Year in Review: My Favorite Photos in 2019

El Thay Mameluk (Ibn Nazeema x El Thay Mansoura)

January
One of my favorite photos is of the stallion, El Thay Mameluk (Ibn Nazeema x El Thay Mansoura), as photographed by Nicole Sachs. Bred by Dr. H. J. Tauschke of El Thayeba Stud in Germany and owned for most of his life by Sabine Von Elm. As a mature stallion, he was purchased by Mr. Talal Abdullah Al Mehri of the Aljazira stud in Kuwait, where he passed away in 2011. One of the most interesting things about El Thay Mameluk was his tenure at Babolna Stud. He sired an exceptional daughter named Taghira B (purchased by Alfabia Stud in Italy) and a son, Emiratus B, who remains with the Von Elms. I love chestnut colored horses and hope one day to own a horse with a profuse forelock, just like El Thay Mameluk.

*Aramus+ (*Nabor x Amneris)

February
This particular photo of the stallion *Aramus+ (*Nabor x Amneris), taken by Polly Knoll, is overwhelmingly significant for me. I was a child, consumed with a love for horses, when I "discovered" the photo within a complimentary issue of Arabian Horse World. I didn't yet understand the concepts of bloodline groups like "Pure Polish" or "Straight Egyptian"; those lessons would come later but there wouldn't have been a "later" for me without this photo, as it ignited a love for this breed and encouraged me to learn as much as I could about them. I really don't know how many hours I spent studying every line, every curve of *Aramus' beautiful body but the impact of this visual study very powerfully influenced an appreciation for classic Arabian horse type and a desire to find other horses who looked like *Aramus+.

Ansata AlMurtajiz (Ansata Hejazi x Ansata Samsara)

March
When I see this photo, my mind flashes back to the winter of 2013. I stood there, in Ansata AlMurtajiz's stall, eye-to-eye with him. After so much time, wishing for such an opportunity, it remains a surreal experience. I touched him. I marveled over him. I adored him. He was more beautiful than any picture I had ever seen. As I walked away, he rose on his hind legs and hung his head over the wall of his stall to look at me, as I walked down the aisle. It was a thing that he liked to do. It was a thing that he did that made him even more lovable than he already was for me. I turned and looked back at him. We made eye contact. It is a moment that I play in my mind, over and over and over. He touched my heart and I knew it would be the last time that I ever saw him. I just knew.

Nabiel (*Sakr x *Magidaa)

April
I was in High School, maybe 14 or 15 years old, when I saw this photo of Nabiel (*Sakr x *Magidaa) for the very first time. I was enchanted by the expression of this horse and while this is my favorite photo of Nabiel, to tell you the truth, I honestly don't think I ever saw a photo that didn't capture his charismatic presence. He was so photogenic! He was really powerful in this way. However, this particular photo, so early in my Arabian horse life, made me not only a fan of Nabiel but it also made me a fan of Polly Knoll's photography. Later on, when I learned that the Trapps had leased El Halimaar, it also made me a fan of their breeding program, as they were combining so many of the horses that I really admired.

Fa Halima (*Ansata Ibn Halima x Sabrah)

May 
When I see this photo of Fa Halima (*Ansata Ibn Halima x Sabrah), I remember the first time that I saw a Babson-Halima horse and how deeply I fell in love with her and because of her, I looked for others and soon noticed that this combination consistently produced horses closer to my own vision of classic Arabian Horse type. Fa Halima was bred by Robert Cowling of Houston, Texas. In 1979, she was named a European Reserve Champion mare and the following year, 1980, she became the National Champion Mare in both, America and Canada.

Haliluyah MH (El Halimaar x RDM Maar Hala)

June
The story of Haliluyah MH begins in 1994, when El Halimaar was bred to his own dam, RDM Maar Hala (El Hilal x Maar Jumana). In 1995, the sun, moon and stars aligned, opening a hole in the universe for Haliluyah to canter through. I imagine Gabriel and all of the Christmas Angels, horns in hand, ready to herald the arrival of this spectacular horse with a most heavenly fanfare. That's the auspicious beginning and yes, a bit melodramatic, I agree but you see, everything that I cherish in this breed, whether a tangible or intangible characteristic, is embodied by this horse. He is a slice of heaven, here on earth. I have collected many photos of Haliluyah over the years but this particular photo, taken by Christine Emmert at a Rancho Bulakenyo open house is my favorite of him. It makes my head feel light, my heart beat faster and my mind wander, to a place where all the horses look like him and are ready to lick you in happiness, when you stand right next to them.

Ansata Nile Echo (Ansata Hejazi x Ansata White Nile)

July 
Ansata Nile Echo was an Ansata Hejazi son out of Ansata While Nile, a granddaughter of Ansata Nile Jewel, the *Morafic sired daughter out of Falima. It was one of those "breeding nicks", a combination often referred to as a "golden-cross", as his full sister, Ansata Nile Pearl was equally as beautiful. In addition to the two Ansata-prefixed horses, Ansata White Nile produced three more full siblings in the Middle East: Shahm, Wafaa and Wardah ElKuwait . He was a charismatic stallion, his presence electrified the show ring, no matter where he was shown. He was bold and powerful in his movement; his hind end driving him forward, as he ate up the ground in front of him. Will there ever be another like him? He was one of my favorite horses ever.

Badrilbdoor Ezzain (NK Qaswarah x Azhaar Ezzain)

August
As we walked over to her stall, Badrilbdoor Ezzain was lying down, resting. It was evening and I had just arrived at Ezzain. "This is Shamsilshmous' full sister, by Qaswarah, out of Azhaar. Her name is Badrilbdoor." Usamah explained. My mind raced through all the photos stored up there in my head somewhere, trying to remember exactly which horse was Badrilbdoor. As familiar as I was with the horses of Ezzain, I wasn't prepared for their overwhelming beauty. It would be for me like a head-on collision, fierce and surely, life changing. I would not walk away from this encounter and continue being the same person. These horses were obviously different from any horse I had ever known before. They were unique. They were special. They were extraordinary. Usamah coaxed Badrilbdoor to her feet. She stretched out her front feet and pulled herself up. When she was standing squarely on all four feet, she stretched her body forward and back, lowering her head and tucking it close to her chest. For a fraction of a second, I witnessed a beauty so unexpected, so marvelous, so spectacular...that if I had blinked, I would have missed seeing it.

Fa Ali Bey (Justynn x Fa Angelita Rose)

September
Fa Ali Bey (Justynn x Fa Angelita Rose) is a 2013 stallion, bred and owned by Marilyn Lang. This photo taken by Moffatt Photography & Design is one of my favorite photos, as it captures this young stallion, in all of his exhuberance, with nature’s special effects to underscore what is, a truly magical moment. Most times, these are special moments, the horse performing privately for our enjoyment. We bear witness to the overwhelming beauty of our horses, only to remember a camera, after the moment has passed. Thankfully, Trace 'n Lisa Moffatt were around, so that this special moment could be shared with all of us. Fa Ali Bey is representative of 4 generations of Marilyn’s breeding program, outcrossed with ancestral elements from the breeding programs of AlBadeia, the Jameson’s, the Marshalls, Jarrell Mc Cracken & Lisa Lacy, the St Clair’s, Judi Forbis and of course, the Sirbasku’s. I hope that you will experience all of the joy, awe and wonder that I experience, whenever I see this unforgettable photo.

Farid Albadeia (Ameer Albadeia x Farida)

October
Favorite photo? This particular photo is such a big part of my life. For many years, this photo has been and continues to be the wallpaper for my cell phone. How many times does a person look at his or her cell phone in a 24-hour day? Farid AlBadeia is always there, like a friend who journeys along life’s highways with me, every day. He was impressively built, like a horseman’s horse. Well-muscled, he exhibited the strength that most of us expect to see in a stallion, and yet, Farid was more than a correct stallion, for all of the powerful energy radiating from his body, he also had some of the finest features which not only included his eye but also, his chiseled head, so short and wide, the fine skin accentuating the prominence of bone and vein, smaller ears and large, elastic nostrils enhancing the look of an authentic desert horse. For me, he is unforgettable and although he is no longer alive, the memory of this wonderful horse provides the inspiration that I need to face life, every day.

Tagweed (Gad Allah x Tee)

November
Tagweed was a 2004 son of the great Gad Allah (Adeeb x Omnia), out of the beloved Tee (Adl x Bint Ibtisam). Classic in type, a legend and considered the most precious of all treasure; he was a marvel of modern Egyptian Arabian horse breeding...for all of the admiration felt for Tagweed, and believe me, the love expressed for him is truly a global phenomenon, he was beyond all of those words, as they didn't fully capture the essence of who Tagweed really was or the overwhelming capacity of love felt for him by the Egypt that loved him, I mean really loved him. Saqlawi by strain, possessing a strong body, coupled with the grace and elegance that is, the very essence of this strain; Tagweed embodied the characteristics one associates with Saqlawi horses, that is, a longer back, longer legs, a longer neck that was well-set, flowing like a palm frond out of powerful, laid back shoulders and a broad, muscled chest. His head was pure enchantment and like a sculpture, finely shaped with big, black eyes, a delicate muzzle and huge nostrils. He was the quintessential Arabian dream, come-to-life and for many Egyptian breeders, he became the living standard, against which, all other horses would be measured. It is photos like Mohamed Abdo's photo, that make me fall in love with the Arabian horse, all over again.

Laheeb (Imperial Imdal x AK Latifa)

December
Laheeb, a 1996 son of Imperial Imdal (out of the Bentwood-bred mare, AK Latifa), is a most courageous horse, the closest we have in the Arabian horse community to a superhero. Really. When he was four years old, he suffered a tragic accident, breaking a bone in his right foreleg. Initially, the prognosis for his survival was not very good. He underwent two surgeries and a very long recovery, followed by an intense period of physical therapy. Throughout his treatment, there were disappointing setbacks, as well as periods of great challenges,  pain, suffering and doubt. Despite the poor prognosis, Laheeb persevered and it was through these small victories, that Laheeb encouraged everyone. His character and amazing depth of soul, inspired the team of people supporting him to keep trying. In the days following the accident, no one asked for much. However, what people did not realize was that they loved a horse who wanted and asked for more from life, than they could ever imagine. In those days and months, when it didn't seem likely that Laheeb would make it, who would have believed that three years later, Laheeb would be sound and named the judges unanimous Israeli National Champion Stallion. We are now approaching the time of year which is filled with joy, hope and promise. If ever the time was ripe for miracles, then December is that perfect time.Within a Laheeb tribute article written by my friend Tzviah Idan for Desert Heritage Magazine, Nasr said, “Laheeb is a dream horse. His disposition is unbelievable. I have never seen a stallion as gentle and as peaceful as Laheeb, all without losing a bit of any of the traits that you want in a stallion. He is tremendously charismatic and always the perfect gentleman.” And that's why I love this photo so much, for not only does it remind me of Nasr (he took the photo) but it inspires me as to what is really possible if we were more like Laheeb, filled with joy, despite the hard times he endured. If we have missed it in any other way, Laheeb now shows us the way. Don't let anyone or anything steal your joy.

***Many thanks to all of you. Without you, there would be no blog, as I derive great encouragement from all of your visits. I am looking forward to 2020 and uncovering more great stories of the horses we love most in the world. Best wishes for a happy new year!***

Samir Ali

Samir Ali (Bellagio RCA x Barakis Gem)

Sometimes, it is a photo that becomes a defining moment in time, like a point of transition between what you thought you knew and a higher level of clarity.  Once you have gone through this experience, then life cannot be lived in the same way. It is even more rare to experience such a moment within a busy time of the year, when our minds are driven to distraction by all we need to do, in trying to deliver the perfect holiday celebration for family and friends. So, in the quiet of an early December morning, before anyone else awakened, I decided to unwrap Arabian Horse World's latest Christmas gift to Arabian horse lovers everywhere, in the form of an article by Jeffrey Wintersteen, reporting on his visit to Al Ghanayim Stud in Kuwait. I encourage you dear reader, to click on the above link and read the article. It's good.

Do you know Samir Ali? He is a 2012 black straight Egyptian stallion, bred by Brenda Dumas, Rose of Cairo Arabians and Lora Gilbert. Samir Ali is now owned by Mr. Ayad Al-Thuwainy of Al Ghanayim Stud and is part of the feature published in Arabian Horse World. This Bellagio RCA son has won many prizes in halter competitions, most notably, he was an Egyptian Event Reserve Champion colt, as well as a Scottsdale Reserve Junior Champion Colt. On New Year's Day in 2015, when presented in Stonewall Farm's Holiday Open House, Samir Ali made a powerful impression on many of the people in attendance.

When I found the Darryl Larson photo of Samir Ali, I was really surprised. The deeper heart girth is what got me first. I couldn't see anything else. Eventually, I noticed his strong and smooth topline, his beautifully long (balanced neck), which is well-set on a muscled, laid-back shoulder and his self-carriage, so supple, so relaxed and through...what a perfect moment in time, that brought me so much beauty, wonder and awe in the stillness of a quiet morning.

The dam of Samir Ali is Barakis Gem, a daughter of Al Baraki (Thee Desperado x Alijamila) out of Gemma SA (Shahir x Bint Wanisa). In tail female line, the line goes through the Sameh daughter, *Omayma, to Bint Riyala, one of two mares from the Rodania family, as bred by Crabbet Stud and imported into Egypt. So, in strain, Samir Ali is Kuhaylan Rodan, from one of the most powerful and continually relevant families in all of Arabian horse breeding. When my friend, Gari Dill-Marlow was alive, she was studying the impact that families (like that of the Rodanias) exerted in the show ring. While she did not get to finish her study, Gari told me that she wasn't sure which mare had more generations of winners: *Wadduda or Rodania.

At first glance, I found it interesting that Ruminaja Ali, while appearing mainly in the 5th and 6th generations of the pedigree, represents approximately 30% of Samir Ali's pedigree, with almost 70% of  Ruminaja Ali's influence brought forward by Thee Desperado and his sire, The Minstril, a Ruminaja Ali son.

Alijamila (Ruminaja Ali x Ansata Justina)

I didn't set out like Sherlock Holmes to find a possible genetic source for the deeper heart girth that I observed in Samir Ali's photo but I have to admit that when I saw the name of Al Baraki in the pedigree and more specifically his dam, Alijamila, the hair on the back of my neck stood on edge. You see, there is a mare who resides also in Kuwait, who like Samir Ali, carries the influence of Alijamila on the maternal side of the pedigree. This mare's name is Alttafilbari Ezzain, sired by NK Qaswarah and out of Ajmal Ibtihaj, a daughter of Alijamila by Adnan.

Alttafilbari Ezzain (NK Qaswarah x Ajmal Ibtihaj)

If you, dear reader, are a believer in phenotype following coat color as I do believe, Alttafilbari Ezzain favors her maternal granddam, the black Alijamila. Like Samir Ali, Alttafilbari Ezzain is powerfully built, with a deep heart girth and well-sprung rib-cage.

What is also interesting about Alttafilbari's dam, Ajmal Ibtihaj, is that she is by Adnan, a Salaa el Dine son! Gemma SA, the maternal grandam of Samir Ali, is by Shahir, who is also sired by Salaa el Dine. So, while Alttafilbari and Samir Ali are different horses, it is interesting that physically, they both share similar conformational qualities and genetically, they also share a similar cross, uniting the blood of Salaa el Dine with the influence of the Ruminaja Ali daughter, Alijamila! Could this be the source of the phenotypical similarity that I observe between both horses?

Fayad Al Shaqab

Fayad Al Shaqab (Al Adeed Al Shaqab x Exotic Tremor)

Fayad Al Shaqab is a 2016 son of Al Adeed Al Shaqab out of Exotic Tremor, a Richter MH daughter, whom  Dr. Joseph "Jody" Cruz had bred and previously sold to Al Shaqab. While this cross has much significance for Jody (the stallion, Richter MH being the first horse Jody bred, after inheriting the program from his father), he was retaining Exotic Tremor's full sister, Binte Aziza MH for his program and felt he could part with Exotic Tremor. So, fast forward a couple years later and it was for her blood alone, that purchasing Fayad as a yearling made sense to Jody, as he moves forward with his breeding program into the future. While *Lebinon Al Shaqab introduces a couple of lines to Ansata Halim Shah through the maternal side of his pedigree, Jody says of Fayad Al Shaqab, "he will be a source of MH blood that is completely different for us."

Do you know what the name Fayad means? Arabic in origin, Fayad is a male, who is loving, friendly and kind, with compassion for all whom he meets.  The kindness that emanates from Fayad Al Shaqab's large, black and expressive eyes, confirms the accuracy of a horse well-named.

In "human terminology", Fayad is like a "nephew" to Rancho Bulakenyo's beloved and noteworthy Binte Aziza MH, a full sister to Exotic Tremor but he is also a "nephew" to Hadban Al Shaqab, as both Al Adeed Al Shaqab and Hadban Al Shaqab were out of the same mare, Sundar Alisayyah (Ruminaja Ali x Imperial Sayyah). So, in many ways, this beautiful young colt returns the influence of these horses back to Rancho Bulakenyo.

Al Adeed Al Shaqab (Ansata Halim Shah x Sundar Alisayyah)

Do you remember seeing this photo in the mid-to-late 90's? 20 years later, I still remember when I first saw this Erwin Escher photo for the first time and experienced indescribable feelings of joy, wonder and awe. It remains as my favorite photo. Where does one go from here, having reached this level of perfection? At the time, my mind frantically tried to make sense of what my eyes saw. It would be the first and really, the only time that the horse I imagined, would intersect with a real horse, made of flesh and bone.  An Ansata Halim Shah son, Al Adeed Al Shaqab, was just beginning his electrifying show career, winning the Champion Stallion title at the Middle East International Championships. Never did a photo speak so loudly of hope and promise, all the while, never uttering a single sound.

Last weekend, the World Championships were held in Paris, France. I was watching the video of the stallion, Shanghai EA, who was eventually named the Silver World Champion and I experienced deja vu. Salymah EA is a daughter of the Ansata Sinan son, Khidar. That's when it hit me. Khidar. The feeling of deja vu that I was experiencing connected a long ago photo of Khidar, with what I feel is a very similar photo of Al Adeed Al Shaqab.

Khidar (Ansata Sinan x Elizja)

Ansata Sinan (Prince Fa Moniet x Ansata Nefara) was a maternal grandson of Ansata Halim Shah, himself a Nazeer grandson and sire of Al Adeed Al Shaqab. How can horses of different bloodlines bear so much similarity to one another? In a blog post a few months ago, I mentioned that after studying the pedigree of Shanghai EA and finding multiple crosses to Nazeer, it underscores the  continuing influence of Nazeer, through many generations. Nazeer is the "common ground" in all of these horses.

Nazeer (Mansour x Bint Samiha)

Nazeer remains a most vibrant and relevant horse, across a wide variety of blood, despite the 70 or more years that separate us from when he was alive. It is especially interesting to consider the possibilities, as Fayad Al Shaqab's sire line leads to Nazeer: Al Adeed Al Shaqab-Ansata Halim Shah-*Ansata Ibn Halima-Nazeer. Also,  Nazeer appears within 5 generations (great-great grandsire), which is amazing in this day. Fayad, through his genetic fiber, will now further intensify this powerful Nazeer legacy, already a part of the Rancho Bulakenyo gene pool. And of course, Fayad's quality is complementary to the program at Rancho Bulakenyo.  A correct horse, balanced and smooth with impressive breed type, Jody says of him, "he's pretty, bold and has lots of tail and presence." Also, through his tail female line, Fayad is of the Kuhaylan Kurush strain, highly prized for their athletic ability, boldness, fearlessness, heightened sensitivity and perceptive ability. At a point in their history, horses of the Kuhaylan Kurush strain were not available to anyone outside of the Bedouin tribe who bred them, not for any price. Even Abbas Pasha, who had assembled a phenomenal collection of horses, found it difficult, if not impossible to secure horses of this particular strain.

Fayad Al Shaqab (Al Adeed Al Shaqab x Exotic Tremor)

Rancho Bulakenyo, while long-time admirers of Al Adeed Al Shaqab, have not had the opportunity to incorporate his blood into the program, until now, through his young son, Fayad Al Shaqab. Having retained four sons of Binte Aziza MH, sired by Imperial Al Kamar (El Hilal x Imperial Sonbesjul), Hadban Al Shaqab (Ashhal Al Rayyan x Sundar Alisayyah)  and Lebinon Al Shaqab (Alidaar x Lamia Al Shaqab), it made sense for Jody to add a son of Binte Aziza's full sister but with a different sire line. Jody plans on using Fayad specifically on the daughters sired by the sons of Binte Aziza MH, like Nour Al Kamar MH and Bashar Al Kamar MH. It has been the focus  of the Rancho Bulakenyo breeding program to concentrate on their proven mare families, while adding diversity through the sire line. Fayad allows Jody to continue this focus. The connection to Hadban Al Shaqab is an interesting one, as Jody says that he is finding the Hadban daughters to be excellent broodmares. Through Fayad, he can double up on the sources of AlBadeia breeding, an 80-year program founded on select EAO lines. What an awesome opportunity to introduce such powerful outcross blood!

Oliver Herford, an American poet once wrote in his poem, I Heard a Bird Sing, “We’re nearer to spring than we were in September, I heard a bird sing in the dark of December.” And at Rancho Bulakenyo, spring promises to be a most exciting time, as Fayad's first foals are due at the beginning of the season. We are that much closer to witnessing the great Nazeer legacy, as it unfolds within the proven foundation of Rancho Bulakenyo and maybe, in 2020's crop of world champion horses.

***Hard to believe that here we are, the 300th blog post and it's a real honor to have a horse like Fayad Al Shaqab be the subject of what is a big, hairy, audacious goal for me...thank you everyone, for coming here to read the stories of great horses like Fayad Al Shaqab. I hope that my words, through the colorful and rich stories of these horses, continue to encourage and inspire you.***

2 Mares in Paris

I am grateful to Arabian Essence TV for making the videos from the World Championships available on their You Tube Channel. Do you know that there were 22 senior mares in Paris? There were 12 mares shown in Class 3A, while Class 3B had 10. The Marwan Al Shaqab daughter, Baviera HVP placed first in Class 3A with 93.36 points, followed by the Shanghai EA daughter, Wildona and in third place, the Mameluk daughter, Malikat Al Moluk. In Class 3B, the Ajman Moniscione daughter, Noft Al Nayfat was the first place mare, followed by Maisa Al Nasser and in third place, the WH Justice daughter, FM Gloriaa. The quality in both classes was very deep, any of these mares could have been pinned as a winner and everyone would be happy with the decision. That is how competitive these classes were and reflective of the consistency and quality of the mares exhibited. It definitely was one of the better senior mare classes than I can ever remember.

In the magazine, Tutto Arabi, Monika Luft had interviewed Sheikh Hamad Bin Ali Al Thani. It's a great interview, you can find it here. One of the questions that Monika asked Sheikh Hamad was about shows. I found Sheikh Hamad's answer very interesting and relevant, as he said:

"We went to many shows but we never stayed until the championships. We did not care about the champions because we already picked the horse we liked. I remember Sheikh Abdulaziz or Sheikh Nawaf, all the old friends, we talked later in the car about the horses that looked nice and that could fit our breeding and could be maybe fifth in class, not necessary be the winners. OK, we loved the horse who won, but did not care. It was important for the owner but not for us."

Most times, the horses that I have preferred, are not the horses who place in the first three spots. This year, my favorite horse of the show, Maisa Al Nasser, was named the Bronze Champion Senior Mare but it doesn't always work out like this. As Sheikh Hamad indicates above, it is important to study and to determine the bloodlines which produce more consistently, the type of horse you prefer, so that when you spectate at shows or attend sales, you are clear over the horses that interest you, which has everything to do with the individual horse (and how close that horse will allow you to get to your ideal) and less or nothing to do with the place the horse earns at the show. You have to remember that it is YOU breeding the horses you like and not the judge. While it is great to receive an acknowledgement or affirmation that your breeding program is producing horses that meet with the approval of others (outside of your circle), you need to breed horses that satisfy you, as this will sustain you as a breeder through those times which are dry and lonely. We all face those times, at one point or another. With all that said, as I made my way through all the video thumbnails on Arabian Essence TV's page, I stumbled upon the videos of 2 mares that I really liked, maybe not as much as I prefer Maisa Al Nasser but these mares were really lovely.

Haifa Al Khalediah, a straight Egyptian mare, is a daughter of F Shamaal (Maysoun x Sarameena) and out of Ansata Nile Pearl (Ansata Hejazi x Ansata White Nile). Haifa Al Khalediah's pedigree is full of rich stories connected through the dreams of many breeders. So, it is no surprise that visually, she would be a living confirmation or embodiment of all the genetic influences that over time, I have grown to love and appreciate.

Looking at her maternal line and specifically, the mare, Ansata White Nile (her maternal grand dam), I am reminded that a long time ago, Bart Van Buggenhout, while manager of Al Rayyan had written an article for Arabian Horse World, sharing his impression of the breeding programs established in Kuwait. One of the things that Bart mentioned was a breeding nick between the stallion, Ansata Hejazi (Ansata Halim Shah x Ansata Sudarra) and the mare, Ansata White Nile (Prince Fa Moniet x Ansata Nile Gift). The union of these two horses produced Ansata Nile Echo, in addition to Ansata Nile Pearl, the dam of Haifa Al Khalediah. You know what I remember? When Ansata Nile Echo was a young horse and competing in shows, his movement was so powerful, so brilliant, that he was nicknamed "Mr. Trot" by many people. His movement was electrifying, eating up the ground in front of him. For all the critics of Egyptian Arabian horse movement, here was a straight Egyptian stallion, who possessed the type of movement that was stereotyped to only the Russian-bred Arabian horses!

Haifa Al Khalediah's sire, F Shamaal, is a son of Maysoun (Ansata Halim Shah x Maysouna), a stallion whom I really like, noted for his fabulous temperament, as he was a horse who loved to be among people, easy to handle, willing and full of kindness.  The dam of Maysoun, Maysouna, was a grandaughter of Mahiba, an EAO-bred daughter of Mouna, a full sister to the mares Lubna and Mabrouka (the dam of *Morafic). Mahiba was a mare known by many names, as she was registered in Egypt as "Maheeba" and "6 Mahiba" in Hungary, at the Babolna Stud.

The dam of F Shamaal is a mare named Sarameena (FA Ibn Sar x Flabys Joffa). At first glance, you will notice that both sire and dam are paternal siblings, both sired by SAR Ibn Moniet, an *Ibn Moniet el Nefous son out of  the Richard Pritzlaff-bred, Sariella (Alcibiades x Bint El Sarie). SAR Ibn Moniet carried a 37.5% influence to the mare, Moniet el Nefous. However, it is the dams of Sarameena, who offer a contrasting balance (outcross blood) to the double dose of SAR Ibn Moniet. Bint Kattar (Ramses El Din x Kattar) was bred by Bill Larsen of El Dorado Arabians. Ramses El Din was a big chestnut stallion who was initially imported from Egypt by Martin Loeber of Plum Grove Farm. He was of the Hadban strain and his dam Ghada was a maternal sister to Shaker el Masri of Om el Arab, who sired El Shaklan. The mare Kattar, a pure-in-the-strain Kuhaylah Rodaniyah, was sired by an *Ansata Ibn Halima son named Samim and out of the *Morafic daughter, Il Durra, both of whom the Larsens had purchased from Gleannloch Farms, when they started to breed Arabian horses in 1968.  Flaby's Joffa, the dam of Sarameena, is out of a mare named Daniya, an Ameer Al Badeia daughter bred by Sayed Marei of Albadeia. In tail female, Daniya traces to Zaafarana, the dam of horses like *Talal, Amrulla, El Ameera and *Ansata Bint Zaafarana,  It is amazing to fully consider the rich genetic fiber from which Haifa Al Khaledia comes from, without getting overwhelmed by all the horses and the relevancy they hold within the gene pool of straight Egyptian breeding.

Dahmah Shahwaniyah by strain (she looks Kuhaylah), Haifa Al Khalediah tied for 7th place in Class 3B with the MCA Magnum Gold daughter, Tahani Al Khaled, with a score of 91.50 points. Eventually, her type score broke the tie and Haifa Al Khalediah was named the 7th place mare. A 12-year old mare, what I liked most about her is her substance, while remaining elegant. She carries alot of body mass and thankfully, is not a narrow mare but very broad of chest with powerfully muscled shoulders, a wide barrel and an equally muscled (and wide) hind end. She is strong-of-body, which is the quality that I find most appealing about her. An added plus is that she is a rosewater horse.

SA Minerva, like Haifa Al Khalediah and Maisa Al Nasser was a part of Class 3B, placing 4th, with a score of 92.14 points.

A 2007 Royal Colours daughter out of Cicilla, SA Minerva is 60% Egyptian in blood, as her sire is 100% Egyptian, sired by the straight Egyptian stallion, True Colours (Thee Desperado x Daheda) and out of the straight Egyptian mare, Xtreme Wonder (The Elixir x Lenore Moniet).

At first glance, you may not realize that her dam, Cicilla carries any Egyptian blood but looking a little further will reveal that Cicilla contributes approximately 10% Egyptian blood through multiple crosses of Ruminaja Ali, as well as the stallions, Ansata el Tareef and *Fadl.

I found it interesting to fully consider the influence of Thee Desperado in the pedigree, who represents about 20% of SA Minerva's  Egyptian influence  but you really have to peek under the surface, more than half of the 20% comes from Ruminaja Ali (Shaikh Al Badi x Bint Magidaa) and looking even deeper than that, since Shaikh Al Badi is a son of *Morafic (Nazeer x Mabrouka), the influence of Moniet el Nefous in Ruminaja Ali combines with the other Moniet influences for example, the Moniet influence through horses like TheEgyptianPrince. The influence of a mare like Moniet el Nefous upon a non straight Egyptian mare, in this case, SA Minerva, is really amazing.

In tail female, SA Minerva traces to the mare, Dajania, an 1876 mare also known as "Lady Hester" and "Jasmine" by the Blunts of Crabbet Stud, who purchased the mare in Aleppo, on Christmas day, 1877, from a member of the Bedouin tribe who had stolen the mare from Muhammad Pasha, a Turkmen Chief. However, Carl Raswan wrote in his Index that Muhammad Pasha had not bred the mare but had purchased her, after the mare had been stolen from her breeder, who in actuality was a man named Ibn Dajan. Regardless of who actually bred Dajania, through virtue of her colorful history and through whom she traces to in tail female line, SA Minerva is Kuhaylat Ajuz by strain. In a world dominated by Saqlawi and Dahman strain horses, this makes SA Minerva very special indeed. What I like most about this mare is her smoothness and overall harmony. She is closer-coupled, compact even, with a stronger topline, while remaining an elegant and classy mare, presenting well the unique characteristics of the breed. She is also very charismatic in her movement, with ground-covering strides, her hind legs stepping farther ahead of the hoofprints made by her front legs (tracking up). I am sure that in the days ahead, I will find more to love about the mares in Paris but in the meantime, maybe what I have written here about these 2 mares will resonate with you.

A Star Fell From Heaven

Maybe you didn't know Carolyn Woody Jacobson and for that dear reader, I am truly sorry, as you missed the opportunity to know a spectacular human being.  I don't even know how many horses have benefited from Carolyn's assistance because she helped so many horses, of all shapes, sizes and breeds. The number is not only staggering but speaks volumes of her commitment to and love for all horses and specifically, the straight Babson Egyptian Arabian horse.

I don't even remember how I stumbled upon Carolyn's story. I think it was after she had been diagnosed with ALS but with her help, I edited her story into a form for which I had hoped at the time, would be a magazine article honoring this very special horsewoman.

"You absolutely have my permission to write about my best boy. I was just talking to him yesterday. He’s buried right outside his stall and the daffodils planted there are starting to fade already. Please don’t think I’m too crazy, but I always talk to him."

I learned unexpectedly today, that Carolyn died. I knew that she wasn't well but that's what made Carolyn so special. While life was hard for her, it was more important for Carolyn to know how I was doing, how I was feeling. She always thought of others, before she thought of herself. I think that this term is called by some, agape, and Carolyn practiced it all the time.

I so wanted her to see this article in print, while she was alive, so that she knew of the difference that she was making not only in horses' lives but in the lives of people. Her kind and generous example, combined with her love of the horse, so inspired me. I wanted to be more like her, knowing that it would not be possible but even if I was more like her for 10% of the time, I knew that I would be a better human being for it.

And so dear reader, below is the charming story of a real horse lover, in her own words and I hope that today, as you read about Carolyn's life, you will lift your voice to the sky and express thanksgiving that He blesses us with people like Carolyn sometimes. I hope that this blog will be equally encouraging and inspiring for you, as it continues for me to this day.

After a career teaching high school French and having moved to Atlanta, Georgia from Texas; my long-held childhood dream was finally realized at the age of thirty-nine! An Anglo-Arabian trained as a dressage horse and aptly named Beau Rouge came into my life. I distinctly remember his former owner, Gwen Anderson, telling me that Beau's sire was the Babson stallion Nadbar (Ibn FaSerr x Serabah) and at the time I had no earthly idea what “Babson” meant but would soon find out. Boarding at an Arabian dressage barn in the late 1980's I learned of a talented Babson Egyptian Arabian stallion named Serr Maariner, the first Arabian to earn a USDF Gold Medal in Grand Prix Dressage. Intrigued by the Egyptian pedigrees of the horses imported by Henry Babson; I vowed to someday visit the Babson Arabian Horse Farm in Illinois. While I was accompanying my husband on a trip to Chicago in 1993, I rented a car and drove 100 miles to Dixon, Illinois.

Losing Beau Rouge to colic in 1991 was a soul crushing experience and all these years later, I still believe that it was Beau who guided me to the Babson Farm. Having already spoken to John Vogel, manager of the Babson Farm, who assured me that he had a yearling son of Serr Rou available; I was excited beyond belief as I drove through those historic gates. From the iconic stallion barn to the sixty plus mares grazing lazily on that warm August day, it was heaven! I received a comprehensive tour of the Farm by Assistant Manager Roger (John and Amy were on their honeymoon). Seeing senior sires Mahrouf and Serr Rou, junior sire Mah Deluque, up and coming sires Serrperlative and Serrpramacy, and all the mares was a once in a lifetime experience.

Three colts were for sale that year: the chestnut yearling that John had described, a lovely bay colt that had been sold to Ralph Tebbe and another chestnut colt beautifully marked with a star, strip and snip who reminded me of Beau Rouge. When the chestnut colt came up to the fence to greet me, well, I've always believed in love at first sight! The colt’s name was Mahroufs Hafid. He was a Mah Deluque son, out of Bint Serr Abba. This combination had proved to be a successful nick and was repeated four times! After looking him over, the only thing left to do was write the check. I was smitten and I returned the next day to get acquainted with my new Babson horse. A month later, Equine Express delivered Mahroufs Hafid to his new home in Georgia. I had initially intended to use Hafid on my Thoroughbred mare, to breed Anglo-Arabs but after my visit to the Babson Farm and through study, I realized how few in number were the straight Babson Egyptian Arabian horses. I knew what I had to do and my mind was made up. I would breed Babson horses. However, at that time Babson mares were quite costly and out of my price range. Hafid settled into a daily routine with my new Anglo-Arab TR Tempo. It would be Tempo who would become Mahrouf Hafid’s companion and teacher but they were never friends. In fact, Hafid would stand in his stall while I was grooming Tempo and smirk. I can only imagine what he was conveying to Tempo, "you know she likes me best!”

A wonderful trainer named Steve Martin came into our lives when we moved into our own facility, at Beaux Chevaux Farm in Alpharetta, GA. Steve had some trepidation about working with an Arabian stallion. Steve was trained by Michael Handler, the son of Hans Handler who was head of the Spanish Riding School of Vienna in the 1970's. Hafid was classically started, in long lines, before being ridden under saddle. How fortunate for both Hafid and me to be recipients of this classical training! Hafid's training progressed easily and he never refused anything asked of him. He was a most willing horse, who enjoyed his work. Like most Babson stallions, he was kind, sweet and amenable, fooling a lot of people into thinking he was a gelding. Hafid's mellow personality only validated the famous Babson temperament. Steve later admitted to me that Hafid was the smartest horse of any breed he'd ever taught. Hafid always made me proud, from winning a LOCAL hunter - jumper show to winning the El Ghorab Memorial Dressage Trophy at the Egyptian Event in 2003.

Finally, in 2000 I was blessed to acquire the lovely Babson mare Serrenade, from David Kirkpatrick, Mr. Babson's great-grandson. In 2003 Serr Habba joined my small SBE herd. As in all his other duties Hafid was obedient and easy going. Breeding Hafid was easy and I always said he would dismount any mare if he heard the crackle of a peppermint wrapper. He was a true gentleman with his mares.

I was at the barn every day, mucking stalls, feeding, turning out, etc. and he was always there, for twenty-three wonderful, unforgettable and fun-filled years. I have slept in his stall many times when he was sick, have trusted his surefootedness on tricky slopes, and we formed a bond that I miss every single day. He was so versatile and filled many roles, that is, a teacher, a dependable trail horse, a trusted schoolmaster and a partner. My students who, prior to meeting Hafid, said they could never ride a stallion, always dismounted with a huge smile on their faces!

Hafid's passing in November 2016 was not unexpected. He was diagnosed with Cushings and Equine Metabolic Syndrome in 2012 and spent 18 days at the UGA Vet Hospital. I was there with him every single day. After he was discharged, each day with him was a gift. He never suffered, it was like one day he was fine and the next day, he died. He is buried in his paddock and one day, my ashes will lie with him. Mahroufs Hafid was the captain of my heart. He wasn't by any means a perfect horse but he was perfect for me. He was my best friend, my confidant, and was always there for me in both good times and bad.

***This blog is lovingly dedicated to the memory of Carolyn Woody Jacobson and her beloved horse, Mahrouf's Hafid***

Galagel Albadeia: The World Champion's Sister

Galagel Albadeia (Imperial Madori x Imperial Orianah)

The Albadeia breeding program, one of the oldest EAO based breeding programs in the world, was solely focused on utilizing EAO-bred stock, concentrated in the blood of the great stallion Nazeer. It wasn't until the mid-90's, when Dr. Nasr Marei made the decision to incorporate the blood of a horse born outside of Egypt. In one of his last interviews, published by Desert Heritage Magazine posthumously, Nasr Marei tried to explain to Judith Wich-Wenning the immense responsibility that he felt for the Albadeia breeding program, as created by his grandfather and father,

My father entrusted me with a treasure and left me with a great foundation herd. I started reviewing the qualities of my horses and breeding program. With my greater international exposure to the world of Arabian horses, I realized that I needed to get rid of some undesirable characteristics and enrich my gene pool with more desirable ones. To do so, I had to reach out and infuse some distant bloodlines.  

Nasr bred his mare Anhar Albadeia (Ameer Albadeia x Bint Bint Yosreia) to the American-bred straight Egyptian stallion Imperial Madori (Imperial Madheen x Imperial Orianah) owned by Omar Sakr, which resulted in the full sisters: Gelgelah Albadeia in 1995 and Galagel Albadeia in 1996.

Galagel has been an outstanding broodmare for Albadeia. She was bred to the stallions: Farid Albadeia (Shakawa & Sonbolat), Magd Albadeia (Gamrah & Rahhal), Laheeb (Qaherat), Simeon Sharav (Ghalia, Ghaliyah & Haytham) and has produced a record number of daughters versus sons. With that said, her son by Simeon Sharav (Asfour x Simeon Shuala), Haytham Albadeia, is outstanding, earning him the title of Egyptian National Reserve Champion colt two times, as well as multi Reserve Champion Stallion wins in Europe, before being leased by Janow Podlaski Stud for breeding. Haytham's Bialka-bred daughter, Eltika (out of Elatha) was one of five horses consigned by Bialka to the summer sales in 2017. She is now owned by a breeder in Mongolia.

Ghalia Albadeia, Galagel's 2005 daughter by Simeon Sharav was retained by Nasr for the Albadeia breeding program and has produced already two daughters sired by Saad Albadeia (Al Adeed Al Shaqab x Isaad Albadeia). In the interview with Judith Wich-Wenning, Nasr also said of Simeon Sharav,

"Simeon Sharav produced some great foals. The strongest influence he consistently passed on to his get was the great shoulder, upright long necks, beautiful heads and lovely body."

No longer owned by Albadeia, Simeon Sharav was sold to another breeder in the country of Iran. However, his deep influence will continue as a vital component of the Albadeia program. It will be immensely interesting to see how the foundational bloodlines that go back to the very beginning, now infused with  contemporary Egyptian breeding (as personally selected by Nasr) will prosper and continue to move forward into the future, not only within  Albadeia's program but also, the breeding programs started by other breeders, outside of Albadeia.

A Bronze Maisa

The World Championships were held this past weekend in Paris. How does time pass by so quickly? It still feels like Menton was only a few weeks ago. Now, here we are, Paris is now a memory and we are a few weeks away from the end of 2019. Once again, I am grateful to Arabian Essence TV for making the videos from the show, available on their You Tube Channel. On Friday, Maisa Al Nasser, bred and owned by Sheikh Nawaf Bin Nasser Al Thani of Al Nasser Stud,  was one of ten mares, competing in the Senior Mare Class, 3B. Earning a score of 92.79, Maisa Al Nasser tied for first place with Noft Al Nayfat, the beautiful and much publicized "maremaid" of the summer.  Noft Al Nayfat was eventually named the winner of the class, as the judges used movement to break the tie that existed between the two mares.

Perhaps you missed her at Menton, Bruges, Chantilly or even, Aachen this year. 2019 has been a great year for this mare, taking her far from Qatar, as she conquers many hearts all over the world. Do you know who Maisa Al Nasser is?

Sinan Al Rayyan, the sire of Maisa Al Nasser is an Ansata Sinan son whose genetic influence comes primarily from 4 individuals: Ansata Halim Shah, *Ansata Ibn Halima, *Ansata Bint Bukra and Moniet el Nefous. The outcross blood in the pedigree of Sinan Al Rayyan comes by way of Dr. Nagel's program (Hanan) and Babson breeding (Fada). Sinan Al Rayyan is predominantly Dahman in strain, as 62.5% of his pedigree is influenced by horses of this strain. You will also observe the Dahman influence in Maisa Al Nasser, as she is balanced and harmonious, meaning, if you were to divide her body in thirds, each third is of equal proportions.

Maisa Al Nasser's dam is Zenubia Al Nasser, by Imperial Mahzeer (Imperial Madheen x Maar Bilahhh) and out of Imperial Sanama (*Ibn Safinaz x Imperial Imalana), through whom, we find a very interesting Saklawi tail female line. Imperial Imalana is a daughter of a strong-bodied 1974 bay mare named *Amalaa, herself a daughter of an AlBadeia-bred mare named Aminaa, by Ibn Maisa (Nazeer x Maisa) and out of Rabiaa (Beshier x Rateeba), a 1951 chestnut Inshass-bred mare. Her dam Rateeba is sired by El Moez, the sire of Sameh. *Amalaa's sire, Mowaffac was a *Ramses Fayek son out of a mare named Ayda, a Nazeer daughter out of Lateefa (Gamil III x Salwa). In Maisa Al Nasser, you can also see the Saqlawi strain influence, as she has a little more stretch in the poll with a finer mitbah and her neck, while not long is not heavy and has a very nice shape. We also observe a little more length in her back and I appreciate the ratio of her longer forearms to shorter cannons. She is truly a traditional mare, with much elegance.

Blending the Dahman and Saqlawi strains, as we see in Maisa Al Nasser's pedigree, is a formula that has been employed by several straight Egyptian breeders with much success. One of the most celebrated breeders of our recent past, the late Walter Schimanski of Masada Arabians, once said,

"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."

And yet, there's a hint of something else too, something in the hind ends of the Sinan Al Rayyan-sired horses. The hindquarters of these horses are wider, rounder and muscled, all the way down into the gaskins, enabling them to drive their bodies forward, in a powerful way. I saw her very lovely swinging walk, as Maisa was led away from the judges in center ring. I watched the judges studying her and I wonder if they were thinking the same thing. Do you know the meaning of the name "Maisa"? Arabic in origin, Maisa is a woman who walks with pride and confidence in her step, attracting attention wherever she goes. I can't think of a more appropriate name for this beautiful mare. There are multiple lines in the pedigree to the Saqlawi stallion, Sameh, primarily through his extraordinary daughters: *Ansata Bint Misr and *Ansata Bint Sameh. Over the years, I have found that when you see a horse who is able to use the muscles in the back to influence better movement, look for Sameh in the pedigree, by way of his daughters. Maisa Al Nasser has four lines to Sameh, plus the additional lines to El Moez, through Shahd and Rateeba.

In the Senior Mare Championship on Sunday, Maisa Al Nasser was named the Bronze Senior Champion Mare. With nine judges adjudicating this prestigious show, Maisa Al Nasser was placed in one of the top three spots by five judges. Two judges named her the Gold Champion, one judge picked her as the Silver Champion, while two judges selected her as the Bronze Champion. I was overwhelmed by the quality of the mares participating in the Senior Mare Class. How to pick a winner from a class full of winners? It was not easy to be a judge on Sunday and have to make this decision. Noft Al Nayfat was named the Silver Champion Senior Mare and Baviera HVP took the top spot, the Gold Champion Senior Mare. In a special award sponsored by El Farida Stud in Egypt, Maisa Al Nasser was also recognized as the Best Straight Egyptian Female at the show.

Maisa Al Nasser is a proven broodmare, having produced colts by Ansata Nile Echo and Shagran Al Nasser. For me, it is exciting to consider the future for her, as she returns to Al Nasser to fulfill her greatest legacy...her progeny. How many beautiful horses will come, with Maisa, as a vibrant part of their history? Congratulations to Sheikh Nawaf Bin Nasser Al Thani, on breeding such a wonderful mare and sharing her with the world of Arabian horse loving people.


***I apologize profoundly to everyone who visits my blog, as my original post on Maisa Al Nasser was accidentally deleted yesterday.  I still don't understand how I did it. All I was trying to do was correct a simple spelling error. It's been rough trying to recreate my post and still, not really happy with it, as it falls short of celebrating this exquisite mare's huge win.****

Remembrance: Polly Knoll

*Aramus (*Nabor x Amneris) as photographed by Polly Knoll

On Monday, I learned the very sad news that Polly Knoll had died. For most people enamored with Egyptian Arabian horses, a mention of Polly Knoll's name is instantly connected to iconic photos of the stallions, *Morafic or Ruminaja Ali. So, it's interesting that for me, as a lover of Egyptian horses, that my connection with Polly Knoll is not through a straight Egyptian horse but rather, a Pure Polish stallion named *Aramus. I had received a complimentary copy of Arabian Horse World when I was ten or eleven years old and I discovered this Polly Knoll photo, deep within the issue. Amongst the thousands of beautiful photos published in the magazine, it is interesting that one single photo would exert as much of an impact upon me as it has, for all of my life. While a more formal education, through the pages of Judith Forbis' The Classic Arabian Horse would come a few years later, it was this Polly Knoll photo that inspired the great love that I have had all my life for Arabian horses. I remember hours spent studying this photo, tracing his silhouette with my finger, while every curve, every line was etched deeply within my heart and mind. Little did I realize at the time, of the significance that *Aramus' morphology would have, against which I would measure all horses from this point onwards. Such is the continuing power of Polly Knoll in my life.

One of the more interesting equine behavior observations I have made was through Polly's photos of the stallions *Tuhotmos and *Soufian. While both horses were sons of Moniet el Nefous, *Tuhotmos was sired by El Sareei and *Soufian was sired by Alaa el Din.  It was interesting to see that both horses, while they looked differently from each other, behaviorally, they acted similarly, as both horses lifted a hind foot and held it off the ground, in anticipation.

*Soufian (Alaa el Din x Moniet el Nefous)

*Tuhotmos (El Sareei x Moniet el Nefous)

If you have been in the breed for a while, then you will understand the power that the breed has in bringing people together, who if not for the Arabian horse, would probably never have the opportunity to know each other. Polly Knoll was from Wisconsin and old enough to be my mother. I was young enough to be her child and from New Jersey. We could be from other planets, that's how different our worlds were. And yet, through the Arabian horse, Polly was a super hero, a champion of the breed and through her camera, I became connected to her, as she made horses like *Farazdac or Nabiel, that much more real in my life. One could not ask more from a hero than that.

Serr Maariner (Ibn Fa-Serr x Maarena)

So, you can imagine my excitement when Polly came to New Jersey, to photograph Serr Maariner at Princeton Arabians in the mid-80's. It was a shining moment in the life of this great horse, to be captured in the glory of his dressage career and what the training had done for his body. Not to mention the relationship that Serr enjoyed with Gail. Polly caught that too. I don't think Polly fully understood how her photography impacted the lives of others. For her, it was less about "her" and more about the horse. And that's the significance that Polly held in my life and your life; she continually gifted all of us with a beauty so powerful, that it caused us to stop whatever we were doing to take notice of it. She really was an artist, whose canvas was intangible, a soul, not only of the horses she captured on film but of people like me, who, after witnessing such extraordinary beauty, could never go back to being the same people we had been. Polly had shown us the potential that exists in all things, creating in our souls a burning desire to live a life that is worthy of the beauty that she observed through the lens of her camera.

Polly Knoll, as most people saw her

 "We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures." - Thornton Wilder

Sabrah

The Babson Farm experienced success by combining the blood of Fabah (*Fadl x *Bint Bint Sabbah) with that of Fa-Serr (*Fadl x *Bint Serra I), which is EXACTLY how four full siblings were produced by Serrasab (Fa-Serr x Fay Sabbah): the stallion, Bah Sab in 1963 and the full sisters: Sabrah in 1964, Serasabba in 1965 and Serasaab in 1968. All four of these horses were extremely concentrated in the blood of *Bint Bint Sabbah, as they traced to this critical Babson foundation mare in both tail female lines; through the sire and also, through the dam. As a matter of fact, when you look at the pedigree, you will soon realize that it is primarily populated by three of the six horses that Henry Babson imported from Egypt: *Fadl, (43.75% influence), *Bint Bint Sabbah (37.5% influence) and *Bint Serra I (18.75%). The prepotency of this blood, close as it was to the original source horses, influenced these mares and stallions to become the strong and prolific breeding horses that they turned out to be, producing equally outstanding sons and daughters, who have gone on to become influential in both straight Egyptian and straight Babson Egyptian breeding programs. Of the four full siblings by Fabah, I feel that Sabrah was her most successful offspring. If Sabrah had only produced Fa Halima by *Ansata Ibn Halima, we would still celebrate this single accomplishment and rate her as an elite broodmare. However, Sabrah also produced Ansata Sabiha, who became an important foundation mare for Mike and Kiki Case's Glorieta Ranch and the charismatic stallion, SAR Fadl Halim, both horses sired also by *Ansata Ibn Halima. When she was bred to the *Ansata Ibn Halima son, Ansata El Sherif, she produced the mare, SF Khala Zahra, an important broodmare for both Walter Schimanski of Masada Arabians and Marilyn Lang of Fantasia Arabians, who incidentally, has bred deeply within this family of horses, more so than any other breeder, through her foundation mare, Fa Bukra, SF Khala Zahra's daughter by Fa Asar, whose dam by the way is Serasabba, a full sister to Sabrah.

The Importance of Fidl Fadl

Fidl Fadl (Ibn Fadl x Fay Khedena)

Fidl Fadl was a 1958 chestnut stallion, bred by the Babson Farm. He was a son of Ibn Fadl (*Fadl x *Turfa) and out of the straight Babson Egyptian mare, Fay Khedena (Fay-el-Dine x Khedena). In phenotype, he does not look any different from the straight Egyptian horses bred by the Babson Farm. It would be really difficult, without a pedigree, to say that he is not straight Egyptian with any degree of finality, because he looks convincingly Egyptian in phenotype. Homer Watson, the long-time manager of the Babson Farm, through his hands-on experience of working with these horses, felt that the *Turfa horses were exceptional.  Of all the horses that the Babson Farm had purchased, outside of the Egyptian bloodlines, only *Turfa produced similarly and consistently, on par with the Egyptian horses. Despite her compatibility with the Babson Egyptian horses; *Turfa was not Egyptian, she was a Saudi-bred mare, so Fidl Fadl, as her paternal grandson is a high percentage Egyptian horse (75%) but he was NOT straight Egyptian.

Fidl Fadl had an interesting pedigree, the majority of which is populated by three of the six horses Henry Babson imported from Egypt: 50% of *Fadl, 18.75% of *Bint Serra I  and 6.25% of *Bint Bint Sabbah. Of these three horses, *Fadl (Ibn Rabdan x Mahroussa) appears four times: as both a paternal and maternal grandsire, in addition to being a maternal great great grandsire twice. And this is where the 25% *Turfa influence fits so nicely, as this mare ushers in fresh outcross blood, to balance the concentrated line breeding to *Fadl and also, *Bint Serra I, who appears twice, in the tail female line of both, the maternal sire (Fay-el-Dine) and dam (Khedena).

Ibn Rabdan, as painted by Mrs. Colmore

When I first saw the photo of Fidl Fadl, I experienced a strong feeling of deja vu and then, I remembered a portrait of Ibn Rabdan, painted by Mrs. Colmore, which appears in the first half of a book that is my personal favorite, Prince Mohammed Aly Tewfik's Breeding of Pure Bred Arab Horses.  The resemblance to Ibn Rabdan is so strong, so striking, that Fidl Fadl could be the horse in the painting. Prince Mohamed Aly Tewfik greatly admired the prepotency of Ibn Rabdan, who was said to pass his dark chestnut color consistently.  Fidl Fadl is a dark chestnut, just like Ibn Rabdan was and looking beyond his coat color, conformationally, he embodies many of the qualities that I have learned over the years to associate with Ibn Rabdan, that is, the curves, the circles and the longer length in the neck. Not only is Fidl Fadl powerfully conformed, he's pretty too.

Fidl Fadl (Ibn Fadl x Fay Khedena)

Twenty nine years after the death of Fidl Fadl, at age 32, we live in a time when the preservation of key Arabian horses has become as rare, as the bloodlines preservationists are trying to protect. The Babson-Turfa breeding group is smaller than it ever was, reduced to a few breeding individuals. The tail female line to *Bint Serra I, no longer exists, in straight Babson lines. Outside of the straight Babson breeding program, in the wider population of straight Egyptian horses, the *Bint Serra I tail female line is getting harder to find.

The Pyramid Society resulted from a very real concern felt for Egyptian bloodlines, which if left unprotected, through outcrossing, could be lost forever, never to be enjoyed in their original form, as imported from Egypt. Unfortunately, for authentic Bedouin-bred horses like Fidl Fadl, who fell outside of the Pyramid Society definition, the marketability of their genetic heritage never approached the level that the straight Egyptian horses enjoyed, once the Pyramid Society was established. Remember, I said "marketability" and not "appreciation". Horses like Fidl Fadl didn't have a similar fraternal marketing organization behind them to provide the financial encouragement (incentive) to insure the perpetuation of the bloodlines, as the Egyptian horses had. Economically, breeding outside the straight Egyptian label did not offer a similar level of return. Had the situation been different and the financial rewards greater, then perhaps, Fidl Fadl would have bred some of the top Egyptian mares of his time, especially when you consider  the genetic wealth he offered. Remember, that today, we don't have a tail female line to *Bint Serra I in straight Babson Egyptian breeding and we face a scarcity of this line within straight Egyptian breeding. What makes an Arabian horse great? Is it the physical presentation of overwhelming breed type, athletic ability or consistency in siring/producing influential progeny? Fidl Fadl remains an important lesson, concerning the sources of authentic Arabian breeding  and the prepotency the blood has for producing superior results consistently, no matter how this blood is combined with other ancestral elements, whether in straight Egyptian form or blended with desert breeding.  I don't know if out of necessity, there will come a day when conforming to being straight Egyptian will mean less, than breeding within specific family groups and restoring lines that are critically endangered, regardless of how they may be combined, before they are lost forever. These are the things that I think about, when I think of an excellent horse like Fidl Fadl, whose appeal touches all enthusiasts, regardless of their bloodline interest. It just does not make any sense to me, that a horse that looked like he did, possessing the bloodlines he had, was not as widely used as he should have been, insuring the survival of key bloodlines like the already mentioned *Bint Serra I, expressed in what is a unique offering which included an authentic Nejdi-bred mare like *Turfa!

So, how did life turn out for Fidl Fadl anyway? Fidl Fadl was enjoyed by Glenn and Geneva Cantwell of Washington, both as a show horse and sire. His son, Twin Fir Elegance+, was a Canadian National Champion in Pleasure Driving, while in the USA, he was a two time US Top Ten in the discipline. His daughter, Live On Morjhaana was a US Top Ten in Dressage, Third Level. Late in Fidl Fadl's life (age 20), he was obtained by Sara and David Jones of Grove Creek Arabians in Illinois. The Joneses were Al Khamsa breeders who also owned similarly influenced Babson-bred mares (at one time, they stood Fadl Starr at their farm). For the Jones, Fidl Fadl sired Al Khamsa recognized horses, like the chestnut mare, Fidl Fadl's Finale. Prior to being with the Jones, Fidl Fadl had sired approximately sixty purebreds and derivatives. The Al Khamsa roster recognizes 23 get, born between the years 1961 and 1990. Through 8 generations, 23 Al Khamsa horses have produced 202 descendants. It is interesting that of these descendants, 141 were born from 1980-1999, with 56% of that number, born before the end of 1989, a record decade in Arabian horse breeding.  His most famous son, Ibn Fidl Fadl +/, a legion of honor winner and a truly versatile horse, competed in Dressage, Ladies Side Saddle and trail, as well as Western Pleasure, Native Costume, English Pleasure, Hunter and Show Hack. There really wasn't much that this Fidl Fadl son couldn't do or at the very least, was willing to try for his people, a characteristic that has made our breed so highly regarded, all over the world.

**It is important to state that if it wasn't for The Pyramid Society, how many of the key Egyptian horses we treasure, would have been lost to breeders? This blog post is lovingly dedicated to The Pyramid Society, in gratitude for all they have done to insure the survival of the straight Egyptian horse, in our modern world. 

A Nazeer Daughter - Nagdia

Nagdia, pictured in old age with Sayed Marei

The mare Nagdia, a Nazeer daughter out of Zahia, at one time, was one of three mares (the other 2 mares were *Ansata Bint Nazeer and *Binte El Bataa) who were the oldest and last living Nazeer daughters. She was bred by the EAO and foaled in November of 1959, a big year in Egypt, as ill health saw the retirement of General Von Szandtner and the promotion of Dr. Mohamed El Marsafi to Director of the El Zahraa Arabian Stud Farm. Nagdia and her dam Zahia were significant post war foundation mares for Albadeia, establishing a family who would prove influential over the course of time. Sayed Marei was also a fan of a Nazeer son named Fayek, whom the world would eventually know as *Ramses Fayek. He believed so much in this horse that he sent his best mares, like Nagdia, to this stallion, to produce a beautiful mare like Farida, who would eventually foal a stallion of the caliber required to become a prominent and leading sire for the farm. That is how a horse like Farid Albadeia came to be. Nagdia was a pure-in-strain Hadbah Enzahiyah, as both her sire and dam trace to Venus in their tail female lines. Nagdia's dam, Zahia was by Sid Abouhom. Sid Abouhom's dam is the beautiful mare, Layla, an Ibn Rabdan daughter. In Nagdia’s pedigree, we see the formula that General Von Szandtner practiced while director of El Zahraa: Mansour crossed with Ibn Rabdan. Some of the finest and most influential horses in Egypt resulted from this cross. Nagdia was a well-built, substantial mare, close-coupled with a well sprung barrel, strong back and while her neck resembled her sire’s in length; it was of a nice shape, conveying grace and elegance in its gently curving arch. She had a beautiful face, with larger sized jowls and a prominent facial crest bone, to confirm the authenticity of her provenance. She had smaller sized ears for a mare and beautifully shaped, expansive nostrils. Her eyes were large, black and lustrous, set lower on a shorter and broader head; an attribute that she passed on to her progeny, like *Malekat El Gamal and grand progeny like Ameer AlBadeia and his son, Farid Albadeia. If all Nagdia had produced was the stallion Ameer Albadeia, her position in history would remain significant. However, the truth is; she was a highly valued broodmare for Albadeia and prolific, as she was bred to the Nazeer son, Waseem, the Nazeer grandson, Kayed and the Nazeer great grandsons: Akhtal and Asil Albadeia, to concentrate the blood of this important stallion. It is important to note that eight of her offspring (5 daughters & 3 sons) were imported to the United States, which includes the mare, *Malekat El Gamal, as well as her full sister, the chestnut *Sawraa and her half siblings: *Baaraka, *Shagaret El Dorr and *Garat Albadeia. Her daughter by *Ramses Fayek, Malekat El Wadi, when bred to Ameer Albadeia produced a mare by the name of Halawat, who in turn, when bred to Badran, produced one of the most decorated mares to ever grace the Egyptian show ring, Ibtehag Albadeia, a four time national champion mare of Egypt and four time Champion Mare at the Egyptian Breeders Association Annual Show. Malekat El Wadi also produced a similarly named mare, Halawa, by Kayed. This mare provides an interesting lesson of how far into the future, the influence of Albadeia foundation horses is felt. Halawa was bred to the Kayed son, Ameer Albadeia, to produce the mare Hasanat Albadeia. Keep in mind, that this mare is double Kayed and double Nagdia. Bred to the stallion, Makhsous, who also traces in his tail female line to Venus, Hasanat produced Bint Makhsous, the dam of Magd Albadeia, a contemporary stallion leased by Al Shaqab for 2011 and now, owned by Al Waab, as part of their breeding program. Nagdia died in 1988, at the age of 29. It had been years since her last foal was delivered but her influence remains strong at Albadeia through the many horses who carry her name and influence in their pedigree.