all for the love of a horse...: Nader Al Roeya AA

15 February, 2021

Nader Al Roeya AA

Nader Al Roeya AA (Nader Al Jamal x The Vision HG)

Nader Al Roeya AA is a 2011 stallion, bred by Ariela Arabians and owned by Nayla Hayek of Hanaya Stud. He is a son of Nader Al Jamal (Ansata Sinan x Savannah CC) and out of The Vision HG (Thee Desperado x Belle Staar). Of his sire, Nader Al Jamal, Jeff Wallace of Arabian Horse World Magazine, recently posted on the magazine's Facebook page :

"some stallions are meant to be breeding horses and impose a positive influence wherever they land - therefore they build an importance around themselves. Nader Al Jamal is one of those stallions."

I enjoy looking through the photos on Bar Hajaj's Facebook page, which is where I found the above photo of Nader Al Roeya AA. I am not sure if I can put into words what it is about this particular photo that grabbed my attention so suddenly and made me forget everything else. I mean, Bar Hajaj is one of my favorite equine photographers and it's expected that I would appreciate one of his photos and of course, Nader Al Roeya AA is so physically attractive, no surprise that he would command the full attention of anyone, including myself. His beauty is beyond compare but it's that scopiness hidden within that voluptuous multi-circular balance of beauty and classic Arabian horse type, that suggests effortlessness, ease, fluidity, sleekness, suppleness, smoothness, blended together to create something a little more exciting, a little more beautiful, a little more unique. It's in these details that one discovers quality, as defined through grace and elegance. Does that make sense? As elusive as words are right now, how can I further explain what Nader Al Roeya means for me? My dear reader, if someone were to stop me on the street right now and ask me, point blank, to describe the ideal Arabian horse, the description I would offer them is Nader Al Roeya AA.

At first glance, you may be impressed knowing that Nader Al Roeya AA is out of one of the most celebrated and beloved mares in straight Egyptian breeding but as captivating as The Vision HG is, you would miss the unique story of this stallion's heritage and all the other horses who have a part in it, if you don't dig a little deeper. So, I went to his pedigree, directly to his tail female line and discovered Zaafarana (Balance x Samira), a 1946 mare, bred by the RAS. Her dam Samira (Ibn Rabdan x Bint Radia) was a full sister to the important stallion Shahloul and Hamdan, chief sire for Inshass. In tail female, she traces to the mare Bint Helwa, whom Lady Anne Blunt had purchased from Ali Pasha Sherif. Zaafarana was celebrated in her time for her brilliant action and presence. She must have been electrifying, when moving. She captivated all who watched her, including Judith Forbis who once said,

"she was a mare of exceptional quality and brilliant action."

Zaafarana was an excellent producer, passing on her athleticism to her sons *Talal (by Nazeer) and Amrulla (by Sid Abouhom), who became champions and much loved racehorses in Egypt. Six generations is all that separates Zaafarana from Nader Al Roeya. You will find the line of maternal influence through the following chain of mares: The Vision HG -> Belle Staar -> Alia-Aenor -> Hasna Al Badia -> El Ameera -> Zaafarana. For me and that of my level of understanding, The Vision HG was the extraordinary mare she was, only because she was a Zaafarana, one of the best dam lines in all of straight Egyptian breeding.

By strain, Nader Al Roeya AA is Saqlawi but it is interesting to note that he is influenced as much by the Saqlawi strain, as he is by the Hadban Enzahi strain. The pedigree unites a diverse collection of bloodlines together with a twist, as the blood of a few key individuals is further concentrated, to impact Nader Al Roeya AA in a most unique way. It's really clever in hindsight, as it minimizes the number of horses expected within the first five generations of a pedigree. In this case, what should be 62 horses populating the first five generations is actually 45 horses, as 8 horses appear more than once in the first 5 generations, thereby increasing the contributing influence of each of the 8 horses. For example, the 1984 stallion, The Minstril (Ruminaja Ali x *Bahila) appears four times in the pedigree, twice through his son, Thee Desperado and also, through two of his daughters: Belle Staar and Miss Maggie Mae. He represents almost 38% influence of Nader Al Roeya's genetic heritage. What's interesting though is that Miss Maggie Mae, is out of the paternal grand dam of The Minstril, helping to boost the percentage of influence that Bint Magidaa was already exerting through her son, Ruminaja Ali, to over 20%, just shy of the influence that a grandparent would exert in another horse's pedigree. TheEgyptianPrince, through Thee Desperado and additionally, combined with Prince Fa Moniet and Alia-Aenor, contributes a similar percentage of influence. However, when you combine TheEgyptianPrince with the other sources of Moniet El Nefous blood, that percentage increases, just under 30%! As far as outcross blood is concerned, it is very small; primarily through the mares Fada (Fadaan x Aaroufa) and El Ameera (Nazeer x Zaafarana), both at a little over 3% each. One can make a case for Ansata Abu Sudan, introducing the blood of his dam, *Ansata Bint Misuna (Nazeer x Maysouna) into the mix and separately, the mare, Ansata Delilah, who introduces the blood of her dam,*Ansata Bint Misr (Sameh x *Ansata Bint Bukra), however, these individuals are further out in the pedigree and by their generational position, contribute a very small percentage of genetic influence, as compared to the other horses named previously. In deciding whether Nader Al Roeya AA is the right choice for your mare; you really need to focus upon the key individuals in the pedigree, study them and understand how their influence will complement the genetic influence of your broodmare. For example (my opinion), if I were to consider him as a suitable stallion choice, it would be because my mare(s) are strong and loyal to their strain, Kuhaylah Rodaniyah(s), with very little or no Thee Desperado/Minstril/Ruminaja Ali or Moniet el Nefous blood. Not that what I am writing to you dear reader is offered as a magic formula of success but rather, I say this more for the opportunity to develop unique combinations of widely-used bloodlines, in conjunction with other bloodlines that may not be so wide-spread (pockets of outcross opportunities). And, since we are discussing how to best use this horse's genetic legacy, can I add in closing that Nader Al Roeya is a proven breeding stallion and has been standing at stud with Uri Shaked Training Center since 2020.

As I wrote in the blogs for Simeon Sebedee, *Hadban Al Shaqab, Thee Revolution, Fa Ali Bey and *Nebras Al Rayyan, no horse lives forever and the same reality that exists for all of these named stallions, also exists for Nader Al Roeya, whose own sire, Nader Al Jamal, tragically, died too soon. Nader Al Roeya AA is now 10 years old. In this community, I have seen too many really good stallions die, underused at stud, only to read breeders quickly express their "if only I had...". Well, here's a "heads-up" from me to you dear breeder...NOW IS THE TIME. Nothing lasts forever, not even Nader Al Roeya AA. Will you be ready when forever gets here?

1 comment:

TzviahThursday, February 18, 2021 2:31:00 AM
You are correct. He has been, sadly, badly underused. A lovely horse.
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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.