Zahi

The EAO stallion Zahi was sired by *Ibn Hafiza and out of Bint Bukra, a full sister to Ghazal and *Ansata Bint Bukra. Like his full siblings, Zahi is Dahman by strain, tracing in tail female line to the Ali Pasha Sherif mare, El Dahma. His Blunt desert bred coefficient was lower than 5%, thanks mainly to his sire, who carried no Blunt desert blood. He sired *Bint Farha out of the Galal daughter, Farha (who was out of Fifi), the chestnut mare *Wadeaa (out of the Anter daughter Ferial), the grey stallion *Ziadd (out of the *Ramses Fayek daughter Naeema), the grey mare Mazhowa (out of the *Farazdac daughter Kalthooma). Zahi's brother, *GAF Wesam (by Waseem) was purchased and imported to America by Barbara Johanson. Zahi had very large, black eyes, set low on his short, wide head. He was a dramatic looking horse, his appearance intensified by the prominence of the facial crest bone, an important quality which the Bedouin called "asalah". He had excellent skin quality, heavily pigmented with a thicker forelock and mane intensifying his beautiful face. He was a short coupled horse, very traditional Egyptian with a smooth and strong topline. In my opinion, he combined the beauty of his dam with the conformation of his sire. His blood was represented in the Lancer Arabians, Valor Arabians, Imperial Egyptian Stud breeding programs (Imperial Al Amon Ra, Imperial Imwasama, Imperial Oreeyah) and today, to Prestige Arabians and also Rancho Bulakenyo. It is uniquely bred horses whom we lament the most, as the outcross potential that existed with Zahi, was not fully taken advantage of in American Egyptian breeding. Clearly, a lesson that must be learned and embraced, for the future health of the Egyptian Arabian horse.