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