27 June, 2021

Naseem at Menton!

A million thanks to Arabian Essence TV for making this video footage from the ECAHO class A show that is being held in Menton this weekend available (and so quickly) of class 9, stallions 4-to-7 years old. Naseem Al Rashediah, entry number 154, is a 2014 grey stallion, bred by Mr. Rashid A. Rahman Al Jasmi of Al Rashediah Stud in Bahrain. A son of the late Al Adeed Al Shaqab (Ansata Halim Shah x Sundar Alisayyah); Naseem Al Rashediah is out of Nabaweyah Ezzain (Ansata AlMurtajiz x NK Nakeebya), a bay mare bred by the late Mr. Usamah Alkazemi of Ezzain Arabians in Kuwait. Naseem Al Rashediah placed third in the class, behind entry number 150, the 2016 grey stallion, Saif Albidayer (Excalibur EA x Nesj El Markhisa) who won the class with 93.08 points and entry number 152, the 2015 grey stallion, D Seraj (Fa El Rasheen x Ladi Veronika), who placed second, also earning 93.08 points. Saif Albidayer edged out D Seraj on type, as he received four 20s, compared to the three 20s earned by D Seraj. It is extraordinary (as well as very interesting) that the sire of Saif Albidayer, Excalibur EA (Shanghai EA x Essence of Marwan EA), entry number 160, placed first in class 10, the 8+ year old stallion class. I don't envy the job that the judges have upon their hands today. In the midst of so many beautiful horses, any of which can be named champion, who to choose? 

***BREAKING NEWS****

  1. Excalibur EA is named the Gold Senior Champion Stallion! 
  2. The Silver Champion Senior Stallion is D Seraj!
  3.  Naseem Al Rashediah wins Bronze Senior Champion Stallion!

Congratulations to the owners, breeders, trainers and all who love these horses.

Happy Summer everyone!

26 June, 2021

Summer Reading

Have you given any thought to which book(s) you plan to read this summer? Reading a book, in terms of the time you invest in doing so, is a commitment. I know, I know, it seems we never have enough time left in a day to accomplish all that we set out to do and now, I am suggesting that you add a book to it? Well, summer reading, for me, is all about finding that one really good book, you know, that one book that you can't stop thinking about, long after you finish reading it? In some cases, this can also be the book that changes your life and therefore, well worth the time you sink into the task. 

Perhaps you have received the email blast, which directed you to the website or maybe, someone you were speaking with, mentioned the book. In the prologue of The Matrilines of the Egyptian Arabian Horse, a massive two-volume set, Dr. William Hudson writes, 
"This book is written specifically for people who are new to Egyptian Arab horse breeding; it is written for beginners. There has been no attempt to sanitize or simplify the subject; it is not neat and it is not orderly. It is complicated." 
Dr. Hudson sets out on a literary journey, weaving together the latest developments in equine genetic science with the vast history, art and culture of the Arabian horse.  Intrigued by the private mtDNA study that Dr. Hudson had been engaged in for so many years; I was expecting a book that focused on the results of the study and how the results will impact Egyptian Arabian horse breeding. However, the book that I got is so much more than that! The book is amazing and at times, overwhelming. It's not a book about pedigrees, in the same sense that books like The Pyramid Society's Stud Book for Straight Egyptian Arabian Horses Worldwide is; although at times, you will need to know and understand Arabian horse pedigrees and programs, to understand the extent of the material that Dr. Hudson presents to the reader. For example, one of the driving factors for Dr. Hudson's mtDNA study was the mare Yamama, who for many years was classified as Kuhaylan Jellabi, only to discover through mtDNA (and a more thorough study of the journal entries of Lady Anne Blunt), that the mare was Saqlawi, tracing to Ghazieh and not to Jellabiet Feysul as previously believed to be. While the mtDNA study confirms the reliability of the EAO Stud Book records; the incorrect strain classification for Yamama does cast doubt on all Egyptian Arabian horses, which this book sets out to change.  It is definitely the type of book that deserves more than one reading, simply because of the volume of information it contains, on a wide variety of topics. I enjoyed the book very much and I am sure that you will feel the same way too and possibly, you will find yourself, like I was, wishing that this book had existed 25 years ago.


An email exchange with Andrew Steen resulted in an opportunity to purchase this wonderful book, Concerning Oriental Horses and Those Originating From Oriental Strains, written by Count Waclaw Rzewuski, circa 1821. Translated by James E. Luck and annotated by Andrew K. Steen, this glorious edition, encased within a real leather slipcase, was published by Tales of the Breed, 2015. I am intrigued by Count Rzewuski, aka "The Polish Bedouin", despite the fact that there isn't much written about him or his horses. The scant recognition paid to Count Rzewuski is a topic that appears early in the book. Andrew Steen writes, 
"Rzewuski's travels there were a full 38 years before William Gifford Palgrave's camel-trek to the Persian Gulf and 39 years prior to Carlo Guarmini's horse-buying expedition to the oasis cities of Hail and Taima. Moreover, he ventured into many of the same unexplored hinterlands over three decades before Captain Richard Burton arrived to Mecca in 1853 and a half century before Wilfrid Scawen Blunt and Lady Anne Blunt's famous 1879 Pilgrimage to Nejd."
There is so much information packed into the 350 pages that make this book, everything from a history of the Count to the qualities found in true Bedouin bred Arabian horses. The annotations made by Andrew Steen, bring much clarity and depth to the work, which helps to broaden and further explain the meaning of many statements made by Count Rzewuski. The annotations help to make the words of the Count come alive. There are many surprises within the book but imagine if you will, the surprise to read that the horses of Nejd, could be tall horses; 16 and even 17 hand horses were not uncommon. This runs in contrary to what the other desert travelers have said about the Nejdi horse being small in stature.
"It is a great error to believe that desert Arab horses should generally be small."
writes Count Rzewuski in a chapter devoted to the size of the Nejdi Kuhaylan horse. The Count makes many interesting comments like this. I think this will be one of the books that I mentioned in the beginning of the blog, that is, a book which inspires much thought and therefore, remains on your mind, long after you finish reading it.


I just finished reading this book, written by the same author who gave us The Eighty-Dollar Champion and The Perfect Horse, both of which I also read and enjoyed. Imagine that you are in your early sixties, you become so ill that you are hospitalized, you have no money and the doctor gives you somewhere between 2 and 4 years to live. What would you do? Annie Wilkins, the "HER" in the title buys an unpapered Morgan horse, Tarzan, and together with her dog, Depeche Toi, sets out on horseback, determined to ride from Maine to California.
"When she was a girl, Annie remembered, every year, without fail, at some point her mother would stare through a frost-spattered window with a hungry look in her eye. 'You know, we should just quit this place,' she would say. 'Hitch a horse up to a buggy and head west. Out to California. I would love to see that Pacific Ocean at least once in my life."
There are so many things that I still want to accomplish in my life. Things that are really important to me (and have been for a long time). Now that I am older, I feel like the best part of my life is behind me and with it, are all my dreams, wishes and goals.  I feel as if I have waited too long and the opportunity to achieve many of these things has passed. Somehow, someone was listening and "drop-kicked" this book right into my life. 

This is a true story, set in the mid 1950's and for me, it is one of those books that have the power to force you into action and thereby, change your life. With so much stacked against her, Annie Wilkins was a deeply courageous woman.  She called herself, "the last of the saddle tramps" and a "tramp of fate". And her very  powerful example will inspire many people, including myself, to push ourselves a little more out of our comfort zone and hopefully, like Annie, become the best version of ourselves. Like The Matrilines of the Egyptian Arabian Horse by Dr. William Hudson and Concerning Oriental Horses by Count Waclaw Rzewuski, as translated by James E. Luck and Annotated by Andrew K. Steen, it is also a great book that you will enjoy reading this summer.

Happy reading!!!!

21 June, 2021

Naseem Al Rashediah: Hadban, Dahman or Saqlawi?

Naseem Al Rashediah is pure-in-the-strain Hadban Enzahi, as both Al Adeed Al Shaqab and Nabaweyah Ezzain trace in their tail female line to Venus, an 1890 chestnut mare who was imported into Egypt for Khedive Abbas II and is considered the source mare of the strain. This is our breed tradition, to assign the strain by matriline or tail female line, in this case, it is the last line in the pedigree, which runs from Nabaweyah Ezzain-to-NK Nakeebya-to-NK Nabeelah-to-Nashua-to-Lotfeia-to-Bint Kamla-to-Kamla-to-Samha-to-Bint Samiha-to-Samiha-to-Bint Hadba el Saghira-to-Hadba-to-Venus. Between the sire and dam, there are approximately 63 lines (give or take) to Nazeer. Not to mention that Madkour, brings in more Venus blood through Kamla, while Nejdy adds more through Lotfeia. If I add all the sources of Venus blood that are present in the pedigree, through Nazeer, Lotfeia and Kamla, there are approximately 66 lines to Venus.

In August of 2017, Dr. William Hudson published the results of a mtDNA study he had personally conducted of the 14 matrilines existing in Egyptian Arabian horses. If you haven't yet read the report, I recommend it. It is available on the Public Library of Science website (PLOS One) or you can click here. While Dr. Hudson's mtDNA study confirmed the reliability of the EAO Stud Book records, it could not confirm that strain by matriline includes characteristics which are unique to the strain:

"these data confirm that modern mtDNA haplotyping does not correspond to the traditional strain designation based on Bedouin breeding traditions that depend on maternal lineage." 

Even more astounding, was the revelation that the horses tracing to Venus, as well as the horses tracing to Rodania (Kuhaylan Rodan), the Inshass mare Bint Karima (Abeyyah) and the Inshass mare Hind (Saqlawi), share the same haplotype, pointing to a common ancestress within what we have always considered to be four distinct families. Dr. Hudson's mtDNA study also underscores  the power of selective breeding, that is, the selection of specific horses, based upon their ability to produce progeny possessing desired physical characteristics and/or intangible qualities which influence desired behaviors. The mtDNA study points to a lower nucleotide diversity, as compared to other breeds of horses and even, other lines of Arabian horses. Nucleotide diversity is a measurement of the genetic variation that exists within the Egyptian Arabian matrilines that Dr. Hudson studied.

So, if science does not support our breed tradition, how do we go from here and who is the source of the genetic influence which resulted in a magnificent horse like Naseem Al Rashediah? What I found interesting are the sires of Al Adeed Al Shaqab and Nabaweyah Ezzain: Ansata Halim Shah and Ansata AlMurtajiz respectively. Both horses are Dahman by strain, both horses share the same sire line (Saklawi I) and additionally, they also share a close familial relationship, as Ansata Halim Shah is the grandsire of Ansata AlMurtajiz. In addition to a Dahman tail female line, Ansata Halim Shah carries 37.5% Dahman blood, while Ansata AlMurtajiz is 62.5% Dahman.  Singlehandedly, Ansata Halim Shah, within this pedigree, represents almost 40% of the genetic influence of Naseem Al Rashediah but if you look at Naseem Al Rashediah carefully, his phenotype is not that of Ansata Halim Shah or even, the characteristics that we, over time, have learned to associate with Dahman Shahwan or Hadban Enzahi horses. For help, I turned to Philippe Paraskevas' wonderful book, The Egyptian Alternative, Volume II. Within the chapter on the Hadban Enzahi strain (Chapter 6), Philippe reminds us that, 

"The way Venus was bred is noteworthy, as this line was immediately infused with original Saklawi Gidran blood: her daughter Hadba was by Saklawi I himself. Hadba's daughter Bint Hadba El Saghira was by a Saklawi I son, El Halabi. What we have here is a very high concentration of added-on SGIS blood at a very early stage of Hadban Enzahi development in Egypt." 

So, I studied Ansata Halim Shah and Ansata AlMurtajiz again and found that each horse, equally, carries 25% influence of the Saqlawi strain. Ansata Halim Shah, by virtue of the additional lines to him,  including Salaa El Dine on the dam side of the pedigree, exerts more of an impact on Naseem Al Rashediah than Ansata AlMurtajiz does. That's when I realized that the familiarity in Naseem Al Rashediah is that of Ansata Shah Zaman (*Morafic x *Ansata Bint Mabrouka), the sire of Ansata Rosetta and maternal grandsire of Ansata Halim Shah. A product of a full brother-to-sister mating, Ansata Shah Zaman appears at least six times in Naseem Al Rashediah's pedigree, representing almost 11% of his genetic influence. Over the years, it has always been my understanding  that the Hadban Enzahi strain is complementary to the other bloodlines in the pedigree, even, helping the genetic traits of other lines to shine through. The presence of Ansata Shah Zaman, in multiple lines, on both sides of the pedigree, explains the overall length that I see in Naseem Al Rashediah's body, his legs, his neck and his head. Plus, there is one more point that I want to make about Hadban horses. The reason the strain is called "Hadban" is because of the forelock and mane, which is so profuse, that it covers the forehead or face of the horse. We see this quality to a degree in the video, although Naseem Al Rashediah is groomed for the show ring and the forelock, while long of hair strand, is not as profuse as the original Hadba may have been. However, I don't think this changes the fact that Naseem Al Rashediah, physically, is influenced more by the Saklawi strain, than any other strain, including the Hadban Enzahi strain, even if the current science does not support what I just typed. And because of my preference for circles, maybe that's what this blog has been and we find ourselves where we started, that is, the "Saqlawi" influence that I observe in Naseem Al Rashediah is nothing more than a horse who physically, is true to his strain and phenotypically, is embodying the expected strain characteristics of a pure-in-the-strain Hadban horse. In closing, Judith Forbis did include the following statement  regarding the strain in her classic work, Authentic Arabian Bloodstock (the blue book):

The Hadban are a substrain of Kuhaylan but in modern day they tend more to Saklawi in type."

 ****Naseem Al Rashediah, a 2014 stallion, was bred by and is owned by Mr. Rashid A. Rahman Al Jasmi of Al Rashediah Stud in Bahrain. He is standing at stud with Giacomo Capacci Arabians in Italy.

****Hudson W. Whole-loop mitochondrial DNA D-loop sequence variability in Egyptian Arabian equine matrilines. PLoS One. 2017 Aug 31;12(8):e0184309. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0184309. PMID: 28859174; PMCID: PMC5578668.

****This blog post is lovingly dedicated to the memory of Mr. Usamah Alkazemi, the breeder of the most beautiful Nabaweyah Ezzain. I remain eternally grateful for the gift of his friendship.****

18 June, 2021

Historic Marbach Importation


Over the past couple of months, we have been reading of the long-awaited exportation of nine horses from the multi-generational breeding program of The Egyptian Alternative author, Philippe Paraskevas, located in Dahshur, Egypt, to The Marbach Stud in Germany. I have been enjoying the coverage of this historic event, as the last time that Egyptian horses were imported into Marbach, well, it was a little before my time and like many Arabian horse lovers of my generation; I learned of horses like Hadban Enzahi through second-hand sources, written long after Hadban Enzahi had exerted his impact upon German straight Egyptian breeding. I wasn't really planning on blogging about the Paraskevas importation, as the published information, across many platforms, had covered the event well. One of my favorite articles was written by Betty Finke of Germany and published by Arabian Horse World Magazine. If you haven't already done so, I encourage you to read her article. So what else can be said about it? An email exchange with Andrew K. Steen resulted in an opportunity to purchase a copy of Concerning Oriental Horses written by Count Waclaw Rzewuski and suddenly, I started to connect-the-dots with an appreciation for old things, made new.  
Do you know that in 1817, when Count Rzewuski arrived in Constantinople, he received a message from Kataryna Pawlowna, the Queen of Württemberg, requesting that he purchase horses for her? Tragically, the Queen died shortly after the horses arrived in Stuttgart, August 1819. It would be Queen Kataryna's husband, King Wilhelm I, who took possession of her horses and it is these horses who became the foundation of the Royal Württemberg Stud. The Paraskevas importation renews the long ago desire of Queen Kataryna, as she expressed in her note for Count Rzewuski,

"I learned from a letter of Court Counsellor Butienyev, that you are in Istanbul and that you still recall our meeting at Radziwillow. Butienyev writes, among other things, that you might not find it too great an effort to obtain for me a few Arab horses. Thereby you would be doing me the greatest favor. I love horses passionately and although I have quite alot of them, I strive to the best of my ability, to improve their qualities and strains. Butienyev will tell you specifically what I need. Discuss with him what you should buy and where they should be delivered. Only don't forget that I want to have three stallions and three mares of the very best strains and without any defects. I beg you to rest assured that your kind offer will be kept in mind even if our plan should not be realized. I treaure our friendship with great respect and devotion." - Concerning Oriental Horses and Those Originating From Oriental Strains, translated by James E. Luck and Annotated by Andrew K. Steen

I think we can all identify with the heart and soul of the Queen's message. As a horse lover, it is very touching and builds common ground between people who could not be any more different from each other.  The esteem that Queen Kataryna feels for the desert Arabian horse only underscores the significance of today's importation, that is, a revitalization of the program as it exists today; while remaining steadfast to the Queen's original purpose of breeding better horses than she started with. The more that I thought about it in these terms, the more compelled I felt to write this blog. In an age that finds declining interest in an equine lifestyle, this importation is a positive, profoundly significant thing that has happened within our community and I am not sure if the many horse lovers around the world have grasped the significance of it.

There were nine horses in the Paraskevas importation, five stallions and four mares:

STALLIONS:
  • NASHEED EL AMAL HOOR-->11 year old by Hafez el Ahd Hoor x Aneedah, Saklawi Jedran strain, Jamil El Kebir sire line
  • TAG EL OLA HOOR --> 5 year old by Shaer el Nile Hoor x Kawkab el Shark Hoor, Saklawi Jedran strain, Jamil El Kebir sire line
  • DAY EL KAMAR HOOR--> 5 year old by Zay el Hawa Hoor x Gebreen el Kamar Hoor, Kuhaylan Krush strain, El Deree sire line
  • KAF EL KADAR HOOR--> 4 year old by Ashham x Robaeyat el Khayaam Hoor, Kuhaylan Rodan strain, Saklawi I sire line
  • LESA FAKER HOOR--> 4 year old by Agad x Leilet el Eid Hoor, Abeyyan Om Jurays strain, Saklawi I sire line
MARES
  • SET EL KOL HOOR-->  4 year old by Agad x El Sit Hoor, Saklawi Jedran strain, Saklawi I sire line
  • SHAHD EL RADAB HOOR--> 3 year old by Agad x Naghamet el Karawan Hoor, Kuhaylan Krush strain, Saklawi I sire line
  • SAHERAT ALEHWERAR HOOR--> 2 year old by Ashham x Robaeyat el Khayaam Hoor, Kuhaylan Rodan strain, Saklawi I sire line
  • ZAHRET EL EID HOOR--> 3 year old by Agad x Leilet el Eid Hoor, Abeyyan Om Jurays strain, Saklawi I sire line
Lesa Faker Hoor and Zahret el Eid Hoor are full siblings, as both horses are sired by Agad (Tagweed x Fekrah) and out of Leilet el Eid Hoor (Ghallab el Ateyah x Tasaheel Hoor).  Also, Kaf el Kadar Hoor and Saherat Alehwerar Hoor are another pair of full siblings, both horses are sired by Ashham (Halim El Zahraa x Shahabiyah) and out of Robaeyat el Khayaam Hoor (Khafeef x Tabasheer). Set El Kol Hoor and and Shahd el Radab Hoor are paternal siblings of Lesa Faker Hoor and Zahret el Eid Hoor, as all 4 horses are sired by the Tagweed son, Agad. 

The oldest horse of the importation is the 11-year old stallion, Nasheed el Amal Hoor, whose name means "poem of hope". A distinctively proud horse, he's a son of a stallion named Hafez el Ahd Hoor (Ghallab El Ateyah x Shams Kareem), whose name means "the keeper of the tradition"  and is out of the EAO-bred mare, Aneedah (Rashdan x Enad). Philippe says that he is very consistently siring shorter backs with longer legs and a beautiful neck, just like his sire is doing.  In his maternal tail female line, Nasheed el Amal is Saklawi, as he traces to Moniet El Nefous through Farfoura (*Morafic x Bint Mona), a full sister to TheEgyptianPrince, however, the tail female line of his sire, Hafez el Ahd Hoor, a son of Shams Kareem (Shamsan x Mabrouka) runs to El Kahila, the Saudi mare gifted to the Inshass stud and the foundress of the Kuhaylan Krush strain in Egyptian Arabian horse breeding. In his book, The Egyptian Alternative, Volume II, Philippe Paraskevas states, 
"With the most refined specimens of today's Saklaweyat, and certainly with the most inbred, Kohailan is perhaps the place to start looking again."
Within the context of this very real horse named Nasheed el Amal Hoor, we see the words written by Philippe Paraskevas within The Egyptian Alternative come alive. There is no better visual to define the passion that Philippe Paraskevas has cultivated through seven generations of his program. It is also interesting to consider that two other horses from this importation, the stallion Day el Kamar Hoor and the filly, Shahd el Radab Hoor trace to El Kahila through the matriline, therefore, they are Kuhaylan Krush by strain, one of the most precious of all the strains in Arabian horse breeding. In an Arabian Horse World Magazine article from 2011, Philippe stated, 
"The horses of this strain still carry the dryness and desert look of their originating dam and sire." 
Day el Kamar Hoor is the reverse of Nasheed el Amal's pedigree, that is, a Saklawi Jedran sire top-crossed on a Kuhaylan Krush mare, however, Shahd el Radab is sired by Agad, who traces to Bukra, in his tail female line, for a little different "flavor" to the program. On the other hand, the stallion Tag el Ola (Shaer el Nile Hoor x Kawkab el Shark Hoor) and the mare, Set el Kol Hoor (Agad x El Set Hoor) are Saklawi by strain, as they also trace through Aneedah, the dam of Nasheed el Amal Hoor. However, while Shaer el Nile aka "the poet of the Nile" (the sire of Tag el Ola) is Abeyyan by strain, Agad, as we mentioned previously is Dahman, tracing to Bukra. However,  between these five horses, I am amazed at the extent of common ground that exists between them, whether it is the Kuhaylan Krush or Saklawi Jedran ancestral elements and strains. 

There are two Kuhaylan Rodan horses in the importation, a full brother and sister, Kaf el Kadar Hoor and Saherat Alehwerat Hoor. What I found interesting is the EAO mare, Reem, who is in the tail female line of Ashham, their sire. While Reem traces to Moniet El Nefous and is Saklawi by strain, Reem is sired by Alaa El Din, who is Kuhaylan Rodan. So, it's clever that within this side of the pedigree (matriline of the sire), we find this line running parallel to that of Rahma (Mashhour x Yashmak), in the matriline of the dam. While these two siblings are not pure-in-the-strain Kuhaylan Rodan because of their Saklawi tail female line, they are pretty darn close.

Finally, there are two horses of the Abeyyan strain in the importation, the stallion, Lesa Faker Hoor and the young mare, Zahret el Eid Hoor, as both horses trace through Maysa to Mahfouza (Hamdan X El Mahrousa) in their tail female line. Philippe, in an interview with Anita Enander for Arabian Horse World Magazine, said of the Abeyyan horses, 
"These are balanced horses, with superb tail carriage, wide and expressive eyes and abundant desert Arabian spirit." 
It is interesting that this line, in America, is largely represented by the chestnut EAO import, *Magidaa and now, at The Marbach Stud, here is the same bloodline, albeit in a different form than it has been bred, all over the world, given the success and broad impact of the Ruminaja prefixed horses.

When King Wilhelm died in 1864, the Weil Stud was recognized as the finest Arabian horse breeding program in all of Western Europe. Forty years later, the Weil Stud was barely recognizable, as it had fallen onto hard times and with war looming on the horizon and the supply of money shrinking, the fate of Weil Stud was set. In 1932, it became apparent to Princess Pauline zu Wied of Württemberg that there was only one option for the stud farm and she transferred ownership of the Weil Stud to The Marbach Stud.  The number of horses had dwindled to 17 or so horses and the program was in desperate need of outcross blood. Eventually, Polish Arabian bloodlines were infused into the program, however, it wasn't until the mid-1950's when The Marbach Stud would experience the former glory of Weil, through the purchase of the important stallion (and Nazeer son), Hadban Enzahi, who was imported from the EAO. Philippe's breeding program is unique, in the world of Egyptian Arabian breeding, as he has focused away from the Nazeer influence and towards the El Deree sire line using Akhtal and the Jamil el Kebir sire line through Anter on a mare base heavily influenced by the Inshass Stud breeding program. In another Arabian Horse World article, this time, written by Denise Hearst, Philippe shared, 
"My number one priority is, try to keep every horse as close as possible to the original profile of strain (mares) and sire line (stallions), hopefully intensifying the positive traits, rather than seeking the ever elusive ideal Arabian."
When I read Philippe's words in the Arabian Horse World feature, he reminded me of the words that Queen Kataryna had  passionately written to Count Rzewuski so long ago,  "I love horses passionately and although I have quite alot of them, I strive to the best of my ability, to improve their qualities and strains."  Somewhere in between Queen Kataryna and Philippe Paraskevas is where The Marbach Stud will find find their greatest and most exciting story, all for the love of a horse.

09 June, 2021

Pointer by Sahm El Arab

Pointer (Sahm El Arab x Palanga) as photographed by Karolina Misztal at the Bialka Junior Spring Show

The Junior Spring Show was held at Bialka this past weekend. I was scrolling through Karolina Misztal's photos, when I stumbled upon a spectacular dark grey colt named Pointer, shown by Pawel Syliwoniuk. A son of Palanga, he is sired by Sahm El Arab, a 2013 WH Justice son out of the Al Lahab daughter, Om El Excella. What I found interesting in the pedigree, lies on the mare side of the pedigree and it is the stallion *Camargue, the maternal great grandsire of Om El Excella. Exported to Spain from the UK, he was the 1986 Spanish National Champion Stallion. Although he is not Spanish by blood (he is primarily Crabbet and Polish), I like to think he is like a herald, calling attention to the precious Spanish blood, at the heart of Sahm El Arab's genetic fiber, approximately 25 - 30% of his genetic influence. What *Camargue also does within a pedigree is to introduce the Skowronek sire line in a different form than we are used to seeing, through his beautiful son, Naziri, who did not sire very many get: 
Camargue->White Lightning->Burkan->Saladin II->Naziri->Skowronek 
Considering that there are 20 - 25 lines to Skowronek in the pedigree, primarily through three horses Odessa (the dam of Padron), Gazira (the dam of El Sher-Mann) and Renea (the dam of Vona Sher-Renea), diversifying the sources of Skowronek blood is clever. Sahm El Arab carries the influence of Skowronek, more than any other ancestor and while the percentage of Skowronek influence may be a smaller number, due to his position in the pedigree, there are no other horses in Sahm El Arab's pedigree who appear as frequently as Skowronek does. At the very least, in Sahm El Arab's pedigree, one can receive a very powerful history lesson of the significant impact and global reach that Skowronek has had upon the Arabian breed. When you think along these lines, then not only does the pedigree come alive before your very eyes but you also develop appreciation for the breeders of these horses, who believed in them, worked hard to get them as many opportunities as possible and helped them to develop their legacies, which you and I can enjoy today. 

Sahm El Arab possesses a high percentage of Egyptian blood, approximately 44%.  While a major chunk of this influence comes by way of Al Lahab (25%), he also has lines to Mohssen, El Hilal, Gharib, Hadban Enzahi, Aswan and Shaker El Masri. Janina Merz of the world famous Om El Arab Stud, said of Sahm El Arab,"this incredible stallion is exactly what we envisioned we would get from crossing his ethereal mother with the enigmatic WH Justice."  

A long, long time ago, I admired a *Camargue grandaughter named Om El Shadina, a Sanadik El Shaklan daughter and full sister to Om El Bint Shaina, the dam of Om El Excella. I was thrilled to discover this family of horses in Sahm El Arab's pedigree.  Combined with the bloodline of the Ekstern daughter, Palanga, Pointer shares common ground (from a genetic perspective) with the forthcoming Al Ayal AA-sired foal of Parantella, Pointer's maternal sibling. Sahm El Arab was leased by the Michalow State Stud for breeding purposes and after only one season spent in Poland, he left a wonderful legacy of beautiful sons and daughters. 

06 June, 2021

Plus an Ekstern granddaughter: Parantella

Parantella, in 2019 at the Bialka Junior Spring Show, photographed by Ewa Imielska-Hebda

Parantella, bred by the Michalow State Stud, is the 2016 daughter of Palanga, sired by Kahil Al Shaqab (Marwan Al Shaqab x OFW Mishaahl), who was named the World Gold Medal Senior Champion Stallion at the Salon du Cheval, 2014. Prior to that win, in 2011, he earned the World Gold Medal Junior Champion Stallion. In Kahil Al Shaqab's tail female line, he traces to a mare named Habina, a 1957 Hallany Mistanny daughter, bred by Howard Marks of California. No stranger to the show ring, Habina was a Canadian National Champion mare and a two time United States Top Ten mare. As competitive as she was in the main arena, her greatest achievement would not be in the show ring but as a broodmare, producing 13 foals in her lifetime, of which six, matured to become United States National Champions, all sired by *Bask. It would be the *Bask sired foals like Basquina (great-great-great granddam of Kahil Al Shaqab) who would become significant, because these were the horses who helped establish *Bask as a sire of great significance. It is interesting to note that Basquina's daughter by Gwalior, Basquisette, was bred to *Bask, producing the mare, Balaquina. Overall, *Bask represents a little more than 15% influence in the pedigree of Kahil Al Shaqab and when bred to Parantella, a Monogramm grandaughter, her genetic side brings an additional line to *Bask, increasing the number of lines to *Bask to seven, and approximately 11% of Parantella's genetic influence. 

Parantella, like her dam, is a gorgeous mare, embodying an intensity of breed characteristics that have endeared her to the spectating audience, wherever she is shown. I personally love the set of her neck and the flowing line down through the wither, her back and croup. The roominess in her throatlatch is excellent, as is the underline of her neck. I love the degree of the angle drawn from the point of chest to the wither. This is a most formidable mare! Last year, at the Pride of Poland show, Parantella was judged first in the 4 - 6-year old mare class. She is an experienced show mare, with many show wins behind her, as she has been competing in the halter arena since 2018. However, like her dam, Palanga, and the chain of mares that came before her, Parantella's greatest achievement may be outside of the show arena, as a broodmare. She is currently in foal to Ariela Arabians' Al Ayal AA (Al Ayad x The Vision HG). This Al Ayal foal will share common ground with Parantella's maternal sister, Padrona, as her sire, El Palacio VO is a son of Al Lahab, who is out of the The Vision HG, the dam of Al Ayal. 

In the Spanish language, "parentela" refers to your entire family, that is, the people that you descend from, like parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters. In English, we may use words like "relations", "kinfolk" or even, "extended family". It's a bigger group of people, as compared to your immediate family or nuclear family unit. I think it is a wonderful and most fitting name for a horse uniting a diverse group of horses from all over the world, incorporating as many lines to *Bask or even the blood relationship that an unborn foal will share with her dam's sibling. In many ways, the Arabian horse "parentela" helps to make the global community that we all are a part of, that much smaller, that much more embraceable. 

05 June, 2021

And an Ekstern daughter: Palanga


If a "magic breeding formula" were to exist within the wonderful world of Arabian horse breeding, it would be that of crossing Ekstern with *Eukaliptus. In Dr. Hans Joachim Nagel's newest book, The Arabian Horse: Nature's Creation and The Art of Breeding, Dr. Nagel addresses the nickability that can exist between 2 stallions, "two sirelines could work perfectly together in one way or the other; they could work when both ways a nickability effect occurs when breeding sire and dam's sire together. This system is confirmed as working well when a good foal is the offspring of a certain stallion and mare which is the daughter of another specific stallion. When both stallions complement each other, then they nick perfectly together. It is an art which takes effort and careful testing to discover such a satisfactory combination of sires." 

The beautiful mare, Palanga, as photographed by Karolina Misztal, is representative of the breeding "nick" between Ekstern and *Eukaliptus.  A 2002 Ekstern daughter, she is out of Panika, a *Eukaliptus daughter out of Plisa (Probat x Pliszka). In tail female line, Palanga traces to the mare Gazella, an 1840 Kuhaylah Ajuz, purchased in Syria by Count Juliusz Dzieduskycki for Jarczowce Stud. Gazella founded one of the most influential families in Polish Arabian horse breeding. There is something to be said about Poland and the continuity of the Arabian horse breeding program, despite one invasion after another. For example, the mare, Taraszcza, was captured by the Russians in 1939, and for the next 2 generations: her Ofir daughter, Operetka and Porfira, her granddaughter by Priboj, were bred by the Tersk Stud in Russia. It is the Kord (Grand x Cosmosa) daughter, Pardwa, who returns the blood to Poland, as bred by the Michalow State Stud. This is where pedigrees become like history books, to remind us of the perseverance, the tenacity and the many sacrifices made by Poland, to protect her beloved Arabian horses and keep the program moving forward.

What does the name "Palanga" mean? Palanga is also the name of a busy seaside resort town, with miles of beautiful beaches, in Western Lithuania. Legend has it that a beautiful priestess named Birutė, tended to a shrine at the base of a hill in Palanga. Her beauty was so remarkable, that word soon reached the ears of Kęstutis, the Grand Duke of Lithuania, who wanted to make her his wife. A wedding is soon planned, against Birutė's wishes and the Grand Duke is murdered and Birutė goes back to tending the ceremonial fires of the shrine she loved, for the rest of her life, remaining beautiful until the day she died. 

The beauty of Palanga became a world-wide phenomenon in the decade of the 2000's. No matter where she was shown, she charmed her audience, who fell deeply in love with her. In 2004 and then, in 2005, she was judged a Junior Reserve Champion Mare (Pianissima was the Champion), at the Polish Nationals and, in Germany, at Ströhen. At the All Nations Cup in 2006, she earned the title of Senior Reserve Champion Mare. In Moorsele, she became the European Senior Reserve Champion Mare. And to close out the show year, she was World Senior Top Ten Mare at the Salon du Cheval. The following year, in 2007, she returned to the Polish Nationals, to claim the title of the Polish National Senior Reserve Champion Mare. The ultimate show mare, elegant, refined and despite a very pronounced Saqlawi phenotype, she is the strength of her strain,  she is Kuhaylan.

Now 19 years old, Palanga has produced well and her progeny, are as competitive as their dam was in the show ring and have furthered her influence all over the world. Her progeny includes the most talked about mare, Parantella by Kahil Al Shaqab, Padrona by El Palacio VO (Al Lahab x El Dorada) which introduces more Eulkaliptus blood through Emigrantka, the dam of El Dorada plus the mare, Padova, sired by the stallion, Galba (Plakat x Gza Gza). It is interesting to note that Palanga was also bred to the Marwan Al Shaqab son, QR Marc not once but multiple times, resulting in stallion power like Pavorotto KA, Panthos, Pinco Arab and Profender KA.  It is amazing that this one mare, has produced as she has and thereby, influenced the world of the Arabian horse, as her pedigree promised that she would.

04 June, 2021

An Ekstern son: TA Arapaho


TA Arapaho is a 2006 Ekstern son, out of Algira (Balon x Algeria). He was bred by the Janow Podlaski State Stud and imported in utero by Dick and Christine Reed, of Toskhara Arabians, Aubrey, Texas. In tail female line, through his maternal granddam,  the 1982 Polish National Champion mare, Algeria,  and her dam, Algonkina, the dam of Algomej, TA Arapaho traces back to The Babolna Stud breeding program and the mare, Bulwa, a Kuhailan Zaid daughter out of 12 Siglavy Bagdady. TA Arapaho is now owned by Lynne Dimmer of Mystic Side Arabians in Dunkirk, New York. 

I really love this photo. It was the inspiration that I needed, which has now manifested itself in the form of this blog. TA Arapaho is using the muscling in his back, driving himself forward with his powerful hind end, while the freedom in his shoulders enables him to cover as much ground as possible. In this beautiful moment, TA Arapaho is air-borne, as he is in that moment of suspension that most Arabian horse people call "floating". I love how far under himself, he is reaching with that hind leg! A long time ago, when my mare was alive and we were working on the longe line, our goal was to achieve this frame, even if, it was only for only a couple of strides. To see a horse working naturally like this is a big thrill for me and never gets old. I guess this is the kind of photo that encourages people to say: "poetry-in-motion".

One of the other qualities that I really like about TA Arapaho is his size. He is 15.1 hands tall ( approx. 155 cm). I prefer larger-sized horses, especially if you will use them under saddle. Contrary to popular opinion I found within the book, In Concerning Oriental Horses and Those Originating from Oriental Strains, Count Waclaw Rzewuski, the author (Translated by James Luck and Annotated by Andrew Steen) says, 
"It is a great error to believe that desert Arab horses should generally be small. Some of them are, as everywhere, below average size, but this lack of growth is not typical of the Bedouin strain. To the contrary, some of them are found to be large and even very tall."
Ekstern is recognized for siring daughters of great influence and despite having sired the beloved Esparto, who tragically, died in 2015, Ekstern is not known for siring sons of the quality that will rival his daughters. I don't know of anything that is more wonderful in this world than an Ekstern daughter. With that said, it was all the more important for me, to highlight another son, in a different color than his sire, who is absolutely spectacular. And I am not unique in expressing this sentiment, as many other people agree, naming TA Arapaho a Las Vegas World Cup Reserve Champion Stallion, as well as a Region 9 Champion Stallion, a Scottsdale Liberty Champion and a US National Top Ten Hunter-Type Stallion.

"Arapaho" is the name of a Native American nation, who settled in the great plains of the American West, from western Oklahoma through the Nebraska panhandle, up through Colorado, Wyoming and Montana. An agriculturally-focused tribe, once the Arapaho were introduced to horses, they became master horseman and admired for their warrior skills. I found it interesting that a horse whose origin traces back to the Bedouin, would be so honored with the name of a great horse nation like the Arapaho.

***This blog post is lovingly dedicated to the memory of Christine Reed, who tragically, died in January 2020. The Toskhara breeding program, which includes TA Arapaho, is a reflection of Christine's understanding and wisdom of the breed.***