all for the love of a horse...: 1-2-3

28 February, 2024

1-2-3

The Abu Dhabi edition of the GCAT series of shows was held this past weekend, in the Etihad Arena at Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The time difference between countries makes watching some of these shows a little more challenging. Many thanks to Arabian Essence TV, who makes the videos from all the shows available on their YouTube channel, thereby providing the opportunity to watch the Senior Mare Championship (SMC) class at a more convenient time. I have to confess to you that really, the compelling reason to watch this class was all about the charm of the thumbnail photo (taken from the video) which shows Basmah Al Bidayer with her handler, Raphael Curti, as she exited the ring, after her initial presentation. And that's where this story begins, as Basmah Al Bidayer, led me to Estonia, the mare who preceded her in the ring and also, Wildona, who immediately followed her. And so, just like that, 1-2-3, the strongest mares (in my opinion), out of a total 15 mares in the class and the last mares to enter the ring Sunday night, one right after the other. And the craziest thing is, if it were not for Basmah Al Bidayer's charismatic expression, I would have missed seeing all 3 mares.

These 3 mares are more similar than they are different. Not only do they share common ground in their Polish heritage but phenotypically, all 3 mares are closer-coupled, with strong, smooth toplines, well-sprung rib cages and broad, across the chest and hind end. Outside of these 3 mares, the quality of all the mares in this class was consistently high. I did not envy the judges for the job they must do. How to pick one horse each for gold, silver and bronze, when really, any of these 15 mares could be chosen and no one would disagree.

I have blogged about Estonia (#133) previously and today, I feel the same way about her, as I did 2 years ago, in March of 2022. Of the 3 mares (despite that Basmah Al Bidayer was the driving force to watch the video), Estonia is my favorite, my number 1 choice. I appreciate strong bodied horses, of rounded lines, with overall smoothness and breed type. Estonia is all that, plus, she is a powerful mover, forward, straight and supple, conveying a quiet confidence, no matter where she is. I wish I was more like her. Although she is primarily Polish in breeding (75%); she is a Laheeb granddaughter and when combined with additional Egyptian blood (Aswan and Nil) her total percentage of Egyptian breeding grows to 25%.

Basmah Al Bidayer (#135) is by Fadi Al Shaqab (Besson Carol x ABHA Myra) and out of Bidayer (Emigrant x Eskalopka). While the percentage of Polish breeding is a little less than that of Estonia, her dam Bidayer traces to Milordka in both matrilines, that of her dam, the Monogramm daughter, Eskalopka and her sire, Emigrant. You will remember that Milordka was classified by Dr. Edward Skorkowski as Saqlawi, only because he felt that physically, she resembled a Saqlawi horse more than any other strain. Her expression is like witchcraft; she will captivate your imagination and melt your heart. She remains the single reason why I watched this class, all because of a photo.

Wildona (#136) was consigned to the Pride of Poland sale, this past summer. She was one of the high selling lots and sold for $650,000 Euros. Wildona is a Shanghai EA daughter, out of Wilda, by Gazal Al Shaqab, out of Wilga, an Ekstern daughter. While the percentage of Polish breeding is less than the other 2 mares, Wildona traces to the beloved mare, Wizja, an *El Paso daughter and a United States National Champion mare. If you continue to follow the matriline beyond Wizja, eventually you will reach Szweykowska, a Slawuta bred mare and the foundress of Polish family 7. Dr. Skorkowski measured her skull and from her measurements, determined her to be Saqlawi by strain.

As we continue to move forward into what appears to be a more urban future, sometimes the things we treasure of our past need to evolve, as we do. Yes, change is scary, people fear change more than death! But what is even scarier, is extinction and the loss of the one true thing we love most, because we fail to change, to make an effort to remain current and therefore, of interest to others all over the world. Think about it. These mares are a celebration, of many various dreams and ideals of the past, brought forward in a slightly different form, as compared to the horse the visionaries bred. Today, we speak of the breeders, their programs and their horses, only because the very thing you feared, change, reminded us of who and what they were, once.

***thank you Arabian Essence for making these videos available on YouTube. You make it possible for people like me, thousands of miles away, to still experience the feeling of seeing these extraordinary horses, thereby, making the world a smaller place, uniting all people, as different as we can be from one another, through this common bond of the Arabian horse.***

No comments:

MY FAVORITE WEBSITE

If you want to understand the desert Arabian horse on a deeper level, then you will want to visit Daughters of the Wind, a blog maintained by Edouard al-Dahdah, since 2008. It's my favorite place to visit, on a regular basis. For me personally, the information that Edouard presents is at times so profound, that I find myself weeks, even months later, still thinking about what he has written. I consider him a treasured source of inspiration and for the times that I don't feel like writing anymore, a significant source of encouragement. In one place, you will be able to read of the horses, their heritage; as well as the culture, traditions and the geography of the land, from where they originated. I strongly encourage you to visit his blog to broaden your understanding and deepen your appreciation for the Bedouin-bred horse.

MY FAVORITE WEBSITE X 2

The Horse In Word and Picture is the blog of Rania el Sayed, a very talented photographer, whose equine photography is second-to-none. I still remember when I first learned of Rania, it was all because of the late Dr. Nasr Marei. At the time, Nasr published an article that featured Rania's photography. I was thrilled by the photography and later, "meeting" Rania was one of the highlights of my horse life. I loved her photo of Mangooma and Rania, in an act of kindness never to be forgotten, let me use her photo in my blog. Thanks Rania for all of your support. You'll love Rania's blog and all of the equine topics she covers, including the straight Egyptian Arabian Horse. She really pushes me to think deeply about things that I haven't thought in a while. And you don't have to join Facebook, to read her posts. .

MY FAVORITE BOOK

One of the questions that I am asked most frequently is which book(s) do I recommend? Judith Forbis', The Classic Arabian Horse, published in 1976, is MY FAVORITE BOOK...EVER. Prior to the publication of this book, we really didn't have anything that compiled the history, the bloodlines & breeding practices and conformation (including breed type) of the straight Egyptian horse in one volume. You had to dig through multiple sources, sometimes in languages foreign to one's own, to try and develop an understanding of the Egyptian Arabian horse. So, this is my recommendation to you today, especially if you are just starting, this is the most important book you will ever own. You can find the book on Amazon, previously owned, at a very affordable price.

A NEW FAVORITE BOOK

Many times, I have heard other enthuiasts say, "if only I could get into the mind of this breeder and understand the Arabian horse as he or she does!" Dr. William Hudson, a long-time breeder, weaves together his lifetime of experiences including the latest developments in equine genetic science with the history, art and culture of the Arabian horse. This is not the type of book that you will read, cover-to-cover, in one sitting. You will find yourself turning to this massive 1,500 page, 2-volume set, over and over. If you love Arabian horses and want to understand the breed intimately, on a deeper level, this is the only book you will ever need to own. If you are breeding Egyptian Arabian horses, I urge you to purchase this 2-volume set before you breed one more horse!

MORE FAVORITE BOOKS...

One of the questions that I am asked most frequently is which book(s) do I recommend? Previously, I mentioned Judith Forbis' THE CLASSIC ARABIAN HORSE which is a great introduction to the breed and to Egyptian Arabian horses specifically. But now, you have read that book and are ready to go deeper. So, this is the book that I recommend reading (VOLUME II ) without hesitation. It's fantastic. The depth of this book, within tail female lines, sire lines and strains found in Egyptian (EAO) breeding is not found anywhere else. If you are serious about the Egyptian Arabian horse, whether a breeder, student or enthusiast, you must read this book, at least once!

STILL MORE FAVORITE BOOKS

In the Preface, Dr. Nagel wrote, "Since it is claimed that the Arabian horse breed is one of the oldest on earth, one has to accept that it is also in the crossfire of many opinions which sometimes clash vigorously. There are obviously many doubts and errors, and the advocates of different concepts seem to be not ready to settle on a common stance. It should encourage the reader to think...The refreshing variety of thoughts surrounding this noble member of the great family of horses should not be lost." Whether you agree or disagree with Dr. Nagel, is not what is important but rather, the resulting thought that this book will inspire. I can't even tell you how many times I have read this wonderful book cover-to-cover. It's one of the more provocative books that I have ever read and each time I have read it, a part of the book that had not impacted me previously, will cause me to think deeply for days, weeks and even months at a time. So, dear reader, I recommend this book to you, in the hope that it will inspire you to think deeply about our breed and examine why, you feel the way you do.

"The ideal Arabian type is recognizable at sight to the experienced horseman and novice alike. It falls short of the ideal if it reminds one of another horse or breed. It falls short of the ideal if it is so plain and uncertain of type as to require a sign: 'This is an Arabian horse.' It falls short of the ideal if it is so coarse and masculine as to remind one of a small Percheron, at one extreme, or so highly animated and elf-like as to remind one of a gazelle at the other extreme. The ideal type stands out alone. You know it immediately when you see it."-Ben Hur, from his 1951 Western Horseman article, Type in the Arab

In the summer of 2006, when I discovered Blogger, the last thing on my mind was creating a blog. At the time, I had been participating in a popular Egyptian Arabian horse website and desired to find a website that would allow me to "cut-and-paste" the posts that I had written for future reference. From those humble beginnings, this blog was born. I'm not a professional writer and although I want to say that writing is a hobby; I think it is better to say that I write for the love of the breed. I've had the good fortune to meet a number of horses who are now considered legendary, as well as some really wonderful people, who are equally legendary. Over the years, people have suggested that I charge a subscription fee or pursue paid sponsorships but you know how money changes everything and this blog, after all, is a labor of love. So, there you have it, the story of the blog. Many thanks to the people who make this blog doable, for example, where would I be without any of the photographers, the "visual storytellers" of our breed, who allow me to post their pictures and to the authors of the many books and magazine articles that I have read over the course of 45 or so years, helping to educate a long ago kid, crazy in love with Arabian horses. And finally, an overwhelming amount of gratitude for you dear readers, for coming here to this place, to read, discover and celebrate this common ground we share, all for the love of an Arabian horse.

28 February, 2024

1-2-3

No comments:

Post a Comment