sher-Renea and her son, WH Justice; preservation breeding was very necessary, because without preservation, these horses would not exist. As WH Justice continues to color our world with lovely sons and daughters, each foal celebrates the vision and the wisdom of the breeders who came before us and their decision to save a bloodline, for future use

EnJOY,
Ralph

Masada Mazal

2011-10-05T07:21:00.001-04:00

The straight Babson Egyptian stallion, Masada Mazal, was named a Top Ten United States National Champion in Show Hack, at the Arabian Sport Horse National Show, held in Lexington, Kentucky this week. Owned by Anita Polk, Masada Mazal was bred by the late Walter Schimanski. A ten year old stallion, he was sired by Fa Asar, an Ibn Fa-Serr son out of Serasabba. His dam is Masada Fa Hannah, a Fabo daughter out of ASF Hannah.

The Show Hack class was well-filled and super competitive, with over thirty horses competing, including horses who had shown and won this class, in other years. This was Masada Mazal's first time competing in a national class and he earned a TOP TEN!

When you look at his pedigree, one thing you will notice is the use of Saqlawi-line stallions, alternating with Dahman-line mares.

"Incorporating the Saqlawi type brings length back to neck and leg, which can be lost with intense use of Dahman and Kuhaylan strain types. It also yields finer bone structure and produces flatter and less prominent muscling. Too much Saqlawi can produce a long back and ears. Dahman type brings back an overall balance and harmony, including more dished heads and larger eyes, and shorter backs, but also has the tendency to produce shorter necks and legs, heavier muscling, and more bone."-Walter Schimanski

For example, on the paternal side of the pedigree, Fa Asar's sire, Ibn Fa-Serr, traces to *Bint Serra I in both of his tail female lines, through Fa-Serr and Fa Deene, while Serasabba, Fa Asar's dam, traces to *Bint Bint Sabbah in both tail female lines, through Fabah and Fay Sabbah. On the maternal side, Fabo, sired by the *Bint Bint Sabbah son, Fabah, traces to *Bint Serra I through his dam Misimma. ASF Hannah, the dam of Masada Fay Hannah, traces to *Bint Bint Sabbah through the same mare as Serasabba, Fay Sabbah and yet, something different happens....she introduces different sources of Saqlawi blood through the mares Aaroufa and Fay-Negma. Over and over, the pedigree balances the strains, so no one strain dominates the other. It's a play on equality, masterminded by the breeder, hard at work in the background, behind the control panel. It amazes me...still.

Both in phenotype and in genotype, Masada Mazal proves the accuracy of Walter's vision. Masada Mazal is a living, breathing example of everything that Walter Schimanski believed in, when it came to Babson horses. I don't believe that a finer tribute to his legacy can be made, than by what Masada Mazal has accomplished.

EnJOY,
Ralph

A Filly

2011-10-04T07:24:00.000-04:00

Imperial Phanadah 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. When Imperial Phanadah was bred to the El Hilal son, Imperial Al Kamar, she produced a chestnut mare who was named Imperial Pharasha. She is with Al and Judi Parks of Abbasiyah, in Fredericksburg, Texas. Last year, she produced a colt by Abraxas Moonstruk named Kamar Al Abbasiyah. This year, she produced a bay filly by Haliluyah MH. Her name is Fareedah Al Abbasiyah, which means "Precious gem of Abbasiyah".

What's interesting about the combination of Haliluyah MH and Imperial Pharasha, is the intensification of the timeless stallion, *Ansata Ibn Halima. There are five crosses to this horse in the pedigree.

FIVE...1-2-3-4-5

However, in her tail female line, through *Pharrah, this filly traces to Bint Sabah, the same mare who produced by Baiyad, the Babson import, *Bint Bint Sabbah. On the paternal side of her pedigree, she carries the blood of this special Babson mare through Fa Saana (*Fadl x *Bint Bint Sabbah) and FaSaab (*Fadl x *Bint Bint Sabbah). So, I find this amazing, as this pedigree blends the same family of Dahman Shahwans, through more than one source. There aren't many horses in our community who combine these elements together, in one pedigree.

I like this filly alot and I can't wait to see the beautiful mare that her pedigree tells us that she will become.

EnJOY,
Ralph

A New Moon

2011-10-02T10:14:00.001-04:00

Majid Alsayegh is the breeder and owner of the 2003 stallion, Badraan Al Majid (Imperial Al Kamar x Imperial Mahzeera) who is pictured above, in this Cathy Rochon photo, taken a couple of weeks ago at Majid's farm, just prior to the Al Khamsa Convention. Badraan has matured into a lovely horse and a living tribute of Maar Bilahh, his maternal grand dam. Like his grandmother, he has a wonderful temperament and you can see in the picture, the wonderful rapport he has with Majid. In a day and age when we understand so much more about developing mutually-successful relationships with horses; it is extremely encouraging and inspiring to meet a horse like Badraan and contemplate the limitless possibilities a person like you or me can enjoy with an Arabian Horse.

Also like Maar Bilahh and her sire El Halimaar, Badraan has expressive, liquid black eyes, underscoring why sweet-looking horses like Badraan can easily conquer human hearts. He has mine, that's for sure. This is a horse to hug and to whisper sweet promises of fun, friendship and carrots...lots of carrots. Like Maar Bilahh, he is smooth-bodied, harmonious and, substantial, 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. Badraan's classic type, conformation 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.

EnJOY,
Ralph

The Money Jar

2011-10-01T09:34:00.001-04:00

Her fingers felt the cold, hard coins as she shoved her hand deep inside the money jar. The feeling of the coins against her skin surprised her and caught her attention. She hesitated for a moment while clutching a fistful of quarters...perhaps, taking the money was not the right thing to do. After all, this was her father's bedroom, her father's things, her father's money jar and of course, her father's coins. She shouldn't be in here. It was a matter of trust and she didn't want to risk losing it. She loved her father but she was running out of time and she really needed the money, maybe more than he did. Her father had a job, so he could make more money to replace the amount she had taken. Besides he was probably saving up for something stupid, something he didn't need and maybe, something that would find itself stored forever in a closet, after the novelty wore off. Maybe, he wouldn't even notice the missing coins, as he had so many. No, he really didn't need this jar full of change. At least, that's what she told herself, to make herself feel better, as she stole from the one person who loved her more than anyone else. He trusted her, he believed in her and he spent every waking moment thinking of ways to make her life better.

It had been a difficult year. Peggy's cancer diagnosis had been a shock not only to him but also to Mattie. With a strong will and lots of determination, they had set out together to beat her sickness, as a family. For a while, it seemed that their optimism prevailed. However, just before Thanksgiving Peggy had taken a turn for the worse and by the following Christmas Day, Peggy was gone. He knew his daughter was hurt deeply. There was no way that he could ever fill the void that Peggy's absence made in her life. But he tried...to make life better for her, even though at times, most times, he felt overwhelmed. Lately, his daughter's silence had grown louder and well, no matter what he said or did, the silence was deafening and he was bothered by it. And then, there was the problem...the missing money. At first, he refused to believe that any of the coins were missing but he had started to mark the outside of the coin jar with a faint pencil line and his eyes confirmed what he had refused to believe. The line was so faint, you could hardly notice it. It was the only way he could think of, to confirm his suspicions. "What was she doing with the money?" he wondered. "Was she buying drugs?"

She walked into the supermarket and marched over to the Coinstar machine, as she fingered the zip-lock closure on the sandwich bag, that held all of her coins. She bumped into an elderly man, who turned to look at her and smiled. "You're in a hurry this morning, miss." he remarked cheerfully. Inside, she groaned. She didn't feel like talking, to anyone. She just wanted to dump her change into the machine and leave with the dollar bills that she needed. Try as she could, she just could not shake the uneasy feeling and this man, reminded her of her father. "I have someone waiting for me." she said and shrugged, as she turned her back on him and started pouring the change into the machine. Twenty minutes later, with all of her dollar bills safely tucked into her pocket, she marched down the gravel driveway, her eyes searching for Emily Tompkins, the farm owner. As she got nearer to the main barn, she heard the slamming of a stall door and headed over in that direction.

"Hey sweetie, how's it going today?" asked Emily, as she saw Mattie walking towards her. Emily enjoyed having Mattie on her farm. The young girl was easy-going, quiet and had a natural way with horses. Her influence on the place was extremely positive and Emily was delighted to see her. Not only was she a committed student, Mattie was a talented rider, with incredible potential. Had she been able to have children, Mattie would be the daughter she wished could have. "Are you going to work the colt again today?" Emily smiled, as she asked her that question. "I left a box by the pasture fence. I wanted you to take the plastic bag that I put inside and cover your right hand with it, as if you are wearing a glove. Then I want you to run your hand, with the plastic covering it, all over the colt's body, all over his head. Let's get him desensitized to the sound and feeling of crackly plastic things." she explained.

Mattie listened carefully to every word that Emily said. She was a great teacher and Mattie was benefiting from all of her lessons. Not only had Mattie blossomed into a strong rider, she was also learning valuable lessons in horsekeeping. Emily was about the same age as Mattie's mother, Peggy. She knew just about everything there was to know about horses. When Mattie's mother died, Emily became a surrogate mother to Mattie. They had grown even closer than ever and Mattie spent every waking moment at the farm. It was a happier place and a temporary escape from the sadness that seemed to ooze from every pore of her home. A few weeks ago, Riva, Emily's best broodmare foaled a beautiful black colt. He was breathtaking. Mattie had fallen in love with this colt and begged Emily for a chance to buy him. Emily was touched by the sincerity of Mattie's desire. The colt was stunning and Emily knew that she could sell the colt for a lot more money than Mattie could ever pay her. This was a business and no matter how she felt personally, all of the horses had to pay their way. There was no room financially, for free rides. However, this was Mattie and Emily was aware of how much Mattie had struggled over the past year. It was the first time since her mother died, that Mattie had felt so happy and Emily had not missed that. The newborn colt helped to ease the pain of the loss that Mattie felt, in every second, of every day.

"It's going okay, I guess. My Dad is acting weird and getting a bit on my nerves. I try hard to be quiet and not give him any trouble. I feel like I am under a microscope. Every thing I do, everything I say is sliced and diced to become something that I never said or did. I was hoping that you would let me spend the day with you. And, I have some more money to put down on the black colt too." Mattie blurted out, as she fished the money out of her pants pocket. She gave Emily $200 in twenty dollar bills.

Emily was concerned about the hundreds of dollars that Mattie had put down on the black colt. Where was the money coming from? Was the money the primary reason why her father was acting "weird"? Maybe he had the same questions about Mattie that she had? She hoped that Mattie was just one of those frugal kids, who saved every dollar sent in every birthday card. Emily thought long about Mattie. When Mattie saw the colt for the first time, Emily recognized the look on her face. It was the same look that Emily had on her face, when she saw Riva's dam for the first time.

"Wow Mattie, between all the chores you have been doing here and the extra money that you have been giving me each week, I think you'll have him paid off before the year is over. That's quite an accomplishment. I am really proud of you." and then she asked, "have you thought of a name for him yet?"

"I like the name Estrella very much, which is the Spanish word for star. My Star...Mi Estrella. What do you think Emily?" she asked. Emily smiled. She loved the name. It was perfect.

Later on that evening, when everyone had gone home and the farm was quiet, Emily was sitting in her favorite chair, curled up with a cup of peppermint tea. It was a special time for her, to think about the course of the day's events, in the hope that she could make the following day even better. Emily was committed to living a better life. She thought of Mattie and the wonderful name she had picked out for her colt. Mi Estrella...My Star...Mattie's Star...Mattie's colt. It was yet another sign of what a special kid Mattie is. She was committed to the development of all that Mattie could be, which to Emily pointed to an outstanding horsewoman, maybe a better horsewoman than she was. Then a cloud of fear came over her, as she thought again over the amount of money that Mattie had been giving her for the colt. The thought of the money really worried her. Where was this money coming from? She had contemplated calling her father and just checking in, casually mentioning the money, maybe even thanking him, for helping Mattie to purchase the beautiful black colt. Then, she would wait for his reaction...or surprise. Mattie's father rarely came to the farm. Emily had seen him a handful of times, usually picking Mattie up, to take her home. She had heard from some of the other parents, who also had children enrolled in her lesson program, that Mattie's father was overcome with grief over his wife's death and had become somewhat reclusive. No one really saw him anymore. That was understandable, as Peggy's death had come quickly and unexpectedly. Neither Mattie nor her father were prepared to say good-bye.

The more she thought about it, the more convinced she became of what she needed to do. Yes, the right thing to do would be to call Mattie's father, even if it meant risking her relationship with Mattie. That was the hard price to pay for love. And Emily realized that she deeply cared for Mattie. She picked up her cordless handset and dialed the number. She heard the first ring and then, the second. And that's when it hit Emily. She was calling to tell him of the gift. GIFT? Yes, the little black colt, Mi Estrella, would officially become Mattie's colt, completely paid-in-full, no more money due and in a way, this solution would guarantee that dear, sweet Mattie, would be spending more of her time at the farm, with Emily. This would be her investment into Mattie's future and she would support Mattie in the training and upkeep of the colt. One day, Mattie would ride the young Thoroughbred in the Medal Maclay Finals. Emily would expect no less from her or from the colt.

"Hello?" the male voice asked and Emily, was pulled away from all that she had been thinking. "Hi Mr. James, this is Emily Tompkins from Sandollar Ranch. I am calling because I wanted to talk to you about your daughter, Mattie." she stated slowly and then, asked, "Is this a good time to talk?"

"As a matter of fact, you beat me to it Ms. Tompkins. I had planned to drive out to your place tomorrow, as I am concerned about my daughter and wanted to pick your brain about a few things...."

EnJOY your life...it's the only one you have,
Ralph

A Really Cute Colt Goes to School

2011-09-22T17:21:00.000-04:00

Connecting the dots...

2011-09-17T10:22:00.000-04:00

Sometimes, I look at a horse's pedigree and something happens...all of a sudden, I become more aware of the many people who were involved in creating a particular horse's history. Think about it for a minute. Do you know how many breeders were involved in making a horse like SR Mista Faaris possible? His pedigree is a living textbook of preservation history, consistently underscoring the vision and wisdom of different people, who demonstrate a tremendous amount of foresight, by preserving these different Bedouin lines. I think these are the CONNECTIONS that Al Khamsa wanted to emphasize and celebrate at their annual convention this year. Each breeder was really different from the other and yet, through the horse, they shared common ground and a common purpose. The ability of the past to CONNECT with the future, as it runs through the present, never ceases to amaze me and their horses. who live through a horse of the present, is the only connection we have back to them. SR Mista Faaris is a Princeton Faaris son out of Sunnyru Mis Mandy. His pedigree combines straight Babson Egyptian lines, Sa'ud breeding through the mare *Turfa, the Ayerza mare *Aire and more of the Prince Mohamed Aly Tewfik horses: *Nasr, *Zarife, *Roda, *Hamida. While not a straight Egyptian horse, SR Mista Faaris is here today because people like Albert Harris, General J.M. Dickinson, Don Hernan Ayerza, the Van Vleets, the Garretts, Paula Fatjo, the Perdue's of Rudalaro, Lois Kinney, Mari Silveus, Gail Hoff-Carmona valued the Bedouin Arabian Horse and chose to preserve him in a variety of forms, so therefore, SR Mista Faaris is 100% Al Khamsa, tracing to Bedouin-breeding in all of the lines of his pedigree.Because the Hallany Mistanny horses are so few in this world and the Babson-Turfas are even fewer, the blood of SR Mista Faaris and what he means for the Asil breeding pool, is precious...very precious. We can't afford to lose a horse like SR Mista Faaris. We need him.

He sired a very cute colt named SMF Alnair for Diane Smith of Snow Moon Farm in New Hampshire, so I offer this colt as proof, that SR Mista Faaris is a very nice breeding stallion. Both SR Mista Faaris and SMF Alnair are for sale at this time. This is a GIGANTIC opportunity for someone who wants to add authentic Bedouin breeding into their program. Horses like SR Mista Faaris are not the kind of horses who are easy to find, as breeders usually hang onto these treasures and no amount of money will move a breeder to part with them. They are priceless and this is your chance, to claim this treasure as your own.

EnJOY,

Ralph

Mamasita, Mamachita

2011-09-09T06:00:00.000-04:00

The truck rumbled to a stop, under a shady canopy of Acacia trees. I could feel the strength of the sun's rays on the back of my neck, as if someone was holding a spy glass, to magnify the sunlight into flames. It was really hot. No surprise, as close as we were to the Tropic of Capricorn, the most southerly latitude on the planet. The air was still but unlike the climate at home, it was lighter, not the heavy humidity that we were accustomed to but drier...really dry. A large cloud of brown dirt, kicked up by the truck's wheels, enveloped us completely, insuring that later on, we would be sneezing and coughing up more dirt than we cared to. I fanned the dirt-filled air away from my face, as best I could. All of a sudden, we heard the roar of a lion, which got our full attention. No doubt about it, this was no Busch Gardens. The sound reminded us that we were truly, in a wild place. My friends, Tommy and Brett, looked at each other in disbelief.

The native plants caused the air to smell completely different. It was the freshness of the earth, spiced with a hint of wildness, amplifying the intensity of the fragrant air. The colors of the landscape, made brighter by the sun, reflected a diversity of colors not found in any crayon box. I was enchanted. Africa was every bit as beautiful as I imagined it to be. "WOW guys, check this out...look around, there is nothing like this at home! Hey Tommy, can you believe it? We're in Namibia man...NAMIBIA!" I proclaimed.

Tommy laughed and said, "this is incredible, absolutely incredible. I feel like I jumped into a PBS Nature documentary on TV. And you know, this dirt will protect us from the mosquitoes, just like the elephants were doing on that show, remember?" We all laughed, remembering well, that day and how at the time, we were unknowingly closer to fulfilling a childhood dream. For longer than I can remember, maybe going back to when we were in middle school and preoccupied with playing games like street hockey, we dreamed of Africa, we talked of Africa and one day, we made a pact that we would see Africa...together. About 2 years ago, Brett had met a travel agent through his job at an accounting firm. He asked her for help in making this dream come true, a surprise for his closest friends. After much secret planning, Africa seemed more doable than ever before. He called Tommy and then, he called me.

"Yo, Scotty, what if I told you that I found a way for you, me and Tommy to go on a safari?" he asked excitedly. I admit, I was half listening, as I was still at work, in a middle of a brain-twisting email that I just had to send out.

"That's great Brett, you mean like when I win the lottery and what's the first thing I would do with the money?" I shot back and then said with a tease, "I think Disneyland might be first on that list, like in, Scott Williams, you just won the Super Bowl and what are you going to do? and I say, I'm going to Disneyland!"

"No man, I am serious. I've been working with a travel agent and she has scored us a big deal, in Namibia!"

"Huh? Are you playing me man?" I asked. "Because, I am trying to get this email back to my boss and I'm short on time, with no patience for getting pranked."

"C'mon Scotty, you know me better than that. I swear, it's no joke. I couldn't believe it, when Narcia Marquez told me. So, let me tell you what we need to do...." as Brett started to explain all the details and my jaw kept dropping lower and lower, with every word. "We were going to Africa!" I shouted in my head.

Namibia is located on southern Africa's west coast. The country gained its independence from South Africa in 1990 and is bordered by Angola, Zamibia, Botswana and South Africa. Namibia is also home to one of the largest Cheetah populations in the world. And here we were, approximately two and a half hours north of Windhoek, in the Waterberg Plateau, nestled among the Omboroko Mountains at Okonjima, a private farm owned by Wayne, Donna and Rosalea Hanssen. Their farm, originally started as a cattle farm by their parents, Val and Rose Hanssen, is now home to the AfriCat Foundation, the world's largest Cheetah, Lion and Leopard rescue and release program. It would be a great place to see Cheetahs living in the wild.

The rich baritone voice of Tangeni brought me back to the present moment, as lost in my thoughts as I had been. Tangeni worked at Okonjima and had invited us to join him, to check on a group of Cheetahs that had been rehabilitated and released on the preserve a few weeks ago. The preserve was enormous, encompassing approximately 54,000 acres; an enormous amount of land for three guys from the suburbs, where a half-acre lot was really big and like living in the country.

"A cheetah's face is much different from a leopard's face." explained Tangeni. "if you look closely, you will notice black marks that run from the corners of the eye, down to the corners of the mouth." he continued, as he unloaded walking sticks, a radio transmitter, a heavy backpack filled with medical supplies and enough water for each one of us, from the back of the truck. As Tangeni spoke, I thought of a cheetah and tried to focus on the face, to notice exactly what Tangeni described but I was too overwhelmed by the sounds, the smells and the sights of Africa which now surrounded me.

"Do you know why this mark exists?" asked Tangeni. The three of us looked at each other, wondering if any of us knew the answer to his question. After a few seconds, we shrugged, conveying to Tangeni that no, we did not know the answer.

"The Ovambo have a legend about the good mother. This mother gave birth to four cubs. This was her first litter and her labor was long and difficult. She almost died giving birth. Three of the cubs did not survive the long and painful birth. The fourth and final cub however, did survive. He was strong and the mother cheetah was in love with her cub. She licked him and smelled him. She fed him and made him stronger. At night, she cuddled him and kept him warm. Soon, it would be time for the mama to leave her cub and hunt. She must keep up her strength. She must make good milk for her cub. While she was gone, the cub disappeared and when the mama comes back, she searched and searched, calling and crying for her little cub to no avail. "Where have you gone, my sweet little baby?" she cried over and over. Despite her anguish, the cub was never found by her. He was gone." Tangeni had our full attention.

"She grieved for a long time, maybe, for the rest of her life. Her tears were endless and so intense, that it stained her face, leaving marks which resembled stripes. Ever since then, in honor of the good mother, all Cheetahs have these tear marks." Tangeni finished with a warm smile and the three of us, now standing on African soil, were smiling broadly in return, with tears in our eyes that threatened to run down our dirt-covered faces, leaving marks of our own. Africa would help us to find something that had been lost among ourselves. Africa would help us to connect with something foreign and wild that still existed within us but had been forgotten. We were ready to encounter Cheetahs and more, as we set out on foot across the savanna. The three of us had waited a long time for Africa and Africa, had waited patiently for us. Yes, Africa was going to be more than we ever dreamed of.

EnJOY,
Ralph

SOUL WARMING

2011-09-05T11:09:00.001-04:00

"No words can describe the beauty of this fine lady! Her feminine and kind nature will make everyone that meet her fall in love."-Glenn Jacobs

The sire of the mare, ZT Sharuby is ZT Sharello, an Ansata Shah Zaman son, out of We Three Doncella, an *AN Malik daughter (out of a Ferzon daughter). Her dam is a mare named ZT Bint Ruby, an Ansata El Mabrouk daughter out of a *Bask daughter named Gai Ruby, who is out of Gata, another Ferzon daughter. Fifty percent of her pedigree is influenced by the straight Egyptian breeding program of Ansata Arabian Stud, however, the majority of the other half of her pedigree is significantly impacted by Lady Wentworth's Crabbet Arabian Stud via breeders like W.K. Kellogg and Roger Selby. Polish breeding, via Witraz and Balalajka, is blended with Spanish horses like *AN Malik on the paternal side, while the Spanish horses like Ursus and Zulima contribute their genetic influence via the James Draper bred Ghuli. Davenport breeding, via Hanad and Letan, infuses the pedigree with more desert influences.

It is interesting to note that Ansata Shah Zaman, a result of breeding a full-brother to a full-sister, appears twice, as he is also the sire of Ansata Damietta, the dam of Ansata El Mabrouk. Ansata Shah Zaman represents more than half of the 50 percent worth of Egyptian breeding. Together with the other Egyptian horses that make up the pedigree of the Ansata horses, these horses multiply the lines to the stallion Nazeer(approximately six lines) and to the mare, Moniet el Nefous (approximately 4 lines). One can argue otherwise, over whether the harmony and balance seen in the body of ZT Sharuby comes from Nazeer. However, for me, there is a familiarity in Sharuby, which makes me think of this horse. Like Ansata Shah Zaman, Ferzon appears multiple times in the pedigree, although by virtue of where he appears (great-great grand sire) his influence is approximately 12 per cent, a little less than Ansata Shah Zaman who is closer in the pedigree. However, his influence comes through both maternal sides of the sire and dam of Sharuby, which historically, is a position of much influence. I guess this is the reason why, most people have summarized ZT Sharuby's pedigree as primarily being Ansata and Gainey, however, her pedigree is more than that, as her genetic influences are like a finely woven tapestry, blending horses like Nazeer, Ofir, Zancudo, Congo and Skowronek; all of which individually impacted the breeding programs of their respective countries forever.

In the August issue of Arabian Horse World is a tribute to Johanna Ullström, written as a surprise by her clients. In an ad for Al Shaqab, appears a very touching photo of Johanna and ZT Sharuby, which personally, moved me to write about this extraordinary mare.

"...some people in this world have stopped looking for beauty, then wonder why their lives are so ugly...Look for beauty, in everyone you meet, and you'll find it."-Richard Paul Evans, from his book, The Walk

The photo is more like an artistic painting, than a photograph, capturing the deep richness of a passing moment, which then, becomes a celebration for the mind, heart and soul. The mare has her head lowered towards Johanna, nuzzling her hand. Both horse and human are turned toward each other and the exchange of energy says, "yes, I desire to be with you." Sharuby is standing in a way that gives you a full appreciation of her powerful smoothness and also, for the unique features of the Arabian horse. Her body is a flowing collection of rounded lines, giving the mare a voluptuousness in her body, which is not heavy and does not overwhelm the chiseled angles created by bone, tissue and veins. The picture is soft, almost possessing a dreamy quality, conveying the mutual affection that two living beings, of different species, have for each other. While conformationally portraying a very strong statement for breed type; subtly, the picture also conveys intangible qualities inherent to the Arabian breed and that is, primarily, a love of man. These horses desire a relationship with us, naturally. Horses like Sharuby seek our companionship like no other. They want to be with us. ZT Sharuby reminds me of the many mares whose stories have immortalized books like Wudiyeh's in Drinkers of the Wind and in paintings like Peter Smith's "The Favourite" or Mary Haggard's "The Bedouin Tent'. In reading the tribute, the words of Mohammed Al Sulaiti, the Breeding and Show Manager and Al Shaqab Member of the Qatar Foundation made an impression that I can't seem to forget, "

When Johanna welcomed Sharuby at Darby Farm with tears in her eyes, I had no doubt that this was the perfect place for Sharuby to spend the rest of her life. I've never encountered a horse with as sweet and unique a disposition as our precious Sharuby. She is the perfect companion for horses and humans alike."

Many people agree over the beauty and charm of ZT Sharuby, as this mare was named World Champion Mare in 2002, as well as a Reserve and a Champion mare in Qatar, in Germany and in America. In show ring after show ring, people were charmed by her presence, elegance and style. I am not saying anything new about this mare. We all understand that she is a living beauty. However, it is in the softness of a unique moment that one becomes aware of the warmth of these horses, for they humble us, as human beings and inspire us, encourage us and bring us joy, even when we are not feeling so joyful. We don't start out with horses because we seek a spiritual journey of enlightenment. We all have different reasons for wanting to be with horses and yet, something happens along our way, even when we aren't aware of anything happening. One day, you just wake up and you look at a picture and well, the horse takes it from there...don't miss it!

EnJOY,
Ralph

A Mare Named Keiisha

2011-09-01T21:45:00.000-04:00

"I never, EVER, in a million years, believed that boarding a horse could be so difficult...and painful. There's not a part of me that isn't hurting" I told my friend Linda, as I sat in her truck, driving away from my latest boarding fiasco. Inside, I was an emotional hurricane and a wreck. Part of me was screaming in anger, the other part of me was crying uncontrollably. 'How could I have put my horse here? How could I be so stupid" I asked myself.

I had owned Keiisha for a little less than 2 years and in that time, had grown incredibly fond of the pretty bay mare. My best friend from high school, Glenn, had been shoeing horses at Ramblin' Rose, a local Hunter-Jumper stable, when Keiisha arrived in the van, along with three other horses purchased at the Carver Family Farm Auction. "Hey Glenn, would you mind staying a bit longer for me and check these guys' feet? asked Sally, the farm owner. "I wanted to start working them tomorrow morning, so I can get them ready for the big sale. I'll give you something extra, to make up for such short notice. Just watch out for the bay, she's a bit of a smart-ass. Rumor has it that the Carver's found her at one of the BLM lots. Lord knows what she is capable of and I really don't want you to get hurt. Not on my place. Not at all." she said, as she walked by, always in a hurry, on her way to doing a million and one things...all at the same time.

So Glenn led the bay mare cautiously out of her stall and clipped the cross ties quickly onto her halter. A sigh of relief escaped his lips. A little bit wary of the mare, Glenn soon learned that she was kind and surprisingly, a level-headed, smart mare, unfazed by anything that came her way. Glenn became her biggest fan and looked forward to visiting with her, every time he went to Ramblin' Rose. That's when Glenn started to tell me about the bay mare named Keisha. "Hey Julie, I saw Keiisha today. Keiisha...you know, the new horse that I have been telling you about? I think you should check her out. Sally's been working her, trying to get her ready for the big sale. I think you might be able to score a deal with Sally. I don't think she likes her very much and would be happy to be rid of her." Glenn knew that I had wanted a horse for a long time and he felt that Keiisha would be a good match for me. I was a bit hesitant, as I knew my budget was tight but Glenn was persistent and it was time to make this dream, a reality anyway.

Keiisha, a 16-hand bright bay mare with a white star on her forehead was sired by an up-and-coming Thoroughbred race horse stallion named Last Tiger Standing and out of a BLM-adopted mustang mare named High Desert Ke-Sha. Elegant and refined, Keiisha had big, hard, black feet, clean tendons and hard, dense bone. Sally had purchased her because she looked like a hunter and thought she could be extremely competitive in the hunter classes and one of the top selling horses in her big fall sale. I liked Keiisha because she looked sturdy and dependable, with a temperament that was unflappable, just perfect for a trail horse. Her back was strong and built to carry a western saddle. Glenn agreed with me. He didn't believe that Keiisha had it in her to be a hunter. Watching Sally work with her in the ring, all the while whipping her tail from side-to-side, conveyed to Glenn how much she disliked the discipline. "Julie, this mare belongs with you. She's not made for the hunter ring. You will give her the quiet life she desires and the relationship with a human that she is craving" Glenn said.

So, with the few bucks that I had saved, I went down to Ramblin' Rose, to make a deal with Sally. An hour and a half later, Keiisha was all mine, for real. And so, I began my adventure with this really special bay mare. I couldn't afford the board at Ramblin' Rose and since I wasn't interested in showing hunters, there really wasn't a valid reason to keep Keiisha at the stable. So, I looked for a more affordable place to keep my special mare.

I met Nancy through a mutual friend. Recently divorced, she had purchased Sun Meadow Farm and catered her business to adult amateur owners like me. Nancy seemed really nice and the place was clean and the horses well-attended; plus the board was $250 less per month, than at Ramblin' Rose. Everything was going great, except that my sweet and steady horse had become a little bit weird in her stall...kind of spooky and a bit pushy. I couldn't figure it out and when I asked Nancy about it, well, she suggested that maybe, I was being too kind and I needed to be a bit firmer. "That really bugged me" I told Linda. "It should have clued me in, to what this lady is really like."

The weatherman had .predicted a picture-perfect summer day, with low humidity. The kind of day that is perfect for riding. One of the other boarders had told me of a new trail and I was looking forward to exploring it. I arrived much earlier in the day than I normally did and as I pulled into the driveway, I didn't see Keiisha. Keiisha's stall opened to the outside, with a clear view of the parking lot. Usually, Keiisha would stick her head out of the stall, when she heard my voice. So, I thought it was strange when I didn't see her looking for me. When I peeked into her stall, I was not prepared to see Keiisha, standing in half the amount of space she normally stood in, because there was a two-by-four preventing her from enjoying the full size of her box stall. "What the...?" I asked a red-faced Nancy. "Keiisha walks circles in her stall, over and over and over. She churns up the manure and the urine all together and I have to strip this stall every day. Every day! While you are off at work, I am here, in this stall, busting my back, cleaning up the mess that your mare made for me! Do you know what that costs me?"she shouted. So, that was the end of that. With a few pushes of the numbers on my cell phone, my friend Linda arrived with her trailer and Keiisha and I were off to another place, where no one would place two-by-fours in her stall.

I went to Laura's small farm next and like Nancy, she seemed easy-going and laid-back but a month into it, I realized that Keiisha was dropping a lot of weight. And so, Linda and I were off, in search of a different place, where the food was plentiful.

Stephanie was funny and a few minutes into our conversation, she had me laughing hard, with her zany stories. She had been a marine biologist, a private detective, a hair-stylist, a real estate agent, a veterinarian's assistant, a registered nurse, a massage therapist, a bar maid...I really don't think there is anything that this woman can't do. However, a few months into boarding at her farm; I soon learned that there is one thing that Stephanie did not do well...husbandry. An early afternoon visit and I found my mare being attacked by another horse, in her own stall. Stephanie would open the pasture gate and allow the whole herd to run into the barn, to find their own stalls...on their own. Some of the horses did this well, others liked to taste everyone else's ration, before finding their own stall. "How Stephanie, can you ever think this is acceptable and why would you put yourself in a position so full of negligence...your own?" I asked her. So, off we went, in search of a farm where horses are separated at feeding time.

That's when I met Loretta. She had purchased a small farm on Ridgeway Avenue and had worked hard cleaning and painting, changing what had been a sorry, run-down mess to an eye-catching, desireable stable. It seemed like a good place, even though Loretta, in her shorts and high heels, looked less like an equestrian and more like a Daisy Mae, from the Lil' Abner comics. "I know I don't look like what most people think of a horsewoman but when I was a kid, I was the state 4-H Champion in barrel racing" Loretta explained and continued, "and that's the horse that I rode." as she pointed towards an obese buckskin-colored Quarter Horse, munching on a big, round bale of hay in his pasture. Although Loretta did not have a lot of hands-on horse experience, my friend, Claudia, who was the leader of the local 4-H club, ran her training stable out of Loretta's farm. That made me more comfortable. I knew Claudia and trusted her. One of the Appaloosa horses that Claudia trained, made it all the way to a top ten trail horse award at the national breed show. That was a big accomplishment. Claudia worked hard and cared well for her horses. What I liked most about Loretta's place was the access to the trails, that lay beyond the quarry next door. It was perfect, for someone like me, who just wanted to ride long and far. I was happier than I had been in a long time. Until I got a phone call from Claudia. "Get in your car and get here quickly!" she whispered in a panic. "Loretta is on your horse and has told everyone that she bought her from you and is going to make her into her personal jumping horse." "WHAT?? Her personal jumping horse?" My blood boiling, I told Loretta what I thought of her, as I loaded Keiisha into the trailer and left.

When I met Bobby, it was obvious that he knew literally nothing about horses. He would not feed, water, muck or turn out my horse and to tell you the truth, that's how I wanted it. By this time, after moving my horse so many times, I was tired of dealing with people who never provided the level of service that they were being paid for. I wanted to control the quality and size of ration my horse consumed. I wanted the freedom to make decisions like how deeply I wanted to bed her stall, without someone complaining that it took longer to clean it. I won't kid you, it was tough keeping a horse at Bobby's farm. Whenever I pulled into the driveway, Bobby would run out of his house, ready to blurt out all of the day's happenings. After 10 or 15 minutes, I wondered if Bobby would ever stop talking and allow me to spend time with my horse. Bobby is a mentally disabled man, in his mid-thirties and unfortunately, does not have any social interaction, outside of his family and home. Bobby does not understand or respect well-defined and established borders. His parents never taught him to be respectful or considerate of another person's time. I was really starting to get frustrated. Bobby also kept about 60 or 70 chickens, right next to the barn. Sometimes, walking into the barn was like running an obstacle course, with buckets, bags and assorted piles of stuff in my way. Bobby was a pack-rat and had difficulty throwing anything away and he was oblivious to how much space a horse needs, to turn around safely. When Glenn came to trim her hooves, I had to clear the area first, so he would have enough space to work on her feet. On other days, as soon as I had Keisha tacked-up and was just about to jump in the saddle, that's when Bobby would start smashing soda and beer cans flat. Bobby collected the aluminum for cash. "Bobby! Can you wait a couple minutes for me to ride off the property?!?! You are scaring Keiisha!" I would shout at him. And red-faced, he would apologize, "oh, sorry Julie" and then he would walk away, finding another equally noisy task. As frustrating as all of these things are for me; what bothered me the most was finding the paddock gate open, which had recently become a more frequent occurrence. On my drive to work or even relaxing at home, the mental image of a swinging open gate and a bay horse running loose would send me into an all-out panic. I would get in my car and drive all the way back to the farm, only to find Keiisha in her paddock, grazing contentedly and the paddock gate shut.

"Julie, money's tight right now and you have been really worried about the rumors that have been circulating at your job," Linda continued, "the kind of barn you desire will run you somewhere in the vicinity of $750 or more a month. Can you afford that kind of money? I don't think so. This place, warts and all, runs you $125 a month plus your expenses. I hate to say it but if it wasn't for this place, I don't believe you could afford Keisha. You need to find a way to make this work...for you and for Keiisha."

Linda made a lot of sense and the lower cost of rough-boarding at Bobby's farm did make it possible for me to continue as a horse-owner. "I thought this guy kind of creeped you out?" I asked Linda. "Well, yeah, he does but what's the choice? I would rather be creeped out all the time, if it meant being able to keep my horse" she replied.

So, determined to make it work, I committed to being a more tolerant, patient person. I promised myself that when Bobby was at his most annoying self, I would work hard to be kind. That lasted about a week. When I pulled into the driveway and saw the gate wide open and Keiisha grazing outside of her paddock, all of the commitments and promises I had made sizzled like bacon in a frying pan. Slowly, I made my way over to Keiisha, placing my hand on her hindquarter and running it softly, all the way across her back, up her neck, as my mare turned her head towards me, to acknowledge me. "What a sweet girl you are Keiisha." I said as I grabbed the cheek piece on her halter. "Thank God for you.' I said. What a relief!" as I exhaled the deepest breath I can ever remember holding in. And that's when I lost it, as the realization of a tragedy avoided, overwhelmed me. I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket and called my friend Linda.

"Are you busy?" I asked, as I tried everything I could think of, to not start crying.

"What's wrong Julie? Is Keiisha okay?" Linda asked.

I told Linda everything and when I was finished, she was quiet...for a few minutes. I thought she had hung up on me. "Take this telephone number down. On my way to the mall, I spotted a homemade sign for horse boarding. I was going to call later, to check it out for you."

A few days later, Keiisha, Linda and I pulled into the driveway of Angelo and Imelda's home. Their small farm was located in a million dollar development of estate-like homes. Their daughter Tina had started riding at a very young age. She got so good, that she qualified for the Medal Maclay finals at the National Horse Show in New York City. Angelo and Imelda, who owned a successful furniture business, had moved to the country, to build a show barn, with a small indoor arena, for Tina to practice. I was a bit nervous over the move, as I wondered if this was another stop in a long chain of bad boarding decisions. Imelda made me nervous, as she raised show dogs and well, I have never had a very good experience with show dog people. By the weekend, I started to feel a bit better about the move, so, on Sunday, when I pulled into the driveway and I saw Imelda picking up pieces of rail fencing, I asked her, "What's going on?" And Imelda replied, "your mare, that's what's going on."

I suddenly got sick to my stomach and was afraid to ask,"What happened?"

"Well Julie, I went to the food store. I wasn't gone more than forty minutes. I asked Angelo to keep an eye on the horses while I was gone. I had your mare in the small paddock and the other guys in the big pasture. Angelo said he felt sorry for Keiisha, she looked lonely, separated from the other horses. So, he put her in with the other horses."she said calmly, as if she had rehearsed these words over and over in her mind. I was in disbelief over what she was saying. "Well, they cornered her against the fence and she jumped it. She went running loose through the development. Some construction guys a few streets over, managed to catch her and bring her back." I interrupted her to ask, "Where is she?"

"Well, I put her in one of the stalls." as she pointed to the small barn. "You may want to call the vet. She is really cut up and her fetlocks and cannons look a little puffy" she added

I ran to the barn, calling Keiisha's name. I heard her before I saw her. I hugged her so tightly, glad as I was to see her and in better shape than I had imagined.. She had a deep cut on her hip but there was no swelling anywhere on her front legs. From what I could see, her hind legs were equally normal.

"This is totally unacceptable Imelda. Your husband had no right to make this kind of decision and put my horse in danger." I firmly told her.

"C'mon Julie, it's all your mare's fault. She is not friendly with the other horses. I feel that she asked for it. Maybe now, she will be a bit more friendly." Imelda fired back.

"I can't talk about this with you Imelda. You are not even making sense. I don't know if you are saying all of this because you are smart enough to recognize your responsibility and you are afraid of a lawsuit but I wish you would stop talking because you are annoying me right now. I don't think I can handle boarding at your farm anymore. So, if my friend Linda can get here, I'll be leaving before the day is done. And before I forget, I want the one and a half month security that I paid you."

"Well, to tell you the truth Julie, I am glad to be rid of you. I feel you misled me. You told me that your horse was a Thoroughbred and I found out that she is a wild horse, a Mustang. I have heard how unpredictable these horses are and how crazy and flighty they can be. I see this in your mare. I can't afford to be seriously hurt and what's more..."

I was ready to explode, as my blood pressure reached an altitude I have never known before. I looked at Imelda and I realized that all the curse words that I wanted to shout at her, as I repeatedly punched her in the face, was not worth it. So, I clipped the lead to Keiisha's halter and I started walking calmly towards the street, desperately wanting to put some distance between this crazy lady and me. Imelda just stood there in disbelief with her mouth wide open. "A wild and crazy Mustang...sheesh..what an asshole." I muttered under my breath. I turned left and started to walk up the street, my sight on the pickup truck and horse trailer that just turned onto the same street that I was now walking on. I stopped and stood on the grass, letting Keiisha graze while waiting for Linda to pull up. And then, out of nowhere, Keiisha, sensing how upset I was, rested her head on my shoulder and let out a long, contented sigh, as if to say, "thanks for watching my back today."

Life is never perfect but leave it to a great horse, who has the power to mend a broken moment and from the ashes and ruins, create a memory worth savoring...for a long time.

EnJOY the happy summer,
Ralph

True Beauty Lies Deep In the Pedigree

2011-08-14T10:03:00.004-04:00

In 1975, after Manaya had foaled a daughter by Ameer, Dr. Mohamed Marsafi had agreed to sell Andeera to Louise Van der Vorm of the Netherlands. This new filly, named Bint Manaya, uknowingly became the catalyst in a series of events which made the story of PH Te Era and Peter Van Ingen possible. You can read all about it in Sweeter than Chocolate. It is the story of the enduring power of an influential EAO mare family and how one man in particular, persevered in his dreams to be forever connected with this family of horses. Peter Van Ingen has been involved with Egyptian horses since he was fifteen years old. I don't know exactly when *Andeera first got on Peter's radar but he just loved this particular mare, understood her great value and held her family in high esteem. Peter had become acquainted with Adora, an Andeera daughter sired by Mowaffac. Adora became Peter's favorite mare and for him, became not only the standard by which he would measure other horses, Adora underscored for Peter, the tremendous value of the Moniet el Nefous family, as seen through Andeera. In 1995, Judi Parks offered the straight Egyptian mare, Ph Te Era (Ph Ibn Tego x Andeera) to Peter Van Ingen.

"I was taken by surprise because I knew how important Te Era was."

Sadly, this elegant and beautiful mare died this past week. She leaves an entire son for Peter: Rashad Ibn Te Era, our "chocolate horse" but more important than even "Ibbie"; she graced Peter with the priceless gift of her desert spirit, a very physical reminder of the beauty which is always unfolding in the universe.

Goodbye Te Era, goodbye.
Ralph

Looking for Carl Raswan

2011-08-11T23:33:00.006-04:00

"All my dreams came back to me, more real and more compelling than ever, and I said to Charlotte, 'Some day I must know these people of the desert. I must find the beautiful ancestral horse of the frieze on the Parthenon. But my quest may be for a mythical horse which no longer exists."-Carl Raswan from his book, Drinkers of the Wind

All my life, I feel like I have been on a quest, searching...looking...hunting...trying to find a special horse, a horse who is so elusive and yet, so precise...I know him...I can see him in my mind clearly but for some reason, I find it difficult to use just the right words to identify him, to define him, to give flesh and bone to this horse of the spirit, so that everyone else can see him too. For Carl Raswan, this special horse was an ancient Greek horse and this description, his words, are the ones he used to describe the horse he saw in his mind, overflowing with that special quality, "the something" which led him out of Egypt and into the desert to look for it.

Carl Raswan...there is so much written about the man. It seems like almost everyone has an opinion of a man they never met. And in the case of Carl Raswan, much of what is said about Raswan concerns the many words that he used to describe the elusive something that he spent his whole life searching for. I understand him because I have difficulty finding the perfect words to describe something that I also yearn for deeply...the authentic Arabian horse. Not only do I find it challenging to use the right words to describe my perfect horse; my perfect horse is constantly evolving and changing. I may describe this ideal horse very differently today from the horse I see tomorrow. And in the process of describing him, I may totally contradict myself tomorrow, as compared to what I have said about him today. Such is the way with words and feelings...they never remain the same because as a person, I am not the same. I am different today from the man I was one month, six months, one year ago. Could Carl Raswan be any different than this?

So, this summer, I set out on a journey to find the real Carl Raswan. As difficult as the ideal horse is to describe; it is just as hard to hunt down the real voice of Carl Raswan, his heart, his spirit and passion, in the hope that I too, can find my own private Ghazal and Wudiyeh.

"But there was something about this emaciated little chestnut stallion that fascinated me, though he was not much to look at and certainly had not been groomed for ages past. He had four white feet, and a white star on his forehead--a head bold and angular as jagged rock. And his enormous eyes were like those of a gazelle." -Carl Raswan, from his book, Drinkers of the Wind

I am getting closer, hot on the heels of this special man who was looking for the same horse that I have been searching for. Not only do I look forward to finding the man but also coming face-to-face with that magical horse, who possesses every bit of that special something that I have been dreaming about.

EnJOY the happy summer...see you in the fall,
Ralph

PS Opening photo was taken by cell phone as I walked on the Cushetunk Trail, Round Valley State Park, Lebanon, NJ

A Little Giant of a Summer Rerun

2011-08-05T17:12:00.000-04:00

"When Antar cast his eye upon the horse, and observed his speed and his paces, he felt that no horse could surpass him, so his whole heart and soul longed for him."-From The International Library of Masterpieces, Literature, Art, & Rare Manuscripts, Volume I, Editor-in-Chief: Harry Thurston Peck; The International Bibliophile Society

I could feel the summer sun on the back of my neck, as I stood over the grave marker, overwhelmed by the presence of *Bask++. The intensity of the heat was as strong as the emotions that were welling up inside of me. “I wasn’t expecting this.” I thought. I kneeled and placed my hand upon his stone marker, now, the only connection to this wonderful horse. "I so wanted to meet this horse, when he was alive." I said, to no one in particular. As I stood over *Bask++'s grave, I wondered over life and the irony of the entire situation.

“Probably, no nation is rich enough to pay for both war and civilization. We must make our choice; we cannot have both.”-Abraham Flexner

Wars have had a long-lasting effect upon purebred Arabian Horse breeding in Poland. Between the Russian revolution and both world wars, Arabian Horse breeding in Poland was victimized by the devastation. No single program could enjoy long-lived continuity and in my opinion, it seemed like the private and state-run programs were always in a state of renewal. I continue to wonder over the kind of horses who could have been produced, had the program not suffered the great losses over and over and over. How much greater would Polish breeding have been, if horses were not killed or captured by other countries? The tenacity of the Polish Arabian Horse breeder is to be admired, despite all the odds, they eventually produced many outstanding horses. For me, there are no greater lessons of hope, than those taught by the Polish breeders.

"A man without a horse, is like a body without a soul."-old Polish saying

At the time of *Bask's birth, Poland's priorities were focused on rebuilding the post-WWII infrastructure and not necessarily horse breeding, a topic which was subject to intense debate, regarding its necessity. The state run Arabian breeding program was forced to reduce the number of horses kept, reluctantly selling horses that they would otherwise retain, to farmers and circuses, in order to raise cash and lower expenses. *Bask++ was foaled at the Albigowa Stud farm, in southeastern Poland, which was eventually closed and all the horses were moved to Janow Podlaski. *Bask++ was the tenth foal of the Amurath Sahib daughter, Balalajka, a beautiful and elite mare bred by the private breeder, Anna Bakowska of the Krasnica Stud. This 1941 grey mare and her daughter, Arfa, were the only survivors of the entire Krasnica breeding program. Balalajka was priceless and a national treasure of the country. *Bask’s sire was the bay son of Ofir, named Witraz, who together with his brother Wielki Szlem were the main sources of the Kuhaylan Haifi sire line in Poland. In 1931, Bogdan Ziertarski and Carl Raswan traveled extensively in the Middle East and from this trip, imported five stallions and four mares. Kuhaylan Zaid went to Babolna, Kuhaylan Haifi went to Janow Podlaski and the rest of the horses went to Prince Roman Sanguszko's Gumniska Stud.

"Finally I hear a neigh, they guide the stallions... they lead the bay Kuhailan Haifi. My legs buckled under me, it is just the horse I am looking for. Not large, dry, on splendid legs without any trace of cow hocks. A long neck, a noble head, although not very small, with distended, thin and moveable nostrils; a splendid high carried tail. I feel, the first time in my life, that during the purchase of a horse I am fainting."-Bogdan Ziertarski, as quoted in Arab breeding in Poland, written by Edward Skorkowski

*Bask++, traces to this autherntic horse, the desert-bred Kuhaylan Haifi in the sire line. However, this little giant of a horse also traces to the desert in his tail female line, through the famous Mlecha of the Dzieduszycki Stud.

When I think of Witraz, I think of how he escaped death on the road to Dresden, Germany, the home city of Carl Raswan, thanks to his very brave groom, Jan Ziniewicz. Of the 80 horses that were evacuated, only 38 horses made it to Dresden. Witraz and Wielki Szlem were two of the 38 horses. Amurath Sahib, the sire of Balalajka, was not so fortunate. He was one of the casualties. Understanding the impact that World War II had upon the Arabian Horse breeding program is important, in recognizing the contribution that particular horses made on the breed and why certain horses that we now understand as crucial and vital, were not used. If you can understand the great loss that Poland suffered, you can understand better as to why the majority of progeny that Balalajka produced were sired by Witraz; except for the mare Bachantka, who was sired by Wielki Szlem. Of the progeny produced by Witraz and Balalajka, only the mares Bandola and Arfa and the stallion, Banio remained in Poland, for use in the state breeding program. Rather than selling *Bask++, the horse was put into race training. *Bask raced until he was six years old, competing in 40 races and placing in 22. At the end of his racing career, *Bask was sent back to Janow Podlaski, for evaluation as a breeding stallion and he remained at Janow Podlaski, until Dr. Eugene LaCroix saw him and brought him to America. Had it not been for Dr. LaCroix, I am not sure what kind of legacy *Bask++ would have had upon the breed. I don't believe that physically, *Bask++ embodied the look that Polish breeders sought in their program and there was always a concern for using any Witraz-sired son, as the Polish breeders were not fond of Witraz's temperament. For this reason, Polish breeders preferred Wielki Szlem and had made his sons, a more popular choice over the Witraz sons. Under the guidance of the LaCroixes, *Bask++ became a formidable show horse, as he was named a US National Champion in halter, as well as a National Champion Park Horse, a Reserve Champion Formal Driving horse and a Reserve Champion Formal Combination horse.

"...when lo! a knight rushed out from the ravines in the rocks, mounted on a dark-colored colt, beautiful and compact, and of a race much prized among the Arabs; his hoofs were as flat as the beaten coin; when he neighed he seemed as if about to speak, and his ears were like quills."-From The International Library of Masterpieces, Literature, Art, & Rare Manuscripts, Volume I, Editor-in-Chief: Harry Thurston Peck; The International Bibliophile Society

Over thirty years after his death, *Bask++ remains a significant horse, an important horse, a horse who achieved many milestones...FIRST. *Bask++ was the first horse to sire over a thousand foals, in a period of time when horses were not bred using artificial insemination. *Bask++ is the third top sire in the list of top-ten all-time leading sires...STILL. He is the breed's all-time leading sire of show champions and national winners, siring approximately five hundred show champions, out of more than one thousand horses. Of these champions, two hundred were National winners, including his son MS Santana, who was a US National Champion stallion and his daughter Ambra, who was a US National Champion Park Horse.

I find it amazing that Poland did not incorporate his bloodline until fairly recently, when his grandson, the Patterson Arabians-bred Monogramm (sired by the *Bask++ son, Negatraz out of the mare, Monogramma) was leased by Michalow State Stud. The results have been phenomenal, regarding what a "little bit of *Bask++ blood" has achieved in the Polish breeding program. This very classic chestnut horse has sired wonderful horses for Poland, like the beautiful show champion mares *Zagrobla, *Kwestura plus handsome sons like Ekstern and *Kordelas.

So, as I stood up and lifted my hand off of his grave marker, I silently gave thanks for the perseverance of our Polish brothers and sisters, who still believe in this breed, these little giants among all the horses. They are to be congratulated for giving the world, this one little, GIANT of a horse.

EnJOY and happy summer...see you in the fall,
Ralph

Remembering AK Monareena

2011-07-24T10:01:00.007-04:00

A long time ago, far, far away, I came face-to-face with a beauty so fierce, I didn't know what to do about it. I really wasn't prepared for the encounter and to become engaged in a battle of deep emotions, the scars of which, I carry to the present day. I knew I was outnumbered but I was young, brave and naive, so, I fought with all I had and came up short, so my heart was captured by this beauty, as her prize of war and locked in a dungeon, forever, a slave for longing and desire.

Here, in a wintry landscape, all barren and brown, far from the desert of her ancestors, I found the rose of the Bedouin. And I wanted to pick this rose from the winter garden that I found her in and bring her to my garden, to nurture her, to love her, to protect her and to be rewarded with her flourishing beauty. I had loved this particular mare, since I saw her advertised in a Bentwood sale flyer and I couldn't believe that here, in Pennsylvania, I finally would meet her, already 18 years old, having produced 6 foals, foundered and yet, she was even more beautiful than I remembered. She, had lived a hard life and me, in my youth, understood and shared common ground with her. Life, even when everything around you looks great and good, could still be harsh and unfair.

"But someone,
They could have warned you
When things start splitting at the seams and now
The whole thing's tumbling down
Things start splitting at the seams and now
If things start splitting at the seams and now,
It's tumbling down
Hard."-from The Band of Horses song, No One's Gonna Love You

AK Monareena was extraordinary, stunning really with a most expressive head, finely sculpted with every pronounced detail that I could ever imagine in an Arabian Horse head. No artist could create a sculpture as beautiful as the head that God created for this mare. She was a triumph of creation, a celebration for her breeder, Bentwood Farm of Waco, Texas. Her eyes were large, deeply black, with a nice round shape, which, set against the whiteness of her coat, seemed blacker, fuller, deeper. A man could get lost in her eyes. She was a close-coupled mare, with a strong back; actually she had one of the most beautiful toplines that I had ever seen. Her body was curvey, of rounded lines, even voluptuous, as she had the substance that Babson horses are known for and yet, she was extremely elegant and I think this overall refinement came from Moniet El Nefous. She had a quiet way about her. She wasn't the kind of mare that was anxious, calling to her stablemates. She was elegant, reserved, lady-like even. I marveled over her. As the farm trainer led her back to her stall, I walked behind her and I was just so fascinated with the smoothness of her body, accentuated by a beautiful tail carriage. Her steps were carefully made, almost delicate, as if each step was carefully considered and a specific purpose was outlined for each step. That's it, her steps were purposeful, conveying energy, like electricity. An undercurrent that ran through the ground, charging through my body, on the way to my mind. I kept thinking of long ago breeders like Prince Mohamed Aly Tewfik and what he would have done or said, in the presence of this regal mare named Monareena. She was one of the most beautiful mares that I had ever seen. I wanted her to be my horse. I wanted her to be the horse to help me realize all of my dreams.

"Give each mare entering the herd two chances to produce a top-quality foal. Two only."-Barbara Griffith

AK Monareena produced six foals, including two mares: Imperial Moniq in 1979 by Hossny and Imperial Monfisah in 1980 by Moniet el Nafis. In 1982, the first of four colts was born: Imperial Imohaan by Ansata Imperial, in 1983, it was Imperial Na Mojiz by Moniet el Nafis, in 1984 it was Imperial Shahmon by Ansata Shah Zaman and finally in 1991, Mondall by Imperial Imdal. Imperial Moniq went to Count Federico, where she produced a daughter by Ansata Shah Zaman named ZT Shahmona. When bred to Ruminaja Bahjat, she produced Sche' Mon Ami, who in turn, produced Alfabia Halawa by Ansata Halim Bay.

I didn't believe that she had been bred to the kind of stallion, who when combined with her blood, would sire a foal equal to or superior, to her level of quality. Despite that she had been sold out of the Imperial breeding herd, I really believed in her ability to produce the kind of foal who would in turn, become the foundation of a significant breeding program.

I wanted to breed AK Monareena to her half-brother, Serr Maariner, to not only intensify the influence of the stallion Fabah but to multiply the sources of the Saqlawiyah mare, *Bint Serra I, through Ibn Fa-Serr, to combine with the line already present through Aaroufa (her sire, Fay-El-Dine was a son of *Bint Serra). Together with the concentrated Saqlawi lines of *Ibn Moniet El Nefous; I would accomplish what Walter Schimanski had suggested, in relying upon the strength of the Saqlawi lines, to "open up" the heavier individuals in Monareena's pedigree, to balance the genetic influence away from a horse that could end up being "too short" and "too thick".

"incorporating the Saqlawi type brings length back to neck and leg, which can be lost with intense use of Dahman and Kuhaylan strain types. It also yields finer bone structure and produces flatter and less prominent muscling. Too much Saqlawi can produce a long back and ears. Dahman type brings back an overall balance and harmony, including more dished heads and larger eyes, and shorter backs, but also has the tendency to produce shorter necks and legs, heavier muscling, and more bone."-Walter Schimanski

We know from looking at AK Monareena and her full brother, AK El Zahra Moniet, that the combination worked well; now, it was a chance to focus, to concentrate on a few key horses in the pedigree, with the hope that their quality could be produced again. I felt certain that if I ended up with a chestnut filly, my chances for reproducing my own private Maarena would be at least 50%. It's difficult sometimes to revisit these memories or rather missed opportunities and yet, the pain that comes from an unpopular decision, revisited, drowns in a sea of regret and pushes me ever closer to the edge, towards hopelessness. And then, I catch myself, as hindsight always looks far different, than when you are present in the moment. It reminds me of a quotation I once read from Henry David Thoreau, who said,

“Make the most of your regrets; never smother your sorrow, but tend and cherish it till it comes to have a separate and integral interest. To regret deeply is to live afresh.”

IF ONLY

Do you know these words? Have you ever used them? I shudder with these words because I use them alot.

Learn from all the parts of your life, learn from the pages of this blog, make the most of your day and from the opportunities that SUDDENLY appear in front of you. Don't ever play it "safe" and do take the risk...the horses are really worth it.

Seize the day! Seize the JOY!
AVOID IF ONLY
and happy summer...see you in the fall,
Ralph

Close Connections

2011-07-16T11:36:00.157-04:00

The theme of the forthcoming Al Khamsa Convention in September is all about Connections - "with one another, with our horses and with the global community." Thinking about connections, reminded me of something...something that I learned, thanks to George Hooper, who is the breeder and owner of Hisani Hafiza. George shared this photo with me of his foundation stallion, SAR Casure Star, who passed away in the fall of 2006. Although not straight Egyptian, he is a unique horse in Asil Arabian horse breeding, as he combines several Asil ancestral elements together:

FADL-TURFA-SIRECHO-MUHAIRA-IBN HAFIZA

I noticed that SAR Casure Star was intensely line bred to *Fadl, who appears six times in the pedigree. Since *Fadl came from the breeding program of Prince Mohamed Aly Tewfik, as did *Nasr and both horses share the tail female line of Negma, right away I recognized that this tail female line is further magnified in SAR Casure Star. Excellent, as this is one of the most powerful and enduring female lines in straight Egyptian breeding. Remember this, as this fact will become incredibly interesting, as we consider these genetic influences, when blended together with those of *Ibn Hafiza, the sire of Zarif Katun (the dam of CAS Azure Star, SAR Casure Star's sire) as well as the sire of his dam, Halan Laili. *Ibn Hafiza was a son of El Moez, who in turn is a son of Ibn Fayda, who was an Ibn Rabdan son. Remember that too. Hafiza, *Ibn Hafiza's dam, is a double Hamdan mare. Hamdan was her sire and also, the sire of her dam, Mahfouza. Remember that too, as Hamdan, like *Fadl, was an Ibn Rabdan son. Yup, that's true. And that's where all of these facts that I asked you to remember, come into play.

Ibn Rabdan is a son of the 1897 grey stallion named Rabdan el Azrak. So, for every line to Ibn Rabdan, it's also a line to Rabdan el Azrak. However, in *Ibn Hafiza's pedigree, we also find Rabdan el Azrak without Ibn Rabdan. El Moez was a son of the mare, Bint Zareefa, a Hadban daughter. Hadban was sired by Rabdan el Azrak. Rabdan el Azrak was a son of the 1890 stallion Dahman el Azrak. Remember this too. In *Ibn Hafiza's pedigree, a mare named Tarfa appears three times, as the dam of Hadban and the dam of Mabrouk Manial. Do you know about the beautiful white mare Mahroussa, who was bred by Prince Mohamed Aly? Well, Mahroussa is the dam of *Fadl and she was a daughter of Mabrouk Manial, who was a son of a mare named Tarfa, a Dahman el Azrak daughter. Mahroussa is out of a mare named Negma, who is also a daughter of Dahman el Azrak. So, for every line to *Fadl, there is one line to Ibn Rabdan plus two lines to Dahman el Azrak. So, if *Fadl appears six times in the pedigree, then, so does Mahroussa and simple arithmetic tells me 6 x 3 = 18.... eighteen lines to Dahman el Azrak. Don't put your calculator away just yet...we need to add the non-Ibn Rabdan sources of Rabdan el Azrak and Dahman el Azrak found in *Ibn Hafiza's pedigree. Which brings us to *Nasr, who is a son of Rabdan el Azrak and offers one more line to Dahman el Azrak, muliplied twice, as *Nasr appears twice in the pedigree through Bint Turfara. That's right, thirty-four (34) lines to Dahman el Azrak (Jamil El Ahmar x Farida Dabbani) who bred by Prince Ahmad Pasha Kamal. How much more closely can these horses be connected?

Are you confused? Let's review it one more time:
*Fadl (Ibn Rabdan son out of Mahroussa, who carries 2 lines to Dahman el Azrak), so 1 + 2 = 3 and this horse appears 6 times, 3 x 6 = 18
*Ibn Hafiza (Sameh son out of Hafiza) carries 3 lines to Ibn Rabdan + 1 line to Rabdan el Azrak + 3 lines to Dahman el Azrak = 7 but he appears 2 times, so, 7 x 2 = 14
Sirecho carries 1 line to Rabdan el Azrak but he appears 2 times, so, 1 x 2 = 2

18 + 14 + 2 = 34

I read a comment recently on one of the internet forums which discounted the influence of horses in a pedigree who appear way back, many generations removed from the present day. I disagree, as how can you discount the presence of a horse like Dahman el Azrak, who by virtue of the multiple lines found in the pedigree, is a very important part and really, a cornerstone of this modern horse's pedigree? While I am not presenting any new or breaking developments in straight Egyptian horse breeding; I am only pointing out the multiple sources to one individual horse in one horse's pedigree and yet, I hope you recognize my voice, my perspective, an awareness for how closely related, how closely connected our horse's genetic makeup really is and why it is so crucial that we embrace ALL of the horses we have today...we really need them all, if we hope for any diversity. We need to remain vigilant and protect all of our horses, from others who misunderstand their history and attempt to manipulate misinformation (and the lack of it sometimes) to exclude horses, in favor of other horses and in the process, lose our only hope for any type of diversity in our community. The horses are ALL precious and...WE ARE ALL CONNECTED through them.

EnJOY your horses,
Ralph

SNAPSHOT: Hisani Hafiza

2011-07-09T09:15:00.005-04:00

Hisani Hafiza is a 1992 daughter of the late stallion, SAR Casure Star (CAS Azure Star x Halan Laili) and out of the *Ibn Hafiza daughter, Salila Hafiza. She is representative of a breeding combination which is unique to Al Khamsa, combining the Old Egyptian blood of *Fadl and Sirecho, together with the blood of the desert bred mares *Muhaira and *Turfa, plus the EAO bred *Ibn Hafiza.

The originator of this special breeding progrram was Robert E. Cowling, the same man who bred and owned the *Ansata Ibn Halima daughter, Fa Halima, the 1980 United States National Champion Mare. Bob, on the recommendation of Jane Ott, bred Blue Star mares to *Ibn Hafiza, an Egyptian stallion imported by Gleannloch Farm from the EAO. The Otts belived that *Ibn Hafiza did not have any Muniqi blood in his pedigree and had the supplements to the Blue Catalog continued, I feel they would have given Blue Star status to *Ibn Hafiza. For me, learning of the Otts' appreciation of *Ibn Hafiza further underscores the importance of this horse in straight Egyptian breeding. I only wish that he was given more opportunities, so today, we would have more sources to his blood. The full sisters Zarif Katun and Halan Laili (*Turfa tail female line) plus Salila Hafiza (*Muhaira tail female line), all *Ibn Hafiza daughters, were eventually purchased by George Hooper and brought to his farm in Bryant Pond, Maine. All 3 mares are present in the pedigree of Hisani Hafiza. The full sisters come by way of her sire and of course, her dam is Salila Hafiza.

The one thing about Hisani Hafiza, that jumps out of the picture and grabs my attention is her substance. She is delightfully round and curvey, harmonious in her voluptuous proportions. No surprise here, as there are THIRTEEN crosses to Ibn Rabdan and actually, if you count the crosses to Rabdan el Azrak, the sire of Ibn Rabdan, you will find more. This is amazing, as this mare, who is not straight Egyptian, has more crosses to Ibn Rabdan than a majority of straight Egyptians do. I prefer horses who are built like she is. And yet, for all of her muscling and curves, there is a refinement, a grace, an elegance that very subtly, conveys that you are looking at an authentic daughter of the desert. I like the quality of the bone and the size of her jowl is impressive. Equally so, is the quality of her skin, which accentuates the details of bone, as well as the veins in her face. I like her strong topline and the strength of the connection of her hip, loin and croup. As a matter of fact, it is fantastic to see a brood mare with bigger hips. I find the influence of Sirecho here, within these qualities. Yes, I like this mare quite a bit and what she represents, of the value in the decision to embark on a program like this and to continue breeding in this manner, to the present day. Congratulations George, for your belief in these horses and for your insight, which ends up producing horses like this wonderful mare, Hisani Hafiza. I only hope that through this blog, more people will recognize the quality of these horses and reach out to George, so that their survival into the future is insured.

EnJoy your horses,
Ralph

MORE different

2011-07-01T06:00:00.000-04:00

I started the morning, in the same way that I start all of my mornings, eager to hit the ground running. I buckled the collar around my dog's neck, fastened the leash, slipped on my running sneakers, quickly tied my laces and away I went. “C’mon girl, let’s go see what the world has for us today!” I said enthusiastically to my dog, while she wagged her tail happily in response. She loves to go out in the cool morning air, before the day heats up and becomes too unbearably hot for a shaggy, thick-haired dog. While nothing seemed immediately wrong or out-of-place; I felt a bit awkward, a little sluggish and well, I was moving slower than usual. Something had changed and as I ran outside into the morning sunshine, it seemed as if the very air surrounding me had also changed.

Everything...felt...different.

I couldn’t put my finger on it but it was a nagging feeling, sort of like a cramp in my side, that refuses to go away, no matter how much you try to get rid of it. The farther I ran, the more bothered I became.

"W-H-A-T?"

I quickly sorted through all the odds and ends, bits and pieces of various thoughts I was holding in my mind, pulling and pushing all of the stuff up there, hoping to find whatever it was, that had me a bit “out-of-sorts” this morning. I love to run. The first fifteen or twenty minutes are usually the most difficult, as I work to find a comfortable rhythm. However, once I get past that point, I feel like I can run forever and my mind just opens up to reveal a world of thoughts, that I would never know otherwise. It's one of the unexpected benefits of prolonged exercise outdoors, which forces your attention away from screaming cell phones, computers, Blackberrys and any other type of machine demanding immediate attention, while leaving no time to really think about anything.

For longer than I want to admit, my mind has been dominated by the worry generated by tough economic times. On most days, the responsibilities I shoulder have become more than overwhelming and sometimes, I feel on the verge of collapse. I am tired. It is in times like these, when the quiet time spent with myself, helps me in managing all of my fears to a level I can deal with. "I thought 2010 was a tough year but this year has been a doozy." I said out loud. Halfway through what has become an especially grueling year; the economy is changing the face of most everything I have known. "Whoever heard of $4 a gallon for gasoline?" I said out loud, as I ran past our local gas station. It wasn’t that long ago when I could, with twenty dollars in my pocket, fill up my gas tank and even receive some change back. The hard reality is that people are doing much less and

LESS

was definitely having an impact upon my life. Usually, when one part of my life becomes especially challenging, I can count on finding some relief in another part of my life. A new phenomenon, is that there is no respite anymore, not even in the parts of my life which used to rejuvenate me. I am finding everything to be so...difficult. Did I just wake up one morning to find that I had been reprogrammed during the night and that I was completely out-of-sync with the person I have been?

“What is going on?”

I asked myself,

“and how do I change this and make it better?”

My mind became quiet, focusing on the sounds that my running feet were making on the asphalt road,

one..two..change..it..one..two..change..it.

The longer I run, the more I think. And the more I think, the more my mind wanders and realizes an enormous amount of freedom to think of many different things, all at the same time. One minute is spent thinking about something at work, another moment I am thinking about something that is going on with one of the kids and somewhere in between all of that I am thinking about car payments and "hey, did I mail the payment for..." but then, I start to think about horses. AHHH....horses. I love horses. I am consumed in every living cell of my being by horses. Horses are my safe spot. No matter how much my life changes, horses remain the one part of me, that never changes. Sometimes, I think of race horses like Affirmed and Alydar. I admire these two champions and I think about all of their races and how great each horse was. Affirmed and Alydar raced ten times against each other, with Affirmed winning seven of those races. Had they been born one year apart, we would have had back-to-back Triple Crown winners but then, we would have been cheated from witnessing the most intense and longest-running rivalry that horse racing has ever known. Thinking about these two horses helps me to run faster and stronger. I imagine myself to be Affirmed, with Alydar hot on my heels, waiting for just the right sliver of an opportunity to pass me and "win" the race. It's a great time-passer type of game to play, mile-after-mile and I can feel my legs stretch out a little farther, the tempo picks up a little quicker, as the ground flies underneath my feet.

But today, I don't think of Affirmed and Alydar.

And that's my problem. I figured it out. Today, I am still thinking about "less" and unfortunately, as is often the case with thinking "less", you really end up with "less". I am not used to living under such dark and heavy clouds, thinking about things that make me so unhappy. Yes, I do need a change in the direction of the wind. I need to get back to where I was, when I enjoyed so much more. So, as I head back for home, I resolve to not dwell on "less" but think about "more", a lot "more". Maybe this is where I do need to be more like Affirmed. When he was challenged by Alydar, he found "more" and delivered "more". He became our last Triple Crown winner and one of our greatest racehorses of all time and even though Alydar remained in second place in the majority of their races together; Alydar also found "more" and in the process, taught us something about hope. In every race he ran, he believed he would win and ran a race worthy of that win. He gave it all he had, just as I need to give it all I have, in order to get to the place called "more". Maybe, that's why I need to think of horses more, as it always seems that life's greatest lessons, always have a horse in it, well, at least for me, that is.

Do you need to change your vision, so you end up in a more bountiful and enJOYable place?
Ralph

Bozos and Clowns

2011-06-14T14:08:00.001-04:00

David picked up the phone and called his Dad. It had been the kind of day that he wanted to forget, quickly. Nothing he seemed to do, say or even think, had turned out right. Things turned out far worse than he ever imagined, a veritable Greek tragedy, with his signature, his seal of approval on it.

"What the hell happened to me today?"
he wondered out loud.

David had worked hard, did everything he was asked to do and then some. Underscore "some", definitely a lot more of "some". Still, that did not protect him in the end, as he unfolded the letter of termination that he had shoved earlier into his pants pocket. What bothered David the most, was the reason given for the termination, non-performance.

NON-PERFORMANCE???

"Are they kidding me?" He thought of the many invitations he had declined because he had some kind of report due on Monday. He was unpopular with friends and family, who had been conditioned over time, that David, would forever be a “no-show” for their important somethings. How many nights had he worked until midnight or later? Social life? What was that? The truth was that his "non-performance" had made millions of dollars for his company, over the last five years of his life and he, had nothing. He remembered what his father had once told him about the cold, hard business world, "…don't tell me the stories of what you did for me yesterday; tell me what you are going to do for me TODAY."

What had he been doing in his string of todays?

Had he fooled himself into believing that he was working on his next big deal, when he really had been working on all the roadblocks that kept him from defining the bigger deal of his life or the quality of it? Was he even working on anything that would help him live a life that was worthy of a big deal? And now, did the next big deal matter anyway?

"Get a grip David!"
he shouted out loud.

Worried, that he was losing his self-confidence, David knew what he needed to do next.
.
He needed his Dad.

David needed to hear the sound of his voice and he needed the encouragement that his Dad would generously offer. He needed his Dad’s wisdom but most of all, he needed his Dad's understanding and unconditional love. These things would help him find his way back to his old self. "C'mon son, you are being too hard on yourself. Lighten up. Even on your worst day, you are twice as good as those bozos you work with." he would tell David.

He needed that.

He needed to know that although his world seemed to have been pulled inside out and upside down, the real world, the one that mattered to him the most, was basically the same as he had known it. He needed the stability and the security that this real world, his Dad's world, offered, before the new world David had tried to live in, took over his life and stole it. As the phone rang and he waited for his father to answer the line, he imagined the kitchen, an ivory colored house phone hanging on the wall and the faded blue gingham curtains that his Mom had sewn years ago, rippling in the light breeze of a warm June day. He imagined standing in front of this window, the strong smell of vanilla, carried on the breeze and washing his body with it’s sweet fragrance. His Mom loved scented candles and he could almost see the flame flickering in the glass container. Home was still that real to him. He longed for home, so far away from the place where he stood now. Beyond the curtains was the farm, with the back pasture coming up pretty close to the house, bright green, luxuriant and so soft-looking. He loved taking his shoes and socks off and walking in the grass, always amazed by how cool the grass felt against the soles of his feet. From far away in his mind, he heard the sound of a familiar horse nickering. Isabella. Gosh, beautiful Isabella. The white mare galloped in his mind, tossing her head regally as she circled around him. Isabella was the foundation mare of his Dad's breeding program. She was the Queen of Brazos Valley Arabians. Nothing made his Dad happier than seeing beautiful Isabella grazing in the field behind the house. David had agreed with his Dad. She was extremely beautiful, like the horses that were depicted in the paintings that hung on the wall of the museum he had visited in New York. Many other people had also agreed with his Dad, as Isabella had been shown extensively, including the Egyptian Event, the premier show of the year for Egyptian Arabian horses, where she earned the title of World Champion Senior Mare. Things were never really the same for his family or for Brazos Valley Arabian horses. Things were better, far better. Dad's breeding program had become well-known and his horses were in demand all over the world. Many people came to visit his Dad after the Egyptian Event, including some from far away places, who offered a great sum of money for Dad's Isabella but his Dad would have no part of it. Isabella was his best mare and the cornerstone of his breeding program. Isabella had helped Dad to give flesh to that imaginary horse in his head. David was still a little kid, maybe seven years old, when Dad purchased Isabella from her breeder. Some people said that his Dad had worn the woman down, finally consenting to sell Isabella, in order to be rid of David's father and his never-ending phone calls. He wasn't surprised. At that point in his life, David's Dad was a high powered Tax Attorney, feared by many who foolishly got on his warpath. His Dad always got what he wanted, when he set his mind to do something. David would be forever grateful to this woman, as Isabella became the miracle in his Dad's life. David learned to understand that horses are very special animals, as he had witnessed very personally what Isabella meant for his Dad. She had produced eight foals and six of those foals had paid for his brother and him to go to college and for David, his MBA. Now, in his Dad's retirement, the horses allowed for his parents to live comfortably, without worry. In this day and age, that was unusual. But aside from the financial rewards, his Dad enjoyed a deep satisfaction that filled every part of his life, giving him good health both physically and emotionally. The horses had made his Dad a better person, a better husband and definitely, a better Father. He was the most understanding person David had ever met, even when pushed to the very edge. "Yup, I had done more than my fair share of pushing." David laughed, as he remembered some of the more forgettable escapades of his life. His Dad had wanted him to take more of an active interest in the farm, in the hopes of one day taking over. And David really wanted that. Especially on a day like today, when he had completely run out of all the excuses he had offered not to. He needed an out now. There was stability in that feeling that he realized he was unconsciously drawing from, a feeling that gave him more security in fragile moments like this one.

"Hello, David?" were the words that suddenly reeled him in, as his Dad, out-of-breath, answered his phone call. "I was down at the barn, finishing up with the lunch haying, when I heard the phone ringing. Is everything okay son, you're calling a bit earlier than you usually do." I hesitated and then said, "no Dad, everything is not okay" and paused for a second, "I lost my job today and I really don't understand why." The sound of his Dad's long sigh almost made David come unglued with emotion, as he realized the severity of the situation and the disappointment he may be creating for his father. "That's a tough one son, really tough" he said. "But you know the truth, right Davey?" he asked. "What's that Dad?" David asked back, afraid of the answer that may come. "You know, and I know, that on your worst day, you are a hundred times better than the clowns you work with. C'mon home son, I need you.You've got a farm to run and a horse named Isabella who misses you." And David smiled, when he couldn't even find a reason to. "That's my Dad and that's why I love him, Egyptian Arabian horses and all" he said.

Happy Fathers Day,
Ralph

Looking Back...Looking Deeper

2011-06-08T21:52:00.001-04:00

“If you look at Hallany Mistanny’s life, in its historical perspective, it seems almost miraculous that he left any descendants at all.”-Mari Silveus

When Lynn and Ginny Garrett visited Rudalaro Ranch, they were already familiar with the Hallany Mistanny horses, having bred their general-list Arabian mares to the Rudalaro-bred stallion, Ru Anton. It was Lynn’s dream to own Arabian horses and it was also Lynn who worked hard to make his vision, in terms of giving flesh and bone to the type of Arabian horse he saw in his mind, a reality. When the Garretts decided to visit Rudalaro, they had already become enamored with *Turfa, a desert mare recognized for possessing powerful movement and for passing this action to her progeny. Rudalaro at the time, maintained distinct breeding groups which included the Babson-Turfa horses, however, every horse that Lynn noticed was not a Babson-Turfa...it was a Hallany Mistanny-bred horse. Somewhere into that visit, Darrell Perdue said to Lynn,

"you thought you wanted Babson-Turfas but I don't think you do. I think you want a Hallany Mistanny instead."

Lynn was impressed with the Hallany Mistanny horses’ overall balance, strength and beauty. He had found the type of horse he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

“The Hallany Mistanny horses to me seemed to be the standouts in the large herd that Rudalaro had. They looked so beautiful and strong with the bone needed to be a working horse. They were just what I wanted for a working ranch. Also, their beauty could be something I could show off.”

Lynn and Ginny left Rudalaro, having seen many horses they liked but not purchasing any. They needed to go home, think carefully over all that they had seen and talk about it with each other. The Perdues had a very large group of mares, extremely friendly, not only with the Garretts but also with each other. Darrell amazed both Lynn and Ginny with his recall of names and pedigrees of individual horses, without hesitation. The Rudalaro visit was an unexpected surprise, as both Lynn and Ginny saw so much they liked, not only in the horses they noticed but also, they were favorably impressed with how Rudalaro was managed by the Perdues. Rudalaro’s pastures were big and roomy, real pastures and not small turnouts limiting the horse's ability to stretch, run and exercise. The Perdue’s also had an impressive system for keeping stallions that the Garretts wanted to incorporate on their farm. The weeks that followed, found Lynn and Ginny discussing all they had seen at Rudalaro. The more they talked, the more they realized how much they wanted to stand a stallion that could also be a successful show horse. After a few more conversations with Darrell Perdue, the Garretts decided on Ru Saad Malik. He was a chestnut straight Egyptian horse, sired by the syndicated Babson stallion, Fa Saad and out of the Ansata Abbas Pasha grand-daughter, Ru Melika Sabbah. Ru Saad Malik was handsome, possessing the desirable Egyptian bloodlines that were all the rage at the time and they planned to show the handsome colt and stand him at public stud, hoping to make a little money.

It had been a long morning, the anticipation stretching the hours, raising the level of excitement for the rancher and his wife, as they sat in a parking lot in Cheyenne. Soon, the Perdues would be arriving, towing the trailer which carried the future of El Hallany. All of Lynn’s dreams were finally coming together. He looked forward to this morning most of all and it was hard to believe that here he was, waiting for the one horse who would help him to give his Arabian horse dream, a life; to give this dream a direction and a future. A white crunchy coating of frozen dew sparkled on the ground, lending an almost magical feeling to the beautiful sunny morning. Lynn rubbed his hands together, blowing warm air into his hands, from deep inside his chest. It was a way to keep his increasing excitement in check. His wife sat next to him, with her eyes closed but he could tell she was as excited as he was, as they waited for their stallion. Ru Saad Malik was an awfully beautiful horse, one of the prettiest horses he had seen in a long time and now, he would be coming home with him. Home…the word sounded so melodious to him. He was proud of the ranch that he was building with Ginny. A wide, open space of the sweetest, greenest land protected by the Pryor and Big Horn mountains. Their home…their sanctuary…their own little private slice of Wyoming, the place where all of their dreams would come true. He looked once more at his wife and smiled. What would he do without this woman who embraced his dreams, his hopes and made them her dreams too? He dreamed of the shows that he would attend and of the prizes their horse would win. He dreamed of the adventures he would have with this fine horse on the ranch. He dreamed of the beautiful sons and daughters Ru Saad Malik would sire, for his program and for the programs of other breeders. His mind changed direction and once more, he started to think of that yearling filly he saw at the Perdue’s. “I think her name was Ru Misti.” he thought. "She is a daughter of that gray horse I liked, Ru Marab but her mother, that bay mare named Ru Mist Mida is outstanding" he continued to think. He had found it difficult to think of anything else, when he saw her at the Perdue ranch. Gosh, she was everything he wanted in a horse. She was a substantially-built filly with good bone and great balance, a wide chest. a full and strong hindquarter and great feet. She couldn't be any more perfect. How he wished that he could have negotiated some kind of agreement with Darrell Perdue but he could tell that Darrell liked her too and didn’t want to sell her. With a filly like Ru Misti, Lynn believed that he could breed the kind of gorgeous working ranch horse that for the moment, existed only in his mind.

"Hallany Mistanny’s sire *Zarife was a beautiful grey stallion and like *Roda, was an excellent individual and was very hard to fault. He was very strong and straight in the legs and was very good-bodied. He had the dry gazelle head so sought after and so prevalent in Egyptians. Probably, *Roda would be the more extreme of the two in regard to sheer beauty but *Zarife also possessed that beautiful true old Egyptian type and any differences between them would be very slight.”-Robert E. Doherty, Jr. from The Hallany Mistanny Story published in The Arabian, 11/74

As the truck roared into the parking lot, the Garretts climbed out of their pickup truck, ready to greet Ru Saad Malik and bring him home. The excitement was welling up from his toes, like a geyser, working its way through his body, threatening to explode as it pulsed through every living fiber of his person. When Lawson Perdue, Darrell’s grandson, pulled the trailer doors open, for a second it looked like there were two horses on the trailer. Was the bright morning sun playing tricks with his eyes? He looked away for a moment, letting his eyes adjust and looked again. “Hey, there’s another horse in there!” said a very surprised Lynn. Not only were there 2 horses on the trailer, the second horse was none other than Ru Misti! Lawson and Lynn very quickly agreed upon a price, for fear that if the deal was not consummated, the Perdues would change their mind and he would leave without the filly that had captured his heart.

Eventually, it was this filly and not Ru Saad Malik who would set the course of the Garrett’s breeding program and for the direction their lives would take in creating an Al Khamsa breeding program influenced by the stallion, Hallany Mistanny. Ginny was the daughter of a historian, who knew and understood what proper research meant and it wasn’t long before she started to study the pedigree of Ru Misti, to understand the mare better, by learning about her ancestors. This was in the days before the Internet and pedigree research was an arduous, slow task encompassing the Registry’s Stud Books and a few published books like The Desert Horse by Carol Schultz and Carol Neubauer. Imagine Ginny’s surprise, when she learned that the concentration of Hallany Mistanny in Ru Misti’s pedigree was approximately 31.25%! “Are there any more horses like her and would any of them have by chance a higher percentage of Hallany Mistanny blood than 31%?” Ginny wondered. Ru Misti's sire was a son of San Luis Marc Antony, who was by Mista-Bin, a son of Hallany Mistanny and out of San Luis Bint Dorzah, a Hallany Mistanny daughter. On the dam side, Ru Mist Mida was also a daughter of San Luis Marc Antony but out of Mistara, a Hallany Mistanny daughter. That's 5 lines to Hallany Mistanny, all in the 5th generation of Ru Misti's pedigree. While it is important to point out the role that this filly, Ru Misti, played not only as an important foundation broodmare for El Hallany, producing 3 stallions and 3 broodmares; she was also the Garrett’s first Al Khamsa, Blue List Hallany Mistanny mare, making it possible for others bred like her, to become part of the Garrett’s breeding program. Ru Misti led Ginny on a search to find other high percentage Hallany Mistanny horses.

That search, led them to April Johnson of Apple Hill Arabians. April owned two full sisters sired by Ibn Sirecho (Sirecho x Turfara), out of Bint Ballanni (Hallany Mistanny x HMR Ballanni, a Hallany Mistanny daughter). Both mares combined many of the Al Khamsa ancestral elements like Davenport, Blunt, Sa'ud, Hamidie and Egyptian. In the pedigrees of these two mares we find a rich source of Bedouin breeding, through a variety of different sources, reflecting the contributions of several important foundational breeders. April was willing to sell one of the two mares but not both.The Garretts had to choose between Zelebanni or Apple Hill Ani. While Zelebanni was a beautiful, proven broodmare, Apple Hill Ani had only produced 3 foals: the filly, Apple Hill Afeena by Apple Hill Azal in 1981, the stallion, Apple Hill Amaodooa by Ansata El Nisr in 1982 and the gelding, Apple Hill Night Sun by HMR Haltak in 1983. For another breeder, this may not have been so difficult of a decision; however for Ginny, one look into Ani’s eyes and her heart spoke loudly and claimed the mare as her own. There was something really special about Ani, which captured both of the Garrett’s attention.

“She let me look deep. I felt a connection with her the minute I looked there…in her eyes and that horse was always my rock. Whenever I felt grumpy or tired or whatever, I could go out to Ani, bury my face in her neck and mane and smell her wonderful smell and everything was better.”

When the Garretts purchased Apple Hill Ani, she was in foal to Apple Hill Azal for a second time. Apple Hill Ani possessed a 37.5% concentration of Hallany Mistanny blood. She was one of six mares, living in America, with this high percentage of Hallany Mistanny breeding. She became an influential mare for the Garretts, producing six colts (including the colt sired by Apple Hill Azal, ELH Zallany, which she foaled shortly after arriving at the Garrett’s ranch) and one filly, named ELH Nafaa by Ru Ibn Roda, who is pictured above with her dam and her daughter by ELH Mabrouk, ELH Yamama. You can say that Ani helped the Garretts to maintain a higher percentage of Hallany Mistanny blood in their herd, as all her foals carried percentages of 31.25% or greater. Three of her colts, ELH Tariq, ELH Qumiz and ELH Hassan are still in the breeding group today and carry a percentage of 34.38% Hallany Mistanny blood. Ginny says,

“Ani produced what her bloodlines were…exquisite foals, no matter which of our stallions were used.”

Later on, the Garretts were able to purchase a daughter and grand-daughter of Apple Hill Ani from Jim Hibbard of Ohio: Apple Hill Afeena and KLH Lady Anne. It is interesting to note that Ani’s full sister, Zelebanni was also in foal to Apple Hill Azal and foaled a colt, ELH Ibn Azal, whom the Garretts also purchased for their breeding program. Ginny described this colt, “as powerful, kind and trustworthy.”

As Ru Misti was significant for setting the direction of the Garrett's breeding program towards Hallany Mistanny, Apple Hill Ani was significant because she fueled their desire to concentrate solely on higher percentage Hallany Mistanny bloodlines. Because of Ru Misti and Apple Hill Ani, the Garretts went to Mardax Arabians in California, where they obtained the mare, San Luis Hamida. Unfortunately, this mare never produced for the Garretts. At Rudalaro, the Garretts were able to purchase the mares Ru Mist Mida (the dam of Ru Misti) and Ru Mis Antony, however, both mares produced colts that didn’t live for very long and the mares were never able to settle again. Of the six mares that Ginny had identified with a 37.5% concentration of Hallany Mistanny blood, at this point, they were able to purchase four of them, all thanks to Ru Misti, whose own strong attributes fueled the desire of Lynn, who realized that the horse which existed in his mind, really did exist in the real world and his name was Hallany Mistanny.

More Hallany Mistanny horses were obtained by the Garretts. Ru Misti had a sister named Ru Mistalina, who became Lynn’s most favorite and cherished broodmare. Ru Mis Roda was also purchased from Rudalaro, in foal to Ru Mista Mar. She foaled ELH Mabrouk, a colt who matured into a stallion of great significance for the Garretts. He was exquisite, a Hallany Mistanny look-alike and much loved by Lynn. Tragically, this stallion died in a freak accident at only 11 years of age. Ru Mis Roda, a prolific mare at Rudalaro, only produced once more for the Garretts: a filly sired by Zelebanni’s son, ELH Ibn Azal. Two more mares, Ru Mar Mida and Ru Maarmida were purchased from Ruth Fogg in New Hampshire, along with the stallion, Chyann. This stallion had a lower percentage of Hallany Mistanny blood, as compared to the other horses that the Garretts had purchased from other breeders. However, Chyann brought in a bit of diversity into the Garretts program and he sired two foals for the Garretts who are still represented in the breeding group: ELH Maraa and ELH Ibn Chyann.

One of the most interesting horses that the Garretts owned was the mare Hamida Ivey. Interesting, you ask? Yes, she carried the blood of Mohamed Aly Tewfik’s prized mare, *Hamida, close up in her pedigree, three generations removed in her tail female line. While she carried 25% Hallany Mistanny blood; her percentage of Hamida blood is 31.25%. *HH Mohamed Ali’s Hamida has been lost in straight Egyptian lines; Hamida Ivey preserves this precious blood in Al Khamsa.

“The blood is prepotent! That is the thing about the other key horses way back in the pedigrees that were picked out for W.R. Brown. They were prepotent also. And that is why you saw your dream horses in ours all those long years later.”-Ginny Garrett

The Garretts purchased Hamida Ivey when she was eleven years old and was still a maiden mare. She was bred to Ru Ibn Roda and Ivey produced a colt the following year. Eventually, she produced three lovely fillies for the Garretts: ELH Haraka, ELH Qumiza and ELH Karima. Tragically, ELH Karima died as a yearling, resulting from a leg injury but both Haraka and Qumiza are both alive and are beautiful mares, vital and vibrant mares in the Hallany Mistanny breeding group.

Between the horses that the Garretts purchased and then bred, the ranch produced a total of 53 Al Khamsa horses, all carrying a high percentage of Hallany Mistanny blood. In 2007, due to the advancing age of the Garretts, the decision was made to disperse the breeding program of El Hallany. The horses were sold to breeders in Canada, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Missouri and Utah.

“I almost always cry when one leaves…Lynn only with some of them. Anyway…I could go on and on, but I know you understand what these horses represent to us. It is a chunk of our lives and our hearts.”-Ginny Garrett

Although the Garretts have no more horses, they remain active in guiding the new breeders of the El Hallany horses, making breeding decisions and insuring the perpetuation of this bloodline within Al Khamsa. Today, there are only 34 Hallany Mistanny horses left in Al Khamsa: 24 mares and 10 stallions carrying anywhere from 23.44 – 34.38% of Hallany Mistanny blood…authentic…to the very core of their being.

There are so many reasons why I am personally impressed with El Hallany and the long-term commitment that the Garretts made for preserving the bloodline of Hallany Mistanny. Without their dedication, I don’t believe we would have this breeding group alive today.

“In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.”-Albert Schweitzer

It is important to stop a moment and recognize the good eye and the good horse sense of Lynn Garrett. He saw something in these horses first and he never wavered in his admiration and appreciation for these horses.

“As an individual, Hallany Mistanny possessed the excellence in type and quality to match the excellence of his pedigree. As is the case with his sire and dam, he would be a very difficult horse to find fault with. He was famous for being a very showy and eye-catching stallion.”-Robert E. Doherty, Jr. from The Hallany Mistanny Story published in The Arabian, 11/74

Ginny, a faithful, loving and supportive wife, had no horse experience prior to marrying Lynn. The horses were important to her husband, so she made the horses also important to her. Ginny’s hands-on horse training came in real life, earned while "on-the-job". I asked Ginny of the valuable lessons she had learned from the horses? Ginny didn’t even waste a minute giving me her answer,

“they taught me to love them…they had gentleness, such a love for us and yet, could be so stubborn at times…and of course, Apple Hill Ani…she taught me to look deep.”

EnJoy,
Ralph

PS-I wanted to take a moment and reference a couple of articles that were enormously siginificant, without them, I wouldn't have been able to write this article: Diane Smith of Snow Moon Farm in New Hamsphire wrote an article titled The El Hallany Story: 25 Years of Preservation - A Tribute to Lynn & Virginia Garrett which appeared in the Khamsat, Volume Twenty Five, Number 4 and Mari Silveus' article, The Hallany Mistanny Story also published in the Khamsat, Volume 16, Number 4. I am grateful to Jeanne Craver for the picture of Apple Hill Ani (courtesy of the Nyla Eshelman Collection) and to Diana Johnson for the picture of *Zarife and the Susan McAdoo photo of Apple Hill Amaodooa. Many thanks to Ginny Garrett for enduring all of my questions and for being so generous in sharing her wonderful horses and memories. The photos of *Hamida and the group photo of Apple Hill Ani with her daughter ELH Nafaa and ELH Yamama were found on the internet, through Google Image search and I am not sure who the photographer was, in order to credit him/her.

COLT-BOY

2011-06-07T08:19:00.001-04:00

The colt moved effortlessly around the yard, his hind feet easily over-stepping the prints left by his front hoofs. He wasn't even breathing hard and yet, he seemed to cover a lot of ground, his high set tail flying in the wind, like an exclamaion point, used at the end of the sentence for emphasis. The colt had a natural brilliance, which charmed the young boy who had been intently watching him. "What did Mr. Babson call these horses?" he asked himself. He noticed the colt's nostrils, which had opened to an extraordinary large size and yet remained so soft looking, so delicate and thin like the oniony paper sitting in the office typewriter and suddenly, he remembered, "Oh yes! Drinkers of the Wind." Now, he understood why that particular description was used for these horses. The colt, joyful, his happy spirit infecting not only the boy but everyone standing along side the corral, watching the charismatic colt at play. Today was a special day and the boy was with his parents, who were looking for a colt to buy for their son. The boy had spent the last few weeks in pained anxiety, waiting for this day to arrive. It was like Christmas. With each breath he took, the colt appeared revitalized and re-energized, as if he could move like this forever, without ever tiring. The boy studied the colt's substantial but elegant body. He liked the graceful, flowing circular lines that formed his silhouette. He admired the well-muscled hindquarter; which was round, plump and full, and suddenly he was thinking of one of the balls that he liked to kick around in the school yard with the other boys, during recess. The colt's hocks were elastic, allowing the horse to really reach up, to drive himself forward, using the muscling in his relaxed, rounded back. The boy was impressed and wondered what it would feel like to be astride the colt's back, as the world whizzed by him. He looked forward to the many adventures he would have, with this colt as his companion. His eyes drifted towards the front end of the colt, to a well-muscled shoulder with a prominent wither. The colt's muscles rippled with every stride he took, allowing him to reach out, grabbing large chunks of ground as he flew by the spot where the boy was standing. His movement was unrestricted, so beautiful, so free. His neck was long and slender, gracefully arching into his lovely chiseled head with a cheekbone which reminded the boy of the half-moon he saw in the sky last night. His eyes were large and black and watched the boy carefully. The colt wondered who this boy was and why was he looking at him so intently. He liked the boy and wished he would come in with him to play. The boy could not take his eyes off of him, as he had never seen a horse which looked and moved like this colt. The boy was tingling in excitement, all the way down to his toes. "I really want him Mom" he blurted out desperately and continued, "please say that you will buy him for me."

The colt's sire had come to America from Egypt, from the stud of a famous Prince. His dam was bred in Riyadh, in an area of Saudi Arabia known as the Nejd and had traveled to England first, then to Canada, where Henry Babson had first laid eyes on her, falling completely in love with her. He brought her home to Illinois, as a bride for his beloved *Fadl, the famous Prince's horse. Her name was Tarfa back then and this remarkable colt was one of her last sons. *Turfa was famous for her electrifying movement, which she passed onto all of her progeny but what he really loved about her, was how much she loved all people. She looked for any opportunity to get close to a human being and rest her beautiful head on their shoulder, as she let out a very contented sigh, letting everyone know that all was good with the world. She was everything he had imagined a Bedouin horse to look like and act like. And here he was today, to see her charming colt who had been named Fa-Turf. The son of *Fadl and *Turfa. What plans he had for his colt and for the champion get he would sire. What adventures they would share! In that small moment, the boy made a very big promise, a pact with the earth, the sky and all who would listen. He would do everything possible to preserve the blood of *Turfa, so that other little boys like him, could one day stand in awe of these beautiful horses like he had and dream about flying across the sand, on the back of a Drinker of the Wind...a Turfa...of his very own.

Fa-Turf was a 1952 grey stallion sired by *Fadl (Ibn Rabdan x Mahroussa) and out of the Sa'ud mare, *Turfa. Bred and raised at the Babson Farm, he was purchased by Dr. Keith Krausnick of Shar-Char Farm, as a sire for his breeding program. He sired 51 horses, of which 15 daughters and 8 sons were Al Khamsa-recognized. His son Fa Raad (out of the Ibn Fadl daughter Raada) was an important sire for Darrell Perdue of Rudalaro Ranch in Lamar, Colorado.

Dedicated to the memory of a really great mare...*Turfa. She continues to live in our hearts and our minds, inspiring us with her great quality. She was the prize of the desert.

EnJoy,
Ralph

Fifi loves Sidkii

2011-05-25T07:10:00.010-04:00

The dam of Ramiah was the Anter daughter Fifi, out of the Nazeer daughter, Mamlouka, a Bint Bint Riyala grand daughter. It is interesting to note that in this pedigree, the Kuhaylah Rodaniyah mare, Mamlouka, following the breeding principle established by the Blunts so long ago, was bred to the Saqlawi stallion, Anter, to produce Fifi. Lady Ann Blunt would have been pleased, I think.

"She is to be covered by Seglawis only."-Lady Ann Blunt, as quoted by Judith Forbis, Authentic Arabian Bloodstock (I), (p. 238)

In addition to producing Ramiah, Fifi also produced the stallion *Sidkii, in 1975, by Aseel, an EAO stallion who traces to the influential mare, Farida in his tail female line.. *Sidkii was imported to America by Don Ford of Lancer Arabians in Reddick, Florida, he did not remain long at the farm, as in October of 1980, Donald Ford held a landmark sale, Lancer's Night of Nights, Sale of Sales, dispersing all of his Egyptian horses, including the stallion *Asadd+++, who sold for $1,525,000. The dispersal brought six million dollars for all the horses, with a sale average of approximately $200,000.00 per horse.

"So is it goodbye?
Is it time to set you free?
Is it time to let it fly?
Is it time to let it be?"-Eskobar, from the song, Someone New

Unfortunately, *Sidkii was not bred to many straight Egyptian mares and has left behind only a handful of straight Egyptian horses, including the stallions Le Commander in 2000, Maarkii and Sidkii II in 2001. The most exciting of his offspring is a daughter named Bint Rudaynah, who is out of a Bint Romanaa daughter by *Zaghloul. That's double tail-female Malaka, double Bint Bint Riyala. She does not appear to have produced any progeny yet but she is still a relatively young mare, having been foaled in 2000. While this particular family is more numerous at the EAO than in America, Bint Rudaynah remains the ONE vital link to Ramiah and the only chance we have to keep this family going, for the sake of tomorrow's horses.

EnJoy,
Ralph

PS I must give credit for the photo of *Sidkii, which was taken by Johnny Johnston and the photo of Fifi comes from the EAO but I don't know who the actual photographer was.

A Bright Red Sun Over Egypt

2011-05-22T09:32:00.001-04:00

"The Sun, the hearth of affection and life, pours burning love on the delighted earth."-Arthur Rimbaud

The EAO mare, Rayah, shines with a beauty so fierce, she is like the sun, when it is the strongest in the sky and you look for your pair of sunglasses to shield your eyes. She has a very strong body, with a very nice shoulder, well-muscled forearms that are proportionately longer than her cannons and a full hindquarter.

Rayah is a daughter of the stallion Hafeed Anter, a son of Wahag, out of the Alaa el Din daughter, Basima, who traces in tail female to the root mare of the Hadban strain, Venus. Wahag is a Dahman Shahwan horse by strain, sired by the Hamdan son, Anter and out of Kamar, who traces through Layla to Bint Sabah, the same mare who produced *Bint Bint Sabbah, the mare that Henry Babson imported from Egypt in 1932. So, while we have a Saqlawi influence through Anter, neither side of the pedigree is tail-female Saqlawi, as was recommended by Lady Ann Blunt in breeding the Rodania horses, a long time ago.

Ramiah, as we read before, was sired by the Alaa el Din son, Mohawed, a pure-in-the-strain Kuhaylan Rodan stallion, as Alaa el Din is out of Kateefa, a Bint Rissala daughter while Rafika, Mohawed's dam, is out of the Yashmak daughter, Om el Saad, a Bint Rissala grand-daughter. Ramiah's dam, Fifi, a chestnut mare by Anter and out of Mamlouka, a Malaka daughter and a Bint Bint Riyala grand-daughter.

So, it is interesting, in light of the Lady Ann Blunt quotation that we have been studying, regarding the recommended breeding of a Kuhaylah Rodaniyah, always by a Saqlawi stallion. How effective, really, is that statement in today's age, so many years later after both, Lady Anne Blunt and Rodania were alive? Rayah is the end result of a predominantly Kuhaylah Rodaniyah mare, blended with Hadban and Dahman strain horses. What is interesting about this combination, is that despite the influences of the Dahman and Hadban strains, we see physically, the evidence of the Kuhaylan Rodan family in Rayah. She looks like what her pedigree tells us she is, she looks her strain. When Lady Anne Blunt was alive, the blood of Rodania and her progeny was not as diluted as it is today. It is very difficult to say with any certainty that a Kuhaylan Rodan will look like a Kuhaylan Rodan or that a Dahman Shahwan will look like a Dahman Shahwan. Here, within this small piece of the Kuhaylan Rodan family, we have studied three horses: Goudah, Rawwah and Rayah and it is only Rayah, who bears any physical resemblance to what we have come to understand as Kuhaylan Rodan type. Maybe, in Rayah, the deciding factor, genetically, which influenced her phenotype to be Kuhaylan Rodan in look, is the presence of the mare Kateefa, a Bint Rissala daughter, on the sire side of the pedigree, to intensify the sources of Rodania blood already present in the dam side. That's something to think about.

EnJoy,
Ralph

PS Many thanks to Judi Parks for the photo of Rayah

A Little Something About Wasel

2011-05-16T08:59:00.001-04:00

The *Ibn Hafiza daughter, Wasla, out of Enayat, a *Morafic daughter, was bred multiple times to Mourad, a Gassir son out of the Moniet el Nefous daughter, Mabrouka. This union produced the full sisters Bint Wasla, Wadhah and Khawater, as well as the full brothers: Wadoud, Hammad, Zaydoon and Wasel, pictured above.

As we have also seen in the lovely Mangoomah, Wasel's tail female line also traces back through the Inshass mare, Yaman, to the Rodania family, through Bint Rissala. Remember that in Egyptian breeding, the Rodania line is available only through Bint Rissala and Bint Riyala and no other Rodania-line horses, as exists in Crabbet breeding and beyond that, in the general list Arabian horses.

"She is to be covered by Seglawis only."-Lady Ann Blunt, as quoted in Authentic Arabian Bloodstock, (p. 238), Judith Forbis

Wasel, a 1983 stallion. is the end result of a Kuhaylah Rodaniyah bred with a Saqlawi, as Mourad is a Saqlawi strain horse, tracing to Moniet el Nefous in the tail female line. As a matter of fact, there are two lines to Moniet el Nefous in Wasel's pedigree, both through her daughter Mabrouka, the dam of *Morafic, who for many people was the ultimate representative of the Saqlawi strain. A double dose of Mabrouka not only concentrates Moniet, it intensifies the influence of Sid Abouhom. I also noticed that Mabrouka appears in the pedigree a bit closer than I ever remember in a contemporar Egyptian horse, as she is the paternal grand-dam of Wasel.

Wasel has seven lines in his pedigree to the RAS foundation horse, Ibn Rabdan, a strong and substantial horse. One of these lines is very close up in the pedigree, as Ibn Rabdan appears as a great-great-grand sire. As Wasel's body is comprised mainly of rounded, curvy lines, in an equally strong body; we understand from where this phenotype comes from...it is Ibn Rabdan. Together with the influence of Sid Abouhom and Sameh, we also understand why in Wasel, we find an overabundance of substance, strength and power. He is one of the most strongly-built Egyptian Arabian horses that I have seen. Wasel is built like an old-time horse, with functional conformation and yet, if you pay attention to the details, particularly the definition of bone in his face and the quality of his skin, you will notice that Wasel is clean and elegant, which I attribute to the double dose of Moniet el Nefous.

In the late 1980's, Wasel was one of three EAO stallions (Adl and Shadwan were the other two horses), exhibited at the first Arabian Horse at Home celebration in Jordan, to represent his country, Egypt and the EAO breeding program.. In speaking with people who had the opportunity to see Wasel, immediately they remember his movement, which like his conformation predicts, was powerful. As a breeding stallion, Wasel was used in the EAO breeding program, siring daughters like Akaber, Garadah, Mamfees and Lora, out of Enayah, an Adaweya daughter by Nawaf. he also sired sons like Gomaa, Masashooq, and Sonbol out of the Alaa el Din daughter, Safinaz. Wasel also sired horses, Esalla Al Shaqab out of the Gad Allah daugter, Naasah and Yazeed Al Shaqab out of the Adeeb daughter, Taba (who traces in her tail female line to the King Ibn Sa'ud mare, El Kahila) for Al Shaqab in Doha, Qatar.

Al Mamlkah owns a beautiful grey mare named Setelkoll Raheem. She is a daughter of the mare Farha, a Wasel daughter out of Sofsafa. Many people agree over this mare's beauty, as in 2002, Setelkoll Raheem was named the International Supreme Champion Mare at El Zahraa. She has already produced foals by Farouk Sakr, including a filly named Ameera Mamlkah, who, like her dam is a show champion, earning Champion Filly in the 2008 Egyptian National Show.

"The legacy we leave is not just in our possessions, but in the quality of our lives."-Billy Graham

Wasel is no longer alive, having died in 1997 but his influence will continue, as an important and vital piece of the EAO breeding program. In strength, we will always find the courage to continue...that's what he still offers us.

EnJoy,
Ralph

PS Many thanks to Judi Parks for the two photos of Wasel and to Al Mamlkah for the beautiful photo of Setelkoll Raheem. I don't know from where the Ibn Rabdan photo comes from.

The Queen of the Thoroughbreds

2011-05-14T10:39:00.002-04:00

That's what I call her...The Queen of the Thoroughbreds, as I scratch her on the wither. No one else calls her "Queen" nor is she recognized anywhere as "Queen". In fact, for someone else, they may look at her and think she really isn't all that special. Believe me, she is. I know differently, as I have seen a side of her which is positively regal.

"If I am a princess in rags and tatters, I can be a princess inside. It would be easy to be a princess if I were dressed in cloth of gold, but it is a great deal more of a triumph to be one all the time when no one knows it." —Frances Hodgson Burnett, A Little Princess

It's our LITTLE secret...her majesty's and mine.

And, I think she likes it too. A daughter of the Thoroughbred stallion, Rock and Roll, she earned approximately $100,000 in her racing career. She is a huge mare, towering over 16.2 hands, powerfully built, with a big body, including a very deep heart girth. She is

gie-NORMOUS.

I am humbled, when I stand next to her, as used as I am to a much smaller-sized horse, like my Rosie and Mimi and all of their 14-point-something exotic, desert beauty. It's as if I went to the "McDonald's of horses" and asked them to supersize one of my Arab mares. Yet, for all of her power, she is an elegant horse, possessing all of the characteristics for which this breed is so revered. Nothing can be more beautiful than seeing Rocky in motion, stretching her body out, nose-to-tail, in a full racehorse run. Then, she really takes my breath away and I shout,

"GO QUEEN GO!"

My mind wanders back to the early 1970's, when the great Secretariat created history on the racetrack and well, here I am, standing in the shadow of his immense, royally-bred great-great-granddaughter.

EnJoy,
Ralph

Ramiah: 2 S(u)ns

2011-05-13T12:57:00.006-04:00

"There was never a great man who had not a great mother, it is hardly an exaggeration."-Olive Schreiner

Ramiah was bred by the EAO and became an important broodmare for El Zahraa. She was sired by the Alaa el Din son, Mohawed, a pure-in-the-strain Kuhaylan Rodan stallion, as Alaa el Din is out of Kateefa, a Bint Rissala daughter while Rafika, Mohawed's dam, is out of the Yashmak daughter, Om el Saad, a Bint Rissala grand-daughter. That's double Bint Rissala, double Rodania. Ramiah's dam, Fifi, a chestnut mare by Anter and out of Mamlouka, a Malaka daughter and a Bint Bint Riyala grand-daughter. Remember that in Egyptian breeding, the Rodania line is available only through Bint Rissala and Bint Riyala and no other Rodania-line horses, as exists in Crabbet breeding and beyond, in the general list horses. In Ramiah, we have both horses present, both Rodania branches, both Rodania sources of this precious and very powerful blood. The only line in Ramiah's pedigree which is not Kuhaylan Rodan, is Anter, a son of Hamdan and Obeya. He is Saqlawi, tracing through Radia to the celebrated mare, Ghazieh. The people closest to the Rodania blood, the people who purchased her and brought her out of the desert, to England, Lady Ann and Wilfrid Blunt, felt that the best way to breed horses of the Kuhaylan Rodan strain, were to combine them with only horses of the Saqlawi strain.

"Wilfred Scawen Blunt consigned Rodania to Class 2 of the Crabbet horses (though Lady Anne apparently considered her Class 1) and wrote, 'She may give sires to Class 2. She is to be covered by Seglawis only.' He was right, for this has generally been the best 'nick' over the years, providing the extra refinement needed by the strain."-Judith Forbis, Authentic Arabian Bloodstock (I), (p. 238)

The Blunts held a deep appreciation for Rodania, as the mare reminded them of their beloved English Thoroughbred. When we read the words of the Blunts, we need to recognize that the Kuhaylan Rodan Arabian Horse of today, is a much different horse than existed in the Blunt's time period. Today's Kuhaylan Rodan strain horse is also very deeply influenced by the other ancestors present in his pedigree. While the early Kuhaylan Rodan horses may have been coarse, today's Kuhaylan Rodan remains as one of the most beautiful and sought after horses of the breed, just as much a "classic" in his look, as a Dahman or Saqlawi strain horse.

Ramiah, when bred to Gad Allah, a stallion of the Hadban strain tracing to Hind through Yosreia, produced the stallion Goudah, pictured above left, playing in the snow. Goudah became a celebrated dancing horse in Egypt and eventually in Saudi Arabia too, where he participated in ceremonial parades which helped to spread his fame even farther. He was gifted to the the Prince of Wales by His Royal Highness Prince Al Waleed bin Talal bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, one of the Arabian Horse's staunchest supporters. Goudah now makes his home with Jenny Lees at her Pearl Island Arabians, in Herfordshire, England. Goudah does stand at stud and it's a great opportunity for straight Egyptian breeders, to reinvigorate their breeding programs with the vitality of the current EAO bloodlines. When Ramiah was bred to the stallion, Rashdan, a Dahman Shahwan tracing in his tail female line to Bukra, she produced Rawwah, pictured above right. Rawwah has been an important sire for the EAO, influencing each foal crop with his classic, old-world type, wonderful temperament and powerful movement.

Both stallions are similar in their phenotype, despite having different sires and it makes me wonder over the influence that Ramiah contributed to each stallion and to a stronger extent, the impact of the Rodania family, for influencing strong and functional confirmation and for consistently producing horses who have "extraordinary strength and style of going." Both Goudah's and Rawwah's masculine bodies are comprised of rounded, curvy, circular lines, with powerful laid back shoulders, muscled hindquarter, strong backs with noticeable withers, well-muscled gaskins and forearms, proportionately longer than their shorter cannon bones, plus extreme tail carriage. Both stallions convey great power and electrifying, ground-covering movement as they move forward, using their back muscles and driving off of their hocks. It is personally exciting to see horses move like this. No, actually, it is deeply satisfying to know that in Egypt, horses are still bred with the same vitality and vigor, that the Blunts found in a long-ago brave desert mare, who carried scars on her belly and chest, as proof of her courage. She was a real desert war horse, who is still very much alive today.

EnJoy,
Ralph

PS-Credit must be given to Judi Parks for the picture of Ramiah, Jenny Lees for the picture of Goudah and Rania Elsayed for the picture of Rawwah. Without these people, this story could not have happened. Many thanks.

One Breathtaking Moment

2011-05-10T07:47:00.000-04:00

Ate fan Bartlehiem is an American, World and Grand National Champion Friesian gelding owned by Black Sterling Friesians and photographed by Anna Ryslinge of Dark Bay Photography. Somehow, Anna managed to capture the charisma of this special horse, so that for people like me, we can marvel over his beauty and wonder, "what if..."

When I got to this photo, it's as if life SUDDENLY came to a screeching

halt

and for a fraction of a second, I saw my wishes, hopes, dreams and a future full of possibility played out before me.

What if I...

So, yes, more than charismatic, this horse is breathtaking and the catalyst for one thrilling moment in time, which eventually, spills over into other parts of my life, bringing refreshment in what is now, a dry time. Inspirational, encouraging, motivational, uplifting...that's what horses do for me...and what horses can do for you, if you just let them work their magic on you.

EnJoy,
Ralph

A New Queen on the Horizon

2011-05-07T07:56:00.005-04:00

"A beautiful woman can be painted as a totem only; not as a woman, but as a Madonna, a queen, a sphinx."-Saul Steinberg

Mangoomah is a daughter of the EAO mare, Wadhah (Mourad x Wasla) and a new name to add to the line of queens, since the reign of Moniet el Nefous.

Moniet el Nefous
Adalat
Tee
Mangoomah

Wadhah's tail female line traces back through the Inshass mare, Yaman, to the Rodania family, through Bint Rissala. This is an extremely powerful family of horses, not only within straight Egyptian lines but in all Arabian Horse bloodlines. An amazing number of United States National Champions, both stallions and mares, carry the influence of Rodania in their pedigrees.

I noticed something unique and a bit different about the position of the stallion, *Morafic, in the pedigree. He appears at the top, through the sire line of Gad Allah and then again, at the bottom, in the dam line, as the sire of Enayat. *Morafic appears for the third time, as the sire of Nagda, the grand-dam of Adeeb, who sired Gad Allah. Nagda, when bred to *Tuhotmos, produced Nawal, the dam of Adeeb. The influence of Moniet el Nefous is magnified, with five lines to her; four of those lines are through Mabrouka, the dam of *Morafic, which not only concentrates Moniet but also Sid Abouhom. I also noticed that Sid Abouhom's position in the pedigree, is a bit closer than I have seen in other pedigrees. He appears as a great-great-grandsire. Understandably, when one looks at Mangoomah and appreciates her strong conformation and substance, you understand better the continuing influence of Sid Abouhom in the mare. Considering the number of times that Moniet el Nefous appears in the pedigree, one understands better why Mangoomah also possesses much refinement and elegance. So, for me, I feel a nice balance in Mangoomah, between strength and substance combined with refinement and elegance.

Mangoomah's movement, through the eyes of those who have seen her, is powerful, maybe even surreal. In every account, her movement is so memorable, that it is the first thing most people mention, when speaking about Mangoomah. When I looked at her pedigree and saw the *Morafic daughter Enayat, no surprise that Mangoomah would also be a good mover, as Enayat produced the very successful show horse, *Sakr. I also noticed that

Sameh

appears in the pedigree, as the sire of *Ibn Hafiza, who sired Wasla, the dam of Wadha. Rania Elsayed, an incredibly talented photographer, described the movement of Mangoomah, in her photo essay with Nasr Marei, for straightegyptians.com, A Day At El Zahraa,

"She simulates the typical movement of the ostrich in the way she hits the ground powerfully with a hind leg and compacts the other, while stretching the front legs one after the other, covering as much ground as she can."

I was able to personally experience the powerful movement of Sameh, as seen through his daughters, *Serenity Sonbolah, *Fawkia and *Serenity Sabra. What amazed me most about the movement of these three mares was the elasticity of their hocks, which allowed such powerful, driving power in the hind end plus the strength of the back muscles, balanced by the freedom of the shoulder, allowing a range of motion in the front end, that I had never seen in an Egyptian horse before. It was the three Sameh daughters that Imperial Egyptian Stud owned, which made me appreciate the Sameh influence. When I read the descriptions of Mangooma's movement, I knew without looking at the pedigree, that Sameh must be present and I was happy to find him on the maternal side of the pedigree, as historically, this is the position where Sameh proves most influential.

There is one more horse in the pedigree, who I was also happy to see and her name is Bint El Nil, the dam of Omnia, who in turn produced Gad Allah. The Hamdan son, Anter, nicked well with the blood of Yosriea, particularly through her daughters: Farasha and Shahrzada. The cross of Anter with Shahrzada produced the chestnut mare, *Dawlat and the grey mare, *Serenity Shahra, as well as Bint El Nil. This line has produced many great horses like the bay stallion, Kasr El Nil, who was imported into Germany and the Rancho Bulakenyo stallion, Richter MH.

Mangoomah has 16 or 17 lines in her pedigree to the RAS foundation horse, Ibn Rabdan. Multiplied as many times as he is in Mangoomah's pedigree, increases the probability that Mangooma's body will be comprised mainly of rounded lines, very curvey, harmonious and balanced. In combination with horses like Gad Allah, Mourad and Sameh, who were not only powerful horses but possessed much substance, predicts that Mangoomah would be built like an old-time mare; beautiful, elegant and refined with functional conformation in a substantial body. Mangoomah also proves to all the skeptics in the community, that the EAO never stopped producing excellent horses as was unfairly perceived, still maintains outstanding excellence in their gene pool and is still breeding fantastic horses, who become kings and queens, over all horses...like Mangoomah.

EnJoy,
Ralph

PS Many thanks to Rania Elsayed for the beautiful picture of Mangooma.

An Enduring Line of Motherhood

2011-05-04T09:22:00.006-04:00

This lovely mare is WK Il Bint Maarree, as captured by Carol Maginn. She is affectionately known as "Marky" to all who have the good fortune to love her. She was bred and is owned by Caryn Rogosky, who has reluctantly decided to offer her for sale. She is a daughter of the *Tuhotmos son, El Mon Moniet and out of the Maar-Ree daughter, MFA Bint Maarree.

El Mon Moniet has a fascinating pedigree, as his tail female line goes through Ein to Farida. El Mon Moniet is a *Tuhotmos son, while his dam, Amira Moniet, is also a *Tuhotmos daughter. So, if you look at this side of the pedigree, three-quarters of it, is made up of the same horses. What is even more fascinating, is that El Sareei, the sire of *Tuhotmos is a half-brother of Moniet el Nefous, as both horses were sired by Shaloul (Ibn Rabdan x Bint Radia). So, the only different horses in the pedigree are the Kazmeen daughter, Zareefa and the Sheikh el Arab daughter, Wanisa. Considering that Sheikh el Arab is a son of the Kazmeen daughter, Bint Sabah, you have to wonder whether there is any difference at all. It's really small. Also, Anter the sire of the mare Ein, was a Hamdan son. Hamdan and Shaloul were full brothers! El Mon Moniet's genetic background is very concentrated in his pedigree, for a very small number of horses.

Her dam, MFA Bint Maarree was one of the most beautiful Maar-Ree daughters that I have ever seen. Great, big, liquid-black eyes, large, finely-shaped nostrils, a wider, shorter head, with very prominent details of bone and vein, all working together to create in this mare, an incredibly expressive face. Sweeter than honey, she was a china doll come to life. She was so beautiful, she took your breath away. MFA Bint Maarree was a full sister to the classic mare RDM Maar Halima. Her half sister, Maar Jumana (by the Babson stallion, Disaan), when bred to El Hilal, produced the Rancho Bulakenyo matriach, RDM Maar Hala, the dam of El Halimaar. When MFA Bint Maarree was bred to the stallion, *Farazdac she produced her masterpiece and one of my most favorite mares, Mumtaz Ree who now makes her home in Egypt with Ali and Yasmine Shaarawi of Shaarawi Arabians. Mumtaz Ree is WK Il Bint Maarree's half-sister.

The Maar-Ree horses have created a wonderful family, consistently producing the classic type, recognized and appreciated by many breeders, as their ideal Arabian horse, that is, the horse they see in their mind's eye.

WK Il Bint Maarree is open this year. She is easy to breed, settles easily and foals without difficulties. She has produced a charismatic colt by the El Halimaar son, Fa Halii Halim for Marilyn Lang of Fantasia Arabians and a very pretty chestnut filly by the Halim El Mansour son, WK Halimelshahkir for Caryn Rogosky, who plans on retaining her, as a future broodmare. This filly, Scarlett, is pictured above. This is your opportunity to own a piece of the Maar-Ree legacy and add the strength of her influence, to your breeding program..

EnJoy,
Ralph

Something about Mother's Day....

2011-05-01T10:36:00.004-04:00

“All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.”-Abraham Lincoln

As a young child, Marsha Williams discovered an Arabian horse inside a general reference book she had found in the local library. There was just something about the illustration that captured her attention. She can still remember tracing the horse's silhouette, over and over and over with her finger. She never tired of it. She felt there wasn't anything else she could do with her life, as significant as working with these very special horses. Horses had always defined who she was, who she wanted to become and it was only natural that Marsha decided to dedicate her life to the Egyptian Arabian horse.

Marsha had become a successful trainer, taking green horses and preparing them for their novice owners. She had been working with a head-strong Ansata Abbas Pasha daughter who had been proving herself to be a bit too difficult for her amateur owner. With careful and slow tender loving care, Marsha had seen the mare experience real growth in her training. She would do anything for her owner now. However, the mare's owner grew tired of her and of the time, the dirt and the smell. Not to mention the amount of money she was spending, that she could spend somewhere else, like at the mall. So Maggie Iacovino paid Marsha an impromptu visit. "You know Marsha, I thought I might find personal fulfillment in this horsey thing and you know what, I haven't. I have seen enough that I can say I don't really like it. It's more than what I want to invest of myself, so, she's yours Marsha, Abby likes you more than me anyway. I signed the registration papers over to you. Have fun." as she pushed a white envelope into Marsha's hands. Marsha was stunned, elated and overwhelmed, all in a matter of minutes, as her life was instantly changed by nothing less than a miracle and the encouragement she had been praying for. Was she dreaming all of this? Would she wake up and find her life to not include Abby?

She had heard of a couple who owned a young and upcoming stallion, recently imported from the EAO. Marsha had seen his pictures in the magazine and had instantly liked the charismatic stallion. She had been thinking, with the right mare, she could really breed the kind of foal she dreamed about. The stallion had caused a bit of a stir in the community and his owners were looking for other breeders with well-bred mares, in the hope of producing the kind of foals who would attract attention and reward them with many dollars in stud fees. Now that she had the mare, Marsha wasted no time in contacting them. A year later, this stallion had tragically died but her miracle mare had given birth to an exquisite filly, whom she had called MW Milagro, her personal miracle. This filly matured into a beautiful mare, a Class A and Regional Champion, who was highly regarded by many people. She had received a number of offers for her, which she had rejected. She had briefly considered one of the offers, as the money was more than she had ever had in her life. It would have lessened the pressure Marsha felt and allowed her to renovate the farm with all of the improvements that would make her facility first class. However, to have sold Millagro, would have meant walking away from the bloodline and all the benefits it brought to her program. "Milly", as Marsha affectionately called her, had produced well for Marsha, giving birth to nine daughters, most of whom Marsha had sold for a profit, except for two very special mares that she wanted to keep. Standing next to her, was a son of one of Milly's daughters. Marsha's body language conveyed how much she loved this chestnut horse. Her hands lovingly caressed his shiny red neck, which glistened in the bright sun. He had been a little on the small side, when he was born but under Marsha's care, he prospered and now stood somewhere around 15.3 hands. "You know Matt, this colt's dam was a beautiful mare. I loved her. She looked like a copy of her dam, MW Milagro, whom I called Milly. I almost called it quits, the day she died. I couldn't even begin to think, how I would make it, from one day to the next, without her. Like her dam, she was my friend and my confidante. She was carrying another foal by this colt's sire and I was hoping for a filly." she said. Matt looked across the paddock, to a couple of mares who stood with their eyes slowly closing, as they dozed in the sun. Marsha's voice was starting to break and he knew where she was headed next. Matt couldn't bear to hear the words he believed that she would soon be saying. "I love these horses and I care what happens to them. It's hard to let them go. Don't know if I can do it. I am so confused Matt, one moment, I am convinced that this is what I need to do and then, a few seconds later, I no longer feel so strong in my conviction" she explained, as tears started forming in her eyes.

Matt had been introduced to Marsha at a breeders conference by a friend of Matt's wife. Matt was new to horses. Actually, it was Darla who loved the horses and Matt, well, he loved Darla and would do anything to make her happy. Matt thought of Darla and somewhere deep inside of him, he still felt the ache. "Would he ever make it through a day, without missing Darla?" he asked himself but he knew the answer. He didn't believe that he would ever stop missing Darla. Darla had meant everything to him. It would be almost three years, this coming May, since Darla had died from a rare form of leukemia. It all had happened so fast, it seemed like Darla was there one minute and then, gone the next. While getting ready for their annual Fourth of July barbecue, an overwhelming fatigue had robbed Darla of the energy she needed, to create one of the most anticipated family gatherings of the year. The following week, Darla and Matt had visited the doctor and as a precaution, had a round of blood tests. A couple of weeks later, the doctor delivered the grim news. As they crossed the parking lot of the medical building, Matt promised Darla that the following year, he would buy her the Arabian Horse she had always dreamed of, in celebration of her victory over her illness. He was determined to fight this with all he had. At the end of August, shortly before Labor Day, Darla had breathed her last breath. Matt was devastated and without Darla, he was lost. Consumed by grief, Matt stayed at home, surrounded by pictures of his beautiful wife. "With Darla gone, what will I do with me?" he asked out loud.

A few months later, on a business trip down south, he opened the complimentary airline magazine and read an article about Arabian Horses as an alternative investment. Matt suddenly remembered the promise he had made to Darla, almost a year ago. With a new found fervor, Matt threw himself into the many books that Darla had collected about the breed. He purchased a subscription to Arabian Horse World Magazine. For the next year, Matt focused on learning everything he could about the breed, eventually focusing his attention on the Egyptian Arabian horse. When he was ready, he called Darla's friend, Nora. It was a timely call, as Nora was making plans to attend a Pyramid Society breeders conference and had suggested that Matt register for the event. And that's where Matt met Marsha Williams. Nora told Matt that Marsha, once a bright student with an exciting academic future ahead of her, had given up a full scholarship to Princeton University, so that she could work for a guy named Victor, a small preservation breeder who had spent a lifetime carefully breeding within an obscure, rare group of horses, descended from a key desert horse named Sabra Al Halim, a mare who had been imported from the Nejd region of Saudi Arabia into Egypt. Victor had discovered, quite by accident, that alternately crossing the mares of this family with highly refined Saqlawi and Dahman stallions, produced the type of horse who was consistent with the type known the world over as "classic". In one of Victor's travels, he met the American-born Egyptian stallion, Ansata Abbas Pasha and strategically, using his best mare, had incorporated his bloodline into his program. Victor had sold a mare to an older woman, who had a penchant for collecting things that many others wanted but could not afford. It was this woman who had gifted the mare to Marsha. He got to speak with Marsha at length during the conference, learning more about her breeding program and the key horses who figured prominently. Marsha had suggested that he come out to the ranch, as he had a couple of fillies for sale, that would make phenomenal foundation mares for a beginning program. While Matt liked what Marsha had said, there were other farms and ranches that he wanted to visit more. So, politely, he offered an excuse as to why he couldn't visit any time soon.

Matt had been traveling the United States, visiting breeders, taking lots of pictures and notes but he always came up short, trying to find just the right Arabian horse. He knew this horse existed, he just couldn't find him. So, he picked up the phone and called Marsha, hoping for an invitation to visit her ranch. As Matt drove up her long driveway, he saw the large group of mares grazing in the front paddock. Even at a distance, Matt recognized something different, something special in the horses that he had not observed anywhere else in his travels. Smooth of body and harmonious of build, Marsha's mares were uniquely special; their physical qualities were very different from the other horses that he had seen. Their iridescent white coats, made even brighter by their black skin, accentuated every curve, enhancing their silhouette. The large, round and very black eye captured the twinkle of the sun, intensifying the depth and shape of the eye, like a pool of melted obsidian. The mare's nostrils, large and delicately curved, underscored the overall beauty of the mares’ heads, which looked as if they were chiseled out of the finest stone. The mare’s necks were long and swan-like, with extra length in the poll and a finer throat latch than he remembered ever seeing. Powerful shoulders met a closely-coupled, strong and level back, supported by deep, well-sprung ribs and balanced with round, well-muscled hindquarters. An extreme high-set tail, proudly held, like a banner, waved in the breeze, As Matt slowed down to look at the mares, he heard loud trumpeting neighing, ricocheting from somewhere on the right side of his car. The powerful sound filled the inside of his car, the outside air and the surrounding hills. As he turned his head around to look, he saw what appeared at first to be a red lick of flame, burning down the hill, at a high rate of speed and coming towards him. "What the heck?" Matt cried out loud.

The stallion had seen the man driving the vehicle up the driveway. Who was this man and what did he want with his mares?" was all that the stallion had on his mind. A few feet from the fence line, he turned to the left effortlessly and slowed down to a floating, suspended trot, as he snorted deeply, to let the man know that he was there. As beautiful as the mares were, and they were extraordinary, the stallion defied description. Matt hated using cliches but this horse was poetry-in-motion, for real. He had never seen anything quite like this horse before. He was what the old-time cowboys called a three-circle horse, incredibly balanced, with a body comprised of rounded lines and curves. The powerful shoulders were set at an angle which allowed the horse so much freedom, that he flew over the ground with enormous strides. His neck was long, swan-like, with a pronounced arch, gently curving upwards to meet a head that was short and wide, well defined, with a prominent and very detailed bone structure. His back was short and strong, with a tail that was set high and curled over his back, accentuating his short and powerful top line. He was exquisite and to Matt, was the masterpiece of whatever program Marsha had created, after all these years. Matt was in awe and for the first time, unable to speak or for that matter, to be coherent. Matt knew that he had to have the stallion. He needed what this horse could do for him. This is the horse worthy of the promise he had made to his dying wife. At first, Marsha would not even hear of it. "He is not for sale Matt, not at any price. Not at all. I have waited a long time for this horse to be born. I dreamed about him and now that I finally have him, it makes no sense to let him go." she said emphatically, leaving no doubt in Matt's mind that he had decided to fall in love with a horse that could never be his.

When Marsha called, almost a year later, Matt was surprised by her phone call and by the news that circumstances beyond her control had forced her to sell a few of her horses, to raise the cash she needed to pay a few bills. Matt didn't even wait a second to consider whether he should or shouldn't. Granted, the money Marsha was asking, was more money than he ever thought he would pay for a horse but the image of the red stallion, still burned in his memory and well, he had to have the horse. Matt accepted Marsha's offer.

So, now, having driven with his new trailer all day, to pick up his horse, Marsha was having second thoughts. Matt was feeling anxious, as the dread filled him and threatened to drown him in an ocean of sorrow so deep, like nothing he had experienced since Darla had died. He welcomed the distraction of Marsha's voice as she said, "I am so confused Matt, one moment, I am convinced that this is what I need to do and then, a few seconds later, I no longer feel so strong in my conviction." He watched Marsha, as her face suddenly changed to a look of resolve, as if someone had whispered something into her ear, giving her strength. Marsha drew in a very deep breath and said, "but then Matt, I thought of Maggie Iacovino and how her generosity made it possible for me to even get to this point, where I could significantly impact the life of another person, like Maggie had done for mine with Abby. So, Matt, he's yours, I want you to take him and help him to become the star he is destined to become. That is his destiny, to be nothing less than a star."

"The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches but to reveal to him his own."-Benjamin Disraeli

As Matt headed home, he was overwhelmed with happiness, as he realized that this coming weekend was Mother's Day and finally, the promise he had made long ago, to Darla, had come true and significantly, with the help of many females, both human and equine. In some small way, he had helped Darla to give birth to her dream. He couldn't think of a more appropriate time for this miracle to happen. Mother's Day, a day to honor the sacrifice and generosity of mothers. Darla's greatest victory was helping her husband to discover new beauty and joy, when he needed to find it most of all. Matt had found a new purpose, a new direction in his life. He felt lighter and happier than he had felt in a long time. The world suddenly felt more exciting and more hopeful. He was headed home with Darla's horse, the horse that Darla had once dreamed of owning and now, he would carry on for her, honor her, with a horse that she would have chosen and been proud of. "Happy Mother's Day Darla...I love you." Matt whispered, as a tear ran down his face.

EnJoy,
Ralph

PS The painting pictured above of the trotting chestnut stallion is by the great Peter Upton and named, Showing the Flag.

Adalat

2011-04-15T22:07:00.008-04:00

"Adalat — how can I say why? She is just Adalat and that is my ideal."-Dr.Ibrahim Zaghloul, the former Director General of the EAO

In 1983, a Queen was born in Egypt. Not since the time of Moniet el Nefous, has Egypt been blessed with something so beautiful, so special, so extraordinary. Her name was Adalat. and like Moniet el Nefous, she would become deeply embedded into the heart and soul of her nation.

"You're my queen
I'll never let you go, go, go, go
I'll never leave your side
Baby you know, you are my world
You are everything I need, yeah
You make my days bright, brighter than the sun and the moon
You are all that I live for."-from the song, Queen, written by Christian and Lovy Longomba

Everyone loved Adalat. For many people, she was the highlight of their day. No one could walk past the paddock, without searching for beautiful, sweet Adalat. One glimpse of Adalat, that's all it took, to separate someone from having a good day or a bad day. Adalat had that ability to make someone smile, to forget about the harshness of their life for just a minute and indulge in something sweet and pleasurable. And Adalat was...she was so beautiful, she defied any rational human comprehension. The mind could not believe what the senses were feeling, overwhelmed with the beauty known as Adalat. She was breath-taking. She was gorgeous. Among a large group of classic-headed mares, where one mare looks just as beautiful as the other, Adalat stood out from the whole group, as her head was extreme and so full of expression. My friend, Yassmin Atieh said,

"...her eyes were full of expression, you can HEAR her eyes."

That's how this mare affected the soul of a nation...through the eyes. Through the eyes of the people who saw her and through her large, deep, black, lustrous eyes that conveyed the great kindness, the sweetness, the pure, sweet love that defined this mare. After all, she was a daughter of Adaweya, by the Moniet el Nefous son, Ameer. The late Dr. Zaghloul once considered Adaweya as one of five influential mares at the EAO and had said,

Adaweya has beautiful conformation, including a level topline, pretty head, and refined bone. From Abla, she inherited that unmistakably classic elegance and exquisite type associated with the Egyptian Arabian, as well as a deep shoulder and high set neck. Her foals are in turn the embodiment of these characteristics."

Adalat was a fabulous broodmare for the EAO. Bred to a variety of stallions, including her half brothers, Mohab and Adl, Adalat produced 13 foals, 9 mares and 4 stallions:

(1) Addolah, 1987 chestnut mare by Adl
(2) Adelah, 1990 grey mare by Mohab
(3) Agayeb, 1991 chestnut mare by El Helaly
(4) Mouwafaka, 1992 chestnut mare by Mourad
(5) Magdoleen, 1994 chestnut mare by Adl
(6) Anan, 1995 chestnut mare by Rashdan
(7) Olwy, 1997 grey stallion by Hoor
(8) Dalloua, 1998 grey mare by Harras (SOLD)
(9) Maazouzah, 1999 chestnut mare by Gad Allah
(10) Awad Allah, 2001 grey stallion by Gad Allah
(11) Aahel, 2003 Grey Stallion by Serag El Din ( SOLD)
(12) Anbar, 2005 Grey Stallion by Adl
( 13) Naierah, 2007 Grey Mare by Waked (SOLD)

Now, in the days after Adalat, Yassmin tells me that people walk by her paddock and her absence is felt strongly. People will look at her paddock and say,

"one day Adalat was standing here, one day a Queen was here."

Such is the way of a horse who has become very great and of human emotions, when a horse has successfully made a home in some one's heart. THAT was Adalat and now, she makes her home in heaven, together with the man who loved her the most, Dr. Zaghloul.

Peace to all,
Ralph

PS Many thanks to my wonderful friend, Yassmin!

The Brilliance of Sanaa

2011-04-11T22:17:00.102-04:00

It had been a gloomier morning than he would have liked, with a dampness that hung heavy in the air, making the temperature feel much cooler than it actually was. It was cloudy and up until a few minutes ago, misty. The pavement was wet, giving the asphalt a luster, almost as if it had been waxed and polished. He leaned against the stick of his broom, admiring the driveway, so...so..so black, smooth and clean. "I really believed the sun would be out by now. What did the weatherman say on television again? Something about it reaching eighty degrees today? I don't think it's gonna' happen," Jim thought out loud. He had not seen the sun in several days and feeling kind of low, he was thinking about the depression some people experience during the long and dark winter months. "I think that's what bothered Bonnie most of all. Gosh, I miss her. I would do anything to get her back." Jim's eyes filled with tears, as he thought of his beloved sister Bonnie. He could still picture her, sitting in her favorite beach chair, soaking up the sun. "Grab a glass of tea Jim and come sit here, next to me." she would say, her voice always on the verge of a hearty laugh. It would be two years next Wednesday, since she had died from pancreatic cancer. He depended on Bonnie, even if it was just knowing that she was only a phone call away. Now, she was gone and so was the joy in his life. He shook the sadness away from his mind, as if it had been a bothersome fly, buzzing around his head. He had a long list of things he needed to accomplish today. He could not afford to lose himself in such thoughts nor any of the enthusiasm he needed, to get the job done. He had not noticed that the day was becoming a bit brighter and warmer by the second. The sun finally poked its face from behind a puffy white cloud and bathed Jim's world in dazzling sunlight. Suddenly, the front yard was awash with light. The light bounced off of the asphalt driveway, reflecting onto the sidewalks, the lawn, the bushes and flowers. The sun was dancing with her partner, the light. The driveway became like a brilliant piece of obsidian. Jim was enchanted with the brilliant light. He gasped with delight. "Wow, I haven't seen anything so beautiful in a long time!" he exclaimed with surprise and wonder in his voice.

Sanaa, whose Arabic name means "brilliance", was a pretty 1961 EAO mare, sired by the stallion, Sid Abouhom, who also sired Farasha, our Butterfly.

Sid Abouhom was an El Deree son, out of the beautiful mare, Layla, who was an Ibn Rabdan daughter. The cross of El Deree and Layla resulted in a larger-sized horse, who was very powerfully built. Longer neck, longer back, his immense front end, with his powerful shoulders and the most prominent withers that I have ever seen on an Arabian Horse. To me, Sid Abouhom's type reminds me of a Thoroughbred racehorse, possessing the body structure that made him successful on the racetrack. He was built for running. While Dr. Ameen Zaher was not fond of this horse and of his subsequent use in the breeding program; General von Pettko-Szandtner felt that Sid Abouhom would correct the overall conformational flaws that he observed in the EAO breeding program. General von Szandtner wanted to breed a more functional horse, closer to the cavalry horses that he managed at Babolna in Hungary.

Yashmak, the dam of Sanaa, was given a name derived from the Turkish word, yaşmak, which means to "cover up" or "hide" with a veil. A yashmak is a type of veil made from combining two pieces of muslin, one piece which goes across the face, just under the nose, while the other piece covers the head. Some yashmaks even incorporate horsehair at the temples, to further cover the face.

Yashmak, foaled in 1941 was sired by Sheikh el Arab and out of the Crabbet-bred mare, Bint Rissala, eventually tracing back, through four generations to the important desert-bred mare, Rodania. In Judi Forbis' landmark book, The Classic Arabian Horse, she tells us that,

"Yashmak was a big, tall, graceful bay mare with a long supple neck, longish head, well-shaped with huge black eyes, and much improved in type over her dam."

Notice the adjectives that Judi uses in her description of Yashmak: big, tall, long and huge. She must have been a very solid, big-bodied mare because Judi also tell us that the Saudi Princes, when visiting El Zahraa were struck by her size, as compared to the other mares, who were noticeably smaller in stature. Within the context of who she was and the powerful mare family that she belonged to, I can understand the meaning of her name better. It is an appropriate name. I can't emphasize enough how powerful this family is, their inherent prepotency for producing their own phenotype with great consistency, almost as if they are "hiding" or "covering" any influence another horse can make in the pedigree. A high percentage of United States National Champions can be traced through the tail female line, to Rodania. It is a line which has produced champions, whether in an arena or in the breeding shed. Yashmak, as a member of the Rodania family, was an incredible broodmare, having produced by Shahloul, the mare Om el Saad, whose daughter, Bint Om el Saad would become the dam of the much loved 1971 United States National Champion Mare, *Serenity Sonbolah. Yashmak also produced by Mashhour, the mare Rahma, the dam of Rawayeh, who when bred to the EAO stallion, Aseel, produced the exciting and very promising stallion, El Mareekh. Yashmak was also the dam of *Rashad Ibn Nazeer, by Nazeer, who became an important stallion for Richard Pritzlaff. She also produced by El Sareei, an ultra-refined bay beauty named Rashida, who produced by *Morafic an influential daughter named Nazic, particularly through her Gassir daughter, Nazeefa and her *Tuhotmos daughter, Nana.

In Lady Wentworth's monumental study, The Authentic Arabian Horse, I recall a passage made by her mother, Lady Ann Blunt, suggesting that the proper breeding of the Rodania-line horses were to be made with an ultra-refined Saqlawi stallion. In Sanaa's time period, I can't think of a more elegant or refined stallion than *Morafic. Sara Loken, who lived in Egypt in the 1960's and was responsible for saving the life of the stallion, Hamdan and importing the Moniet el Nefous son, *Fakher el Din, said of *Morafic in the May 1984 issue of Arabian Horse World,

"an eloquent personification of Nazeer. Envision the monochromatic landscape of Egypt, the flat vastness of the sand, the constant cloudless blue sky, and the shadowlessness bright sunlight, and then suddenly the shimmering beauty and vitality of *Morafic. A contrast in textures of life, time, and form."

In 1964, Sanaa was imported by Gleannloch Farms as a young, three year old mare. She was bred to a variety of the top Gleannloch stalllions like *Faleh, Moftakhar, *Ibn Hafiza and the brilliant *Morafic. Sanaa was also bred to *Ansata Ibn Halima, who was on lease to Gleannloch, which was in the very early days of Ansata, while Don and Judi Forbis were overseas. Rhita McNair, who took the lovely photo of Sanaa, said of *Ansata Ibn Halima in an August 1984 Arabian Horse World tribute to Ansata Arabian Stud,

"...he was a statue of perfection, with those eyes that stared 'way off' into time and space. He was one of the most beautiful Arabians I have known..."

Sanaa's influence would be felt primarily through her sons, who became champion show horses and important sires for other breeding programs: namely her *Morafic son named Mosry+++, who earned a legion of supreme merit and sired over 140 horses, including Imperial Mistry, an Ansata Nile Mist daughter, who in turn produced Imperial Imperor, who would become a foundation stallion for Gibson Arabians in Loomis, California. Imperial Imperor would sire a chestnut daughter out of Ansata Aziza named GA Moon Tajhalima. Karen Henwood of Sandybrook Arabians bred this mare to Anaza el Farid and the fabulous stallion, Farid Nile Moon, was born.

For the purpose of this study, I wanted to focus on her son by *Ansata Ibn Halima, who was named Hossny. However, I want to also point out that by *Ibn Hafiza, Sanaa produced the bay colored, Sahlih, who was campaigned by Cherry Hill Arabians of Alabama, as a Class A champion , Regional and Scottsdale Hunter Pleasure and Show Hack performance horse. Sahlih is an interesting horse, as the combination of Sameh with Yashmak, produced *Serenity Sonbolah. I am always surprised that this stallion wasn't recognized more by breeders, who wanted to incorporate the combination of blood resulting in a celebrated mare like Sonbolah but via the sire line, instead of the tail female line.

Hossny was purchased by Imperial Egyptian Stud in the mid-1970's from Gleannloch Farms. He was a 1966 stallion and Imperial had purchased Hossny to complement the collection of mares that they had already purchased by this time: *Malekat el Gamal, *Fawkia, Ansata Nile Mist, *Serenity Sonbolah, *Serenity Sabra, Deena, *Pharrah, AK Monareena and Dalia. Once the influence of Ansata Imperial and Moniet el Nafis began to be felt and Imperial determined the direction of their breeding program with these horses, Hossny was sold to Count Federico Zichy-Thyssen, who was building a straight Egyptian breeding program, founded on Imperial and Ansata bloodlines. I was particularly touched by something that Count Federico had said about Hossny, because it speaks so loudly of the horse's personality and the relationship that a person, like you or me, can enjoy with these special horses,

"Hossny was a true friend, my personal mount and companion."

Alhough Hossny's career at Imperial was not long-lived, the continuing influence of Hossny would be felt primarily through his daughter Imperial Sonbesjul (out of *Serenity Sonbolah). I find it especially interesting when I consider that Imperial Sonbesjul is actually a pure-in-the-strain Kuhaylah Rodaniyah, tracing through her tail female line to Yashmak through Om el Saad, as well as through the tail female line of her sire, through Sanaa to the same mare. So when Imperial Sonbesjul was bred to the pure-in-the-strain (and double Farida tail-female) Dahman stallion named El Hilal, a son of *Ansata Ibn Halima and the Nazeer daughter, Bint Nefisaa; the question that I had was which strain would prove dominant over the other? The extraordinary result was the influential stallion Imperial Al Kamar, not only an important sire for Imperial but also, for Rancho Bulakenyo, his new home. There are two considerations, as to which strain had the most impact on Imperial Al Kamar. Considering that the Kuhaylan Rodan strain was combined with *Ansata Ibn Halima, gives an edge to the Dahman strain. Also, the body color of Imperial Al Kamar is grey and not chestnut, which again points to the Dahmans.

For Count Federico Zichy-Thyssen of Haras El Atalaya in Argentina; Hossny's influence would be felt in a big way through his daughter, IES Sondusah, out of SF Bint Sonbolah, a *Khofo daughter out of *Serenity Sonbolah. What is different in IES Sondusah than Imperial Sonbesjul, is the presence of the Hadbah Enzahiyah mare, Yosreia, through *Khofo, as well as Antar. When IES Sondusah was bred to *Jamil, she produced the mare, ZT Jamdusah. She in turn was bred to Anaza el Farid and produced the breath-taking stallion ZT Faa'iq. This Gigi Grasso photo for me, captures all of the reasons why this stallion is an exciting horse for straight Egyptian breeders.

So, to further underscore the complementary blend of Dahman horses with the Kuhaylan Rodans, in ZT Faa'iq, we have two more sources of Farida, through Madkour I and through the Sameh daughter, Deenaa, in addition to the Bahraini line through *Bint Maisa el Saghira, as well as more *Ansata Ibn Halima. However, I want to be careful in making a statement which credits the Dahman strain solely for a beautiful horse like ZT Faa'iq, as one cannot discount the Abbeyyan influence of two super-powerful mares like Magidaa and Hanan. We know that both these mares have created families which are enduring and very relevant in our current breeding population. It is interesting, in light of the statement made by Lady Anne Blunt, regarding the proper breeding of the Rodania horses and how a most beautiful and balanced horse like *Ansata Ibn Halima, through his son Hossny, blended so well with this family of powerful females.

Remember Sanaa and enJoy your brilliant life,
Ralph

Mimi

2011-04-06T08:43:00.003-04:00

"When the world got you feelin low,
She's giving you her best,
even when you're at your worst
Givin comfort,
when she's thinking that you're hurt.
That's what's done,
when you really love someone."-from the song, When You Really Love Someone by Alicia Keys

I don't know how or even why but something really beautiful happened in my life, at a point when I was really feeling, well, a bit hopeless. I'm not any more special than you are. And if something wonderful and totally unexpected can happen for me, it certainly will also happen for you! So, don't give up, you never really know how many seconds separate you from your very personal

SUDDENLY

I really love my Mimi girl,
Ralph