There Once Was A Stallion Named Antar

Antar was a son of Hamdan, a full brother to Shaloul, who together with their full sister, Samira, were part of the group which Judi Forbis' called "THE FABULOUS FOUR". These horses were sired by Ibn Rabdan and out of the mare Bint Radia, whose mother, Radia, was not only an important mare for the Royal Agricultural Society but also for the Inshass Stud of King Farouk. In THE CLASSIC ARABIAN HORSE, Judi Forbis shared that Radia traced to the mare Ghazala, a line known for producing elegant racehorses, horses that had substance and balanced with long necks and extreme heads. Radia's daughter, Zareefa (by Sahab) produced the mare, Bint Zareefa (by El Zafir), who in turn produced Abla (by Mekdam), the dam of Obeya. Anter, in both the tail female line of his sire and of his dam, traces to this mare, Radia. He is a special horse indeed. As the son of Obeya, Antar was a favorite horse of King Farouk, at whose studfarm, Inshass, was home to some of Egypt's finest horses. In 1952, when King Farouk was overthrown, most of these beautiful Arabians were sold at auction. However, some of the horses, including the stallions Sameh and Antar were sent to the EAO. Antar was a popular sire at the EAO, siring well over 50 foals, out of the choicest Egyptian mares. I believe that Antar's fame, like Alaa El Din, was made through his daughters, who far out-classed his sons. Judith Forbis saw Antar in Egypt and she shares the following observation:

A handsome bright red chestnut stallion of noble bearing, attractive head of medium length, rather high-placed medium eyes set in boney sockets, weil set and well,shaped ears, well-shaped nicely arched rather heavy long-enough neck, good withers, somewhat long back which tended to softness.

Dr. Hans Joachim Nagel remembered Antar in his very famous Hanan book:

"Anter (1946) a refined, bony horse of solid conformation. He had powerful, extending movements, a good shoulder and a fine, elegant neck. The negative features he passed on to his offspring were small eyes, too long ears and over-angualted hindlegs. On the whole, however, he was appreciated at El Zahraa as a good sire, especially of high quality mares."

Compare and contrast the above comments with Ms. Hansi Heck-Melnyk's memories of Antar in 1973 (Hansi owned the Anter daughter's, *Serenity Shahra and *Serenity Sagda):

"Antar did not have a long or week back at all. I saw him the last time in 1973. I saw Antar in 1973. He was in excellent condition. A liver chestnut, tremendous hindquarters, shoulders, withers and hip. Well set, on a balanced neck, excellent mover, lovely dispostion, excellent legs with a very typey, desert-bred like muscular head".

Reviewing the list of progeny, one immediately notices that Antar was bred to very fine mares, possibly some of the finest mares at the EAO. Was his success as a sire, a result of his own genetic influence or rather, was his significance a reflection of the genetic strength of each of the EAO mares he was bred to? Was Antar like Nazeer, who throughout history was known to be complementary to the mare he was bred to, allowing the mare to favorably influence the foal? In looking at the list of foals produced by the following mares, who went to produce their quality or better: Kamar, Abla, and Shahrzada, I would have to say that the combination was not one-sided, and I strongly believe that Antar bred to each of these three mares was a successful "nick" that should have been exploited more.

ABLA (Nazeer x Helwa)
(1) NAGAT grey Mare 1960
(2) RASHIKA grey Mare 1962
(3) EMAN grey Mare 1963
(4) SOMAIA mare 1965
(5) LOOZA/LUZA grey mare 1969
(6) ADAWEYA grey Mare 1970
(7) EIN grey mare 1971

AHLAM (Sid Abouhom x Bint Zareefa)
(1) CLEOPATRAA black Mare 1960

AYDA (Nazeer x Lateefa)
(1)WADI bay Colt 1964
(2)ASHOUR grey colt 1971

BADRIA ()
(1) BANDONG chestnut colt 1957

BASIMA (Alaa El Din x Sherifa)
(1)BASSAMA chestnut Mare 1971
(2)SALEEMA/SELEEMA chestnut Mare 1972

BINT BINT MABROUKA (Sid Abouhom x Bint Mabrouka)
(1)RAKIA chestnut Mare 1963
(2)MARIAM bay Mare 1964
(3)ROKAYA Mare

BINT EL SAMRAA (Mekdam x El Samraa)
(1)IBN ANTER chestnut Colt 1963 ANTER

BINT ELWYA (Sid Abouhom x Zareefa)
(1)ANSATA BINT ELWYA grey mare 1961

BINT KATEEFA (Sid Abouhom x Kateefa)
(1) BINT BINT KATEEFA chestnut Mare 1960
(2) BASIL colt 1966

BINT MAYSOUNA (Nazeer x Maysouna)
(1) NAAMA grey Mare 1961

BINT MONA (Nazeer x Mouna)
(1) IBN ANTAR/IBN ANTER grey colt 1964

BINT OM EL SAAD (Nazeer x Om El Saad)
(1) SERAG chestnut Colt 1972

EL AMEERA (Nazeer x Zaafarana)
(1) FERIAL chestnut Mare 1961

FARASHA (Alaa El Din x Yosreia)
(1)NABILAH/NABILAHH grey Mare 1960

FATIN (Nazeer X Nefisa)
(1)JEHAN grey Mare 1959

GALILA (Sid Abouhom x Rouda)
(1)MAMDOUH Colt 1960

HELWA (Hamran II x Bint Farida)
(1)FAHIDD chestnut Colt 1961

KAMAR (Nazeer x Komerira)
(1)SAAB grey colt 1963
(2)WAHAG grey Colt 1964
(3)KAHRAMANA grey Mare 1966

LATEEFA (Gamil III x Salwa)
(1)MAHBOUBA chestnut mare 1963

MABROUKA (Sid Abouhom x Moniet El Nefous)(1) MUBARK grey colt 1970

MAHFOUZA (Hamdan x El Mahrousa)(1) MAYSA chestnut Mare 1955

MAMLOUKA (Nazeer x Malaka)
(1) FIFI Mare 1963

MAYSOUNA (Kheir x Shams)
(1) TAHSEEN/ TAHSIN bay colt 1964

NAEEMA (Ramses Fayek x Tifla)(1) EL YATEEMA chestnut Mare 1971

NEAMAT (Morafic x Hemmat)
(1) NIHAL chestnut Mare 1966

NAZEERA (Nazeer x Malaka)
(1)HAMDIA/HAMIDA mare 1959
(2)KAWMIA grey Mare 1965
(3)BINT NAZEERA grey Mare 1968

NAZIC (Morafic x Rashida)
(1)AABER/ABER bay colt

RAGHA (Adham x Ragaa)
(1)RASMIA bay mare 1952

SAMIA (Nazeer x Malaka)
(1)HEKMAT chestnut Mare 1961
(2)SERENITY SAGDA grey Mare 1966

SHAHRZADA (Nazeer x Yosreia)
(1)IBN SHARZADA Colt 1960
(2)DAWLAT chestnut Mare 1961
(3)BINT EL NIL/BINT EL NILE chestnut Mare 1963
(4)IBN SHAHRZADA chestnut colt 1964
(5)SERENITY SHAHRA/SERENITY SHAHARA grey Mare 1966

SHERA ()(1)IBN SHERAZA H

SOUHAIR (Sid Abouhom x Salwa)
(1) GHARIB black colt 1965

TANTA (Morafic x Mansoura)
(1)TOBROK grey Colt 1966
(2)HAYAT grey Mare 1967

THOURAYA (El Sareei x Rayana)
(1) GHADEER Mare
(2) MAHEERA grey mare

ZAHDA (Morafic x Om El Saad)(1) ZAHID chestnut Colt 1972

The Nazeera daughter, *Hamdia/*Hamida was imported by Gleannloch Farms and unfortunately, she died within a month of her importation. Gleannloch had imported many of the Anter daughters (Gleannloch imported 10 Antar daughters: Bint Bint Kateefa, Hamdia/Hamida, Dawlat, Hekmat, Nabilahh, Somaia, Eman, Kahramana, Cleopatraa, Nihal, plus 2 stallions: Ibn Anter and Fahidd) and Doug Marshall remembered this mare as one of the best mares he imported from Egypt.

Gleannloch treasured their Anter daughters including the mare *Nihal++ (pictured, at left), a 1971 US National Western Pleasure Champion, as well as a Top Ten English Pleasure Champion. This chestnut mare was versatility personified.

The Nazeer daughter, Abla, was bred to Antar multiple times to produce an influential mare at the EAO, Adaweya, as well as Eman (pictured here) and Ein, Looza, Nagat, Rashika, and Somaia. It is my own personal opinion that Abla is one of three mares who "nicked" with Antar; the other two mares being Kamar and Yosreia, through her two daughters: the Nazeer daughter, Shahrzada and the Alaa El Din daughter, Farasha. In the 1980's, Dr. Ibrahim Zaghloul, then director of the EAO, was asked by ARABIAN HORSE WORLD magazine: "Which mares, living or dead, had the strongest influence on the EAO's breeding program?" Dr. Zaghloul identified 5 mares, of which, the Antar daughter, ADAWEYA, was one of these influential mares:

"Adaweya (Antar x Abla) is a very noble grey mare who was foaled in March 24, 1970, and traces to the Farida line (Abla has 3 other daughters by Antar who were exported to the USA). Adaweya has beautiful conformation, including a level topline, pretty head, and refined bone. From Abla, she inherited that unmistakably classic elegance and exquisite type associated with the Egyptian Arabian, as well as a deep shoulder and high set neck. Her foals are in turn the embodiment of these characteristics."

I like the Antar daughter out of Elwya very much. A close-coupled mare, with a powerfully-built hind end, balanced by a wide chest and an arched, well-crested, elegant neck, she was proof of the positive impact that Antar could make as a sire. Imported to America by Don and Judi Forbis of Ansata Arabian Stud, she was renamed *Ansata Bint Elwya. She was bred to *Ansata Ibn Halima twice, to produce the full siblings: Ansata El Hakim, a 1972 stallion and Ansata Haliwa, a bay mare in 1973.

Samia (Nazeer x Malaka) also produced two wonderful daughters by Antar. Ms.Hansi Heck-Melnyk, of Serenity Farm purchased the mare Sagda and renamed her *Serenity Sagda. The interesting thing about Samia and her foals by Antar, is that while Sagda was a grey-coloured horse, Hekmat was a chestnut. Hekmat was successful in the show ring, as she was a Class A halter Champion many times. As I didn't know either mare when they were alive, is it a stretch to say that possibly Sagda resembled more of Samia, while Hekmat may have been a feminine version of her chestnut sire or her chestnut Kuhaylah Rodaniyah ancestors?

I believe that there was another good nick with Antar and that was YOSREIA through her daughters Shahrzada (Nazeer x Yosreia) and Farasha (Alaa El Din x Yosreia). From the union with Shahrzada, a mare like *Dawlat, "a leggy chestnut with a tremendous neck and shoulder" was born, as well as Bint El Nil, Ibn Shahrzada and *Serenity Shahra. *Dawlat carried forward the legacy of her parents, by producing the stallion: Dalul by *Morafic and Asjah Ibn Faleh, when bred to the Alaa El Din son, *Faleh.

One of the most beautiful mares that Gleannloch Farm produced was NEAMA, a daughter of *Nabilahh, sired by *Sakr. She was offered for sale in June of 1982 by Gleannloch Farms in the Pyramid Society Breeders Sale I, with an Amaal colt at side and bred to *Soufian for a 1983 foal (a mare named Qastal). *Nabilahh's daughter by *Morafic was named Bint Nabilahh. When this mare, Bint Nabilahh was bred to El Halimaar, the sweet mare, Maar Bilahh was produced. Maar Bilahh produced the popular stallion, Imperial Mahzeer, when bred to Imperial Madheen. He, in turn has sired Bint Saida Al Nasser (out of Saida), Konouz (out of Imperial Kaliya) and Mezna Al Rayyan (out of Ansata Magnifica) among others. When we speak of a mare like *Nabilahh, her pedigree is so powerful, having ANTAR as a sire and the YOSREIA daughter, FARASHA, as her dam. Remember, Farasha also produced the stallions *Faleh and *Farazdac by Alaa El Din and Galal by Nazeer. I believe this breeding combination of Yosreia and Antar, produced beautiful mares, as evidenced also by the daughters of Shahrzada, another Yosreia daughter. Is it any surprise? The combination of ANTAR and YOSREIA was the esteemed formula of Ibn Rabdan and Mansour. A well-proven "recipe" that yielded some of the most unforgettable horses Egypt has ever produced. If one person's attention is captivated by the beautiful daughters that Antar sired and their resulting influence on the Egyptian Arabian Horse, then the effort behind the writing of this essay, will have been well worth it.