A Quiet Dignity: The Story of Imperial Falaah

"For 'twas not into my ear you whispered but into my heart,'twas not my lips you kissed but my soul."-Judy Garland 

I had walked into the broodmare barn, focused on a conversation with Beverly Sziraky on the suitability of Egyptian Arabian horses for Dressage. I was really excited, as it had been a very long time since my last visit to Imperial and the barn we were walking into, was a veritable HALL OF FAME of crucially important  broodmares like BB Ora Kalilah, Imperial Safilla, and Imperial Mistilll. I am embarrassed to tell you that  I didn't even notice Imperial Falaah at first. The focus of my day was seeing Imperial Mistilll one more time. Across the aisle from Mistilll, was the *Pharrah grand daughter, Royal Kamiel. To her right, was Falaah, and in the stall next to her was Imperial Baarillla, a Baarez daughter who literally, knocked my socks off. Across the aisle from Baarillla was BB Ora Kalilah, next to her was Safilla and then in the next stall was Phandala. I was like a kid who had eaten too much sugar. I was darting from one stall to the next, not sure of who to stop and admire, as they were all gorgeous mares. I couldn't concentrate on just one horse! As I settled in front of Imperial Baarillla's stall,  Falaah kept looking at me, waiting patiently. She stretched  her neck out towards me and very gently, bumped me over and over with her nose, trying to get my attention. I was oblivious to what she was doing, as I was so enchanted with Baarillla. I turned around, to see who was tapping me and saw this beautiful face, "WOW, who are you pretty girl?" and I paused, as in that split second, I recognized a beauty so fierce, I could not hear or see anything else but her. "Oh my gosh, you are so pretty" I said, as I scratched her forehead, straightened her forelock hairs and the beautiful mare smiled in satisfaction. She didn't make a sound, not a whinny, nicker or even a thumping of the stall door with her hoof, as most other horses would to demand attention. Falaah had too much dignity, too much grace. A few minutes later, I was actually holding her head in my arms, as the mare dozed, content to be in close company with a human being. "Beverly, who is this mare?" I asked. She smiled and said, "That's Falaah, one of our Imdal daughters and one of our best producing mares on the farm. Remember that chestnut colt you liked so much? That's her son." The chestnut colt that Beverly referred to  was none other than Imperial Amir Kamar, who had given an electrifying liberty performance, earlier in the day.

Imperial Falaah, a 1991 grey mare, was a daughter of Imperial Imdal and out of Imperial BTFawkia. Her pedigree primarily reflected the breeding program of Gleannloch Farms, as the majority of the horses in her pedigree like Dalia, *Morafic, *Romanaa II, and *Hoyeda were either bred or imported into America by the Marshalls. She is also one of the straight Egyptian horses with a lower Blunt desert blood percentage, less than 6%. Her Egypt I, Egypt II and Inshass ancestral elements, combined,  total to almost 95%! What's also interesting about the components in her pedigree, is that for the most part, they represent the first wave of horses produced at Imperial. That is, the foundation horses and the first few generations produced with the foundation, before *Orashan, *Imperial Madheen and *Ibn Safinaz were added to the program. Once the broodmare band was selected and after initially breeding some of these mares with horses like Amaal and Hossny, Imperial purchased two colts who would not only complement their powerful mares but establish consistency and predictability, for the next decade and beyond.

“In truth, every one of Imperial’s leading ladies have been hand-picked and held to the highest standards-a necessity in breeding programs, large or small. I believe the mare’s contribution to her foal to be at least 60 percent, so she is extremely important. Many of our mares were successful show mares before entering our broodmare band. I’ve bred or purchased mares that I felt would be good crosses with Imperial stallions and I’ve bred or purchased stallions specifically for select mares.-Barbara Griffith”

The first colt was Ansata Imperial (Ansata Ibn Sudan x Ansata Delilah), who will forever be remembered  for siring the great Imperial Imdal. Much has been written about Imperial Imdal and the impact that he has had not only on Egyptian Arabians, but for Arabian Horses of all bloodlines. Imdal's influence has traveled farther and wider, significantly impacting stud farms all over the world. What I remember most about Imdal, was his abundant charisma. I loved him. There was just something about him, that really got you and you felt compelled to stand next to him, to touch him, to adore him. Susan Gilbert experienced his magnetic presence very personally, when she saw Imdal for the first time at the 1997 Egyptian Event, during the stallion presentation,

"I became aware that this magnificent stallion had an air of complete presence that was emotionally overwhelming to his many onlookers. As I touched his shoulder, Imdal turned his head towards my face, acknowledging my own presence with a calming power deep within his gaze. I continued to admire his completeness and the sheer beauty standing in front of me and I realized that I was crying .. he had touched my soul and heart. There was an aura to his nobility .. a hum of energy.-Susan Gilbert"

The other foundation stallion at Imperial was the Bentwood Farms-bred Moniet el Nafis, who started life with the name of AK Amin Bey. Known on the farm as "Nafis", he was an *Ibn Moniet el Nefous son, who sired Falaah's beautiful dam, Imperial BTFawkia. Nafis was a two-time Scottsdale champion stallion and the leading Arabian race horse sire in the late 1980's,

"...oh, what a horse he was! He had lovely legs and conformation, with strength and refinement, tremendous heart girth and shoulder, great tail carriage, presence, movement, and he reflected Arabian type although his head was not as typey as today's standards demand. As a sire, he produced a fair share of show winners and numerous race horses, at a time when Arabian racing was just beginning to take on a life of its own."-Lisa Lacy

Imperial BTFawkia was a lovely mare, a daughter of the Sameh-sired mare, *Fawkia, pictured to the right. Although I never met Sameh personally; I felt that I  knew him, through his daughters, like *Fawkia. Sameh stamped this mare very unmistakably. So many years later, after seeing her at Imperial in the 1980's and if you believe in coat color inheritance to phenotype, I believe that *Fawkia  favored her sire, more than her dam. Although Kuhaylah Rodaniyah by strain, *Fawkia looked physically, like what I imagined a Saqlawiyah to look like. *Fawkia was very different in type from her half-sisters, Serenity Sabra and Serenity Sonbolah but yet the same, if that makes sense. *Fawkia was smooth and strong of body, alabaster white and she trotted in the same style as her half-sisters, that is, her elastic nostrils became HUGE and she would snort that snort that came from somewhere deep inside of her, maybe pulled from the tips of her toes with her tail curled over her back and a powerful floating trot, elastic hocks driving into the ground pushing the mare  to cover a lot of ground in a few strides. I guess, trying to remember what made the most powerful impression upon me was how this quiet mare changed into a powerfully charismatic personality when turned loose in the ring. If Sameh is responsible for the dynamic personality in *Fawkia, then the influence of Sameh is multiplied in Falaah, as she has two additional lines to Sameh, through Romanaa II and Ansata Bint Misr. I feel that Imperial Falaah inherited her strength, her smoothness, her substance but most of all, her character, from *Fawkia. When Falaah moved, she had many of the Sameh-like characteristics. She was electric.

Imperial Falaah produced more sons than daughters.In 1996, she produced Imperial Sarouf by *Ibn Safinaz, Imperial Amir Kamar by Imperial Al Kamar  in 2001. Then, she produced Imperial Birak in 2004, Imperial Baaron in 2005 and Imperial Baaru in 2006, all three colts sired by Imperial Baarez.  Her two daughters, Imperial Koublah by Imperial Al Kamar and Imperial Orahllah by *Orashan were produced at Imperial, while her third and last foal born in 2010, Nadira al Hadiyah by Ramses Mishaal Nadir was bred by Susan Gilbert of Sumerlan Egyptian Arabians in Texas.

"..Imperial Falaah's daughter, Nadira al Hadiyah, by Ramses Mishaal Nadir, graces our farm with the same magic and nobility etched in time by her beautiful dam and grandsire. Falaah's last gift to me .. in gratitude for loving this beautiful mare who captured me.-Susan Gilbert"

Well before Beverly died and well before Imperial announced their closing, I had called Beverly to inquire about Falaah, as the memory of my last visit was still so strong in my mind. I just had to have her. Beverly was firm with me, "she is not for sale at any price, Ralph. She is only one of two Imdal daughters that we have and she is very important to our program." I wasn't surprised and felt that even if she were available, she would be well outside of my  budget. It was the closest that I came to owning a mare who was like a princess to me. She had so much class, so much dignity, so much love in her heart. No horse could ever be sweeter than Falaah was, not even the ones I already owned.

"If I am a princess in rags and tatters, I can be a princess inside. It would be easy to be a princess if I were dressed in cloth of gold, but it is a great deal more of a triumph to be one all the time when no one knows it."-Frances Hodgson Burnett,  A Little Princess

I went about my business, content that I had done everything that I knew to do and well, time passed and eventually I forgot about Falaah. In the meantime, Susan Gilbert visited Imperial Egyptian Stud with the memory of Imperial Imdal still vivid in her mind.

"In August, 2006, the spirit of emotions created that day by Imperial Imdal were realized the first time I saw his beautiful daughter, Imperial Falaah. It was a beautiful day spent with friends as Beverly Sziraky spoke passionately about each stallion, each mare, and each foal. Imperial Falaah was one of the last mares we saw that day, and she was standing on her own basking in the day's sunlight as if the day belonged only to her. She drew me into her gaze the very same way her noble sire had drawn me back in 1997. She imprinted my heart so much so that I asked to come back to the farm later that day to see her once more."

In February of 2007, Imperial Falaah was sold and her buyer was Susan Gilbert. Of all the people who had expressed interest in Falaah, Beverly picked Susan. The impression that Susan must have made on Beverly that summer, when she visited Imperial must have made a profound impact and convinced Beverly of where Falaah must go. I think that Beverly Sziraky had made a very big statement, as to how she felt and the fact that she could  not trust anyone else, with Falaah. She wanted a forever home for Falaah. That's how valuable Falaah was for Imperial. For Falaah, she had been blessed, as she could not have been purchased by a more loving and adoring owner than Susan.

"Falaah graced our farm in every way possible. Each day spent with her was a gift which touched my spirit. Many onlookers visiting our farm were so captured by her presence that they were drawn to ask me if they could lead her back to her stall. Such were the gifts this magnificent mare offered to one's heart. She lived and died in complete nobility. I miss her so much that I have not spoken to many. The loss feels like it is happening again today as I write this. I will never forget her."-Susan Gilbert

Earlier this week, while casually reading on the internet, I learned the very sad news that Imperial Falaah tragically died a year ago, from cancer. I was stunned and found myself reading the same sentence over and over.  "How could this be?" I thought over and over. The princess, the sweet mare who had captivated me, so many years ago, was gone, leaving the planet as quietly as she had entered my world, so many years ago with both dignity and grace. Now, she lives in the memories of all who loved her, her children will now carry her name and her influence far into the future. And one day, one of these horses will stretch their neck to bump the pant leg of someone with their nose, for attention.  A long ago memory then becomes fresh and new, and the rest of us will smile, because we have just witnessed that the princess, the very sweet and dignified Falaah still lives.

"Promise me you'll never forget me because if I thought you would, I'd never leave."-A.A. Milne

Goodbye dear, sweet Falaah,
Ralph

*opening photo of Imperial Falaah credit: Carol Maginn, Bear Creek Ranch, Photos of Moniet el Nafis and *Fawkia credit: Johnny Johnston

The Story of *Malekat El Gamal

Malekat El Gamal, a 1968 grey mare,  was imported by Imperial Egyptian Stud in 1974, in foal to the *Morafic son, Kayed.  She was bred by Sayed Marei of Al Badeia and was sired by Waseem, a Nazeer son, out of the Kuhaylah Rodaniyah mare Malaka, a daughter of Bint Bint Riyala. Malekat's dam was the Nazeer daughter, Nagdia, out of the Sid Abouhom daughter, Zahia.  Malekat El Gamal, by virtue of her sire and dam, was 50% Nazeer, which is the equivalent of having Nazeer as a sire, even though the horse had died eight years earlier. I met Malekat in person a few times and she was unforgettable, an absolutely beautiful mare. She had the most incredible face...so soulful...her eyes just captivated you, no, actually, I got that wrong...her eyes, they, well, just enchanted you.

“...when the heart is overwhelmed with beauty and the imagination is electrified by some haunting quality in the world or by a spirit or voice speaking from deep within a thing, a place or a person.Enchantment may be...“-Henry Louis Mencken

I'll never forget her look.  I guess her eyes not only pierced my heart, she also pierced my soul...forever. She was harmonious, close-coupled,  balanced and smooth. I think she was perfect, not too big, not too small, everything looked like it belonged on her.

Her son, Ameer AlBadeia, also by Kayed, was a very significant horse for Al Badeia, siring the extraordinary, multiple champion stallion Farid AlBadeia, an influential and consistently strong sire for the Marei's breeding program. Ameer also sired the mare, Anhar AlBadeia, who figured prominently in the Al Badeia program, spreading the influence of Ameer farther in the world by producing the World Champion Mare, Gelgelah AlBadeia, by Imperial Madori.

At Imperial, *Malekat El Gamal was bred to Ibn Morafic, to Amaal, to Hossny, to Moniet el Nafis, to Ansata Imperial and *Ibn Safinaz. Beautiful mares resulted from these breedings like Imperial Ajmalika, Imperial Saahebah, Imperial Al Amali, Imperial Nadirah, Imperial Namunifa, Imperial Nafilah and sons like Imperial Hasib, Imperial Amir Nafis, Imperial Na Malis, as well as the lovely stallion named Imperial Im Mahal. 

However, *Malekat El Gamal's greatest achievement, would be made through *Imperial Sayyah, a full sister to Ameer AlBadeia, who made a very significant impact not only upon the breeding community of straight Egyptian Arabian horses but for lovers of the classic Arabian Horse everywhere. Without Imperial Sayyah, there would not be a Sundar Alisayyah and without Sundar Alisayyah, there would be no Al Adeed Al Shaqab, the horse who danced in people's minds for a long time, until the time the vision became flesh and bone. For me, there is no finer tribute to a most extraordinary mare...*Malekat El Gamal.

EnJOY,
Ralph

I Wonder

I wonder about you and me
you are the ultimate wish of all wishes
You drew me closer and closer to you
Until I lost myself and became one with you
I lost myself in a love so deep
That I no longer existed as me
Oh my blessing, my life and my solace after death
I have no one but you
You are my every fear and my refuge
You, whose garden blossoms with all of your senses,
embracing all that is beauty
If I could wish for one
YOU
are all that I could wish for.

This poem, I Wonder, was written by Al Hallaj, a Sufi poet, of Persian origin, who lived from 858 to 922 AD and was translated into English by my friend, Mr. Majid Alsayegh. Photo is by Nicole Sachs.

NO BLUNT BLOOD

Hallany Mistanny, although bred in America by General Dickinson of Travelers Rest, was out of *Zarife and *Roda, who were 100% Egyptian horses, bred by Prince Mohamed Aly Tewfik. His pedigree is completely free of the Blunt ancestral elements like Kars, Queen of Sheba, Azrek, Jerboa, Rodania and Dajania.

"Most of the stock that Lady Blunt brought from Arabia were not of the classic type as we know. The Egyptian Arabian horses of Abbas I are to be credited for the beauty that they gave to the Arabian horse that was bred in England by Lady Blunt and lately, by Lady Wentworth." - Dr. Ameen Zaher, from his book Arabian Horse Breeding and the Arabians of America

Despite the volume of material that has been written about the Blunts, their adventures in the Arabian peninsula, the horses purchased and the world famous Crabbet Stud; I don't think it is possible to fully understand the influence of the Blunt-bred Arabian horses, until one tries to find a pedigree that does not carry the blood of these horses. I need to say this to underscore how incredibly unique a horse like Hallany Mistanny is.

 THERE OTHERS LIKE HIM?

I started to think about other horses, who like Hallany Mistanny, are free of the Blunt desert horses. So, I checked the Babson horses and to my surprise, *Bint Bint Sabbah has 9.4% Blunt desert blood, as the stallion Kazmeen is the sire of her dam, Bint Sabah. Another Babson foundation mare, *Bint Serra I has the highest percentage of Blunt desert blood within the Babson group: 25%, as Sotamm is her sire and Jemla, while predominantly an Ali Pasha Sherif mare, has Bint Nura in her pedigree. *Bint Bint Durra, an Ibn Rabdan daughter out of Bint Durra, has 12.5% Blunt, as Saadun was an 'Ubayyan Sharrak stallion bred by Shaykh Mishari Ibn Sa'dun of the Muntafiq and imported in 1911 to Egypt by Lady Anne Blunt. So, only three Babson horses: *FADL, *MAAROUFA and *BINT SAADA are free of all Blunt DESERT ancestral elements...100% Egyptian!!!! While *Fadl and *Maaroufa are generously represented in SE breeding, unfortunately, *Bint Saada is not. Which makes me sad, because time and a few horses have taught me that the presence of *Bint Saada in the pedigree, gives a horse a little extra something, than similarly bred horses without *Bint Saada.

OK, so where to go from here?
Inshass...Not all but some of the Inshass horses,  have no Blunt desert breeding either. The mare pictured to the right, is the beautiful Hafiza, the dam of one of the most beautiful horses ever produced in Egypt, El Araby and a Hamdan daughter out of Mahfouza. She is authentic Egyptian, her ancestors having been bred by Prince Ahmad Pasha Kamal, Prince Mohamed Aly Tewfik, the RAS and Ali Pasha Sherif, as preserved by Lady Anne Blunt. While Hafiza is technically considered 87.5% Egypt I and 12.5% Inshass; if you check her Inshass line which comes through El Mahrousa, the dam of Mahfouza, you will notice that her sire is El Zafir, a horse bred by Prince Kamal el Din and out of a mare named El Shahbaa, an 'Ubayyah Umm Jurays of Muhammad Ibrahim al-Hajj of Cairo, Egypt, purchased in 1931 by King Fuad.

It wasn't so long ago, maybe within the last fifty years, that the possibility of establishing a breeding program (within the straight Egyptian gene pool) founded on horses with no Blunt desert blood was more realistic than it is today. The horses that were needed for this type of initiative are long gone now, like the stallion, *Ibn Hafiza and unfortunately, this horse was not utilized in combination with other horses to preserve his non-Blunt-desert-horse pedigree for future use. Unless of course, you go outside of straight Egyptian breeding (but still within Al Khamsa) and use the Hisani horses, which are a combination of the Egyptian horses like *Fadl and Sirecho, combined with the non-Egyptian desert mares Muhaira and *Turfa. For now, the only option (within straight Egyptian lines) is to use horses whose Blunt percentage is very small, maybe under 10%, in fewer cases, under 5%. Considering the heavy influence of the stallion Nazeer and the fact that it is getting more difficult to find a horse without lines to him, it is a good option to have a source of blood whose ancestral elements are a bit different, for out cross purposes. It is in situations like these, that I think of people like Jane Ott and I start to understand where she was coming from, so long ago. Her message concerning the Blue Star horses was extraordinary and well, I wish that more of us had listened to what she said.

EnJOY,
Ralph

PS-The photo of Hallany Mistanny is from the Billy Sheets collection, via Daughters of the Wind Blog and the photo of Hafiza is a Judi Forbis photo.

Amirah Moon MH

"That's why I know, yes, I know, Hallelujah, I just love her so."-Ray Charles, from his song, Hallelujah I Love Her So

This is the 2006 filly, Amirah Moon MH, an Haliluyah daughter out of the El Halimaar daughter, Moon Storm MH. She was bred by Rancho Bulakenyo and is now owned by Ali and Yasmine Shaarawi of Shaarawi Arabians in Egypt.

Amirah Moon MH, by virtue of her pedigree, is concentrated in the blood of *Ansata Ibn Halima and the Babson horses: *Fadl, *Maaroufa, *Bint Bint Sabbah and *Bint Serra I, as you have an El Halimaar son, bred to an El Halimaar daughter. However, the maternal side of Moon Storm MH's pedigree introduces some Inshass blood through Sameh and the Hamdan-sired get like Ameena, Mahfouza and Anter, as well as the EAO horses like *Morafic and Alaa el Din. The Dahmah tail female line, through *Bint Maisa el Saghira traces to the Bahraini mare, Bint El Bahreyn, while at the same time bringing in an additional line to the *Ansata Ibn Halima son, El Hilal.

The effect of intensifying *Ansata Ibn Halima, as well as *Bint Nefisaa in the same horse, results in an intense concentration of the Farida bloodline. Between these two horses, there are fourteen lines to Farida which when added together with the one line through Balance, the sire of Yaquota, results in FIFTEEN lines to Farida. FIFTEEN! It is also very interesting to consider the influence of the Saqlawiyah mare Ghazala, the daughter of the Ali Pasha Sherif mare, Bint Helwa. Shahloul and Hamdan were full brothers, both horses out of Bint Radia, so with every line to Moniet el Nefous, Kateefa and Maisa, you have a line to Shaloul, and of course, Bint Radia. Combine the lines to Shahloul with those of Hamdan and very quickly, the pedigree jumps from five lines to eight lines plus one additional line through Zareefa, bringing the total to nine lines.

"Incorporating the Saqlawi type brings length back to neck and leg, which can be lost with intense use of Dahman and Kuhaylan strain types. It also yields finer bone structure and produces flatter and less prominent muscling. Too much Saqlawi can produce a long back and ears. Dahman type brings back an overall balance and harmony, including more dished heads and larger eyes, and shorter backs, but also has the tendency to produce shorter necks and legs, heavier muscling, and more bone."-Walter Schimanski

Amirah Moon MH confirms the wisdom and courage of her breeder and now, in Egypt, expands the influence of Haliluyah MH much farther, to include a new chapter in the birthplace of his ancestors.

PS-The photos of Amirah Moon MH were taken by the wonderful photographer, Jeff Little

Oreana CF

"She's..a..Dav..en..port?" I asked incredulously, my mind stuttering on the words, as I realized that I had been completely wrong and she was not the Babson Halima mare that I had believed her to be.

Oreana CF is a Plantagenet daughter out of Oriole, a Sir daughter out of Ceres, who is an Aramis daughter out of Dharebah. Both Plantagenet and Oriole are out of the same mare, Ceres, making them half-siblings. But actually they are more closely related than half-siblings, as Prince Hal (the sire of Akmet Haffez, Plantagenet's sire) and Sir (Oriole's sire) are full brothers, while Portia (the dam of Iras) and Aramis (the sire of Ceres) are full siblings, both by Tripoli and out of Dhalana. The concentration of a very small group of horses in Oreana's pedigree is stupefying and for me, underscores the skill and wisdom of her breeder. Oreana was born in 1984, bred by Charles Craver, who single-handedly rescued  the Davenport horses from extinction. Oreana is not a straight Egyptian horse, she is a Davenport Arabian and by virtue of the second generation Kuhaylan Haifi horses who appear in her pedigree: Dharebah, Dhalana, and El Alamein, she is recognized as Core Haifi.

Oreana is extraordinary, very beautiful, with the classic shorter, wider head, so desired by Arabian horse enthusiasts. Her eyes are so black, large and round, projecting a positive energy of kindness. They are set on the side of the head, with a broad area in between. Her muzzle is dark and fine, with exquisite nostrils, larger-sized but delicately shaped.  Her pigmentation, as a gray colored horse is fantastic. However, it's the prominent bone in her face that really gets to me. Look under her left eye and notice how wide the bone is, how much the bone juts out from her face. Her jowls are large, like dinner plates and you know, from looking at the picture that a man's fist can fit comfortably in the area between the jowl bones. Even though we can't see the rest of her, you just know that she is gracefully substantial, smooth of body, close-coupled, her body comprised of rounded flowing lines. There is luster to her coat that is so striking, it is easy to see. I notice this quality in the Davenports. Their coat has a sheen, a luminescence that other bloodlines just don't have. I have always wondered about this special quality and why only the Davenports and the Bahraini horses consistently share this coat quality.

In the Al Khamsa roster, she is credited with producing only 3 foals. A mare by Javera Thadrian named Arietta CF and two sons: Tesio CF by Atticus and Tribute CF by Telemachus. Both stallions have sired get and Tesio even has grand get credited to him.

While it is important to protect the integrity of the Davenport breeding group, as it is also to preserve any of the many wonderful breeding groups within Al Khamsa, I long for the day when breeders will become more courageous and utilize all of the Asil bloodlines in combination, without the fear of losing an advantage by forgetting all about a straight label, in favor of producing a more well-rounded, diverse and authentic Arabian horse. There is more freedom, when you learn to color outside of the lines.

EnJOY,
Ralph

Masada Bellesabah

"She was in my opinion, one of the top horses on the place: a classic flea bitten gray with extraordinary type and presence even in the company of some of the top Egyptian show horses of the day. She made me gasp looking in her eyes!"-Jill Erisman

Masada Bellesabah, was bred by the late Walter Schimanski. She was by Walter's beloved *Fadl son, Lothar, and out of Belle Echo, a double Sirecho grand-daughter. She was also a double Habba (*Fadl x *Bint Bint Sabbah) as Lothar was out of Habba, as was Bel Gordas, the sire of Belle Echo. The "double-shot" of Habba, combined with the tail female line to Fa Saana, results in three lines to *Bint Bint Sabbah, however,  the influence of *Fadl is substantially more than that of *Bint Bint Sabbah, with seven lines, not to mention that there are two lines to *Nasr, which are essentially the same lines as *Fadl, except that the horses which are farther back in *Fadl's pedigree are closer up in *Nasr's pedigree. The impact that horses like *Fadl and *Nasr make on the pedigree, is to help boost the percentages of Egyptian blood and reduce the influence of the Blunt desert blood, which is really small, approximately 2% in Masada Bellesabah.

Her progeny by *Fakher El Din were outstanding.

"He passes on the humor and gaiety, boldness and independence, a deep sense of self, and always the excitement of being. Trust and loyalty are given to a disarming degree. There is a great delight in athleticism and in constantly testing that athleticism with the quick spins and dramatic stops of the ancient Bedouin war-horse. He passes on style, cadence, and balance - combined with physical beauty and one of the loveliest heads in our breed."-Sara Loken

Akira Zarif, her 1982 *Fakher El Din daughter was a snow white beauty, one of the most beautiful mares I have ever met. She was so harmonious, so smooth bodied, possessing an old world type, substantially built, with lots of curves but also, a lot of grace. She looked like she had been sculpted out of alabaster. As dazzling as her sparkling white body was, it was her eyes that cast a spell on me. Yes, I was spell bound. They were liquid pools of melted obsidian,  huge, round, dark and full. Looking into her eyes, stroking her neck, it was difficult to remain composed and not tear up. She was a gentle and quiet beauty, radiating warmth and kindness, gentleness and compassion. Bill & Edna Weeks of Hatchie Hill Farm, produced two full sisters and a brother: Sabbah Din in 1979, Dahmah Din in 1980 and Khalif El Din in 1981. I continue to catch myself while looking at *Fakher El Din's picture, while thinking of mares like Masada Bellesabbah and how well they blended with *Fakher El Din, producing horses who are beautiful and sound in mind, body and spirit. I find myself wishing that there were more of them.

Alaa el Din & Plantagenet

 Alaa El Din was a chestnut son of Nazeer, foaled in 1956, out of the Shaloul daughter, Kateefa. General Pettko Von Szandtner, liked the young colt so much, that he selected Alaa El Din, while still a young horse, as a breeding stallion for the EAO. He started his breeding career in 1961. Alaa El Din was also a successful race horse and then, a sire of race winners. Alaa El Din was so successful in passing his athletic ability to his children, that the breeders in Poland expressed a very strong desire in purchasing him, for use in their breeding program.

Yesterday, Daniel Wigger posted a comment concerning the strong resemblance between Alaa El Din, a straight Egyptian Kuhaylan Rodan stallion (pictured above) and Plantagenet, a Davenport Kuhaylan Haifi stallion (pictured below).

"did you notice the strong resemblance between Plantagenet and Alaa El Din, a KAIR?"

They are both elegant horses, refined, not heavy in their appearance. Both horses have great necks, with good length. They share similar body types, more rectangular in their body shape with leaner builds and a longer back, as compared to the rounded, more curvey type with a heavier-muscled phenotype. Both horses are built more like race horses, favoring the type we associate with very refined, more Arabian-looking Thoroughbred horses.  It is interesting to compare and contrast both horses, as I agree with Daniel that these horses are more similar than they are different. I wonder, as both horses are of the Kuhaylan strain, whether there are common ancestors between the Rodans and the Haifis, way, way back under Bedouin ownership. However, Plantagenet is heavily influenced by the Saqlawi mare, *Wadduda, who was also a chestnut. And Kateefa, the dam of Alaa el Din, was a daughter of the Saqlawi Shaloul, one of the horses that Judi Forbis had called "the fabulous four". Shaloul was out of Bint Radia, who traces in tail female to Bint Helwa and ultimately to Ghazieh. I wonder over the impact that *Wadduda had, in determining the look of Plantagenet, as I wonder the impact of Radia, in determining the look of Alaa el Din?

WHAT

do you think?

EnJOY,
Ralph

Plantagenet

"I heard footsteps running back across the yard and excited voices coming closer. Two heads appeared at my door. One was that of a young boy who looked at me for a long time, considering me carefullly before his face broke into a beaming smile. 'Mother,' he said deliberately. 'That will be a wonderful and brave horse. Look how he holds his head."-Michael Morpurgo, from his book, War Horse

Plantagenet was a 1976 chestnut stallion, bred by Charles and Jeanne Craver. He was sired by the Prince Hal son, Akmet Haffez and was out of the El Alamein daughter, Iras (out of the Tripoli daughter, Portia). Plantagenet is not a straight Egyptian horse nor does he have any Egyptian lines in his pedigree. He is Asil, Al Khamsa, CMK and is considered a Davenport Arabian horse, because he traces in all the lines of his pedigree to the horses imported and bred by Homer Davenport.  

"All living Davenport horses belong to one of four tail-female lines (Kuhaylan-Haifi, Kuhaylan-Kurush, Hadban, or Schilla)"-Davenport Arabian Horse Conservancy

Plantagenet is Kuhaylan Haifi by strain, recognized as "Core Haifi" within the Davenport breeding community, which means that he is a result of second foundation Kuhaylan Haifi horses like Dharebah, Dhalana, Tara, Dharanah, El Alamein, Saranah, Dhanad, and Dharantez, blended with the stallion Tripoli, a Hanad son out of the *Hamrah daughter, Poka. Plantagenet has three lines to Tripoli in his pedigree (through Prince Hal, Aramis & Portia), which further concentrate the influence of the 1899 mares, *Urfah (33 lines), as well as *Wadduda (19 lines).

"Davenport Arabian horses are wonderful horses. They represent a unique snapshot of the genetic material of the Bedouin Arabian horse."- Davenport Arabian Horse Conservancy

Plantagenet, well, he was magnificent.

EnJOY,
Ralph

Asal Sirabba

"In each family a story is playing itself out, and each family's story embodies its hope and despair."- Auguste Napier

Asal Sirabba, a 1958 grey mare, bred by Mrs. John E. Ott, was sired by Sirecho and was out of the Babson mare, Habba. By virtue of her pedigree, she is representative of the type of horse that defined the breeding program of Prince Mohamed Aly Tewfik. No surprise, as both *Nasr, the sire of Sirecho and *Fadl, the sire of Habba, were bred by the Prince, as was  Mabrouk Manial, the sire of Baiyad. When combined with the other horses in the pedigree bred by Abbas Pasha Hilmi II, Ahmed Bey El Sennari, Prince Ahmed Kamel, the percentage of true Egyptian blood reaches almost 98%! Which means that the percentage of Blunt desert breeding was very low in this mare, about 2%. The only Blunt horse appearing in the pedigree is Kazmeen, the sire of Bint Sabah. While this pedigree history helps us to understand the horse we breed today, how do these long ago horses continue to remain significant and desireable, to today's breeder?  While Asal Sirabba was bred to *Ibn Moniet el Nefous, producing the mare AK Nadira in 1976; I believe the answer is found through the family of horses that resulted from breeding Asal Sirabba to *Ansata Ibn Halima, a stallion who also traces to El Dahma, through his tail female line. It would make sense, because of the intense concentration of El Dahma blood, that Asal Sirabba's daughters by *Ansata Ibn Halima: Silima in 1966, Raalima in 1967 and particularly, Siralima in 1971, would be her strongest and most outstanding progeny...to the present day.

Raalima was a prolific mare for Bentwood Farm, producing daughters by the stallions, *Ibn Moniet El Nefous, The Egyptian Prince and Shaikh Al Badi. Among those daughters are AK Shahlima, Bint Raalima,  Ak Tarifa, AK Zayaadah, Thamin Amira, Latifa Raqqasa and Our Kibriya.

Silima, when bred to Hadbah, produced the stallion Anchor Hill Halim, who went to Germany and became a successful sire, having produced daughters like Mona I, Moregha, *HS Mayeda amd *Moshana.

"I remember in the old days the very best horses belonged to people of moderate means. A man who has one foal, especially if it be well-bred, feels that it is a part of himself, and gives it every possible attention."-Prince Mohamed Aly Tewfik

My favorite daughter of Asal Sirabba was Siralima, pictured at right. I feel she was the best producing mare of the three daughteres and was owned by Bob Cowling (the same man who owned Fa Halima). Siralima  was bred primarily to *Ibn Moniet El Nefous and produced AK Monalima, AK Jamila, AK Il Malika and AK Latifa, who was sold with her Imperial Al Kamar filly, Imperial Kalatifa  to Ariela Arabians in Israel. AK Latifa would produce four foals for Ariela, who would eventually become Israeli National Champion horses!!! 

Imperial Kalatifa, when bred to Imperial Imdal, produced the multi-champion halter mare, Loubna. This wonderful mare has earned more prizes, in more countries, as proof of her outstanding beauty. She is now owned by Sheikh Ammar Bin Humaid Al Nuaimi of Ajman Stud.

• World Champion Mare at the Salon du Cheval
• Dubai Champion Mare
• All Nations Cup Champion Mare
• European Champion Mare
• Middle East Champion Mare
• Egyptian Event Europe Champion Mare
• Israeli National Champion Mare and Filly
• Gold Champion Mare, Abu Dhabi

However, it is AK Latifa's son, Laheeb, also by Imperial Imdal, who has spread the influence of Asal Sirabba  all over the world having stood at stud at Janow Podlaski and Michalow Stud in Poland, at Al Badeia in Egypt; as well as in America, at Ferlita Arabians in California.

It is amazing to consider what this family of horses has accomplished, when one considers all of the progeny who descend from this beautiful grey mare, Asal Sirabba and how they remain as a vital, relevant part of the straight Egyptian breeding community.

EnJOY,
Ralph

Remembering Ansata Halima Son

Ansata Halima Son was a 1977 grey stallion, by *Ansata Ibn Halima, out of Ansata Damietta, a daughter of the *Morafic son, Ansata Shah Zaman and out of the Sameh daughter, Ansata Bint Misr. In his tail female line, Ansata Halima Son traces to the Dahmah Shahwaniyah mare, Bukra. I knew of Ansata Halima Son because he was the sire of Pri Asali Halim and Pri Gamil Halim, both stallions out of Princeton Gamila, the dam of my mare, Princeton Maarena. Although I never saw Ansata Halima Son in person, I was impressed over the consistency of the horses he sired, horses which I knew personally. Another son, Ansata Ibn Aziza, out of the Ansata Bint Zaafarana daughter (tail female line to Farida) Ansata Aziza, became an important sire for Dr. William M. Hudson, Jr. of Zandai Arabians. His most influential daughter, Ansata Jumana, through Ansata Judea, her dam, traces to the Sameh grand daughter, Ansata Jamila. Ansata Jumana was a prolific broodmare, producing many daughters who matured into successful broodmares for Ansata and other breeding programs around the world. She also produced by Asjah Ibn Faleh, the beautiful and athletic black stallion, Ansata Exemplar, who was exported overseas and earned a gold medal at the German Stallion Show. And for me, that is the most amazing fact about this horse, that bred to a reduced number of mares, his influence has spread far and wide in the world-wide community of straight Egyptian Arabian horses.

EnJOY,
Ralph

Burlap & Satin

We rounded the corner, and as we walked back towards the main barn, we came to a smaller-sized pen, with an older, black mare inside. "Who is that?" I asked. "That's Black Satin" Gail replied.

BLACK SATIN

She was Gail's beloved foundation mare, one of the most critically important mares at Princeton Arabians. With 13 foals produced, ten of which were daughters,  she was an excellent broodmare. I remembered Black Satin. The last time that I had seen her, Gail had been trying to get her in foal and her body was comprised of rounded and smooth-flowing lines. When she moved at liberty, she took your breath away, with her bright, ground-covering trot. She was an old-time horse, Rubinesque in build and her deep black coat, enhanced her look and made it much more dramatic, lending an air of exciting mystery, full of promise and romance. She was the kind of horse you can never forget.

"Can I go in and say hello? I haven't seen her in a long time."

I walked up to her slowly and talked to her. I told her how pretty she was. She looked toward me, a bit unsure, her eyes worried-looking and I could tell that she was trying to catch my scent. She knew that I was there, she just didn't know what, I was. I turned my head to look at Gail and she said, "she's blind now and, she has no teeth. She is 30 years old."

"Trust and respect are two-way streets. We want the horse to accept us as leaders of the herd, to guide them safely and to provide protection and comfort. In return, they will give us their respect, and willing submission to our ideas about what to do next, and when and where. But this respect can only be based on well deserved trust."-Walter Zettl

How did that happen? How did that much time pass by? I continued walking towards her, talking softly and when I got to her side, I placed my palm carefully on her shoulder, to let her know that I was there. She stood like a statue, as I wrapped my arms around her neck, burying my face deep inside her wonderful, black, silky coat, her long and silky mane hairs touching my face. "Gosh, I really miss being around horses." I thought. I breathed in deeply. She smelled wonderful."I think you are even prettier than I remember." And it was true. Something had happened to Black Satin, since I last saw her. The definition of bone had become more pronounced. Her face appeared sculpted, chiseled, imparting a dry elegance, unique to elderly Arabian horses. "When did your jowls start growing...they are so huge!" I exclaimed in wonder. I was amazed and...enchanted. We stood like this for a long while, basking in the soft glow of a special horse, while asking Gail tons of questions, which she patiently answered. Sometime during our conversation, I realized that Black Satin was resting her head on my shoulder and her nostrils were blowing warm air onto my face. I was thrilled to the very core of my being.

Black Satin was a daughter of a black stallion named Black Sambo. He was a Mahroun son out of Biroufa. Bred to Diroufa, Biroufa's half-sister, the black beauty named Black Satin was born in 1960. She was a straight Babson Egyptian Arabian horse. In both of her tail female lines, she traced to the Babson import of 1932, *Maaroufa, a Prince Mohamed Aly Tewfik-bred mare. Her sire, Black Sambo also traced to *Maaroufa in both of his tail female lines. With eight lines to *Fadl, *Maaroufa's full brother, the pedigree is deeply influenced by the blood of Ibn Rabdan and Mahroussa. No wonder that Black Satin's physique was made up of curves and circles. Together with the four lines to *Bint Serra I and one line to *Bint Saada, Black Satin had a heavy concentration of the Saqlawi strain.

Black Satin was bred to Ansata Ibn Sudan, to produce Pri Sufa Kuhaylah, the dam of Pri Serr Sudan. When Pri Sufa Kuhaylah was bred to her half-brother, the *Soufian son, Pri Rabdan Moniet, she produced Pri Rabda Kuhaylah. This mare, in turn, was bred to The Minstril son, Say Amen and produced the popular mare, Say Si Bon. Black Satin was also bred to the *Mirage grandson, Jaspre, to produce a breath-taking flea-bitten grey mare named Princeton Jaroufa, who was owned by Albert Gilbault of Abitibi Farm in Canada. I knew Princeton Jaroufa and she was gorgeous, really gorgeous. Statuesque and scopey, with a long neck;, Princeton Jaroufa's silhouette was outstanding. Black Satin was bred to the  Fa-Serr son, Faaris, to produce one of the most beautiful black Babson stallions, Princeton Faaris. Black Satin was also bred to the *Raffles grandson, Sarolle, to produce Princeton Nargela in 1966, Princeton Shiga in 1967 and Princeton Sumi in 1968. Black Satin was also bred to the Hallany Mistanny son (and maternal grandson) HMR Hallany, to produce another daughter named Princeton Santeen in 1971. However, it was in 1985 and 1986, when Black Satin was finally bred to Serr Maariner to produce what would be her last foals, a beautiful black-bay mare named Princeton Maaroufa and a chestnut stallion named Princeton Maariner. I loved both horses dearly and never ceased to be amazed by the fact that this mare delivered these foals when she was 25 and 26 years old!

When I left Princeton Arabians, I did not realize that I had just seen Black Satin for the last time. I went back to my busy non-horse filled life and soon, the sight, the feel, the scent of the beautiful horses disappeared, like smoke in the wind and all that I had experienced, was pushed far back in my mind, to be pulled out and revisited, every now and then.

"There is no such thing in anyone's life as an unimportant day."-Alexander Woollcot

EnJOY,
Ralph

Pri Serr Sudan

Pri Serr Sudan was a 1980 chestnut stallion, who was sired by the straight Babson Egyptian stallion, Serr Maariner, and out of Pri Sufa Kuhaylah, an Ansata Ibn Sudan daughter out of Gail Carmona's beloved foundation mare, Black Satin; hence the "Kuhaylah" in the name. At the time of Pri Sufa Kuhaylah's life, the tail female line of these horses, via the 1932 Babson import, *Maaroufa, was recognized as Kuhaylan Jellabi in strain. However, the academic research into the notes and letters of Lady Anne Blunt, together with the mtDNA study done by Michael Bowling, succeeded in changing our level of understanding about these horses, who have been mistakenly identified as Kuhaylan, when in fact they are Saqlawi. I wonder, had this information been made available during the lifetime of these horses,  would this mare's name change to Pri Sufa Saqlawiyah?

Pri Serr Sudan has four lines to the 1932 Babson import, *Bint Bint Sabbah. Two of those lines are through Khebir, the other lines are through Fa Saana and Fabah. Ansata Ibn Sudan, as a son of *Ansata Ibn Halima, has an additional line to Bint Sabah, who was the dam of Sheikh el Arab, the sire of Halima. Bint Sabah was also the dam of *Bint Bint Sabbah. This brings the total to five lines, for *Bint Bint Sabbah. Only *Fadl, with twelve lines, appears more in this pedigree. What I also like about Pri Serr Sudan's pedigree is the presence of *Bint Saada, who is not often found in Babson horse breeding. In the Babson horses that I have liked most, there was always just a little bit of extra special something, that I could not explain with the right words. I still can't. I attribute *Bint Saada with boosting the level of quality in these horses. Pri Serr Sudan has two lines to this mare, through her son Faddan. I also am happy to count the multiple lines to the *Bint Serra I. I counted seven lines. Together with the line to Moniet el Nefous through Ansata Bint Mabrouka and the two lines to *Bint Saada, that's ten sources of Saqlawi blood and don't forget about the seventeen lines previously considered Kuhaylan, which are now Saqlawi. If you add up all of the sources of Saqlawi blood, there are twenty-seven lines to the Saqlawi strain, making this horse predominantly Saqlawi and he looked it. AMAZING!

Pri Serr Sudan was one of my favorite horses at Gail Carmona's farm. I looked forward to seeing him, every time I had a riding lesson. He was stabled in a smaller stallion barn, across from the indoor arena. Serr Maariner was in the middle stall, Sudan was on the left and Ansata Mourad Bey was on the right. It was a champion's barn, a veritable hall of fame and I, in my youth, had little idea of how special this opportunity was for me. "Sudan" was really beautiful and my favorite, with an expressive face, which included his big, black eyes, wrapped in the most beautiful coat color of horses. I enjoyed talking to him and touching him, with his super silky-soft hair, luxuriant to the touch. He was magnificent and I always believed he was Serr Maariner's best son. As beautiful as he was standing still, he was also an athletic horse and Gail took him far in Dressage, all the way to the US Nationals.  I enjoyed watching Gail, with "Sudan" under saddle. He tried so hard for Gail, doing everything she asked,, his face focused and intent on accomplishing the task. I'll never forget the "try" this horse had.

It is amazing to consider the memories of one particular horse, thanks to a long-ago picture. I still have not forgotten this special horse and hope that one day, I am blessed with a beautiful and willing partner, as Sudan was for Gail.

EnJOY,
Ralph

The Cross of *Ibn Moniet el Nefous and Maarena

AK El Malouf (*Ibn Moniet el Nefous x Maarena)

AK El Zahra Moniet (*Ibn Moniet el Nefous x Maarena)

AK Monareena (*Ibn Moniet el Nefous x Maarena)

The cross between the new Egyptian stallion, *Ibn Moniet el Nefous and the straight Babson Egyptian mare, Maarena, produced the stallions AK El Zahra Moniet (chestnut), AK El Malouf (grey) and AK Monareena (grey). There was a fourth horse, a gelding by the name of AK Bareem (grey), who was a successful show horse, earning a US Top Ten in Native Costume. In their lifetime, these horses were considered Kuhaylan Jellabi, by their tail female line. I found it interesting that today, thanks to the continued academic research and the mtDNA study by Michael Bowling, these full siblings are now, pure-in-the-strain Saqlawi strain horses, tracing to the mare Ghazieh, in both tail female lines. I always wondered why the Kuhaylan Jellabi  horses became more refined, more elegant, the further they were bred within their strain. Now, I know the reason.

EnJOY,
Ralph

Her Name is Vona...Vona Sher-Renea

Vona Sher-Renea is a 1989 grey mare, sired by the *El Shaklan son, El Sher-Mann out of the Mohssen grand-daughter, Renea. She is Saqlawi Jedran by strain, tracing in her tail female line to the Blunt desert-bred mare,  Basilisk. She has three Egyptian lines in her pedigree, through the *Morafic son, Shaker el Masri and the *Ansata Ibn Halima sons, El Hilal and Mohssen. That's five lines to Nazeer, two lines to Moniet el Nefous and three lines to Farida in this mare's genetic make-up. While the Crabbet lines which incorporate Skowronek and the Spanish lines through *Estopa exclude this mare as an Al Khamsa-recognized horse;  Vona Sher-Renea has a high percentage of Asil breeding, not only through the Egyptian lines mentioned but also, via the multiple lines to the Wadduda grandson, Antez and the Muson son, *Letan, not to mention the high percentage of Blunt desert breeding, throughout the majority of her pedigree..

"Who knows when love begins? Who knows what makes it start? One day it's simply there, a life inside your heart. It slips into your thoughts, It infiltrates your soul, It takes you by surprise, then seizes full control."-from the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, Love Never Dies

It is difficult not to remember the theme of this year's Al Khamsa convention, which reminds everyone of CONNECTIONS...we are all connected through our horses and I can't think of a better way to celebrate these connections than to spotlight this precious mare, who has produced for our world, the most beautiful stallion of recent times, WH Justice by Magnum Psyche. Preservation cannot just be an end unto itself. There has to be a very real reason why preservation makes sense. Why are we saving these bloodlines, if we don't use these elements together with other essential ancestral elements to breed better horses? There needs to be a motivating reason why Arabian Horse breeders will tap into the rich repository of Asil breeding. And nothing motivates people more than a beautiful, champion Arabian horse! Using preservation breeding, TOGETHER with other Arabian bloodlines makes sense and in this example, of a real live beauty like Vona Sher-Renea and her son, WH Justice; preservation breeding was very necessary, because without preservation, these horses would not exist. As WH Justice continues to color our world with lovely sons and daughters, each foal celebrates the vision and the wisdom of the breeders who came before us and their decision to save a bloodline, for future use

EnJOY,
Ralph

Masada Mazal

The straight Babson Egyptian stallion, Masada Mazal, was named a  Top Ten United States National Champion in Show Hack, at the Arabian Sport Horse National Show, held in Lexington, Kentucky this week. Owned by Anita Polk, Masada Mazal was bred by the late Walter Schimanski. A ten year old stallion, he was sired by Fa Asar, an Ibn Fa-Serr son out of Serasabba. His dam is Masada Fa Hannah, a Fabo daughter out of ASF Hannah.

The Show Hack class was well-filled and super competitive, with over thirty horses competing, including horses who had shown and won this class, in other years. This was Masada Mazal's first time competing in a national class and he earned a TOP TEN!

When you look at his pedigree, one thing you will notice is the use of Saqlawi-line stallions, alternating with Dahman-line mares.

"Incorporating the Saqlawi type brings length back to neck and leg, which can be lost with intense use of Dahman and Kuhaylan strain types. It also yields finer bone structure and produces flatter and less prominent muscling. Too much Saqlawi can produce a long back and ears. Dahman type brings back an overall balance and harmony, including more dished heads and larger eyes, and shorter backs, but also has the tendency to produce shorter necks and legs, heavier muscling, and more bone."-Walter Schimanski

For example, on the paternal side of the pedigree, Fa Asar's sire, Ibn Fa-Serr, traces to *Bint Serra I in both of his tail female lines, through Fa-Serr and Fa Deene, while Serasabba, Fa Asar's dam,  traces to *Bint Bint Sabbah in both tail female lines, through Fabah and Fay Sabbah. On the maternal side, Fabo, sired by the *Bint Bint Sabbah son, Fabah, traces to *Bint Serra I through his dam Misimma. ASF Hannah, the dam of Masada Fay Hannah,  traces to *Bint Bint Sabbah through the same mare as Serasabba, Fay Sabbah and yet, something different happens....she introduces different sources of Saqlawi blood through the mares Aaroufa and Fay-Negma. Over and over, the pedigree balances the strains, so no one strain dominates the other. It's a play on equality, masterminded by the breeder, hard at work in the background, behind the control panel. It amazes me...still.

Both in phenotype and in genotype, Masada Mazal proves the accuracy of Walter's vision. Masada Mazal is a living, breathing example of everything that Walter Schimanski believed in, when it came to Babson horses. I don't believe that a finer tribute to his legacy can be made, than by what Masada Mazal has accomplished.

EnJOY,
Ralph

True Beauty Lies Deep In the Pedigree

In 1975, after Manaya had foaled a daughter by Ameer, Dr. Mohamed Marsafi had agreed to sell Andeera to Louise Van der Vorm of the Netherlands. This new filly, named Bint Manaya, unknowingly became the catalyst in a series of events which made the story of PH Te Era and Peter Van Ingen possible. You can read all about it in Sweeter than Chocolate. Peter Van Ingen has been involved with Egyptian horses since he was fifteen years old. I don't know exactly when *Andeera first got on Peter's radar but he just loved this particular mare, understood her great value and held a high level of esteem for her family. Peter had become acquainted with Adora, an Andeera daughter sired by Mowaffac. Adora became Peter's favorite mare and for him, became not only the standard by which he would measure other horses, Adora underscored for Peter, the tremendous value of the Moniet el Nefous family, as seen through Andeera. In 1995, Judi Parks offered the straight Egyptian mare, Ph Te Era (Ph Ibn Tego x Andeera) to Peter Van Ingen.

"I was taken by surprise because I knew how important Te Era was."

Sadly, this elegant and beautiful mare died this past week. She leaves an entire son for Peter: Rashad Ibn Te Era, our "chocolate horse" but more important than even "Ibbie"; she graced Peter with the priceless gift of her desert spirit, a very physical reminder of the beauty which is always unfolding in the universe.

Goodbye Te Era, goodbye.
Ralph

Little Giant

"When Antar cast his eye upon the horse, and observed his speed and his paces, he felt that no horse could surpass him, so his whole heart and soul longed for him."-From The International Library of Masterpieces, Literature, Art, & Rare Manuscripts, Volume I, Editor-in-Chief: Harry Thurston Peck; The International Bibliophile Society

I could feel the summer sun on the back of my neck, as I stood over the grave marker, overwhelmed by the presence of *Bask++. The intensity of the heat was as strong as the emotions that were welling up inside of me. “I wasn’t expecting this.” I thought. I kneeled and placed my hand upon his stone marker, now, the only connection to this wonderful horse.  "I so wanted to meet this horse, when he was alive." I said, to no one in particular. As I stood over *Bask++'s grave, I wondered over life and the irony of the entire situation.

“Probably, no nation is rich enough to pay for both war and civilization. We must make our choice; we cannot have both.”-Abraham Flexner

Wars have had a long-lasting effect upon purebred Arabian Horse breeding in Poland. Between the Russian revolution and both world wars,  Arabian Horse breeding in Poland was victimized by the devastation. No single program could enjoy long-lived continuity and in my opinion, it seemed like the private and state-run programs were always in a state of renewal. I continue to wonder over the kind of horses who could have been produced, had the program not suffered the great losses over and over and over. How much greater would Polish breeding have been,  if horses were not killed or captured by other countries? The tenacity of the Polish Arabian Horse breeder is to be admired, despite all the odds, they eventually produced many outstanding horses. For me, there are no greater lessons of hope, than those taught by the Polish breeders.

"A man without a horse, is like a body without a soul."-old Polish saying

At the time of *Bask's birth, Poland's priorities were focused on rebuilding the post-WWII infrastructure and not necessarily horse breeding, a topic which was subject to intense debate, regarding its necessity. The state run Arabian breeding program was forced to reduce the number of horses kept, reluctantly selling horses that they would otherwise retain, to farmers and circuses, in order to raise cash and lower expenses. *Bask++ was foaled at the Albigowa Stud farm, in southeastern Poland, which was eventually closed and all the horses were moved to Janow Podlaski. *Bask++ was the tenth foal of the Amurath Sahib daughter, Balalajka, a beautiful and elite mare bred by the private breeder, Anna Bakowska of the Krasnica Stud. This 1941 grey mare and her daughter, Arfa, were the only survivors of the entire Krasnica breeding program. Balalajka was priceless and a national treasure of the country. *Bask’s sire was the bay son of Ofir, named Witraz, who together with his brother Wielki Szlem were the main sources of the Kuhaylan Haifi sire line in Poland. In 1931, Bogdan Ziertarski and Carl Raswan traveled extensively in the Middle East and from this trip, imported five stallions and four mares. Kuhaylan Zaid went to Babolna, Kuhaylan Haifi went to Janow Podlaski and the rest of the horses went to Prince Roman Sanguszko's Gumniska Stud.

"Finally I hear a neigh, they guide the stallions... they lead the bay Kuhailan Haifi. My legs buckled under me, it is just the horse I am looking for. Not large, dry, on splendid legs without any trace of cow hocks. A long neck, a noble head, although not very small, with distended, thin and moveable nostrils; a splendid high carried tail. I feel, the first time in my life, that during the purchase of a horse I am fainting."-Bogdan Ziertarski, as quoted in Arab breeding in Poland, written by Edward Skorkowski

*Bask++, traces to this authentic horse, the desert-bred Kuhaylan Haifi in the sire line. However, this little giant of a horse also traces to the desert in his tail female line, through the famous Mlecha of the Dzieduszycki Stud.

When I think of Witraz, I think of how he escaped death on the road to Dresden, Germany, the home city of Carl Raswan, thanks to his very brave groom, Jan Ziniewicz. Of the 80 horses that were evacuated, only 38 horses made it to Dresden. Witraz and Wielki Szlem were two of the 38 horses. Understanding the impact that World War II had upon the Arabian Horse breeding program is important, in recognizing the contribution that particular horses made on the breed and why certain horses that we now understand as crucial and vital, were not used. If you can understand the great loss that Poland suffered, you can understand better as to why the majority of progeny that Balalajka produced were sired by Witraz; except for the mare Bachantka, who was sired by Wielki Szlem. Of the progeny produced by Witraz and Balalajka, only the mares Bandola and Arfa and the stallion, Banio remained in Poland, for use in the state breeding program. Rather than selling  *Bask++,  the horse was put into race training. *Bask raced until he was six years old, competing in 40 races and placing in 22. At the end of his racing career, *Bask was sent back to Janow Podlaski, for evaluation as a breeding stallion and he remained at Janow Podlaski, until Dr. Eugene LaCroix saw him and brought him to America. Had it not been for Dr. LaCroix, I am not sure what kind of legacy *Bask++ would have had upon the breed. I don't believe that physically, *Bask++ embodied the look that Polish breeders sought in their program and there was always a concern for using any Witraz-sired son, as the Polish breeders were not fond of Witraz's temperament. For this reason, Polish breeders preferred Wielki Szlem and had made his sons, a more popular choice over the Witraz sons. Under the guidance of the LaCroixes, *Bask++ became a formidable show horse, as he was named a US National Champion in halter, as well as a National Champion Park Horse, a Reserve Champion Formal Driving horse and a Reserve Champion Formal Combination horse.

"...when lo! a knight rushed out from the ravines in the rocks, mounted on a dark-colored colt, beautiful and compact, and of a race much prized among the Arabs; his hoofs were as flat as the beaten coin; when he neighed he seemed as if about to speak, and his ears were like quills."-From The International Library of Masterpieces, Literature, Art, & Rare Manuscripts, Volume I, Editor-in-Chief: Harry Thurston Peck; The International Bibliophile Society

Over thirty years after his death, *Bask++ remains a significant horse, an important horse, a horse who achieved many milestones...FIRST. *Bask++ was the first horse to sire over a thousand foals, in a period of time when horses were not bred using artificial insemination. *Bask++ is the third top sire in the list of top-ten all-time leading sires...STILL. He is the breed's all-time leading sire of show champions and national winners, siring approximately five hundred show champions, out of more than one thousand horses. Of these champions, two hundred were National winners, including his son MS Santana, who was a US National Champion stallion and his daughter Ambra, who was a US National Champion Park Horse.  

I find it amazing that Poland did not incorporate his bloodline until fairly recently, when his grandson, the Patterson Arabians-bred Monogramm (sired by the *Bask++ son, Negatraz out of the mare, Monogramma) was leased by Michalow State Stud. The results have been phenomenal, regarding what a "little bit of *Bask++ blood" has achieved in the Polish breeding program. This very classic chestnut horse has sired wonderful horses for Poland, like the beautiful show champion mares *Zagrobla, *Kwestura plus handsome sons like Ekstern and *Kordelas.

So, as I stood up and lifted my hand off of his grave marker, I silently gave thanks for the perseverance of our Polish brothers and sisters, who still believe in this breed, these little giants among all the horses. They are to be congratulated for giving the world, this one little, GIANT of a horse.

***you can read this article and others that I have written within The Arabian Breeders' Magazine, Volume I, Issue I***