The Horse Who Would Be King

Ikhnatoon (*Farazdac x Bint Om el Saad)

"And for me, there is always Ikhnatoon. He had a presence and a character like no other stallion I knew. The day of that first show at El Zahraa, when I had to announce that he had died, that morning was something that does not leave me, even now." - Dr. Ibrahim Zaghloul

For straight Egyptian enthusiasts living outside of Egypt, it seemed like Ikhnatoon was everywhere, including places that one normally, would not find a connection to or even, a reference to horses. In this time period (the 1980's), if the subject was Egypt, sure enough, Ikhnatoon was also part of it.  I  remember a desk calendar that I received as a business gift from a NYC bank, with photographs of various Egyptian travel destinations, like the Valley of Kings, an open air market in Cairo, sandy beaches in Alexandria and...yes, somewhere within those dreamy, colorful pages was the mighty Ikhnatoon, trotting with his head held high, chest puffed out and tail carried proudly. He was like the National horse of Egypt, a modern day symbol of an Egypt that was trying to remain relevant in this new age and yet, Ikhnatoon's name reminded people of the historical Egypt; a land of pyramids and Pharaohs.

A son of *Farazdac and Bint Om el Saad (yes, the same Bint Om el Saad who produced *Serenity Sonbolah by Sameh), Ikhnatoon became an important sire for the EAO. Philippe Paraskevas, in his brilliant work, The Egyptian Alternative Volume II, felt that the EAO rushed Ikhnatoon into a significant breeding role, before determining that the horse could deliver the results expected of him. The EAO had not planned well for the loss of *Farazdac, as the breeding program included a very small number of his daughters. As the most compelling son of *Farazdac, the EAO's plan was to use Ikhnatoon, to restore the influence of his sire. It's not that Ikhnatoon was not a good sire for the EAO; he was a stronger sire of daughters, than he was of sons. Aside from the stallions Adl, Adawy and Mohab (from Enayah and her dam, Adaweya); it would be the Ikhnatoon daughters who matured into not only beautiful but influential broodmares as well. Over time, breeders in the future will look back at Ikhnatoon's siring record and credit him as a noteworthy broodmare sire, if they haven't already thought of him in this manner. Philippe Paraskevas, within The Egyptian Alternative, explains that Ikhnatoon was not a sire that could be bred across a wide variety of mares. He needed to be matched very thoughtfully, carefully and strategically, as he sired differently than what and how his pedigree intimated. Many times I have heard breeders say, consider the generation of the grandparents or the great grandparents, when breeding the foal. However, in the case of breeding with Ikhnatoon, expecting the influence of an ancestor like Nazeer to impact the foal, would lead to disappointment. As Philippe Paraskevas has said in The Egyptian Alternative Volume II, breeders really needed to understand Ikhnatoon, as far as his genetic contributions, in order to determine which mares were better suited to him, as compared to others. What kind of mare was better suited to Ikhnatoon? Philippe tells us that mares without Nazeer in their pedigree, produced better results and he cites the mares, Ifrag and Kot El Koloob as examples.

In the summer of 2017, Dr. Chess Hudson published the results of his long term mtDNA study, to determine the reliability of the dam lines used in the EAO breeding program. The individuals tested within the families of Venus, Rodania, Hind and Bint Karima were found to share the same haplotype, pointing to a single, common ancestress within these four historical families. Within the context of this blog post, it is interesting to note that Ikhnatoon traces in his tail female line to Rodania (which he also does through the tail female line of his paternal grandsire, Alaa El Din). Also, Ikhnatoon, through the two crosses to Nazeer, traces to Venus, reinforcing through four lines, (two lines on each side of the pedigree), the common ground shared by his ancestors.

Ikhnatoon (*Farazdac x Bint Om el Saad)

Ikhnatoon was a robust stallion, substantial in build, conveying great power and strength in his body. He was built wide up front and wide in the hind end. He had a lovely neck, in proportion with the rest of his body and very well-set. Philippe says that he was,

"slightly heavy in bone structure"

which is how Ikhnatoon will appear, if judged against the standard established by his grandsire, Alaa El Din, a most refined stallion. In his marvelous book titled Hanan, Dr. Hans Joachim Nagel revealed a somewhat controversial philosophy concerning the phenotypical differences between the Arabian horse of the north versus the Arabian horse of the south. To this day, people still find this concept challenging to accept but personally, it makes a lot of sense to me and explains verbally, what I see with my eyes. I find it extremely interesting that the conformational qualities we observe in Ikhnatoon, visually underscores what Dr. Nagel has said about the northern influence:

"a bigger, stronger, more athletic type of Arabian in Syria and Mesopotamia."

What I have also observed over the years with regard to the phenotypical characteristics that are unique to the Rodania-line horses, is of their prevalence among the chestnut-colored horses of this family, as compared to horses of other coat colors. The Rodania influence is so strong, so dominant (to the point of exclusion) of any conformational attributes outside of the Rodania family. Ikhnatoon, as a grey-coloured horse, in my opinion, does not embody the Rodania type; rather, with his  heavily-muscled body, Ikhnatoon resembles more the phenotype of strong horses like El Deree and his son, Sid Abouhom, both of whom appear in Ikhnatoon's pedigree through Farasha (Sid Abouhom x Yosreia). In Authentic Arabian Bloodstock II,  Judith Forbis offers one of the more complete appraisals of the conformational and breed type attributes of Ikhnatoon:

"He had a very refined head with somewhat high eye placement, long foreface nicely tapered and a refined muzzle; good mitbah and good length of neck, good depth of shoulder and high withers, soft back and rather long underline, decent croup and good tail set, good carriage and good movement."

Within Judith's description, you will notice the comment she makes about eye placement, which is also a flaw mentioned by Philippe Paraskevas, not only in Ikhnatoon but also in his get, as he says

"eye size and eye expression also were issues with a few of his progeny."

However, Ikhnatoon was also credited with siring favorable characteristics, which Philippe also explains,

"Ikhnatoon had a knack for siring foals, mostly gray, that were free of white markings and that more often than not gave four black hooves."

Ikhnatoon (*Farazdac x Bint Om el Saad)

In all that we have available to read concerning Ikhnatoon, whether written by Judith Forbis, Philippe Paraskevas or as quoted by the late Dr. Ibrahim Zaghloul, on one point, they all agree and that is Ikhnatoon's presence. As Philippe pointed out in his book, Ikhnatoon was very distinctive in his personality and once you met him, you would never forget him. Ikhnatoon was not afraid to assert his masculinity and show the world that he was a king. In Judith Forbis' description of  Ikhnatoon, she mentioned specifically his self-carriage, which I believe is the end result of self-confidence and in Ikhnatoon's case, personality. You didn't even need to see him with your eyes, his presence was so strong, that you were able to "feel" him, well before you saw him. Ikhnatoon's powerful, ground-covering movement, with that air-borne suspension that made him appear to float above the ground was like "poetry-in-motion" or, in Ikhnatoon's case, he was like an entire orchestra playing an epic piece of music. When Philippe used "ceremonial" to describe Ikhnatoon's presence, I remembered another horse who was also described as "ceremonial" and that was the 1941 mare, Zaafarana (Balance x Samira), a beloved and an important mare in our gene pool community. I believe this "larger-than-life" personality is the main reason why Ikhnatoon endeared himself to so many people. Not only was he unforgettable, he embodied all that was good in Egypt, inspiring Egyptians to be more like him and celebrate all that enriched their culture, heritage and history with as much pride as Ikhnatoon possessed. They crown kings for less than that...and King Ikhnatoon would not want it any other way.

****this post is lovingly dedicated to the memory of Dr. Ibrahim Zaghloul, a former Director General of the EAO and a great champion of the Egyptian Arabian horse.****

A Story of Deliverance

The night air was cold upon her face, even without help from the wind. She wept. Her heart was heavy with sadness, while her mind battled anxiety, born of desperation. The large, open space of the desert surrounded her, underscoring her vulnerability. Her inner rage boiling, the fury launching from her lips, "THIS IS ALSO HIS SON!"  Yes, a miracle for Sara, was anything but that for Hagar.  Two women, two sons, one man and the man had made his decision, leaving her without a home. Her son, now fast asleep, wrapped himself tighter in her cloak, as the wind blew a little harder, a little colder. Yes, it was going to be cold in the desert tonight and Egypt was still a few more nights away. And in that moment, her vulnerability intensified and she wondered if anyone cared, whether she or her son survived.  "God of Abraham, I have no reason to trust you but if you are everything Abraham says that you are, please, do not abandon me!" she prayed in the deep, black, lonely night.

The wind suddenly grew stronger and the sand, swirled until it was airborne, blasting violently against all in its path. A whirling, dervish of sand surrounded her and her child. "What is this, what is happening?" she questioned, with great concern in her voice. And from this mass of whirling sandy wind, a voice called to her. "Hagar, your faith in the living God has been heard and God has sent me to you, to help you, in your time of need." Suddenly, out of thin air, a handsome young man, with hair of gold and eyes of blue, stood facing her and said, "Peace to you, Hagar and to your son, Ishmael."

The angel Gabriel figures prominently in three world religions: Islam, Christianity and Judaism. I find this fact amazing, as many people, all over the world, share common ground through Gabriel. גַּבְרִיאֵל, Gavri'el, Gabrielus, جبريل Jibril, Jibrail, جبرائيل , Gabriel, in all the various names which people know him, means "strength of God". In all three religions, Gabriel is a messenger, between God and His creation.

In the time of Babylon, Daniel was visited by the Angel Gabriel, who helped Daniel to interpret visions that he experienced and did not understand. Gabriel's revelations bring wisdom and understanding, where there was none and bears witness to a God who loves His people and cares for each of us so much, that He would send an angel to Daniel, to counsel him.

"I am Gabriel, who stands before God.."-Luke 1:19

In Christianity, Gabriel is the angel who informs Zacharias of his wife's forthcoming pregnancy. Elizabeth, despite an advanced age, gives birth to a son, John, whom we know as John the Baptist. However, Gabriel's greatest message was to Mary, when He visited her to deliver the news that she would give birth to Jesus. Subsequently, Gabriel visits Joseph in a dream, to warn him of Herod's jealousy and his mission to slaughter all the newly-born male babies in Bethlehem. While the New Testament does not tell us that Gabriel was in fact, the Angel who delivered the news of the resurrection to Mary Magdalene; most Christians believe that Gabriel was the angel who said "Why do you search for the living among the dead?" Most Christians also believe that Gabriel was the angel who ministered to Jesus, at the end of his forty day stay in the desert and as He agonized in the Garden of Gethsemane, the night before His passion.

In Islam, Gabriel is also an angelic messenger, delivering messages from God to His beloved people. During the last days of Ramadan, on Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Great Value), Muslims remember the night that Gabriel descended to earth, to reveal the Qur'an to the prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him). Muslims also believe that Gabriel accompanied the prophet on his ascension into the heavens.

One fact is amazingly clear, whether you read the Qur'an, the Bible or the Tanakh; Gabriel has been trying to get our attention. He wants to help us get closer to God, in the hope that we may form a deep and loving relationship with Him. Gabriel reminds us that all good things come from God and in times of great desperation, when we need God the most, He is there with us, to love us and fill us great joy and hope.

For those of us who love the Asil Arabian Horse, we are connected through the much-loved legends that have passed from one generation to the next, concerning the origin of the horse. And here, we also find Gabriel, who figures prominently in many of these stories.

"My blessed companion and friend of my creator, thou wilt never fail me."-from The Classic Arabian Horse written by Judith Forbis

"Who are you and where have you come from?" she asks, as she backs up towards her sleeping child, positioning her body between the stranger and Ishmael, offering her child protection.

Although she does not recognize him, she asks, "has Abraham sent you for me?" with a little hope still in her voice.

"I mean you no harm Hagar, the Lord God has found great favor in you. For you have remained steadfast in your faith, while your survival has been severely tested" he explained, "God is my strength and has sent me here, to this desert, to you, to bless you."

And as his words drifted into the growing wind, Hagar felt the heat rise around her and from nowhere, the sound of a beating heart, amplified, pulsing in her eardrums, faster and faster.

"What is happening?"

And then, the most beautiful creature Hagar had ever seen, materialized out of the wind and stood before her, looking at her. She was extraordinary in her beauty and in her spirit, for she imparted an immediate feeling of peace upon Hagar, the likes of which she had never known. The creature was smaller than the camel but larger than the donkey, with eyes set wide apart in her broad head.  In the middle of her head was a white mark, shaped like a star, as if the star had fallen out of the night sky, landing upon her bulging forehead. She reached her nose out to Hagar, stretching her long neck and soon, her warm breath was dancing upon Hagar's skin. Her broad chest flowed into powerful shoulders, conveying the fact that this creature could fly like the wind, across the sand and away from danger. Her tail, like a flag, was blown from side to side, as if made from the finest silk.

"What is?" her unfinished question drifted in the night air.

"She is a gift, from God. Her name is Kuhaylah and her children will inspire and encourage people for many years to come, long after you are gone from this place, for God has found favor with you Hagar."

PS The painting by Mary Haggard was the poster for the 2002 Scottsdale All Arabian show. The scond painting of the chestnut Arabian Horse is by Fred Verbeek

His Name Was Daaldan

Daaldan (Faddan x Fay Dalla)

Daaldan was a 1945 chestnut stallion, sired by Faddan (*Fadl x *Bint Saada) and out of  Fay Dalla (Fay-el-Dine x *Bint Bint Durra). He was Dahman by strain, tracing in tail female to Bint el Bahreyn. In her monumental work, The Classic Arabian Horse, Judith Forbis said, "The Durra descendants of Bint el Bahreyn were tall of leg and somewhat larger in overall structure than the El Dahma family. Extremely elegant creatures with long heads and an appreciable dish." Through *Bint Bint Durra, Daaldan traces to Durra (Saadoun x Dalal Al Hamra), a 1917 mare bred by Lady Anne Blunt at Sheykh Obeyd and for Egyptian breeding enthusiasts, is like a proverbial fork in the road, with two branches to choose from; that of Kazmeen crossed with Durra, which produced the mare Zareefa, a noteworthy mare in straight Egyptian breeding, from whom we enjoy mares like Badia, Maisa and Elwya and the stallion, El Sareei. The other branch of Durra combines the bloodline of a stallion named Eid, who many believe to be another Lady Anne Blunt-bred horse, sired by the Ali Pasha Sherif stallion, Jamil and out of a mare named Aida, a Kuhaylan Krush mare that Lady Anne Blunt imported in 1911. Durra produced Bint Durra, whose daughter by Ibn Rabdan, *Bint Bint Durra was imported by Henry Babson.

*Bint Bint Durra with Elizabeth Babson Tieken astride

As historically fascinating as Daaldan's pedigree is, genetically, he is representative of the three imported Babson Egyptian mares whose bloodlines (*Bint Saada, *Bint Bint Durra and *Bint Serra I) are scarce in straight Babson Egyptian Arabian horse breeding. Daaldan's sire, Faddan, is the only source of *Bint Saada in all of straight Egyptian Arabian horse breeding; while Fay Dalla, the dam of Daaldan, is the only source of *Bint Bint Durra blood in straight Babson Egyptian breeding.

So dear reader, maybe I have captured your interest and you are now asking who was this horse named Daaldan and what was his story?

In the early 1940's, an American by the name of Walter Ross had purchased two colts from the Babson Farm:

• El Ahmar (*Aldebar x Fa El Maar)
• Sabdaan (Faddan x Fay Sabbah)

However, Walter Ross liked the mare Fay Dalla and despite his best efforts, could not convince Henry Babson to sell her but that did not deter Walter, as a matter of fact, it fueled his persistence. Several years later, he finally persuaded Henry Babson to sell Fay Dalla, bred to Fadaan, which produced Daaldan.  Walter wanted a filly from the cross and not a colt, as he had the Faddan son, Sabdaan, whom he liked very much. So, he sold Daaldan as a young colt. Some time thereafter,  he returned to the Babson Farm and purchased the imported Polish mare, *Azja IV, her daughter, Bint Azja and the imported Polish stallion, *Sulejman. In using these horses within his breeding program, Walter learned that he actually preferred the type of horse that resulted from combining both the Egyptian and Polish lines; so, he bred Fay Dalla  two more times, to El Ahmar, producing El Dalla and to Sabdaan, producing Sorab, before selling Fay Dalla to Charlene Custer, an Arabian horse breeder since 1948. She incorporated Babson blood into her program and her mares included some of the most beautiful mares sold by the Babson Farm.

"Daaldan was unfortunately overlooked in his earlier years, but later was acquired by Mrs. George Fox, of Rogers, Arkansas who made good use of him as a sire." - Judith Forbis, Authentic Arabian Bloodstock

After siring 21 foals, Daaldan was purchased by Mrs. George Fox in 1961. Mrs. Fox was an avid Arabian horse breeder, producing 158 horses through 1974. She used a variety of bloodlines, including Crabbet and Spanish horses in her program. Daaldan sired an additional 41 horses under Mrs. Fox's ownership, including 2 fillies out of Fa Dena, a Fa-Serr daughter: Fa Dena Mia in 1970 and Daal Dena in 1971. Unfortunately, neither mare bred forward in the program. Mrs. Fox also bred Fa Dena to  *Ansata Ibn Halima, to produce the full sisters: Bint Fa Dena in 1966 and Il Bint Khedena in 1968, both of whom were sold to Robert Cowling. Bint Fa Dena was bred to Daaldan to produce Bint Daaldan in 1970 and the colts: Daalden in 1971 and Amir Daaldan in 1972. Bint Daaldan was sold to Albert Guilbault and became a significant cornerstone of the Abitibi breeding program. Bred to newer Egyptian horses, she produced valuable mares like Abitibi Zamana and her daughter, Abitibi Madeena, from which, horses like Safeen have emerged.

Fa Dena was also purchased by Robert Cowling and eventually, was sold to Jarrell McCracken, who bred her to a variety of straight Babson and new Egyptian stallions, however, Robert Cowling kept her daughter and chose to breed Bint Fa Dena once more to Daaldan,  producing the black beauty, Fa Daalim in 1973, an exceptional black stallion and foundation sire for Marilyn Lang of Fantasia Arabians, in Sealy, Texas. Like her dam, Bint Fa Dena would find her way to Jarrell McCracken, who bred the mare exclusively to *Ibn Moniet el Nefous, producing  a lovely mare named Monadena, who, when bred to *Ansata Ibn Halima, produced the mare Halima's Legacy, a significant broodmare for Sherry Moseley, from which SES Bint Fabo and her wonderful daughter, SES Nadira descend.

Mrs. Fox had also purchased another straight Babson Egyptian mare, Fay El Aba, a Fay-el-Dine sired daughter out of Faaba, a *Bint Bint Sabbah daughter by *Fadl. When bred to Daaldan, she produced the stallion, Fay El Dan in 1964 and the mare, Daal Aba in 1964, who became a very significant mare for Walter Schimanski of Masada Arabians, producing so many wonderful mares who have bred forward in the Egyptian community. How can anyone forget the *Ansata Ibn Halima daughter, Walter's beloved, Masada Fay Halima.

It takes a special horse to excel in any show ring but for a horse that qualifies and competes at the National level, it takes an extra special horse to do this, who mentally and emotionally, can withstand the stress of travel, changing scenery, noise, changes in schedule or routine and the demands of rigorous competition. While Daaldan, as an individual, did not participate in the show arena, he sired sons and daughters who produced horses who excelled in performance; winning National titles in Park, Formal Driving, Native Costume and Sidesaddle. Of all the winners, most notable is Aequus+//, a five time National Park Champion in America, as well as a Reserve Champion in Formal Driving, whose genetic fiber includes Daaldan as a maternal great grandsire (through his daughter, Dan-Seyn-Daal, the dam of Aequus' sire, Sheikh Ibn Shiko).

Clearly, I can't think of any horse who is more representative of the dire need for preservation breeding than Daaldan. As Judi Forbis' quote from Authentic Arabian Bloodstock implies, there was a period of time where Daaldan was lost from the Arabian breeding community and even, bred to non-Arab mares. Walter Ross, while focused on breeding the best of Babson's Egyptian imports with the best of Babson's Polish horses,  will be remembered more for Daaldan, than any of the combined source horses he bred.  I don't believe that Walter realized at the time, of the role that Daaldan would play within the closed herd of Babson Egyptian horses. Maybe, he would not have sold him, waiting to see how he developed, possibly even using him at stud. Had it not been for Walter Ross, we would not enjoy the presence of *Bint Bint Durra, in the same way we do today.  Preservation, while urgently needed, even in the face of the declining population of horses descending from the three Babson mares in Daaldan's pedigree: *Bint Saada, *Bint Bint Durra and *Bint Serra I is not dire enough of a situation to also warrant missed opportunities utilizing the influence of Daaldan in different ways, with horses from the other branches of  the Bint El Bahreyn family. The 1996 grey stallion, EAI Silvereen (Safeen x Shohreh), a strong and consistent sire across a variety of bloodlines, is representative of the end result in crossing Daaldan (Safeen-Abitibi Madeena-Abitibi Maamouna-Abitibi Zamana-Bint Daaldan-Daaldan) with *Bint Maisa el Saghira (Shohreh-Morgana-Dahma Il Ashekwar-*Bint Maisa el Saghira).  Can you imagine a more extensive use of Daaldan, for example, what if Daaldan had been crossed with any of the Abla daughters? What brilliant horses would we now be enjoying if this had been the case. For this reason, Daaldan remains so intriguing, for as important as he was to the preservation movement, he was equally important by bridging the breeding programs of old Egypt and new Egypt, combining bloodlines, that were only separated by time and place.

*Bint Serra I: An Extinction Story

As popular a mare as *Bint Serra I (Sotamm x Serra) was in her day, it is not possible to find a tail female line back to her, within straight Babson Egyptian Arabian horse breeding. That's right, it took us only 70 years to lose this bloodline, in the form that it arrived in 1932. Saqlawiyah by strain, she traces to Ghazieh, a celebrated mare in her time, who was purchased by Abbas Pasha in 1845. And it is through Abbas Pasha, that one of the most interesting facts about *Bint Serra I is found--her pedigree represents almost 60% Abbas Pasha breeding! 

*Bint Serra's sire, Sotamm (Astraled x Selma) was one of the horses exported to Egypt from Crabbet Park. While Mesaoud (the sire of Astraled) and  Sobha (the dam of Selma) were of Abbas Pasha breeding, Sotamm's pedigree also included multiple lines to  Queen of Sheba and to Azrek, two horses that the Blunts had purchased in the desert of non-Abbas Pasha breeding. The effect that these desert horses have in Sotamm's pedigree is to decrease the Abbas Pasha percentage, approximately to 25%. However, *Bint Serra's dam, Serra (Sahab x Jemla), despite being bred by Lady Anne Blunt at Sheykh Obeyd in Egypt (not Crabbet Park in England), was completely, of 100% Abbas Pasha breeding! It is through Serra, that *Bint Serra I gains the most influence from the Abbas Pasha breeding program. 

W.R. Brown had imported horses from the stud of Prince Mohamed Aly Tewfik in Egypt, earlier in the same year that Henry Babson, through the mediation of Dr. A.E. Branch, also purchased horses from Prince Mohamed Aly, Prince Kemal El Dine (the Prince's cousin) and the Royal Agricultural Society (RAS). I found it interesting that W.R. Brown's agent, Jack Humphrey, had tried to purchase Serra, whom he considered to be the best horse in the stud of Prince Kemal El Dine and was not available to him, for any price. Not having any success purchasing the mother, Humphrey also tried to purchase the daughter, whom he referred to as "all Arab" but again, he was not able to purchase her either. No surprise over Humphrey's failure to secure either horse, as the most respected Dr. Branch felt that Serra was the best mare he had ever seen and referred to her as "a flawless pearl". It makes the purchase of *Bint Serra I by Henry Babson all the more impressive. 

Unlike the other mares that were part of the Babson importation, *Bint Serra I,  imported with her Rustem-sired colt, *Metsur, was already a mature mare at 9 years old.   For Henry Babson, it was not important to prove the worth of *Bint Serra I under saddle, like he had done with *Bint Bint Sabbah and *Bint Bint Durra but rather, it was more important to retire her to the breeding shed, in the hope that she would produce more foals of the quality Babson had observed in her son *Metsur, who did not survive. However, *Bint Serra I bore the marks of a saddle on her back, which tells us that she enjoyed some kind of racing career, while in Egypt.

The dam of 4 colts and 6 fillies, the continuing influence of *Bint Serra I, in straight Babson lines, would be felt through her 2 sons: the grey Fay-el-Dine and the jet black Fa-Serr and also through her daughter, Fa Deene, who oddly enough, despite producing a daughter, Khedena (by Khebir) would become influential through the get sired by her 2 sons: Hadbah, a chief sire for the Atkinsons of Anchor Hill Ranch and Ibn Fa-Serr. Through these stallions, breeders noticed the quality in the get they sired: that is, an in-born elegance, freedom of the shoulder, prominent withers, fine neck carriage, a tractable disposition and excellent movement with amazing stamina.  When *Bint Serra I was 24 years old, she produced her last filly, a great longevity story yes, but it also underscores the amazing stamina that these horses were blessed with.

In the mid-70's, the tail female line was already in trouble, as there were only 4 straight Babson Egyptian mares of breeding age in America who traced to *Bint Serra I in the tail female line of their pedigrees and only one of them, Fa Dena, was really producing any offspring:

• Fa Dena, produced 3 straight Babson Egyptian daughters who did not breed on

• Missima, who produced her last filly in 1978 by a Babson/New Egyptian cross (AK Waseem Montaal)

• Fa Dena Mia, who died in 1977 without producing a foal

• Allah Atteyah, who was used in primarily a Babson/Sirecho breeding program

Fast-forward to 2002, when the last remaining Bint Serra tail female line mare, AK Bint Serra (Waseem Ibn Bahrou x Fa Dena) died. And with this mare, all hope to revive the tail female line, no matter how slim the chance was to do so, died with her. For whom the bell tolls? Her death marks the point when the tail female line ceased to be extant in the straight Babson Egyptian breeding community.

Ibn Fa-Serr, a senior sire for the Babson Farm, was the product of breeding a *Bint Serra son with a *Bint Serra daughter. That's  50% *Bint Serra I blood! Whether used in combination with another  sire for the Babson Farm, like the *Bint Bint Sabbah son, Fabah (a successful cross for the Babson Farm) or on his own, Ibn Fa-Serr, a 1960 grey stallion, sired 85 foals over his lifetime, 20 of which were straight Babson Egyptian daughters and 22 straight Babson Egyptian sons.  Homer Watson once remarked of Ibn Fa-Serr's impact within the Babson Farm breeding program, "He's been so great on Fabah daughters.” Ibn Fa-Serr was so prolific in the straight Babson community, that Babson breeders singled out horses without his genetic presence, in order to maintain diversity in the SBE gene pool!

There is much to be said about the Bint Serra horses that are out crossed with newer Egyptian bloodlines but unfortunately, this blog post is not the right place to discuss all of them. There are too many. Strangely enough, within the same branch that includes AK Bint Serra, you find mares like the *Ansata Ibn Halima daughters (and full sisters), Bint Fa Dena and Il Bint Khedena, who have preserved this precious bloodline in different bloodline combinations, outside of straight Babson Egyptian breeding. For example, bred back to the Babson stallion, Daaldan (a son of *Bint Bint Durrra), Bint Fa Dena produced the foundation broodmare for Abitibi Farm, Bint Daaldan. How is she represented today? Think of the bay stallion, Etaya Sudan Amir, who has enjoyed an impressive career at stud. Fa Daalim, an important sire in the 1980's for breeders like Walter Schimanski and Marilyn Lang is another noteworthy horse, also born of Bint Fa Dena. AK El Sennari, the son of Bint Fa Dena's full sister, Il Bint Khedena, traveled to Egypt, making his home with Nasr Marei at Albadeia! Mixed with the newer Egyptian blood, this bloodline remains primarily relevant through sons, rather than daughters. 

If there is one lesson to be learned from this story which focuses on the loss of her influence within straight Babson Egyptian breeding, it would be the critical importance to preserve a bloodline, in its original form, before engaging in diluting the bloodline through outcrossing, thus,  insuring the survival of key horses for future use, within our breeding community.

Coins, Stars and Ponies

Her fingers felt the cold, hard coins as she shoved her hand deep inside the money jar. The feeling of the coins against her skin surprised her and caught her attention. "Wait, what am I doing?" she asked herself. She hesitated for a moment, perhaps, taking the money was not  the right thing to do. None of this belonged to her. After all, this was her father's bedroom, her father's things and of course, her father's money. She shouldn't be in here. It was a matter of trust. She loved her father but she was running out of time and she really needed the money, maybe more than he did. Besides he was probably saving up for something stupid, something he didn't need and maybe, something that would find itself stored forever in a closet, after the novelty wore off.  Maybe, he wouldn't even notice the missing coins, as he had so many. "No, he really didn't need this jar full of change," she said, as she stole from the one person who loved her more than anyone else. He trusted her, he believed in her and he spent every waking moment thinking of ways to make her life better.

It had been a difficult year. Peggy's cancer diagnosis had been a shock not only to him but also to Mattie. With a strong will and lots of determination, the three of them, as a family, had set out to beat her sickness. For a while, it seemed that their optimism prevailed. However, just before Thanksgiving Peggy had taken a turn for the worse and by Christmas, Peggy was gone. He knew his daughter was deeply affected by the tragedy. There was no way that he could ever fill the void that Peggy's absence had left in her life. But he tried, to make life better for her, even though at times, he felt overwhelmed. Lately, his daughter's silence had grown louder. No matter what he said or did, the silence was deafening and he was bothered by it. And then, there was THAT problem, the missing money. At first, he refused to believe that any money was missing but he had started to mark the outside of the jar with a faint pencil line and his eyes confirmed what he suspected. The line was so faint, you could hardly notice it.

"What was she doing with the money?" he wondered, "was she buying drugs?"

She walked into the supermarket and marched over to the Coinstar machine, as she fingered the zip-lock closure on the sandwich bag. She bumped into an elderly man, who turned to look at her and smiled. "You're in a hurry this morning, miss." he remarked cheerfully. Inside, she groaned. She didn't feel like talking to anyone. She just wanted to dump her change into the machine and leave with the money that she needed. Try as she could, she just could not shake the uneasy feeling and this man, reminded her of her father. "I have someone waiting for me." she said and shrugged, as she turned her back on him and started pouring the change into the machine. Twenty minutes later, with all of her dollar bills safely tucked into her pocket, she marched down the gravel driveway, her eyes searching for Emily Tompkins, the farm owner. As she got nearer to the main barn, she heard the slamming of a stall door and headed over in that direction.

"Hey sweetie, how's it going today?" asked Emily, as she saw Mattie walking towards her. Emily enjoyed having Mattie on her farm. The young girl was easy-going, quiet and had a natural way with horses. Her influence on the place was extremely positive and Emily was delighted to see her. Not only was she a committed student, Mattie was a talented rider with incredible potential. Had she been able to have children, Mattie would be the daughter she wished she could have. "Are you going to work the colt again today?" Emily smiled, as she asked her that question. "I left a box by the pasture fence. I wanted you to take the plastic bag that I put inside and cover your right hand with it, as if you are wearing a glove. Then I want you to run your hand, with the plastic covering it,  all over the colt's body, all over his head. Let's get him desensitized to the sound and feeling of crackly plastic things." she explained.

Mattie listened carefully to every word that Emily said. She was a great teacher and Mattie was benefiting from all of her lessons. Not only had Mattie blossomed into a strong rider, she was also learning valuable lessons in horse-keeping. Emily was about the same age as Mattie's mother, Peggy. She knew just about everything there was to know about horses. When Mattie's mother died, Emily became a surrogate mother to Mattie. They had grown even closer than ever and Mattie spent every waking moment at the farm. It was a happier place and a temporary escape from the sadness that seemed to ooze from every pore of her home. A few weeks ago, Riva, Emily's best broodmare foaled a beautiful black colt. He was breathtaking. Mattie had fallen in love with this colt and begged Emily for a chance to buy him. Emily was touched by the sincerity of Mattie's desire. The colt was stunning and Emily knew that she could sell the colt for a lot more money than Mattie could ever pay her. This was a business and no matter how she felt personally, all of the horses had to pay their way. There was no room financially for free rides. However, this was Mattie and Emily was aware of how much Mattie had struggled over the past year. It was the first time since her mother died, that Mattie had felt so happy and Emily had not missed seeing that.  The newborn colt helped to ease the pain of the loss that Mattie felt, in every second, of every day.

"It's going okay, I guess. My Dad is acting weird and getting a bit on my nerves. I try hard to be quiet and not give him any trouble. I feel like I am under a microscope. Every thing I do, everything I say is sliced and diced to become something that I never said or did. I was hoping that you would let me spend the day with you. And, I have some more money to put down on the black colt too." Mattie blurted out, as she fished the money out of her pants pocket. She gave Emily $200 in twenty dollar bills.

Emily was concerned about the hundreds of dollars that Mattie had put down on the black colt. Where was the money coming from? Was the money the primary reason why her father was acting "weird"? Maybe he had the same questions about Mattie that she had? She hoped that Mattie was just one of those frugal kids, who saved every dollar sent in every birthday card and earned in every chore. Emily thought long about Mattie. When Mattie saw the colt for the first time, Emily recognized the look on her face. It was the same look that Emily had on her face, when she saw Riva's dam for the first time.

"Wow Mattie, between all the chores you have been doing here and the extra money that you have been giving me each week, I think you'll have him paid off before the year is over. That's quite an accomplishment. I am really proud of you." and then she asked, "have you thought of a name for him yet?"

"I like the name Estrella very much, which is the Spanish word for star. My Star...Mi Estrella. What do you think Emily?" she asked. Emily smiled. She loved the name. It was perfect.

Later on that evening, when everyone had gone home and the farm was quiet, Emily was sitting in her favorite chair, curled up with a cup of peppermint tea. It was a special time for her, to think about the course of the day's events, in the hope that she could make the following day even better.  Emily was committed to living a better life. She thought of Mattie and the wonderful name she had picked out for her colt. Mi Estrella...My Star...Mattie's Star...Mattie's colt.  It was yet another sign of what a special kid Mattie is. She was committed to the development of all that Mattie could be, which to Emily pointed to an outstanding horsewoman, maybe a better horsewoman than she was. Then a cloud of fear came over her, as she thought again over the money that Mattie had been giving her for the colt. The thought of the money really worried her. Where was this money coming from? She had contemplated calling her father and just checking in, casually mentioning the money, maybe even thanking him, for helping Mattie to purchase the beautiful black colt. Then, she would wait for his reaction or surprise. Mattie's father rarely came to the farm. Emily had seen him only a handful of times, usually waiting in his car for Mattie . She had heard from some of the other parents, who also had children enrolled in her lesson program, that Mattie's father was overcome with grief over his wife's death and had become somewhat reclusive. No one really saw him anymore. That was understandable, as Peggy's death had come quickly and unexpectedly. Neither Mattie nor her father were prepared to say good-bye. The more she thought about it, the more convinced she became, of what she needed to do. Yes, the right thing to do would be to call Mattie's father, even if it meant risking her relationship with Mattie. That was tough love at work. And Emily realized that she deeply cared for Mattie. She picked up her cordless handset and dialed the number. She heard the first ring and then, the second. 

"Hello?" the voice abruptly pulled Emily away from all that she had been thinking. "Hi Mr. James, this is Emily Tompkins from Sand dollar Ranch. Yes, everything is okay. I am calling because I wanted to talk to you about your daughter, Mattie...is this a good time to talk?"

"As a matter of fact, you beat me to it Ms. Tompkins. I had planned to drive out to your place tomorrow, as I wanted to pick your brain about a few things...."

EnJOY your life...it's the only one you have,
Ralph

Ibn Sirecho

Ibn Sirecho was a 1961 chestnut stallion, a son of  Sirecho (*Nasr x *Exochorda) and out of the Babson-Turfa mare, Turfara (*Fadl x *Turfa). Originally registered as Esperanzo Asil Sir-Turf,  Ibn Sirecho was bred by Raymond and Jane Davis, of Cassville, Missouri. I liked his original name, "Esperanzo" which means "hope" in Spanish. For a young colt, with a whole future ahead of him, I could not think of a more appropriate way to start life than with a name so full of hope. In Ibn Sirecho's lifetime, he sired sixty-four registered Arabian foals. Through the present day, this particular horse has 410 recognized Asil descendants.

In 1964, Hodie Maxwell contacted Carl Raswan. Hodie and her husband Pres, had moved to Colorado from Texas and owned Arabian horses. Hodie had been studying the Arabian Horse, purchasing books about the breed and learning of their Bedouin roots. She was enchanted by the rich desert history of the horses. The more she read, the more she realized that she wanted to dedicate her breeding program to breeding and raising authentic Bedouin-bred Arabian horses. Carl Raswan had devoted his life to the Arabian horse breed and had more experience, a majority of which came from living among the Bedouin tribes. Carl Raswan suggested to Hodie that she contact Mrs. Jane Ott, which she promptly did. After months of conversations with Mrs. Ott, Pres and Hodie Maxwell purchased the stallion, Ibn Sirecho, in 1964. He was three years old. Pres and Hodie also purchased the mare, Fanistar, a Fanifeh daughter, out of the *Turfa granddaughter, Blue Star, whom they bred to Sirecho, producing the mare Sifana, who with Ibn Sirecho, would become an important foundation of the Maxwell breeding program and eventually lead them towards creating a program of Blue Star breeding, focusing on horses of the Hamdaniyah strain. While the Maxwell's mission was to breed authentic Bedouin horses; they did show Ibn Sirecho in English Pleasure classes and he did well but he was a breeding stallion first. His greatest success in the show ring would come later, with his sons and daughter.

Ibn Sirecho (Sirecho x Turfara)

While the Maxwells proved the excellence of Ibn Sirecho as a sire, what happened next would prove the athletic excellence of Ibn Sirecho, as a sire of working western performance horses. Ibn Sirecho was sold to The Searle Arabian Horse Farm in Chandler, Arizona and very quickly, became an important sire for Bill and Kris Searle.  Ibn Sirecho, authentic to his desert heritage, sired agile, willing and intelligent working ranch horses for the Searles, who did well at the Nationals and also at the famous Scottsdale All-Arabian show in the western stock horse classes.

Anchor Hill Serfa (Ibn Sirecho x Serida)

In 1983, Ibn Sirecho's daughter, the 1980 mare, Jezail (out of the double Ibn Fadl grand-daughter, Al Asmaje) won Champion Snaffle Bit Western Pleasure with Kris. In 1984, the Ibn Sirecho sons, Al Hajal (out of Sakkara, a daughter of Al Asmaje sired by the Sirecho son, Muhairon) and LeEncore (out of the Al Asmaje daughter, Ibn Fadls Finale) won 4 top tens. In 1985, LeEncore won a Reserve Champion Hackamore Stock Horse at the Scottsdale show. In 1987, Le Encore went to Scottsdale again and was pinned top ten in open stock horse. It is interesting to consider the amount of *Turfa blood in all of these horses, as the line to *Turfa, on both sides of the pedigree appear 4 and 5 times. Is the fact that these horses did so well in performance attributable to a mare who enchanted all who knew her with her amazing movement? I think this is a fact worth considering.

Gail Hoff-Carmona, at the urging of Mrs. Jane Ott, purchased two Ibn Sirecho horses from the Maxwells. The double Sirecho mare Samoohah (Ibn Sirecho x Sifana) and the stallion El Hamdani Bey (Ibn Sirecho x Fanistar) became part of Gail's breeding program at Princeton Arabians, both in her small Blue Star breeding program and also combined with her straight Babson Egyptian horses.  Gail said

"...these horses are among the very best when you consider disposition. They tend to be very easy to train and quick to learn."

Ibn Sirecho (Sirecho x Turfara)

Like the horses bred by the Searle's, these two horses were also rich in the number of crosses to the mare, *Turfa. Gail crossed these bloodlines with her horses like Serr Maariner, whose Babson lines nicked remarkably well with the *Turfa blood and increased the percentages of Prince Mohamed Aly breeding, present in Sirecho's pedigree. The progeny of these Ibn Sirecho horses became part of the Los Alamos Dressage Center's training program, helping Gail to teach dressage to children.

PS Many thanks to my friend, Diana Johnson of Bint Al Bahr Arabians, who helped me find so many photos of Ibn Sirecho. I am so grateful for her friendship. Also, I need to publicly thank and credit Ms. Karen Stalmann, whose Khamsat article, THE MAXWELL CONTRIBUTION helped me quite a bit in trying to understand the influence of Ibn Sirecho. Also, Ms. Kris Searle wrote an article titled THE MAKING OF A WESTERN HORSE which I also need to credit, as I learned about her horses like Jezail, Al Hajal and Le Encore.

Modern Love

“Promise me you'll never forget me because if I thought you would, I'd never leave.” ― A.A Milne

His mind was everywhere this morning. His thoughts were like the waves of the ocean, frightening and intimidating, as only the wildly beautiful, yet powerful surf could be. The year had been chaotic, bringing many changes, none of which were especially welcomed. Cancer, seemingly out of nowhere, had become like a giant in his life, leaving him weak, unable to muster up the strength to fight "his personal Goliath". He wasn't sure what the next three or four months would bring and whether he would even live long enough, to see springtime. “Yes” he thought, “what a shitty year it has been.” He was tired and felt like shouting "uncle!" at the top of his lungs. Financially, the year had also been a train wreck and while his mind had been in a good place this past summer because his health was responding  positively to treatment; the financial part of it never really came together as expected.  The new home he found, two towns over,  appeared to be ideally suited to his changing level of energy and strength. It was perfect...and manageable. Three and a quarter acres, cross-fenced into five paddocks with a charming 4-stall barn. A cozy three bedroom New England-style cape cod, with a screened-in porch, made it even more wonderful. He had made an offer on the place, $285,000, contingent on the sale of his place for $850,000. His farm was beautiful and reflected the many years of blood, sweat and tears he had personally invested. He knew that the price on his farm was ambitious but he was counting on the desirability of his property.  He couldn’t go anywhere in town without someone stopping him, to tell him how much they loved his place. And, with the surplus of money after the purchase of the new property, he could pay off some of the medical bills that had been dogging him, with enough money left over to live comfortably and focus on his recovery. But the deal on his 45-acre farm fell through and after all was said and done, it really hurt to lose the deposit he had made. That was his hay money for this coming winter. Since then, things had just spiraled out of his control. It was cold now and he could see his breath, frosty and white. Fall was like a harbinger of the hard times to come. From where he stood on the hill, he could see the glare of the silver tractor trailer, as the sun reflected off its shiny body. The truck had turned off the highway and within 15 minutes would be pulling up his driveway. Time to get Ferise. He couldn't believe that it had come down to this. He had tried, really tried to avoid this outcome but keeping the horses became an impossibility, no matter how hard he tried. So, one by one, he had said goodbye to his treasured mares and now, he had to say goodbye to Ferise. This was going to kill him. Ferise had been with him for 15 years. He had bought him as a weanling from a friend who had bred him, with a very specific purpose in mind - to be her herd stallion. She never got to see him mature into the magnificent stallion she believed he would become. He had been her masterpiece and every foal he had sired, a living memorial to her wisdom. On the day she died, he had promised her that Ferise would only know one home, HIS home, for the rest of his life and she, had consummated her agreement with one last smile. That promise, over time, had now become a legacy. No doubt about Ferise's importance and yet, something had to be said about what Ferise did for him, on a personal level. No matter how upside down his world had become,  Ferise was the constant, the steadfast friend who without saying anything, could somehow dull all the sharp and painful edges of life. What would he do now with Ferise gone? He walked over to his paddock, halter in hand. His hands were trembling. He had prayed for a miracle, the hardest that he had ever prayed, since his friend had died. But where was God? And why was He not answering? The silence had been grueling, now, as it was back then. Ferise saw him and wheeled around and cantered to the gate, nickering softly at the sight of his friend. He placed the halter over his head, clipped the lead and started to walk towards the barn. He wanted to brush the dust off his body and switch to a warmer sheet, maybe the fleece lined stable blanket would be great. His eyes studied every curve of his horse, in the hope that they would forever be etched in his memory, as vividly as he saw them now. Oh! How he loved this horse! Ferise kept turning his head to look at him, to study the face that he knew so well. Something was different this morning and he had sensed the heaviness in the man's heart. He lightly pawed the ground, to ease the growing anxiety that was building within him. "Easy now boy, nothing to worry about." he heard himself say. The lie he just told  his horse overwhelmed him. He reached out to stroke his neck, to comfort him but more than anything, he didn't want to forget the way his body felt under the touch of his hand. Ferise’s coat was especially fine and silky to the touch, proof of his desert heritage. It was killing him. He didn't want to say goodbye. He wanted to keep all his horses and yet, this one...it was really going to hurt. As he buckled the straps  of the blanket across Ferise's chest, he heard the rumble of the truck's motor as the truck came to a stop in the driveway. He took a deep breath, as if to cleanse his body of the deep emotion he was feeling and wheeled around to greet the driver, as he walked to the back of the truck to lower the ramp of the trailer. "Good morning, cold enough for ya?" The driver asked cheerfully and continued, "is that the horse I'm picking up this morning?" He shook his head to indicate yes, not fully trusting that he could utter any words clearly, without giving away how he felt inside. No one had helped him prepare for this part of the journey and even though it may be “just a horse” to another, the pain he felt was every bit as painful as the pain he felt when his friend and Ferise's breeder had died. As the driver walked towards him, to take the horse, he waved him away. "If you don't mind, I want to take him up into the trailer myself and say goodbye." he explained. He hadn't finished speaking those words, when Ferise turned around and grabbed the arm of his coat and wouldn't let go. He wasn't biting him, he was just holding onto him with his mouth, as if to say, "please, don't leave me. I don't want to go." Tears welled  up in the man's eyes. The power of this moment was more than he had bargained for. How would he face tomorrow with Ferise somewhere else, knowing that he had turned his horse's life upside down? They only had each other and in the next few seconds, both of them, would lose...everything.

A Little Story Within the Greater Story of Fa-Turf

The colt moved effortlessly around the yard, his hind feet easily over-stepping the prints left by his front hoofs. He wasn't even breathing hard and yet, he seemed to cover a lot of ground, his high set tail flying in the wind, like an exclamation point is used at the end of the sentence for emphasis. The colt had a natural brilliance, which charmed the young boy who had been intently watching him.  "What did Mr. Babson call these horses?" he asked himself.  He noticed the colt's nostrils, which had opened to an extraordinary large size and yet remained so soft looking, so delicate and thin like the paper sitting in the typewriter and suddenly, he remembered, "Oh yes! Drinkers of the Wind." Now, he understood why that particular description was used for these horses. The colt, joyful, his happy spirit influencing everyone standing along side the corral, watching the charismatic colt at play. Today was a special day and the boy was with his parents, who were looking for a colt to purchase for their son.  The boy had spent the last few weeks in pained anxiety, waiting for this day to arrive. It was like Christmas. With each breath he took, the colt appeared revitalized and re-energized, as if he could move like this forever, without ever tiring. The boy studied the colt's substantial but elegant  body. He liked the graceful, flowing circular lines that formed his silhouette. He admired the well-muscled hindquarter; which was round, plump and full, and suddenly he was thinking of one of the balls that he liked to kick around in the school yard with the other boys during recess. The colt's hocks were elastic, allowing the horse to really reach up, to drive himself  forward, using the muscling in his relaxed, rounded back. The boy was impressed and wondered what it would feel like to be astride the colt's back, as the world whizzed by him. He looked forward to the many adventures he would have, with this colt as his companion. His eyes drifted towards the front end of the colt, to a well-muscled shoulder with a prominent wither. The colt's  muscles rippled with every stride he took, allowing him to reach out, grabbing large chunks of ground as he flew by the spot where the boy was standing. His movement was unrestricted, so beautiful, so free. His neck was long and slender, gracefully arching into his lovely chiseled head with a cheekbone which reminded the boy of the half-moon he saw in the sky last night. His eyes were large and black and watched the boy carefully. The colt wondered who this boy was and why was he looking at him so intently. He liked the boy and wished he would come in to the corralled area with him to play. The boy could not take his eyes off of him, as he had never seen a horse which looked and moved like this colt. The boy was tingling in excitement, all the way down to his toes. "I really want him Mom" he blurted out desperately and continued, "please say that you will buy him for me."

The colt's sire had come to America from Egypt, from the stud of a famous Prince. His dam was bred in Riyadh, in an area of Saudi Arabia known as the Nejd and had traveled to England, where Henry Babson had first laid eyes on her, falling completely in love with her. He brought her home to Illinois, as a bride for his beloved *Fadl, the famous Prince's horse. Her name was Tarfa back then and this remarkable colt was one of her last sons. *Turfa was famous for her electrifying movement, which she passed onto all of her progeny but what he really loved about her, was how much she loved all people. She looked for any opportunity to get close to a human being and rest her beautiful head on their shoulder, as she let out a very contented sigh, letting everyone know that all was good with the world. She was everything he had imagined a Bedouin horse to look like and act like. And here he was today, to see her charming colt who had been named Fa-Turf. The son of *Fadl and *Turfa. What plans he had for his colt and for the champion get he would sire. What adventures they would share! In that small moment, the boy made a very big promise, a pact with the earth, the sky and all who would listen. He would do everything possible to preserve the blood of *Turfa, so that other little boys like him, could one day stand in awe of these beautiful horses like he had and dream about flying across the sand, on the back of a Drinker of the Wind...a Turfa...of his very own.

Fa-Turf was a 1952 grey stallion sired by *Fadl (Ibn Rabdan x Mahroussa) and out of the Sa'ud mare, *Turfa. Bred and raised at the Babson Farm, he was  purchased by Dr. Keith Krausnick of Shar-Char Farm, as a sire for his breeding program. He sired 51 horses, of which 15 daughters and 8 sons were Al Khamsa-recognized. His son Fa Raad (out of the Ibn Fadl daughter Raada) was an important sire for Darrell Perdue of Rudalaro Ranch in Lamar, Colorado. 

***Lovingly dedicated to the memory of a really great mare...*Turfa. She continues to live in our hearts and our minds, inspiring us with her great quality. She was the prize of the desert.