2020: Your Favorite Blogs

The very first blog that I published in 2020 was QR Julio, a 2009 son of *El Nabila B and out of the Enzo daughter, QR Mint Julep, now owned by Mark and Betty Jo Browning of Shadow Oak Arabians. QR Julio was the subject of an email blast that I had received during all of the post-holiday clean-up and as busy as those days were, I decided to open the email at the last minute, discovering the wonder of  QR Julio and the promise hidden deep within his pedigree. Little did I realize, in those first new days, the kind of year that soon, would begin to unravel. 

In mid-March, overwhelmed with the daily news of the virus, I did my best to hide my anxiety.  The haunting images on the daily news shows, the closure of businesses, schools and houses of worship, the changing medical information pushed me over the edge and into a very dark place. Through life's ups and downs, horses have always been my constant. They have been my refuge from the storms of life but the pandemic was different and for the first time, horses were not enough.  I wondered, "who cares about horses when so many people are dying?" It was only through the kindness, encouragement and support of friends like Tzviah Idan, Jody Cruz, Christine Emmert, Jamie Zissis, Robin Lee, Judi Forbis, Joe Ferriss, Marilyn Lang, Char Webb, Kristy Whipperman and somewhat unexpectedly, Arabian Essence, through their webcast, Stay At the Farm, that pulled me out of despair and gave me the glimmer of hope. Soon, I realized that much of what I was feeling, was also being felt by others. I wasn't that alone, as I thought I was. I also realized that through my blog, I might be able to help others to re-focus and take their minds off of the virus, even if only for a few minutes and focus on a horse that is beautiful and joyful, no matter what is going on in the world. And so, a new found determination prevailed and you dear reader, reciprocated in the form of clicks and page views, as you will read below.

Ibn Fa-Serr with Homer Watson

The Straight Babson Egyptian Arabian Horse remains your favorite blog of 2020, having received more clicks than any other blog, not only in 2020 but year-over-year, since I first published it in January of 2009. As a matter of fact, if I take the total amount of clicks the Babson blog has received over its lifetime and compare against the all time favorites; The Straight Babson Egyptian Arabian Horse blog is your 2nd favorite blog of all time, earning almost 5,000 clicks!

Nagsous

However, it was like a "photo-finish" between the Babson blog and (less than 100 clicks separates #1 and #2) the #2 blog, which was all about Nagsous, a 1992 son of Makhsous (*Sultann x Nabda) out of Nagliah (*Ibn Hafiza x *Nabilahh). Unlike the Babson horse blog, Nagsous was written and published in 2020, in March.

Major Mac V

Hot on the heels of Nagsous, in third place, is the story of the beloved Varian-bred, Major Mac V (Maclintock V x Majors Tiffany GA), published four months after the story of our equine superhero, Nagsous, was published. 

Tamria

In fourth place is the story of Tamria, the EAO-bred mare selected by Dr. Ameen Zaher and Dr. Hans Nagel, and imported by The Babolna Stud. I don't think I have worked as hard on a blog, as I worked on Tamria, maybe not since I wrote Looking for Adaweya, which appeared first here and was later published by Samantha Mattocks, The Arabian Breeder's Magazine in England.

Classic Dahra

Rounding out our Top 5, is a blog that I published back in February 2009, the very first in a series of blogs that I titled: BEDOUIN BEAUTY. Your 5th favorite blog of 2020 was all about the Jibbah.

In sixth place was another blog that I published in 2009, about the stallion Anter, a son of Hamdan and a full brother to Shaloul, who together with their full sister, Samira, were part of the group which Judi Forbis' called "THE FABULOUS FOUR".

Atum

In July of 2020, and then again in September, I published a blog about Atum, a 2015 black stallion, sired by Silver SK (Thee Desperado x AK Shalina) and out of Aleah Al Moutribah (Al Adeed Al Shaqab x TheMinstrils Aria). The 2020 Scottsdale Supreme Gold Champion Stallion at the National Breeders Finals, Atum was the 7th most clicked blog of 2020.

*Ibn Safinaz

In September of 2008, a few days after the death of *Ibn Safinaz, a Seef son out of Safinaz, I published my tribute to this most wonderful stallion and his dam. The late Beverly Sziraky of Imperial Egyptian Stud once said,  "I have always felt that Safinaz was one of the most underrated straight Egyptian stallions in the breed. His contribution to the lmperial breeding program was immeasurable." You dear reader, agreed with Beverly and made this blog the 8th most clicked upon blog of 2020.

Waheed Al Azhaar RZ

Waheed Al Azhaar RZ  is an impressively built stallion, sired by Amer Azhaar, a Laheeb al Nasser son out of the Dorian Weil-bred mare, Dorian BintHadidi (Hadidi x Dorian Fa Halima). His dam, Desired Millicent is a daughter of Desperados Getaway (Thee Desperado x ImperialBtKalilah), out of Menouthis, who traces to *Ansata Bint Zaafarana. Waheed Al Azhaar RZ was the 9th most clicked blog of 2020.

*Bint Moniet el Nefous

By the year 1958, Moniet el Nefous had foaled 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. The blog on *Bint Moniet el Nefous was one of the very first blogs I wrote and published in June of 2006. Her story was your 10th favorite blog of 2020.

If we consider the statistics for ONLY the blogs written/published in 2020 and NOT the blogs written/published prior to 2020, the top ten list would include 5 of the blogs presented above, like Nagsous (moves up to #1), Major Mac (moves up to #2), Tamria (moves up to #3), Atum (moves up to #4) and Waheed Al Azhaar RZ (moves up to #5), however, the following 5 blogs climb into the top ten and dear reader,  these blogs become THE HONORABLE MENTIONS OF 2020:

In November, I published the blog about *Hadban Al Shaqab,  a 2001 stallion, sired by Ashhal Al Rayyan (Safir x Ansata Majesta) and out of Sundar Alisayyah (Ruminaja Ali x Imperial Sayyah). He is a maternal brother to the late Al Adeed Al Shaqab, as both horses were out of the same dam, sired by different stallions. He was the 6th most clicked upon blog, out of all the 2020 published blogs.

Also in November, I published a blog about Thee Revolution, a Thee Desperado son out of a very special and uniquely bred mare named Bint Zaarina, a Glorieta Zaarina daughter out of Anchor Hill Hamla. "Rev" was the 7th most clicked blog, out of all the 2020 published blogs.

In October, I published a blog about Fayad Al Shaqab, a 2016 son of *Al Adeed Al Shaqab out of Exotic Tremor, a Richter MH daughter (and full sister to Binte Aziza MH) whom Dr. Joseph "Jody" Cruz also bred but had previously sold. I thought it was interesting, that the blood of Exotic Tremor would return to Rancho Bulakenyo, in a slightly different form. I think dear reader, you felt the same way, as you made this the 8th most clicked upon blog, out of all the 2020 published blogs. 

In February of 2020, I learned that NK Hafid Jamil had passed away. I was deeply saddened by the news, which now, looking back, was like a harbinger of the strange year that would begin to unravel in a few weeks. Seven years ago, when I visited Ezzain Arabians in Kuwait, I came face-to-face with the profound impact that NK Hafid Jamil had exerted within the Ezzain breeding program, creating a unique horse possessing a level of refinement and elegance that I had never encountered before. I shared my feelings and all this stallion taught me. In return, you made it the 9th most clicked upon blog, out of all the 2020 published blogs.

Which brings us to the final blog in our year-end review. WHO was your 10th most clicked upon blog, out of all the blogs published in 2020? Well, dear reader, it is a mare and her name is Echo Hill Jemma. Originally published in February 2020, I re-published her story earlier in December. Echo Hill Jemma is a 2009 grey straight Egyptian mare, sired by the Miri Berger-bred stallion, *Alaa Jabbar Ma'Absha (NK Jamal el Dine x El Waha Martaba) and out of MB Jamillsa, a double *Jamil granddaughter. In tail female line, she traces to the *Ansata Ibn Halima daughter, Monisa Halima (she has her own blog, The Mare Who Once Was, as well as the full length article published in The Arabian Breeder's Magazine).

So my wonderful friends, that's how a strange year like 2020 unfolded, here, at all for the love of a horse... and in conclusion, I would like to extend my thanks to you, for taking the time out of your day to read the words that I have written. Without you, my dear reader, there would be no blog, because I would lose my sense of purpose and the great encouragement that I derive from all of your visits. While I look forward to the forthcoming new year and hopefully, an end to the pandemic, please take a few minutes to remember all of the wonderful people we have lost this year. If there is one lesson that we can take from 2020 into 2021, is to be generous with kindness. Keep in mind that adversity is not a stranger to anyone and we all face some kind of struggle, at one time or another in our lives. Best wishes for a happy New Year!