all for the love of a horse...: Imperial Phandala

08 June, 2009

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

1 comment:

TzviahFriday, February 12, 2010 1:50:00 PM
Hi Ralph, I believe that the difference you see is that certain elegance and the long lines that one typically sees from that generation of horses being bred at Babolna. There was a real "look" that was especially shared by the mares sired by Ibn Galal I (out of Hanan). When compared with what was going on in the West, these horses had longer, lighter and beautifully attached necks at both ends, long elegant bodies, and excellent movement and tail carriage. There was also a special elegance in the way they moved at all gaits, even at the walk. We have plenty of video that demonstrates this, a special flowing motion almost like water spilling smoothly from a source. These are the very qualities we observed at Babolna during our first visit there and what made us decide that we must get involved in preserving those special traits.
The good news is that they blend so well with Ansata, Babson, German, and Imperial Imdal lines.
It will be a thrill to see what Anne Louise Toner will breed using the combination of horses at Al Atiq. Certainly they will be a worthy legacy to her.
Best wishes,
Tzviah
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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

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A NEW FAVORITE BOOK

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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

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"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.