Diversity Through Fada

"People may be said to resemble not the bricks of which a house is built, but the pieces of a picture puzzle, each differing in shape, but matching the rest, and thus bringing out the picture."-Felix Adler

It's challenging to identify which line or which horse is an absolute favorite because each individual is so unique, with attributes that may not necessarily exist in another. My favorite horses seem to be ever evolving. One day, it might be this horse, another day it might be that horse.  In a small breeding community (Egyptian Arabian horses represent approximately 5% of the total Arabian Horse population); one would not expect such a wide diversity of phenotype, right? Even within a family, diversity exists. One of the most powerful lessons in phenotype diversity was presented by Judith Forbis, in Authentic Arabian Bloodstock (the blue book). Judi presents three stallions, previously recognized as Kuhaylan Jellabi strain (now considered Saqlawi) and closely-related through the straight Babson Egyptian mare, Fada (Faddan x Aaroufa), who is present in the tail female line of each horse: the straight Babson Egyptian Fadl Dan, the Babson-Moniet el Nefous cross: Prince Fa Moniet and in the blended lines of Farida/Moniet el Nefous/Babson of Mohummed Sadden.

Fadl Dan

Of the three stallions, Fadl Dan is the only horse who physically embodies the characteristics that we accept as being Kuhaylan strain. His silhouette was comprised of rounded lines, more substantial in body, muscular, wider chested, powerful shoulders, well-muscled forearms, a shorter, thicker, crestier neck and larger, rounder jowls. It is interesting that of all three horses, the source of Kuhaylan Jellabi is closer in his pedigree, than the other two horses, as *Fadl sired his father, his maternal grandfather and grandmother. I am not surprised by Fadl Dan's phenotype, as he is concentrated in the blood of the horses who sire this type of horse more consistently.

Prince Fa Moniet

Prince Fa Moniet, who is the complete opposite of Fadl Dan's phenotype, appears more like a Saqlawi Arabian than he does a Kuhaylan. While Fadl Dan was a stockier built horse; Prince Fa Moniet was a bit more "stretchy" in his conformation. Not as close-coupled as Fadl Dan, Prince Fa Moniet had a longer back, a longer, slender neck, with a roomier throatlatch which came out of a very defined wither. Prince Fa Moniet's legs were longer and he was built more like a sleek racing greyhound; with a deeper heart girth. I remember watching the way he moved and was stunned over his agility in the round pen. Not as powerfully built as Fadl Dan but still a muscled horse; Prince Fa Moniet's muscling was accentuated by the fine skin, as if he were chiseled out of the finest white marble. He was so elegant. While Fadl Dan was a son of Fada; Prince Fa Moniet is a maternal grandson. Physically, the influence of the Moniet el Nefous family had more of an impact on the phenotype of Prince Fa Moniet, as compared to the Babson side, through Fada.

Mohummed Sadden

Of the three stallions, Mohummed Sadden is less of an extreme example in phenotype. He is a combination of the physical attributes found in the other two horses. Mohummed Sadden embodies the qualities that we have learned to identify as "Dahman". He was sired by the pure-in-the-strain Dahman stallion, El Hilal, who was a son of *Ansata Ibn Halima, out of the Farida tail female mare, Bint Nefisaa, imported from Egypt by Gleannloch Farms. His dam, Akid Fa Mona, is a full sister to Prince Fa Moniet, which brings in the Moniet el Nefous blood, as well as the Babson. This may be the reason why he is closer to Prince Fa Moniet in his physique, than he is to Fadl Dan. Both horses have the Babson and Moniet el Nefous blood in common, however, the Farida blood changes everything in Mohummed Sadden.

Fada (Faddan x Aaroufa)

In my opinion, some of the most exquisite and most extraordinary Egyptian Arabian Horses have been a blend of Babson bloodlines with Halima and Moniet El Nefous. In horses like Fadl Dan, we see the strength and beauty of the Babson lines, in their purest form. Prince Fa Moniet launched a new era of Ansata breeding, revolutionizing the breeding program. It is really amazing, when one thinks of Fada (Faddan x Aaroufa) and the tremendous influence she would exert upon the world of Egyptian breeding with horses that did not resemble her physically but still, were connected to her by blood and genes. When Fada was produced at the Babson Farm, were her breeders even aware of how she would impact the future? Fada and her descendants can be a parallel example for our very human lives, proving to us that underneath it all, we are more similar than we are different, our very human-ness, a common bond and connection.

“…the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls, and interesting people.”– Henry Miller