A Love Song for a Queen

Maar Bilahh died last week, on December 19th. She was 25 years old.

The sweet-faced daughter of El Halimaar and Bint Nabilahh (Farasha's daughter, Nabilahh, produced Bint by the stallion *Morafic), Maar Bilahh was bred by the Cruz family of Rancho Bulakenyo and was purchased by Barbara Griffith of Imperial Egyptian Stud. In an interview with Nancy C. Ryan of Arabian Horse World, Jody Cruz said,

"...my father was able to buy some amazing horses, he bought a 'barren mare' named Bint Nabilahh for nearly nothing and when she arrived, she was pregnant by Shaikh Al Badi. We then bred her to our stallion, El Halimaar and she produced a filly named Maar Bilahh, who kind of won the world over."

She was an Egyptian Event Supreme Champion Mare, an East Cost Champion Mare, a Region 15 Champion Mare, a U.S. Top Ten Futurity Mare, an Israeli National Champion mare and a Middle East Reserve Champion mar

"You're beautiful. You're beautiful.
You're beautiful, it's true.
I saw your face in a crowded place,
And I don't know what to do,
'Cause I'll never be with you.”-from the song, You’re Beautiful, written by James Blunt, Sacha Skarbek and Amanda Ghost

When she was sold to Ariela, I knew that I would never see her again and my heart broke, to think of it. I loved the mare very much and in my fantasy day-dreaming, I thought that I would be able to one day buy her. Already a successful broodmare at Imperial Egyptian Stud, the beautiful foals that Maar Bilahh would eventually produce in Israel, made her absence a little more tolerable. In America, she produced by Imperial Madheen, the stallion Imperial Mahzeer (who eventually became the herd sire for Al Nasser Stud in Qatar and sired Bint Saida El Nasser, the 2002 Reserve World Champion Mare at the Salon du Cheval) and the mare, Imperial Mahzeera who produced the full brother and sister by Imperial Al Kamar, the grey stallion, Badraan Al Majid and the bay mare, Medallela. Before being exported to Belgium, she also produced full siblings by *Simeon Sachi (Asfour x Simeon Sheba): Melissa Al Atiq and Mishaal Al Atiq. Also in America, by *Orashan, she produced the mare, Imperial Orbillah, who produced 3 stallions (MB Talmaar, MB Talman and MB Tamaal, all by the Amaal son, Talmaal) and MB Bilaza, a daughter by the Ruminaja Ali son, Anaza el Nizr. In Israel, by Imperial Imdal, she produced a daughter, Mar-Halla and two sons, Mahbub (2000 Israeli Reserve National Champion Stallion) and Muhajjal (1997 and 2000 Israeli Reserve National Champion Colt). The mare Mar-Halla has foaled two mares, Maar Silahh by El Thay Mashour (Madkour I x El Thay Bint Kamla) and Mar-Hiba by NK Hafid Jamil. Mar-Hiba has already produced a colt, Ibn Kamaahr by Kamaahr (Al Maraam x Imperial Kalatifa). By Al Maraam, she produced a son, Al Safir AA (who sired the successful stallion, Al Hakim) and by Al Ayad, she produced her last filly, Maar Miri AA, who is pictured with Maar Bilahh in the photo.

"Maybe I can go to Ariela Arabians in Israel and visit her?" were thoughts that crossed my mind, from time-to-time. Even though the reality of owning such a horse was not realistic, just knowing that she was alive and being a good mother to her babies was comforting. But now, she is really gone, forever and no matter what happens; even if I am able to go to Israel, I will never be able to see Maar Bilahh again. I will never see her at any gate, her left foreleg lifted in anticipation and her ears pricked forward, in anticipation of the human that was coming to visit her and shower her with affection. I will never be able to wrap my arms around her neck and squeeze her as hard as I could and hear the happy, little grunt that she made. I will never feel the weight of her head on my shoulder, as I proceeded to scratch her on her wither. She really loved people. If my jacket pocket was large enough, she would have jumped into it.

"Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose." -From the television show, The Wonder Years

The Queen is gone and she has taken a little piece of the hearts of all who knew and loved her. She was not a tall horse but yet, she had a lot of substance. In her company, the combination of her personality and her beautiful type was enchanting. The following photo of Maar Bilahh, as the Israeli National Champion mare, shows her in superb show condition (I want to remember her like this):

I wrote to Chen, as soon as I learned the news because I knew how much she loved Maar Bilahh and how sad she must feel over her death. If there was one person who would understand how I feel about Maar Bilahh, it would be Chen:

"...Now, her stall is empty and I have a big hole in my heart. I really miss this old lady. She had a part in my life for the last 15 years and was the horse who has been here the longest with me at Ariela Arabians. I'm doing my best to remember that she had very good life, always with the people who loved her."

Her legacy will continue, through her sons, daughters, grandsons and granddaughters, thanks to Ariela, who recognized the potential of this very special horse. Your presence made life so much better "Marbie" and while I will miss you, I know that you will live on in your progeny. They will keep your memory alive and remind the world what a special mare you were. And maybe, sometime in the near future, I will have "my own private Marbie" to love and cherish.

“Have you ever been in love? Horrible isn't it? It makes you so vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens up your heart and it means that someone can get inside you and mess you up."-Neil Gaiman

Good-bye Maar Bilahh...it was very good to know you,
Ralph

KAH POW! KAH BAM! KAH RETTA!

"I was a pretty young girl once
I had dreams
I had high hopes...."-Tracy Chapman, from her song, All That You Have is Your Soul

I "stumbled" upon this beautiful mare, while I was looking for another picture. Who is she? Her name is Kah Retta, she was bred by the Babson Farm and she was foaled in 1981. That's right, 1981. Do you remember where you were in 1981? In 1981, Anwar Sadat was assasinated and Hosni Mubarak became the Egyptian President. Both Pope John Paul II and the American President, Ronald Reagan were shot in assasination attempts. Martial law was declared in Poland by General Wojciech Jaruzelski and the Solidarity Labor Union was outlawed and its leaders, including Lech Walesa were imprisoned. The movie Chariots of Fire won the Academy Award for Best Picture and the song, Bette Davis Eyes won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year. Dallas was the number one TV show and 42nd Street won the Tony Award for the best musical. In 1981, the world was changing and for me, as a college student, the world was a fresh, new place, full of opportunity and big dreams, for all who could seize it or so I believed. It is really hard to believe that 27 years have passed by and that this mare has somehow faded into obscurity. I was so surprised to find her. How did I not know about her? In the later years of the Babson Farm, the blood of *Asadd++ was introduced to the program through a stallion named Sahadi Shikari. I knew this and I always thought this cross was interesting, as there is common ground through Ibn Rabdan. I knew it and I accepted it and yet, I did not move on it. I contacted her owner, Jennifer Graef, in order to learn more about her. Jennifer told me:

"I bought her first in 2003 from a less then desirable situation where she was wasting away in a field with a bunch of young horses and one rotten round bale. She is a beautiful mare. She has such wonderful dark eyes. She really embodies the Arabian breed."

She is gorgeous, with a softness that ignites the desire to wrap my arms around her neck and bury my face in her soft coat, filling up my senses, all the way down to the deep, deep part of my core being; the special place that is reserved for something extraordinary, for great beauty that is not easily comprehended and the resulting joy which fuels my dreams and encourages my spirit, even in the darkest days. As special as Kah Retta is on the outside, her pedigree is unique, a blend of key horses that one does not find too often. I recognize and appreciate the concentrated sources of Kuhaylan Rodan breeding in Kah Retta's pedigree, as her sire, the 1978 stallion, Sahadi Shikari is not only a pure-in-the-strain Kuhaylan Rodan; his dam Kameela, is predominantly Kuhaylah Rodaniyah as 3 of her 4 grandparents are of this strain. WOW! That's amazing. However, the concentration does not stop with the Kuhaylan Rodans, as Haretta's pedigree is influenced by Saklawi and Dahman sources. Sired by Ansata Abbas Pasha who traces to the most beautiful Saklawiyah mare of all time, Moniet El Nefous (see my previous article, ENCHANTMENT), Haretta is out of the mare, Henretta, who was sired by Ibn Fa Serr, who traces to *Bint Serra, who is also a Saklawiyah. These Saklawi sources on the bottom of the pedigree combine nicely with Lubna, a Moniet El Nefous daughter, who is the dam of *Sultann, the sire of *Asadd++, on the top side of the pedigree. The entire pedigree is balanced by the Dahman sources on the bottom, through *Ansata Ibn Halima and through the tail female line of the pedigree, *Bint Bint Sabbah.

I use allbreedpedigree.com a lot. I checked the progeny records for this mare and I see two horses listed. Let's look at the first mare, the 1985 mare, Rou Ketta, who was sired by the all Babson and Ibn Fa Serr son, Serr Rou. This is incredible, while Serr Rou has the tail female to *Maaroufa, this stallion has 3 lines to *Bint Serra!! This mare, Rou Ketta, in turn has produced 2 mares: the 1989 Ruala Sereta by Serhabbas and the 1995 mare, Ruala Aleeta by Ansata Ali Abbas. Both these daughters have common ground, in that their sires are Ansata Abbas Pasha sons. Remember that Kah Retta's dam is an Ansata Abbas Pasha daughter!!! The Saklawi sources are magnified, not only through *Bint Serra but also through Ansata Abbas Pasha. It makes me think about what Judi Forbis once said about the Dahman strain being a blend of Kuhaylan and Saqlawi influences. And here, in this mare, we have concentrations of both strains, anchored by the Dahman tail female line.

The other mare produced by Kah Retta is a Thee Infidel daughter, Khara Infidel, which again, is a unique combination and what I find really exciting about this cross is the intensification of the Ibn Rabdan blood. The cross of Thee Desperado on Bint Magidaa is a pedigree that is rich with Ibn Rabdan blood through horses like Anter, Farasha, Zaghloul, Mahfouza, *Morafic and Ibn Galal I. I don't see that this mare has produced any progeny but allbreedpedigree may not be updated with the most recent information.

Visiting the Craver Farms website, earlier this week , I was reminded by what Charles and Jeanne Craver were able to accomplish for the Davenport breeding group. It is a contemporary example with much relevance for the straight Egyptian breeding group. There is a lesson to be learned here. We need more mares like Kah Retta, with her blend of bloodlines that introduce a bit more variety or diversity into the genetic stream of Egyptian breeding. Over the years, through appreciation and recognizing that the more popular bloodlines offer reliable consistency in producing the type of horses that people desire, we have moved uncomfortably closer to limiting the choices in our gene pool by increasing the supply (or oversupply) of particular bloodlines, while sacrificing the bloodlines of key horses.

It is difficult to describe the powerful feelings that a horse like Kah Retta generates. To trace her silhouette with my finger, the familiarity of gently sloping, smooth, harmonious and generously curved lines, the electricity that collects in the tips of my fingers, matched only by the rapid beating of my heart, as I recognize a horse that is faithfully authentic to her heritage and yet, another reminder of a horse that I knew a long time ago and despite the years that have accumulated between the day I met him and today, I still remember him.


PS Thanks Jennifer

Cheval du Coeur

One could say that a horse galloped into Clothilde Nollet's heart at a very young age and never stopped galloping until she reached her soul.

"A true horseman does not look at the horse with her eyes, she looks at the horse with her heart."

Clo's grandmother managed a hotel when Clo was a small child and one of her employees was a Spanish gentleman, who possessed an impeccable attention to detail, a strong sense of style, all with the eye of an artist. Rumor had it that once; he had been a brave and mighty rejoneador, the most famed in all of Spain, riding agile horses in bullrings, inches away from death. Clo was fascinated by the horses in the stories he told, whose unparalleled courage, never wavered in the face of great danger. The old man recognized something familiar in the young girl's eyes; maybe, he saw himself as a child, yearning for the horses which brought him only joy. It was Clo's good fortune to meet this Spanish horseman, for he taught Clo all about extensions, collections and half pass-to-half pass changes of directions. The lessons became a strong foundation, which would ultimately help Clo to recognize the qualities which create loyal and courageous partners, loving and devoted to their riders, willing to try anything asked of them, even to face danger, head on.
In 1995, one of the last Mahrouf daughters was born at the Babson Farm. Mahrouf, a handsome and athletic chestnut stallion, was shown by Carolyn Gardner in 1981, to a Region 11 Park Horse Championship. Mahrouf’s filly was out of the Ibn Fa-Serr daughter, Fay Amy. Henry Babson, long considered a pioneer in the Arabian Horse community, was the first Egyptian Arabian Horse breeder to experiment with breeding a full brother and sister. When he bred the black stallion, Fa-Serr to Fa Deene, the stallion Ibn Fa-Serr was born. This stallion sired 85 sons and daughters, including the dressage champion, Serr Maariner. Fay Amy’s dam was a famous bay mare named Aroufina. In another story, this mare, when bred to the stallion Fa Noufas, produced the mare Noufina who was eventually bred to the Sabeel son, Lancers Sahm, producing PH Safina. Bred to *Orashan, she produced BB Ora Kalilah, who produced the ultimate Arabian Horse, Imperial Baarez. With four crosses to the Saqlawi mare, *Bint Serra, the mare which Henry Babson fell in love with, desired and ultimately required the help of Dr. Branch, to convince Prince Kemal el Dine to sell this mare to him. The little grey filly, influenced with multiple crosses to *Bint Serra, was refined and elegant, with a longer, narrower face that is more often seen in horses of the Saqlawi strain. She was named Bint Fay Amy, in honor of her mother, whose place she would eventually occupy in the Babson Farm herd.

Three years later, in 1998, Clo was able to realize a dream that many horse-crazy young girls like her also dream of, an Arabian gelding of Polish ancestry. Her horse. Her dream. Lived, her way. A horse, which in her mind was more like the horses that the Spanish horseman rode in his country. She wanted to be like him and make his stories, her stories. That is, her own stories to tell one day. It was this horse that created for Clo a curiosity for Arabian Horse history and opened her mind to learn about the Egyptian Arabian Horse.

In the almost 60-year history of the Babson Farm, no one imagined that one day, the doors of this farm would be closed forever. For admirers of this most serene place, this was not the future that one expected, for a farm that had given birth to so many wonderful horses. And that for horses like the beautiful Bint Fay Amy, as well as for a stallion like Mah Deluque, they would travel far away from the lush pastures and the cypress barn, to breeders like Pascal Lavreau and Margaret Albertine, who recognized the quality of these horses, tracing in all of their bloodlines to only the five horses that Henry Babson imported to America, from Egypt, in 1932. Bint Fay Amy would soon find herself on a journey to Belgium, where she would eventually produce a grey daughter by Meranti Fa Asar named Canasta Fay Sara. But for a horse like Bint Fay Amy, something was missing…maybe not something, maybe…it…is…someone.

In England, Clo had an opportunity to visit the Egyptian Arabian horses collected by Mr. Martines. She was impressed, as all the horses were of excellent quality and abundantly blessed with Arabian Horse type. Clo secretly promised herself that if she were able to breed Arabian Horses one day; this would be the type of horse she would want to produce. She met Amélie Blackwell and the two young women, sharing common ground and interests, developed a friendship. The passion of one ignited a fire in the other. Clo learned all about the Babson horse from Amélie and she soon found herself searching for the breeders of these horses, with a hunger for knowledge like she had never known before. Her enthusiasm for the bloodlines was embraced and welcomed by like-minded Babson enthusiasts and breeders. Soon, Clo found herself with many pictures and pedigrees of horses. It would be horses like Ser Mahrouf (Mahrouf x Fay Amy) and BA Serr Isaac (Serpreme x Mah Amy) which would catch her attention.

Clo made two trips to America, in 2006 and then again in the summer of 2009, to meet Babson breeders and to see their horses. At Jody Dvorak's farm, she fell in love with TES Mahala Amira (Mah Hab x Amys Amira), a very refined bay mare who is a maternal grand-daughter of Fay Amy. At Carolyn Jacobson's Beaux Chevaux Farm, she met Mah Barouf, who was also one of the last horses sired by Mahrouf. Slowly, Clo recognized that from all the horses she saw, she preferred the horses who shared common ground through the mare, Fay Amy and the stallion, Mahrouf. The map was drawn and the two individuals moved closer than ever to their final destination: each other.

In 2008, Clo’s friends visited Bint Fay Amy in Belgium and knew from Clo that she was looking for a straight Babson Egyptian mare. The mare was now owned by Pascal's veterinarian, who had managed to breed one foal from the mare but unfortunately, had not been able to produce any more foals from her. Her friends sent the pictures...and then, the horse that lived inside Clo's heart stopped galloping and all was still. The horse that she had known all this time was suddenly in front of her. She had found her. They had finally found each other. Clo found the horse that she was looking for, the horse that she saw in her mind and had felt with her heart. Suddenly, from somewhere far away, the Spanish gentleman smiled broadly. The lessons were now complete. Clo was ready to move on with her story.
Bint Fay Amy has finally arrived home, by way of America and Belgium, to find the girl's heart that she knew all along that she owned but could not find, despite galloping all over the world searching for her. She...Clo...forever…happily ever after. And soon, she will bred to Princeton Maariner, who also came a long way to help spread the influence of one man's dreams, one man’s kind heart and one man’s stories farther in the world than he ever thought possible.

“There should be no mediocrity in love and without love, you cannot create art.”-Nuno Oliveira

Un cheval du coeur...a horse of the heart. I love happy endings.

EnJoy,
Ralph
 All pictures of Bint Fay Amy were taken by Clo Nollet.

*Ibn Galal I-7

In October of 1984, at the US Nationals held in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, the Hungarian-bred Egyptian horse, *Ibn Galal I-7 was named a United States National Top Ten Mare. In a few days, the 2009 US Nationals will take place, so it seems only appropriate that this October, we look back to this very special occasion...however, can I ask you:

Where were you in 1984?

If you were driving, gasoline, on average cost $1.10 per gallon.
The DOW JONES industrial average, which is now close to 10,000 points was 1,211 points.
Ronald Reagan defeated Walter Mondale in an historic landslide win, to become President of the United States.
1984 was an Olympic year, with the winter games held in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia and the summer games in Los Angeles, California, USA.
Desmond Tutu won the Nobel Peace Prize.
The Space Shuttle DISCOVERY took its maiden voyage in this year.
1984 was also the year that the English pound was taken out of circulation.
The first Apple Macintosh computer goes on sale in 1984, the start of a revolution in how we receive information and communicate with others, in our daily lives.
We have come a long way since 1984 in this world and yet, for many who love Arabian Horses, this mare, *Ibn Galal I-7, remains timeless in our mind. 25 years later, after her championship win, people still ask about her, people still marvel over her classic beauty.

Judi Parks was at the US Nationals, the year in which "Gala", as she was affectionately known, won her top ten. Thanks to Judi's generosity, I am able to share these pictures with you.

Line bred to Alaa el Din, she was sired by Ibn Galal I (Ibn Galal x Hanan) and out of the EAO mare, Lotfeia, an Alaa el Din daughter out of the El Sareei daughter Bint Kamla (Sheikh el Arab x Samha). I need to point this out again, so you don't miss it: 2 Alaa el Din Daughters: Hanan and Lotfeia. Maybe this does not seem so big to you today, as the influence of both mares is farther and wider than these bloodlines were at this time. Together with *Jamil, *Ibn Galal I-7 was the first of the Hanan-influenced horses, to reach America. And she created quite a stir, among many people. Leased by Ansata Arabian Stud, who showed her to her win, a breeding to Ansata Ibn Sudan was planned and advertised in Arabian Horse World in August. She was bred to Ansata Halim Shah instead and tragically, she died while in foal to this most marvelous horse. Despite the relationship which formed between Ansata and Katharinenhof, to join forces and positively impact the Egyptian Arabian Horse community with a beauty so extreme, so wonderful, so exciting; the tragedy of Gala belonged to the natural order which created her, already written, already formed and well outside of any attempt at intervention by the main players in her story. Gala was a tragic beauty in this time, a very modern Antigone, sent from heaven to remind us that a long time ago, God took the south wind, commanded it to condense itself and from this, the Arabian Horse stepped into a love story which has been unfolding for thousands of years. While her death does not make much sense to anyone, even 25 years later, the consolation, the "silver lining" is that Gala fulfilled her destiny, in God's eternal commitment to love His creation forever.

Happy Autumn, Happy Harvest, Happy October ,

Ralph

Wazir's Flag is Flying

Maybe you wonder, what kind of a sire is this horse, Wazir El Kheil?

Well, meet Atiq Tamah. She is a chestnut beauty and Wazir El Kheil's daughter out of Tzviah Idan's and Kuti Aharon's in-utero import from Babolna Stud, Atiq Tamaara (Halim Shah I x 230 Ibn Galal I). She combines so many of the Egyptian programs that I admire: Babson, EAO, Al Badeia, Ansata, Babolna. It will be a life full of suspense, to see how she furthers the influence of Fa Mahfina in her country and hopefully, all over the world.

EnJoy your horses,
Ralph

PS Many thanks to Tzviah Idan for telling me about Wazir El Kheil and Atiq Tamah!

The Babson Influence of Wazir El Kheil

Wazir El Kheil is a 1998 straight Egyptian Arabian stallion, sired by the leading race sire in Israel, Bariq Al Amal. In turn, Bariq Al Amal is out of the leading dam of Israeli race horse sires, Al Sachra Bint Amal, a daughter of Morhaf (an Akhtal son out of the Alaa el Din daughter, Mahlaha) and Amal Albadeia (who is out of the Seef daughter, Asilat Albadeia). There is so much to like about this horse. Physically, he is beautiful. An athletic horse, Wazir holds the track record for short distances in Israel, in addition to his show ring wins as a halter horse. On the sire side of the pedigree, the presence of *Malekat El Gamal, is very touching, as I knew this mare from Imperial Egyptian Stud and really loved her. Egyptian horses, recognized for their superior athletic ability, appear in the pedigree of Bariq Al Amal. Horses like Amrulla, Seef, Alaa El Din, Sameh and Aseel. However, for me personally, the other side of the pedigree, the dam side, is especially interesting, as Wazir is out of a straight Babson Egyptian Arabian Horse: Fa Mahfina. Yes, that's right.

Wazir El Kheil's dam is Fa Mahfina, a straight Babson Egyptian Arabian sired by the Babson Farm stallion, Serr Rou, who is a son of Bahrou, out of Aaroufa, sired by Fabah. Thanks to Chen Kedar of Ariela Arabians, this is what Fa Mahfina looked like, when she was alive:Fa Mahfina's dam is Mah Fina, who is a daughter of Mahrouf and out of Roufina. Both Mahrouf and Roufina are also out of Aaroufa, by different sires: Mahrouf is a Fabah son and Roufina is a Fa-Serr daughter. So, Mah Fina is 50% Aaroufa and together with Serr Rou's 25%, Fa Mahfina is close to 75% Aaroufa!! WOW! To further illustrate the concentration in Fa Mahfina pedigree, I need to point out that her great-grandparents are Fa-Serr, Fa Deene, Fabah and Aaroufa. That's 4 individuals...FOUR..out of EIGHT possible horses. Amazing, to fully consider the concentration of a few key horses. In previous entries, I have explained that the winning formula practiced on the Babson Farm was Fabah to Fa-Serr daughters and Fa-Serr to Fabah daughters. In Fa Mahfina, we see this breeding practice at work. One can consider fully the implications of a 60-year old closed breeding program, based only on 5 horses from studying and yet, the full realization of what this means comes only alive when you see the pedigree in front of you. Then, you get it and you wonder, "how is this possible".

Wazir physically, has been positively influenced by his Babson Egyptian pedigree, as he is a curvy, smooth-bodied, circular, athletic, willing and well-tempered horse. His owner loves him and has a solid relationship with the horse, which to me, speaks loudly about his wonderful disposition. He is beautiful. Together with the the Ibn Rabdan influence found in more modern Egyptian horses like Sameh, *Ansata Ibn Halima, Shaloul, Zaafarana, Sid Abouhom, the concentration of Ibn Rabdan becomes very strong in this horse. His deep chestnut color is very reminiscent of Ibn Rabdan and the look for which horses carrying his influence are recognized. If there is one aspect of this blog, for which I hope you will remember, is my enthusiasm for the influence of this most special horse...Ibn Rabdan.

EnJoy your horses,

Ralph

PS Many thanks to Tzviah Idan for telling me about this most excellent horse and to Chen Kedar for the picture of a Babson beauty, Fa Mahfina!

Atiq Hazaq

Hora B (Halim Shah I x 216 Haszuna B) with her filly Atiq Hanah, sired by Atiq Nadeem (Al Maraam x Alhambra B)

Atiq Hazaq is sired by Nader al Jamal, the Ansata Sinan son who is also the sire of Atiq Sofha Dereh, the filly out of Idan Atiq's blond beauty, Atiq Sofsof. His beautiful dam is the Babolna-bred, Hora B (Halim Shah I x 216 Haszuna B). In Hebrew, Hazaq means “strong”. When I was a child, I was fascinated by the story of Samson. When Samson became a young man, he set out for the land of the Philistines and while in the city of Tinnah, he fell in love with a young woman. On the way to the woman's house, to ask for her hand in marriage, Samson is attacked by a lion. He grabs the lion and with his superhuman strength, he tears the lion apart with his bare hands. Later on, on his way to his marriage, Samson passes by the very spot where he had killed the lion and observes honey bees, who have nested and made their honey comb in the lion's mouth. He is overwhelmed by God's grace, for anyone else would have been devoured by the lion but because God blessed him with this amazing strength, he defeated the lion. He takes the honey and shares it with his parents, relishing in the sweetness that had come out of the mouth of so savage a beast.

"Out of the eater, something to eat; out of the strong, something sweet."-from the story of Samson, from the Book Of Judges

Tzviah tells me that this colt is so special, he is a strong candidate to become a herd sire, from this year's foal crop. I believe her, especially because of the strength of his mother and the program which gave birth to a strong family of horses.

Atiq Hazaq (Nader al Jamal x Hora B)

Hora B is in foal to Simeon Sharav for 2010. My imagination is working overtime, trying to think of this foal and what he/she will look like.

All the beautiful pictures of Atiq Hazaq were taken by Menashe Cohen, a wonderful photographer who is able to not only capture the very spirit of these horses but everything that makes them an Arabian. Thank you Menashe!

The Story of Atiq Sofsof and Atiq Sofha Dereh

Atiq Sofha Dereh (Nader al Jamal x Atiq Sofsof)

Atiq Sofha Dereh is sired by Nader al Jamal, an Ansata Sinan son out of Savannah CC (Thee Desperado x Miss Maggie Mae). Her dam, Atiq Sofsof, whose name means "finally" in Hebrew, was the first filly foaled at Idan Atiq Arabian Stud, after a series of 5 colts, one right-after-another. Al Maraam is Sofsof's sire and the Babolna mare, 230 Ibn Galal I, is her dam. Tzviah and Kuti imported 230 Ibn Galal I in 2000, already an aged mare. Her dam is 211 Zohair (Zohair I x 28 Farag). Tzviah tells me that many considered 211 Zohair to be one of the most beautiful straight Egyptian mares ever bred by Babolna. The dam of 211 Zohair, 28 Farag is a full sister to the Imperial mare, Pharrah. The tail female of this mare is 9 Tamria, a *Tuhotmos daughter out of the Nazeer daughter, Kamar. Over the years this bloodline has become not only influential but treasured by breeders all over the world.

Atiq Sofsof with 230 Ibn Galal I

Atiq Sofsof and her dam, 230 Ibn Galal I loved each other until 230 Ibn Galal I died at the age of 26. Now Atiq Sofsof is the same way with her daughter Atiq Sofha Dereh. Although Sofha has now been weaned from her dam they do not like being apart from each other. They are still attached, mother-to-daughter and daughter-to-mother.

"Just like her mom she knows she's got the kind of face that no one can resist, and is just as sweet and charismatic, with the wonderful tail carriage and movement of this family, and great balance, thanks to her sire."

Kuti Aharon named this filly Sofha Dereh, which in Hebrew, is like an American expression that we use when something is so phenomenal, so incredible, it is "out-of-sight". When Tzviah emailed me the pictures of her new foals, my eyes were immediately drawn to Sofha's pictures. Her quality oozed out of the pictures and captured my attention. Like Tzviah told me, it is too impossible to ignore her. Her silhouette, even at a young age is classical, with unbelievable refinement. I can't imagine how much nicer she will become as she grows into all of her parts.

All the beautiful pictures were taken by Menashe Cohen, a wonderful photographer who is able to not only capture the very spirit of these horses but everything that makes them an Arabian. Thank you Menashe!

Atiq Ma’ajan

Atiq Ma’ajan (MD El Sperado x  Harajana B)

In the early-to-mid 80’s, Ansata Arabian Stud leased the Ibn Galal I daughter (out of Lutfia), *Ibn Galal I-7 from Agraria Babolna, the State Stud of Hungary. A chestnut-colored beauty with a fiery red mane and tail, the Forbis’ planned to show her, all the way to the United States National Mare Halter Championship and then breed her to Ansata Ibn Sudan (*Ansata Ibn Halima x Ansata Bint Mabrouka). For many people, “Gala”, as she was affectionately known, was unforgettable. She was extraordinary. Gala was extremely popular in this time period and was named a US National Top Ten mare in 1984. Prior to her national win, Gala had been undefeated, not only in halter but also in Most Classic competition. She was a supreme champion 3 times and a champion mare 9 times, in addition to her 5 wins as Most Classic Arabian and 2 wins for Most Classic Head. At the US Nationals, Tzviah Idan was captivated by Gala’s fine quality, by her timelessness, her classic beauty and her functional conformation. It was as if someone had gone into Tzviah’s mind and given flesh and bone to the horse that lived in that private space where her heart, mind and soul merged together. This was the horse that would become Tzviah’s “touchstone”, the catalyst, the benchmark, against which all future horses would be measured. One could say that in this moment of meeting Gala, the Idan Atiq Arabian Stud was born.

Atiq Ma’ajan (MD El Sperado x  Harajana B)

As breeders, Tzviah and Kuti are very excited over the birth of their newest filly, Atiq Ma’ajan. Shortly after being foaled, Kuti recognized the “Gala look” in Ma’ajan. As she continues to grow and mature, Tzviah agrees that this filly comes closest to her personal breeding ideal. Atiq Ma’ajan was sired by a young stallion, MD El Sperado, who was imported to Israel in utero, when his dam, the Ansata Hejazi daughter, Izara Blue CA was purchased. Ma’ajan’s dam is the Babolna-bred mare Harajana B (Halim Shah I x 247 Rajan B [227 Ibn Galal I]). Harajana B has had 3 foals prior to Ma’ajan, all of which were sold locally, as foundation stock. Ma’ajan is Harajana’s best foal to date, superior to herself and the “keeper” who Tzviah had been waiting for, from this Hosna family, which is the largest Babolna family represented at Idan Atiq.

Atiq Ma’ajan (MD El Sperado x  Harajana B)

In December 2001, Honi Roberts had written about Imperial Egyptian Stud as a “Foundation Breeder” which included Barbara Griffith’s 10 Commandments for Breeding Arabian Horses. When Tzviah told me about this new young stallion, MD El Sperado, I remembered the following commandment from the article: “Use outside stallions if you think they will improve on your mares.” In this case, blending the bloodlines of Thee Desperado with Ansata breeding, complemented the Babolna breeding of Harajana B. Now that Harajana B has produced a foal better than herself, Tzviah and Kuti have a much better appreciation of her potential. For 2010, Tzviah has bred Harajana B to her homebred Laheeb son, Atiq Hilal, who is out of Hila B (Efendi B x Haniya B), also of the Hosna family, as Haniya B is out of 227 Ibn Galal I, the same mare that produced 247 Rajan B, the dam of Harajana B. I am excited over this breeding, as the foal will trace to Hosna in both tail female lines.

Atiq Ma’ajan (MD El Sperado x  Harajana B)

Harajana B was imported as a suckling foal, alongside her dam, 247 Rajan B. She suffered Rhotococcal Pneumonia as a foal and the disease impacted her growth, so she has matured slowly and has not achieved the harmonious and balanced look that the other mares at Idan Atiq enjoy. When visitors arrive at Idan Atiq, they pass over Harajana B, preferring her beautiful three-quarter sister, the beautiful mare, Hora B (Halim Shah I x Haszuna B[227 Ibn Galal I]). Harajana B is an incredibly smart mare, who is also the easiest mare to breed at Idan Atiq; settling to the stallion in one cover, during her foaling heat. The name Ma’ajan means a source of flowing water, like a stream or a brook. And like Gracie, Ma’ajan has a mission in her life, as an important component of the Idan Atiq breeding program. This is the filly that will take Tzviah on the breeding adventure she dreams of, to find and produce the type of horse that once galloped out of her mind, to become her catalyst, her touchstone, which made a place like Idan Atiq possible and all the dreams which flow abundantly there.

All the beautiful pictures of Atiq Ma'ajan were taken by Menashe Cohen, a wonderful photographer who is able to not only capture the very spirit of these horses but everything that makes them an Arabian. Thank you Menashe!

1982

"Bentwood Farms has sought to consistently breed Arabians with correctness, athletic ability and the classic elegance which excites the mind and never deceives the eye for beauty."-Bentwood Farm: A Breeding Philosophy, from the 1982 advertisement in Arabian Horse World

For me, the mere mention of the word "Bentwood" is the equivalent of saying "Disneyland" or "Hollywood".
So many wonderful horses....

all
in
one
place
I don't know if people new to Arabian Horses, in these post-Bentwood years, will understand what Bentwood meant and for me and many other people, still means. At the time, Bentwood Farms had the largest and most diverse collection of Egyptian Arabian Horses, assembled in one location, not only in the United States but in the world. Bentwood Farm was a very HUGE place, so big, you had to drive a car, to get from one part of it to another. Almost 20 years later and Bentwood's acreage still shocks me, as much as it did back then. The resources that made managing a farm like Bentwood possible, also made it possible for horses to be bred in unique combination of bloodlines. For a small breeder, with limited resources, it was not financially possible to do such things. Bentwood was able to arrive faster in a multi-generational program, without the aid of AI or embryo transfer and in the process give the entire community a bit of diversity, through these breeding combinations. What this farm was able to accomplish, with treasured Egyptian Arabians, remains significant. I am forever grateful to the dream that made Bentwood possible. Bentwood made it possible to have horses with Sirecho, Babson and Halima lines blended with Moniet el Nefous, Anter combined with Babson lines, *Ibn Hafiza bred with Babson lines; just to point out a few of the crosses that the farm tried. If it were not for Bentwood breeding, many of the influential farms of today, would not have the horses that have made their programs noteworthy. For example, Ariela Arabians in Moshav Bnei Zion, Israel, purchased the mare, AK Latifa (*Ibn Moniet el Nefous x Siralima) a Bentwood-bred mare foaled in 1977. AK Latifa produced four foals for Ariela, the most famous of which is the stallion Laheeb by Imperial Imdal. Laheeb is one of the most influential sires, world-wide in the entire breed community. In 1998, Laheeb traveled to Poland, to become the chief sire for the Janow Podlaski and Michalow state studs. Because of Laheeb, we enjoy in the show ring, Polish-influenced Arabian horses like Poganin and Emira. Laheeb was so successful in Poland, that he returned 10 years later. In Israel, Laheeb produced a World Champion, the handsome and popular straight Egyptian stallion, Al Lahab, now owned by the Friedmann family in Germany. Like Laheeb, Al Lahab traveled to America and stood at stud at the world famous Om El Arab International in California. Al Lahab is spreading Laheeb's influence even farther. This is one example...ONE...AK Latifa is just one of many Bentwood horses, to illustrate the powerful influence that Bentwood breeding still has upon the Arabian Horse community, to this day. It is rare to look at the pedigree of an Egyptian arabian Horse and not find a Bentwood horse, somewhere in the pedigree.
Bentwood indeed was a magical place, filled with the horses that I had read about and saw pictured in all the books dedicated to Egyptian Arabian Horse breeding and also in the leading magazines dedicated to the community. In the early 1980's, after the death of *Ibn Moniet el Nefous, some of the stallions standing at Bentwood Farm were The Egyptian Prince, Ansata Abbas Pasha, Ansata el Sherif, *Refky, Fadl Dan, Ansata El Arabi, *Nagid and *Ibn Alaa el Din. The mare collection was impressive. Outside of the EAO, there was no other place in the world with a herd this large. As a matter of fact, there was no place in the world, even at the EAO, that had a collection as complete as Bentwood's mare herd, with the Babson lines. For straight Babson Egyptian fans, Bentwood Farm owned the largest collection of Babson Egyptian mares, outside of the Babson Farm in Illinois. This was the home of Maarena, Bint Fada, Henrietta, Fa Dena, Aarouser, Roufah, Maar Kamalla, Sabrah, Serrasab, to name a few of the names. Bentwood presented the mares in a format similar to the Egyptian Reference Handbooks, cataloguing the mares by strain. While Bentwood had mares from every one of the major strains (Hadban, Kuhaylan Rodan, Kuhaylan Jellabi, Dahman Shahwan, Saqlawi and Abayyan), the wealth of the collection was found in 2 strains: the Saqlawiyah and the Dahmah.

I had the opportunity, a few years ago to purchase a copy of an early 1980 edition of a popular Arabian Horse magazine. In 1982, when this list was published in the magazine, I was overwhelmed. I could not comprehend what it would be like to have all of these mares assembled in one place. When I visited Bentwood 6 years later, this feeling did not vanish, it was MAGNIFIED. Seeing all the names on paper was overwhelming...seeing many of these mares, with my eyes and touching their coat split me in two. While Bentwood was blessed to have many of the top Egyptian stallions on the farm, the bigger blessing, the treasure, the prized jewels of Bentwood, were the mares that Bentwood owned and leased.

THE BENTWOOD MARE CATALOG

"The enduring quality of any breeding program rests with the female lines which were its foundation. Stallions receive more notoriety, but in fact, the finest and most prepotent stallions are never from anything but the finest mares. At Bentwood Farms, we have placed particular emphasis on mare lines and their strains. With any pedigreed bloodstock, the female line most often contributes more to the genetic makeup of the individual. The tail female line in the pedigree is of particure importance in breeding decisions. We have engaged in the most tedious research and have spared no effort or expense to bring together the finest and most prepotent group of foundation mares possible. Bentwood Farms has been noted for the quality of their mares, evidenced by 13 National Top Ten awards, two Reserve National Championships and one National Championship awarded in mare halter classes in North America. Bentwood mares have won three Reserve International Championships in England and in Europe in the past several years. More importantly, these mares are producing foals which are elegant, refined and prepotent themselves..."-from the 1982 Bentwood Farms brochure

HADBAN STRAIN

*Nabilahh (Anter x Farasha

Lohelia (*Morafic x *Nabilahh)

Bint Masarra (*Tuhotmos x *Masarra)

*Dawlat (Anter x Sheherazda)

*AK Dalia (*Ibn Hafiza x Aziza)

*AK Jaheena (Waseem x Mahbouba)

*Baheia (Shariar x Hemmat)

ABAYYAN STRAIN

*Magidaa (Alaa el Din x Maysa)

*Higran (Seef x Hodhoda)

SAKLAWI STRAIN

Bint Bint Moniet (*Rashad Ibn Nazeer x *Bint Moniet el Nefous)

Raya Del Sol (*Rashad Ibn Nazeer x *Bint Moniet el Nefous)

Monisa RSI (*Rashad Ibn Nazeer x *Bint Moniet el Nefous)

Muniet Nefous RSI (Umi x *Bint Moniet el Nefous)

AK Bint Monisa(*Ibn Moniet el Nefous x Monisa RSI)

Bint Binte El Bataa (Emam x *Binte El Bataa)

Sittana (*Morafic x *Bint Binte El Bataa)

Bataasha (*Tuhotmos x *Bint Binte el Bataa)

Saqlawia Jedraniya (*Morafic x *Bint Binte el Bataa)

Bint el Rih (*Farazdac x *Bint Binte el Bataa)

Bint El Hadiyi (El Hadiyi x Saqlawia Jidrania)

Fathia (*Ibn Moniet El Nefous x Muniet Nefous RSI)

Bint Bint Mona (*Morafic x *Bint Mona)

*Hoyeda (*Morafic x Mona)

*Hayat (Anter x Tanta)

*AK Karama (Alaa el Din x Tanta)

*Sallama (Seef x Fayrouz)

AK Shahmona (*AK Shahm x Bint Bint Mona)

Dafeena (Dakmar x Farsa)

Kieshta (*Tuhotmos x Farsa)

AK Fariha (Ibn Morafic x Gasaara)

AK Khalifa (Ibn Morafic x *Gamilaa)

AK Bint Korima (Nawaf x Korima)

Serenity Galala (Serenity Osiris x Serenity Bint Montaha)

Zaenap (*Ibn Hafiza x *Hoyeda)

*Gamilaa (*Morafic x *Bint Hanaa)

*Bint Hanaa (El Sareei x Hanaa)

AK Anzar (El Sareei x Hanaa)

*Habeeba ( El Araby x Bint Hanaa)

*Maymouna (Akhtal x Mahlaha)

Fa Dena (Fa Serr x Khedena)

Il Bint Khedena (*Ansata Ibn Halima x Fa Dena)

Bint Fa Dena (*Ansata Ibn Halima x Fa Dena)

*Hayam (Mashour x Tahia)

Gasaara (*Faleh x *Hayam)

Ansata Salome (*Ansata Ibn Halima x *Ansata Bint Nazeer)

Bint Moftakhar (*Moftakhar x Ansata Fatima)

Iziza (Ibn Hafiza x Izees)

Sahrah (*Zaghloul x *Sooma)

KUHAYLAN STRAIN

Maarena (Fabah x Fada)

Maar Kamalla (Maar Rab x Maar Jumana)

Bint Fada (Fa Serr x Fada)

Aarouser (Fa Serr x Aaroufa)

Monaaroufa (*Ibn Moniet el Nefous x Bint Aaroufa)

Ahroufa (Ibn Fa Serr x Bah Roufa)

Roufah (Ibn Fa Serr x Bah Roufa)

AN Mon Ami (*Ibn Moniet el Nefous x Bint Fada)

AN Monica (*Ibn Moniet el Nefous x Bint Fada)

Bint Mon Ami (*Ibn Moniet el Nefous x AN Mon Ami)

AK Bahiya (*Ibn Moniet el Nefous x Aarouser)

AN Moroufa (*Ibn Moniet el Nefous x Bint Aaroufa)

Nefousah (Ibn Moniet el Nefous x Maarifah)

Bah Rouse (Ansata Abbas Pasha x Bah Roufa)

Talnoa (*Talal x Noha)

*Nazzli (*Tuhotmos x Nagda)

Hamaama (Ibn Anter x *Hekmat)

*Omnia (Alaa el Din x Ameena)

Bint Omnia (*Morafic x *Omnia)

*AK Mayaada (Aseel x Madiha)

*Takwa (Aseel x Rawayeh

*Thawra (*Sultan x Rawayeh)

*Sanaa (Sid Abouhom x Yashmak)

Rabeeah (*Sakr x Romanaa II)

Bint Samim (Samim x Il Durra)

DAHMAN STRAIN

*Nagat (Anter x Abla)

*Somaia (Anter x Abla)

*Ein (Anter x Abla)

Serroya (Fa Serr x *Nagat)

AK Nashahma (*AK Shahm x *Nagat)

AN Mona Lisa (*Ibn Moniet el Nefous x *Nagat)

AK Serrmonietta (*Ibn Moniet el Nefous x Serroya)

Sadaa (*Morafic x Somaia)

Sabrah (Fabah x Serrasab)

Serasaab (Fabah x Serrasab)

FA Halima (*Ansata Ibn Halima x Sabrah)

Serr Halima (*Ansata Ibn Halima x Serrasab)

Asal Sirabba (Sirecho x Habba)

Sirhabba (Sirecho x Habba)

Siralima (*Ansata Ibn Halima x Asal Sirabba)

Raalima (*Ansata Ibn Halima x Asal Sirabba)

AK Nadira (*Ibn Moniet el Nefous x Asal Sirabba)

Sirhalima (*Ansata Ibn Halima x Sirhabba)

AK Shahlima (*Ibn Moniet el Nefous x Raalima)

AK Bint Sirhabba (*Ibn Moniet el Nefous x Sirhabba)

AK Faiza (*Ibn Moniet el Nefous x Faarecho)

AK Yamaama (*Ibn Moniet el Nefous x Faarecho)

Dazeeralima (*Ansata Ibn Halima x Dazeera)

AK Monazeera (*Ibn Moniet el Nefous x Dazeera)

Henrietta (Ibn Fa Serr x Faaba)

AK Bint Henrietta (*Ibn Moniet el Nefous x Henrietta)

AK Jaleel Amaan (Ansata Abbas Pasha x Henrietta)

AK Amaana Moniet (*Ibn Moniet el Nefous x AK Jaleel Amaan)

*Bint Sharara (Galal x Sharara)

*Hegrah (Alaa el Din x Hagir)

Masada Safaana (Saafaddan x Mist Aana)

Masada el Aba (Saafaddan x Daal Aba)

AK Fataana (Ra'adin Inshallah x Rafaana)

Jazana Moniet (*Ibn Moniet el Nefous x Jazala)

Fa Saloul (Rafaar x Faarecho)

*AK Komeira (Ibn Galal II x *Pharrah)

Morajisa (*Morafic x Narjisa)

*Asilat Al Badeia (Seef x Atfa)

*Gazbeya (Shahriar x Hagir)

*Soheir II (Fagir x Tifla)

Ramses Ghazalahh (*Ramses Fayek x *Bint Ghazalahh)

*Bint Ghazalahh (Sid Abouhom x *Ghazalahh)

Rannana (*Soufian x Rahmaa)

Dahmah Shahwaniah (*Ansata Ibn Halima x *Bint Maisa el Saghira)

AK Layla (*Ibn Moniet el Nefous x *Azzar)

Akid Danzarra (Hamdan II x *Azzar)

*Azzar (Nazeer x Ahlam II)

AK El Sanaa (Mosry x *Deenaa)

AK Fanniya (*Ansata Ibn Halima x Narimaan)

Narimaan (*Morafic x *Deenaa)

*Nasra (*Morafic x *Zobeya)

*RH Desert Elan (Ghalion x Kayad-1)

AK Molly Moniet (*Ibn Moniet el Nefous x AN Janie)

Hannah (Fabah x Fasera)

In the late summer of 1988, I had an opportunity to visit Bentwood Farms. My memories of the grandeur of Bentwood had been formed many, many years before my visit. Little did I know or even understand, that the sun had started to set for this most amazing place. I hardly slept the night before I was to visit the farm, thinking about the horses that I would finally get to meet. I set out early and I was so impatient, as the drive from Dallas seemed to never end. When I pulled up in front of the stallion barn, there was a beautiful, gleaming, silvery-white horse, turned out in a metal pipe corral, in front of the stallion barn. He was a little "hint", a preview if you will, the "opening act", for all of the beauty which I was soon to encounter. Later, I would learn that this horse was Prince Fa Moniet. Yes, the Prince Fa, who would eventually go to Ansata. I look back to this one day, a brilliant day, a beacon in my life, still shiny and bright in the "fog of the past", which enables me to write of this farm and somehow, help to perpetuate these treasures of the past. I wonder if I fully realized how significant, how precious, how priceless this day really was and how I would look back, still, in wonder and amazement. I am grateful for the experience to have visited this farm and for the generosity of the people at Bentwood, to show me all the horses.

"As with all desert creatures, authentic Arabian horses possess an elegance and refinement which is unique." -Bentwood Farm: A Breeding Philosophy, from the 1982 advertisement in Arabian Horse World

Enjoy your horses,
Ralph

Imperial Phandala

Imperial Phandala

Imperial Phanadah, an *Ibn Moniet el Nefous daughter out of *Pharrah (Farag x 9 Tamria) was bred to Imperial Imdal and produced a leggy bay filly, who matured into a beautiful, elegant bay mare known as Imperial Phandala, possessing a charisma that delighted all who stood in awe of her. What impressed me most about Phandala was her incredible scope. It wasn't because she was a taller mare but Phandala was stretchy and willowy...her legs were longer, her back was longer, her neck and her head. She just had a lot of air built into her body. I always believed that she would be a phenomenal performance horse and I lament the missed opportunity that would have revealed an Egyptian super-horse to the rest of the world. She has a wonderful shoulder, set at an angle which allowed her to move her lovely long legs with much freedom, in a smooth, gliding and very efficient gait. She covered alot of ground in a few strides. Maybe it is also her substance, which conveys great power and strength. She has a well-muscled, shapely hindquarter, with well-muscled hocks, allowing her the ability to really reach under herself and drive her body forward. She is an authentic daughter of the wind, who eats up the ground in front of her easily, with her powerful movement. I wonder if this is also the influence of the Rodania family, which comes through Romanaa II (Sameh x Nazeera), the dam of Dalia, the mother of Imdal.

While at Imperial, she was bred to *Ibn Safinaz, Imperial Al Kamar and Imperial Baarez. However, in 2008, Phandala was bred a little differently, as she produced by *Simeon Sachi, an excellent grey filly named Phanniya Al Atiq.

Phanniya Al Atiq

Phandala was bred again to *Simeon Sachi in September and the follow-up ultrasound confirmed that the pregnancy was negative. Disappointed, Anne-Louise planned to try again, the following spring. Imagine Anne-Louise's surprise, when her veterinarian, while checking Phandala for breeding, the following spring, determined that Phandala was actually pregnant!

"When I found out Phandala was pregnant, I was so happy, and I told her, Phandala, I don't care what you have, as long as you stay safe and your baby is safe, but you are so beautiful, just so beautiful, I would love, love, love a foal who looks just like you so that I can see your beautiful face in the next generation."

Pharalisa Al Atiq

In the spring of 2009, Imperial Phandala gave birth to Pharalisa Al Atiq, a long-legged, long-necked, big filly who looks like her mother.

"Bless my beautiful mare, she gave me a bay filly with identical markings to her mother."

It will be interesting to watch their continued development, however, it will be their influence which will help to widen the influence of the Imperial Phanadah family, farther in the world of SE breeding. I compliment Anne-Louise Toner for the most astute decision to breed Sachi to Phandala, as evidenced by these classic fillies. For me, it is a happy moment, albeit bittersweet-flavored, as it confirms my "gut instinct" over the qualities that I believed Sachi could deliver, a long time ago. He is a very good breeding stallion.

EnJoy,
Ralph

I said no...

Even while writing this story, I still feel like any minute, I am going to jump outside of myself, bolt and run all the way to Fredericksburg, to find my elusive "yes" and bring it on home. The above pictured colt is Maihab (True Colours x Abraxas Moonbeam) as caught  by Wojciech Kwiatkowski, from Poland. I learned about Maihab from a friend of mine, Judi Parks. She thinks that we are made to be together, this colt and me. Since learning about Maihab, I have spent a lot of time arguing with myself about this colt. I have driven my friends crazy, asking for advice. I have a litany of reasons why a colt is the last thing I need in my life right now. Without glancing at his picture and daydreaming about all the possibilities, I am strong and can remain loyal to my  "no". And then, one look at his picture and I lose my resolve and maybe, just maybe....
I AM SO TEMPTED
I have always dreamed of an intense relationship with a horse. A horse who could communicate with me , on the deepest and most intimate level. A colt that follows me everywhere, always ready for the next adventure. Even before there was a Pat Parelli and RFD-TV, I wanted a horse who could do some of the amazing feats that Parelli students learn how to do, like jump over picnic tables.

"So he gets himself a horse, and a rope, and a song
And he finds himself a hat, fancy boots, shiny spurs
And there's nothing more he needs, or can have, or can get
If he wants to keep ridin', ridin' along"-from the song, A Cowboy Needs a Horse, by Paul M. Howard and Billy Mills

When I saw the movie, Dances with Wolves, I was impressed by the relationship that Dunbar enjoyed with his horse Cisco. WOW! I have wanted a friendship like that, for a very long time. Sometimes, I would get a feeling, in the middle of something else that I was doing, that someone was missing. WHO? So, when Judi started calling me about this really nice colt, I started to wonder, "is Maihab the one...is Maihab "the someone" who has been missing from my life?"

I recognized the intelligence in the colt's face, as he is wide through his forehead and his ears are placed far and wide from each other at the base. He has huge nostrils, which tells me that he is very curious and interested in his surroundings. And his eyes are full, and black and soft, indicating that he is a kind, sane and loving horse. Gosh, do I really know what I am doing? Why am I saying no?

I understand the amount of time that a colt needs, not to mention the consistency in training and development. And I also recognize that my life is intensely crazy at the moment, as work dominates every waking moment of my life. And when I am not working, one of my 3 kids will need to go somewhere or do something or have a need that only me, my car and my wallet can fill. How can I give another being any consistency, when I am hard pressed to find any consistency in my own life? In fairness to this wonderful colt, he needs someone who is a bit more stable, a little more steady...dare I say even, dependable or reliable? I have never worked an unbroken horse before...geezus, I need someone to train me. I feel like I am out of control.

Over the last year, money seems to sift through my fingers, like sand at the beach. My oldest child just graduated from college and will be attending Graduate School in the fall. I know that she will need my help for school and for an apartment. My son, is a year or so away from attending college and a car and insurance. And my youngest, in high school , also has high-priced needs. Where does a colt fit in all of this? Am I crazy? I am afraid that for whatever valid reason, I will not be there for my kids, when they really need me. I love being a father to my kids.

And then, Judi tells me he is going to be big. And that is like a hot piece of iron, stabbed into the very core of my being...SHE SAID BIG, LIKE SPORTS-HORSE-TALL-BIG...as in my own personal BIG dressage dream. How great would it be to ride an Egyptian Arabian Horse to a USDF medal, like my friend and mentor, Gail Hoff-Carmona did with her stallion, Serr Maariner? I thought my mare, Ms Rose, could take me far in dressage, but I looked silly, sitting on top of such a small horse. I won't even tell you about the woman who came up to us, after a championship show and smiled at me and said, "Cute pony." In a SUPER-SIZE-ME society, where petite ladies ride 17.2 behemoths, you can imagine how silly I felt, in that moment. Could a tall Maihab take me to the BIG places I still dream of going?

Thee Desperado has been a heavily criticized horse in the SE community. I am not sure if the criticism originates because the horse has been heavily-used at stud and has a record number of progeny, which threatens some or because when a stallion becomes this popular, a successful stallion is assigned an unrealistic expectation of correcting every flaw. Anyway, I love underdogs

"speed of lightning, roar of thunder
fighting all who rob or plunder
Underdog. Underdog!"-written by W. Watts Biggers, as the theme song for the American cartoon, Underdog

and it would be very personally fulfilling to ride a horse of these bloodlines to a performance pinnacle like a USDF medal and throw the proverbial ice water on the inflammatory comments of Desperado's harshest critics.

I have never answered the question for myself, in terms of what I want to accomplish in the world of horses. Am I a breeder or am I a rider? It seems like for a long time, I have had one foot in each. Is it possible to be both? On a budget? As the owner of two older mares, one would question, the label rider with an incredulous look on their face. He is a rider??? How can you be a rider with 2 older broodmares? Well, that is true. Neither horse can no longer keep up with the demands of regular, consistent training, maybe light trail rides but not a consistent program filled with 20 meter circles, extensions, half-halts and transitions. And yet, I don't think I fit in as a breeder either.

This colt will be two years old in September and he still has a lot of growing up to do, a lot of maturing and he really needs time to grow into all of his parts. Is gelding a cute colt like this, in order to make him more manageable, the smartest thing to do? What if this cute colt metamorphoses into a physical vision of the ideal Arabian stallion? I met another person recently and I had the opportunity to visit her farm. I don't believe that she has a program, yet. She has some really great horses. Some blow-your-mind beautiful horses. Individually, some of these horses are fantastic, however, she has not gotten past buying good horses and blending these horses together, to create a program. To me, it seemed like she was distracted. She had horses that complemented each other and she had horses that as individuals, were good but did not work together. It was obvious that she needed to cull and make her program smaller and concentrate on specific horses. So, here is this colt. Is he my personal distraction? How would he fit with the two mares that I already have? Have I wanted to use True Colours (Thee Desperado x Daheda) and Abraxas Moonbeam (Abraxas Moonstruk x Abraxas Maar Hala), because I believed that these horses have the genetic elements I personally identified as consistent, for producing the type of horse I wanted to produce? Would this cute colt help me to create a breeding program where one did not exist previously? Or as I saw at this other farm, is this colt representative of a distraction that I cannot afford...would I end up wasting the little time I have collecting nice horses, but not getting any farther in defining my own personal vision? Where do I fit? Where do I really fit?

“Work will win when wishy washy wishing won't.”-Thomas S. Monson

So, here I sit, a bit miserable as try as I may, I just can't get him off my mind. That's the place where I keep getting stuck, even though I said no. Has this ever happened to you? As much as I try to push this cute colt out of my mind, he just keeps trotting back in, asking, "hey, you want to play?"

I love horses...did I ever say that to you before?

EnJoy your life, EnJoy your horses,
Ralph

STEADFAST

I have always wondered over the desire to have someone in our life who cares for us...I mean really loves us. It is a very strong need we feel, to be wanted. We want to know that we matter and that we have significance in another's life. No matter how ugly we may become, this person or animal remains faithful to us, devoted to us, in spite of all our faults; this individual remains steadfast in their loyalty. So special is this quality, it is rare and in its scarcity, exceedingly precious and very much esteemed. It is a gift, once you experience it, never to be forgotten.

Such are the legends that have been told, over hundreds of years, of the bloody-shouldered Arabian Horse. What is a bloody-shouldered Arabian Horse you may ask? Look to the picture of Al Nahr Montego and observe the reddish markings over his neck, withers and back (he also had them over his hindquarter). These markings are referred to as "bloody shoulders" and like the "Medicine Hat" found in pinto and paint colored horses, there are stories concerning the origin of the markings. One legend says that the horse carried its wounded owner on his back, over many miles, never stopping to drink or eat, until the horse arrived safely at the home of the owner. Another legend says that the horse was actually a foal, born while the owner was raiding the camp of an enemy. The foal could not keep up during the escape, so the owner of the mare, desperate to escape, attempted to kill the foal, thrusting a spear through the foal's shoulder and leaving the foal for dead. The foal never died and following his mother's scent, makes it back to the camp of the owner and is reunited with his dam. In both legends, the horse is marked forever with the stain of the blood, signifying the strength, courage, beauty and exceptional quality of the horse.

What would it feel like to have a companion who loves you this much, that he would risk death or danger to be in your company?

"The tin soldier melted, all in a lump. The next day, when a servant took up the ashes, she found him in the shape of a little tin heart."-from The Steadfast Tin Soldier by Hans Christian Andersen

Al Nahr Montego was a bloody shouldered stallion, sired by *Ibn Moniet El Nefous and out of the Babson mare, Bint Fada. He was bred by Jay Stream of Green Gate Farm and subsequently purchased by Paul Hassel.

I didn't know Al Nahr Montego well enough to be able to say with any kind of certainty that this horse was like the horses of the legend. However, I know that Paul Hassel loved the horse and there are stories of Paul, on his tractor, with Al Nahr Montego, the horse that was bred for him, tied behind the tractor, jogging all over the farm. Al Nahr Montego was advertised heavily in the 1970's, his picture appearing in all the Arabian Horse publications of the day. His conformation was hauntingly similar to the conformation of the Babson horses, maybe with a little more "stretch" or a little more "leg" to create the look of a modern day Arabian show horse. Al Nahr Montego was competitive in American show rings, as he qualified and was a US National halter horse.

Al Nahr Montego was exported to Israel in the early eighties, to Yochanon Merhav, the manager of Golan Horse Breeding. Yochanon called Al Nahr Montego his "dream horse" and with the help of Tzviah Idan, Yochanon was able to finally realize his dream. Al Nahr Montego was one of the first American straight Egyptian horses to arrive in Israel. He was different from the Israeli Arabians of the day, more of a modern horse, a show horse type, stretchy and leggy and Yochanon provided many opportunities to Al Nahr Montego as a sire. Crossed on a variety of bloodlines, Al Nahr Montego's best offspring were out of Crabbet mares like African Minx (African Gold x Meshel) who produced mares like Golan Montega (the chestnut mare pictured)and Golan Montgomery;
while Farazdoll, a *Farazdac daughter out of Amorette (an *Aramus daughter) produced horses like Montegodoll and Golan Al Faraz (the grey horse pictured). The foals sired by Al Nahr Montego dominated the show rings in Israel, as other breeders felt the same way too about Montego. Paul Hassel had also used Al Nahr Montego on general list horses and felt his best foals were out of these mares, as these Montego-sired horses matured and dominated the local Florida futurities.

Yochanon eventually bred Golan Ghazlan out of Ruminaja Ghezala, a Shaikh Al Badi daughter out of Zarette, an Egyptian/Crabbett cross mare. This was the first Israeli-bred horse to go to Europe and compete in the Salon du Cheval, winning a top ten for owner Amos Dabush.

The siring career of Al Nahr Montego, right up until his death in the mid-90's, was approximately 190 horses, in 2 countries. While the majority of horses sired were not straight Egyptian, There were straight Egyptian horses produced like the stallion PH Ibn Tego (out of the mare Noufina, who also produced PH Safina, the dam of BB Ora Kalilah, who eventually produced Imperial Baarez). There were also crosses back into Babson breeding like the PH Monletta (out of the Babson mare Roulett) and PH Monsabba Su (out of the Babson mare Fa El Sabba). In Israel, out of the Pritzlaff mare, Solieta, Montego sired Golan Soleil and Golan Soltega.

What I also found interesting is that in both America and Israel, Al Nahr Montego was crossed with *Turfa-bred mares, to produce horses like Montia, PH Mon-Gina, PH Monlove and PH Mongina Maria to name a few. While not straight Egyptian, these are Asil horses, as they completely trace in all lines to Bedouin-bred horses.

Golan Horse Breeding eventually dispersed and as the years went by, the appreciation for Al Nahr Montego became less and less, like the appreciation for horses of other lines which are slowly disappearing from our community. In the case of Al Nahr Montego, his influence is becoming rare, similar to the markings that he so proudly carried in his life. I hope that someday soon, someone will find a Montego horse and return the loyalty and devotion of the bloody shoulders, back to the horse.

EnJoy your horses,
Ralph

*****Many thanks to Ceilidh for reading this blog and asking about Al Nahr Montego's siring career in Israel and to my friends, Tzviah Idan and Chen Kedar for not only talking with me about Al Nahr Montego and sharing their memories, but also to Chen for the wonderful pictures of "Tego" and his progeny.*****

The Tahawy Futna

Do you know that there are two horses called Futna and both mares are Egyptian Arabian horses and both were foaled in 1943?

I was researching horses recently, using the web resource, All Breed Pedigree and found that the given pedigree for both mares was Ibn Barakat and Koheilah Halawiyah. What about the daughter of Shahloul and Farida? This Futna produced the mares Ansata Bint Sameh and El Dahma II (by Nazeer), plus the stallions Fagir (by Nazeer) and Fattan (by Sid Abouhom). This Futna appears in the pedigree of well-known horses like Ansata El Wazir, Hebet Allah, Bint Deenaa, Nariman and *Bint Dahma.

The other Futna was bred by Sheikh Abdul Hamid el Tahawy, of the Tahawy Bedouins of Egypt and is sired by the stallion, Ibn Barakat and out of the mare, Koheilah Halawiyah. Futna descended from horses bred by the Tahawy Bedouin tribe in the Hejaz area of Arabia, which bordered the Nejd, to the north, on the other side of Medina. I found the geographical location interesting, as Dr. Nagel in his book, Hanan: The Story of An Arabian Mare and of the Arabian Breed, explained that the Arabian Horse, as we know him today, exists in more than one form: the "horse of the north", found in the northern areas of the country from Aleppo to Mesopotamia and recognized as a taller and more athletic horse; while the "horse of the south", found in the area of the Nejd, was known as an extremely beautiful and highly refined horse. The Tahawy tribe eventually migrated to Egypt, crossing through Libya and Tunisia, arriving in the 19th century, in search of better grazing for their livestock. It is also very interesting to learn that the Tahawys carefully bred their horses, maintaining a closed breeding herd and selectively breeding to insure the hardiness of their horses, in order to survive traveling long distances in a harsh climate.

There is very scarce written information for the ancestry of Futna's sire and dam, as the Tahawy Bedouins, like most Bedouin people did not record pedigrees in a written format. Pedigrees were passed from one generation to another, by word of mouth. Because Futna 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. While the Tahawy carefully avoided adding any outside blood; Egyptian Arabian Horse breeders sought the Tahawys, to add these horses into their breeding programs. I believe that the Egyptian breeders, like Ahmed Hamza who utilized this blood, made a statement regarding these horses and for which their pedigrees are unquestionably authentic. Futna was bred to Hamdan, which resulted in the mare Bint Futna II. Bred to the *Morafic son, Shaarawi, Bint Futna II produced the mare Faten. Bred to the Ikhnatoon son, Adawy, Bint Futna II produced the mare, Khelawyah A. Futna was also bred to Mozaffar to produce Ali Baba and to Emam, to produce the mare Rhita. I don't believe either horse sired or produced any offspring.

Gelgelah Albadeia

Futna 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 Folla (Ibn Barakat x Shuwaymah Sabbah).
As a matter of fact, the mare Folla, is present in the pedigree of one of the most beautiful Egyptian mares of our modern era: 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. I have always regarded Gelgelah as a classic Bedouin mare and looking at her picture, I am reminded of a passage that I read in Dr. Nagel's book, describing the Nejd Arabian, as expressed by Lady Anne Blunt:

"..the Nejd horses have short necks, short bodies, good shoulders and a very good tail carriage. Their heads are better than the Anazeh's in every respect the Arabs admire: the heads are not too large, but neither too small, a great width between ears and eyes and between the eyes, but not between the ears; the profile concave below the eyes. The tails of the Nejd horses are thrown out in movement, like thier heads in a perfect arch."

Do we see the influence of the Tahawy horses in Gelgelah? Are the qualities that Lady Anne Blunt associated with the Nejdi horses, amplified in Gelgelah through the blood of Folla, combined with the southern influences already present in horses like Kayed, *Malekat El Gamal, Imperial Madheen, *Fawkia and *Orashan? I am not sure if I am able to answer these questions. I believe that a mare like Gelgelah, would not exist without the Tahawy influence and she is reason alone to celebrate the influence of the Tahawy horses and welcome the joy that these horses may bring into our community. If anything, a horse like Gelgelah pushes us out of our comfort zones, in order to develop a broad, complete and whole understanding, regarding all of the influences that have developed into what we know today, as the Egyptian Arabian Horse.

EnJoy your horses,
Ralph