Happy Birthday Windy Bey V

I'm not sure that I remember how I managed to get to the Varian Arabians website or what motivated me to click on their stallion page (I don't own a mare, open for breeding) but I am glad that I did it, because there he was, Windy Bey V, a 1999 son of Desperado V (Huckleberry Bey V x Daraska), out of Willow Bey V (S-Shah Bask x Gypsy Mmusic). Do you realize that a horse born in 1999 means that today, in 2024, the 1999 horse is 25 years old? And check out those dapples! WOWOWOW! Back in the day, I understood dappling to be a sign of good nutrition, including nutraceuticals to supplement the horse's diet like collagen, biotin, vitamin E and Omega-3, the absorption of which is greatly improved through regular worming and teeth care.  Not to mention a personal investment of some good old-fashioned, roll-up-your-sleeves, elbow grease via well-managed, consistent, grooming to remove unwanted dirt and loose hair, while stimulating the natural oils present in a horse's body for that deep radiating glow. However, while all of this is true, the predisposition for dappling is passed genetically, no matter how much time you spend currying his coat. However, it's very rare to find dappling, to the extent that we see in Windy Bey V, in senior-aged horses. That's what impresses me, the high level of hands-on husbandry that is obviously practiced by Varian Arabians. In this case, the "fruits" of all their actions speak much louder, than any words that can be used.

A couple other things really stand out, in celebration of this glorious horse. See the man standing on the other side of him? Even with a baseball cap, you can barely see him over the wither. I'm guessing that Windy Bey V is a taller horse, maybe a little over 15 hands, like 15.2 or 15.3? I really like that. 

Do you know that his sire line represents 5 generations of Varian breeding: 

Bay-Abi->Bay-el-Bey->Huckleberry Bey->Desperado V->Windy Bey V 

That's Sheila's vision or rather, her life's work, very much alive and relevant in our Arabian horse community. That's important to say in this day and age, when so many of us miss Sheila. And hopefully, Windy Bey V will sire a colt, worthy of adding yet another link to what is, a long chain of kings. I can't think of a better way to honor her memory. Not to be outdone and equally impressive is the matriline. Windy Bey V, as does his great grandsire, Bay-el-Bey, traces back 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. What a most wonderful complement to the Varian line of super sires! 

While Windy Bey V's pedigree includes a wide variety of American foundational bloodlines like  the Davenport and Crabbet horses bred by Roger Selby, Frank McCoy and W.K. Kellogg; we also find on a smaller scale, older Egyptian blood via horses like Hallany Mistanny (*Zarife x *Roda), Sabdaan (Faddan x Fay-Sabbah) *Fadl (Ibn Rabdan x Mahroussa) and Gulastra (Astraled x Gulnare); however, with all this said, the majority of the genetic influence comes by way of Poland and a beloved Polish stallion, *Bask. There are four lines to *Bask, one cross on the sire side (Holly Bask) and three crosses on the dam side (Star of Ofir, Gazal Bask & Gwyndalyn). Almost 20% of Windy Bey's pedigree reflects *Bask's influence. Additionally to *Bask, consider the somewhat related lines,  like that of Wierna, the maternal granddam of Bay-Abi, who like Witraz is sired by Ofir, plus the stallion, Nureddin (the sire of Aladdinn), also a Witraz son (paternal sibling of *Bask). Just in case you are wondering, it's not just about finding multiple sources of *Bask in the pedigree, I think its more of how Ofir becomes common ground in the pedigree, combined through his get like Witraz, Wielki Szlem (through Gwara) and *Witez II (through Zarabo).

I'm reminded of a story, one of my favorites, which involves Bogdan Ziertarski and Carl Raswan who traveled extensively in the Middle East. In 1931, both men imported five stallions and four mares. Kuhaylan Haifi, the sire of Ofir, was one of the stallions purchased for Janow Podlaski.

 "Finally I hear a neigh, they guide the stallions... they lead the bay Kuhailan Haifi. My legs buckled under me, it is just the horse I am looking for. Not large, dry, on splendid legs without any trace of cow hocks. A long neck, a noble head, although not very small, with distended, thin and moveable nostrils; a splendid high carried tail. I feel, the first time in my life, that during the purchase of a horse I am fainting."-Bogdan Ziertarski, as quoted in Arab breeding in Poland, written by Edward Skorkowski

Happy Birthday Windy Bey V!