Usamah Alkazemi's Suror Ezzain

No two created beings are exactly alike. And their individuality is no imperfection. On the contrary, the perfection of each created thing is not merely in its conformity to an abstract type but in its own individual identity with itself. - Thomas Merton, from his book: New Seeds of Contemplation

Suror was beautiful and unique in the Ezzain breeding program, genetically different from the majority of the Ezzain herd, as he had only one line to Hanan (Hanan is his great-great granddam). His pedigree is interesting, as his dam's ancestors are horses that are rapidly disappearing in today's Egyptian Arabian Horse bloodlines: There is Gharib, there is Tuhotmos, there is Hadban Enzahi, there is Galal and there is Ghazal, as well as the complementary influence that his sire offers through Sameh and all the imported Babson horses (except for Bint Bint Durra).

His sire is an interesting line-bred Ansata horse, concentrated in the blood of *Ansata Ibn Halima, Bukra, *Morafic and his full sister: *Ansata Bint Mabrouka. The outcross blood is represented by the Babson Horses through Fa Moniet and through Sameh, who is the sire of Ansata's strongest and best producing mare: Ansata Bint Misr. The "anchor" in this pedigree is *Ansata Ibn Halima, as we see in the sire line of Suror and this becomes evident as an additional cross is obtained through Ansata Halim Shah (the sire of Motassem, who in turn sired Zahra's father, KP Nameed). However, it is the diversity of blood in Zahra's pedigree, while at the same time, establishing common ground with Ansata AlMurtajz through *Ansata Ibn Halima, Moniet El Nefous and Bukra, that invites a closer look at this magnificent horse.

Messaouda, the dam of Motassem, was sired by the horse who revolutionized the Marbach breeding program, Gharib. Usamah Alkazemi, the breeder and owner of Suror, sent me a picture of Suror's daughter, Najmah, who is out of NK Yassmin (Adnan x Helala), a mare bred by Dr. Nagel of Katharinenhof in Germany. It is interesting to see the influence of Gharib, 5 generations later, in a young mare who has the freedom of movement in her shoulder, balanced by the drive and power in her hind end.

It is also interesting to see how Zahra's pedigree, continues to complement the influence of Moniet El Nefous in Suror's sire line, as well as the presence of Moniet El Nefous in his dam lines, through *Tuhotmos (the sire of Nana, who produced Nameeza, the dam of KP Nameed), through Shaarawi, the sire of Adeeb and through Ameer, the sire of Ibn Nazeema. It is also through this stallion, Ibn Nazeema, that we have common ground to Alaa El Din in two lines (the sire of Nazeema, the dam of Ibn Nazeema, as well as the sire of Hanan, who produced Ameera).

We mentioned Hadban Enzahi and Ghazal and we find both these horses present in Madkour I with an interesting twist, that further complements Suror's pedigree. I think it is especially poignant, that these two Nazeer sons, of another era, should be present again in a horse that brings so much honor to their memory. Hadban Enzahi sired the stallion Madkour I (the sire of Ameera), while Ghazal sired Madkour's dam, Moheba II, out of Malacha, who traces to the dam of *Ansata Ibn Halima, through the Sid Abouhom daughter, Moheba!!!

"Therefore each particular being, in its individuality, in its concrete nature and entity, with all its own characteristics and its private qualities and its own inviolable identity, gives glory to God by being precisely what He wants it to be here and now."- Thomas Merton from his book: New Seeds of Contemplation

When Usamah Alkazemi sent me the DVD with footage of all his horses, I must say that I was not very fair to Suror, as I was more enamored with his sire, Ansata AlMurtajiz. I don't exactly remember when Usamah emailed me the full body picture of Suror but I do remember my reaction! Suror has a "baroque" look to him, that is an old-world look, a timeless quality that harkens back to an another period of time, when romance was very much alive in our cultures and the flamboyant, ornate style of rounded curves was very prevalent in society. Suror is the kind of horse that celebrates life and the beauty that surrounds us, in any given moment and that is present for us to enjoy, whether we wish to accept the gift or not. Suror is the type of horse that comes very close to embodying in a physical form, the model that I carry in my head of an Arabian Horse. He is a horse that I would like to one day breed and the type of horse that I would want to be remembered for breeding. It will be exciting for me, to watch from the sidelines, in order to witness the significant impact this extraordinary stallion will have on Ezzain Arabians.

HONORING USAMAH ALKAZEMI - DAY 1 - NK QASWARAH

NK Qaswarah is by NK Hafid Jamil and out of NK Nariman, a Salaa el Dine daughter out of the *Jamil daughter, Amarilla. He is Abeyyan by strain, as he traces to Hanan, through his tail female line. As a matter of fact, Hanan appears in the pedigree 7 times, as the dam of Ghazala, *Jamil and Salaa el Dine. However, in person, he looks more like a Dahman strain horse. Maybe the 6 lines to Bukra and the 6 lines to Halima have made a bigger impact on his phenotype than the Abeyyan side of his pedigree? NK Qaswarah is reminiscent of the timeless horses of old, the horses depicted in classic works of art, the type of horse that inspired Pashas, Princes and Kings. His beauty is really, overwhelming. There is so much to see in his presentation, that it is not possible to comprehend all that your eyes are seeing. He is that fantastic. He is a most harmonious horse, his circular lines are generously curvey, smooth and gracefully flow from one line, into the next. He is well-muscled, substantial, and every fiber of his being conveys power. And yet, he is an extraordinary horse, for his high level of refinement and outstanding classic type. Even in the smallest details, Qaswarah overflows with elegance. As perfect a specimen he is, Qaswarah is a consistent sire, equally siring stallions and mares possessing his great quality. He has defined the Ezzain breeding program with a very unique look that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. NK Qaswarah is Ezzain and Ezzain, is every bit NK Qaswarah.

Getting Back to Normal

"There is no doubt that the world has changed a lot and will never be the same world as the one we have known before." - Basil Al Jaddan, breeder, ECAHO A Judge & First President of the Syrian Arab Horse Association 

In several places across the world, restrictions are being carefully lifted and life, is starting to slowly, return to normal. Eventually, normal will become more widespread. Despite moving closer towards life as we knew it, the reality is that we don't really know what lies ahead and whether, normal, is a realistic expectation.  What is normal? Have you thought about this word, "normal? Was the life we lived 3 months ago really normal? What if "normal" only feels better now, because the feeling of "normal" is not really that normal...it's just, well, comfortable.

Maybe you have received an email blast from Arabian Essence, containing  a link for the new edition of Tutto Arabi?  I am here today in case you missed the email and have not yet read an important article published within this month's magazine. Not to worry, I have hyperlinked the issue for you, in the next sentence. Inside the May edition of Tutto Arabi, on page 95, is an important feature, Our Passion-Our Future by Giorgia Mauri, who, through the collective perspective of 12 different people, offers encouraging words on what life, on the other side of COVID-19, may mean for our beloved Arabian horse.  The people chosen to participate in this feature represent a wide variety of interests and levels of participation within the Arabian horse community. The questions asked by Giorgia Mauri, resulted in answers that are diverse, reflective and thoughtful, in a time period which finds our breed, at a crossroads, yet again.

"It certainly is no secret that the Arabian business as a whole has been struggling for the past several years. It seems that only the very best and the lower-priced horses are selling. The market for young colts also no longer exists. Our community has lost many breeders that actually had a program and a vision for the future. The Arabian horse community can not survive long-term on the 1% supporting this industry and this is what has been happening for a while now." - Scott Bailey, Arabian horse breeder and founder of arabhorse.com 

I don't think I will ever forget the haunting images of bodies being placed in refrigerated trailers, functioning as makeshift morgues. It was images like these that terrified me, as I confronted the fragility of my own life. Every sniffle, cough, and ache created great anxiety. Overall, I felt "blech" and as my body temperature increased from the panic I was feeling, there were many dark and sleepless nights spent tossing and turning, as I imagined the worst-nebulizers, oxygen tanks, ventilators and intubation. You eventually get to a point where you realize that the life that you are hanging onto, is not the life that you dreamed of living and like I said, you meet the finality of death head on, the worst of which are all the regrets, when you realize that life was not lived to its fullest potential and there were many missed opportunities to do better. You see the life you have lived with painfully clear detail: the ingratitude, the selfish desires, hurtful words that can't be taken back and sadly, dreams that will never be realized. In all of my imperfections, which are as numerous as the stars in the night sky; I realized that only God can bring you back from the edge of night and put all the broken pieces back together. I know, because I lived through it. On the other side of all this, living a life that has meaning or purpose, not for your own self but for others, become compelling and motivating reasons to change, radically.

"Spiritually, people seem to have been reminded again and strongly, of the basic facts of life and death and are closer to faith and belief than any time before and the ladder of priorities have a new order and ranking."- Basil Al Jaddan, breeder, ECAHO A Judge & First President of the Syrian Arab Horse Association  

I was listening to a homily that was recently given by Fr. Jonathan Meyer of All Saints Church in Guilford, Indiana. Father Meyer said, "when we are afraid, when things are uncertain, we will do anything to reach for what is familiar, what is comfortable, even if what is comfortable or normal, is self-destructive." Father Meyer suggested that normal may not be a place that we want to get back to but maybe, normal is something we will want to become. Perhaps, what we have made normal in our life, is what really needs to become part of our past, requiring that we step out of our comfort zone, even if it is painful and start to replace it with a new life that is worthy of being defined as normal, that is, the normal life we have been longing for.

"Because every crisis can also create opportunity, our overall perspective has never been more important. This is a good time to reflect - and if we hope to survive, we must all consider the future, stay positive and reinvent ourselves." - Renata Schibler, ECAHO A Judge & President of Arab Swiss Organization

Who will forget the long line of cars in parking lots, pictured across America, a land of abundance and yet, with hungry families waiting hours for food pantries to open? What will be the economic fall-out for the millions who find themselves without a job? And how long will it take people to dig out from the deep financial hole that Corona Virus has dug for us?  How will a significant reduction in economic prosperity impact the Arabian horse? Before the pandemic, in a more prosperous time, we struggled with economic factors that affected both buyers and sellers of Arabian horses. How will it be now? I worry for all horses and the owners who may have been hanging on by a thread going into the pandemic and now, may be at a point of serious crisis through job loss or sickness. Who will help them?

"Despite the very critical moment, we know that it will pass. It is a matter of time. I believe that despite the financial problems and the sad losses, the world will come back better, people more sensitive to the needs of others and the Arabian horse world more united around our passion." - Rodrigo Forte, owner of RFI Arabians & President of Brazilian Arabian Horse Breeders Association

While the challenges that we face as a breed community are somewhat daunting, well beyond the ability of any one person to solve; the consensus of opinion points in the direction of innovation and imagination, that is, to "think outside the box" or as Father Meyer said in his homily, "step outside of our comfort zone". I believe that we have to try many, many different things (the only wrong answers will be the ones we don't try) and remain open to much trial and error, no matter how challenging (or painful) the trial or the error is, to determine what works best for the breed and what doesn't work at all.

In the Tutto Arabi article, someone stated the need to build value for our breed. That statement really hit me hard and the more I thought about it, the more I believe that value begins with us, on an individual level. We need to assume a greater responsibility for every word, every thought, every action we make. In the eyes of others who may not be familiar with the breed, we, as owners, breeders, trainers, organizers and yes, even the enthusiasts are experts, that is, the people who know the horse intimately. Like it or not, the words we use or the actions we engage in, whether positive  or negative, will become forever associated in that person's mind with Arabian horses.

"We must also remind ourselves that it is a privilege to have a role in the existence of the Arabian horse, a breed which has survived thousands of years." - Renata Schibler, ECAHO A Judge & President of Arab Swiss Organization

We must never forget our role as stewards, never let our guard down, no matter how disappointed we may feel in a given moment and remember that all of us, regardless of the bloodlines we prefer or the disciplines we participate in, have more in common, than the differences that we allow to divide us, from each other. Furthermore, through the sentiments expressed in this wonderful Tutto Arabi feature, we need to realize that as human beings, we are not so unique and the feelings that we are struggling with, are also being experienced by our peers, who just like you, find themselves adapting to the new world that the Corona virus is creating! Regardless of who you are, there are no strangers to the impacts of the Corona Virus pandemic. We are all in this together, bound by our love for the Arabian horse!

Usamah Alkazemi - Forever a Champion

Today, is a sad day in my life, as I have learned the tragic news that one of the most significant people that I have ever known, Usamah Alkazemi, has died. Tears roll from my eyes and flood my heart with sadness. I was really blessed, beyond any human comprehension, to have known Usamah, which makes having to now say "goodbye" difficult. Usamah, to me, was like a father, a brother, an uncle and a friend...all rolled into one person. It's like my father has died, all over again and all I can think is why do good people die and what did I do in my life to deserve a friend like Usamah?

Seven years ago, I was able to visit Kuwait for the first time and the memory of Ezzain continues to burn brightly within my mind and heart. As I flew in the airplane to a part of the world so unfamiliar to me, little did I realize how my world would be turned upside down and inside out and a new standard of excellence would replace all that I have ever understood. Ezzain remains the closest that I will ever come in this world, to experiencing heaven on earth. It was that perfect, a paradise, like the garden of Eden. Never, have I seen a place as beautiful as Ezzain Arabians. I will always be grateful to Usamah for making it possible for me to experience this Eden, the garden he created. I left Kuwait a changed person, inspired by all Usamah had created and his personal vision for the straight Egyptian horse.  I think of Annesilnefous and his full sister, Dorrah, Ekramilbari, Badrilbdoor and Shamsilshmous, both daughters of Azhaar, the Nooreddine-sired daughter, Albaheiah and her son, Thettwa...and how each of these horses defined Ezzain Arabians,  a  reflection of a unique beauty that Usamah intimately understood and brought forth into this world.  A level of beauty that did not exist prior to Ezzain and represented all that Usamah believed in and stood for. It's not possible that a beauty of this kind could exist in this world without interference, so one can say that Ezzain, at its very core, was the breath and pulsing heart of Usamah, who gave it life in this world and therefore, the opportunity to inspire others like me, who would leave Ezzain and tell others of the experience. Such was the man we knew as Usamah and the legacy of Ezzain Arabians, his uniquely personal expression of God's infinite kindness and mercy, manifested through the beauty of the Arabian horse.

And now, one of the most challenging things in life will be to say goodbye to Usamah, when all I want to do, is to hear his melodious voice on the other end of the telephone, as he returned the salutation of "hello, my wonderful friend, it's great to hear your voice!" Life continues to change and look so differently from the life I knew and loved. I am not so sure that I really like what life is now becoming and the new world that I find myself walking in, without the company of dear friends who inspired and encouraged me to keep walking.

Mustafa: The Chosen One

Mustafa is a popular Arabic name, used both as a given name and surname, meaning "the chosen one". The name "Mustafa" is widely used in Turkey, in honor of Mustafa Kamal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey. "Mustafa" was also the name of four Sultans of the Ottoman empire:

• Mustafa 1 (1617-1618 &1622- 1623)
• Mustafa II (1695-1703)
• Mustafa III (1757-1774) 
• Mustafa IV (1807-1808)  

In the world of Arabian horses, "Mustafa" is equally popular, as I found several other horses similarly named, one of which we discussed on Saturday.

This particular Mustafa was a 1941 chestnut stallion, a purebred Arabian horse of authentic origin, bred in America by Albert S. Harvey, of Tucson, Arizona. He is a son of the stallion, Mustakim (Oriental x Moliah) and out of the mare, Amla (Nasik x Arak). The majority of his pedigree, approximately 75%, traces to the desert-bred horses imported by Homer Davenport in 1906. The remaining 25% of his pedigree is split evenly between the desert horses imported by the Blunts (i.e. the mares Rodania, Dajania and the stallion, Hadban) and the Ali Pasha Sherif and Abbas Pasha horses (i.e. Mesaoud, Mahruss, Aziz, Bint Nura and Yemameh) the Blunts also acquired. What's interesting about Mustafa's pedigree is *Hamrah, a 1904 bay stallion, sired by an un-named Hamdani Simri strain stallion and out of the mare *Urfah, an 1898 bay mare, Saqlawi al-Abd by strain and also imported by Homer Davenport in 1906. *Hamrah appears three times in the pedigree, twice as a maternal grandsire, that of Mustakim, in addition to already being the maternal grandsire of Amla. On the paternal side, *Hamrah is an additional generation removed from Mustakim, as he is a maternal great great grandsire. Also, I found it really interesting that two of the most famous desert war mares, who bore the evidence of cuts and gashes from spears and swords on their bodies, were combined in the same pedigree, *Wadduda on the sire side and Rodania on the dam side. In Mustafa's veins flowed the blood of these loyal and courageous mares.

When Homer Davenport traveled to the desert to purchase authentic Arabian horses, his expedition was largely financed by Peter Bradley, a wealthy American entrepreneur with significant self-made businesses in fertilizer, lumber and heavy machinery. He was also interested in breeding fine horses and maintained a large breeding farm named Hingham Stock Farm in Massachusetts. In addition to the Arabian horses that Davenport imported from Arabia, he had also collected the Arabian horses brought to the World's Fair by the Hamidie Society, circa 1893. Peter Bradley also possessed a diversity of interests in his horses, equal to the interests he had for his different businesses, as he also bred Thoroughbreds, Standardbreds and Hackney horses at his farm.

A man by the name of F.E. Lewis, originally from Tarrytown, New York and like Peter Bradley,  also possessing a wide variety of interests, which included auto racing, had purchased a 7,800 acre ranch in Spadra, about 30 miles east of Los Angeles, California. He purchased his Arabian horses from Peter Bradley, the initial purchase to establish a breeding foundation consisted approximately of 8 mares, two of whom were in foal and 2 stallions, which he had shipped to his new ranch in California. In this group were the mares Adouba, Moliah and the stallion, Letan. Mr. Lewis' wife enjoyed gaited horses, which Mr. Lewis did not enjoy. He preferred western stock horses and I imagine, using the horses he had purchased from Hingham, bred towards that ideal. In the hands of other breeders, like Mr. Harvey, his preference for a particular phenotype also carried forward.

"Change is not progress but progress requires change." - H.L.Mencken

Although Mustafa is from a time period that existed prior to my birth, his phenotype, as presented in the above photo was still representative of the Arabian horse type that existed in my youth, before the "invasion" of bloodlines from other nations, introduced a body type that was different, from the more widely accepted type of American-bred Arabian horses. I think of several American breeders whose ads I remember reading within the pages of Arabian Horse World, while still a child in the mid-to-late 70's, producing horses who were closer to Mustafa's type,  as pictured, for example, Robert Bevans, Lloyd Silva, Harlan Moehlman, Howards Marks, Jack and Marjorie Tone, Frisco Mari, Earl Hurlbutt, etc. In an article written by Pat Payne, son of Alice Payne, he wrote of Mustafa, "I remember MUSTAFA at the 1947 show, when he came over from Arizona and showed us Californians a thing or two about show horses. Not only was he a beautiful horse, but when in the ring he showed like an artist's model."

Kimfa (Mustafa x *Iorana)

Bred across a wide variety of blood, for instance, Davenport, Crabbet and Polish mares; of particular interest is his son, Kimfa (out of the mare, *Iorana, a high percentage Crabbet mare bred by Lady Gladys M. Yule of the Hanstead Stud in England). Kimfa was a beloved stallion in America, one of the top sires of the 1960's, siring more foals in 1968 than any other stallion standing at stud, in America, in that year. One of the mares that he nicked especially well with was Kareyn, sired by a Mirage grandson named Karage and out of Tezeyna, a granddaughter of both Raseyn and Antez. She produced several wonderful daughters by Kimfa, like Kimeyn, a top show mare, who won twenty two show championships, including two American National Top Tens. As a broodmare, bred to the *Serafix son, Serym, she produced the beloved mare, BA Symphonette. When bred to *Bask, she produced the stallion, Baskim. Bred to Fortel, Kimeyn produced  Forteyna.

Magnum Forty Four (Magnum Psyche x WH Nashahna) a maternal great-great-great grandson of Mustafa

Kimfa remains relevant in today's world of Arabian horses, most notably through the stallion, Magnum Forty Four, a son of Magnum Psyche and out of WH Nashahna (Bey Shah x Forteynette), a great grand daughter of Kimfa --> Kimfeyn --> Forteynette. Bred by North Arabians and imported to Australia in 2003, he is a sire of great significance for Mulawa. Of the nine stallions who currently stand at Mulawa, six stallions carry the blood of Magnum Forty Four: his son (Allegiance MI) and grandsons (MI Klassique, Kommand MI, Monarque MI who are all out of the Magnum Forty Four-sired daughter, Mustang's Magnum, plus Kavalier MI who is out of the Magnum Forty Four-sired daughter Karess, as well as the Allegiance MI-sired son, Advise MI) incorporating the almost eighty-year legacy of Mustafa and his son, Kimfa, as combined with the blood of horses who have revolutionized the world of Arabian horse breeding, through the introduction of a new standard of excellence, while remaining steadfast to its noble heritage.

Fahad Al Rayyan

The above video footage is of the 2009 straight Egyptian stallion, Fahad Al Rayyan (Sinan Al Rayyan x Noof Al Rayyan), competing at the Straight Egyptian World Championships, held October 2017 in Milan, Italy. He received a score of 91.10, placing him third, behind an Ansata Sinan son named Al Fayed, who earned a score of 92.20 and Adham Saqr, the first place horse, earning 92.70 points, moving him forward to the championships and the title of Gold Straight Egyptian World Champion stallion.

In an interview with Monika Luft, published by Tutto Arabi and available on the website, Polskie Araby, Sheikh Hamad Bin Ali Al Thani, puts shows, points, first place/second place, championships and such topics in the proper perspective; that is, how a particular horse can help a breeder to produce the type of horse that he or she dreams of breeding?

"We went to many shows but we never stayed until the championships. We did not care about the champions because we already picked the horse we liked. I remember Sheikh Abdulaziz or Sheikh Nawaf, all the old friends, we talked later in the car about the horses that looked nice and that could fit our breeding and could be maybe fifth in class, not necessary be the winners. OK, we loved the horse who won, but did not care. It was important for the owner but not for us."- Sheikh Hamad Bin Ali Al Thani

Fahad Al Rayyan's sire is the amazingly consistent sire, Sinan Al Rayyan, an Ansata Sinan son out of the Safir daughter, Al Wajba Al Rayyan, who traces in her tail female line to *Ansata Bint Bukra, through her dam, Ansata Sharifa (Ansata Ibn Shah x Ansata Samantha). 

The late Irina Filsinger's famous photo of RN Farida (Salaa el Dine x Noha)

Fahad Al Rayyan's dam, Noof Al Rayyan, is a daughter of Ansata Nile Pasha out of RN Farida, a mare considered by many people to be the most exotic Arabian horse of her time. Her beauty was discussed everywhere that Arabian horse enthusiasts congregated, whether in person, in print or on line. An important broodmare for Al Rayyan, RN Farida is a Salaa el Dine daughter out of the Hadban Enzahi daughter, Noha.

Of great significance to Fahad Al Rayyan, is the stallion Ansata Nile Pasha, who seems to exert the most influence, phenotypically, upon Fahad. The resemblance to Ansata Nile Pasha, his maternal grandsire is striking and I pointed this out in a previous blog.  Ansata Nile Pasha was a *Jamil son out of Ansata Nile Dream (Ansata Ibn Sudan x Ansata Nile Queen). What's interesting to consider is that Ansata Nile Dream and her dam, Ansata Nile Queen, were daughters of Ansata Ibn Sudan, while  both Ansata Nile Queen's dam, Falima and Ansata Ibn Sudan were sired by *Ansata Ibn Halima. The breeding strategy on this side of the pedigree is clever, as we combine two generations of paternal siblings, which help to further intensify the influence of Ansata Ibn Sudan, as he also exists on the sire side of the pedigree, through Ansata Abu Sudan (maternal great-grandsire of Ansata Sinan, the sire of Sinan Al Rayyan).  Approximately 11% is the combined influence of Ansata Ibn Sudan in Fahad's pedigree and although the Al Rayyan suffix is appended to his name, Fahad's pedigree represents an even greater percentage of 62.5% of the Ansata breeding program, both percentages underscoring Ansata Nile Pasha's influence in the pedigree of Fahad Al Rayyan and the resemblance between the two horses, no matter how many years separate one from the other.

***Many thanks to everyone at Arabian Essence TV for making this video footage available on their You Tube channel***

Diversity Through Fada

"People may be said to resemble not the bricks of which a house is built, but the pieces of a picture puzzle, each differing in shape, but matching the rest, and thus bringing out the picture."-Felix Adler

It's challenging to identify which line or which horse is an absolute favorite because each individual is so unique, with attributes that may not necessarily exist in another. My favorite horses seem to be ever evolving. One day, it might be this horse, another day it might be that horse.  In a small breeding community (Egyptian Arabian horses represent approximately 5% of the total Arabian Horse population); one would not expect such a wide diversity of phenotype, right? Even within a family, diversity exists. One of the most powerful lessons in phenotype diversity was presented by Judith Forbis, in Authentic Arabian Bloodstock (the blue book). Judi presents three stallions, previously recognized as Kuhaylan Jellabi strain (now considered Saqlawi) and closely-related through the straight Babson Egyptian mare, Fada (Faddan x Aaroufa), who is present in the tail female line of each horse: the straight Babson Egyptian Fadl Dan, the Babson-Moniet el Nefous cross: Prince Fa Moniet and in the blended lines of Farida/Moniet el Nefous/Babson of Mohummed Sadden.

Fadl Dan

Of the three stallions, Fadl Dan is the only horse who physically embodies the characteristics that we accept as being Kuhaylan strain. His silhouette was comprised of rounded lines, more substantial in body, muscular, wider chested, powerful shoulders, well-muscled forearms, a shorter, thicker, crestier neck and larger, rounder jowls. It is interesting that of all three horses, the source of Kuhaylan Jellabi is closer in his pedigree, than the other two horses, as *Fadl sired his father, his maternal grandfather and grandmother. I am not surprised by Fadl Dan's phenotype, as he is concentrated in the blood of the horses who sire this type of horse more consistently.

Prince Fa Moniet

Prince Fa Moniet, who is the complete opposite of Fadl Dan's phenotype, appears more like a Saqlawi Arabian than he does a Kuhaylan. While Fadl Dan was a stockier built horse; Prince Fa Moniet was a bit more "stretchy" in his conformation. Not as close-coupled as Fadl Dan, Prince Fa Moniet had a longer back, a longer, slender neck, with a roomier throatlatch which came out of a very defined wither. Prince Fa Moniet's legs were longer and he was built more like a sleek racing greyhound; with a deeper heart girth. I remember watching the way he moved and was stunned over his agility in the round pen. Not as powerfully built as Fadl Dan but still a muscled horse; Prince Fa Moniet's muscling was accentuated by the fine skin, as if he were chiseled out of the finest white marble. He was so elegant. While Fadl Dan was a son of Fada; Prince Fa Moniet is a maternal grandson. Physically, the influence of the Moniet el Nefous family had more of an impact on the phenotype of Prince Fa Moniet, as compared to the Babson side, through Fada.

Mohummed Sadden

Of the three stallions, Mohummed Sadden is less of an extreme example in phenotype. He is a combination of the physical attributes found in the other two horses. Mohummed Sadden embodies the qualities that we have learned to identify as "Dahman". He was sired by the pure-in-the-strain Dahman stallion, El Hilal, who was a son of *Ansata Ibn Halima, out of the Farida tail female mare, Bint Nefisaa, imported from Egypt by Gleannloch Farms. His dam, Akid Fa Mona, is a full sister to Prince Fa Moniet, which brings in the Moniet el Nefous blood, as well as the Babson. This may be the reason why he is closer to Prince Fa Moniet in his physique, than he is to Fadl Dan. Both horses have the Babson and Moniet el Nefous blood in common, however, the Farida blood changes everything in Mohummed Sadden.

Fada (Faddan x Aaroufa)

In my opinion, some of the most exquisite and most extraordinary Egyptian Arabian Horses have been a blend of Babson bloodlines with Halima and Moniet El Nefous. In horses like Fadl Dan, we see the strength and beauty of the Babson lines, in their purest form. Prince Fa Moniet launched a new era of Ansata breeding, revolutionizing the breeding program. It is really amazing, when one thinks of Fada (Faddan x Aaroufa) and the tremendous influence she would exert upon the world of Egyptian breeding with horses that did not resemble her physically but still, were connected to her by blood and genes. When Fada was produced at the Babson Farm, were her breeders even aware of how she would impact the future? Fada and her descendants can be a parallel example for our very human lives, proving to us that underneath it all, we are more similar than we are different, our very human-ness, a common bond and connection.

“…the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls, and interesting people.”– Henry Miller