PRAISEWORTHY

*Hamid, foaled in 1972, was sired by Hamdan II (Hamdan x Folla) and out of *Abeer (Nasralla x Ayda). He was bred by Gustl Eutermoser. One of the most interesting aspects of *Hamid's pedigree is the mare Folla, his paternal granddam, who descended from horses bred by the Tahawy Bedouins, originally from the area of Arabia known as the Hejaz, then, to Egypt in search of better grazing for their livestock. The Tahawys carefully bred their horses, maintaining a closed breeding herd and selectively breeding to insure hardiness, in order to survive traveling long distances in a challenging environment. Folla was one of three Tahawy bred horses who became the foundation for Hamdan Stables. The other two mares were her half sisters: Bint Barakat (Ibn Barakat x Bint Saklawiah) and Futna (Ibn Barakat x Koheilah Halawiyah). Because Folla was registered in the Hamdan Stables stud book, which was a supervised EAO breeding farm, she was accepted by WAHO and falls within the definition of a straight Egyptian Horse, as defined by The Pyramid Society. As a matter of fact, Folla is present in the pedigree of one of the most beautiful Egyptian mares of all time, the world champion Gelgelah Albadeia. Gelgelah's dam, Anhar Albadeia is a daughter of Bint Bint Yosreia, who was sired by Yakout, a son of Bint Folla, Folla's daughter by Hamdan. 

Hamid is an Arabic name possessing a rich history. A variant of the name Mohamed, meaning "praiseworthy", the name is derived from Al-Hamid, one of the names for which Allah is known by. In the short story, Eidgah, a 4-year old orphan named Hamid, sets out with friends for the festival. His friends spend their pocket money on toys and candies but Hamid remembers how his grandmother burns her fingers while cooking. Fighting the temptation to do as his friends did, he spends his money instead on tongs for his grandmother, who is touched by the gift and blesses Hamid for his kindness. When I first saw the photo of Hamid, I was immediately  overwhelmed by his expression of kindness. If I could only jump in the picture and touch this marvelous horse! Learning the story of Eidgah and its 4-year old hero, I have even more appreciation for Hamid's sweet countenance.

Welcome to 2025!

 

2024 Blog Round-Up

Maratez+/ (Nitez x Imarada)

In 2024, I added 30 blogs (compared to last year, that's 37 less blogs) and of this number, 27 were brand new blogs, never before published (76% were published in the first half of 2024). Despite a slower writing pace, I am humbled that in return, you clicked on the blog over 50,000 times, with 12,000 of those page views, coming from America. I am grateful! Thank you also to Hong Kong for visiting 10,000 times, Singapore for 8,000 and Germany, 2,000 visits. You encourage me to keep writing! Including the 30 blogs I added in 2024, there are now 550 total blogs available for you to read (check the Blog Archive, located in the sidebar on the right hand side of the page). Despite a reduced level of new activity this year, I did improve my position in Feedspot's list of top Arabian Horse Blogs, from #7 to #5! I want to believe that the archived library of blog material is responsible for the 2024 growth in readership.

So, what were your favorite blogs this year?  The 10 most popular blogs of 2024, across the world, are: 

1. The Straight Babson Egyptian Arabian Horse 
2. Bedouin Beauty: Jibbah
3. A Case of Mistaken Identity
4. The Tamria Story
5. Ameer El Koloob
6. Portrait of a King
7. There Once was a Stallion Named Antar
8. Think Nabiel...Feel Nabiel
9. Black is the New Black
10. *Farazdac

It's interesting that #3, A Case of Mistaken Identity, is the only new blog to have made the top ten list for 2024! One other blog, Ethereal, although failing to crack the top ten, did place in the top 20 and listed below, are what I have termed, the "Honorable Mentions", the blog posts in the 2nd half of the top 20 which were also popular with you this year:

11. Ethereal
12. *Urfah
13. Thoughts on Aswan
14. HC Abla Raqqas
15. Gulastra, Mesaoud & Egypt
16. Al Adeed Al Shaqab in 1-2-3
17. Bedouin Beauty: The Soulful Eye of the Arab Horse
18. Areej El Koloob
19. Tammenaa MH
20. To Serr, with Love

I share many cherished memories within the pages of this blog. Some of these stories are a little more challenging, that is, to find just the right words to explain the myriad of emotions, while honoring the memory of a horse, for example, Maratez+/, foaled in 1967, bred by the late Everett Shea, Windfall Farm, Pennsylvania and owned for most of his life by the late Sandie Cafritz. He was a son of Nitez (*Witez II x Nafa) bred by Ed Hurlbutt and out of the grey, Imarada (Radamason x Imaja) also bred by Everett Shea. He was extraordinary. I would have to say that his story, now blog #549 was one of my favorite blogs this year.  

Another favorite 2024 blog is  the story of Charaff, a 1948 *Raffles son, out of a *Raffles granddaughter, purchased by Federico Castellanos y Batista, to head the breeding program he founded at his ranch, San Cayetano, in the province of Camaguey, Cuba. Charaff was immensely popular among Cuban breeders and received considerable attention, eventually becoming the Cuban National Champion Stallion in 1956. His escape from Cuba to the United States is a thrilling, on-the-edge-of-your-seat kind of story and remains as one of the fun stories I have been fortunate to write.

For many years, the Bint el Bahreyn horses have been considered to be Dahman Shahwan, by strain.  However, further study of the unpublished notes made by Lady Anne Blunt point to a completely different strain, that of Kuhaylah Rabda. As a long time student of the breed, I learned to accept the Dahman strain classification, despite the fact that these horses appeared Kuhaylan. Through mtDNA analysis, will the strain of these horses be revealed to be different from what we previously believed the strain to be? It feels like a case of mistaken identity, another of my favorite blogs this year.

Sometimes, when looking for information on a particular horse, I'm led in a completely different direction, to discover a horse that is not the one that I was looking for! Such was the case with Nile, a 1975 stallion by Mustafa, a Hadban Enzahi son, bred by Marbach Stud. His dam, Nara, also sired by Hadban Enzahi , was bred by Tanya Hawley. David Gillet of Diamond Road Stud in Australia said, "Nile was known for producing beautiful progeny of extreme type and beauty, and he crossed well with a variety of different bloodlines to become one of Australia's all time leading sires."

And there, you have it, a quick highlight of a few of what I believe to be, the more memorable stories of  2024 but don't take my word for it, there are other stories from 2024 and beyond that, 520 more stories, spanning 19 years of story telling, just for you! Maybe you will discover a new favorite?

In closing, I am compelled to express my gratitude once again to you, dear readers, because you are the reason for why this blog even exists. I hope that each blog will continue to inspire you with a desire to learn more about Arabian horses. And if along the way you receive equal helpings of some good old-fashioned awe and wonder, then my part in all of this has gone well, all for the love of an Arabian horse.

Happy New Year 2025!

549

Sandie Cafritz with Maratez+/, photo by the late Johnny Johnston

I'm not sure when I first read And Miles to Go by Linell Smith but the story of *Witez II became a favorite,  which led me to find other books written about Arabian horses like The Black Stallion, by Walter Farley and King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry. As a chubby Cuban kid, not connected to anyone with horses, living within a manufacturing oriented northeast city with absolutely no horses anywhere; reading a horse book was the only way to make horses part of my life. Within the thousands of pages I devoured, horses were as real as I could imagine them to be. When my parents moved the family to a more suburban setting, imagine my surprise, as we passed a sign for an Arabian horse breeder, located in the western-side of town. Too young to drive and too far to ride my bike, I waited for an opportunity to visit the farm. Several years later, the opportunity kind of fell in place. There were 2 stallions on the farm at the time, a gorgeous chestnut named Abu and Maratez+/, who was close-coupled, comprised of circular lines, with a well-sprung barrel, muscled and a powerfully muscled hindquarter. He was smooth of body but it was in the details like his exceptionally fine and dark skin, the prominence of vein and bones, his shorter, wider head with fully black eyes and large, elastic nostrils, balanced with shorter, nicely shaped ears which overwhelmed me, even at a young age. He was extraordinary. His physical presentation was that of a classic Arabian, probably the type of horse most people imagine, when they think of an Arabian horse.  As beautiful  as the chestnut Abu was, Maratez+/ made him look coarse. Little did I realize at the time, the significance of the beautiful grey horse who stood before me, a grandson of *Witez II, the subject of And Miles to Go, the book I liked so much. I'm humbled, still and grateful to the late Alice Nagel of Pleasantview Farm, for the opportunity to meet him.

Maratez+/, foaled in 1967, was bred by the late Everett Shea, Windfall Farm, Pennsylvania. He was a son of  the black, Nitez (*Witez II x Nafa)  bred by Ed Hurlbutt and out of the grey, Imarada (Radamason x Imaja) also bred by Everett Shea. In his matriline, he traces to the desert mare, Nedjme, imported by the Hamidie Society for the World's Fair in Chicago. As a matter of fact, he carries a fair amount of desert breeding in the first 5 generations of his pedigree (parents, grandparents, great-great grandparents), mainly through Kuhailan-Haifi, Burgas and *Mirage. Further back in the pedigree are still more desert horses purchased by the Blunts. Skowronek (Ibrahim x Jaskolka) also appears multiple times in the pedigree through his sons, *Raffles, *Raseyn and daughter, *Rifala. Together with *Witez II, the overall percentage of Polish breeding increases to almost 40%!

Maratez+/ was owned for most of his life by Sandie Cafritz, of Dickerson, Maryland. Sadly, Sandie died this past April 28th. She was 88 years old and is missed by her family and friends. In 1947, at the age of 11, she won the Saddle Seat Equitation Championship at the Chicago International Horse Show. In her obituary, Sandie was said to be,

 "...petite in stature, strong, competitive, tough as nails and could handle a stallion like no other."

Maratez+/, in her hands, was named a National  top ten in English Pleasure twice, 1972 & 1973, in addition to being pinned an East Coast champion in English Pleasure. All of his wins in the show ring helped Maratez+/ to earn his legion of Supreme honor. That is what the symbol "+/" after his name designates. 

Maratez+/ was a proven breeding stallion and in temperament,  was kind and generous.  Most people who knew him personally remarked that he was "a sweetheart", an easy horse to be around. In the late 1970's, in the area known as the mid-Atlantic, particularly the sections of Maryland and Virginia closest to the Potomac river, horses mysteriously became ill and then, died. Eventually, veterinarians coined the name "Potomac Horse Fever" for the illness and Sandie, together with the Morris Animal foundation, worked tirelessly to educate the public and raise funding for a vaccine. In the early 1980's, Maratez+/ was the first horse to receive the newly created vaccination.

Maratez+/ came at a time in my life, when I was just beginning. I really knew nothing but I was able to connect the words I had read, with a living, breathing Arabian Horse. Up until that time, I had never had the opportunity to meet an Arabian horse before. Meeting Maratez+/ in person remains a pivotal moment in my life, as his phenotype made a gigantic impact upon me and set the course for the rest of my life. I knew, in that moment, that he was the type of horse that I would spend the rest of my life chasing. Thirty years after his death, I'm still running to find a horse who inspires me, in the same way that Maratez+/ did, all those years ago. Maybe Sandie's short note back to me is the best way to wrap up my story of Maratez+/. She wrote, 

"I am so happy that you were so impressed with him and to know his heart was the best of all."

548

Ralph Conner, a fellow enthusiast, whose knowledge and experience I respect, recently posted in the Gleannloch Facebook Fan group, a full page stallion ad which appeared in The Pyramid Report, published within the pages of the Arabian Horse Times magazine, circa February 1988.

 A 1975 grey stallion, Habib Al Kol was bred by Gleannloch Farms. A  *Sakr son, out of *Habeeba, he was purchased by Rex & Nancy White, of War-Dal Arabians, Temecula, California, as listed in the ad.  

In The Egyptian Alternative, Volume 2, Philippe Paraskevas wrote of *Sakr,

"If the E.A.O. had kept him and bred him to combine what Sameh faithfully passes on with some of the more concave heads they have there, (either him, or at least, *Ibn Hafiza or El Mareekh), they would have made sense of it all." 

As significant as what Philippe has said; I was inspired to think about Habib Al Kol, within the context of his dam and his maternal grandsire, as both horses had too short of a lifespan, leaving behind a small number of progeny. This fact, in my mind, makes Habib Al Kol all the more desirable as a breeding stallion. It was a chance to capture and build upon the time that was lost for both *Habeeba and El Araby. If Habib Al Kol's beauty or that of his dam and grandsire, were not enough to convince a breeder of his value, his ancestry, as uniquely combined as it was, should have raised awareness, that here, within the blood coursing through his veins was a genetic component that remained excruciatingly special. There were not many horses influenced in the same manner as Habib Al Kol was.

Habib Al Kol (*Sakr x * Habeeba) as photographed by Rob Hess

Habib Al Kol's dam,  *Habeebaa, was a 1969 mare, sired by El Araby (*Morafic x Hafiza) and out of *Bint Hanaa (El Sareei x Hanaa).  *Habeeba's maternal great granddam is a mare named Hind. This is not the same Hind (Ibn Rabdan x Bint Rustem) that we find in the pedigree of the Egyptian Hadban strain horses. Hind, like the mare, El Kahila, was gifted by King Ibn Sa'ud to King Farouk of Egypt. Hind was three years old at the time.  Three years later, she produced Hanaa by El Belbesi, a son of the Dahman Shahwan stallion, El Zafir (Awad x Bint Dalal) who traces in his tail female line to the mare, Bint el Bahreyn. What is really interesting is the low percentage of the Blunt desert horses, less than 4%, through horses like Azrek, Hadban, Queen of Sheba and Dajania. When combined with El Araby, who also carried a low percentage of the Blunt desert horses (El Araby's dam, Hafiza, carried no Blunt desert blood), *Habeeba's pedigree offered breeders a very unique combination of source blood, different from many of the horses who were also influenced by Crabbet (Blunt) breeding at that time. It is hard to believe that this opportunity once existed, easily found and now, is no more. How quickly doors open and slam shut in the world of Egyptian breeding!

Like her dam, granddams (Hanaa & Hafiza) and great-granddams (Zareefa & Mahfouza) *Habeeba was bay in colour. *Habeeba was one of only five foals sired by El Araby, also bay in color, whose beauty offered no additional protection and he died tragically in Egypt. *Habeebaa, like her bay sire, did not live a very long life, she died at age nine. She produced a limited number of foals, starting with Gemaal in 1973 and finishing up in 1978 with AK Jaliya. 

El Araby, a 1962 *Morafic son out of Hafiza, inspired all who saw him with his incredible scope and outrageous beauty. Judith Forbis said of him, 

"Tall, elegant, long-necked, and very extreme of head, he had naturally brilliant park-horse action and carried himself as a mount of kings.

El Araby was so admired, that many breeders, using the blood of *Ibn Hafiza, in combination with *Morafic's influence, confidently set out to recreate him, without success. A lot of beautiful horses resulted but none quite like El Araby.

I was exchanging emails with a friend, also a fan of Habib Al Kol, who pointed me to the Gleannloch Farms video on YouTube, posted by Jaliisah. Within the video, somewhere past 31 minutes, I found footage of Habib Al Kol at liberty and using the clipping tool available on You Tube, I was able to isolate his footage, approximately 45 seconds long--> Habib Al Kol

Habib Al Kol (*Sakr x * Habeeba) as photographed by Rhita McNair

"Tall", "elegant" and "long-necked" are the words that Judith Forbis chose to describe El Araby. As I watched the video footage of Habib Al Kol, the words Judi used to describe his maternal grandsire, also spoke the truth about Habib Al Kol! Now that he is long gone, as are many of the people who were part of these bloodlines, I'm not sure I understand why there are so few horses, in straight Egyptian form, tracing back to Habib Al Kol. If it is a matter of personal preference, so be it but it would have been great to have a choice, for my preference, here in what is now, their future.

Beware the Man You Think You Know

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

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

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

One day, the Sultan decided to put Hatim's generosity to the test. He wondered what Hatim cherished, that he would find impossible to give to another. He asked this question of his Vizier, who was convinced that the stories of Hatim's generosity were too powerful to be false. Here was a man who would freely give even his last mouthful of bread to anyone who asked for it. The Vizier told the Sultan that there was nothing in Hatim's possession that he would find difficult to part with. And so spies were sent out into the oasis where Hatim lived, to observe him and to find the one thing that Hatim loved, more than anything else he had ever known.  

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

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

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

AIRBORNE

Above, is a new photo taken by Bar Hajaj of Ariela Arabians colt, Nile Amir AA (Al Ayal AA x Nile Massa AA). Do you see the colt's feet? All 4 hooves are off the ground! Bar Hajaj skillfully caught that moment of suspension, when the horse strikes off the ground and for a fraction of a second, is airborne. This moment remains fascinating to me, no matter how many times I see it. 

In his matriline, this young colt traces to the Babolna-bred mare, Al Hambra B, an exquisite Salaa El Dine daughter, who was named the Senior Champion mare at the 2006 Israeli Egyptian Event. She was imported and owned by my friend, Tzviah Idan and Im happy to say that she remains a key component in Tzviah's program, as well as Ariela's program. Further back in the pedigree, further back from Al Hambra B, the matriline finds its way to the celebrated foundational mare, Bint el Bahreyn, a key mare in many of the pedigrees of our legendary straight Egyptian horses, like *Bint Maisa el Saghira as an example.

***You have no idea of the kind of week it has been. OUCH! With one photo, you changed my outlook on life! Many thanks to Bar Hajaj and Ariela Arabians, for being the "911" in my life through a fabulous colt like Nile Amir***

Anuncja

In Spanish language, "Anuncia" means "announcement", like when you want to share joyful news, for example, a wedding or a new baby. I am not fluent in Polish but I imagine that "Anuncja" means similarly, for example, a special filly, representative of the Janów Podlaski stud farm, soon to make her official debut, as she goes out into the world-wide community of Arabian Horse breeding, leaving Janów Podlaski behind. Oh my.

Anuncja is sired by Borsalino K, the late Ali Jamaal son bred by Murilo Kammer of Haras Aratinga, Brazil. However, it is Borsalino's dam, the Varian-bred, Keepsake V, a Huckleberry Bey++ daughter out of a Khemosabi daughter, who is at the center of this story. In her matriline, Keepsake V traces to the celebrated Queen of Sheba, an Abeyyah, purchased in the Syrian desert by the Blunts; while her *Mirage sire line includes 3 generations of Varian stallion power: Huckleberry Bey++->Bay-El-Bey->Bay-Abi. Keepsake V, when outcrossed with *Sanadik El Shaklan, produced the prolific broodmare, La Kelila, who produced horses like Lalique V, Lily Dancer V and Latigo V, all sired by Desperado V. Combined with Encore Ali, an Ali Jamaal son, the cross is similar to Sheila's use of  *Jullyen El  Jamaal in her program. 

Anuncja is lot 2 in the forthcoming Pride of Poland Summer sale. Recognizing that approximately 25% of her genetic influence comes from the Varian program, imagine crossing her with Major Mac V, a 2012 dark bay stallion, sired by Maclintock V (Desperado V x Marigold V) and out of Majors Tiffany GA (DS Major Afire x Sabrina GA). While the blood of Queen of Sheba courses the matriline of Keepsake V; the blood of Rodania, another of the Blunt desert purchases runs through Major Mac's tail female line. Major Mac also intensifies the cross of Huckleberry Bey++ with Khemosabi, through Maclintlock V's grandam, Moska, a Khemosabi daughter, whose own daughter, Marigold V, was bred to the Huckleberry Bey son, Desperado V.

And finally, there is the matter of Angora, the dam of Anuncja. She is sired by the Monogramm son, Ganges and out of the Gazal Al Shaqab daughter, Anarchia. In tail female line, she descends from Gazella, an 1840 Kuhaylah Ajuz mare, purchased in Syria by Count Juliusz Dzieduskycki for Jarczowce Stud. Gazella founded one of the most influential families in Polish Arabian horse breeding and it is really something to realize her influence, in the same pedigree with Rodania and Queen of Sheba.

It is mares like Anuncja, who really surprise you, when you take the time to learn who they are and the opportunities they offer a prospective breeder, new or old. Many good wishes sent to all the attendees of the show and sales for the Pride of Poland Arabian Horse days, coming up this weekend.