all for the love of a horse...: My Life was the Message

25 May, 2025

My Life was the Message

Maar Ibn Ali (Ruminaja Ali x RDM Maar Hala)

"Breed the best to the best and hope for the best" is a principle that is key in the world of horses, more so in Thoroughbred race horse breeding than in any other equine sector. I'm sure, dear reader, that you have heard this quote before. In 1983, when Ruminaja Ali (Shaikh Al Badi x Bint Magidaa) was selected as the United States Reserve National Champion stallion, he was as big as you could find, in straight Egyptian breeding. By this time, RDM Maar Hala (El Hilal x Maar Jumana) had produced ET Crown Prince, Halim El Mansour, El Halimaar and Prince Ibn Shaikh. As a broodmare, she had earned the reputation of a proverbial "king-maker", producing one champion son after another. To combine these 2 horses, both having reached the pinnacle of straight Egyptian breeding, was as some people are fond of saying, a "no brainer". In 1986, the "hope" that results from the union of "best" with "best" was foaled, and given the name, Maar Ibn Ali. By this time, David Gardner was getting ready to leave "the industry" and Ruminaja Ali, now 10 years old, would be soon leaving for Lyle & Virginia Bertsch's Zahara Arabian Stud.

Rick & Carolyn Cortesi, of Tucson, Arizona, already interested in the Arabian horse breed, had become fascinated with Egyptian bloodlines, both for the beauty of the horse, as well as its rich history. As they carefully studied the Egyptian horse, one fact became amazingly clear to Carolyn,

"To acquire foundation blood from an impeccable dam line for the ranch outside of Tucson, Arizona we simply started at the pinnacle - RDM Maar Hala - the leading dam of straight Egyptian champions. By producing 8 Class A champions by an amazing 6 different stallions, Maar Hala's record transcends its lofty title."

Maar Ibn Ali was bred by the late Dr. Felino Cruz of Rancho Bulakenyo. Imagine how Dr. Cruz may have felt, to go from not finding a straight Egyptian mare, to purchasing RDM Maar Hala, and then, to breed her to one of the top stallions of his time. It was surreal, I'm sure!

Invited by Dr. Cruz, Carolyn and her husband visited Rancho Bulakenyo. It was during this visit that Carolyn met the then 3-year old Maar Ibn Ali and fell absolutely head-over-heels in love with the young stallion. She had to have him, at any cost. Dr. Cruz's son, Jody remembers the visit,

"Really was a very good colt. A very nice lady named Carol Cortesi ended up with him."

The 1994 Maar Ibn Ali daughter, Sagali, photographed by Brandy Phillips

A proven breeding stallion, he struggled with fertility issues despite siring 20 get, including two Egyptian Event top ten mares:

1989: Maar Ptah (x Sahaara by Ansata Abbas Pasha)*
1989: VK Maarissa (x Princess Nefisaa by Ruminaja Atallah) produced 3 foals
1990: Ali Shaikh (x *Bint Hasanet by Wahag)*
1991: Maar Shamali (x Bint Sayaf by *Sayaf) produced 2 foals
1991: Maar Xcimene (x Balima El Ajzaa by Balo)* produced 2 foals
1991: Voltaren Al Ahraam (x SRA Luiba by Shatal)*
1992: Maarisa Ali (x Shaimama by Shaikh Al Badi) produced 1 foal
1992: Maartahari (x SRA Bahiya by Ansata Abu Sudan)*
1993: DA Maariah (x Balima El Ajzaa by Balo)*
1994: Bluewater Alishah (x Bint Sayaf by *Sayaf)*
1994: Enchanted Rashaan ( x SRA Luiba by Shatal) Sired 5 get
1994: Maar Jaliya (x SRA Bahiya by Ansata Abu Susan) EE TT, produced 3 foals
1994: Sagali ( x Bint el Saghira by TheEgyptianPrince) produced 4 foals
1994: TR Alimaar (x Shikos Somaliara by Shadar)
1994: DK Madahrena (x Mi Satin Doll by Mi Kaborr) EE TT
1995: Bluewater Ireana (x Akid Isleta by AK El Zahra Moniet)*
1995: Maar Xcia (x SRA Bahiya by Ansata Abu Sudan) produced 1 foal
1995: Maarja Ala (x BSA Naffata by Zeyn Ibn Morafic)*
1995: DK Novaar (Mi Satin Doll by Mi Kaborr) sired 1 foal
1995: NF Jamaar (x Jewels Jasmine by Ruminaja Bahjat)

* bred by Carolyn Cortesi, Al-Ahraam Arabians

Maar Ibn Ali, Rob Hess photo

Eventually, he was gelded, in favor of widening his impact within what appeared to be a bright multi-discipline show career in both Western Pleasure and Working Hunters under saddle and over fences. In a Facebook comment, Trish Nelson, a horse trainer also from Tucson shares,

"I had Maar Ibn Ali in barn for years. I showed him to all his wins. He was a great horse to be around always."

I don't know the circumstances or reasons why Maar Ibn Ali left Arizona but Carolyn Cortesi sold him in 1999 to what would turn out to be, the first (March 1999) of 2 homes (November 2002), both owners residing within the state of Colorado, where it seems that Maar Ibn Ali's life story ends.

***With gratitude, I acknowledge Teri Boese Cox and Brittany N Thompson for the research each person shared on Facebook. I must also thank Dr. Joseph Cruz for all your insight. As always, much appreciated.***

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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.

25 May, 2025

My Life was the Message

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