BEY-2-BAY

 

Ansata Halim Bey (*Ansata Ibn Halima x Ansata Damietta) as he appeared in the May 1981 issue of Arabian Horse World,  photographed by the late Johnny Johnston

"One never knows when some obscure ancestor may come forward from the gene pool and create something special." - Judith Forbis, Born to Reign

Two stallions, similarly named, both sons of *Ansata Ibn Halima with Bukra tail female lines. If you google the name of either horse, the results will include information for both horses, which can be confusing. How to tell the difference, other than by coat color, if you don't happen to have a photo at hand? It all comes down to one letter ("a" versus "e") and that one letter is not a typo. The word, "Bey" refers to a governor of a province in the Ottoman empire. It is a courtesy title used mainly in Turkey and Egypt; while the name, "bay", in Turkish is "gentleman" or "mister". With regard to horses, "bay" refers to varying shades of a reddish brown coat, with black points.

Ansata Halim Bey, a 1976 grey stallion, was bred by Ansata Arabian Stud, out of Ansata Damietta, sired by Ansata Shah Zaman (*Morafic x *Ansata Bint Mabrouka), out of *Ansata Bint Misr (Sameh x *Ansata Bint Bukra). He was purchased by the late Barbara Vallee in 1978, for her breeding program in Woodstown, NJ. Shown by the late Don Forbis, he earned a United States Top Ten stallion title, in addition to East Coast Champion stallion. The tragic death of this stallion, as sorrowful as it was for his beloved owner, made it possible for a horse like Imperial Imdal+ to exist under her ownership and establish his greatness.

Ansata Halim Bay (*Ansata Ibn Halima x *Ansata Misr) as photographed by his owner, Gigi Grasso

Ansata Halim Bay is a direct son of *Ansata Bint Misr, a bay Sameh daughter out of *Ansata Bint Bukra (Nazeer x Bukra). Also bred by Ansata Arabian Stud, he was owned by Nagib Audi and then, the late Count Federico Zichy-Thyssen, before making his final home with Gigi Grasso and Paolo Damilano of Alfabia Stud. I am a fan of his 2007 daughter, Alfabia Bint Kamaria, who combines the blood of Bukra with that of the equally great Dahmah Shahwaniyah mare, Tamria (*Tuhotmos x Kamar). If you believe that coat color "predicts" the genetic influence of a same colored ancestor, then look to the bay colored horses in Ansata Halim Bay's pedigree, for example: Halima, Bint Samiha, Bint Sabah, Ibn Fayda, Kazmeen, Sotamm, Kasima, *Astraled, Narkise, Nefisa, Nasr, Hadban, Ahmar or even, the revered mare, Queen of Sheba. In my opinion, it is the ancestors who appear in more than one line in the pedigree, like Bint Samiha or Bint Sabah, who are more likely to exert their influence upon the phentoype of Ansata Halim Bay, given the concentrated sources of their blood. 

It is very interesting that it all comes down to one horse, who provides the real genetic difference (25% of Ansata Halim Bey's pedigree) between the 2 stallions: Ansata Shah Zaman, a classically dramatic son of the two full siblings, *Morafic and *Ansata Bint Mabrouka and the sire of Ansata Damietta, the dam of the grey stallion and an *Ansata Bint Misr daughter. In Authentic Arabian Bloodstock (the blue book), Judith Forbis described Ansata Shah Zaman as, 

" a horse with considerable scope, a typical Saklawi with long lines and good height, neck long and slender  and carried high." 

In the phenotype of Ansata Halim Bey, we see the impact of Ansata Shah Zaman, as he possesses the longer lines or "stretch" of his maternal grandsire. Remember, within an intensified Dahman breeding program, there exists the tendency for horses to get a little chunky. When the Saklawi strain horse is introduced, we see a little more length restored in the Dahman horses. The late Walter Schimanski, who skillfully blended the bloodlines of the Babson Bint Bint Sabbah horses, with that of *Ansata Ibn Halima once said, 

 "incorporating the Saqlawi type brings length back to neck and leg, which can be lost with intense use of Dahman and Kuhaylan strain types. It also yields finer bone structure and produces flatter and less prominent muscling. Too much Saqlawi can produce a long back and ears. Dahman type brings back an overall balance and harmony, including more dished heads and larger eyes, and shorter backs, but also has the tendency to produce shorter necks and legs, heavier muscling, and more bone."

Judith Forbis believed that some of the very best horses she bred, combined the influence of Ansata Shah Zaman with that of *Ansata Ibn Halima and his son, Ansata Ibn Sudan. In Authentic Arabian Bloodstock II (the gold book), Judith Forbis further explains of the siring influence of Ansata Shah Zaman as, 

"He was invaluable for siring prettier heads than his own, big dark eyes, long necks, smooth strong short-coupled bodies, high tail set and carriage and he gave color but no black." 

In my opinion, we see the impact of Ansata Shah Zaman and the Saklawi inspired attributes he passed to his get, come alive visually in the photo of Ansata Halim Bey. Do you see it too?

Ansata Damietta was later sold to Marge & Don Saluti of Birchknoll Arabians and then, to Paolo Gucci. It is also interesting to note that Ansata Damietta, a full sister to Ansata Delilah, established her very own family, within the greater family of *Ansata Bint Misr. In addition to Ansata Halim Bey, she produced Ansata Halima Son, Ansata Dia Halima and BKA Damill among other horses.

***The photos that Gigi Grasso shot of Ansata Halim Bay, for a long time now, create a desire within me  to own a mare just so I can breed her to this horse. I still, in 2023, feel the same way. Thanks Gigi, it's always good to dream.***