Long Ago and Far Away

I am always concerned over the presentation of long-ago horses on this blog, as I have learned that most people don't care about horses who are found so far back in the pedigree and yet, ancestry.com is so widely popular among people who are eager to discover their roots! So, consider for a moment the horses bred by Dr. Hans Nagel and the reality that without *Shahwan, there would be no Hanan and therefore, all of the horses who are part of her remarkable family would also not exist. THAT is the importance of a long ago horse in today's DNA sleuthing world.

*Shahwan is brought forward in the straight Egyptian gene pool through his daughter, Yashmak, who is out of the mare, Yemama, an Aziz daughter out of Bint Ghazieh. Yashmak was bred to another Ali Pasha Sherif-bred horse, the stallion, Feysul (Ibn Nura x El Argaa), producing a colt who was named Ibn Yashmak. He, in turn was bred to Risala (Mesaoud x Ridaa) to produce Bint Risala, one of the horses purchased from Crabbet by the RAS in 1920. So, in 3 generations, *Shahwan through his great granddaughter Bint Risala, had a profound effect upon straight Egyptian breeding through Yashmak by Sheikh el Arab (think of *Serenity Sonbolah), Kateefa by Shahloul (think of Alaa el Din) and Yaquota by Balance (think of *Sakr).

*Shahwan was bred by Ali Pasha Sharif, as was his sire Wazir (Zobeyni x Ghazieh) and Dahmah Shahwaniyah, his dam.*Shahwan was purchased by Lady Anne Blunt in 1892, when he was already 5 years old. Lady Anne Blunt described *Shahwan as having “the unmistakable Ali Pasha Sherif stamp, so fine in all ways, beautiful shoulders with excellent action, tail erect in the air." Initially, Lady Anne Blunt took *Shahwan to Sheykh Obeyd and after a few months, decided to export him to England, to use in the program at Crabbet Park instead. The trip to England was long and not without challenges for *Shahwan. For 10 days, in very rough and stormy seas, *Shahwan journeyed from Alexandria to Marseille. Arriving in Paris, he was shipped by train to Calais, where he crossed the English Channel and once ashore in England, he traveled by train to Three Bridges, walking the last few miles to Crabbet Park, arriving full of his unique Arabian presence, with his tail curled over his back. Lady Anne Blunt used him in her program for the next three years, even turning down an offer made by the French Government to purchase him. He was shown locally, earning a 2nd place in the stallion class. You may not be impressed by this statistic but you need to understand popular opinion in this day and age, as grey-colored horses were not looked upon favorably by horsemen. Most people wanted darker, solid colored horses, like bays. As a matter of fact, *Shahwan's body color was the main reason why he was not retained by Crabbet Park, as by 1895, the Blunts decided to sell him.

Flash back to 1893 and the World's Fair in Chicago, Illinois. The Turkish government had sponsored a group called the Hamidie Society, who presented an authentic Bedouin exhibit, including 45 desert-bred Arabian horses. When the Hamidie Society went bankrupt, the horses were sold at auction and J.A.P. Ramsdell of Newburgh, New York purchased the grey mare, *Nedjme, remarked as being the best of the Hamidie horses. Already an Arabian horse owner, J.A.P. Ramsdell was fascinated by the breed and did everything in his power to become more familiar with the horses. So, when the news that the Blunts wished to sell *Shahwan reached him, Mr. Ramsdell did not hesitate to purchase him, as he wanted a grey stallion to breed to his grey mare. In America, the newspapers reported that *Shahwan was "the most beautiful and typical Arabian horse in the USA" an underscore to what Lady Anne Blunt had said of him, five years earlier, about his unmistakable Ali Pasha Sherif look. A year later, in 1896, *Shahwan's photograph appeared in the March issue of Harper's Weekly, a popular periodical of the time.

And now, even though it is a whopping 124 years since *Shahwan's American importation, he remains important not only for his genetic connection within straight Egyptian breeding but also, because he was the first Egyptian Arabian horse to be imported to America. The next wave of Egyptian breeding would not make its way into America until 1932, when W.R. Brown and Henry Babson imported Egyptian horses bred by Prince Mohamed Aly Tewfik, Prince Kemal al Dine and the RAS. And maybe, *Shahwan had something to do with that too, inspiring both men to travel to Egypt and look for horses that looked just like *Shahwan.

*Ansata Ibn Halima - 2 Daughters

These are the *Ansata Ibn Halima daughters, Ansata Jamila and her full sister, Ansata Jezebel, both out of *Ansata Bint Sameh (Sameh x Futna). The combination of Sameh and Farida, blended with *Ansata Ibn Halima, produced believe it or not, taller and stretchier horses, without losing Ibn Halima's classic type, grace and elegance. You can still stand next to the progeny of these 2 mares, several generations later and "feel" their larger size without even looking at them. They are not "big" like a Thoroughbred or a Warmblood but for an Arabian, they are larger in height and also, in body mass. Ansata Jamila was a strong-bodied mare, who was blessed with an abundance of charisma and when at liberty, was electrifying in her movement. She produced the stallions: Ansata Shah Zahir, Ansata Ibn Jamila and Ansata El Halim. She also produced the mare Ansata Judea, by Ansata Abu Sudan. Ansata Jezebel was a very pretty mare, taller in height than Jamila but with a beautiful face. Like her sister, she was a strong-bodied mare, with excellent conformation. She produced the mares: Ansata Joy Halima, Ansata Jacinda and Ansata Jasmina; plus the stallion, Ansata Ibn Shah.

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.

NK Momtaza

This is the beautiful mare, NK Momtaza (Ibn Nedjy x Sanaya), the foundress of an important family, as well as the main reason why a Saklawai strain exists at Ezzain Arabians. NK Momtaza is sired by Ibn Nedjy, who traces in his tail female line to the Ghazal daughter, Ghazala. The dam of NK Momtaza, Sanaya, brings in the bloodlines of some really spectacular horses as well as the tail female line to one of the most elegant horses who ever lived, Moniet el Nefous. Sanaya is sired by Kais, a Bint Om el Saad son (yes, the Nazeer daughter who is the dam of *Serenity Sonbolah) and is out of the German-bred Malaka, an Ansata Halim Shah daughter out of Kis Mahiba, a brilliant broodmare, who produced daughters like Maysouna, KEN Bint Bint Mahiba, KEN Malaka, KEN Muniba, Hallah, Mana and Maha. Although deceased, her progeny insure the survival of her influence. The breeding stallion, Aneesilnefous and his full sister, Dorrah are sired by NK Qaswarah and out of NK Momtaza. Both horses are unforgettable, six years later and remain as two of my favorites, of all the Ezzain horses.

*GAF Wesam

*GAF Wesam (Waseem x Bint Bukra) was a grey 1973 Dahman Shawan stallion, bred by the EAO and imported by Barbara Johanson of Ghorab Arabian Farm (GAF). In her monumental work, The Classic Arabian Horse, Judith Forbis said, "All the Bukra children have supremely beautiful heads, the females standing about 15 hands in height, the stallions 15 hands or over." Like his 1/2-brother, the stallion Zahi, *GAF Wesam offered breeders at the time, an alternative source of Bukra blood (coming through the sire side of the pedigree) as compared to the more widely available *Ansata Bint Bukra horses (through the dam side of the pedigree). The cross of Bukra with Waseem, a Nazeer son out of Malaka, who traces to Rodania through his tail female line and thereby, is Kuhaylan Rodan by strain, is very interesting as it is unique; normally the breeding choice that  is most often practiced is to top-cross a Saklawi-strain stallion with a Dahmah Shahwaniyah mare. Although, I do have to point out that when the Dahman/Kuhaylan Rodan strains were crossed, the results were stellar, for example, Imperial Imdal whose sire was an *Ansata Bint Misr grandson (Ansata Imperial) crossed with a Kuhaylan Rodan tail female line mare (Dalia).  In a photograph of Waseem, published within The Classic Arabian Horse, Judith Forbis wrote in the caption, "A bold, masculine stallion." He was a strong-bodied horse, well-muscled and presenting an overall powerful appearance. I often wonder over the quality horses *GAF Wesam could have sired, as uniquely bred as he was, had he received more opportunities to breed the caliber of mares, who were equivalent to the quality of stallions that his "cousin"  *Ansata Bint Misr (Sameh x *Ansata Bint Bukra) was bred.

I don't think the following list of progeny (mares appear in bold face type) is complete for *GAF Wesam but I hope it gives you a better idea of how he was used at stud and how his influence may still be available today. He sired horses with both the "El Ghorab" prefix used by Barbara Johanson and with the "Mijan" prefix, utilized by Mike and Janet Bazell, of Mijan Farms in Rockbridge, Ohio, who owned *GAF Wesam, later in his life. 

SUN EL BUKRA 1982 Stallion Grey

Wesamba 1983 Mare Grey

EL WESAM 1983 Stallion Grey

BALADI HALIMA 1985 Mare Grey

EL GHORAB WAMID 1987 Stallion Grey

EL GHORAB SADAKHA 1988 Mare Grey

EL GHORAB MAREES 1988 Gelding Bay

EL GHORAB WANIS 1990 Gelding Grey

DASHTA 1992 Mare Grey

FIDI-FIDI-AMIN 1992 Mare Bay

REA ARAMETHYA 1993 Mare Grey

REA ALIYYAH AJA 1993 Mare Grey

REA ALAA SHERIF 1993 Stallion Grey

HART PRIMA DAHMA 1993 Mare Bay

APPLE HILL ABUKRA 1993 Mare Grey

REA HADBAN TALAL 1993 Gelding Grey

HART DHARII BUKRA 1994 Mare Grey

MIJAN IBN WESAM 1996 Stallion Grey

MIJAN BINT WESAM 1996 Mare Bay

EL GHORAB WESAM 1996 Stallion Grey

MIJAN BUKRASAM 1996 Stallion Grey

In our breed, the genetic strength of a horse is measured through the reproductive achievement of the dam. In *GAF Wesam's case, his dam was one of the greatest mares bred at the RAS. How great of a mare was Bukra? Consider what Dr. Hans Nagel, in his noteworthy book, HANAN, said, "Bukra was the start of a new family which should be preserved in its unique form. Some of her daughters and granddaughters as well as her male descendants are among the most perfect specimens ever foaled at El Zahraa."

*Zaghloul

*Zaghloul was a 1963 EAO-bred grey stallion, sired by Gassir (Kheir x Badia) and out of the Inshass mare, Gharbawia (a result of Hamdan bred to his own daughter, Ghorra). What's interesting in this pedigree is the higher percentage of the RAS-bred stallion, Ibn Rabdan (approx 31.25%), as Gassir was out of Badia, who like Hamdan, was sired by Ibn Rabdan. No surprise over how Ibn Rabdan is expressed in the phenotype of this particular horse, as conformationally, his overall balance and circular lines hint at the genetic presence of Ibn Rabdan. In his tail female line, *Zaghloul, who incidentally, was a very successful race horse in Egypt prior to his importation, traces to the 1924 mare, El Samraa, purchased in 1931 by King Fouad for his breeding program. *Zaghloul was imported by Gleannloch Farms in 1970, approximately 5 years after the importation of *Morafic. A year after his importation, in 1971, Ansata Ibn Sudan and *Serenity Sonbolah would be named United States National Champions. As a matter of fact, in the period of time between the mid-60's and early 80's, over 2,000 championship titles were won by Gleannloch horses, including 89 National titles, in 2 countries, in a variety of halter and performance disciplines. 1970 was an exciting time for Egyptian Arabians in America and interest for Egyptian Arabian horses was growing. *Zaghloul was bred to a variety of mares, including several *Morafic daughters, for example, the charismatic Hebet Allah. However, bred to the *Ibn Hafiza daughter, Nagliah,*Zaghloul sired a strong-bodied, substantial bay mare named Asmarr, who would become the dam of AK Amiri Asmarr by TheEgyptianPrince. It is through this breeding that *Zaghloul's influence would be assured for all time, in a most extraordinary way.  Despite the smaller opportunities that *Zaghloul may have received at stud, here we are, almost 30 years after his death and his influence was brought forward into the future through Thee Desperado, AK Amiri Asmarr's son by The Minstril,

Zahi

The EAO stallion Zahi was sired by *Ibn Hafiza and out of Bint Bukra, a full sister to Ghazal and *Ansata Bint Bukra. Like his full siblings, Zahi is Dahman by strain, tracing in tail female line to the Ali Pasha Sherif mare, El Dahma. His Blunt desert bred coefficient was lower than 5%, thanks mainly to his sire, who carried no Blunt desert blood. He sired *Bint Farha out of the Galal daughter, Farha (who was out of Fifi), the chestnut mare *Wadeaa (out of the Anter daughter Ferial), the grey stallion *Ziadd (out of the *Ramses Fayek daughter Naeema), the grey mare Mazhowa (out of the *Farazdac daughter Kalthooma). Zahi's brother, *GAF Wesam (by Waseem) was purchased and imported to America by Barbara Johanson. Zahi had very large, black eyes, set low on his short, wide head. He was a dramatic looking horse, his appearance intensified by the prominence of the facial crest bone, an important quality which the Bedouin called "asalah". He had excellent skin quality, heavily pigmented with a thicker forelock and mane intensifying his beautiful face. He was a short coupled horse, very traditional Egyptian with a smooth and strong topline. In my opinion, he combined the beauty of his dam with the conformation of his sire. His blood was represented in the Lancer Arabians, Valor Arabians, Imperial Egyptian Stud breeding programs (Imperial Al Amon Ra, Imperial Imwasama, Imperial Oreeyah) and today, to Prestige Arabians and also Rancho Bulakenyo. It is uniquely bred horses whom we lament the most, as the outcross potential that existed with Zahi, was not fully taken advantage of in American Egyptian breeding. Clearly, a lesson that must be learned and embraced, for the future health of the Egyptian Arabian horse.