09 April, 2007

The Black

I have lost my horse, and I am determined that whatever it takes I will get him back - Raj, from the movie, The Black Stallion Returns

"I saw Ibn Serag during Scottsdale in the late 90's while visiting Julia. He was truly a dynamo of a horse, very animated when I saw him, with an enormous powerful physique and rear end. A little like Gharib in Germany when I saw him in the 80's."-Pam Studebaker
The 1978 mare, Farah Bint Shiko, a Shiko Ibn Sheikh daughter out of Bint el Sarie has an interesting pedigree, as Rashad Ibn Nazeer is the sire of her dam and of her sire. She is 50% Rashad Ibn Nazeer, a Nazeer son out of Yashmak.

She was bred to *Serag, an Anter son out of Bint Om el Saad, a Nazeer daughter out of Om El Saad, a Yashmak daughter. Which intensifies this combination of blood, already present in Farah Bint Shiko. Pam Studebaker who breeds straight Egyptian Arabians at her Saqlawiyat Arabians in Ohio shared the following about the pedigree of *Serag,
"An interesting note on *Serag is that when one traces his pedigree back to the foundation horses of Egypt, then does the same for the original imports of Richard Pritzlaff, they are identical save for one foundation mare in the 1800's, in other words breeding *Serag to Pritzlaff is almost like breeding straight Pritzlaff and one gets those exceptional good bodied and good legged horses with that incredible engine behind."
The combination of *Serag and Farah Bint Shiko produced a beautiful black stallion, *Ibn Serag. Recently, Judi Parks, the stallion's breeder shared her feelings about this lovely horse,
"Ibn Serag was a power-house of body and movement. I think his best feature would have been his strong hip, the well laid back-shoulder and his beautiful movement."
Unfortunately, Ibn Serag died at a very young age, before he was able to sire any get at Julia Byfield's farm, for her Post-58 breeding program. I lament the death of a horse this exceptional, this beautiful, lost forever to our community. When my mind wanders, and I think of how complementary the pedigree of this particular stallion is; I am overwhelmed by the tragedy of the loss.

EnJoy your horses,
Ralph

1 comment:

  1. Ralph, I was saddened to see your story of Ibn Serag yet so very happy that you mentioned him if being sad and happy at the same time is posible? Ibn Serag was a very special horse and yes his loss at such a young age was overwhelming. There will never be another like him as time had run out for his sire *Serag and his dam had been exported to Europe. In thinking about Ibn Serag I can't help but recall a line from the book The Prophet by Hahlil Gibran... "And ever has it been that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation".

    I can't stop thinking..."if only".


    Judi Parks

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