all for the love of a horse...: Oreana CF

27 November, 2011

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

1 comment:

UnknownSunday, November 27, 2011 10:34:00 AM
Thank you, Ralph! She was a lovely mare, and died way too soon.... colic. Tribute was unfortunately gelded, and her daughter Arietta was just as lovely, a real loss. Tesio has a wonderful home, but there is not a lot of breeding going on right now.

That just goes to show you that you can try really hard, and prize something very much, and it can still slip through your fingers.

I hope the line continues! Jeanne Craver
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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.