all for the love of a horse...: Year In Review: Top Ten Favorite Blog Posts 2019

16 December, 2020

Year In Review: Top Ten Favorite Blog Posts 2019

In a couple of weeks, I hope to publish your favorite blogs this year (2020) but in the meantime, I thought you might enjoy reading about last year's (2019) favorites!

Sayo Sahran SMF, a Mahknificent KA son out of Bint Bint Sayo (Ali Saroukh x Samura) is equally strong of body but yet, there is something more, that at first glance, may be missed.

You have clicked on the blog for Sayo Sahran SMF over a thousand times, making his story the runaway favorite blog post of 2019!

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.

Carolyn Jacobson loved all horses but was especially dedicated to the straight Babson Egyptian horse. Her life, in her own words, continues to inspire and encourage us, even though she is no longer with us in this world.

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.

With almost 600 page views, your 3rd favorite blog post of the year is the tragic story (of the declining influence) of *Bint Serra I in straight Egyptian breeding.

History tells us that the Kuhaylan Kurush horses were extraordinary horses, self-confident and possessing a fiery inner spirit that one would expect of a warrior’s horse.

The story of the Kuhaylan Kurush strain, one of the rarest and most esteemed strains of Arabian horses, and specifically, how the strain became a part of straight Egyptian Arabian horse breeding is your 4th favorite blog of 2019.

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).

The story of the Babson-Turfa stallion, Fidl-Fadl, on a greater note, teaches us the importance of a mare like the desert-bred, *Turfa. Of all the horses of non-Egyptian breeding purchased and imported by Henry Babson, *Turfa was complementary in the breeding program, producing similarly to the Babson Egyptian-imported mares. His story was your fifth favorite blog of the year!

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.

Shortly before Thanksgiving, beloved photographer, Polly Knoll died. For many of us, her iconic photos of the stallions, *Morafic or Ruminaja Ali, will forever connect us with her. For others, it may be the photo of *Soufian, *Farazdac, *Tuhotmos or even, Patrick Swayze with Tammen. Which Polly Knoll photo is your favorite? For me, it is *Aramus, a photo which exerted a huge impact on my development as an Arabian horse lover. Polly's tribute was your 6th favorite blog of 2019.

An elegant and exquisite grey mare, Binte Aziza MH was sired by Richter MH, a son of El Halimaar (*Ansata Ibn Halima x RDM Maar Hala) and out of the *Farazdac daughter, Fasarra (*Farazdac x *Masarra).

The story of Binte Aziza MH is your 7th favorite blog of 2019, as you clicked to read her story 300 times! It's interesting that she follows her son, Bashar Al Kamar MH, our "poster boy" for the Kuhaylan Kurush strain!

The sire of Aziza Princess is the legendary TheEgyptianPrince, a 1967 stallion bred by Douglas Marshall of Gleannloch Farm, who also imported *Morafic, Prince’s sire.

Close on the heels of her granddaughter and great-grandson, the story of Aziza Princess is your 8th favorite blog of 2019, with less than 50 page views separating both mares!

Nour Al Kamar has stepped into the role that his sire, Imperial Al Kamar, once enjoyed at Rancho Bulakenyo and also, in the void that Kamar left in Jody's heart, when he died.

The Kuhaylan family of BintAzizaPrincess, combined with the Kuhaylan family of Imperial Al Kamar, established a new generation of horses to continue their influence at Rancho Bulakenyo, in a pure-of-strain Kuhaylan form. Nour Al Kamar MH, Binte Aziza's son and great grandson of Aziza Princess was your 9th favorite blog post of the year.

BintAzizaPrincess produced a full sister to Binte Aziza MH, a beautiful grey mare named Exotic Tremor, whom Jody Cruz sold to Al Shaqab in Qatar.

How has the family of Aziza Princess impacted other breeding programs, outside of Rancho Bulakenyo? Many of you were interested in learning the answer to this question, as this blog post does two things: it completes our top ten list for 2019 and with 5 of the top ten blogs focused on the family of BintAzizaPrincess, confirms that this family of horses was your favorite subject of 2019!

Many thanks to all of you who come here to read the words that I have written. 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!

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MY FAVORITE WEBSITE

If you want to understand the desert Arabian horse on a deeper level, then you will want to visit Daughters of the Wind, a blog maintained by Edouard al-Dahdah, since 2008. It's my favorite place to visit, on a regular basis. For me personally, the information that Edouard presents is at times so profound, that I find myself weeks, even months later, still thinking about what he has written. I consider him a treasured source of inspiration and for the times that I don't feel like writing anymore, a significant source of encouragement. In one place, you will be able to read of the horses, their heritage; as well as the culture, traditions and the geography of the land, from where they originated. I strongly encourage you to visit his blog to broaden your understanding and deepen your appreciation for the Bedouin-bred horse.

MY FAVORITE WEBSITE X 2

The Horse In Word and Picture is the blog of Rania el Sayed, a very talented photographer, whose equine photography is second-to-none. I still remember when I first learned of Rania, it was all because of the late Dr. Nasr Marei. At the time, Nasr published an article that featured Rania's photography. I was thrilled by the photography and later, "meeting" Rania was one of the highlights of my horse life. I loved her photo of Mangooma and Rania, in an act of kindness never to be forgotten, let me use her photo in my blog. Thanks Rania for all of your support. You'll love Rania's blog and all of the equine topics she covers, including the straight Egyptian Arabian Horse. She really pushes me to think deeply about things that I haven't thought in a while. And you don't have to join Facebook, to read her posts. .

MY FAVORITE BOOK

One of the questions that I am asked most frequently is which book(s) do I recommend? Judith Forbis', The Classic Arabian Horse, published in 1976, is MY FAVORITE BOOK...EVER. Prior to the publication of this book, we really didn't have anything that compiled the history, the bloodlines & breeding practices and conformation (including breed type) of the straight Egyptian horse in one volume. You had to dig through multiple sources, sometimes in languages foreign to one's own, to try and develop an understanding of the Egyptian Arabian horse. So, this is my recommendation to you today, especially if you are just starting, this is the most important book you will ever own. You can find the book on Amazon, previously owned, at a very affordable price.

A NEW FAVORITE BOOK

Many times, I have heard other enthuiasts say, "if only I could get into the mind of this breeder and understand the Arabian horse as he or she does!" Dr. William Hudson, a long-time breeder, weaves together his lifetime of experiences including the latest developments in equine genetic science with the history, art and culture of the Arabian horse. This is not the type of book that you will read, cover-to-cover, in one sitting. You will find yourself turning to this massive 1,500 page, 2-volume set, over and over. If you love Arabian horses and want to understand the breed intimately, on a deeper level, this is the only book you will ever need to own. If you are breeding Egyptian Arabian horses, I urge you to purchase this 2-volume set before you breed one more horse!

MORE FAVORITE BOOKS...

One of the questions that I am asked most frequently is which book(s) do I recommend? Previously, I mentioned Judith Forbis' THE CLASSIC ARABIAN HORSE which is a great introduction to the breed and to Egyptian Arabian horses specifically. But now, you have read that book and are ready to go deeper. So, this is the book that I recommend reading (VOLUME II ) without hesitation. It's fantastic. The depth of this book, within tail female lines, sire lines and strains found in Egyptian (EAO) breeding is not found anywhere else. If you are serious about the Egyptian Arabian horse, whether a breeder, student or enthusiast, you must read this book, at least once!

STILL MORE FAVORITE BOOKS

In the Preface, Dr. Nagel wrote, "Since it is claimed that the Arabian horse breed is one of the oldest on earth, one has to accept that it is also in the crossfire of many opinions which sometimes clash vigorously. There are obviously many doubts and errors, and the advocates of different concepts seem to be not ready to settle on a common stance. It should encourage the reader to think...The refreshing variety of thoughts surrounding this noble member of the great family of horses should not be lost." Whether you agree or disagree with Dr. Nagel, is not what is important but rather, the resulting thought that this book will inspire. I can't even tell you how many times I have read this wonderful book cover-to-cover. It's one of the more provocative books that I have ever read and each time I have read it, a part of the book that had not impacted me previously, will cause me to think deeply for days, weeks and even months at a time. So, dear reader, I recommend this book to you, in the hope that it will inspire you to think deeply about our breed and examine why, you feel the way you do.

"The ideal Arabian type is recognizable at sight to the experienced horseman and novice alike. It falls short of the ideal if it reminds one of another horse or breed. It falls short of the ideal if it is so plain and uncertain of type as to require a sign: 'This is an Arabian horse.' It falls short of the ideal if it is so coarse and masculine as to remind one of a small Percheron, at one extreme, or so highly animated and elf-like as to remind one of a gazelle at the other extreme. The ideal type stands out alone. You know it immediately when you see it."-Ben Hur, from his 1951 Western Horseman article, Type in the Arab

In the summer of 2006, when I discovered Blogger, the last thing on my mind was creating a blog. At the time, I had been participating in a popular Egyptian Arabian horse website and desired to find a website that would allow me to "cut-and-paste" the posts that I had written for future reference. From those humble beginnings, this blog was born. I'm not a professional writer and although I want to say that writing is a hobby; I think it is better to say that I write for the love of the breed. I've had the good fortune to meet a number of horses who are now considered legendary, as well as some really wonderful people, who are equally legendary. Over the years, people have suggested that I charge a subscription fee or pursue paid sponsorships but you know how money changes everything and this blog, after all, is a labor of love. So, there you have it, the story of the blog. Many thanks to the people who make this blog doable, for example, where would I be without any of the photographers, the "visual storytellers" of our breed, who allow me to post their pictures and to the authors of the many books and magazine articles that I have read over the course of 45 or so years, helping to educate a long ago kid, crazy in love with Arabian horses. And finally, an overwhelming amount of gratitude for you dear readers, for coming here to this place, to read, discover and celebrate this common ground we share, all for the love of an Arabian horse.

16 December, 2020

Year In Review: Top Ten Favorite Blog Posts 2019

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