La Movida, Batistah & Corona Virus

Living within the shadow of New York City, it got to a point where I didn't want to turn the news on anymore, in fear of what I may hear or even worse, what I might see. What new images would replace the ones that were already haunting me in the very dark hours of sleepless nights, when people should be sleeping soundly without a care in the world? The very real dangers of Corona Virus seemed to lurk around every corner, ready to inflict respiratory distress and send me to the hospital, never to return. As the anxiety grew and grew, it seemed that all that I loved most in this world, no longer interested me, instead, the Corona Virus dominated every waking and sleeping thought. I recognized that in order to survive the pandemic, I had to find ways to cope that offer escape from what troubles the heart, mind and soul. My local fire department has already discouraged me from engaging in any cooking or baking activities and the truth is that I can't sit still for longer than a few seconds, so scratch meditation and yoga off the list too. Jigsaw puzzles? C'mon, you must be kidding now. So, out of necessity and seemingly out of nowhere, I discovered  a new video series on You Tube from who else, Arabian Essence TV.  In each episode of Stay at the Farm, Marco Vignato, his daughter, Elena Vignato and Elvis Guighera, over the course of two hours  interviewed a variety of guests representing a diversity of interests, bloodlines and levels of participation within the Arabian horse community. It's both interesting and extremely enjoyable.

In this particular episode (#3), originally broadcast on Friday, April 10th, Ferdinand Huemer of La Movida Arabians in Austria presented four of his horses, the mare Bali el Marwan by Marwan Al Shaqab and three of her progeny: Binta el Jyar, Bari el Jyar and Basilea el Justice. What all four horses have in common is the pure Spanish mare, Batistah, owned for many years by Ferdinand Huemer of La Movida and now owned by Elvis Guighera of Le Soleil Stud. Batistah is a daughter of El Perfecto (Vallehermoso x Example) and out of  Baraquessa (Aram x ABHA Batista).

Batistah (El Perfecto x Baraquessa)

My anxious mind was already wandering when I heard Ferdinand Huemer say, "she's huge, huge..." and those words grabbed my attention from wherever my mind was in that moment and I saw an unbelievably stretchy, strong-bodied and ultra-typey chestnut mare brilliantly trotting all over my television screen. So, I hit the back button, to 24:49, so I can watch Binta el Jyar all over again, while paying close attention to what Ferdinand was saying about his horse: "she is very, very close to my ideal. She's huge, huge, super body, fantastic neck, incredible movement." Immediately after Binta, came her full brother, also by Jyar Mei Lua, the bay stallion, Bari el Jyar, followed by their dappled grey maternal sibling, Basilea el Justice, a WH Justice daughter.  I marveled over the consistency of this family of horses, as each horse was outstanding in their breed type, conformation and presence. It would be very difficult to choose only one and say with any certainty that the horse you picked was your favorite, when really, you would be more successful in selecting your favorite by closing your eyes and letting the luck of the draw choose the favorite for you. The horses are so fantastic, that you would be thrilled with any of them.

At one time, La Movida Arabians was primarily focused on breeding within pure Spanish bloodlines. While Spanish blood is still an important part of Ferdinand's breeding program, through Batistah and also, the Galero-sired daughter, Porlamar (out of the Jacio-sired daughter, Hamida), Ferdinand has added the blood of Ali Jamaal (through Lenita Perroy's program and Doug Dahmen's Dakar el Jamal), as well as modern stallions like Pystadel, El Shaklan, Gazal al Shaqab and Al Ayal AA, to name only a few of the influences that Ferdinand has skillfully brought together to further develop and refine the La Movida program, as we know it today.  What impresses me most about the program at La Movida is what  Ferdinand Huemer has been able to accomplish and that is, to very selectively, working within a wide diversity of blood, form a cohesive program, that comes closest to producing the horse that he envisions as his ideal: a horse possessing charisma through his good movement and beauty which includes a well-set, longer neck with length in the poll and fine  throatlatch, excellent tail carriage and larger, deeply black eyes. Also, Ferdinand, when speaking of the special attributes and qualities that El Perfecto brought to his program, said, "they have been very human minded." This intangible quality is every bit a part of breed type, as are the tangibles that we can see with our eyes. It is at the very fiber of a horse breed known for having an "in-your-tent" disposition and also, an attribute that is part of the La Movida breeding program.

In another place, another time, when a word like "Corona" reminded people of a beer and not a deadly sickness; I don't know if I would have had the endurance to watch a show like Stay at the Farm or to have been suitably impressed by how much common ground we share with others. That would be the silver lining of a strange time like we are living within today. We are learning to appreciate, all that we may have taken for granted. Truly, in our world of Arabian horses, we are more similar, than we are different because we are all bound by the love we feel for the same horse...the Arabian horse. While I don't know Ferdinand Huemer personally; however, I have been involved in Arabian horses for a long while, I know of him and his farm named La Movida but if anyone were to have asked me about his program, I don't think I would have been able to speak intelligently about it and that's where Arabian Essence TV and people like Marco, Elena and Elvis, figure prominently in our lives, utilizing modern day technology to connect us with each other and to breeders like Ferdinand Huemer, who inspire us. Arabian Essence TV has brought the world of Arabian horses into each of our living rooms and made it, so that globally, the world does not seem so big or even, overwhelming. We can understand each other better now, that is, we all share similar dreams, hopes and fears and we are all impacted by the same conditions, as you will see and hear in Stay at the Farm. It's a great gift from Arabian Essence TV and in closing, the only thing that can be said further is THANK YOU to all at Arabian Essence who made Stay at the Farm possible.

HONORING USAMAH ALKAZEMI - DAY 7 - HOOREYAH EZZAIN

NK Alamirah (NK Hafid Jamil x NK Nariman)

The story of Hooreyah Ezzain begins well before her grandmother, NK Alamirah (pictured above) was even born. Usamah Alkazemi, a breeder of Egyptian Arabian horses, continually evaluates the progress of his program, to determine how close he is coming to producing his vision of the ideal Arabian horse. I admire him, for his perseverance, for his tenacity and for the loyalty he has, for his personal vision. He does not get distracted from his goals, as I would get distracted, if I were in his shoes. Usamah was able to purchase a young Katharinenhof-bred mare by the name of NK Jurie, who holds the honor of being the first offspring sired by NK Hafid Jamil. Her dam is NK Nariman, a Salaa el Dine daughter out of the *Jamil-sired daughter, Amarilla. Usamah fell in love with NK Nariman and desired to incorporate her influence into his program. Eventually, NK Nariman produced two full sisters named NK Alamirah and NK Lolowah, plus a full brother named NK Qaswarah. Usamah purchased these siblings as well and brought them to his farm, named Ezzain, which means "the best" or "la creme de la creme'. A fitting name for the farm where the Nariman progeny will live.

"I was hoping that I would get fillies from Jurie, Alamirah and Lolowah to breed back to Qaswarah and God destined Alamirah and Jurie to be bred to him and the result, thanks be to God,was Hooreyah and Jureiah, two of the best of NK Qaswarah's fillies."

The pedigree for NK Alamirah is not only interesting; it is completely fascinating, as the pedigree is concentrated in the blood of Hanan plus two mares which I greatly admire and value for their continuing influence on the modern Egyptian: Farida and Bukra. Both mares appear multiple times, on both sides of the pedigree. I was intrigued over the fact that the Ansata Rosetta son, Ansata Halim Shah is joined in the pedigree wth his sister, Ansata Ghazala. She anchors the tail female line of NK Hafid Jamil. Both horses share Ansata Rosetta, however, while Ansata Halim Shah is sired by *Ansata Ibn Halima, Ansata Ghazala is sired by the *Ansata Ibn Halima son, Ansata Ibn Sudan. Bred to *Ansata Ibn Halima, Ansata Ghazala produced the mare, Ansata Ghazia. When bred to the Ansata Halim Shah son, Salaa el Dine, she produced Ansata Gloriana. This is a intense concentration of one of my favorite Egyptian stallions, *Ansata Ibn Halima. WOW! The beautiful Ghazal daughter, Ghazala, is doubly represented, as she is the dam of Amarilla, NK Nariman's dam and she is also the dam of Ibn Nedjy, the sire of NK Hafid Jamil. The classic stallion, Ghazal, unfortunately, is not generously represented in straight Egyptian breeding. Thanks to the cross of Ghazal with Hanan, which resulted in Ghazala, we are fortunate to have some of his influence available.

Alamirah Ezzain (Ansata AlMurtajiz x NK Alamirah)

NK Alamirah was bred to one of the best Ansata Hejazi sons, Ansata AlMurtajiz, who in both of his tail female lines, traces to Bukra, albeit through a different source than is found in NK Hafid Jamil or NK Nariman; via the Sameh sired daughter, Ansata Bint Misr, one of the greatest brood mares not only at Ansata but in the Egyptian breeding community as well. On August 24, 2005, a filly, so delicate, so refined, so loving, so trusting was born....sweet little Alamirah Ezzain.

The day you were born,
you touched my soul.
You were the missing link,
that made my life whole.-Wendy L. Nichols, from her poem Open Arms

Alamirah Ezzain with Haifa Alkazemi

Her birth was greeted with much joy, as it was a most incredible moment, having been an eagerly anticipated event at Ezzain Arabians for the Alkazemi family. NK Alamirah has finally foaled!

                         A FILLY!

No one could resist her, this little filly, of so royal a birth and earnest expectation. Usamah's wife, Haifa, had been presented with her mother, NK Alamirah by Dr. Nagel and had fallen head-over-heels in love with this pretty and sweet mare. Even if Usamah had changed his mind over buying NK Alamirah, he would have had to purchase the mare as a present for his wife. She loved her. Now, the beautiful mare foaled a filly, that would fulfill Usamah's plan to breed her to NK Qaswarah. These were very happy days at Ezzain, as everyone enjoyed Alamirah's great gift. It never ceases to amaze me the inspirational and encouraging power that Egyptian Arabian horses have on the people whose lives surround them. This is why the above picture, taken by Usamah's son Jaber is one of my favorites. The happiness oozes out of every pixel, as Haifa's smile tells the whole story of the powerful feelings these horses generate in the people who love them.

However, the happy days at Ezzain were numbered. Tragedy reared its ugly head two days later, as NK Alamirah died from an infection. NK Alamirah had received a 1 centimeter cut in her vagina, which became infected. 

"NK Alamirah has left us in sorrow as she bravely gave birth to a first class filly by Ansata Almurtajiz. I told her that she has a place reserved in my heart and I will never forget her."

With the sudden death of her "mama", the newly-born Alamirah Ezzain was raised, in the company of a devoted sheep named Miro and with the love of all the people who lived with her at Ezzain Arabians. Little Alamirah followed Miro everywhere. And Miro, took great care over her "little baby", who was much, much bigger than any of the lambs she ever produced. All over the world, Arabian Horse enthusiasts emailed their prayers and wishes, out of concern for this little treasure and the hope that one day, she would join the breeding herd at Ezzain Arabians, to fulfill her promise. For four months, she was bottle-fed goat's and cow's milk, while a silent prayer was offered to a most merciful God, for her continued protection, her good health and for her continued prosperity into adulthood. God must have heard these prayers, as Alamirah grew and grew, each day stronger than the day before and loving her human family very much.

Alamirah Ezzain (Ansata AlMurtajiz x NK Alamirah)

"THAT FILLY grew exactly as her mum did and behaved the same exact way, even in her playing around, attending to people and even her neighing, was a replica of mama."

Over time and prospering from the loving care which she received, Alamirah Ezzain, like a beautiful rose, bloomed into a dazzling mare, with a strong body, curvey and harmonious in all her lines. It was now time to think of her future and of the foals that she could produce.

IT WAS TIME.

Alamirah was bred to her dam's full brother, NK Qaswarah, an elegant and refined stallion, who has already sired horses beyond Usamah's expectations.

"As days turned to months,
and months turned to years.
I watched you grow,
Facing lifes challenges and fighting your fears."-Wendy L. Nichols, from her poem Open Arms

And from this cross, a special filly was born, who will become a pivotal next step for Usamah, in his ability to breed the horse of his dreams. This was the moment that Usamah had planned for years before. This filly, the ultra-feminine Hooreyah Ezzain, is the new diva, to be loved and treasured as the many other beautiful divas at Ezzain Arabians are also cherished.

"As much as I like all the Qaswarah's babies, Hooreyah has most of my heart and she is considered by me THE ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE."

I am impressed with the quality of this filly. At such a young age, she already possesses a refinement which is clearly evident. Acknowledging the line-breeding of *Ansata Ibn Halima, I see so much of the Farida influence in Hooreyah, as her neck is elegantly longer and set higher, gently arching to meet her head at an angle which creates a very clean, long and roomy mitbah. She has a strong and level topline, which flows smoothly past the loin, a deep hip to a full, round hindquarter, like most Farida-influenced horses. With the influence of Bukra, I notice the definition of the tear bones in her face, they are prominent and at such an early age, we see the chiseled features which are a hallmark of classic type. How dramatic will she look, when she "dries out" to reveal an ethereal, deserty look? Her head is so short and wide, while her muzzle is tapered and delicate, with large and elastic nostrils emphasizing the desert horse look like the dot in an exclamation point. Her eyes, which are large and lustrous, are deeply black and have a depth which takes my breath away, like windows to Hooreyah's soul. Her ears are short and sharp with a nice inward curve, reminiscent of the quality that we saw in the ears of her grandmother and mother. Yes, I like this filly very much.

Hooreyah Ezzain (NK Qaswarah x Alamirah Ezzain)

"Now that your grown,
you take that next step.
Those years gone by,
in my heart there kept."-Wendy L. Nichols, from her poem, Open Arms

I can only imagine the wonderful foals that this young filly will produce for Ezzain, when she reaches breeding age. She will spread the influence of NK Nariman, NK Hafid Jamil and NK Alamirah farther in the world, inspiring all who love the Egyptian Arabian horse with their incredible beauty. In the meantime, I will continue to day-dream over how much closer she will take Usamah Alkazemi on his quest to breed this breath-taking, refined, ultimate Arabian Horse. With every new Ezzain horse, I believe Usamah has bred the most perfect horse ever and then another horse is born to prove how wrong I was in my assumptions...as fantastic as Hooreyah Ezzain is, I know that the best of Ezzain is still yet to come.

The black and white picture of NK Alamirah was taken by Erwin Escher. The picture of Alamirah Ezzain as an older mare and Hooreyah Ezzain were taken by Jenni Ogden. Jaber Alkazemi took the pictures of Alamirah Ezzain as a foal and with his mother. Many thanks to the photographers for their most wonderful photos!

HONORING USAMAH ALKAZEMI - DAY 6 - THETTWA EZZAIN

"His small ears were pricked, catching the strange sounds from the other animals. His fine head was held high. His every sense was alert. Every muscle, every sinew was ready to be unleashed with the power and swiftness of a coiled steel spring. The Black was all horse." - from The Horse Tamer by Walter Farley.

This young stallion is Thettwa Ezzain, bred by Mr. Usamah Alkazemi, of the world famous Ezzain Arabians, a fabulous breeding farm located in Kuwait. His sire is NK Qaswarah (NK Hafid Jamil x NK Nariman) and his dam is Albaheiah Ezzain (Nooreddine Ezzain x NK Nakeebya). I love the shape and length of Thettwa's neck, which has a beautiful underline and when meets the head, the angle adds length to the poll. His lines are actually circular, very smooth and flow gracefully into each other. There is harmony and balance present in the horse we see. He has longer, muscled forearms and short cannon bones, which are becoming increasingly more difficult to find these days. He is compact, with a smooth and strong top line, balanced below with a well-sprung rib cage. He is very correct. 

Have you ever heard the saying, "let the sire of the sire be the grandsire of the dam?" In the early 1950's, Lloyd Brackett, one of the founding fathers of the German Shepherd dog in the United States, popularized a long known breeding formula, used in breeding everything from Thoroughbred race horses to Holstein cattle to prize winning sheep. Lloyd Bracket did much to clear the confusion and misunderstanding of line and inbreeding and in the process, he bred over 90 champions. So this saying, "Let the sire of the sire be also the maternal grandsire of the dam" is forever known as Brackett's formula. In the pedigree of Thettwa Ezzain, the stallion, NK Hafid Jamil is the sire of Thettwa's sire, as well as the grandsire of Albaheiah Ezzain, Thettwa's dam. 

When I visited Ezzain Arabians four years ago, I realized that my favorite horses all shared common ground in Ansata AlMurtajiz. A son of Ansata Hejazi out of Ansata Samsara, it was not important whether Murtajiz appeared as a sire, grandsire or even great-grandsire; what became more important to me is the presence of Ansata AlMurtajiz in the pedigree. In Thettwa's pedigree, Ansata AlMurtajiz is the sire of Nooreddine, the sire of Albaheiah. I value Murtajiz's influence and the qualities he passes onto his get, most notably the size and shape of the skull and the placement of the ears, as well as the structure of the eye socket which enables these horses to possess some of the most beautiful eyes seen in the breed: very black, luminous and very large, set lower in the head. 

When I saw the dam of Thettwa, Albaheiah Ezzain, for the first time, I felt like someone had hit me and all the air was driven out of me. I felt light-headed and feared the embarrassment of fainting in the presence of men whom I had never met before. I had traveled thousands of miles to see her and I was not disappointed, as she was more beautiful than I could have ever imagined her to be. I had to get closer and look at her, I could no longer remain seated. While Thettwa is black as the night, Albaheiah is as radiant white as sunshine falling on new fallen snow. She is a taller mare with much substance but very refined, graceful and elegant. She has very fine, black skin which accentuates every line, every curve in her fabulous body. Her muzzle is very much like her paternal grandsire with elastic nostrils that become enormous, while moving. She is smooth and strong over her top line and her tail carriage is extreme, with the tail carried like a flag, away from her body. Most people dream of horses that look like Albaheiah does and unfortunately, never meet them. I am one of the luckier people who can say that I not only saw a horse like this once but meeting her was so profound, that I cannot continue to look at horses in the same way. As beautiful as Albaheiah is, one must stop to acknowledge her very interesting pedigree and the close relationship between the stallion, Nooreddine Ezaain and the mare, NK Nakeebya, her sire and dam. Albaheiah, through both her sire and dam, traces to the mare Nashua, a Salaa el Dine-sired daughter out of Lotfeia, who also became an important broodmare for Katharinenhof, having produced the stallion Nejdy as well as Nashua. Both Nooreddine and Nakeebya are grand progeny of Nashua, as Nooreddine is out of the Nashua daughter named Nada (by Adnan) and Nakeebya is out of the Nashua daughter named Nabilah (by Nahaman). To further underscore how closely related Nooreddine and Nakeebya are, both sires of the Nashua daughters, Nahaman and Adnan, are also Salaa el Dine sons. Nahaman is out of Ameera (Madkour I x Hanan), while Adnan is out of Ghazala (Ghazal x Hanan). Hanan is common ground for both horses.The difference between Nahaman and Adnan comes down to only two horses-Madkour and Ghazal. And with Ghazal being the sire of Moheba II, the dam of Madkour I, is there really a difference genetically between these two horses?

Going back to Lloyd Brackett and his breeding theories, he understood the value of using high quality dogs who were related to each other. He understood very clearly the type he wanted to reproduce in his dogs and by concentrating  genes and exercising very strict selection, he could breed the traits he desired with much consistency. He was not fond of outcrossing and he said, "Never outcross when things seem to be going well, do it only as an experiment or when some fault or faults cannot be eliminated." While Lloyd Brackett was focused on breeding his own unique strain of German Shepherd dogs; Usamah Alkazemi is equally passionate about breeding the most beautiful Arabian horses.

Another point that I would like to add is NK Qaswarah's ability to sire color. This is a significant point. While he is gray in color and even when bred to gray mares, he has produced a good number of bay-colored horses and like Thettwa, the more elusive black color. Thettwa is one of three black horses at Ezzain, the other two horses are Ekramilbari and Alttafilbari. In everything we know about the Bedouin, we understand that the Bedouins preferred darker colored horses over lighter colored horses and of the dark colors, the black horse was their favorite, followed by the dark bay and then, the dark chestnut. The black horse was so highly regarded by the Bedouin that only the Sheikhs rode the black horses. 

Thettwa is the best of his dam, enhanced by the unique qualities of his sire. Even with that said, it is challenging to look at this horse and not recognize the impact made by Ansata AlMurtajiz and just maybe, even farther back in the pedigree, the legendary sire, *Ansata Ibn Halima. Thettwa, in my personal opinion is very much like him, especially in the outline or silhouette of his body. Over the years, we have been taught to recognize this phenotype as Dahman by the scholars of our breed, most notably, Carl Raswan and Judith Forbis. Perhaps the multiple sources of Dahman blood in the pedigree have something to do with this? Although he is a Hadban strain horse by pedigree, Thettwa is the ultimate representation of the Dahman horse, in very modern form. 

HONORING USAMAH ALKAZEMI - DAY 5 - ANEESILNEFOUS EZZAIN

I went to Kuwait.

I really did.

Me

A nobody, from a little seaside town in New Jersey, boarded two planes and traveled over 7,000 miles to get there, just like another New Jerseyan, "Stormin' Norman Schwarzkopf" from Trenton, a great  hero of mine, who ironically, had died on my birthday, this past December. But unlike General Schwarzkopf, I went to Kuwait to see a horse.

THIS HORSE.

and all because of a picture. 

THIS PICTURE

I can't even begin to tell you how many times I have looked at this picture of the stallion, Aneesilnefous Ezzain. It's my favorite of him. Maybe 1,000 times? 2,500 times? 100,000 times?  I lost count. Let's just say that I looked at it a lot. When I was happy, when I was sad, when I was excited, when I was anxious...whenever I needed to look at the picture, for whatever reason, I looked at it. It brought me comfort...and joy--lots of joy.

There is just something special about this horse. Call it charisma, if you will. It oozes out of every pixel. There's a very positive energy transmitted by the photo. You look at the picture and you feel good...instantly. This energy, like a magnet, had a pull so strong, that I could no longer ignore it. 

I must go to Kuwait. 

I must meet this horse.

I must meet Aneesilnefous Ezzain. 

I must go to Kuwait...NOW!

For more than 16 hours, I thought of this horse. The photo, now burned in my memory, helped me to pass the time on the plane. The more I thought of him, the happier I became. And, I must admit, that I was not very happy. I was really sad. My beloved friend had died earlier in the day. It was surreal. My best friend had died and here I am, on a plane, that will take me to meet another horse. A horse I don't even know. Someone might say to me that I didn't even care about Rosie, if I could leave so soon after the tragedy.

Was I crazy? 

No, I was not crazy. If there ever was a time to leave, Rosie's death was the perfect reason to get away,

far

far

far 

from the scene of where it all went down. I didn't want to be there. Rosie's death was unexpected and of course, even after 19 years, I was not prepared to say goodbye. 

I didn't want to say goodbye. 

I didn't want to touch or feel or see all of the things that would remind me of her. 

There was no better time to escape from the place where my friend lived and died. It was all over and I was ready to turn the page and start a new chapter.

I was also afraid. 

I was afraid of being disappointed. Was he going to be every bit as beautiful, as the horse that I saw in the picture? 

What if he isn't? 

I hadn't thought of this and I wasn't really sure how I would deal with it. So, I took a deep breath and  continued to count down the hours, minutes and seconds...until I would come face-to-face with Aneesilnefous, the horse that I knew so well and yet, didn't know at all.

"An inborn love of the horse is instinctive, quite unreasoning, and one cannot recall any beginning of what seems to have always been there, together with a craving for perfection in the object of interest."-Lady Ann Blunt

Annesilnefous Ezzain, whose name means "the pleasure of the soul", is sired by NK Qaswarah out of one of the most important foundation mares and the foundress of the Saqlawi strain at Ezzain, NK Momtaza (Ibn Nedjy x Sanaya). Aneesilnefous is representative of the wise choices made by Mr. Usamah Zaid Alkazemi, in not only selecting the spectacular horses that he would combine in his breeding program but also, for the rigorous selection of individual horses, producing the qualities that come closest to meeting Usamah's personal vision of the ideal horse.  Usamah is a formidable breeder, as evidenced by the horse he has bred, Aneesilnefous Ezzain. That was a fact that I learned right away, not only because of Aneesilnefous but also, because this quality was consistent among the other horses at the farm.

The dam of NK Momtaza is Sanaya, who is out of a mare named Malaka, an Ansata Halim Shah daughter out of  Kis Mahiba. I am fascinated by the production record of the Ibn Galal daughter, Kis Mahiba, as she was a brilliant broodmare, producing high quality daughters like Maysouna, KEN Bint Bint Mahiba, KEN Malaka, KEN Muniba, Hallah, Mana and Maha.

"To me if an outcross individual proves to be prepotent for good qualities in its first generation, it seems a good sign of an influential ancestor who will stand up well in the line breeding for generations."-Joe Ferriss

I think it is important to emphasize the pedigree details, as one can understand better, how the influence of horses like Alaa el Din and Moniet el Nefous, when combined, resulted in a modern Arabian horse with a new level of refinement not seen previously.

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. Aneesilnefous is extraordinary, and in those fine details, there is no question that he is an authentic son of the desert. He is so smooth-bodied, with a strong, level topline connecting a wide, muscled chest with a round, well-muscled hindquarter. His hocks are strong and elastic and his front legs have a longer, well-muscled forearm, contrasted with very short cannons. Annesilnefous is graceful, underscored by the flowing lines that create a classic silhouette of the perfect Arabian horse. His skin is heavily pigmented and has that translucence, that very thin quality which accentuates every tear bone and vein in his face. This quality of the skin is loyal to the desert, a direct result of life lived within a harsh environment. Nature is a skilled artist, in her wisdom, which no man or woman can rival. His muzzle is fine, not meaty or thick and his nostrils are elastic and of a beautiful shape. His ears are small, with a lovely shape to them, giving him a look of intelligent curiosity. His eye is large, round and luminous. His jowl, like Qaswarah's, is prominent and my fist fit comfortably in the space between the jowls. His neck is longer and  like Qaswarah, Aneesilnefous has a very nice mitbah, with a clean underline. His neck is so beautiful, I found myself stroking it over and over and over.

"...in terms of correctness, conformation and harmony, there is no comparison, at least this is my humble judgement."-Usamah Alkazemi

Something happened to me, while I was in Kuwait. I am not the same person. It's not possible to be the same person anymore.And it is all because of Aneesilnefous.

He has become the new standard for me, in evaluating correct Arabian Horse type. Now, because of Aneesilnefous Ezzain (and his extraordinary level of refinement) I see Arabian Horses in varying degrees of coarseness. He has revolutionized all that I knew and had held dear and sacred, as concerns the Egyptian Arabian horse. If Aneesilnefous means the pleasure of my soul, then the windows of my soul were opened wide in Kuwait, to let the fresh air in, so that stale thoughts, opinions and perspectives would be replaced, so that my soul can continue to marvel over the fierce beauty that my eyes witnessed, without second-guessing all that I had seen (it's just not possible).

Annesilnefous was definitely more horse than I could ever imagine him to be. My soul overflows with pleasure, over meeting a horse like this. Actually it is more appropriate to say that my soul dances with my heart in celebration, over meeting a beauty as fierce as the desert he lives in.  There is a great treasure in Kuwait and the name of the treasure is

Aneesilnefous Ezzain

Well done, Usamah, well done.

HONORING USAMAH ALKAZEMI - DAY 4 - BADRILBDOOR EZZAIN

"I'm leavin' my fam'ly, Leavin' all my friends,  My body's at home, But my heart's in the wind..."-Tom Waits, from his song, Shiver Me Timbers

As we walked over to her stall, Badrilbdoor Ezzain was lying down, resting. It was evening and I had just arrived at Ezzain. I wanted to see the horses and my wonderful friend complied with my request.  "This is Shamsilshmous' full sister, by Qaswarah, out of Azhaar, the full sister to Suror. Her name is Badrilbdoor." Usamah explained. My mind raced through all the photos stored up there in my head somewhere, trying to remember exactly which horse was Badrilbdoor. As familiar as I was with the horses of Ezzain, the fact was, I really wasn't familiar with any of them and I wasn't prepared for their overwhelming beauty. It would be for me like a head-on collision, fierce and surely, life changing.  I would not walk away from this encounter and continue being the same person. These horses were obviously different from any horse I had ever known before. They were unique. They were special. They were extraordinary. These facts were immediately apparent. My heart raced with excitement, every beat pounding through me, louder and louder, until I felt I would surely explode. I felt surrounded, as this beauty continued to unfold all around me. Usamah coaxed Badrilbdoor to her feet. She stretched out her front feet and pulled herself up. When she was standing squarely on all four feet, she stretched her body forward and back, lowering her head and tucking it close to her.  For a fraction of a second, I witnessed a beauty so unexpected, so marvelous, so spectacular...that if I had blinked, I would have missed seeing it.

Masha'allah! 

The curve of her neck and head, against her body reminded me of a swan, as it swims in the water, celebrating in the joy of being beautiful, elegant and of course, full of grace.  The shape of her head, so short and wide and yet, so carefully sculpted and accentuated by the biggest, deepest, blackest eyes I had ever seen,  grabbed my attention and left me gasping for air. How can anyone say that God doesn't exist, when this mare's outrageous beauty celebrates the magnificence of a living and loving God? I smiled, all the way down to my toes. I finally had arrived at Ezzain and in that split second, I knew that I could never leave Ezzain and expect to be the same person again or even, feel the same about horses, in the same manner as I had felt, prior to arriving in Kuwait. On that first day, after traveling long and far, I bathed in the refreshing water of beauty and was made new, baptized, so that I could bear witness and testify to the amazing power of beauty. Beauty lives here, in Kuwait, at Ezzain. I met her and now, I can say that I know her well.  Thank you Usamah, for making all of my dreams come true.

HONORING USAMAH ALKAZEMI - DAY 3 - THE 5 INFLUENTIAL MARES OF EZZAIN

The Ezzain breeding program has evolved to include 45 horses - 9 stallions and 36 mares (which does not include the new foals that have been born this year). This is a larger number of breeding horses than we are used to seeing in this day and age of modern Egyptian Arabian horse breeding and because of the unique combinations in this group of horses, this is a program to study, as it is one of the more serious breeding programs that I have ever known and Mr. Usamah Alkazemi, is one of the great students of the breed, as evidenced by the quality of the horse he is breeding consistently. In organizing the program, I divided the mares into 11 families:

1. NK Momtaza
2. Azhaar Ezzain (Zahra)
3. Dhuha AlNakeeb
4. Ajmal Ibtihaj
5. NK Nariman
6. NK Yasmin
7. Jenan AlNakeeb
8. NK Nakeebya
9. NK Nada
10. Nayyerah Ezzain (Ansata Suleyma)
11. Hebatilbari Ezzain

The advantage in getting to know each and every horse personally, with a solid understanding of the vision of Usamah Alkazemi and the attributes that are important to him, pedigree study of the families, which includes the observation of the traits inherent within each family, have sharpened my awareness to recognize the influential mares who have not only impacted Ezzain significantly, they have become part of the living fiber that defines Ezzain and the unique look that this breeding program has created. It's more than just recognizing the individual and remarking on her beauty and the beautiful foals she has produced. It's WAAAAY more than that. It's astutely observing the strengths that are passed from one mare to her daughter, to a granddaughter and on and on and on. The beauty, the refinement and the elegance becomes even more intensified, in the succeeding generations. It's important to say that at the core of these mares, is Usamah Alkazemi. He is selectively breeding for specific traits that are loyal to the desert horse, that is, qualities that allowed the horse to not only survive the harsh climate but thrive in it as well. Usamah has tried a wide variety of blood and because he is a decisive person with a keen eye, he knows when a particular horse is not working in the program and he practices out of necessity, the most rigorous and strict culling that I have ever known. There is no emotion involved. I think of myself and the challenge that it would be to recognize when a horse whom I have had a great deal of affection for, is not working out in the way that I believed she would. For Usamah, there is no "muddying of the water" and either the horse produces to his expectations or she doesn't and is no longer part of the breeding program. He is a visionary and a great breeder and the strength and consistency of his horses is his ultimate reward. The following five mares represent the very foundation of the program and are vitally important to Ezzain, through the continuing influence they continue to exert, through their progeny.

"Here is one of my cornerstones and one of the most blessed mares in term of production, NK YASMIN (ADNAN X HELALA). She is a half-sister to NK Hafid Jamill, Qaswarah's father, both out of Helala(Salaa eldine x Ansata Gloriana). She is a wonderful mare and a big blessing for Ezzain, AL7HAMDOLILLAH AL3ALI AL3ATHEEM."-Usamah Alkazemi

NK Yasmin has produced one of the most beautiful mares at Ezzain, the black beauty, Ekramilbari Ezzain. If Ekramilbari were her only achievement, she would remain a noteworthy mare  but she also produced Najmah Ezzain, who in turn produced two spectacular fillies, Radhwaa and Einaas, who will take this family further into the future. They are both extremely promising fillies. Yasmin also produced the mare, Anwaar, who in turn has produced Saneiah, another spectacular filly, who will become yet another important mare in the family. Yasmin also has produced the exciting and upcoming stallion, Maisarah.

"NK NAKEEBYA (NK HAFID JAMILL X NK NABEELAH) is a Hadban mare that was a pivotal stone at Ezzain, AL7HAMDOLILLAH. She was a heavenly gift, a super producer with whichever stallion that was tried, AL7HAMDOLILLAH."-Usamah Alkazemi

NK Nakeebya is one of multiple sources of Nashua blood in the Ezzain program. There is also NK Nada and a new filly, Naswah Bint Nadeer. However, this mare has produced so well for Ezzain and in turn, her daughters are producing well for Ezzain and their progeny are up-and-coming stars for the breeding program. NK Nakeebya has nicked well with Nooreddine Ezzain, who interestingly, is a son of NK Nada, a Nashua daughter. She produced the full sisters, Aaliyah and Albaheiah by Nooreddine. Albaheiah has produced the very exciting and promising black stallion, Thettwa Ezzain and a bay filly named Bahilla Ezzain, both by NK Qaswarah. With Ansata AlMurtajiz, who is the sire of Nooreddine, she produced masterpieces, including the national champion mare of Bahrain, Nabaweyah Ezzain and her full sister, Safeyyah Ezzain. Safeyyah, when bred to NK Qaswarah, produced the bay mare, Naseemah AlWard, who when bred to Aneesilnefous, produced the very promising filly, Ssafinaz Ezzain. NK Nakeebya vividly illustrates why a mare is considered influential. She is a beautiful mare herself but she has produced daughters who are even more lovely than she is. THAT, to me is a rock solid foundation mare, who produces a level of quality that is far greater than her own.

"THANK YOU LORD FOR ALL THE BLESSING YOU HAVE GIVEN ME AND CONTINUE DOING THAT GRATIOUSLY. THIS IS AZHAAR EZZAIN (ANSATA ALMURTAJIZ x ZAHRA)."-Usamah Alkazemi

Azhaar Ezzain is representative of her dam, the outstanding broodmare, Zahra (KP Nameed x Assal) who remains a "superstar" in the Ezzain program, having produced the stallion, Suror Ezzain and the full sister, Azhaar. However, it is Azhaar who has given Ezzain the outrageously beautiful mares, Shamsilshmous, Badrilbdoor and Ommilmaali Ezzain. It is not possible to go anywhere in this world and find three mares of this high caliber, located in one place. Any visitor to Ezzain, after meeting Shamsilshmous will marvel over how beautiful this mare is in person and for a long time, will not be able to think of anything else. I know, because this visitor was me.  In turn, Shamsilshmous has produced an up-and-coming colt, Addilham, who one day, will influence this family from the sire side of the pedigree.  In addition, she has produced the exciting filly Kamilia, by Yaasoob Ezzain. 

"THIS IS THE MOTHER OF ANEESILNEFOUS EZZAIN, NK MOMTAZA WHO GRANTED ME 3 SUPER HORSES. ANEESILNEFOUS EZZAIN AND HIS FULL SISTER DORRAH EZZAIN AND BY SALAA E LDINE, MONIET EZZAIN,TABARAKALLAH."-Usamah Alkazemi

The Saqlawi strain at Ezzain Arabians would not exist, if it were not for NK Momtaza. She is the source and the dam of Aneesilnefous Ezzain, one of the most exciting stallions that I have ever met and a sire who gets consistently, wonderful daughters. She has also produced one of my favorite mares in the program, the ravishing bay beauty, Dorrah Ezzain. When I think of Momtaza, I think of these two horses immediately, as they have made the greatest impression upon me. However, Momtaza also produced Moniet Ezzain by Salaa el Dine, who has produced for Ezzain two daughters, Omneyah Ezzain by Nooreddine and the up-and-coming filly, Najeiah Ezzain by NK Qaswarah. Omneyah has produced for Ezzain, a fantastic filly named Amaani Ezzain by NK Qaswarah. The other NK Momtaza daughter is Nasseyrah Ezzain by Nooreddine Ezzain, who has produced two fillies by Aneesilnefous Ezzain: Mardeiah Ezzain and Hhawraa Ezzain. 

AL7AMDOLILLAH WA ALSHOKR LAH AL7ANNAN ALMANNAN FOR NK NADA (ADNAN x NASHUA), THE GREAT MARE WHO I WAS BLESSED TO KEEP FOR 11 YEARS."-Usamah Alkazemi

It can be said by other enthusiasts that NK Nada and NK Nakeebya belong to the same mare family, that of Nashua and while I don't disagree, the real reason as to why I separate both mares into two distinct foundation families is because NK Nakeebya is an influencer through the female or maternal side of the pedigree, while the family of NK Nada exerts its most influence on the sire side. NK Nada has blessed the Ezzain program with two significant sons: Nooreddine Ezzain (by Ansata AlMurtajiz) and Yaasoob Ezzain (by NK Qaswarah). The Nooreddine-sired daughters like Omneyah, Albaheiah, Aaliyah are phenomenal broodmares for Ezzain and have strengthened the influence of the NK Nakeebya family, which interestingly is related to this family, as they trace to Nashua too. One of the last foals that NK Nada produced for Ezzain is the filly Qattrilnada Ezzain. It will be interesting to see how the influence of NK Nada is made from a different side of the pedigree, than what we are used to seeing Nada on.

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.