all for the love of a horse...: Maar-Ree

02 March, 2009

Maar-Ree

Over 52 years ago, Nellie Jackson foaled a striking filly out of her beautiful *Maaroufa daughter, Maarou, bred by the Babson Farm. Nellie Jackson had looked forward to this filly, sired by Fasaab, a son of *Fadl and *Bint Bint Sabbah and her patience, was well rewarded, as Maar-Ree was every bit as beautiful as one would have hoped for.

Who do you think of, when you think of an influential mare? You know, mares who have established strong, enduring and vibrant families, which remain critically relevant to the present day?

I think of Maar-Ree.

I find it amazing, when studying Maar-Ree's pedigree, that the majority of the pedigree is mainly two horses: Ibn Rabdan and Mahroussa. As a matter of fact, 62.5% of the pedigree is these 2 horses, via their son and daughter: *Fadl and *Maaroufa. Is it really Maar-Ree's continuing influence or rather, the influence of the 1920 mare Mahroussa? Aside from producing *Fadl and *Maaroufa, this Mabrouk Manial daughter, out of the mare, Negma, also produced the stallion *Zarife (by Ibn Samhan) and the mares *Hamama (by Kawkab) and *Hamida (by *Nasr), all of which were influential in American Arabian breeding programs.

Maar-Ree produced 6 daughters, who are: Maar Jumana, a 1962 bay daughter sired by the Babson stallion, Disaan, Maar-Juahara, a 1972 grey daughter by *Ibn Moniet el Nefous, a 1974 daughter RDM Maar Halima, a 1974 bay daughter by El Hilal, MFA Maariia Isis, a 1977 grey daughter sired by The Egyptian Prince, MFA Maet, a 1978 grey daughter, again by The Egyptian Prince and MFA Bint Maarree, a 1981 grey daughter, again sired by El Hilal. Although more influential through her daughters than her sons, Maar-Ree produced 7 sons, among which are the bay stallion Maar-Khaliq in 1969 by *Ibn Moniet el Nefous and the 1980 bay stallion, MFA Bahahr by The Egyptian Prince.

So which is your favorite branch of the Maar-Ree family? This is a very difficult question to answer, as the above mares, although closely related, produced differently from each other, with stunning results.

In Maar Jumana, you can find the reason for which I questioned whose influence is really at work in this family: Maar-Ree or that of her great-granddam, Mahroussa? A daughter of Disaan, this straight Babson Egyptian stallion contributes 50% of Mahroussa blood, through her son, *Fadl. Disaan accomplishes 2 things with his daughter Maar Jumana that the other stallions bred to Maar-Ree could not do: the percentage of Mahroussa remains well over 50% in Maar Jumana and he preserves the influence of Maar-Ree, in straight Babson Egyptian form. Maar Jumana produced the full sisters by Maar-Rab: Maar-Malika and Maar-Kamala. However, it is her daughter by El Hilal, RDM Maar Hala, which makes this branch of the Maar-Ree family particularly exciting as RDM Maar Hala accomplishes something that Maar-Ree was not able to do. RDM Maar Hala was an incredible stallion producer, having produced the stallions: El Halimaar, ET Crown Prince, Prince Ibn Shaikh, Halim El Mansour, Maar Ibn ALi, Maar Ibn Amaal and Maar Ibn Shaikh.

WOW! WOW! WOW!

In a tribute article for this most wonderful mare, authored by Honi Roberts, Cynthia Culbertson who was present at the breeding which resulted in El Halimaar, fondly remembers,

"I remember thinking that something extraordinary was bound to come of the joining of two of the most beautiful Arabians in the world."

Had RDM Maar Hala only produced El Halimaar, her greatness would have been assured forever. However, in her later years, RDM Maar Hala was bred to her son, El Halimaar to produce the exciting contemporary breeding stallion, Haliluyah MH. She did produce nice daughters and her daughter (by the *Morafic son, Al Metrabbi) Maartrabbi, when bred to the Salaa El Dine son, Crusader, produced the excellent horse, Maarauder MH. So, RDM Maar Hala, as a grand-dam, continues her influence for producing horses of great influence, through the sire line.

It is a bittersweet wonder to me, after witnessing these accomplishments with new Egyptian stallions, that Maar Jumana was not preserved in straight Egyptian Babson form, at least once, to continue the legacy that has been handed-off through the generations, from Mahroussa to *Maaroufa, from *Maaroufa to Maarou and from Maarou to Maar-Ree.

It is also interesting to watch from the sidelines and reflect on how this family of horses will continue to prosper and in which form. This is the beauty of a powerful family and the treasures that are uncovered, as the years pass.

***you can read the story of Maar-Ree and other horses, published within The Arabian Breeders' Magazine, Volume I, Issue II. And, many thanks to Jane Karr***

3 comments:

AnonymousFriday, March 06, 2009 8:54:00 PM
Ralph, I can't thank you enough for writing this article about Maar-Ree who I consider the most wonderful, beautiful, influential Arabian mare of all time. She brings tears to my eyes everytime I see her picture or read about her.

I love this blog!

Jane
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AnonymousFriday, March 13, 2009 9:17:00 AM
Maar-Ree is of unequaled Type, conformation and Beauty.

Is there any living straight Babson or Babson/Brown horse that resembles Maar-Ree?

Valerie
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Ralph SuarezFriday, March 13, 2009 11:38:00 PM
Hi Valerie and thanks for visiting the blog.

I am a little tired tonight but wanted to acknowledge your message.

Google "SunnyRu Maaroufa" (Princeton Faaris x Princeton Maaroufa). She is a straight Babson and she is gorgeous.

Ralph
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MY FAVORITE WEBSITE

If you want to understand the desert Arabian horse on a deeper level, then you will want to visit Daughters of the Wind, a blog maintained by Edouard al-Dahdah, since 2008. It's my favorite place to visit, on a regular basis. For me personally, the information that Edouard presents is at times so profound, that I find myself weeks, even months later, still thinking about what he has written. I consider him a treasured source of inspiration and for the times that I don't feel like writing anymore, a significant source of encouragement. In one place, you will be able to read of the horses, their heritage; as well as the culture, traditions and the geography of the land, from where they originated. I strongly encourage you to visit his blog to broaden your understanding and deepen your appreciation for the Bedouin-bred horse.

MY FAVORITE WEBSITE X 2

The Horse In Word and Picture is the blog of Rania el Sayed, a very talented photographer, whose equine photography is second-to-none. I still remember when I first learned of Rania, it was all because of the late Dr. Nasr Marei. At the time, Nasr published an article that featured Rania's photography. I was thrilled by the photography and later, "meeting" Rania was one of the highlights of my horse life. I loved her photo of Mangooma and Rania, in an act of kindness never to be forgotten, let me use her photo in my blog. Thanks Rania for all of your support. You'll love Rania's blog and all of the equine topics she covers, including the straight Egyptian Arabian Horse. She really pushes me to think deeply about things that I haven't thought in a while. And you don't have to join Facebook, to read her posts. .

MY FAVORITE BOOK

One of the questions that I am asked most frequently is which book(s) do I recommend? Judith Forbis', The Classic Arabian Horse, published in 1976, is MY FAVORITE BOOK...EVER. Prior to the publication of this book, we really didn't have anything that compiled the history, the bloodlines & breeding practices and conformation (including breed type) of the straight Egyptian horse in one volume. You had to dig through multiple sources, sometimes in languages foreign to one's own, to try and develop an understanding of the Egyptian Arabian horse. So, this is my recommendation to you today, especially if you are just starting, this is the most important book you will ever own. You can find the book on Amazon, previously owned, at a very affordable price.

A NEW FAVORITE BOOK

Many times, I have heard other enthuiasts say, "if only I could get into the mind of this breeder and understand the Arabian horse as he or she does!" Dr. William Hudson, a long-time breeder, weaves together his lifetime of experiences including the latest developments in equine genetic science with the history, art and culture of the Arabian horse. This is not the type of book that you will read, cover-to-cover, in one sitting. You will find yourself turning to this massive 1,500 page, 2-volume set, over and over. If you love Arabian horses and want to understand the breed intimately, on a deeper level, this is the only book you will ever need to own. If you are breeding Egyptian Arabian horses, I urge you to purchase this 2-volume set before you breed one more horse!

MORE FAVORITE BOOKS...

One of the questions that I am asked most frequently is which book(s) do I recommend? Previously, I mentioned Judith Forbis' THE CLASSIC ARABIAN HORSE which is a great introduction to the breed and to Egyptian Arabian horses specifically. But now, you have read that book and are ready to go deeper. So, this is the book that I recommend reading (VOLUME II ) without hesitation. It's fantastic. The depth of this book, within tail female lines, sire lines and strains found in Egyptian (EAO) breeding is not found anywhere else. If you are serious about the Egyptian Arabian horse, whether a breeder, student or enthusiast, you must read this book, at least once!

STILL MORE FAVORITE BOOKS

In the Preface, Dr. Nagel wrote, "Since it is claimed that the Arabian horse breed is one of the oldest on earth, one has to accept that it is also in the crossfire of many opinions which sometimes clash vigorously. There are obviously many doubts and errors, and the advocates of different concepts seem to be not ready to settle on a common stance. It should encourage the reader to think...The refreshing variety of thoughts surrounding this noble member of the great family of horses should not be lost." Whether you agree or disagree with Dr. Nagel, is not what is important but rather, the resulting thought that this book will inspire. I can't even tell you how many times I have read this wonderful book cover-to-cover. It's one of the more provocative books that I have ever read and each time I have read it, a part of the book that had not impacted me previously, will cause me to think deeply for days, weeks and even months at a time. So, dear reader, I recommend this book to you, in the hope that it will inspire you to think deeply about our breed and examine why, you feel the way you do.

"The ideal Arabian type is recognizable at sight to the experienced horseman and novice alike. It falls short of the ideal if it reminds one of another horse or breed. It falls short of the ideal if it is so plain and uncertain of type as to require a sign: 'This is an Arabian horse.' It falls short of the ideal if it is so coarse and masculine as to remind one of a small Percheron, at one extreme, or so highly animated and elf-like as to remind one of a gazelle at the other extreme. The ideal type stands out alone. You know it immediately when you see it."-Ben Hur, from his 1951 Western Horseman article, Type in the Arab

In the summer of 2006, when I discovered Blogger, the last thing on my mind was creating a blog. At the time, I had been participating in a popular Egyptian Arabian horse website and desired to find a website that would allow me to "cut-and-paste" the posts that I had written for future reference. From those humble beginnings, this blog was born. I'm not a professional writer and although I want to say that writing is a hobby; I think it is better to say that I write for the love of the breed. I've had the good fortune to meet a number of horses who are now considered legendary, as well as some really wonderful people, who are equally legendary. Over the years, people have suggested that I charge a subscription fee or pursue paid sponsorships but you know how money changes everything and this blog, after all, is a labor of love. So, there you have it, the story of the blog. Many thanks to the people who make this blog doable, for example, where would I be without any of the photographers, the "visual storytellers" of our breed, who allow me to post their pictures and to the authors of the many books and magazine articles that I have read over the course of 45 or so years, helping to educate a long ago kid, crazy in love with Arabian horses. And finally, an overwhelming amount of gratitude for you dear readers, for coming here to this place, to read, discover and celebrate this common ground we share, all for the love of an Arabian horse.