Think Nabiel...Feel Nabiel

Nabiel+/ (*Sakr x *Magidaa) as photographed by Polly Knoll

For most people, there are individuals, places, events, songs, books, television shows or even, scents, flavors and fragrances that become deeply embedded within our psyche and have the power to instantly, take us back to a time period that remains memorable in our lives. When people talk about the seventies, my memories are not of gold chains, polyester pants and Saturday night fever. For me, it is a horse and his name was Nabiel+/, a 1971 stallion bred by Gleannloch Farms, a son of *Sakr, out of the mare, *Magidaa. The name, "Nabiel", is derived from the Arabic "Nabil", which means, "noble" or "high-born" as in "the son of noble parents". World famous author, breeder and noted historian of the Egyptian Arabian horse, Philippe Paraskevas within his significant body of work, The Egyptian Alternative, Volume II, wrote of  the *Morafic daughter, Enayat, the dam of *Sakr, 

"Enayat can be appraised to be 'la crème de la crème' of the Rissala branches, and most of her progeny going forward will go on to become repositories of potential, going beyond what is available anywhere else in the strain." 

In this case, I believe that Philippe has further defined "noble," by underscoring the quality of a mare like Enayat. Nabiel is noble, because the horses that came before him, were also noble. As a child in love with Arabian horses, the monthly magazine, Arabian Horse World, was like a "window" onto this world and as I transitioned to middle school, Nabiel burst onto the Arabian horse scene, through the same door that horses like *Serenity Sonbolah and Ansata Ibn Sudan had unlocked for Egyptian-bred horses. Thanks to Bill and Pat Trapp, his staunchest supporters, Nabiel continued to build upon his meteoric rise to fame, becoming one of the most magnificent straight Egyptian stallions of modern times. 

Do you know that Nabiel+/ was a United States National Champion in 1974?  In a tough, extremely competitive class of up-and-coming young stallions, the judges pinned Nabiel+/ as the winner of the Futurity Colt Class. 

Nabiel+/ came back the following year in his quest for the top prize and was named a Top Ten stallion. He made one more bid for the National Champion title in 1976 and again, went as far as a Top Ten title. Nabiel+/ was awarded the legion of supreme honor, which is symbolized by the +/ placed after his name. The achievement award is bestowed upon the horse as a result of earning 150 points, from competing and placing in AHA recognized events. Eventually, as a sire, Nabiel+/ would become one of the first Egyptian-bred stallions to sire 100+ show ring champions. In an interview with Polly Knoll, published within Desert Heritage Magazine, Joe Ferriss asked Polly to share her memories of Nabiel+/:

"Bill and Pat Trapp went down to Gleannloch and picked out Nabiel out of all the yearlings available. Bill was a great horseman and he picked right because Nabiel turned out to be exceptional. Nabiel grew to be a big horse, with a beautiful head, long neck and good overall quality. He was a big winner in the show ring at the National level but also proved a great sire no matter how you bred him. He crossed well with all lines. He was another horse who worked very well with me in photo shoots."

Nabiel is one of those horses, for whom you need to study and consider his entire pedigree (beyond the tail female line) in order to make sense of what you see physically, versus what you read on paper. An analysis of the first four generations reveals that the majority of strain influence comes from the Saqlawi strain, approximately 75%. The Kuhaylan strain, overall at 12.5%, is equally divided between the Kuhaylan Rodans and the Kuhaylan Mimriahs, 6.25% each.  The reality is that Nabiel is only Abeyyan, as much as he is Hadban Enzahi or even, Kuhaylan Rodan. Each strain accounts for a minimal percentage of 6.25% of Nabiel's pedigree. In studying the entire pedigree (and not just the tail female line), one can better connect Nabiel's airy, longer, stretchier phenotype with that of the Saqlawi strain. With all that said, our breed tradition is to follow the chain of mares in the last line of the pedigree, the matriline or the tail female line, through which, Nabiel, traces back to the root mare of the strain:

Magidaa->Maysa-->Mahfouza-->El Mahrousa--> El Shahbaa

At the time in which he lived, the Abeyyan renaissance in the middle east, driven by the progeny and grand progeny of the elite mare, Hanan, was still 10-15 years from occurring. At this time, the straight Egyptian consciousness was focused on the Dahman and Saqlawi strains. In tail female line, Nabiel traced to the Inshass mare, El Shahbaa, a 1925 mare, purchased by King Fouad of Egypt from Mohamed Ibrahim al-Hajj in 1931.  The interesting thing about El Shahbaa is that we don't know much about her. In the Inshass Herd Book, she is recorded as being sired by a Hamdani al-Nasiri stallion and out of an Abeyyah Om Jurays mare. That's it. She is one of the horses in our gene pool that we have to take it upon faith, that she is who she is written to be, until science through mtDNA can confirm or prove otherwise. 

Through the present day, Al Khamsa recognizes 2,186 asil descendants of Nabiel, with 750+ born from 2000 through 2009. That's more descendants recorded within this decade than any other. What's even more interesting about this number is that Nabiel died in 1995, almost 15 years earlier.  As I skimmed through the roster of his descendants, looking for descendants of Hanan, I found the *Jamil daughter, Ansata Vali Nile, a 1986 daughter of Ansata Nile Dawn (Nabiel x Ansata Nile Queen) especially interesting, because she combines these alternative sources of El Shahbaa together in one pedigree. Ansata Nile Dawn was sold to Jan Van Ness of Flaxman Arabians and was exported to the Netherlands, while Ansata Vali Nile was consigned to the 1987 Pyramid Society Sale and sold to Gary & Gemma Barclay of Ontario, Canada.

Nabiel crossed especially well with the daughters of El Halimaar (*Ansata Ibn Halima x RDM Maar Hala), a Rancho Bulakenyo-bred stallion, also leased by Bill and Pat Trapp. For their program, the Nabiel daughter, Arabest Nabiela, was bred to El Halimaar, producing Arabest Aziz and and Arabest Zahra. The Nabiel daughter, Arabest Nafarah, produced Arabest Halifah and Arabest Aatika. It's also interesting to learn that the El Halimaar daughter,  Arabest Halifa, was bred back to Nabiel (her maternal grandsire) which resulted in the mare, Arabest Halina. Maybe it was the success of these crosses that inspired Rancho Bulakenyo to breed their gorgeous Nabiel daughter, SF Moon Maiden to El Halimaar, producing Kachina MH. One can say that SF Moon Maiden was the foundress of the Moon family at Rancho Bulakenyo, resulting in some of the most  unforgettable horses in the Arabian breed like Abraxas Halimaar, Moon Storm MH and Maar Nabiela. There was also a 1980 mare named Durrak. She was an Ibn Morafic daughter out of Dahma Bel Najiba (Bel Gordas x Jasmyn). She was bred twice to Nabiel, producing the mares: Nadera in 1986 and Ddecadence in 1987. The interesting thing (aside from the fact that a couple of weeks ago, I blogged about Bel Gordas), Ddecadence was bred to El Halimaar, producing the stallion, Shades of Goldd in 1992. The El Halimaar son, Abraxas Halimaar was also bred to Ddecadence, producing Sunddown in 1994. Mention must also be made of the El Halimaar daughter, Maardasa, out of Hadassa (TheEgyptianPrince x Nafairtiti), who was exported to Simeon Stud in Australia. Hadassa, also bred by Gleannloch Farms, figured prominently for the breeding program of John & Joyce Hurd (the breeders of SF Moon Maiden), as they bred Hadassa to Nabiel, producing Binte Hadassa and Nadassa, who was bred to El Halimaar, producing Bint Bint Hadassa. A variation or  "twist" of the El Halimaar cross would be  through the stallion, Halim el Mansour (a full brother of El Halimaar) combined with Nadassa, which resulted in the bay filly, Halim Nada, who remains relevant in the gene pool today. The beautiful chestnut Nabiel daughter, RA Aneesa (out of the *Soheir II daughter, AK Amheir) was also bred to El Halimaar, producing the breeding stallion, WH Bodacious in 1992 for The Pyramid Society former president, Martha Lucas of White Haven Plantation in South Carolina.

One of my favorite horses of all time is the stallion, Akid Geshan, a 1986 Nabiel son bred by Alyce Burgess of the Akid Arabian Stud in Virginia. Akid Geshan is out of Akid Hanalei, a daughter of another favorite stallion, AK El Zahra Moniet and a beautiful mare who blends newer Egyptian lines with older Egyptian lines as found in the Babson breeding program, as well as the *Nasr son, Sirecho.  What is especially interesting is that Geshan has a full brother, Akid Kasim, who has 33 descendants through the present day. When Akid Geshan was crossed with his paternal sibling, RA Amber Nabiel, the cross yielded in yet another beloved horse, Arabest Samir, the 2008 Egyptian Event Supreme Champion Stallion. Actually, RA Amber Nabiel was more than just a paternal sibling of Akid Geshan, as both horses carry the blood of *Moniet el Nefous, through their dam. Akid Geshan through *Ibn Moniet el Nefous (twice) and RA Amber Nabiel through *Fakher el Din and *Morafic. 

Some of the other crosses that I also found interesting are Asasi Mashallah, a 1987 daughter of Qastal, a *Soufian daughter out of the exquisite mare, Neama. Then, there was Nahbelle, the 1986 daughter out of Masada Bellesabah, very similarly bred to Akid Hanalei but without the lines to Moniet el Nefous. Nahbelle matured into a classically beautiful mare, who became a Reserve National Champion mare of Israel. And then, there was Nagda, a 1986 mare, who is a result of Nabiel, bred to his maternal sister, Bint Magidaa (by Shaikh al Badi). She in turn was bred to Alidaar,  Imperial Imdal (resulting in the stallion, Sterling Vision), Marquis I and that's how Nagda primarily remains relevant today. Nabiel was also crossed with the line of Tamria via the Babolna-bred mare, *Pharrah, producing two sons Royal Mikhiel and Royal Pharriel. When Royal Pharriel was crossed back with the line of El Halimaar, one of the most beautiful fillies, Bint Bint Pharrah was born. Tragically, this young mare perished in a fire, before the world could know of her potential greatness.  And of course, I can't forget the Nabiel daughter, Bint Bint Hamama, who was extremely popular, through her daughter, BA Halamet, who in turn, produced treasured mares like Abraxas Habielaa and Abraxas-Halamaa. Exported to Australia, BA Halamet was bred to Saba Arabians' Ansata Halim Shah son, Thaqib Al Nasser, producing a daughter, Al Maha Al Saba.

Although bred in America, Nabiel was a son of imported EAO horses and while many of the mares that he was bred to were daughters, granddaughters or great granddaughters of EAO imported horses, those breedings reflected the bloodlines that were popular and more widely used in America at the time, however he was also bred to a variety of newly imported Egyptian mares of bloodlines that were outside of the Egyptian mainstream at the time. I compiled the following list for your review: 

From the breeding program of Sayed Marei in Egypt:

• *Ameerat Al Badeia (Ameer Al Badeia x Naeema), producing the 1985 stallion, El Lateef
• *Lancers Nora (Kayed x Manal), producing the stallions, Pi Prince in 1985 and Pi-Sultan in 1987
• Nabeelat AlBadeia (Ameer Al Badeia x Meseda), producing the mare, AS Bint Nabiel in 1986
• *Kamar el Zeman (Seef x AK Hamida), producing the 1986 stallion, DW Katar, Shams el Masabar (Madkour x Sabrah), producing the 1987 stallion, El Nour
• *Dananier (Seef x El Amira), producing the 1986 mare, Annabiel
• *Gamalat AlBadeia (Asil AlBadeia x Farida), producing the stallion, Flame Ibn Nabiel in 1987 
• *Shagaret el Dorr (Kayed x Nagdia), producing the mare Shabiela in 1991 and the stallion, Shabiel KA in 1993. It is interesting that the Nabiel son, RA Jahim (out of *Masarra) was also bred to *Shagaret el Dorr, which yielded the daughters Tasharet in 1995 and Shaqaret in 1996 and *Dakilla (Bint Alia), who produced the daughters Nikilla in 1990 and Allikad in 1991. 
• The Kheir Allah (Kayed x El Amira) daughters: *Hafaz Manal (Sasab), produced the stallions, Gasur Ibn Manal in 1985, S Tewa Nabiel in 1986, S Nambe Nabiel in 1987 and S Jemez Nabiel in 1989 and *Dakilla (Bint Alia) produced the daughters Nikilla in 1990 and Allikad in 1991. 

From the EAO:

• ADH Saklawi Rakik (Shukri x Shooani - although the sire was bred by Gleannloch and the dam was bred by James Kline, it's all EAO breeding and the combination with Nabiel was very unique), producing the 1983 mare, Asha Kanille 
• *Gazbeya (Nasralla x Hagir), producing the 1977 mare, Shahliel, 
• *Masarra (*Tuhotmos x Bint el Nil), producing the mare, RA Nassara in 1986 and the stallions, RA Jahim in 1984, Kadin RA in 1985 and RA Kareem in 1987
• *Ramses Rahwana (*Ramses Fayek x El Tahra), producing the stallion, Ramses Cawsar in 1987
• *Dahk Al Rakessa (*Ibn Hafiza x *Barakaa), producing the stallion, Nabaha in 1993

From Germany:

• *Hamasa Samira (Mehanna x Sadya), producing the 1985 stallion, Shaikh Zayed
• *Shams El Ifara (Ibrahim x Shas El Faroussa), producing the 1988 mare, Nabiel Crown Jewl

From Hamdan Stables:

• *Monicaa (Ghalion x Monaa), producing the 1986 mare, CL Moniel 

From Ahmed Sherif:

• *Lubna (Sharaf El Din x Keshta), producing the 1985 mare, Lahib Al Hurriyat and the 1987 stallion, Azrak el Shah

While I am not suggesting that the progeny of any of these mares are more preferable over other horses; what I am suggesting is that these particular horses offer slightly different combinations of blood, which if utilized intelligently, offer outcross opportunities that can help breeders build diversity for future generations of breeders.

Nabiel was incredibly photogenic and Polly Knoll was the photographer who seemed to possess that rare ability to capture his magnetic charisma on film, in order to share it with the whole world. I have never seen a bad photo of this horse, even in casual shots. He was a larger-sized horse, approx 15.3 hands but it wasn't that he was taller, he was also larger, in terms of his substance. He was generously proportioned, well-muscled, with a broad chest, a wide back, a neck that was long but not thin, with very nice crest. Everything about him oozed power and yet, for as big of a horse as he was; he was a balanced individual, elegant and typey, with big, black luminous eyes that had the power to melt even the hardest of hearts. A few years ago, during a lull in the Egyptian Event, the trophies for each class were sitting on a table by the ring. While I had seen photos of Janel Maher's sculpture of Nabiel, it was the first time that I had seen the statue in person. 

Janel Maher's sculpture of Nabiel

For me, art is a physical representation of things that you enjoy most in the world. It can be awe-inspiring, filling you with happiness, just by seeing it and on troubling days, provides a mental escape from all that ails you, even if the escape is only fractions of a second long. You hope that art will give a physical reality to the colorful words that remain on the tip of your tongue or for the image in your mind, that words always fall short of fully describing. Sometimes, an artist's vision, talent and inspiration meld together to create art that not only moves you but comes closer than you ever imagined, to portraying a beloved individual in a lifelike manner, including the very essence that made the individual so unique in our world. As I stood in front of the Nabiel sculpture,  a giant-sized knot forming in my throat, I was impressed by the size of the piece (just like the real Nabiel) but more than that, I was overwhelmed with the living presence that emanated from the sculpture. The bronze metal, formed into a likeness of Nabiel, miraculously captured his spirit in abundance and unexplainably, overpowered me with a realization that perhaps, I was not fully cognizant of the complete horse that Nabiel was, when he was alive. Amazing that a bronze sculpture would inspire such thoughts as these but I don't believe that I am the only one to experience these feelings.  The artist, Janel Maher, was commissioned by Dr. Burt Melton of Rinconada Arabians to sculpt Nabiel in bronze. When Dr. Melton saw the sculpture, he said,  

"Though many have tried to capture the look and spirit of Nabiel, Janel Maher has succeeded! She imbued the essence of his soul, likeness, and legacy in this bronze. Her creation has immortalized Nabiel."

Throughout the history of the Arabian horse, breeders have turned to art over and over again for inspiration. When art strengthens one soul, generating feelings of joy, gratitude, wonder and awe, then art has succeeded as a form of inspiration. A quarter of a century has passed, since the death of Nabiel and while his get and grandget perpetuate his legacy, something has to be said for the touch of an artist, who reaches into the heart, mind and soul of another human being to memorialize the noble spirit of the horse we once knew as Nabiel.

***This blog has been published in The Arabian Breeders' Magazine, Volume V, Issue I***

The Visual Acuity of the Falcon

*Sakr +++(*Sultann x Enayat) with Tom McNair

Do you know what I find really interesting about *Sakr+++? In tail female line, he traces to Bint Rissala, one of two sources of the Rodania bloodline in Egypt. So, needless to say, he is Kuhaylan Rodan in strain:

*Sakr-->Enayat-->Ameena-->Yaman-->Yaquota-->Bint Rissala

However, if I go out to the third generation, that is, the generation populated by his eight great-grandparents, we get a completely different story about strain and influence. Five of the eight horses are Saklawi by strain, representing 62.5% of the pedigree and despite that by virtue of his tail female line, *Sakr is Kuhaylan; he is overwhelmingly influenced by the Saklawi strain. The Kuhaylan Rodan strain, on the other hand, only represents a fraction of influence, at 12.5%, which is as much as the Hadban and Dahman strains contribute. And, I think you will agree that *Sakr does not possess the body type that we associate with Dahman or Hadban horses. Another point to consider is when you study the pedigree of Yaman, his great grand dam, you will immediately notice that she was sired by a Saklawi stallion, El Moez, so really, the Kuhaylan Rodan percentage that she brings forward in the pedigree is reduced in half, approximately 6.25%!

How to further explain the Saklawi influence? *Sakr's dam, Enayat, was a daughter of the most famous of all Saklawi stallions, *Morafic. Her dam, Ameena, was also sired by a Saklawi stallion, the Inshass-bred Hamdan. Yaman as we have said, was sired by El Moez, a Saklawi stallion. On the paternal side, the stallion *Sultann, is approximately 75% Saklawi, as sired by Sameh (El Moez x Samira) and out of Lubna (Sid Abouhom x Moniet el Nefous).

Despite the fact that *Sakr+++ was a grandson of Sameh, a stallion who was recognized for possessing Kuhaylan type (and passing it on), *Sakr was stretchy and elegant. One of the qualities of the Saklawi strain is length, i.e. longer back, longer neck, longer legs and longer head.  In the photo of *Sakr+++ published within The Pyramid Society's Reference Handbooks, we observe the added length in *Sakr's body; which is the direct opposite of Kuhaylan type, noted for horses embodying a compact, closer-coupled frame.  While *Sakr may not have inherited the Kuhaylan type from his grandsire, Sameh, he most certainly did inherit the freedom up front in his shoulders, combined with the elasticity and power in the hocks that Sameh was known for passing on to his very athletic get, i.e. *Serenity Sonbolah.

Another interesting point to make about *Sakr+++ is his name. Do you know that "Sakr" means - "falcon"? And do you also know that falcons are recognized for having exceptional powers of vision? The visual acuity in some species of falcons was measured at 2.6 times that of a human!   Dr. William Hudson, a straight Egyptian breeder in Georgia, whose breeding program is prefixed with the name,  "Zandai,  recently concluded a mtDNA study, focused solely on the EAO matrilines. He published the results in an online science journal, PLOS ONE and he has also published the results of the study, along with other material, in book form. While the study (which included 126 horses, representing 14 matrilines), confirmed the reliability of the EAO Stud Book records; science does not concur with Bedouin breeding practices, that is, characteristics unique to strain designations, inherited through the maternal line, i.e. dam to granddam to great-grandam, etc. The study shed light on a few individuals, from different families possessing the same haplotypes, suggesting a common ancestress from long ago. This is where I find myself now, thinking about falcons, improved vision and a new focus or understanding, in the face of tradition, culture and of course, the horse with an ancient heritage, as developed by the Bedouin, out of necessity, to suit his needs. 

It's Spring...Finally!

 

"....large liquid dark eyes of oval shape..." - Carl Raswan

I pulled into the driveway and saw Maria getting out of her golf cart, arms full of hay.  She had just started feeding the horses. It was a good time to visit because I could help her with all of the chores while we talked. A quick "hey, how are you?  as I gave her a big hug and then asked, "where's your new mare? I don't see her." Maria quickly searched the group of horses with her eyes. "Um...oh, there she is, David, right over there, by the water trough. She's the little chestnut mare with the white star," she said and continued, "you know, I don't really know that much about her. Her owner died and the relative that I dealt with, didn't really know much, other than what was on her papers. She's a sweet mare though, sad, but really sweet. She doesn't socialize with the rest of the horses in this pasture. When she first got here, I thought maybe after a few weeks, she would be used to everyone. But that time has come and gone and still, she prefers to stand alone in the far corner of this field, away from all the other horses." Maria said, the concern clearly conveyed in her voice. "What do you think?" she asked me. I shrugged my shoulders because I had nothing to say. Maria looked at me and then continued, "the vet has seen her a couple times and ran a blood series on her but he can't seem to find anything wrong. Nothing. She's healthy. So, I have been wondering over her diet and I might switch her away from grain to a less carb, more forage-based diet. I've already tried a few herbal supplements but I haven't seen any change. She looks so sad, so withdrawn. I know this sounds crazy but I have an animal communicator coming here tomorrow morning."

"I don't think that's crazy Maria," I replied, "I know of a few people, who just like you, turned to a communicator, for answers that they couldn't find anywhere else. You might just find out what's bothering her and then, help her to feel better." We talked a little more about her new mare and a few other things and pretty soon, it was time to go home. "Call me and let me know what the communicator finds out about your mare. She's really cute." I said, as I backed my car out of her driveway and drove away.

Louise Reardon, the animal communicator, arrived early the next morning. Maria explained all of her concerns. After some time, the communicator called Maria over to the paddock, "you know, this was one of the more memorable sessions that I can ever recall. Your mare started to weep great tears of sadness, as if her heart was going to split in two halves, as she remembered her previous owner, her mistress. She had deeply loved her, as the woman was a gentle and kind soul. Marti was her name. She named your mare Desi. She doesn't like the name you gave her. She prefers that you call her Desi. Marti made Desi feel very special and she told her that of all the horses in the world, she was the most beautiful horse she had ever known. Marti always had kind, soothing words for Desi. She made Desi feel better. She spoke directly from her heart, using powerful feelings and images, rather than words, and then, Louise stopped for a minute, to brush a tear out of her own eye. "I'm sorry." she said. Maria looked at her in amazement, hanging onto every word she said. "But the most amazing thing your little mare said, is that she remembers Marti's eyes most of all. They were the most beautiful eyes. Dark, liquid eyes that seemed to be like two pools of melted obsidian. Obsidian. Can you believe Desi said that?" Maria was quiet and Louise, broke through the silence with what sounded like an unrelated question, "do you have a camera?"

Maria looked at her, puzzled and repeated, "a camera? Whatever for?" she asked. "Well," Louise explained, "Desi told me that when Marti looked at her, she could see, in the depths of Marti's eyes, her own reflection. So, I promised her that you would take her picture with your camera and show it to her every time you see her. It's not the same as seeing her reflection in Marti's eyes but I noticed you have light blue eyes and well, it's the best that I could come up with. It made Desi happier to know this." 

So, imagine my surprise, to learn the whole story, when I called Maria later. I cried, to learn that Desi was grieving the loss of her human. I also loved her name...Desi, it really suited her. And then, it hit me and I laughed out loud, "WOW, even horses like selfies, just like people."

The Brilliance of Sanaa

It had been a gloomier morning than he would have liked, with a bone-chilling dampness that hung heavy in the air. It was overcast and up until a few minutes ago, drizzling. The morning rain had saturated the pavement beyond its capacity to absorb any more water. The wet asphalt now had a luster, almost as if it had been waxed and polished. He leaned against the stick of his broom, admiring the driveway, so black, smooth and clean. "I really believed the sun would be out by now," he said out loud. He had not seen the sun in several days and feeling kind of low, he was thinking about the depression some people experience from the lack of natural sunlight. "I think that's what bothered Bonnie most of all," he said, as his eyes filled with tears. He could still picture her, sitting in her favorite beach chair, lathered up with so much sun tan lotion, she smelled like a coconut. "Grab a glass of tea Jim and come sit here, next to me" she would say, her voice always on the verge of a hearty laugh. It would be two years next Wednesday, since she had died. Even on his worst days, he was always comforted by the sound of Bonnie’s voice. He shook the sadness away from his mind, as if it had been a bothersome fly, buzzing around his head. He had a long list of things he needed to accomplish this afternoon and could not afford to lose himself or his enthusiasm in such thoughts. In the meantime, the day was becoming a bit brighter and warmer. The sun, no longer hidden behind the clouds, bathed Jim's world in dazzling sunlight. Suddenly, the front yard was awash with light. The light bounced off of the asphalt, reflecting onto the lawn, bushes and flowers. The driveway becae like a brilliant piece of obsidian. Jim was enchanted with the brilliant light. He gasped with delight. "Wow, I haven't seen anything so beautiful in a long time!" he exclaimed with surprise and wonder in his voice.  

I have always been enchanted by the effect that light has, on even the most ordinary object. A shard of broken bottle glass, if it catches the sunlight just right, transmits a rainbow of color into our world. As we read in the previous short story, light can lift a person up, out of despair and sadness. The brilliance that Jim witnessed, became his own. Sanaa, whose Arabic name means "brilliance", was a pretty 1961 EAO mare, sired by the stallion, Sid Abouhom, who also sired Farasha, our Butterfly. 

Sid Abouhom was an El Deree son, out of the beautiful mare, Layla, who was an Ibn Rabdan daughter. The cross of El Deree and Layla resulted in a larger-sized horse, who was very powerfully built. Longer neck, longer back, his immense front end, with his powerful shoulders and the most prominent withers that I have ever seen on an Arabian Horse. To me, Sid Abouhom's type reminds me of a Thoroughbred racehorse, possessing the body structure that made him successful on the racetrack. He was built for running. While Dr. Ameen Zaher was not fond of this horse and of his subsequent use in the breeding program; General von Pettko-Szandtner felt that Sid Abouhom would correct the overall conformational flaws that he observed in the EAO breeding program. General von Szandtner wanted to breed a more functional horse, closer to the cavalry horses that he managed at Babolna in Hungary.

Yashmak, the dam of Sanaa, was given a name derived from the Turkish word, yaşmak, which means to "cover up" or "hide" with a veil. A yashmak is a type of veil made from combining two pieces of muslin, one piece which goes across the face, just under the nose, while the other piece covers the head. Some yashmaks even incorporate horsehair at the temples, to further cover the face.

Yashmak, foaled in 1941 was sired by Sheikh el Arab and out of the Crabbet-bred mare, Bint Rissala, eventually tracing back, through four generations to the important desert-bred mare, Rodania.  In Judi Forbis' landmark book, The Classic Arabian Horse, she tells us that,

"Yashmak was a big, tall, graceful bay mare with a long supple neck, longish head, well-shaped with huge black eyes, and much improved in type over her dam."

Notice the adjectives that Judi uses in her description of Yashmak: big, tall, long and huge. She must have been a very solid, big-bodied mare because Judi also tell us that the Saudi Princes, when visiting El Zahraa were struck by her size, as compared to the other mares, who were noticeably smaller in stature. Within the context of who she was and the powerful mare family that she belonged to, I can understand the meaning of her name better. It is an appropriate name. I can't emphasize enough how powerful this family is, their inherent prepotency for producing their own phenotype with great consistency, almost as if they are "hiding" or "covering"  any influence another horse can make in the pedigree. A high percentage of United States National Champions can be traced through the tail female line, to Rodania. It is a line which has produced champions, whether in an arena or in the breeding shed. Yashmak, as a member of the Rodania family, was an incredible broodmare, having produced by Shahloul, the mare Om el Saad, whose daughter, Bint Om el Saad would become the dam of the much loved 1971 United States National Champion Mare, *Serenity Sonbolah. Yashmak also produced by Mashhour, the mare Rahma, the dam of Rawayeh, who when bred to the EAO stallion, Aseel, produced the exciting and very promising stallion, El Mareekh. Yashmak was also the dam of *Rashad Ibn Nazeer, by Nazeer, who became an important stallion for Richard Pritzlaff. She also produced by El Sareei, an ultra-refined bay beauty named Rashida, who produced by *Morafic an influential daughter named Nazic, particularly through her Gassir daughter, Nazeefa and her *Tuhotmos daughter, Nana.

In Lady Wentworth's monumental study, The Authentic Arabian Horse, I recall a passage made by her mother, Lady Ann Blunt, suggesting that the proper breeding of the Rodania-line horses were to be made with an ultra-refined Saqlawi stallion. In Sanaa's time period, I can't think of  a more elegant or refined stallion than *Morafic. Sara Loken, who lived in Egypt in the 1960's and was responsible for saving the life of the stallion, Hamdan and importing the Moniet el Nefous son, *Fakher el Din, said of *Morafic in the May 1984 issue of Arabian Horse World,

"an eloquent personification of Nazeer. Envision the monochromatic landscape of Egypt, the flat vastness of the sand, the constant cloudless blue sky, and the shadowlessness bright sunlight, and then suddenly the shimmering beauty and vitality of *Morafic. A contrast in textures of life, time, and form."

In 1964, Sanaa was imported by Gleannloch Farms as a young, three year old mare. She was bred to a variety of the top Gleannloch stalllions like *Faleh, Moftakhar, *Ibn Hafiza and the brilliant *Morafic. Sanaa was also bred to *Ansata Ibn Halima, who was on lease to Gleannloch, which was in the very early days of Ansata, while Don and Judi Forbis were overseas. Rhita McNair, who took the lovely photo of Sanaa, said of *Ansata Ibn Halima in an August 1984 Arabian Horse World tribute to Ansata Arabian Stud,

"...he was a statue of perfection, with those eyes that stared 'way off' into time and space. He was one of the most beautiful Arabians I have known..."

Sanaa's influence would be felt primarily through her sons, who became champion show horses and important sires for other breeding programs: namely her *Morafic son named Mosry+++, who earned a legion of supreme merit and sired over 140 horses, including Imperial Mistry, an Ansata Nile Mist daughter, who in turn produced Imperial Imperor, who would become a foundation stallion for Gibson Arabians in Loomis, California. Imperial Imperor would sire a chestnut daughter out of Ansata Aziza named GA Moon Tajhalima. Karen Henwood of Sandybrook Arabians bred this mare to Anaza el Farid and the fabulous stallion, Farid Nile Moon, was born.

For the purpose of this study, I wanted to focus on her son by *Ansata Ibn Halima, who was named Hossny. However, I want to also point out that by *Ibn Hafiza, Sanaa produced the bay colored, Sahlih, who was campaigned by Cherry Hill Arabians of Alabama, as a Class A champion , Regional and Scottsdale Hunter Pleasure and  Show Hack performance horse. Sahlih is an interesting horse, as the combination of Sameh with Yashmak, produced *Serenity Sonbolah. I am always surprised that this stallion wasn't recognized more by breeders, who wanted to incorporate the combination of blood resulting in a celebrated mare like Sonbolah but via the sire line, instead of the tail female line.

Hossny was purchased by Imperial Egyptian Stud in the mid-1970's from Gleannloch Farms. He was a 1966 stallion and Imperial had purchased Hossny to complement the collection of mares that they had already purchased by this time: *Malekat el Gamal, *Fawkia, Ansata Nile Mist, *Serenity Sonbolah, *Serenity Sabra, Deena, *Pharrah, AK Monareena and Dalia. Once the influence of Ansata Imperial and Moniet el Nafis began to be felt and Imperial determined the direction of their breeding program with these horses, Hossny was sold to Count Federico Zichy-Thyssen, who was building a straight Egyptian breeding program, founded on Imperial and Ansata bloodlines. I was particularly touched by something that Count Federico had said about Hossny, because it speaks so loudly of the horse's personality and the relationship that a person, like you or me, can enjoy with these special horses,

"Hossny was a true friend, my personal mount and companion."

Alhough Hossny's career at Imperial was not long-lived, the continuing influence of Hossny would be felt primarily through his daughter Imperial Sonbesjul (out of *Serenity Sonbolah). I find it especially interesting when I consider that Imperial Sonbesjul is actually a pure-in-the-strain Kuhaylah Rodaniyah, tracing through her tail female line to Yashmak through Om el Saad, as well as through the tail female line of her sire, through Sanaa to the same mare. So when Imperial Sonbesjul was bred to the pure-in-the-strain (and double Farida tail-female) Dahman stallion named El Hilal, a son of *Ansata Ibn Halima and the Nazeer daughter, Bint Nefisaa; the question that I had was which strain would prove dominant over the other? The extraordinary result was the influential stallion Imperial Al Kamar, not only an important sire for Imperial but also, for Rancho Bulakenyo, his new home. There are two considerations, as to which strain had the most impact on Imperial Al Kamar. Considering that the Kuhaylan Rodan strain was combined with *Ansata Ibn Halima, gives an edge to the Dahman strain. Also, the body color of Imperial Al Kamar is grey and not chestnut, which again points to the Dahmans.

For Count Federico Zichy-Thyssen of Haras El Atalaya in Argentina;  Hossny's influence would be felt in a big way through his daughter, IES Sondusah, out of SF Bint Sonbolah, a *Khofo daughter out of *Serenity Sonbolah. What is different in IES Sondusah than Imperial Sonbesjul, is the presence of the Hadbah Enzahiyah mare, Yosreia, through *Khofo, as well as Antar. When IES Sondusah was bred to *Jamil, she produced the mare, ZT Jamdusah. She in turn was bred to Anaza el Farid and produced the breath-taking stallion ZT Faa'iq. This Gigi Grasso photo for me, captures all of the reasons why this stallion is an exciting horse for straight Egyptian breeders.

So, to further underscore the complementary blend of Dahman horses with the Kuhaylan Rodans, in ZT Faa'iq, we have two more sources of Farida, through Madkour I and through the Sameh daughter, Deenaa, in addition to the Bahraini line through *Bint Maisa el Saghira, as well as more *Ansata Ibn Halima. However, I want to be careful in making a statement which credits the Dahman strain solely for a beautiful horse like ZT Faa'iq, as one cannot discount the Abbeyyan influence of two super-powerful mares like Magidaa and Hanan. We know that both these mares have created families which are enduring and very relevant in our current breeding population. It is interesting, in light of the statement made by Lady Anne Blunt, regarding the proper breeding of the Rodania horses and how a most beautiful and balanced horse like *Ansata Ibn Halima, through his son Hossny, blended so well with this family of powerful females.

***you can read the full article in The Arabian Breeders' Magazine, Volume I, Issue II***

A Gentle Man's Horse

Farid Albadeia (Ameer Albadeia x Farida)

For many people, Farid Albadeia was the living representation of the ideal Arabian stallion. Farid's beauty was so legendary, that Farid was named National Champion Stallion of Egypt more than once! So many years later, with a smile, I can say that he lives...the memory of this great horse is relevant today, as he was yesterday. He is truly timeless.

Farid Albadeia was a son of Ameer Albadeia, which also made him a paternal grandson of *Malekat El Gamal. An absolutely beautiful grey mare, *Malekat El Gamal, foaled in 1968, was bred by Sayed Marei. Sired by the Nazeer son, Waseem and out of the Nazeer daughter, Nagdia; *Malekat El Gamal, by virtue of her pedigree, was 50% Nazeer, which is the equivalent of having Nazeer as a sire, even though the horse had died eight years earlier. *Malekat El Gamal had a most soulful expression and her eyes were enchanting. Perhaps this is where Farid inherited his most beautiful eye because if there was one attribute that more people remembered Farid for, it was his large, lustrous, black eye. They were like windows, allowing a glimpse of his kind, gentle and heavenly soul. The concentration of Nazeer in Farid's pedigree is as intense as we found it to be in *Malekat El Gamal. Farid carries 5 lines to Nazeer or, 43.75% of the pedigree reflects this influential horse. What's even more interesting, is the concentration to the mare, Bint Samiha, the dam of Nazeer. Farid traces to her through Nazeer plus an additional 2 lines through Zahia, which boosts the percentage of her influence to approximately 26.56% of his pedigree. Not only is Farid a pure-in-the-strain Hadban Enzahi, his dam, Farida and *Malekat El Gamal, the dam of his sire, were sisters, as both mares are offspring of Nagdia, which makes the influence of a few individuals in Farid’s pedigree, that much more intense. For example, the difference between the sisters comes down to two individuals, the stallions *Ramses Fayek, who brings in the influence of Farida; while on the sire side, it is Waseem and the Kuhaylan Rodan influence through Malaka. The multiple sources of the Hadban Enzahi strain, together with 3 crosses to the Kuhaylan Rodan strain, plus an equal number of crosses to the Dahman stallion, Sid Abouhom, all work together to explain the strong, compact, masculine and muscled physique we see in Farid. 

Farid Albadeia (Ameer Albadeia x Farida)

He was impressively built, like a horseman’s horse. Well-muscled and substantial, he exhibited the strength that most of us expect to see in a stallion. Like most horses with ties to the mare, Farida, Farid had a deep and powerful hip, flowing into a strong croup and loin. His hind end was full, rounded and was smooth, strong and powerful, balancing an equal amount of power on his massive front end. His neck was gracefully arched with the most impressive crest that I have seen on an Arabian stallion and was set higher on his chest, anchored by a beautiful, laid-back shoulder. His overall balance and harmony conveyed a picture of overwhelming beauty. There are very few horses who can compare to the level of quality that Farid possessed in abundance. However, Farid was more than a correct stallion, for all of the powerful energy radiating from his body, he also had some of the finest features which not only included his eye but also, his chiseled head was short and wide, the fine skin accentuating the prominence of bone and vein, smaller ears and large, elastic nostrils enhancing the look of an authentic desert horse. 

Farid was bred twice to the most beautiful Egyptian Arabian mare of recent times, the world champion mare Gelgelah Albadeia, to produce two beautiful fillies: Farha Albadeia in 2000 and Bashooshah Albadeia in 2002. Both Farha and Bashoosha were bred to Majd Al Rayyan (Safir x Ansata Nawarra) and produced fillies (Kenooz is Farha's filly, while Tasaheel was produced by Bashoosha), who have also been incorporated into the breeding herd. While Gelgelah was purchased by Halsdon Stud in England, her full sister, Galagel Albadeia, was also bred to Farid twice and produced Shakawa  and Sonbolat AlBadiea. Galagel is out of Anhar Albadeia, a daughter of Ameer Albadeia, the sire of Farid, therefore, the doubling of the blood of *Malekat El Gamal. Farid also sired Sondos Albadeia, a beautiful bay mare out of Mahasen Albadeia, a top mare in the Albadeia breeding program.  Sondos produced Itlalah, another exciting show mare who was named multi-champion in Europe, including Supreme Champion in The European Egyptian Championships held in Baden Baden, Germany. One of the most successful show mares of Egypt and the queen of the show ring, Ibtehag Albadeia (Badran Albadeia x Halawat Albadeia) was bred to Farid and produced a son named Inshallah Albadeia. This stallion, at two years of age, won National Junior Champion in his first show ever! He was gifted by a gentleman from the Gulf to HRH Prince Abdullah Ben Abdul Aziz, then crown prince of KSA. Inshallah Albadeia stayed at the prince's private stud farm, Al Janaderia, in Riyadh. The prince became the King of KSA and Inshallah Albadeia remained at Al Janadeia for years.  Farid is currently represented in the Albadeia program by his sons: Nagham Albadeia (out of Dnadanah Albadeia), Dahoom Albadeia (out of Simeon Safir) and  Burhan Sakr (out of Alidarra). Farid was like the national treasure of Egypt and to this day, people lament his loss, because horses like Farid bring comfort to the soul, merely by their presence. 

****This blog post is lovingly dedicated to the memory of Nasr Marei, still deeply missed by many people, all over the world. You can read a more complete version of Farid's story within The Arabian Breeders' Magazine, Volume IV, Issue II****

To Serr, with Love

"If you wanted the sky 

I would write across the sky 

in letters that would soar a thousand feet high. To Serr, with love." - To Sir, With Love by Don Black & Mark London

The straight Babson Egyptian dressage horse Serr Maariner (Ibn Fa-Serr x Maarena) was a horse of a lifetime and time, has proven just how special he really was.  Within the context of his life, Arabian horses were rarely chosen as dressage mounts and the appreciation felt for the breed, especially within all-breed performance competition, was as minimal, as the number of individual Arabian horses participating in the sport. Outside of the breed community, Arabian horses were not taken seriously for any of the Olympic equestrian disciplines. So to better understand his success within the sport, one must also understand the role that Serr Maariner also played, in breaking down the barriers of breed prejudice, making it possible for other Arabian horses to not only participate in the discipline but also to succeed in the sport, receiving the same opportunities that other breeds of horses enjoyed. 

In the very beginning of his dressage career, Serr Maariner struggled with an irregularity in his gait, shortly after arriving at Princeton Arabians.  Gail's husband, Major Hector Carmona, an Olympic medalist in the Modern Pentathlon for Chile, a former dressage competitor and dressage coach for the USET, felt that Serr Maariner’s lameness was not a serious medical condition and could be solved through slow, correct training. Hector and Gail suspected that the horse had never been started under saddle properly. Patience and kindness prevailed and Serr Maariner's lameness improved. He prospered under Gail’s care. “In training, Serr Maariner showed intelligence, talent and a strong desire to do whatever was asked of him,” Gail remembers.  When Serr Maariner started schooling second level movements, Gail wanted to believe that Serr Maariner had enough talent to go far in the sport. However, she was hesitant to invest the time and work into him because she wasn’t sure that he was capable of going as far as she believed he could. Major Hector Carmona knew well the desire and determination of his wife, who wanted to train an Arabian horse all the way to Grand Prix. Even though Serr Maariner was already 10 years old and had sired approximately 26 foals; because of his intelligence, conformation and trainability, Major Carmona encouraged his wife, not only in Arabian competition but also in the open USDF divisions as well.  Serr Maariner's work ethic, his focus on the task at hand was amazing. He loved the work. Some people who knew both Gail and Serr Maariner said that he loved Gail and as a result, would do anything she asked of him. It only took five years, to take Serr Maariner rapidly up through the levels, all the way to Grand Prix, earning the coveted USDF gold medal in Prix St George. Again, I need to remind you that Arabian Dressage horses were exceedingly rare in the open divisions and the Egyptian Arabian horse that he was, possessing the hallmarks that very obviously identified which breed he belonged to, was enough to dismiss him. However, the "little horse who could" prevailed and he was honored as an AHSA/Insilco Horse of the Year, as well as a USDF Horse of the year six times (and the first Arabian horse to compete at FEI levels), in addition to American Arabian National Championships in Second, Third and Fourth Level, as well as twice Reserve Champion and a Top Ten. He was also the Eastern States Dressage Champion in second and third levels. 
  

I lived a short distance from the Los Alamos Dressage Center and I had the opportunity to visit, with more regularity. While I was interested in Dressage and becoming a stronger rider; it really was more about the Egyptian Arabian horses and the opportunity to be closer to them. Looking back, I don’t really think I understood the opportunity that I enjoyed. One of my favorite memories was watching Gail work Serr through one tempi changes, which he executed effortlessly and smoothly; Gail smiling radiantly through the whole sequence. I was in awe, watching this amazing horse, as he enjoyed his work. Serr Maariner had an expressive head conveying a remarkable degree of intellectual curiosity. There was a light in his eyes, a sparkle, and an inner confidence that made him even more attractive than he already was. His body, as a result of his dressage training, was dramatically different than what his physique looked like prior to his training. With all of his muscles, he really took your breath away. I am reminded of a passage from My Horses, My Teachers, written by Alois Podhajsky, "Correct work had made him more beautiful, his muscles had developed, and he moved cheerfully and powerfully in balance and harmony. He was convincing proof that systematic and methodical work will result in the increasing beauty of the horse."

As Serr Maariner’s fame grew, many organizations expressed interest in having Serr perform in long lines at their event. One of the most amazing experiences highlighting Serr Maariner’s extreme intelligence occurred at an exhibition in New England, when Major Hector Carmona was still alive. The performance was choreographed to music and during one of the warm-ups, Gail felt that maybe, instead of having him perform the piaffe within a particular segment; she would have him canter instead. She spoke with Hector about it over dinner that night and both agreed that a change to the canter would enhance the overall performance. During warm-ups the next day, when it came time to execute the piaffe, Hector asked Serr to canter and Serr hesitated and started to collect himself for the piaffe. So, Hector asked again and this time, Serr turned his head around to look at Hector with a very puzzled expression. Later that day, Hector and Gail shared laughs over Serr’s amazing ability to think within the scope of his work. Serr Maariner was a true partner in this endeavor and knew the choreography, as well as his trainers did!

Serr Maariner lived a long life and was a very athletic, willing, and focused dressage horse, right up to the very end of his life. When he retired from the show ring and from regular work, he was not happy with a slower pace of life and wasted little time in letting everyone know of his discontent. Gail had no choice but to return him to a regular work schedule, where he was ridden daily. Busy with a successful dressage teaching business, Gail was also in demand as a clinician and short-on-time. One of her working students expressed interest in taking Serr Maariner home with her, to Canada, where she would have the time that Gail did not have and incorporate Serr Maariner in her teaching business. So, in his final years of life, Serr Maariner travelled north, to Canada, to live quietly, with the consistency of the work that he so desired.

Gail, with humility, spoke honestly about Serr Maariner. As successful as he was in the sport, she was the first to say that he really was not built specifically for dressage but that he was willing and able to use his body and brains in ways that made him successful. He remains one of the most talked about Arabians of our times; truly, a beautiful horse inside and out. Now, more than a decade since he died, Serr Maariner remains a unique Arabian Horse who possessed an abundant level of charisma and appealed to a wide variety of people who really, never believed that Arabian Horses had the talent and the ability to not only be competitive in the discipline of dressage but also, to work at an advanced level, in the collected frame of a classically-trained high school horse. 

***you can read The Ballad of Serr Maariner within The Arabian Breeders Magazine, Volume II, Issue III***

A Pretty, Little Mare

Char Echo (Negem x Sirhabba)

"Mr. Reid, you can't buy the quality you are looking for. You have to buy one of these and produce what you are wanting." - Homer Watson to Floyd Reid, August 1968 

This story starts over forty years ago. Floyd Reid had traveled to Rancho San Ignacio, to look at the mares Raya del Sol (*Rashad Ibn Nazeer x *Bint Moniet el Nefous) and Faaraa (Faarad x *Binte el Bataa). He wanted to purchase either mare from Richard Pritzlaff and with high hopes, he and his wife set out for New Mexico, in search of their Egyptian dream. The mares were everything that Floyd imagined them to be and more, however, it was not meant to be. With the Pritzlaff mares as a new standard, the Reids set out for a comparable Egyptian mare, this time at the Babson Farm. They saw many beautiful mares, unfortunately, all of the mares that he liked were not for sale. In December of the same year, Floyd Reid visited Dr. Keith Krausnick of Shar-Char Farms in Lamar, Colorado. Dr. Krausnick suggested the chestnut mare, Sirhabba (Sirecho x Habba), bred by Mrs. John Ekern Ott. Floyd's wife, Margaret, who has an artist's eye, was impressed by this "pretty mare" and after they had gone home, encouraged Floyd to consider her. While Floyd told me that Margaret was not a horse person, in the strictest sense of the word, he believes that artistically, Margaret felt that overall, Sirhabba's quality and old world type was reminiscent of the horses she remembered seeing at Pritzlaff's ranch. 

By the time that Floyd Reid had met Sirhabba, she was a proven broodmare, as she had already produced 5 colts and 2 fillies, for Shar-Char Farms: 

• 1963: Sirgem (by Negem) 
• 1964: Char Echo (by Negem) 
• 1965: Char Rabdan (by Negem) 
• 1966: Shar Gema (by Negem) 
• 1967: Shar Gemla (by Negem) 
• 1968: Char Sirab (by Fa-Serrab) 

In February of 1969, Floyd Reid purchased Sirhabba, in foal to Fa-Serrab (Fabah x Serr Abba). Three months later, Sirhabba produced the mare FaSerrabba. Floyd had admired the stallion, *Ansata Ibn Halima,  since visiting Ansata in May of 1965. The visit to Ansata was so powerful in Floyd Reid's life, it altered the course of his breeding program. Soon after seeing *Ansata Ibn Halima, Floyd dispersed his champion Arabian horses, including his National Top Ten stallion, Rahym, in favor of establishing a straight Egyptian breeding program. I asked Floyd why he wanted to breed to *Ansata Ibn Halima, 

"We had attended and shown at the Arabian National Championships, eight years in Colorado and four years in Oklahoma by the time we bought Sirhabba. I had never seen a "better" horse."

It is significant that in his search for just the right Egyptian mare to breed to this stallion, Floyd chose Sirhabba. I asked Floyd why he felt Sirhabba would be a good match for *Ansata Ibn Halima and he replied,

"When we returned with the trailer and I 'first' looked at Sirhabba, I was satisfied, she was a pretty, little mare. She was in foal to a nice stallion, Fa-Serrab, and I saw no glaring faults that I thought would fail to blend with *Ansata Ibn Halima." 

I also asked Floyd about his expectations or rather, his goals, in using horses like Sirhabba and *Ansata Ibn Halima. He told me, 

"All that I wanted was to get a couple of pretty, grey mares out of *Ansata Ibn Halima x Sirhabba." 

And so, Floyd Reid bred Sirhabba to *Ansata Ibn Halima not once but twice, producing the mare Sirhalima and the stallion, Al Karim Sirhalima (aka AK Sirhalima). While Floyd retained the mare FaSerrabba, he eventually sold a pregnant Sirhabba, together with her *Ansata Ibn Halima daughter, Sirhalima, to Bentwood Farms. 

He took the mare, FaSerrabba to Ansata el Sherif, to produce the mare Fa Sherifaa, who eventually became an important mare in Marilyn Lang's program. Sirhabba, now at Bentwood Farm, was exclusively bred to *Ibn Moniet el Nefous, to produce 2 colts and 2 fillies:

• 1973: AK Sirmoniet (colt) 
• 1975: AK Monahabba (filly) 
• 1976: AK Nasaar (colt) 
• 1977: AK Bint Sirhabba (filly)  

Little did Floyd Reid understand at the time he purchased Sirhabba, how he was to become the catalyst for this particular line of horses, insuring that the beloved mare, Habba, while lost in matrilineal descent within straight Babson Egyptian lines, would survive and prosper within straight Egyptian breeding. 

***You can read the story of Sirhabba in its entirety within The Arabian Breeders' Magazine, Volume II, Issue IV.***

THE COLOR OF PERFECTION

Fa Ali Bey (Justynn x Bint Fasherifaa), as photographed by Lisa Moffat

"Alec could not turn his eyes away; he could not believe such a perfect creature existed.”  - Walter Farley, The Black Stallion

Within a horse lover's mind, there exists a visual image of the perfect horse. How we arrive at this visual definition of perfection is uniquely personal and reflects a variety of experiences that inspire and encourage the love for the horse. For some people, this ideal was formed by a horse they saw in a movie. For others, this is the horse that ran across the pages of a book they once read. And then, there are the students whose visual ideal was found within the history of the breed, an ancient breed of horse bred to survive within a challenging desert environment. And still, for others, this ideal image is influenced by a respected horseperson, whose knowledge and experience, we hope one day to emulate. 

I don't really remember when I first met Marilyn Lang. I have known her for so long now, that it seems like I have known her forever. I was attracted to her breeding program, as she combined beloved ancestral elements, namely, the Babson horses tracing to *Bint Bint Sabbah, the *Nasr son, Sirecho, *Ansata Ibn Halima and Bukra, through the use of Ansata El Sherif. Over the course of 30 years, Marilyn used these bloodlines carefully and judiciously, to establish a breeding group of mares, unparelled anywhere else in the world. Close-coupled and comprised of flowing, rounded lines; Marilyn's mares are substantial with broad chests, excellent neck set, deep shoulders and heart girths, strong, smooth and wide backs, deep hips, powerfully muscled hind ends and deeply pigmented skin, with large, fully black, lustrous eyes as the proverbial "cherry-on-the-top-of-the-sundae". I felt Marilyn's mares, as individuals, were distinctive, strong-bodied and structurally correct horses but as broodmares, they were in that elite class of mares recognized for consistently producing foals who embodied a higher level of quality than their own.

Fa Angelita Rose (Fa Fajeer Halim x Bint Fasherifaa)

The dam of Fa Ali Bey is Fa Angelita Rose, a 2004 black mare, sired by Fa Fajeer Halim (Halim el Mansour x Fa Bint Anniq) and out of Bint Fasherifaa (AK Sirhalima x Fa Sherifaa). She is Dahmah in tail female line tracing to *Bint Bint Sabbah and she is also overwhelmingly Dahmah in the rest of her pedigree, approximately 62.5%!  I can't think of an individual who is more representative of Marilyn's extraordinary breeding program than Fa Angelita Rose. Not only does she represent 4 generations of Marilyn's breeding, her phenotype shows all of the attributes that have been critically important to Marilyn, for all these years. To me, Fa Angelita Rose inspires the deep respect and admiration I feel for Marilyn as a straight Egyptian breeder, because Rose is exactly the type of mare that I dream about. She is perfect.

 A long time fan of Justynn's dam, Bint Bint Justina (Thee Desperado x Alijamila), Marilyn wanted to incorporate her influence within her program but had not found a way to do so, until she learned of her black son by Alixir, Justynn. For 2 or 3 years, she studied Justynn's foal crop carefully, especially, the foals born from mares similarly bred to her own. Continually evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of her program, Marilyn felt that she had gone as far as she could go with her current program and needed to incorporate outside lines, in order to take her breeding program in the direction of where she wanted to be in the next 5-to-10 years. Satisfied with the quality and the consistency of Justynn's get, Marilyn decided to add the influence of Justynn, and that of Bint Bint Justina, to her breeding program.

 "My mares needed stretch.....black stretch was icing on the cake."-Marilyn Lang 

I was familiar with Alixir as he is the sire of the stunning Bellagio RCA, who at the time was considered to be Arabians Ltd.'s up-and-coming sire. More of an outcross for Marilyn's program, as compared to the lines that she had been working with; Justynn was Dahman by strain, as are the majority of Marilyn's horses. However, when you study all of Justynn's pedigree, you get an entirely different story, than what the dam line says about the strain of influence. Justynn is influenced more by the Abeyyan and Hadban strains, than by the tail female Dahman strain, which by the way, is less than 10%! His Abeyyan percentage is 31.25%, while his Hadban percentage is 12.5%. What's really interesting is that half of the Abeyyan influence (15.625%) comes by way of the stallion, Ruminaja Ali (Shaikh Al Badi x Bint Magidaa).  Justynn's heritage combines several note-worthy breeding programs like the Marei's in Egypt, Dr. Nagel's in Germany and in America, that of the Jameson's, the Marshall's, Jarrell Mc Cracken & Lisa Lacy, the St Clair’s, Judith Forbis and the Sirbasku’s.  Marilyn bred Fa  Angelita Rose to Justynn three times, resulting in a beautiful black filly, Fa Negmah Halima in 2012, Fa Ali Bey in 2013 and Fa Ibn Jameel in 2015.

When I visited Ezzain Arabians in Kuwait seven years ago, there were two mares that I adored: Ekramilbari Ezzain (NK Qaswarah x NK Yasmin) and Alttafilbari Ezzain (NK Qaswarah x Ajmal Ibtihaj). Usamah teased me about it, that of all the mares to choose from, I had picked the only black mares on the farm.  Was I a color breeder in disguise? However, now in hindsight, what I found interesting about my choices is the mare Alttafilbari, as she traces to Ansata Justina in her tail female line: Alttafilbari-> Ajmal Ibtihaj-> Alijamila->Ansata Justina. This is the same tail female line of Justynn!  Three years post-Kuwait, I had an opportunity that allowed me to personally engage with horses who are related to Justynn. For example, the get of the stallion, Alixir. Collectively, as a group, I not only found these horses to be beautiful; they were also kind, willing, loving and a pleasure to be around.  Also, at this point, having now met the descendants of Ansata Justina in two different countries, I think that I better understood Marilyn's decision in selecting Justynn for breeding. And even though I didn't have the opportunity to know Justynn personally, through personal interaction with  horses who were related to him, I learned how much I appreciate the bloodline in producing the kind of horse I prefer over others.

Fa Ali Bey (Justynn x Bint Fasherifaa), as photographed by Lisa Moffat

I never really thought much about the body color of horses, as I love horses of all coat colors. However, in my childhood, I discovered The Black Stallion series of books, written by Walter Farley. As the oldest of 6 children, my parents could not afford to indulge my love of horses in any form and a library book, like The Black Stallion was the only way I knew, to bring horses into my life. The story of a black Arabian stallion, that no one but a child could control and the adventures that both enjoyed together made a powerful impact on my childhood. When Marilyn shared the photos that Lisa Moffat had taken of Fa Ali Bey, I couldn't believe my eyes. Here he was, that mythical horse of literary fiction, in the flesh! 

Marilyn told me that as Fa Ali Bey gets older, he reminds her more and more of AK Sirhalima, although she admits that Ali is taller than AK Sirhalima and possibly, a little prettier in the head. Marilyn also says of Ali,

"His personality is about as close to human as any Arab I have ever been around. He is a touchy feely kind of stallion. He wants to touch you. He loves having people put their hands on his mouth for extended periods of time, just rubbing his muzzle. He has a great sense of humor too. He will talk to you. He is an amazing Arab, so full of himself  and yet, so kind and loving."   

A proven stallion, Fa Ali Bey has sired well for Marilyn and also, for other breeders. Glenn Stevenson bred his beautiful Thee Desperado daughter (out of a Mishaal HP x Pimlico RCA crossed mare) which resulted in a beautiful, charismatic filly he named GS Selena. While Marilyn on the other hand, has bred some of her top mares to Ali, resulting in a spectacular crop of young fillies, so consistently beautiful that it is difficult to pick one as a favorite over another: Fa Adorah Mia (out of Fa Bint Aanisah) , Fa Bint Carolina Moon (out of Fa Carolina Moon), Fa Maariana Moon (out of Fa Bint Maar Mara), Fa Serras Joy (out of SES Bint Khelira) and Fa Lila Moon (out of Fa Camelia Moon).  Ali bred nine mares last year (6 of those mares are owned by other SE breeders and 3 of those mares are carrying EBC foals) and 2021 is shaping to be an exciting year at Fantasia Arabians as Marilyn's exquisite Shaheen Al Waab daughter, Fa Tiaa Nasreen and the stunning broodmare, A Ali Ryah, an SES Halimaslegacy grand-daughter who traces in her tail female line to *Bint Serra I, are both in foal to Fa Ali Bey. Marilyn hopes to be freezing Ali's semen this winter, hopefully for export. 

As I said in the blog I wrote for *Hadban Al Shaqab a couple of weeks ago, there are many living stallions in this community who make my heart race with excitement. However, after learning a little more about them, that rush of adrenaline soon fades, as does my interest for them. Fewer in number are those really special stallions, who come so very close to being that perfect horse you see in your mind. Ali's beauty, his success as a sire, the stories of his charming and playful personality make me wish that I owned a mare, just so I could breed to him, yet another chapter in the continuing saga of a long-ago child's black dream horse.  While Ali is a vibrant, modern-day stallion, he has an old world look, as if he stepped out of Walter Farley's famous book or even, a museum painting.  So dear breeder, what are you waiting for? Justynn's life is a perfect example of thinking that everything lasts forever, including a horse's life. A healthy, vibrant, very-much-alive stallion one day and then, gone, just like that. NOW IS THE TIME. Take action before it is too late and you run out of time, because regret, well, that's not so easy to live with. I personally know that.