Rose of Egypt

Rose of Egypt, a very dark bay, almost black 1958 straight Babson Egyptian mare was a result of combining the first generation of horses (from imported parents) bred by The Babson Farm, that is Fa-Serr (*Fadl X *Bint Serra I) with Fa-Abba (*Fadl x *Bint Bint Sabbah). In Authentic Arabian Bloodstock II, beloved author, breeder and noted Egyptian Arabian horse authority,  Judith Forbis said of  Rose of Egypt, "out of Fa-Abba, a full sister to Habba, Fa-Habba and Fa Saana, provided a line to Fa-Abba, who was prettier and more refined than her full sister, Fa-Habba, but not as compact." Rose of Egypt was owned by Milton V. and Virginia Thompson for most of her life, who are also the recorded or listed breeders for many of her foals. Her progeny includes 8 mares and 4 stallions:

• Little Egypt, 1962 bay mare, sired by Trojan (Tobruk x Rulyna)
• Ozark Rose, 1963 chestnut mare sired by Tobruk (Sulejman x Fazala)
• Serr Bruk, 1964 bay stallion sired by Tobruk (Sulejman x Fazala)
• Fadl Witez, 1965 bay stallion sired by Tante Witez (Witez II x Tanezah)
• Rosebud, 1966 bay mare sired by Tante Witez (Witez II x Tanezah)
• Star of Tobruk, 1967 mare sired by El Tobruk (Tobruk x Rosebruk)
• Tobruks Dancer, 1968 mare sired by El Tobruk (Tobruk x Rosebruk)
• Egypts Rose, 1971 bay mare sired by Iszi (Islam x Zadena)
• Egypts Al Metrabbi, 1973 chestnut stallion sired by Al Metrabbi (*Morafic x Sammara)
• Anchor Hill Aziz, 1975 grey stallion sired by Al Metrabbi (*Morafic x Sammara)
• Anchor Hill Alsah, 1976 grey mare sired by Al Metrabbi (*Morafic x Sammara)
• Rose of Masada, 1979 grey mare sired by AK Waseem Montaal (Amaal x Al Nahr Moroufa)

Rose of Egypt with her 1973 colt, Egypts Al Metrabbi

While a Dahmah Shahwaniyah by strain, as she traces to the mare Bint Sabah in her tail female (the same mare that is also found in the tail female line of Sheikh El Arab, Sid Abouhom and Bukra, by the way); in the "old days", before mitochondrial DNA testing and analysis, Rose of Egypt would be considered to be 50% Kuhaylan Jellabi and 25% each, of the Saqlawi and Dahman strains. Today, we consider her to be 75% Saqlawiyah and 25% Dahmah (and no Kuhaylan Jellabi).

Rose of Egypt (Fa-Serr x Fa-Abba)

Rose of Egypt, sometime after foaling her Al Metrabbi daughter, Anchor Hill Alsah, became a difficult mare to breed.  However, Walter Schimanski had loved the mare and the family of horses she belonged to. Realizing her great value and hopefully, her potential in his program, Rose of Egypt was purchased (in a partnership formed with John Fippen). Both men secretly hoped of breeding her to Walter's beloved stallion, Lothar, a 1955 son of the imported stallion, *Fadl and out of Habba, a full sister to Fa-Abba. It would be an opportunity to produce a foal whose influence would come from only three of the six horses imported by Henry Babson in 1932, that is,  62.5% *Fadl, combined with 25% *Bint Bint Sabbah and 12.5% *Bint Serra I.

Lothar (*Fadl x Habba)

Unfortunately, through a grave error, Rose of Egypt was mistakenly bred to AK Waseem Montaal, a triple Moniet el Nefous stallion, whose tail female line went back to the 1932 Babson import, *Maaroufa (Ibn Rabdan x Mahroussa).

AK Waseem Montaal (Amaal x Al Nahr Moroufa)

The supposedly "barren mare" settled to AK Waseem Montaal, producing a grey daughter, Rose of Masada, who was incorporated into John and Betty Fippen's breeding program. The following October, Rose of Egypt was sold to Judith Forbis of Ansata Arabian Stud. Judith Forbis, in her celebrated book, Authentic Arabian Bloodstock II, said, "We had seen her when she was a young mare at Milt Thompson's and liked her very much, but she took on the heavier Fa-Serr look as she aged." She was bred to *Ansata Ibn Halima from 1979 to 1981 but did not settle to him. Rose of Egypt died in 1982, without producing any more foals. What a foal by *Ansata Ibn Halima that would have been!

***This blog post is lovingly dedicated to the memory of Ms Rose, Rose of Masada's only daughter and my best friend, for 20 years. Unfortunately, she did not produce any foals. She died in my arms at age 25, the morning of Monday, January 14, 2013.***

The Epic Battle of Night and Day

Who would have thought that the Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Arabian Horse Festival, held this weekend at Al Khalediah Farm in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, would become the world stage for the epic battle between night and day?

"The night never wants to end, to give itself over to light. So it traps itself in things: obsidian, crows. Even on summer solstice, the day of light’s great triumph, where fields of sunflowers guzzle in the sun— we break open the watermelon and spit out black seeds, bits of night glistening on the grass." - Joseph Stroud, Night in Day

Epic battle? OK, OK...but it was very exciting to watch two World Champion stallions, each horse a wonder of creation,  face off, one against the other, to present their individual expression of the breed standard to the judges in Class 12,  on Friday, January 24th. Which horse would the judges pick? The horse as dark as the night sky or the horse who dazzles the eyes like the sun?

A radiant vision in white, the 2019 Bronze World Champion Senior Stallion, the straight Egyptian stallion, Adham Saqr, is a son of Imperial Madori (Imperial Madheen x Imperial Orianah) and out of Ameera Saqr (Shaheen x Alidarra). A paternal sibling to Gelgelah Albadeia, the 2003 World Champion Senior Mare, Adham Saqr's dam, Ameera Saqr, is sired by Shaheen (El Hadiyyah x Bint Bint Hamamaa), whose get include consistently brilliant horses like Ghazal Saqr, Farouk Saqr, Gamal Saqr, Nada Saqr, Kameela Saqr and Ghazala Saqr to name only a few names that are part of Shaheen's incredible legacy. In the tail female line, Adham Saqr traces to Ansata Sabiha, not only an important mare at Ansata Arabian Stud but also, for Mike and Kiki Case of Glorieta Ranch. Ansata Sabiha was a full sister to Fa Halima, a United States National Champion Mare.

 In the first few seconds of the video, Adham Saqr takes your breath away, as he gallops into the ring, tail streaming in the air behind him, creating a visual impression that the viewer will never forget. There is a reason why these horses are called "drinkers of the wind" and Adham Saqr reminds us of this, in the first minute or two of the video. He is a very balanced individual, with an overall smoothness and elegance, for example, the quality of his skin, in terms of it's fineness and depth of pigmentation. He is a good mover and one can dream of how to take all of his energy and put it to good use, under saddle.  He would be one of those horses we refer to as electric. The biggest challenge with more sensitive horses is earning their trust and establishing a reciprocal relationship founded on respect, so they don't have to worry so much about self-preservation, especially in the face of changing stimuli. I see that a little here. I appreciate the ratio of forearm-length to cannon bone length in this horse. Another quality that I appreciate is his large, fully black and expressive eye. While his head is not extreme, like most Imperial-influenced horses, he has a larger jowl and the fineness of his skin allows for the accentuation of vein and bone, to present a clean, dry and elegant head. I liked this horse very much, when I saw him show in Paris and every time I see him, I like him a little more than the last time.

There's one thought that comes to my mind, as I watch the video of Equator, the 2015 Silver World Champion Senior Stallion and that is "horseman's horse". He establishes his self-confidence, right away. He marches into the ring with purpose, head and tail proudly held high, letting everyone know that the king has arrived. When I look at his body, I am overwhelmed, because there is just so much to like about him. His back is short and strong, his neck is so well set, flowing right out of the wither, he has depth through the heart girth and depth through the shoulders, his hind end is well-muscled and powerful, right down into the gaskins. No surprise that he can get under himself and drive forward, with so much freedom, lightness and power. His neck, while not long, is beautifully shaped with length in the poll and a fine throatlatch.  His head is classic, both short and wide, the beauty of which is intensified by big, black and expressive eyes. The glare of the lights on his greasy face, somewhat hinder the detail of the bone and veins but his head is clean and dry, in an elegant expression of breed type. No surprise over the number of 20's he received for type from the judges. He earned that score.

Equator is a son of QR Marc (Marwan Al Shaqab x Swete Dreams) and out of the Ekstern daughter, Eklipytka, out of the Eukaliptus daughter, Ekspozycja. In his tail female line, he traces to Estebna, the *Nabor daughter out of Estokada, an Amurath Sahib daughter. Equator has Egyptian blood, the highest percentage coming from his great-grandsire, Gazal Al Shaqab, an Anaza el Farid son. QR Marc was bred by Lou and Vicky Doyle, Quail Ridge Arabians in Gilroy, California. The granddam of QR Marc is a mare named Kouream de Ment. A 1986 bay mare, she was sired by Kouros (Marhaba x Kissie) and out of a mare named Rawhides Amenda (Baghdad of Rawhide x Rawhides Nakota). Three generations later, you find a mare named Tambruk, a daughter of the stallion, Tobruk (Sulejman x Fazala). Do you know that the mare Fazala, is a daughter of *Bint Serra I, by *Fadl? Something to think about in this day and age, when it is so challenging to find breeding lines to *Bint Serra I and her celebrated dam, Serra, bred by Lady Anne Blunt at her Sheykh Obeyd Stud in Egypt. Just a peek at the Egyptian influence found in Equator, whom at first glance, is mistaken as being of 100% Polish breeding, as a result of QR Marc being leased by Michalow State Stud in Poland.

Both Equator and Adham Saqr, having placed 1st and 2nd respectively, in Class 12 moved into the stallion championships on Saturday, which was a very competitive class.  Any of the stallions in the class could have been picked the winner. However, Equator was judged as the Silver Champion (behind ES Harir, an AJ Dinar son out of TF Magnums Magic); while Wortex Kalliste (Shanghai EA x Mirwanah Kalliste) earned the Bronze title and Adham Saqr placed fourth.

"The dance between darkness and light will always remain— the stars and the moon will always need the darkness to be seen, the darkness will just not be worth having without the moon and the stars.” - C. JoyBell C.

***Many thanks to Arabian Essence TV for the live stream of the show on their website, as well as the videos uploaded to their You Tube Channel***

***Please remember that this is not a public forum. Any comments regarding the PSAIAHF show, showing and training practices in the breed, handlers, conformational analysis, etc. will be moderated.***

The Tamria Story

Tamria, a 1967 EAO-bred grey mare, was a daughter of *Tuhotmos, a Moniet el Nefous son, sired by El Sareei and out of Kamar, a Nazeer daughter and great-granddaughter of Bint Sabah (Kazmeen x Sabah). Dahmah Shahwaniyah by strain, she is of the same branch as Sid Abouhom, Bukra, Sheikh El Arab and *Bint Bint Sabbah. Always a mare of great  significance, especially in Europe; there's been a global resurgence of interest in her bloodline, with several breeders either adding her to their programs or culling all other bloodlines, to focus solely on her. In Authentic Arabian Bloodstock II, beloved author Judith Forbis said of Tamria, "The first time we saw Tamria she was a vision in white lying against the golden straw in her stall at Babolna. She didn't rise; her feet hurt too much from laminitis. Beauty crowned her sculptured face. Her big black eyes gave only a hint of the pain she bore with dignity but she nevertheless enjoyed having visitors admire her." Judith Forbis used the Tamria bloodline within her program, through a 1997 mare named Sherifa Tamria (Royal Jalliel x Imperial Daeemah). What's interesting about this mare are two things: she traces to Tamria through *Pharrah, in both the tail female line of sire and dam. The second thing that I found interesting is that Imperial Daeemah, the dam of Sherifa Tamria, was sired by a stallion named Imperial Im Daeem, a full brother of the globally influential stallion, Imperial Imdal (Ansata Imperial x Dalia). Sherifa Tamria produced three stallions for Ansata: Ansata Aly Sherif in 2002 by Ansata Iemhotep, Ansata Tashreef in 2004 by Ansata Sirius and Ansata Royal Qasim in 2008 by Ansata Qasim.

The name "Tamria" or "9 Tamria"  has become like a "buzzword" within the breed, as enthusiasts check pedigrees of their favorite horses, in the hope of discovering her legacy within the genetic mix. The numeral "9" which precedes "Tamria" in some reference materials is only a registration number, which is unique to The Babolna Stud. Purebred mares at The Babolna Stud were assigned a numeral between 1 and 30 or 201 and 250, while the Shagya mares were assigned a numeral between 31 and 200 or 251 and greater.

Although bred and born in Egypt, Tamria was imported to The Babolna Stud in 1968 as a yearling and it is in Hungary where Tamria spent her life. And that's the part of her story that I find so interesting, as Dr. Hans Joachim Nagel of the world famous Katharinenhof Stud plays a pivotal role in the story, as he was the person, under the mentorship of Dr. Ameen Zaher, who  selected Tamria in Egypt and purchased her, intending to use her for his breeding program. At the time, Dr. Nagel was not able to import the EAO horses directly into Germany (African horse sickness) but rather, the horses went to The Babolna Stud, where they were quarantined and from there, would be exported to his farm in Germany.

The Babolna Stud, founded well over 200 years ago, was primarily focused upon developing a horse of utility, that is, strong, functional, cavalry-type horses suitable for driving and riding, while incorporating the distinctive and noble Arabian breed trademarks. Over the years, Arabian stallions were imported from the Middle East and bred to a select group of local mares, with the resulting offspring bred together, resulting in a unique group of horses referred to originally as "Araberrasse"and later recognized as "Shagya Arabians", in honor of the 1836 stallion, Shagya, imported by Baron von Herbert from Syria. So, while The Babolna Stud has a long equine history, which does include the Arabian horse breed; it really wasn't until the early 1970's when the straight Egyptian breeding program, which included Tamria, actually began. Think of it another way, in the mid-50's, before Robert Burgert began his term as Director, there were only two purebred Arabian mares kept at The Babolna Stud. Like Poland and other Eastern European countries, the World Wars, changing leadership and governments had a devastating impact on the continuity of a purebred breeding program. While Arabians were fewer than they were in Babolna's past, the greater number of horses stabled at The Babolna Stud were Shagya Arabians, in addition to a handful of other European breeds, like the Lipizzaner. At the time, The Babolna Stud, comprised of 10,000 hectares, was pressured to put the property to better use and maximize the amount of return that the property could yield, pursuing other more lucrative agricultural industries. Turning to poultry, The Babolna Stud experienced enormous success, which helped Babolna's management, in establishing a high level of credibility (and support) within the Hungarian Agricultural Department. If ever there was a suitable time to begin a purebred breeding program at Babolna, this was the perfect time. The horses that Dr. Nagel had purchased in Egypt in 1968: Ibn Galal (Galal x Mohga), Hanan (Alaa el Din x Mona), Lotfeia (Alaa el Din x Bint Kamla), Mahiba (Alaa el Din x Mouna), Marah (Galal x Maysa) and Tamria were sent to Babolna for quarantine purposes, where they remained for two years and in 1970, were joined by still more horses, selected by Robert Burgert and Dr. Nagel, in a visit to the EAO: Ghalion (Morafic x Lubna), Farag (Morafic x Bint Kateefa), Hanadi (Alaa el Din x Rahma), Bint Inas (Gassir x Inas), Bint Azza I (Tuhotmos x Azza I), Momtaza (Sameh x Mamlouka) and Bint Nazeera (Anter x Nazeera). A short time later, the mares El Aziza (Gassir x Zabeia), El Tayeba (Fayek x Mahdia), Hosna (Ibn Maisa x Rida) and the stallion, Zohair (Alaa el Din Zebeda) were added. Initially skeptical, especially amongst Hungarian horsemen familiar with the Arabian horses of Babolna's past, the overall quality of the Egyptian horses was so excellent, that the Agricultural authorities in Budapest agreed to re-establish a purebred breeding program using the horses that Dr. Nagel had selected and imported (with the exception of Mahiba, Marah, Hanan and eventually, Lotfeia), in the hope of creating a supply of horses that would sell for the high prices that Robert Burgert had observed being paid in America for purebred Arabian horses. Robert Burgert was no horseman but he was intelligent, savvy (shrewd) and recognized a good opportunity when he saw one. Plus, he had developed a strong relationship with Dr. Nagel, whom Robert Burgert trusted. If it wasn't for Dr. Nagel's influential, supportive and guiding friendship (some would go so far as saying visionary) with Robert Burgert, I don't believe that the legacy of horses like Tamria, would be what we know and enjoy today.

In the resources that I have available to me, I learned that Tamria produced eleven foals in her breeding career (she had been bred to produce thirteen foals over her lifetime but didn't settle to Farag in 1970 and Ibn Galal I in 1979. She was in production from 1970 through 1982, with the birth of her final foal, Ibn Galal I-4. She was bred to four different stallions, in a very focused effort to produce a more diverse offering of her influence, without resorting to any form of inbreeding. In an interview with Monika Savier, published by Desert Heritage Magazine, Dr. Hans Nagel, when asked who were the most important horses of the Babolna importation, he replied, "During this time, it became highly obvious that certain mares were of excellent quality and were considerably contributing to the success in Babolna's breeding. Such top class mares were: Lotfeia, Tamria, Bint Inas and El Aziza."

Tamria was bred four times to Ibn Galal I, a home-bred Ibn Galal son out of Hanan. She produced two daughters and one son by this stallion:

• 214 Ibn Galal I
• Ibn Galal I-6 (colt)
• 214 Ibn Galal I-4

Tamria was also bred three times to the imported stallion, Farag, a *Morafic son out of Bint Kateefa (Sid Abouhom x Kateefa), producing the following mares:

• 21 Farag aka *Pharrah
• 28 Farag 

Farag II, a Farag son, who in one individual, combined the oldest of the classic Babolna bloodlines, as he was  out of  25 Amurath Sahib (Amurath Sahib x  221 Kuhaylan Zaid) with the new Egyptian lines, was also bred to Tamria three times, producing a daughter and two sons:

• Farag IV
• 208 Farag II (mare)
• Farag II-6

The stallion Ghalion, a *Morafic son out of the Moniet el Nefous daughter, Lubna, was bred to Tamria three times to produce two sons and one daughter (just in case you missed it, that's three lines to Moniet el Nefous in these horses):

• Ghalion 4
• Ghalion 2
• Ghalion I (mare)

What I found especially interesting about Tamria's production record is the number of daughters she produced (a little more than 54%), as compared to the number of sons (a little more than 45%). This phenomenon repeats again in the succeeding generations. Tamria's influence prospered, mainly as a result of the many families that her daughters, granddaughters and great granddaughters established. Collectively, her descendants are numerous and within the format of a blog article like this one, it is not possible to discuss every horse who possesses a genetic link to Tamria.  So, I decided to  highlight the efforts of a few breeders, around the world, who have been breeding with the Tamria bloodline and continue to be committed to growing Tamria's influence within their breeding programs. For the majority of these breeders, they have creatively blended the blood of Tamria on both sides of the pedigree, while weaving other ancestral elements into the genetic fiber of their herds.

The Tamria daughter, 28 Farag, when bred to Zohair, produced the outstanding broodmare 211 Zohair. Bred to a variety of stallions, 211 Zohair, like Tamria, produced a record number of daughters, who in turn, expanded the family legacy for producing mares of significant influence. Bred to Ansata Halim Shah (when he was leased by Dr. Nagel), 211 Zohair produced the mare, Tamria II, who produced differently from her maternal sister, 230 Ibn Galal I. Contrast still another maternal sister, Taghira B, by El Thay Mameluk (Ibn Nazeema x El Thay Mansoura), equally prolific as her sisters, although she produced an equal amount of sons and daughters. So, dear reader, would you say that this is the family of 28 Farag, 211 Zohair or would it be better to say that these are three distinct families: Tamria II, 230 Ibn Galal I and Taghira B?

Alfabia Sohar (Salaa el Dine x Taghira B)

One of the most brilliant movers in the straight Egyptian community, Taghira B was owned by Alfabia Stud for most of her life. When bred to Salaa el Dine, she produced a son, Alfabia Sohar, retained by Alfabia for their program (although I have to add that this stallion, in his youth, was leased by DeShazer Arabians in Texas). A 2001 stallion, now at 19 years old, he is very much his mother's son, with the heavy flea-bitten coat his mother possessed and when he moves, it's as if Taghira B has come back to life, as he possesses the same degree of elasticity in his hocks that his dam had, resulting in a hind end that is equally powerful, as it is in his ability to use the muscling in his back resulting in movement that is clean, forward, light and supple.

Alfabia Kamaria (Classic Rayan x Taghira B)

However, his sister, Alfabia Kamaria by Classic Rayan, now owned by Nayla Hayek of Hanaya Arabian Stud, possesses a look which more closely resembles the mare, *Pharrah, than she does of her dam, Taghira B! Such is the power of this family, in terms of remaining relevant and vibrant, several generations later. Incidentally, Alfabia Kamaria was bred to Safeer By Sibilla (MG Magic Ghassan x Magic Sibilla) and she produced a lovely filly in 2018, Hanaya Kareema. Alfabia retained Kamaria's daughter by Sabeh Al Salhiyah, Alfabia Kateefa. Taghira B also produced a colt by the Ansata Hejazi son, Ajmal Agreb, who is now with Osman Linjawi, Linjawi Arabians in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and a filly, Alfabia Komeira, who also was retained for the Alfabia program. Taghira B was bred to Phaaros and produced two sons: Alfabia Jayed and Alfabia Johar. In 2004, she foaled Alfabia Tamria by Phaaros, who went to Al Rashediah Stud in Bahrain. Alfabia Tamria, true to the family legacy for producing a proportionately higher rate of female gender horses, has produced Tala Al Rashediah by NK Hafid Jamil, who in turn produced a daughter named Tameyra Al Rashhediah by Jamil Al Rayyan. Alfabia Tamria also produced Tamara Al Rashediah by Rashadan Al Rashediah. Taghira B also produced Alfabia Mameluka by the Anaza el Farid son, ZT Faaiq, now owned by Al Kharafi Arabians in Kuwait and Alfabia Mansour by the Ansata Nile Echo son, Sabeh Al Salhiyah.

*Pharrah (Farag x Tamria)

*Pharrah, who was also known as 21 Farag, was the first born Farag foal of 1972 (she was also known as Farag-1) and matured into an extraordinary Tamria daughter, bringing so much fame in America to her dam. I don't believe that many breeders in America were familiar with Tamria, prior to *Pharrah. So, one must also credit *Pharrah with the awareness she created for her bloodline. In Authentic Arabian Bloodstock II, noted author, Judith Forbis said of *Pharrah, "Of royal demeanor, she carried herself with grace, dignity and pride, her beauty, refinement and sweet character endearing her to everyone. One was drawn immediately to her extreme head with very long shapely foreface and teacup muzzle, a trait probably inherited from the double Shahloul through *Tuhotmos up close in her pedigree. Some of her granddam's physical characteristics were also evident, but *Pharrah was better conformed." An important broodmare for Imperial Egyptian Stud, *Pharrah was imported to America as a 5-year old mare and was purchased by Imperial the following year, producing 5 foals, one right after the other:

• Imperial Phanadah by *Ibn Moniet el Nefous
• Imperial Napharr by Moniet el Nafis
• Imperial Na Pharo by Moniet el Nafis
• ImperialPharalima by *Ansata Ibn Halima
• ImperialImPhudala by Ansata Imperial

*Pharrah was consigned by Imperial Egyptian Stud in the second Pyramid Society Breeders Sale, held in 1983. *Pharrah sold for $255,000 to Vincent and Diane Fortuna of Royal Arabians in Santa Barbara, California. Bred to Ansata Imperial, *Pharrah produced Royal Jalliel and Royal BintPharrah. When bred to Nabiel, *Pharrah produced Royal Mikhiel and Royal Pharriel. Her last foal,  Royal Farrah, was sired by El Halimaar. *Pharrah died in 1991.

Many years ago, Jamie Zissis of Rosehaven Arabian Farm started to assemble a breeding program, whose primary focus was concentrated in the bloodline of Tamria. While Jamie has incorporated the influence of Tamria in a diverse mix of blood, the majority of her program traces to Tamria through the mare *Pharrah.

When Rancho Bulakenyo leased *Lebinon Al Shaqab (Alidaar x Lamia Al Shaqab) for the 2014 and 2015 breeding seasons, it was an opportunity for Jamie to further concentrate the Tamria bloodline in her breeding program, through the *Pharrah granddaughter, Imperial Pharida (Ansata Imperial x Imperial Phanadah), *Lebinon Al Shaqab's maternal great-grand dam. *Lebinon Al Shaqab, the last son of Alidaar, sired two daughters: Pharrasha RAF and Pharratayma RAF, who have been retained for the Rosehaven Arabian Farm breeding program. *Lebinon Al Shaqab, who also incorporates a double dose of Ansata Halim Shah, is recognized for having sound, functional conformation, a beautiful, long neck, while offering outstanding pigmentation (he is bay) and large, expressive eyes.

Once again, Jamie is expecting foals sired by stallions who like *Lebinon Al Shaqab, also incorporate Tamria in their pedigree, further intensifying the influence of Tamria within her program. Ansata Royal Qasim (Ansata Qasim x Sherifa Tamria) traces in his tail female line to Tamria, while Jassehr (*Mishaal HP x Shahirs Abriel) traces to Tamria through the tail female line of his maternal grand-sire. Jassehr is also a 3/4 brother to Nayla Hayek's El Khaled (Ansata Sinan x Shahirs Abriel). It's a clever breeding strategy, in terms of line breeding Tamria on both sides of the pedigree, while adding alternative Dahman sources, which also intensify the rich fiber of that strain which is already present in these horses:

• Farah Al Shamal (Authentic Ibn Nawaal x Asila Al Zobara), who is expecting foals sired by Ansata Royal Qasim and the *Mishaal HP son, Jassehr
• Tashany Al Zamet (Ansata Malik Shah x Muniah), who is expecting a foal sired by Jassehr
• Zahara RAF (Asala Hafid Nahman x Tashany Al Zamet), who is expecting a foal sired by Ansata Royal Qasim 
• Zarina RAF (Nour Al Kamar MH x Tashany Al Zamet) 
• Pharrasima RAF (Ansata Royal Qasim x Imperial Baasarah)
• Pharratayma RAF (Lebinon Al Shaqab x Pharrasima RAF)
• Pharrasha RAF (Lebinon Al Shaqab x Imperial Baasarah)
• Imperial Baasarah (Imperial Baarez x Imperial Pharasha)

Al Aaqib Al Zamet (Ashhal Al Rayyan x Muniah)

Susanne Schreibvogel of Al-Zamet Arabians in Germany, purchased the mare Abbas Pasha I-12, who was carrying the mare Muniah (Halim Shah I x Abbas Pasha I-12). A beautiful filly, who matured into one of the most beautiful mares in Europe, Muniah did extremely well in the show ring, as she was named a Premium Mare by the German Arabian Horse Society.  She is the dam of the stallion, Al Aaqib Al Zamet and the mare, Tashany Al Zamet, purchased by Jamie Zissis.What is interesting about Muniah is that she traces to Tamria, through the tail female line of her sire (his dam is the Tamria daughter, 214 Ibn Galal I), as well as her dam (Abbas Pasha I-12 is a daughter of 211 Zohair and great granddaughter of Tamria).  Susanne also bred the mare Jamala Al Zamet by Salaa el Dine, whom she sold to Al Jazira Stud in Kuwait.

Tamria II (Ansata Halim Shah x 211 Zohair)

Karsten and Sabrina Scherling of Al Tair Stud, Walsrode, Germany, established one of the larger breeding programs to be focused on Tamria, primarily through utilizing the progeny, as bred by Dr. Hans Wettke, of Tamria's great-granddaughter, 243 Halim Shah (Ansata Halim Shah x 211 Zohair), also known as Tamria II:

MARES:

• Takrima (Mounaz El Din x Tamria II)
• Tabatah (Authentic Ibn Nawaal x Tabanya)
• Taagirah (Authentic Ibn Nawaal x Tabanya)
• Al Tair Tamria (Tahsin x Takrima)
• Al Tair Tabanya (Taras x Taagirah)

STALLIONS:

• Taras (Mounaz El Din x Tabanya)
• Tahsin (Pasha Yasin x Tamria II)
• Takreem Mounaz El Din (Authentic Ibn Nawaal x Takrima)
• Al Tair Tamaiyuz (Authentic Ibn Nawaal x Takrima)
• Tamar Halim (Ansata Sokar x Tamria II)
• Al Tair Tamoun (Taras x Taagirah)

Karsten and Sabrina have also bred a little more deeply within the Tamria bloodline, while adding the blood of horses like Authentic Ibn Nawaal and Ansata Sokar, for diversity. I find their program not only well thought out but also clever, as they have very creatively woven a genetic fiber that includes Tamria combined with the blood of *Bint Maisa El Saghira, Bukra, Kateefa (through both Alaa el Din and Kaisoon) and Magidaa, while intensifying the blood of Moniet el Nefous already present in Tamria through additional sources of Moniet blood like TheEgyptianPrince, Moneera, Manaya II and Nafteta.

230 Ibn Galal I (Ibn Galal I x 211 Zohair)

In 2000, Tzviah Idan and Kuti Aharon of Idan Atiq in Israel imported 8 mares and a stallion from Babolna Stud. A historic importation,  the horses they purchased in Hungary, for the most part, traced in tail female line to the mare, Hosna (Ibn Maisa x Ridaa), bred by Sayed Marei of Albadeia Stud in Egypt. However, Tzviah also selected a Tamria line mare, 230 Ibn Galal I (Ibn Galal I x 211 Zohair), a maternal sister of Tamria II and Taghira B. Imported as an aged mare and in foal to the stallion, Halim Shah I (Ansata Halim Shah x 214 Ibn Galal I), she produced Atiq Tamaara, the following year, in 2001. Bred to Wazir el Kheil, a son of the straight Babson Egyptian mare, Fa Mahfina, she produced a colt named Atiq El Wazir and a filly, Atiq Tamma, who has matured to become another important broodmare for Idan Atiq and for other breeders, for example, she produced  a grey stallion named Ground Zero in 2011, before joining the broodmare band at Idan Atiq, for whom she has produced the following horses, before she was sold:

• Atiq Tamria 2013 grey mare by Atiq Hilal 
• Atiq Taymur 2014 grey stallion by Atiq Hilal 
• Atiq Tohar 2017 grey stallion by Shaji Al Naif
• unamed 2018 filly, a full sister to Atiq Tohar, who was lost prior to registration

230 Ibn Galal I was bred two years later to Al Maraam to produce her last foal,  a beautiful, stretchy, chestnut mare, Atiq Sofsof, who has been an extremely prolific and beloved broodmare for Idan Atiq:

• Atiq Sof Hadereh 2010 grey mare by Nader Al Jamal 
• Atiq Shahira 2012 grey mare by Nader Al Jamal 
• Atiq Sofsofit 2014 grey mare by Atiq Abir (Nader Al Jamal x Atiq Ayla x Laheeb) 
• Atiq Sofar So Good 2017 grey mare by Atiq Abir 
• Atiq Shofar 2019 grey stallion by Atiq Hilal (Laheeb x *Hila B x Effendi B [An Nile Pasha x 223 Ibn Galal I] ) 

Atiq Shahira (Nader el Jamal x Atiq Sofsof), a Bronze Champion Show Mare

The Atiq SofSof daughter, Atiq Sof Hadereh, very much like her dam, possessing a lovable personality, has also been very prolific for Idan Atiq. Currently in foal to Shams Sharav AA, she has produced the following horses:

• Atiq Soferet 2013 grey mare by Laheeb 
• Atiq Sofiah 2015 grey mare by Atiq Hilal
• Atiq So Fine 2019 chestnut mare by Atiq Hilal

Tzviah feels that the Tamria line horses are extremely intelligent, able to engage in personally fulfilling and intimate relationships with their owners, especially in homes which have been founded with respect for and love of the horse.  The Tamria horses naturally crave human companionship. Tzviah feels that the Moniet el Nefous influence remains relevant to this day, with elegant, dry heads that are reminiscent of Moniet. The Tamria horses embody their authentic desert origin, right down to a very fine skin, which requires careful management to avoid allergic reactions to flies and other irritating conditions.

In an interview with Monika Savier, published by Desert Heritage Magazine, Robert Schlereth of Al Qusar Stud in Northern Germany said, "the best offspring we get is from the Tamria line." Robert and his partner, Volker Wettengl, in their home-bred horses, have incorporated the influence of Tamria at least once in the pedigree, through the use of horses like their foundation stallion,  Teymur B (Assad x 214 Ibn Galal I).

In another Desert Heritage published article, also written by Monika Savier, this time spotlighting the Al Qusar breeding program, Robert said of Teymur B, "we discovered Teymur B in Babolna when he was two years old. He is an offspring of the Ansata Halim Shah son Assad, and he did not only produce a whole number of successful show horses and champions, but, he also transmits his extraordinary, sweet disposition. His offspring are easy to ride and really willing and intelligent, just as he is. He won the stallion approval event, and had a successful show career, even if we showed him just a few times. He is the favorite riding horse of all the children coming here."

Teymur B (Assad x 214 Ibn Galal I)

Using Teymur B and a select group of Babolna-bred mares, who, like Teymur B are of the Tamria family (tail female line), Robert and Volker have also experienced extraordinary results in closely breeding the line of Tamria, by adding the following mares to their program, all purchased from Babolna: Turefi B (Assad x 214 Ibn Galal I), Teymura B (Alidaar x 214 Ibn Galal I), Tahia B (Assad x 230 Ibn Galal I) and Tisrina B ( Salaa el Dine x 211 Zohair). For example, Tisrina B was bred to Teymur B, to produce the 2004 stallion, Thaqib Al Qusar, who traces to Tamria through both tail female lines of the sire and dam.

The Babolna Stud, in practice, maintained a very high level of selection for their breeding program, which allowed Babolna to focus on the mares they felt possessed all of the capabilities to establish and develop strong families. For this reason, Babolna did not practice any form of close breeding, preferring a wider variety of bloodlines to work with. Before reaching the age of three, every horse at The Babolna Stud was put first into harness training and thereafter, under saddle, even progressing to further training and testing on the racecourse that was part of The Babolna Stud property. All of the results obtained through this rigorous testing phase,  especially regarding the disposition, as well as the genetic and physical ability of each horse, were carefully recorded, studied and discussed. There was much thoughtful consideration invested into any decisions made over the roles that individual horses would play in the future of the stud farm. It is my opinion that today, we enjoy the benefits of the strict selection practices employed by The Babolna Stud, as evidenced by the number of families established consistently within the Tamria bloodline. To think that in the very beginning, there was much controversy on the horses that Robert Burgert had purchased and imported to The Babolna Stud. Horseman were skeptical of horses like Tamria, who was very different in phenotype from the Arabians which were bred at The Babolna Stud in the past. Yet, here we are today, 37 years after the death of Tamria, to find that the continuing influence of a mare once considered too small and too light, has transformed into a most revered and highly sought after bloodline, within straight Egyptian breeding.

Video Focus: Moniet el Nefous

Moniet el Nefous is a Shahloul daughter, out of Wanisa (Sheikh el Arab x Medallela). By the start of the 1960's, Moniet el Nefous had foaled her celebrated Sid Abouhom daughters: Mabrouka in 1951, Lubna in 1953 and Mouna in 1954. She had also given birth to three of her four Nazeer-sired progeny: Ibn el Sheikh in 1955, *Bint Moniet el Nefous in 1957 and Maya in 1958. The fourth foal, a chestnut stallion named *Fakher el Din would be born in 1960. Moniet El Nefous was also bred to Alaa El Din three times, to produce Manar in 1965, Manaya in 1966 and *Soufian in 1968. Of the three horses, Manaya has contributed daughters to the EAO breeding program, one daughter in particular, Maali (by the chestnut Moniet El Nefous son Ameer) has been equally prolific as a broodmare. And finally, what about *Tuhotmos? Sired by El Sareei, Moniet El Nefous foaled him in 1962. It is interesting that *Tuhotmos was crossed back on Fayrooz, a daughter of Mouna, herself a daughter of Moniet El Nefous! This mare produced Fouzan, a 1971 chestnut stallion, who was gifted to the President of France and *Maather, a 1972 chestnut mare exported to the USA.

When you watch this video, keep in mind that it was filmed when Moniet el Nefous was elderly, well in her 20's. So, it would not be fair to make any judgments, from a conformational perspective. She remains an extremely significant mare (a vital ancestral element and building block) in straight Egyptian breeding and the main purpose here, for you, dear reader, is historical (thank you Fahad) as well as for your enjoyment.

Video Focus: Falima

Falima, a 1965 bay mare, was an *Ansata Ibn Halima daughter, out of the straight Babson Egyptian mare, Fa-Habba (*Fadl x *Bint Bint Sabbah), a first generation American-bred straight Egyptian mare, foaled from imported, Egyptian-born parents. She is pictured in the video with a colt sired by Ansata Shah Zaman,  Ansata Nile King.  Falima was a vitally important mare for Ansata Arabian Stud, producing mares like Ansata Nile Mist, Ansata Nile Jewel, Ansata Nile Queen and Ansata Nile Star and beyond the pastures of Ansata, for other breeders like Imperial Egyptian Stud (Ansata Nile Mist) and Hadaya Arabian Stud (Ansata Nile Jewel).

**A thank you is extended to Fahad Alazmi for this video, as well as the videos of Alaa el Din and Moniet el Nefous.**

Video Focus: Alaa el Din

Alaa El Din was a chestnut son of Nazeer, foaled in 1956, out of the Shaloul daughter, Kateefa.  Kateefa was a daughter of Bint Rissala (Ibn Yashmak x Risala). Through her tail female line, Kateefa traces through Ridaa to Rose of Sharon, a Rodania daughter.

In Egypt, Alaa El Din was a successful race horse and a sire of race winners. Alaa el Din ran a total of 6 races, winning 1 race, placing 2nd in another, 3rd in only 1 race and placing 4th in the balance of races. His sons *Farazdac (x Farasha) won 3 races out of 16 and Kased Kheir (x Sherifa) won 3 races out of 8. His daughter, Fayrooz (x Mouna) raced 5 times, winning 1 of those races. *Farazdac's full brother, *Faleh (a Legion of Merit winner, winning two National Championships in Native Costume and participating in a 100 mile endurance race), sired the extremely successful racehorse: Asjah Ibn Faleh (x*Dawlat), an IAHA Racing Colt of the Year(1977) and Race Horse of the Year (1980), in addition to wins in the show ring in English Pleasure, Native Costume and Halter. Asjah Ibn Faleh raced a total of 30 races, winning almost half of these, including the 1977 IAHA Derby. He, in turn also sired race horses, Asjahs Black Jewel and Asjahs Dominion, both out of the Ansata Halima Son daughter, Ansata Jumana. In Germany, the Alaa El Din sons: Sarwat and Sawlagan were talented, athletic horses, participating in demanding, athletic competitions at an age when most horses have been retired and no longer ridden. Alaa El Din was so successful in passing his athletic ability to his get, that the breeders in Poland expressed a very strong desire in purchasing him, for use in their breeding program.

The video, posted on You Tube by Fahad Alazmi (thank you Fahad) goes well beyond any photo that I have ever seen of Alaa el Din, in presenting a longer, deeper, more radiator-like athletic build, that makes one horse more successful on the racetrack than another. For this reason dear reader, I thought it was very important to post the video here, to further the understanding of an important foundation horse like Alaa el Din. For me, it brings closure in answering long-running questions, like for example, the phenotype of the stallion, *Farazdac. Now, it makes sense and I understand. *Farazdac, was very much his father's son. I remembered something that Hansi Heck-Melnyk once said, in describing Alaa el Din, whom she saw in Egypt:

"He was a rectangular horse, well proportioned all over."

At the time, I didn't realize just how powerful (and accurate) that statement was. Enjoy the video everyone.

QR Julio

Perhaps you received the same email blast as I did? Normally, I don't even look at them, as I click on the garbage can icon, as I continue working through the list of emails in my inbox. I just get too many of them and on busy days, well, you know how that goes. What was it about this particular email, that moved me from deleting, to reading and then, researching this particular horse, especially when time can be so fleeting? I have to admit partiality, when it comes to chestnut-colored horses. If I had to pick a favorite coat color (if that even exists for me), it would be the color chestnut. Do you know how prevalent the chestnut color is in QR Julio? In the first three generations of his pedigree (sire, grandsire, great grandsire), the color chestnut represents almost 90% of the pedigree! If you are a believer in phenotype following coat color, then the chestnut-colored horses like Kubinec and his sire Balaton, Enzo and Rawhides Amenda become more interesting horses to study, to determine which horses' influence is most significant upon QR Julio. The prominence of his facial crest bone and specifically, the size of his jowl, were motivating reasons to keep reading, as is the pronounced jibbah and the large, fully black, expressive eyes.  Not extreme, his head is classic and "dry", like you would expect in a desert horse possessing fine skin. Lastly, the subject line which included the name of *El Nabila B, who is half-Egyptian in pedigree, as his dam, 218 Elf Layla Walayla B, is an Ansata Halim Shah granddaughter, who traces in tail female line to Negma, a mare bred by Prince Mohamed Ali Tewfik. So there, you have it, the 1-2-3 (although, maybe not in that order) which got me to not only open the email but also, to watch his video and then, to do a little research, in order to really learn what he is all about.

Are you interested too?

When researching any horse, the first place that I look is the pedigree and specifically, the tail female line, which in QR Julio, runs from his dam, QR Mint Julep and all the way back to the 1925 mare, *Samirah, a Hamdaniyah Simriyah strain mare, bred by the Sa'ud Royal Family and imported by Albert Harris in 1931. It is interesting to consider that QR Julio descends from the same breeding program that produced esteemed mares like *Turfa and the mare that brought the Kuhaylan Kurush strain to Egypt, El Kahila.

The next thing that I study are the Egyptian lines. That's where my interest lies and those are the bloodlines I know best. As stated above, his paternal granddam is a straight Egyptian mare, a product of Babolna Stud's Egyptian breeding program, which began in the 70's when Dr. Hans Nagel imported horses from the EAO, who were quarantined at Babolna and from which, formed the foundation for the straight Egyptian breeding program which ran to the 2000's. However, QR Julio has more Egyptian lines in his pedigree, beyond the Babolna-bred mare, namely through the stallion Aswan (approx. 6%) and older Egyptian breeding through the maternal side of his pedigree in the form of horses like *Fadl, *Bint Serra I, Gulastra, Gulnare, *Aziza and Julep. So, QR Julio is a little more than 30% Egyptian in his pedigree. It is interesting that in his stud listing, his ancestry is presented as "Polish" but I would not consider this horse Polish, although he does carry Polish lines in his pedigree but he also carries a wide variety of ancestral elements in his heritage. For example, just studying the first few generations (and not going deeper), approximately 40% of his pedigree is comprised of horses who are considered "Russian-bred", like Balaton,*Padron, *Menes, *Muscat, Kilika and Kosmetika. Even his maternal grand-sire, Enzo, who is sired by the Russian Padron's Psyche, carries 40% of Sheila Varian breeding, so just like it would not be correct to say that QR Julio is Polish, he isn't "Russian" either. Maybe semantics, you might say and it would be more appropriate to say "Russian-influenced"?

I found QR Julio's maternal granddam, Kouream de Ment a fascinating mare. A 1986 bay mare, she was sired by a stallion named Kouros (Marhaba x Kissie) and out of a mare named Rawhides Amenda (Baghdad of Rawhide x Rawhides Nakota). Three generations later, you find a mare named Tambruk, a daughter of the stallion, Tobruk (Sulejman x Fazala). Do you know that the mare Fazala, is a daughter of *Bint Serra I, by *Fadl? Not a tail female source to *Bint Serra I as I would have loved to find but pretty darn close! Something to think about in this day and age, when it is so challenging to find breeding lines to *Bint Serra I and her celebrated dam, Serra, bred by Lady Anne Blunt at her Sheykh Obeyd Stud in Egypt. Kouream de Ment was picked by Lou and Vicky Doyle and became the foundation mare for their program, Quail Ridge Arabians in Gilroy, California. Do you know that this  mare is one of the leading mares in Arabian Horse World's study of key mares who have produced a record number of halter and performance winners? In addition to producing QR Julio's dam, Kouream de Ment is also the dam of the celebrated sire, QR Excel and of the mare Swete Dreams, the dam of QR Marc. When I see a mare like Kouream de Ment, in the hands of breeders who very wisely, combine a variety of influences together, in such a way to produce a stallion of the level of quality we see in QR Julio, well, their astute vision is something to really celebrate, as you would do for an artist who painted a museum masterpiece. QR Julio is that, a living masterpiece, in flesh and bone, with a profound spirit.

A 2009 stallion, QR Julio is now owned by Mark and Betty Jo Browning of Shadow Oak Arabians, near Sacramento, California. A proven breeding stallion, he has been used in an interesting way, bred to daughters of QR Marc, which further concentrates the line of an influential mare like Kouream de Ment. It makes me wonder how and in what form, will this bloodline transition into the future, motivating breeders to incorporate his influence, and that of his diverse ancestry, into their own programs.

QR Julio, as an individual, is substantial in body, with a broad chest, a laid-back shoulder, a deeper heart girth and a neck that is well-set, with a flowing line that runs uninterrupted, from the wither to the poll. He drives off of his hind end well, with elasticity in his hocks and appears to cover alot of ground in a relaxed, forward and supple stride. I find myself thinking of him under saddle, as he is functional in his conformation and in my opinion, in sensitive hands, would excel in the sport horse division, further bolstering the legacy of so many generations of breeders and their dreams, that is, to breed horses of sound mind, body and spirit who bring so much joy to Arabian horse lovers everywhere. Case in point, me, sitting here in New Jersey, cleaning up email only to discover the surprise of a most magnificent horse through an unexpected email in my inbox. Ah, sweet technology, a blessing and a curse, all at the same time.

Happy New Year everyone!