*GAF Wesam

*GAF Wesam (Waseem x Bint Bukra) was a grey 1973 Dahman Shawan stallion, bred by the EAO and imported by Barbara Johanson of Ghorab Arabian Farm (GAF). In her monumental work, The Classic Arabian Horse, Judith Forbis said, "All the Bukra children have supremely beautiful heads, the females standing about 15 hands in height, the stallions 15 hands or over." Like his 1/2-brother, the stallion Zahi, *GAF Wesam offered breeders at the time, an alternative source of Bukra blood (coming through the sire side of the pedigree) as compared to the more widely available *Ansata Bint Bukra horses (through the dam side of the pedigree). The cross of Bukra with Waseem, a Nazeer son out of Malaka, who traces to Rodania through his tail female line and thereby, is Kuhaylan Rodan by strain, is very interesting as it is unique; normally the breeding choice that  is most often practiced is to top-cross a Saklawi-strain stallion with a Dahmah Shahwaniyah mare. Although, I do have to point out that when the Dahman/Kuhaylan Rodan strains were crossed, the results were stellar, for example, Imperial Imdal whose sire was an *Ansata Bint Misr grandson (Ansata Imperial) crossed with a Kuhaylan Rodan tail female line mare (Dalia).  In a photograph of Waseem, published within The Classic Arabian Horse, Judith Forbis wrote in the caption, "A bold, masculine stallion." He was a strong-bodied horse, well-muscled and presenting an overall powerful appearance. I often wonder over the quality horses *GAF Wesam could have sired, as uniquely bred as he was, had he received more opportunities to breed the caliber of mares, who were equivalent to the quality of stallions that his "cousin"  *Ansata Bint Misr (Sameh x *Ansata Bint Bukra) was bred.

I don't think the following list of progeny (mares appear in bold face type) is complete for *GAF Wesam but I hope it gives you a better idea of how he was used at stud and how his influence may still be available today. He sired horses with both the "El Ghorab" prefix used by Barbara Johanson and with the "Mijan" prefix, utilized by Mike and Janet Bazell, of Mijan Farms in Rockbridge, Ohio, who owned *GAF Wesam, later in his life. 

SUN EL BUKRA 1982 Stallion Grey

Wesamba 1983 Mare Grey

EL WESAM 1983 Stallion Grey

BALADI HALIMA 1985 Mare Grey

EL GHORAB WAMID 1987 Stallion Grey

EL GHORAB SADAKHA 1988 Mare Grey

EL GHORAB MAREES 1988 Gelding Bay

EL GHORAB WANIS 1990 Gelding Grey

DASHTA 1992 Mare Grey

FIDI-FIDI-AMIN 1992 Mare Bay

REA ARAMETHYA 1993 Mare Grey

REA ALIYYAH AJA 1993 Mare Grey

REA ALAA SHERIF 1993 Stallion Grey

HART PRIMA DAHMA 1993 Mare Bay

APPLE HILL ABUKRA 1993 Mare Grey

REA HADBAN TALAL 1993 Gelding Grey

HART DHARII BUKRA 1994 Mare Grey

MIJAN IBN WESAM 1996 Stallion Grey

MIJAN BINT WESAM 1996 Mare Bay

EL GHORAB WESAM 1996 Stallion Grey

MIJAN BUKRASAM 1996 Stallion Grey

In our breed, the genetic strength of a horse is measured through the reproductive achievement of the dam. In *GAF Wesam's case, his dam was one of the greatest mares bred at the RAS. How great of a mare was Bukra? Consider what Dr. Hans Nagel, in his noteworthy book, HANAN, said, "Bukra was the start of a new family which should be preserved in its unique form. Some of her daughters and granddaughters as well as her male descendants are among the most perfect specimens ever foaled at El Zahraa."