Catalyst

Julie Koch recently posted the above ad in her popular Facebook group, Reliving Arabian Horse History. The ad was originally published in the May 1975 issue of the Arabian Horse Breed Journal. What grabbed my attention was not so much the photo of *Lewisfield Magic; he's beautiful, I agree, but it is the mention of a stallion named Moniets Echo, just under the photo of *Lewisfield Magic (I circled it in red for you) who is offered for sale. 

Who could predict that Julie's post would be the catalyst in revisiting a long ago beloved horse, whose memory still inspires my being with an amazing sense of wonder?

Moniets Echo (*Ibn Moniet El Nefous  x Sirbana)

Sired by *Ibn Moniet El Nefous, Moniets Echo was out of a combined source mare (combined source because her pedigree blends the sources of Babson breeding with *Turfa and Sirecho) whose name was Sirbana, a 1959 Sirecho daughter out of Habbana (Ibn Fadl x Bint Habba), bred by Mrs. John E. Ott. As much as I love the IMEN/Babson crosses, Sirbana is the reason why this particular horse, Moniets Echo, stood out, as her name also appears in the ad, as the dam of Moniets Echo. I know of this mare, Sirbana, as she was owned by Joe and Sharon Ferriss. You will remember that she was "the totally noble in a quiet way" mare featured in the blog about the Muluq horses Her expression in the photo that Joe shared with me, still haunts me, as it is the same "look" that I remember Princeton Maarena giving me. Gosh, how I wish to go back, if there was a way to go back in time, for only a second, to just touch Mimi.

I've never forgotten how Joe described Sirbana within a discussion about Bedouin preferences in Edouard Al-Dahdah's blog, Daughter of the Wind:  

"our first Al Khamsa mare, Sirbana, born 1959, did not have a dished face at all, yet with her large eyes, broad forehead, balanced head proportions and graceful mitbah many who saw her thought she was beautiful. "

Sirbana was a hugely prolific mare, having foaled 14 foals over her lifetime. The first 5 foals were bred by Dr. Keith Krausnick, of Shar-Char Farm, the same breeder of the mare, Sirhabba:

• 1963: Shar Negana by Negem
• 1964: Shar Dougana by Negem
• 1965: Char Bagem by Negem
• 1966: Char Faban by Fa-Turf
• 1969: Shar Ebeya by Fa-Serrab
• 1971: Farah Mirbana by Mahrouss

By 1970, Dr. Krausnick had sold the mare to someone else (Al Khamsa records the breeder of Farah Sirbana as the Krausnicks but this may be that the registration was still in the Krausnicks name at the time of the filly's birth), who were the actual breeders of her Mahrouss foal, as well as the breeders of her 1972 Char Iswid filly, Farah Sirbana (the breeder of Farah Sirbana is recorded by Al Khamsa as Bar JF Ranch). In 1973, she was shipped to Bentwood Farm, to be bred to *Ibn Moniet El Nefous, producing the English Pleasure champion, Moniets Echo in 1974. The following year, she was bred to *Lewisfield Magic, eventually producing a colt by him, retained by Conquistadores Arabians. By 1976, Joe Ferriss had already been following Sirbana closely and learned that Conquistadores Arabians in New Mexico was offering Sirbana for sale. Joe loved the mare; she would be his first Al Khamsa mare at the time. Joe had already arranged with Walter Schimanski to breed Sirbana to Lothar, which he tried soon after the purchase but unfortunately, she didn't settle.  Joe tried again in 1977 and this time, the attempt was successful, producing a colt in 1978 whom Joe named Fa Manial, an elegant stallion who was taller than both his sire and dam, at maturity. Joe eventually sold tge colt to Vernon and Alice Bean of Illinois. They kept the stallion his whole life, breeding a number of foals sired by him. In these days, there was no AI, mares were bred by live cover, which meant that the mares were shipped to where the stallion was located. Joe and Sharon Ferriss were concerned over the stress to Sirbana and  began, as an alternative, to lease stallions, specifically selected to complement Sirbana. Their strategy worked, as they bred her next 4 foals, each one a catalyst or touchstone to the beauty that Sirbana's bloodlines foretold that she could produce, when carefully bred to a stallion perfectly suited for her:

• 1980: Nasrab by DU Fadl
• 1981: Fa El Echo by Char Echo
• 1982: Fa Nasr by Char Echo
• 1985: Bint Sirbana by Char Echo

How prolific as a broodmare was Sirbana? It is interesting to note that Sirbana's bay filly by Char Echo, Bint Sirbana  was born when Sirbana was 26 years old! Joe shared that Bint Sirbana was a bay version of her dam, a beautiful mare, regal, her body shaped by long, flowing curvey lines. By the time that Bint Sirbana was born, Joe had made the conscious decision to no longer breed horses and Bint Sirbana was sold to the Poe family in North Carolina who loved and cared for the mare, all her life.

Bint Sirbana (Char Echo x Sirbana), photo by Joe Ferriss

In the Muluq blog I wrote that the Muluq horses are not only beautiful and charming; the horses possess a contemplative expression, conveying a deeper level of emotional intelligence than we ever realized. Raswan states that the Bedouin called this, Yuminuna B'il Ghayb, which translated, means "it is within them, the psychic power of an angel." It is extremely interesting that not only did her sire possess this unique expression but her dam did as well and in this Joe Ferriss photo, we see that the daughter had a very similar expression as well. Visually, this makes Raswan's words, written way back in the forties,come alive all over again. In these days that are fueled by anger, intolerance and lack of respect, these horses are like a salve to heal these emotional wounds and remind us of the responsibility we all have to treat each other with dignity and kindness.

Babson Plus

I was thinking of something else, when I stumbled upon a 2009 article, Fine Lines, written by Richard Ernsberger Jr. in Virgina Living magazine. The late Honorable Helen Marie Taylor was 86-years old at the time and was in the process of selling the remaining 23 horses at her farm, named Bloomsbury, in Orange County, Virginia.

The late Helen Marie Taylor & HMT Virginius (The Minstril x AK Narimann), photographed by Jeff Greenough

I didn't realize that Helen Marie Taylor was a native of Waco, Texas, even attending Baylor University, and now, I better understand how a member of a distinguished multi-generational Virginia family becomes connected to Bentwood Farm in Waco, Texas.  This is exactly the catalyst role that our horses play, in bringing different types of people together, to form relationships that may not have developed, if the horse was not at the center of it all. When Bentwood Farm dispersed, she purchased about 20 horses, including the 1977 grey mare, Bint Bint Maarena. She would be yet another horse of this combination of new/old blood to live on the eastern seaboard, as the maternal siblings of her granddam, lived in this part of the mid-Atlantic as well, i.e. Alyce Burgess' Akid Arabian Stud and Barbara Griffith's Imperial Egyptian Stud.

Bint Bint Maarena (*Ibn Moniet El Nefous x AK Bint Maarena), photographed by the late Johnny Johnston

Sired by *Ibn Moniet El Nefous and AK Bint Maarena, I remember meeting this mare in person, when I visited Bentwood Farm in the late eighties. I loved her.  About 12-years old at the time, she was one of several mares representing the older straight Babson Egyptian lines crossed with the new straight Egyptian stallion, *Ibn Moniet El Nefous, whom I had traveled to see in person. Her beautiful chestnut dam was a full sister to Serr Maariner (Ibn Fa-Serr x Maarena) and a maternal sibling to the trio of Maarenas, sired by *Ibn Moniet El Nefous: AK El Zahra Moniet, AK El Malouf & AK Monareena. It was those mares, like Bint Bint Maarena, who made me a fan of the *Maaroufa cross with *Ibn Moniet El Nefous; as I was already a fan of the *Bint Bint Sabbah's combined with *Ansata Ibn Halima. I have to say that meeting these mares in person, remains not only a cherished highlight of my life, it was a turning point for me, in my evolution as a student of the breed. In a previous blog about AK Monareena, I shared my interest in breeding AK Monareena to Serr Maariner, to line breed back to Maarena, which unfortunately did not happen for me. When I visited Bentwood, meeting Bint Bint Maarena is where I developed the idea in the first place, to use Serr Maariner in this way, hoping to further intensify the Ibn Fa-Serr/Maarena cross on the maternal side of the pedigree. 

You know what's funny? At the time that most of this story was happening, the strain of the Babson *Maaroufa horses was recognized as Kuhaylan Jellabi. In a program that was as focused upon the Saqlawi strain, as the Bentwood breeding program was; little did anyone realize at the time that the farm was breeding pure-in-the-saqlawi-strain!

Bentwood bred Bint Bint Maarena to Moniet El Sharaf to produce AK Fa Sharafa in 1984 and AK Maarshafa in 1985. She was then bred to Shaikh Al Badi to produce Princess Maarena in 1986, then bred to Alidaar, a Shaikh Al Badi son, producing a colt in 1989 named Ali Jahmal, followed by the very first foal in 1991 to be named with Helen Marie Taylor's initials: HMT Sukari. The other similarly prefixed horses out of Bint Bint Maarena were HMT Ishmadi, a grey colt by AK Ishmael in 1992, HMT Fabadi, a grey colt by The Minstril in 1993 and HMT Renazz, a third grey colt in 1995, this time by Thee Desperado. 

I found it very interesting to learn that the 1985 daughter, AK Maarshafa, was bred by Dr. Hans Nagel to the Salaa El Dine son, Nejdy, to produce a filly named Fatima XVII in 1992, who then, was bred to another Salaa El Dine son, Nahaman, producing a 1996 black filly named Fasinah El Chamsin, who eventually joined Gestüt Rothenberg, owned by Annette Escher and her late husband, Erwin, who was an amazing photographer. The black stallion, GR Faleeh was the resulting foal in 1996, when Fasinah El Chamsin was bred to Madallan-Madheen. When GR Faleeh was bred to his paternal sister, the cross yielded another beautiful black stallion, whom Anette Escher named GR Moneef. Little did I realize that a global future, within a celebrated black straight Egyptian program like the Rothenberg Stud awaited the progeny of Bint Bint Maarena, when I admired that long ago day in a Bentwood pasture. I only wish that I could go back in time, knowing what I know today, all for the love of an Arabian horse.

Bel Gordas

Bel Gordas (Sirecho x Habba)

Bel Gordas was a 1956 grey stallion, bred by Mrs. John Ekern Ott, who had purchased his dam, Habba (*Fadl x *Bint Bint Sabbah), from the Babson Farm in 1954. Bel Gordas' sire, Sirecho, foaled in 1939, was also purchased by Mrs. Ott, from Clifford Lodwick, in the same time period of the Babson Farm purchase. Bel Gordas was the first foal that Sirecho sired for Mrs. Ott and eventually, he became a herd sire for her program. The interesting thing about Habba is that a maternal line, in straight Babson Egyptian form, no longer exists. Horses like Bel Gordas and his descendants, remain the ways in which we can incorporate the influence of Habba within a breeding program. 

In the Spanish language, the name, "Bel Gordas" translates to "beautiful fat ladies" however "beautiful" in this sense, does not refer to an outwardly physical beauty but rather, an in-born beauty, like a spiritual beauty. For most people who have been involved with Asil or Egyptian horses, they are familiar with Mrs. Ott and her daughter, as both ladies are largely responsible for developing awareness and appreciation in America for the preservation of the Bedouin-bred Arabian horse, as catalogued within their famous publication, The Blue Arabian Catalog. The Otts were passionate about the horses and their communication style, reflected the passion they felt. I have always wondered if the name of Bel Gordas was like an "inside joke" for Mrs. Ott and her daughter. Needless to say, whenever I see Bel Gordas' name, I always chuckle, thanks to the Otts. 

One of the stories that I heard about Bel Gordas involved Richard Pritzlaff, who owned the mare, Rabanna (Rasik x Banna). Richard loved the mare and because of her dam, Banna, Richard was also enamored of the stallion, *Nasr (Rabdan el Azrak x Bint Yamama). He desired to incorporate more *Nasr blood within his program, so he contacted the Otts, in the hope that he could lease Sirecho for breeding. However, Sirecho was an aged stallion by that time and it wasn't in the horse's best interest to ship him all the way to New Mexico. So, instead of sending Sirecho to Richard, Mrs. Ott sent Bel Gordas to Jackson Hensley instead. Bred to *Bint el Bataa, Bel Gordas sired the mare, Naszala for Richard but he also sired RA Leila, out of the *Bint Moniet el Nefous daughter, RSI Rara Del Sol, for Jackson, among other horses.

Bel Gordas sired a little less than 20 horses and of those horses, 3 were out of the Sirecho daughter, Faarecho (out of Faara by Faddan x Fa Aana), 3 were out of Jasmyn (Fa-Rousse x Dahlya), who incidentally, was a granddaughter of Dahma Al-Zarka, who also was bred to Bel Gordas in 1965, producing the daughter, Belle Dahma, who was later exported to Germany. Bel Gordas was also bred to the mare Zahlya twice. Zahlya was by Zarlan and out of Dahlya, the dam of Jasmyn! The Sirecho daughter, Sirulla (out of Drissula) was also bred to Bel Gordas, as was her daughter, Zarrulla.  For a smaller number of get sired, the Bel Gordas family has prospered over the years and Bel Gordas has 963 descendants through the present day, with approximately a third of those descendants born in the years 1990 through 1999. 

I was born in the sixties, so Bel Gordas, as a living individual in the physical world, was a bit before my time. It would be through his daughter, Belle Echo (out of Faarecho, also by Sirecho) and her daughters: Masada Bellesabah (Lothar), Masada Saabellah (Saafaddan) and Masada Bellisima (Fabo) that I learned of Bel Gordas. These were very pretty and really sweet mares, who produced equally sweet horses. Sirecho, a curiously intelligent horse, was remarked to have a wonderful, easy going personality that he passed onto his sons and daughters as well as a voluptuous phenotype, like an "old world" type, their bodies comprised of flowing, circular lines, just as if they had stepped out of a museum painting. Many, many years later, to illustrate how small the world can be, I would have the opportunity to own Princeton Maarena, a great-granddaughter of Sirhabba, who just happens to be a full sister to Bel Gordas! It would be this experience which has left me a forever fan of this particular bloodline.

***I published this blog earlier this year, on March 13th. Bel Gordas is one of my favorite horses, one of my favorite lines in straight Egyptian breeding. If you missed his story the first time, here's another opportunity to read his blog.***

2020: My Favorite Photos

January

When I saw this Suzanne Sturgill photo of Bellagio RCA (Alixir x Rhapsody in Black), I couldn't believe my eyes. "How is that even possible?" I remember asking myself. For the longest time, I believed that of all the coat colors, black horses are the most challenging to photograph. The photos never do the horse justice and often, when you finally see the horse in real life, he doesn't look anything like he looked in the picture. But that's not the case in this photo of a most extraordinary horse, as you are able to see the fully black, large and expressive eyes, as well as the definition of the veins and the prominence of the bone in Bellagio's face. His skin quality is super fine and accentuates all those dry qualities that we admire in the Arabian horse head, including his elastic and very beautifully shaped nostrils, which adorn a head that is short but broad. I derive alot of inspiration from this photo and thought that when you see it, dear reader, you would feel all the wonder and awe that I experience. Especially today, when all the fun and happy holiday times are behind us and we slog through the ice, snow and mud of January.

February

Nour Al Kamar MH embodies many of the tangible and intangible qualities we cherished in *Ansata Ibn Halima (Nazeer x Halima), for Nour Al Kamar MH is a balanced horse, close-coupled, with a strong and smooth top line, a beautifully shaped neck and that classic, short, wide head with large expressive eyes, set low in the head. And also like *Ansata Ibn Halima, Nour Al Kamar MH craves human attention and companionship. He is an affectionate horse, even playful, who enjoys a soothing voice and hand. Jody says, "don’t even think about walking by his stall without stopping to say hello, especially with a carrot in your hand.” Nour Al Kamar MH, in one horse, symbolizes the evolution of the ideal Rancho Bulakenyo Arabian horse; all the way from Dr. Felino Cruz's ideal Arabian horse, to the modern day horses that his son, Dr. Joseph (Jody) Cruz has bred, incorporating new bloodlines into the program like BintAzizaPrincess, the maternal grand dam of Nour Al Kamar MH. What can Nour offer straight Egyptian breeders? Jody says of Nour, "he sires lots of front end, necks, super bodies, tail and trot."

March

Nicole Sachs took many beautiful photos of El Thay Mameluk (Ibn Nazeema x El Thay Mansoura) over the stallion's lifetime. This photo, in its simplicity, is one of my favorite photos of him. A simple lead rope to do a simple task. No fancy jewelry, tassels, gemstones or any of the many trinkets we feel are necessary to "dress up" what is already, a masterpiece of creation. It would be like adding glitter to the portrait of the Mona Lisa, to make it more attractive. I never got to meet El Thay Mameluk in person. I only know of this horse because of Nicole's incredible photographic talent and the generosity of Sabine Von Elm to share this horse with the world. His large, fully black eyes are set lower in his short, wider head. His soft expression is enhanced by the prominence of bone and vein, suggesting a very fine skin quality. The width of his facial crest bone is very wide, conveying the quality that the Bedouin called "asalah". His ears are shorter, with sharp tips, while his nostrils are larger, with a beautiful shape. His expression is made even more powerfully dramatic by his profuse forelock. Will there ever be another horse as magnificent as he was, both inside and out?

April

I can't even begin to tell you how many times I have looked at this picture. Thousands? Millions? Billions? I lost count. Annesilnefous Ezzain, whose name means "the pleasure of the soul", is sired by NK Qaswarah out of NK Momtaza (Ibn Nedjy x Sanaya). Aneesilnefous looks a lot like his sire. There is no mistaking it. Of all the get NK Qawarah has sired at Ezzain, Aneesilnefous is the most like him. He is like his sire in terms of his strength, with the same wonderful strong points in his muscling, in his substance, in the prominence of the bone. As Qaswarah is beautiful, so is Aneesilnefous but his beauty is at a more dramatic level than his sire. Aneesilnefous is a more refined version of Qaswarah, thanks to the influence of his dam. I'll never forget him and this photo, takes me back 7 years ago, when I was fortunate to stand in his presence and admire him.

May

Carl Raswan once wrote, "the most perfect of Arabians then are the 'Muluq' (the Angel) Horses, who are not only physically the most beautiful and perfect, but who have one more feature, which is revealed in the "windows" (or mirrors) of their handsome heads: an expression in their eyes which proves that they are "thinking" (meditating), rational beings with a soul and not just subject creatures to serve us physically." Have you had the opportunity to purchase Judith Forbis' new book, Born to Reign? If you haven't, may I suggest that you move heaven and earth, to do whatever is possible, to purchase a copy before the book is no longer available. In the story of this mare's life, Judi will weave together a tale that will reintroduce the wonder and awe that may be missing from your life, in large part to all that we are currently living through. The eyes of *Ansata Bint Bukra and her descendants spoke volumes, without ever vocalizing one word. For me personally, the story of her life has brought deep reflection, at a time when I have needed it most. When I read Raswan's words, it's not that they didn't stand alone on their own merit, they did; I just did not have a visual that was equal to the power of his words, to make it real. It was actually something that Judi said in another book, about *Ansata Bint Bukra's daughter, Ansata Delilah, that started to bring real meaning to Raswan’s words. This particular photo inspired others too, like Peter Upton, who painted perhaps the most breathtaking portrait of any horse, which eventually would become the cover of Judi’s Born to Reign book. This particular photo has always been special to me, largely because of the expression on *Ansata Bint Bukra's face, magnified through her deeply black eyes. Whether you believe (or not) in Raswan's spiritual perspective regarding the Muluq horses; it’s OK, however, I promise you that *Ansata Bint Bukra's story will inspire you in a way that will even surprise you, as it did for me. In this time that we find ourselves, scared, alone and confronting the fragility of our own life, the truth is that we are not really alone and that God uses every opportunity, to raise our awareness of Him and His love for us. Miracles still happen, God continues to be our God and the Arabian horse still remains as one of God’s creation, as we are.

June

Bashar Al Kamar MH is a 2010 bay stallion, bred by Jody Cruz of Rancho Bulakenyo. His sire, Imperial Al Kamar, was representative of Imperial Egyptian Stud’s classic blend of bloodlines as he was a grandson of the Sameh daughter, *Serenity Sonbolah and through El Hilal, was also a grandson of *Ansata Ibn Halima. What I found interesting about Bashar's pedigree, despite the fact that he is a pure-in-the-strain Kuhaylan horse (and substrain, Kurush), is that *Ansata Ibn Halima exerts a larger percentage of influence genetically. Through El Hilal, Hossny, El Halimaar and Nazim Pascha, he represents 28% of the pedigree. Understanding the foundation of the Rancho Bulakenyo breeding program, I can't think of a horse who better represents the growth of the program from its inception, under Dr. Felino Cruz, to the present day, through Dr. Joseph Cruz's direction. Also, an important point to make about Bashar involves his heavily pigmented coat color. I have noticed that the Imperial Al Kamar-sired horses of this coat color, are different in body type from the grey-colored Kamar-sired horses. Jody says of Bashar, "he's best with mares having strong hind ends and solid toplines. He will add face, eyes, amazing ears and presence." It is hard not to get caught up in the excitement of this single moment and Bashar's electrifying presence, as captured through the camera of Christine Emmert.

July

One of the most beautiful mares that Gleannloch Farm ever produced was Neama, a 1976 daughter of *Nabilahh (Anter x Farasha), sired by *Sakr (*Sultann x Enayat). I still remember the ad that was placed in Arabian Horse World, in advance of the Pyramid Society Breeders Sales I. I was surprised to learn that Neama was offered for sale in June of 1982 by Gleannloch Farms with an Amaal colt at side and bred to *Soufian for a 1983 foal (a mare named Qastal). I believe she was purchased by the late Martha Murdoch of Rocaille Ranch in Texas. Neama produced a grey stallion, Rasheeq in 1988, by Shaikh Al Badi. Neama was also bred to The Minstril twice, to produce the full sisters: Neena in 1990 and Najimah in 1991. This is one of my favorite photos ever, taken by Randi Clark and brings me as much joy today, as when I saw it for the first time.

August

I haven't seen this photo in a long time and yet, one look at it and I can recall the feelings of awe and wonder that I felt, the first time I saw the photo. So many years (and horses) later and, I am still enchanted, in the same way as I was, all those years ago. This is Fair Sir, a 1978 chestnut stallion, bred by Charles and Jeanne Craver. In all the lines of his pedigree, he traced to horses that were imported to the USA, from the Arabian desert, by Homer Davenport in 1906. Fair Sir's sire, Sir, and his dam, Lady Fair were full siblings! Both were sired by the chestnut stallion, Tripoli and out of the grey mare, Dharebah, two important horses who are recognized as second foundation horses, thereby, Fair Sir is part of the group of horses recognized as Core Haifi (aka Kuhaylan Haifi strain). As closely bred as Tripoli and Dharebah were, Fair Sir himself, was bred back to his dam, resulting in Fairy Tale CF, a 1985 grey mare. Fair Sir was especially long lived; he was 30 years old when he died. In his lifetime, he sired 10 get: 7 fillies (Truly Fair, Marigold CF, Most Fair, Fairy Tale CF, Aureole CF, Kore CF, Iambe) and 3 colts (Thobe CF, Accolade CF, Mi Majest Prince).

September

As a 10-year old, I discovered The Black Stallion series of books, written by Walter Farley. As the oldest of 6 children, my parents could not afford to indulge my love of horses with the real thing and library books, like The Black Stallion were the only way I knew, to bring horses into my life. I don't remember which volume included this photo on the back of the dust jacket but I do remember the feeling of total amazement, upon discovering the photo. A paternal grandaughter of Indraff (*Raffles x *Indaia), Al-Marah Athena traced in her tail female line to Nejdme, one of the Syrian desert bred horses exhibited by the Hamidie Society at the Chicago World's Fair. An expressive golden chestnut mare, with a flaxen mane and large, liquid black eyes, perhaps this is why I am particularly drawn to horses of this color. Still, to this day, I see this picture and experience the same level of happiness, as I did in childhood.

October

There are very few equine photos that make me cry and this particular Polly Knoll photo of Serr Maariner (Ibn Fa-Serr x Maarena) is one of them. The photo was actually taken at East Freehold Park, a short distance from Princeton Arabians, to include the flowering pink blossoms that you see in the background. It’s really beautiful in the park at this time of the year (early May). Serr was always so dignified, regal, possessing a serious attitude. He was so focused and what made him happiest was his work. Serr had a very well defined sense of personal body space and you did not enter his space without asking or being invited by him. He was not the kind of horse who would bump you with his head to gain your attention, nuzzle you or shower you with other physical forms of affection, as some horses will. He was a bit aloof, maybe closer to the behavior of a cat and if he wanted a closer level of companionship, he always asked. If he didn’t ask, you knew to leave him alone. He demanded your respect and through experience, you learned what he liked and what bothered him. He didn’t like ‘baby talk’ or tongue clicking, and he didn’t appreciate uninvited hands touching him all over his body, especially hands that would linger on his muzzle, nostrils or chin. It took only one time for me to learn this and although I never made that mistake again, from that point on, I was convinced that he didn’t like me. In hindsight, I think that he really preferred women over men. No surprise, because of the close relationship/partnership he shared with Gail. I was 18 or 19 years old when I met Serr and I don’t think that I realized the opportunity I had at the time to see him as regularly as I did. I took him for granted. I treated him like that moment in time, as fleeting as it turned out to be, would last forever. Most of what I now understand about Serr, was learned in hindsight, through the memories I have of him. But all those lessons came much too late to make a difference in the relationship that I was trying to establish with him back then, in the mid-to-late 80’s. I can’t wish him back to life, so I could try all over again; he is gone forever, with no chance to thank him or to tell him of the difference that he made in my life. I want to believe that through his daughter, I was able to show Serr how much I had progressed in my equine understanding but still, I miss him and the chance to show him the respect I feel for him. I only wish to be as good of a human being, as he was at being a horse.

November

I don't remember when I first met Gari Dill-Marlow, because it felt like I had known her forever. In her company, whether in person, by phone or via email, you could always pick up on the last conversation, no matter how much time had passed. Gari had leased Rosemary Archer's Sa'lilah for breeding and bred her to the stallion, *Carmargue, hoping for a filly. Instead, a tall, leggy and magnificent bay colt was born, whom she named *Carmagnole. When I was working on the blog for *Sa'ika (*Carmagnole was his maternal brother), I stumbled on this particular photo of *Camargnole. Despite the number of cell phones, laptops and tablets that I have owned since Gari first sent the photo to me, I saved the photo.That's how much the photo means to me. Although *Carmagnole sired a daughter, *Carmagnole had very poor semen, approximately 10% motility. At the time, Gari was boarding *Carmagnole and because she had recently purchased *Rushan, she was trying to reduce her monthly horse expenses, in favor of *Rushan. *Carmagnole had been raced in England and had been shown at the British Nationals. Gari knew of my love of dressage and believed in *Carmagnole's ability to be the kind of partner I needed to grow in the discipline. Gari offered *Carmagnole to me, on one condition, that I geld him and show him. He was a huge horse, 16 hands and possessing a spectacular temperament (he loved to lick people, it was his favorite thing to do). At the time, with three small children, a sales career that involved commuting to NYC, I was afraid to take on such a responsibility but *Carmagnole could be the perfect Arabian horse to help me realize my USDF dreams. Tentatively, I accepted Gari's offer and started to contact shipping companies for the transport of *Carmagnole to New Jersey. However, about a week later, Gari called me with the tragic news. *Carmagnole had colicked and tragically, died. I remember the rollercoaster of emotions that I experienced at the time. I didn't personally know the horse but I grieved over the loss of all that Gari had told me about him. I really miss Gari. I depended on her wisdom, her unflappable spirit, her love of the Arabian horse and her ability to tell a good story. She loved *Carmagnole and there was no doubt in my mind that she would not offer such a wonderful horse to just anybody. I am honored that Gari chose to trust me with such an incredible horse.

December

The late Erwin Escher took this photo of Al Adeed Al Shaqab (Ansata Halim Shah x Sundar Alisayyah) at the 1999 Middle East Championships, when Al Adeed was named the Champion Stallion, shown by Michel Byatt. It's my favorite photo of Al Adeed, a young 4-year old stallion, on the threshold of greatness. At the time, I was filled with awe and wonder. How is a horse like this possible? Never, had I seen a horse more perfect than Al Adeed, who possessed a level of smoothness, harmony and classic type that was outrageous. He was the fairy-tale horse that you dreamed of at night and in the morning, you were surprised to learn that it was no dream, he was real. The world can be unsavory, cold and hard at times. Sometimes, in the face of great challenges, all we have can feel that it is not enough. Al Adeed’s beauty empowered us with courage, hope and faith, in the same way that an artistic masterpiece inspires us to live the kind of life that is equal to the beauty we see with our eyes. Al Adeed pushed the boundaries of possibility farther and wider than ever before, because physically, he was a reminder of what is possible. Now, 20 years later, I still experience the same feelings of awe and wonder when I see this photo. He remains timeless and a memory that I will forever treasure

 Many thanks to all of you. Without you, there would be no blog, as I derive great encouragement from all of your visits. I am looking forward to 2021 and uncovering more great stories of the horses we love most in the world. Best wishes for a happy new year!

Maarena

Maarena, a chestnut straight Babson Egyptian mare was a daughter of Fabah, out of the mare Fada.  Maarena was bred twice to Ibn Fa Serr, and from this breeding, Serr Maariner and his full sister, the chestnut AK Bint Maarena were produced. In the brochure for the Pyramid Society Breeder's Sale I, held in 1982, Homer Watson wrote:

"When we sold Maarena in 1972, they wanted to choose a mating which I felt would produce a foundation-quality mare or a stallion prospect. It took me about two seconds to decide on Ibn Fa Serr. He's been so great on Fabah daughters. Bint Maarena was the resulting foal. David Gardner took Maarena out one time, showed her to Champion Mare, and turned her back out. It didn't surprise me that she won. She was carrying Bint Maarena at the time."

In addition to the 2 full siblings (Serr Maariner and AK Bint Maarena) sired by Ibn Fa-Serr, Maarena was also bred to the new Egyptian stallion, *Ibn Moniet El Nefous  and produced the full siblings:  AK El Maalouf, a gray stallion that went to Deep Meadow Farm in Virginia, the chestnut, very Babson-like, AK El Zahra Moniet, who also went to Virginia, to Akid Arabian Stud and the grey AK Monareena whom I met on a late winter's day, in Pennsylvania at the farm of Dr. David Newcomer. I had loved this particular mare, since she was consigned by Imperial Egyptian Stud to the Bluebonnet sale in the mid-eighties.

AK Monareena

She was 18 years old when I met her, even more beautiful than I remembered. She had a most expressive head with large eyes, fully and deeply black. Her body was of good proportions, as she had the substance that Babson horses are known for and yet, she was elegant because of the refinement that *Ibn Moniet El Nefous contributed to the cross. She was harmonious because everything looked like it belonged on her body. There was a point when I handed the lead rope over, watching her walk away from me and I was overwhelmed with the view from behind. Even though she had foundered, she had such elegant movement, underscored by her tail carriage. She was one of the most beautiful mares that I ever remember meeting.

*Nabilahh

*Nabilahh was my favorite of the Farasha daughters, as I believe she was a very consistent producer of horses that in turn, created influential families. Gleannloch imported ten Anter daughters from Egypt. One of these ten Anter daughters was the mare, *Nabilahh. I can't think of a more powerful statement, that would underscore the importance of Anter and his daughter, *Nabilahh, than a foundation breeder like Gleannloch purchasing a large number of these horses.

Nabilahh produced 8 daughters:

• Bint Nabilahh in 1970
• Lohelia (*Morafic) in 1971
• Nagliah in 1972
• Neama in 1976
• AK Aliha (*Sakr) in 1977
• AK Bint Nabilahh (*Ibn Moniet El Nefous) in 1979
• AK Rafaayah (*Ibn Moniet El Nefous) in 1980
• Frabilahh (The Egyptian Prince) in 1984

It is interesting to point out the Bentwood-bred mare, AK Bint Nabilahh, who produced Classic Aisha by the Ruminaja Ali son, Alidaar (who provides an additional line to Farasha through his dam, Bint Magidaa) and SF Egyptian Dove, sired by ET Crown Prince. I have not seen this mare SF Egyptian Dove but I am curious to see how much she may resemble Maar Bilahh, as she has the line to Maar Hala through her sire, as well as a double does of *Nabilahh. SF Egyptian Dove has produced 3 mares that I know of: Ghazalat Bouznika by Imperial Imdal and two daughters by Imperial Mashhar (this stallion has Imperial Fanniya in his dam line, who was sired by *Faleh, a Farasha son and through the sire, Imperial Madheen, has an additional line to Farasha, through Galal and a line through Yosreia through Mohga): Mouniat Bouznika and Nabilah Bouznika, who should be somewhere around 10 years of age by now. The mare AK Rafaayah, was bred to the *Farazdac son, Shah el Sun to produce the mare N-Amora in 1992. This is an interesting mare to consider, as she carries Farasha on the top of her pedigree and the tail female. She in turn was bred to the predominantly Dahman stallion, Shaikh el Shamal, to produce the mare Nabilat el Sheruk, 10 years ago.

In the above paragraph, I mentioned the Alidaar-sired mare Classic Aisha and I must make mention of another Alidaar daughter out of The Egyptian Prince, Frabilahh, who produced Classic Farida. She has produced 2 sons by Ansata Hejazi and a son by the *Ibn El Mareekh son, Baahir.

The mare, Lohelia, has been prolific in her production of daughters, including the Bentwood mare, AK Ahliyeh, who produced a son by *Serag, Ahsen El Serag, owned by Al and Judi Parks of Al Abbasiyah International. While there have been horses produced with multiple lines to Farasha or Yosreia, it is interesting to find a stallion with Anter in the sire line, relatively close. AK Ahliyeh, when bred to Imperial Imdal, produced Kirmali in 1988. I saw this mare at the Newcomer's farm, Conestoga Run in Pennsylvania and was awestruck by what was for me,  a statuesque, elegant and wonderfully leggy, nice-moving mare. I was really surprised by Kirmali and her size, reminiscent of Sid Abouhom. She was shown with some success in hunter-under-saddle classes. Lohelia also produced AK Rasafah by Ansata Abbas Pasha, RXR Lia Moniet by AK El Zahra Moniet (Maarena blood here on the bottom) and Shahelia by Shaikh Al Badi.

Nagliah, bred twice to *Zaghloul, produced the stong-bodied Asmarr and Naheed, Taira by *Soufian, Buukura by Al Metrabbi, Nagiba by Ibn El Hassan and Bint Nagliah by Thee Desperado.

Neama was bred to The Minstril twice, to produce the full sisters: Najimah and Neena, as well as *Soufian, to produce the mare Qastal.

For me, the most outstanding mare of the Farasha family is Maar Bilahh, another Rancho Bulakenyo-bred horse, a daughter of El Halimaar, out of the *Nabilahh daughter by *Morafic, Bint Nabilahh. If Bint Nabilahh had only produced Maar Bilahh, she would have been forever remembered,however, she also produced two mares by Shaikh Al Badi: Ruminaja Nadia (she in turn produced Mashwara by Bay Halima and Sharifa Moniet by Moniet El Sharaf) and Ruminaja Nahjat.

 

Tallahsman

Tallahsman was an Imperial Madheen son, out of Bint Atallah, a Ruminaja Ali daughter. He was bred by my friend, Judy Guess and for most of his life, made his home with Omar Sakr in Egypt, and then, late in life, he went to Al Waab Stud in Qatar, who owned Tallahsman right up until his death. The maternal line of his dam traces through the Bentwood-bred, AK Atallah, an *Ansata Ibn Halima daughter out of the Jay Stream-bred Al Nahr Mon Ami, an *Ibn Moniet El Nefous daughter out of Bint Fada, a straight Babson Egyptian daughter of the jet black Fa-Serr and the chestnut mare, Fada (Fadaan x Aaroufa). Bint Fada was a maternal sister to the beloved Fabah-sired siblings, Fadl Dan and Maarena. One of the most amazing qualities of Tallahsman, in my opinion, was his consistency in siring beautiful daughters, who matured into strong and significant broodmares for not only Omar Sakr but other breeders as well. Right away, my mind thinks of the incredible 2012 Egyptian World Champion mare like Nabeela Sakr, out of Ansata Nafisa, owned by Al Waab Stud in Qatar. Her son by Gamal Sakr, Haroon Sakr, is owned by Mohamed El Bourini and utilized in his breeding program. Just one of the many examples of how the influence of Tallahsman has spread far into the world, cherished by breeders of the Egyptian Arabian horse and his many admirers.

Fabah

The Babson stallion, Fabah, was an influential individual, not only within the straight Babson Egyptian group but also, in straight Egyptian breeding. Think of horses like Mahrouf, The Shah, Fabo, Hadbah, Ahmed Fabah and Fadl Dan, all of whom claim Fabah as a sire. While it is difficult, if not impossible to find a Babson horse without Fabah present in the pedigree; on a greater note, the combination of *Fadl and *Bint Bint Sabbah is also prevalent in the Babson breeding group because these two prolific horses, together, produced nine other foals in addition to Fabah: Fadahma, Fa Saana, Khebir, Habba, Fad Sabbah, Fa Habba, Fa Saab, Faaba and Fa Abba. I have heard the term "Fabah-free" used previously, which is a term that confuses me. For example, the 1974 Saafaddan daughter, Masada El Aba, out of Daal Aba, may have been the last Babson horse without Fabah in her pedigree and yet, she carries lines to Fabah's full sisters: Fa-Habba and Faaba. So what does "Fabah-free" really mean, being that the combination of *Fadl and *Bint Bint Sabbah may exist elsewhere in the pedigree? The Babson Farm used Fabah on the Fa-Serr daughters and Ibn Fa-Serr on the Fabah daughters. For example, Fabah sired Sabrah (out of Serrasab), the dam of the US National Champion Mare Fa Halima and Ansata Sabiha, as well as the son, Sar Fadl Halim. Another Fabah daughter was the mare Aroufina (out of Roufina) in 1969. When Aroufina was bred to the *Ibn Moniet El Nefous son, Fa Noufas (out of the Fabah daughter, Shebaah), she produced Noufina. In turn, Noufina was eventually bred to the Sabeel son, *Lancers Sahm, to produce the mare PH Safina. PH Safina was bred to *Orashan, to produce the mare, BB Ora Kalilah, one of my favorite Imperial mares and the dam of Imperial Baarez (by PVA Karim). Fabah's daughter, Maarqada, produced the full sisters by Ansata Ibn Sudan: Ansata Jasmin and Ansata Jellabia, who in turn produced the stallion, El Hadiyyah. Maarena, bred to Ibn Fa-Serr, produced the dressage stallion Serr Maariner. Much can be written about Fabah, for he was truly an amazing sire of significance.

Fa Moniet

Fa Moniet was a 1967 *Ibn Moniet el Nefous daughter out of the straight Babson Egyptian mare, Fada (Faddan x Aaroufa), bred by the Babson Farm. Fa Moniet was a maternal sister to Maarena (Fabah x Fada) who like her dam Fada, was also bred to *Ibn Moniet El Nefous several times, producing the full siblings: AK El Zahra Moniet, AK El Maalouf and AK Monareena. Fada was also the mother of Fadl Dan, a sire for Bentwood Farm and Bint Fada, who was the dam of Al Nahr Montego. If Fa Moniet had only produced Prince Fa Moniet, we would still consider her an influential broodmare but the fact is that she produced other horses like Prince Fa Moniet's full sisters: Akid Bint Ruala and Akid Fa Mona. Fa Moniet also produced Akid Serra Moniet by the Babson/Sirecho stallion, Serr Al Sahih, who in turn, produced a daughter by AK El Zahra Moniet named Akid Hanalei, who when bred to Nabiel, produced Akid Geshan, a Supreme Grand Champion Stallion who like Prince Fa Moniet, traveled to Australia. In her tail female line, Fa Moniet traces to the Babson import, *Maaroufa (Ibn Rabdan x Mahroussa). There is a voluptuousness to Fa Moniet's strong body, an overall harmony influenced by the horses found within the maternal side of her pedigree. The the flowing circular, delightfully curvey lines, all work together to present an old world look, which is unmistakable and point to the influence of Manial Stud and the horses bred by Prince Mohamed Aly Tewfik, still relevant after so many years.

Remembering Ansata Halima Son

Ansata Halima Son was a 1977 grey stallion, by *Ansata Ibn Halima, out of Ansata Damietta, a daughter of the *Morafic son, Ansata Shah Zaman and out of the Sameh daughter, Ansata Bint Misr. In his tail female line, Ansata Halima Son traces to the Dahmah Shahwaniyah mare, Bukra. I knew of Ansata Halima Son because he was the sire of Pri Asali Halim and Pri Gamil Halim, both stallions out of Princeton Gamila, the dam of my mare, Princeton Maarena. Although I never saw Ansata Halima Son in person, I was impressed over the consistency of the horses he sired, horses which I knew personally. Another son, Ansata Ibn Aziza, out of the Ansata Bint Zaafarana daughter (tail female line to Farida) Ansata Aziza, became an important sire for Dr. William M. Hudson, Jr. of Zandai Arabians. His most influential daughter, Ansata Jumana, through Ansata Judea, her dam, traces to the Sameh grand daughter, Ansata Jamila. Ansata Jumana was a prolific broodmare, producing many daughters who matured into successful broodmares for Ansata and other breeding programs around the world. She also produced by Asjah Ibn Faleh, the beautiful and athletic black stallion, Ansata Exemplar, who was exported overseas and earned a gold medal at the German Stallion Show. And for me, that is the most amazing fact about this horse, that bred to a reduced number of mares, his influence has spread far and wide in the world-wide community of straight Egyptian Arabian horses.

EnJOY,
Ralph

Remembering AK Monareena

A long time ago, far, far away, I came face-to-face with a beauty so fierce, I didn't know what to do about it. I really wasn't prepared for the encounter and to become engaged in a battle of deep emotions, the scars of which, I carry to the present day. I knew I was outnumbered but I was young, brave and naive, so, I fought with all I had and came up short, so my heart was captured by this beauty, as her prize of war and locked in a dungeon, forever, a slave for longing and desire.

Here, in a wintry landscape, all barren and brown, far from the desert of her ancestors, I found the rose of the Bedouin. And I wanted to pick this rose from the winter garden that I found her in and bring her to my garden, to nurture her, to love her, to protect her and to be rewarded with her flourishing beauty. I had loved this particular mare, since I saw her advertised in a Bentwood sale flyer and I couldn't believe that here, in Pennsylvania, I finally would meet her, already 18 years old, having produced 6 foals, foundered and yet, she was even more beautiful than I remembered her from the photos in a magazine. She, had lived a hard life and me, in my youth, understood and shared common ground with her. Life, even when everything around you looks great and good, could still be harsh and unfair.

"But someone,
They could have warned you
When things start splitting at the seams and now
The whole thing's tumbling down
Things start splitting at the seams and now
If things start splitting at the seams and now,
It's tumbling down
Hard."-from The Band of Horses song, No One's Gonna Love You

AK Monareena was extraordinary, stunning really with a most expressive head, finely sculpted with every pronounced detail that I could ever imagine in an Arabian Horse head. No artist could create a sculpture as beautiful as the head that God created for this mare. She was a triumph of creation, a celebration for her breeder, Bentwood Farm of Waco, Texas. Her eyes were large, deeply black, with a nice round shape, which, set against the whiteness of her coat, seemed blacker, fuller, deeper. A man could get lost in her eyes. She was a close-coupled mare, with a strong back; actually she had one of the most beautiful toplines that I had ever seen. Her body was curvey, of rounded lines, even voluptuous, as she had the substance that Babson horses are known for and yet, she was extremely elegant and I think this overall refinement came from Moniet El Nefous. She had a quiet way about her. She wasn't the kind of mare that was anxious, calling to her stablemates. She was elegant, reserved, lady-like even. I marveled over her. As the farm trainer led her back to her stall, I walked behind her and  I was just so fascinated with the smoothness of her body, accentuated by a beautiful tail carriage. Her steps were carefully made, almost delicate, as if each step was carefully considered and a specific purpose was outlined for each step. That's it, her steps were purposeful, conveying energy, like electricity. An undercurrent that ran through the ground, charging through my body, on the way to my mind. I kept thinking of long ago breeders like Prince Mohamed Aly Tewfik and what he would have done or said, in the presence of this regal mare named Monareena. She was one of the most beautiful mares that I had ever seen. I wanted her to be my horse. I wanted her to be the horse to help me realize all of my dreams.

"Give each mare entering the herd two chances to produce a top-quality foal. Two only."-Barbara Griffith

AK Monareena produced six foals, including two mares: Imperial Moniq in 1979 by Hossny and Imperial Monfisah in 1980 by Moniet el Nafis. In 1982, the first of four colts was born: Imperial Imohaan by Ansata Imperial, in 1983, it was Imperial Na Mojiz by Moniet el Nafis,  in 1984 it was Imperial Shahmon by Ansata Shah Zaman and finally in 1991, Mondall by Imperial Imdal. Imperial Moniq went to Count Federico, where she produced a daughter by Ansata Shah Zaman named ZT Shahmona. When bred to Ruminaja Bahjat, she produced Sche' Mon Ami, who in turn, produced Alfabia Halawa by Ansata Halim Bay.

I didn't believe that she had been bred to the kind of stallion, who when combined with her blood, would sire a foal equal to or superior, to her level of quality. Despite that she had been sold out of the Imperial breeding herd, I really believed in her ability to produce the kind of foal who would in turn, become the foundation of a significant breeding program.

I wanted to breed AK Monareena to her half-brother, Serr Maariner, to not only intensify the influence of the stallion Fabah but to multiply the sources of the Saqlawiyah mare, *Bint Serra I, through Ibn Fa-Serr, to combine with the line already present through Aaroufa (her sire, Fay-El-Dine was a son of *Bint Serra). Together with the concentrated Saqlawi lines of *Ibn Moniet El Nefous; I would accomplish what Walter Schimanski had suggested, in relying upon the strength of the Saqlawi lines, to "open up" the heavier individuals in Monareena's pedigree, to balance the genetic influence away from a horse that could end up being "too short" and "too thick".

"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."-Walter Schimanski

We know from looking at AK Monareena and her full brother, AK El Zahra Moniet, that the combination worked well; now, it was a chance to focus, to concentrate on a few key horses in the pedigree, with the hope that their quality could be produced again. I felt certain that if I ended up with a chestnut filly, my chances for reproducing my own private Maarena would be at least 50%. It's difficult sometimes to revisit these memories or rather missed opportunities and yet, the pain that comes from an unpopular decision, revisited, drowns in a sea of regret and pushes me ever closer to the edge, towards hopelessness. And then, I catch myself, as hindsight always looks far different, than when you are present in the moment. It reminds me of a quotation I once read from Henry David Thoreau, who said,

“Make the most of your regrets; never smother your sorrow, but tend and cherish it till it comes to have a separate and integral interest. To regret deeply is to live afresh.”

IF ONLY

Do you know these words? Have you ever used them? I use them alot. Learn from all the parts of your life, learn from the pages of this blog, make the most of your day and from the opportunities that SUDDENLY appear in front of you. Don't ever play it "safe" and do take the risk...the horses are really worth it.

Seize the day! Seize the JOY!
AVOID IF ONLY,
Ralph

BUTTERFLY

"Across my dreams with nets of wonder,
I chase the bright elusive butterfly of love."-Bob Lind, from his song, Elusive Butterfly

There is a superstition about butterflies, which the Japanese believe are the physical representations of a human being's soul, whether dead or living. If a butterfly were to enter your room and light upon a bamboo screen, the person whom you most love, was about to visit you.

Do you love Farasha?

Maybe when I tell you a little more about her, you will. You see, Farasha, a 1951 EAO mare, is also a butterfly. That's what her name means in Arabic.

BUTTERFLY

Farasha is by the El Deree son, Sid Abouhom and out of the Sheikh El Arab daughter, Yosreia. Sid Abouhom's dam is the beautiful mare, Layla, an Ibn Rabdan daughter. The cross of El Deree and Layla resulted in a larger-sized horse, who was very powerfully built. Longer neck, longer back, his immense front end, with his powerful shoulders and the most prominent withers that I have ever seen on an Arabian Horse.

To me, Sid Abouhom's type reminds me of a Thoroughbred racehorse, possessing the body structure that made him successful on the racetrack. He was built for running. While Dr. Ameen Zaher was not fond of this horse and of his subsequent use in the breeding program; General von Pettko-Szandtner felt that Sid Abouhom would correct the overall conformational flaws that he observed in the EAO breeding program. General von Szandtner wanted to breed a more functional horse, closer to the cavalry horses that he managed at Babolna in Hungary. While I can understand Dr. Zaher's feelings, Sid Abouhom was not a pretty horse, as compared to other individuals of his time period;  we would not be talking about beautiful Farasha without him. Farasha's dam, Yosreia, is sired by Sheikh El Arab, a Mansour son, out of Hind, an Ibn Rabdan daughter. In Dr. Nagel's book, Hanan: The Story of an Arabian Mare and of the Arabian Breed, Dr. Nagel shared the following about Sheikh el Arab,  

"...a half brother to Nazeer, produced several excellent mares for El Zahraa. He was a member of the Bukra family and again a sire for type par excellence."

So, we have the union of bloodlines which resulted in some of the finest and most enduring horses ever produced in Egypt: Mansour on Ibn Rabdan. Normally, we see this cross via the Mansour son Nazeer; it is interesting to see this breeding coming through a different horse. Unfortunately, this breeding was only tried once, as Hind was bred to Balance and Awad, for most of her breeding life.

Farasha produced 2 stallions by Alaa El Din: *Farazdac in 1962 and *Faleh in 1964. With Nazeer, she produced a daughter Fardous in 1956, Rabia in 1958 and the son, Galal in 1959. In 1960, the stallion Anter sired her daughter, Nabilahh.

Galal was an extraordinary horse with much influence, however, I would have to say that my favorite Farasha son is *Farazdac, because physically, he was one, if not the most beautiful stallion to ever come out of Egypt. EVER. He was so striking, so different, from the horses of his day. It was as if he stepped out of a painting, as no horse alive could possess such extreme features. He was magnetic. I was a child in the time period that belonged to *Farazdac and watched this horse from a distance, through the pages of Arabian Horse World. He captured my imagination with his beauty. Every photo captured his dramatic look. Lorriee Golanty is a long-time horsewoman and Arabian Horse breeder. She remembered the effect*Farazdac made upon her,

"I saw this horse at Lowes, when he was turned out in an arena and he literally took my breath away. This, after I had seen all *A. Ibn Halima (and sons), *Morafic, *Ibn Moniet el Nefous, and others, and he was so beautiful that he stayed as an image burned in my memory. I cannot say that the others left me with such a memory."

Two of his get are horses that I have long-admired, the Rancho Bulakenyo-bred and now, Shaarawi Arabians-owned mare, Mumtaz Ree, and the stallion, Emir Ibn Farazdac, previously owned by the late Claire Estelle Phifer and now owned by Samantha Wilburn of Blue Pyramid Egyptians in Herriman, Utah. Both horses share common ground in their Babson blood (*Maaroufa tail female) in the dam side of their pedigree. Samantha shared the following about her beloved horse,

"What can't be captured in pictures is the incredible intelligence and 'soul' that is a joy and a privilege to share. Himself is all stallion but doesn't pull on the lead rope even when walking up to the mares. He is always careful of his old handler (me) and takes care not to bump me. He once came running across his pasture to get between me and a construction worker but never threatened, just wouldn't move until the worker walked away, then he went about his grazing. He is a great companion."

*Farazdac sired a record number of horses, approximately 460+ horses, from 1974 to 1991. Unfortunately, a small number of horses were straight Egyptian. Dr. Nagel in the Hanan book, said that Alaa El Din was a good sire of broodmares but not of stallions. He believed that Alaa El Din never produced a son who was an equal to his influence or who emerged as an important sire in the EAO breeding program.  What about *Farazdac? He sired a son named Ikhnatoon in 1974, who remains his most influential son, impacting the EAO program considerably, which has in turn, influenced the breeding programs of private breeders in and out of Egypt. However, mention must be made of some of the daughters. Fasarra, foaled in 1980 out of the *Tuhotmos daughter, Massara, when bred to El Halimaar, produced the popular stallion, Richter MH. Bint Farazdac, when bred to The Egyptian Prince son (out of RDM Maar Halima) produced SH Say Anna. This mare produced two Ansata mares: Aniq (sired by Ansata Manasseh) and Anna Maria (sired by Ansata Hejazi). I was recently on the Dynasty Egyptian Arabian Farm web site, owned by Donna Aldrich and was delighted (actually, I fell out of my chair) when I saw a *Farazdac daughter out of the Pritzlaff mare, Desert Song RSI: RG Desert Storm. What a fabulous mare, she is really gorgeous.

One of the qualities that breeders did not appreciate in *Farazdac's phenotype was his narrowness or rather, a perceived lack of substance. Most breeders wanted a little more substance. Although*Farazdac was built like a racehorse, he had a long distance runner's conformation. He was elegant, in the same way that you would find an athlete elegant. There was a cat-like grace in every one of *Farazdac's strides. In silhouette, *Farazdac had a radiator-type shape, long and lean, the kind of body that may have suggested endurance potential. I am sure that his pulse and recovery rates, had he been tested in this discipline, would have been amazing. Hansi Heck-Melnyk, a long-time breeder of straight Egyptian Arabians, saw *Farazdac in Cairo after the horse had finished running in a race.

"Farazdac was a fabulous horse, wanted to buy him, was then not for sale. A super flat racer too and an excellent producer. I wish you had seen Farazdac as I did in Cairo. He just came back from his "winning" race, absolutely breathtaking gorgeous. Prancing, like if he had just walked around the block. He had a beautiful long and well befitting to his body neck, elegant, and clean. There was also something very regal about him."

While Dr. Ameen Zaher was hesitant in using an off-type horse like Sid Abouhom, I wonder if an extraordinarily typey horse like *Farazdac would have changed his mind? *Farazdac, in my eyes was a super refined version of Sid Abouhom. I wonder, as time passes, if *Farazdac will become more like his sire with a growing influence through his granddaughters and great granddaughters?

*Nabilahh was my favorite of the Farasha daughters, as I believe she was a very consistent producer of horses that in turn, created influential families. Gleannloch imported ten Anter daughters from Egypt. One of these ten Anter daughters was the mare, *Nabilahh. I can't think of a more powerful statement, that would underscore the importance of Anter and his daughter, *Nabilahh, than a foundation breeder like Gleannloch purchasing a large number of these horses. So, how is Farasha available to breeders today, through this daughter *Nabilahh? Nabilahh produced 8 daughters:

Bint Nabilahh in 1970
Lohelia (*Morafic) in 1971
Nagliah in 1972
Neama in 1976
AK Aliha (*Sakr) in 1977
AK Bint Nabilahh (*Ibn Moniet El Nefous) in 1979
AK Rafaayah (*Ibn Moniet El Nefous) in 1980
Frabilahh (The Egyptian Prince) in 1984

It is interesting to point out the Bentwood-bred mare, AK Bint Nabilahh, who produced Classic Aisha by the Ruminaja Ali son, Alidaar (who provides an additional line to Farasha through his dam, Bint Magidaa) and SF Egyptian Dove, sired by ET Crown Prince. I never have seen this mare SF Egyptian Dove but I am curious to see how much she may resemble Maar Bilahh, as she has the line to Maar Hala through her sire, as well as a double does of *Nabilahh. SF Egyptian Dove has produced 3 mares that I know of: Ghazalat Bouznika by Imperial Imdal and two daughters by Imperial Mashhar (this stallion has Imperial Fanniya in his dam line, who was sired by *Faleh, a Farasha son and through the sire, Imperial Madheen, has an additional line to Farasha, through Galal and a line through Yosreia through Mohga): Mouniat Bouznika and Nabilah Bouznika, who should be somewhere around 10 years of age by now. The mare AK Rafaayah, was bred to the *Farazdac son, Shah el Sun to produce the mare N-Amora in 1992. This is an interesting mare to consider, as she carries Farasha on the top of her pedigree and the tail female. She in turn was bred to the predominantly Dahman stallion, Shaikh el Shamal, to produce the mare Nabilat el Sheruk, 10 years ago.

In the above paragraph, I mentioned the Alidaar-sired mare Classic Aisha and I must make mention of another Alidaar daughter out of The Egyptian Prince, Frabilahh, who produced Classic Farida. She has produced 2 sons by Ansata Hejazi and a son by the *Ibn El Mareekh son, Baahir.

The mare, Lohelia, has been prolific in her production of daughters, including the Bentwood mare, AK Ahliyeh, who produced a son by *Serag, Ahsen El Serag, owned by Al and Judi Parks of Al Abbasiyah International in Fredericksburg Texas. While there have been horses produced with multiple lines to Farasha or Yosreia, it is interesting to find a stallion with Anter in the sire line, relatively close. AK Ahliyeh, when bred to Imperial Imdal, produced Kirmali in 1988. I saw this mare at the Newcomer's farm, Conestoga Run in Pennsylvania and was awestruck by a statuesque, elegant and wonderfully leggy, nice-moving mare.  I was really surprised by Kirmali and her size, reminiscent of all of the strong points that I mentioned in Sid Abouhom. She was shown with some success in hunter-under-saddle classes. Lohelia also produced AK Rasafah by Ansata Abbas Pasha, RXR Lia Moniet by AK El Zahra Moniet (Maarena blood here on the bottom) and Shahelia by Shaikh Al Badi.

Nagliah, bred twice to *Zaghloul, produced Asmarr and Naheed, Taira by *Soufian, Buukura by Al Metrabbi, Nagiba by Ibn El Hassan and Bint Nagliah by Thee Desperado.

Neama was bred to The Minstril twice, to produce the full sisters: Najimah and Neena, as well as *Soufian, to produce the mare Qastal.

The most outstanding mare of the Farasha family is Maar Bilahh, another Rancho Bulakenyo-bred horse, a daughter of El Halimaar, out of the *Nabilahh daughter by *Morafic, Bint Nabilahh. If Bint Nabilahh had only produced Maar Bilahh, she would have been forever remembered. In addition to "my sweet heart", she also produced two mares by Shaikh Al Badi: Ruminaja Nadia (she in turn produced Mashwara by Bay Halima and Sharifa Moniet by Moniet El Sharaf) and Ruminaja Nahjat.

There are few horses who have the ability to produce equally outstanding daughters and sons. *Nabilahh was such a mare and having produced a collection of amazing daughters, she also produced *Khofo by *Morafic, who would also become influential, like his sisters, mainly through his 1970 daughter *Bint Magidaa, who in turn, produced Ruminaja Ali, by Shaikh Al Badi. The stallion, *Khofo++ was a legion of merit winner, an athletic horse, possessing the versatility that allowed him to be successful in many events, both under saddle and in harness. He was owned from the time of his importation, until his death by Hansi Heck-Melnyk, of Serenity Farms in Citra, Florida, who has bred Egyptian Arabian Horses for approximately 50 years.

"He was imported at the side of his dam and with his sire when barely four weeks old by Doug Marshall. A faultless front end, a beautiful set on neck with that tremendous windpipe and very clean throatlatch, a 74 inch heart girth and well pronounced withers. He stood about 15.2 HH. He had beautiful large eyes, soft and gentle but the fire burning within. He was easy to handle, never hurt anything and a dream to ride."

 Had *Khofo++ only sired Bint Magidaa (she went on to produce a dynasty of stallions who have had a tremendous impact on the breed, both Egyptian and non-Egyptian) he would have been assured a place in history, forever. However, *Khofo++ sired almost 50 other straight Egyptian horses who have gone on to spread his influence, all over the world. With *Serenity Sonbolah, *Khofo++  sired the mare SF Bint Sonbohla (who produced the mares IES Sondusah by Hossny, MCF Nicole and Sonbolah's Song by Ruminaja Bahjat, Serenity Salilah by Serenity Osiris, Sohnbadi by Shaikh Al Badi and Sonbohlah's Dream by Moniet El Nafis) and with *Serenity Sonbolah's daughter by *SF Ibn Nazeer, SF Sonbolah Tu, *Khofo++  sired the mare Serenity Sonbolaa. With *Serenity Sabra (and this is where I get really excited) he sired the mare Serenity Bint Sabra, making it possible for ONE HORSE to carry 2 powerful branches of the Yosreia family in the tail female of the sire (Shahrzada) and dam (Farasha).

"I believe the light that shines on you, Will shine on you forever"-from the song, Father & Daughter by Paul Simon

In ancient cultures, butterflies symbolized rebirth, a new life, like a caterpillar who metamorphoses into a beautiful butterfly, after being inside a cocoon for a long period of time. The principal reasons for why this blog exists, are to raise awareness for special horses, key bloodlines that are on the verge of disappearing, influential mare lines and stallions who have over time demonstrated excellence in siring powerful broodmares. Our butterfly, Farasha, remains an extremely important mare in straight Egyptian breeding and with every new foal that is born of her family, her rebirth is made complete, with her family also remaining as a vital connection to our EAO foundation.

EnJoy,
Ralph