A Valentine Story

VP Kahlua (Jora Honey Ku++ x Kahlette)

VP Kahlua was a striking 1981 golden chestnut mare with a flaxen mane and tail, sired by a Canadian National Champion stallion, Jora Honey Ku++ (Joramir x Hatties Honey Ku) and out of Kahlette (El Hilal x Kahla). She was bred by Ron Palelek of Vantage Point Farm, in Washington state. She had two full sisters: VP Antares, foaled in 1979 and VP Kahl Me, foaled in 1989. By virtue of her pedigree, do you know that VP Kahlua was almost 60% Egyptian in blood? Her paternal grandsire, Joramir, was 100% straight Egyptian, having been sired by the *Nasr son, Sirecho and out of the straight Babson Egyptian mare, Fad Roufa. Fad Roufa was sired by Faddan and out of Fay Roufa, a Fay-El-Dine daughter. In Authentic Arabian Bloodstock, Volume II, beloved author, Judith Forbis tells us that Fay Roufa was an exquisite mare and of her sire, Fay-El-Dine, she wrote, "the first generation Babson mares, particularly the grey Fay-El-Dine daughters, were more refined and fitted more closely in type to the R.A.S/E.A.O-bred horses we saw in Egypt in 1959."

Her paternal granddam, Hatties Honey Ku, adds more Egyptian blood through the mare, *Aziza (Gamil Manial x Negma), imported from Egypt by W.R. Brown in the early 1930's. VP Kahlua's dam, Kahlette, is a daughter of the straight Egyptian stallion, El Hilal (*Ansata Ibn Halima x Bint Nefisaa) and out of Kahla (Moneyn x Fa Gazal). El Hilal is interesting, as his maternal granddam, Nefisa,  whom Judith Forbis called, "a good-bodied and prolific broodmare", claims the mare Farida in both the tail female line of her sire and dam, further concentrating the influence of Farida, as *Ansata Ibn Halima also traces in tail female line to this wonderful and vital mare in Egyptian breeding.

VP Kahlua (Jora Honey Ku++ x Kahlette)

With the exception of El Hilal, all of the Egyptian blood present in VP Kahlua's pedigree are horses imported to America prior to the importations of the 1960's and 1970's, that is, the horses that we have classified as "Old Egyptian". Even though the "old" and "new" Egyptian horses share much common ground in their ancestral elements; the "old" Egyptian horses do not carry the lines of horses added to the EAO program, for example,  the Inshass horses, incorporated into the program after the Egyptian Revolution in 1952. What is significant to me is the 25%  which represents the breeding program of Prince Mohamed Aly Tewfik through horses like *Fadl, *Nasr, *Maaroufa, *Bint Saada, *Aziza, Balance and Farida. There's a reason why I included the below photo of VP Kahlua and that is, I wanted you to get a real sense of the rounded, flowing lines of this mare and of the body mass that she carried within these lines. She is voluptuous and her full, plump and round hind end, to me, underscores the breeding program of Prince Mohamed Aly Tewfik, as influenced as his program was by the RAS stallion, Ibn Rabdan (Rabdan el Azrak x Bint Gamila). I remembered a passage from Prince Mohamed Aly Tewfik's book, Breeding of Pure Bred Arab horses, in which he remarked on the prepotency of Ibn Rabdan. He wrote, "Some stallions always sire foals of their own colour and sex; let us take a dark chestnut like Ibn Rabdan, one of the Royal Agricultural Society's stallions, for an example. He always produces dark chestnuts, no matter what the colour of mares. This will go on until he covers a mare who produces the form and type of her own strain; if she is better bred she will dominate in the formation and colouring of the foal." I found it interesting that within the percentage of Egyptian breeding present in VP Kahlua's genetic fiber, the 5 lines to Ibn Rabdan, as far back as these lines are in her pedigree, are almost 10%!  If you are a believer in phenotype following coat colour, while not a dark chestnut as Ibn Rabdan was, she is still chestnut and that would explain the curveyness of her body!

In 1953, Douglas and Margaret Marshall of  Gleannloch Farms, Spring, Texas  purchased their first Arabian horse, a half-Egyptian mare bred by Henry Babson, sired by *Fadl and out of *Kostrzewa, one of the mares that Henry Babson had purchased in Poland. The mare's name was Fa Gazal, the maternal great granddam of VP Kahlua. The Marshalls bred Fa Gazal to a WK Kelloggg-bred stallion named Moneyn (Raseyn x Monica), to produce the mare, Kahla, the dam of Kahlette by El Hilal, as well as Bint Surf,  a US Reserve National English Pleasure Champion in 1968. An interesting story about Moneyn is really a story of his dam, Monica, a 1926 bay mare, bred by Charles Jewett of Indianapolis, Indiana. Both her sire, Tabab and dam, Sankirah, trace in tail female line to *Wadduda, a Bedouin-bred war mare, of great fame, who once covered a distance of 106 miles in 11 hours, while in pursuit of a caravan traveling to Aleppo. What makes this story even more remarkable, is that *Wadduda had suffered an injury to her pastern, in a previous tribal raid. She was an heroic mare, with a lot of heart, the battle scars on her body, a physical (and real) reminder of what she really was, a war mare.

In 1984, as a three year old, VP Kahlua made breed history by becoming the first mare to win what has become known as "the Triple Crown" - Scottsdale Champion Mare, United States National Champion Mare and Canadian National Champion Mare plus the World Champion Junior Mare title, all in the same year!

A couple of years ago, a woman by the name of Diane Loran, called VP Kahlua the most gorgeous mare she had ever seen. Diane visited Messiah Arabian Stud, as she was interested in breeding her mare to one of the farm's stallions. Diane remembers the experience in a Facebook post she wrote For the Golden Years of the Arabian Horse,

"Walking thru the main barn, I saw her stall...biggest one in the barn with her name plate on it but it was empty. I asked where she was. Tague Johnson was their breeding manager at the time, and he had been showing me around. He said, 'Oh, she's outside with her last baby.' He called for her (there was an open door to an outside paddock) and she came barreling in, covered with sand and dirt. She stopped and looked at us and "snorted", threw her tail over her back and then her new colt came in. She nickered to him and then they both ran back outside. Even covered in muck, she was such a QUEEN!"

VP Kahlua was bred to the *Padron son, Damascus Messiah (out of a *Serafix daughter, SX Daphne) and produced foals sired by this stallion. I'm not sure how she is represented today, as the resources that I have available to me, are not conclusive, as far as a production record for her progeny, through the present day.

True Colours (Thee Desperado x Daheda)

There was so much promise and potential written into the core of VP Kahlua's very being. She was everyone's favorite and charmed people with her extraordinary beauty. Naturally, one expected great things from this mare. Sometimes, horses are born into a period of time, where their greatness is not fully understood and tragically, the opportunity to best utilize their influence, is lost. I often wonder, what if she had been born twenty years later? What if she had been bred to an Egyptian stallion who shares common ground with her? The 1997 straight Egyptian stallion, True Colors (Thee Desperado x Daheda), with over 40 lines to Ibn Rabdan in his pedigree, also shares the same dam line as El Hilal, through Nefisa to Farida. Moneef, the sire of Nahed, True Colors' maternal grand dam, traces in her dam line to Halima,  the dam of *Ansata Ibn Halima, the sire of El Hilal. When I think along these lines, only then can I imagine a golden filly foal, whose True Colours would outshine the golden brilliance of any necklace, bracelet or ring, wrapped in a heart shaped box.  That would be the ultimate Valentine's Day present, all for the love of an Arabian horse.

***Many thanks to photographers like the late Johnny Johnston, the late Erwin Escher and Scott Trees, whose photos appear above. The story of VP Kahlua could not be told without their photos. And so, this blog post is lovingly dedicated to them, the very powerful visual storytellers of our breed.***

A Fa Halima Valentine

Fa Halima (*Ansata Ibn Halima x Sabrah) as photographed by the late Johnny Johnston

In December 2021, Janie Karr posted a comment, in response to the blog titled Mare Power.  She listed her favorite mares and then, asked me to list mine. I find it challenging to choose specific horses as "favorites", only because there are so many that I admire.  How to choose, when really, all are uniquely worthy of being picked a favorite? A few weeks or so ago, I stumbled upon the Johnny Johnston photo of Fa Halima (*Ansata Ibn Halima x Sabrah),  a 1970 grey mare bred by Robert Cowling and later owned by Bentwood Farm. Seeing this photo once again, not only brought me much happiness, it also reminded me that in the not so very long  ago, I was convinced that there was no greater mare than she. Revisiting these feelings created additional questions of my own, as to what really makes a particular horse a favorite and why?

Phenotypically, it is understandable how one can choose Fa Halima as a "favorite", as she possessed a level of beauty that won her universal appeal. She also possessed a back-story, much like an equine Cinderella, which endeared her to many hearts. Pulled out of a pasture, ten years old and a proven broodmatron, having produced several foals, Fa Halima became a 1980 United States National Champion Mare, as well as a Canadian Reserve National Champion Mare. The year before, Fa Halima, along with Ansata Abbas Pasha, traveled to Paris and was named a Reserve World Champion mare, one of the first American-bred straight Egyptian horses to receive this honor. 

In the uniquely written book, The Gift, celebrated author Judi Forbis, writes in the voice of *Ansata Ibn Halima, who recalls the excitement of Fa Halima's championship win.

"One evening my mistress came to my stall excitedly and told me that I was now one of five stallions in the world to have sired a US National  Champion son and daughter. I was very honored. Then she explained to me what had happened. David made the first cut with Fa Halima wearing a very pretty green macrame halter. My mistress noticed this and worried that green was the wrong color for the finals. She had a beautiful blue beaded macrame halter someone had given her as a gift, and with blue being the color Arabs believed to ward off the evil eye, she went to David and said, 'David, you cannot go into the finals with a green halter. Take this blue one.' David accepted the offer and well, you can guess what happened! Fa Halima pranced into the winner's circle wearing her new blue halter and was crowned US National Champion Mare." - Judith Forbis, from Ansata Ibn Halima: The Gift

With respect for the old saying, "beauty is only skin deep" and looking beyond her show ring wins, to her pedigree, reveals a breeding group recognized as "Babson/Halima", which includes not only Fa Halima but also, beloved horses like El Halimaar (*Ansata Ibn Halima x RDM Maar Hala), Ra'adin Inshalla (*Ansata Ibn Halima x Allah Ateyyah), Masada Fay Halima (*Ansata Ibn Halima x Daal Aba), Bint Fa Dena (*Ansata Ibn Halima x Khedena) and Falima (*Ansata Ibn Halima x Fa-Habba). At one point in my Arabian horse life, breeding and raising horses of this cross is what I believed that I would do. Fa Halima not only brings attention to herself but also to the group of horses she belongs to. She reminds me that this specific group of horses or rather, bloodlines, more consistently produce the type of horse that my eyes are drawn to. For me, horses like Fa Halima and her sire are like a living standard, against which all other horses are measured.

"The mare Bint Serra I was an impressive dark bay mare of high quality and was already nine years old in 1932 when Jack Humphrey saw her. He was very taken by her, trying very hard to negotiate a price but was unable to buy her. She had long powerful shoulders, prominent withers and fine carriage of neck and was said to be an excellent mover." - from the Joe Ferriss article, Serra, The Beautiful Old White Mare, published by Tutto Arabi

In January 2019, I published a blog on Serrasab, the maternal granddam of Fa Halima. After all these years, I continue to be amazed that 75% of Serrasab's pedigree is made up of the cross of *Fadl (Ibn Rabdan x Mahroussa)  with *Bint Serra I (Sotamm x Serra). The remaining 25% of her pedigree (and tail female line) belongs to *Bint Bint Sabbah (Baiyad x Bint Sabah). When Sabrah (Fabah x Serrasab) is combined with *Ansata Ibn Halima (Nazeer x Halima), common ground between the new side and old side of the pedigree is established by Sheikh el Arab (the maternal grandsire of *Ansata Ibn Halima) and *Bint Bint Sabbah (the maternal granddam of Serrasab). Both horses are out of the same mare, Bint Sabah (Kazmeen x Sabah). They are maternal siblings and Bint Sabah, who appears in the 5th and 6th generations of Fa Halima's pedigree, exerts approximately 10% of her influence. Also, through Ragia, the maternal grand dam of *Ansata Ibn Halima, we add another line to Ibn Rabdan (Rabdan el Azrak x Bint Gamila), who is the sire of *Fadl, amplifying the *Fadl portion of the *Bint Serra I cross at 17%.  

Genetically, you will find an interplay of the Saqlawi and Dahman strains in Fa Halima's pedigree, starting at the very top with the Saklawi I sire line and ending at the bottom with the El Dahma matriline. This gentle "tug-of-war" between the two strains is not only clever, it reminds me of something that Walter Schimanski had once said.

"incorporating the Saqlawi type brings length back to neck and leg, which can be lost with intense use of Dahman and Kuhaylan strain types. It also yields finer bone structure and produces flatter and less prominent muscling. Too much Saqlawi can produce a long back and ears. Dahman type brings back an overall balance and harmony, including more dished heads and larger eyes, and shorter backs, but also has the tendency to produce shorter necks and legs, heavier muscling, and more bone."-Walter Schimanski

Fa Halima was bred multiple times to Bentwood's chief stallion, *Ibn Moniet el Nefous (*Morafic x Moniet el Nefous). Although she produced one daughter by him in 1978 (AK Bint FaHalima), the majority of her produce by *Ibn Moniet and other stallions were sons: Al Khalid in 1976 and AK Nazaar in 1982, Sar Fa Rafic, a 1974 son by *Morafic; as well as sons by *Refky (*Morafic x Rafica) and Shaikh Al Badi (*Morafic x *Bint Maisa el Saghira). At the time, Bentwood Farm, although focused upon breeding horses of the Saqlawi strain, had a large collection of Babson horses and secretly, I had hoped that Fa Halima would be bred back within Babson lines but unfortunately, she wasn't. Had she been my mare, I would have focused upon maximizing the *Fadl x *Bint Serra I cross, by breeding to a stallion like Ibn Fa-Serr (Fa-Serr x Fa Deene), a double grandson of *Bint Serra I. In our straight Egyptian genepool, a concentrated source of the *Bint Serra I bloodline  has become harder to find, which underscores the significance that this particular cross would have had today, for straight Egyptian breeders.  It's interesting, within this conversation, to consider how Fa Halima, a beloved broodmare and top show mare, could have offered straight Egyptian breeders another option to incorporate the influence of *Bint Serra I and prevent what at one time was an esteemed mare line, from completely disappearing.

Over the course of the last sixteen years, I have published 414 blogs, many of which are focused upon mares that I admire, like for example, *Serenity Sonbolah. So, therein, lies somewhat of an answer, in terms of identifying favorite mares. I have always wanted to write a blog on Fa Halima but there have been several articles published about her, including the popular David Gardner article featured in Arabian Horse World magazine, as well as the Babson Retrospective tome published by The Institute for the Desert Arabian horse and several of Judi's books. What could I possibly add, that hasn't already been written, by people who were closer to the mare than I was? I struggled, never really finding just the right words that would clearly convey the horse that I believed her to be and eventually, it became one of those things that are relegated to the "maybe some day" portion of a list. However, Janie Karr's question provided an unexpected opportunity to rediscover long ago horses and the accompanying feelings felt for them. Meeting Fa Halima at Bentwood, then, an elderly mare, ten or more years past her top show condition, her abdominal muscles had weakened and her strong body had started to drop a bit but she was radiant; a sparkling white mare with big, black eyes, set in a chiseled face, who loved to interact with people. More than 30 years later, it remains a wonderful memory for me. Equally unforgettable were all the intangible qualities that I encountered, namely her kindness, affection, innate wisdom (she was so perceptive, she noticed everything) and a refreshing generosity of spirit. I had always thought Fa Halima to be a beautiful mare but meeting her in person only proved how beautiful she really was, in ways that the human eye could never perceive. She was rare, in that she was balanced of body, mind and spirit.  She really was her father's daughter after all, a Babson/Halima to cherish forever, all for the love of a horse. Thanks Janie and Happy Valentines Day.

A GENETIC SUPER BOWL

There are a few milestones that remain personally important, as I think of my life relevant to Arabian horses, for example, finding and buying Judith Forbis' The Classic Arabian Horse, spending time with Gail Hoff and Serr Maariner and visiting Usamah Alkazemi at Ezzain Arabians in Kuwait. These profound experiences are at the core of who I am today.  As significantly impactful as these events were to my development, one event remains a life-changing experience. In 2001, I found myself in Las Vegas, Nevada with a free afternoon to do anything I wanted. I had been exchanging emails with Fernando Poli, as I sought his help in making arrangements to visit Aramus Arabians during this time. I had always wanted to meet WN Antigua in person and realized that this trip may be the only chance that I would ever have to do that.  Little did I know, what this visit would mean for me personally and the impact that the visit would have on shaping my understanding of the breed. Here I am, 22 years or so later, and still, I remember.

It was an extraordinary afternoon and the staff at Aramus Arabians were both kind and generous. There were two distinct types of horses at Aramus Arabians; a taller, more upright, English moving type of horse and a rounder, closer-coupled, traditional, shorter-headed type. While I preferred the horses in the 2nd group, it wasn't so black-and-white, as there were also varying types within each group. I remember a Bremervale-bred stallion, who was impressive and when at liberty, was magnificent, his metallic chestnut body accentuating his fabulously muscled body as he trotted about the ring, with ground covering strides. He was like the "poster boy" for the horses in the first group; while the "Queen" of Aramus Arabians, WN Antigua (and her paternal siblings), were representative of the horses in the 2nd group.  While I don't think she was as happy to meet me, as I was to meet her; I will never forget the extraordinary beauty of this mare, even in old age. I think her age enhanced her classic look and made her even more beautiful than any photo I had ever seen. I don't remember at what point I realized that out of all the horses that I saw that day, the *GG Samir horses were my favorites and the cross of *GG Samir with Padrons Psyche was absolutely brilliant. It was a lightning-bolt moment and the horses of this cross made my hair stand on edge, as they were consistently reminiscent of the horse which fits within my ideal of the perfect Arabian. I didn't think such an ideal was possible, outside of the Egyptian Arabian horses I loved so much.

Later that week, on the plane ride home, I started to think of all that I had seen. How was it possible, using a wider variety of bloodlines, to derive such consistency? The more that I thought about it, the more that I understood the impact that selective breeding has in producing horses who not only consistently embody the characteristics important to the breeder but also, to others, who enjoy the fruit of the breeder's vision. The horses that I saw and appreciated at Wayne Newton's farm represented the type of horse that Wayne Newton cherished. I thought about *Aramus, whose photo I carried with me for the longest time, so I would not forget what an Arabian horse should look like and later, the black mare, Shar Gemla (Negem x Sirhabba), a horse that Wayne Newton once owned and who is also, the maternal granddam of my beloved Princeton Maarena. Through these specific horses, we are unified through vision.

*GG Samir was bred by Diego Mendez Moreno. Foaled in 1975, he was a son of Jacio (Tabal x Teorica) and out of Alhaja (Maquillo x Habichuela). Purchased by Jay Stream, shortly after the Spanish National Show, he was imported to America in 1976 and gifted to Wayne Newton, becoming an important sire within the Aramus Arabians breeding program and helping to popularize the Spanish/Polish cross, like WN Antigua (*GG Samir x Naborrs Joy).

Congo (Illustre x Triana), a paternal great grandsire of *GG Samir,  was bred by José Maria Ybarra, La Cascajera Stud, one of Spain's earliest Arabian horse breeders, who felt that Congo was the masterpiece of his breeding program, the most perfect Arabian he ever bred. Purchased by the Yeguada Militar in 1945, Spanish breeders loved the horse but felt he was smaller than desired for a breeding stallion and that his hindquarters were too rounded. While I prefer taller horses, a phenotype comprised of flowing, rounded lines is my heart's desire and the quality that I appreciated in Wayne Newton's *GG Samir-bred horses! I think this is proof of the prepotency inherent of Spanish lines and the characteristics that became fixed within the bloodlines, once the national studbook was closed to outside blood. I think of my mare, Princeton Maarena, a product of a 60 year closed breeding program and the results I would have realized had she been bred to a classically pure Spanish stallion. If breeding horses was like the Super Bowl, which "team" would win the foal genetically - Spanish or Egyptian? Something to think about, as you watch the famous Super Bowl commercials and munch on some chicken wings.

FLY EAGLES FLY!

Breeding Horses: It's Complicated

Princeton Maarena (Serr Maariner x Princeton Gamila)

You know, I have never really been the same, since both of my mares died. I wasn't expecting either horse to die, especially within a year of each other. Wait, can I rephrase that sentence? I understood that an end-of-life event could happen, sooner, rather than later, because both mares were mature mares, in their mid-twenties but I was determined, no, committed, to keeping them both healthy, with all the resources available to me. I fooled myself into believing that both mares would see their thirty-year old birthdays and of the two, because she had been in my care for a longer time, that Rosie's life would extend far into her thirties like many of the amazing horses I had read about in Equus magazine.   

Although I met Princeton Maarena when she was a yearling, she did not enter my life again until she was 18 years old.  From the time that she arrived, it just felt right. I know that sounds cheesy but as she stepped off the trailer, I was overwhelmed with gratefulness, more than I have ever experienced. A few years later, she had choked on her feed and while waiting for the veterinarian, she had laid down in the thick bed of shavings that I had prepared for her, with her legs tucked under her. She was visibly in distress, sweating profusely and in my best suit and overcoat, I kneeled right next to her and put my arm over her back, for reassurance. "I'm here for you Mimi, whatever it takes." She turned her head and made eye contact with me and from that point on, the connection that I shared with this mare was unbelievable, unlike any relationship that I have ever had with a horse. When I say that I loved this mare, with apologies to Rosie whom I also loved,  I deeply loved Princeton Maarena. I wish that I could have bred a replacement foal from her, in preparation for the day when she would not be here anymore. To have done so, would have been the crowning achievement of a horse breeding life, well-lived. 

I'm a fan of an independent streaming series created by Dallas Jenkins, called The Chosen. It's a dramatization of the ministry of Jesus, after choosing his disciples. Now, in its third season, this particular episode focused upon a woman, Veronica, who had been plagued by illness for 12 years. Her faith was so strong, she believed that just by touching the fringe of Jesus' garments, she would be instantly cured. I thought about my mares and maybe, the breeze stirred up by Jesus walking past them, would have been enough to keep them from dying and in the process, fix the red hot mess that I am. 

Ansata Ali Abbas (*Ansata Ibn Halima x Faye Roufa), as photograped by Judith Wich

In the previous blog post, I shared Barbara Griffith's breeding commandments and if you study the list carefully, you come to the realization that as a breeder, Barbara was laser-focused on mare quality. Many years ago, I had the opportunity to purchase an *Ibn Hafiza daughter, out of Masada Bellesabah. In those days, prior to home computers and the internet, videos were sent on VHS tape, through the mail, to be played in a VCR. I couldn't wait to play the video and finally, it arrived to reveal a powerfully moving mare, unbelievably electric, with ground covering strides very similar to the Sameh daughters at Imperial: *Sonbolah, *Fawkia and *Sabra. Barbara would be proud of my selection, as this mare redefined the word "best" in Barbara's first commandment:

"Acquire and retain the best mares possible."

I negotiated a price that I could afford to pay and waited for the sales contract to arrive. In the meantime, I went to see Ansata Ali Abbas, who was at Hope Farm, then located in Mendham, NJ, owned by the late Joan Skeels and Sue Burnham. Hope Farm was home to two Ansata stallions: the impressive, Ansata Shah Zahir and Ansata Ali Abbas, who reminded me more of the type of horse that Prince Mohamed Aly Tewfik would have bred. He was EXACTLY what I was looking for,  sired by *Ansata Ibn Halima and out of Faye Roufa, an Ansata Abbas Pasha daughter. I was convinced, after meeting Ansata Ali Abbas that he was the "outside stallion" that Barbara referred to, in commandment #5:

"Use outside stallions if you think they will improve upon your mares." 

Days turned into weeks and weeks, turned into a month and the sales contract never came. Finally, I reached the seller by phone, only to learn that the mare had been "sold" to an artist, in exchange for artwork. I wasn't surprised, as I suspected this outcome but I was thoroughly discouraged. 

Thinking about how close I came to breeding my very own Ansata Ali Abbas-sired foal underscores the challenges involved in breeding horses. Judith Forbis has said many times that it's not for the faint of heart. Although, I'm not sure why becoming a breeder has been so elusive for me. You would think of all the people involved in this community, it would be a cake walk for me, right? It's complicated. While the financial resources can be a bit daunting; maybe if I lived a little more boldly, a little less fearfully, not so afraid of taking risks, even failing, the outcome may have been different. Now, having reached a mature age, it doesn't seem morally right to create a new life, who may live a longer life, than the time I have left in this world. Who will take care of my horse, when I am no longer here?

***This blog is lovingly dedicated to my friend Marilyn Lang. While life has thrown some curve balls at me, a friendship with Marilyn has been not only a gift, it has been a huge blessing in my life, for which I am forever grateful. Love you Marilyn.***

Once Upon a Time...

Left to right: Dalia, *Fawkia, AK Monareena & * Malekat El Gamal, photographed by the late Johnny Johnston

Someone recently posted this photo on a popular social media site. It has been a while since I last saw the photo and all of my wonderful Imperial memories flooded my mind. That's a good thing. The photo is a visual placeholder, not only for straight Egyptian breeding but also, for our combined breed history, as it captures a time that was, that will never be again. For me personally, it's also a strong visual reminder of an opportunity lost. I had met AK Monareena at Dr. Newcomer's farm and fell absolutely in love with the mare. For me, she was perfect. My immediate plan was to breed her to Serr Maariner, her maternal sibling. Unfortunately, that did not happen for me.  Thinking about this special time again, makes me happy but also, sad. Thirty years later, the thought of a double Maarena foal still haunts me. What is that feeling called? 

Happy memories, of precious time spent in the company of the beautiful mares pictured above but also, a reminder that these horses are no longer alive. And beyond that, there were other horses, equally beautiful, who are also gone. And people, whose voice I will never hear again. The world has really changed, like I have. And somehow, through all of this, I never became the breeder that I once believed I would be. 

"You drew memories in my mind

I could never erase

You painted colors in my heart

I could never replace."

    - Bethany A. Perry, Perry Poems: A Collection

What does it take to become a breeder of Arabian horses? Barbara Griffith once shared her Ten Commandments for breeding Arabian Horses, published as part of a special feature within Arabian Horse World magazine. The mares in the photo also remind me of how strongly Barbara felt about mare quality and her ability to cull, if a particular mare wasn't producing to her expectations. 

At the time that this photo was taken, Imperial Egyptian Stud had close to 40 mares, weaving together the bloodlines that Barbara cherished most: Moniet el Nefous, Nazeer, Halima and Sameh. Of the 4 mares pictured above, AK Monareena would be consigned to and sold at Bentwood's Blue Bonnet Sale, ending up with Dr. David Newcomer at Conestoga Run Farm in Pennsylvania. Her sons and daughters were also sold, like her Hossny daughter, Imperial Moniq, who became part of Count Federico Zichy-Thyssen's breeding herd and Imperial Monfisah, AK Monareena's daughter by Moniet el Nafis who went to Flaxman's Arabians. Only *Fawkia, *Malekat el Gamal and Dalia would remain at Imperial. From these mares, we enjoyed legendary stallions like Imperial Imdal and Al Adeed Al Shaqab. That's the longevity of the Imperial blood, hard at work, to create spectacular horses, embodying all of the characteristics that were important to Barbara. She was an amazing breeder of Arabian horses. 

I study the 2nd half of commandment number 7 as I think of AK Monareena a little more:

"Mares may not produce what you're looking for with your stallions but a buyer could cross them successfully with another stallion."

It's like an endorsement from a master breeder of what I desired to do. How did I miss it back then? What I wouldn't give to go back in time, for another chance to breed that once-in-a-lifetime foal.

COURAGE: A LIFE LESSON

"In horse's eyes shine stars of wisdom and courage to guide men to the heavens." - Jodie Mitchell 

The Open House at Imperial Egyptian Stud had already begun and I was late; the drive had been much longer than I had planned. If only I had left earlier! As I made my way to the indoor arena, I passed a mature chestnut mare who was being led towards the same place I was going. I noticed the labored way in which the mare was walking. I didn't recognize her and she sure didn't look like the mare pictured in any of the photos from her 1971 US National Championship win. Imagine my surprise, when later in the day, the young girl led the same chestnut mare to the ring, unclipped the lead and Barbara Griffith, after introducing *Serenity Sonbolah, asked the audience to share their enthusiasm and appreciation, as the mare was responsive to this type of vocal adulation. "What?" I thought, "she must be kidding" but it was no joke. And just as Barbara Griffith said it would happen; I saw a transformation slowly take place. You might even call it a miracle. With every clap and shout, this mare's powerful trot grew bigger and bigger, as she collected herself, tail curled over her back, her hocks driving her forward in ground-covering strides. With nostrils dilated, a deep snort rumbled from deep within her, like a herald, announcing what would be, an unforgettable performance for all. Suspended in the air, she floated this way and a quick change of lead and, she floated that way. She was like a prima ballerina, delivering the most important ballet of her life.  The mare that I had barely noticed, as I walked past her, metamorphosed into the most beautiful mare on planet earth. A tear rolled down my cheek, as Sonbolah "flew" around the arena, enjoying every form of appreciation we gave her. How did I miss this? I quickly surveyed the audience and observed a variety of reactions, smiles, tears, while others were too stunned to even show any emotion. It was obvious that they were feeling what I was feeling too. I wondered, how is it even possible for this mare to move like this? The look on *Serenity Sonbolah's face was not like the face of the struggling horse from the morning.  Sonbolah's joy, like a raging fire that burned deeply within her chestnut-colored body, threatened to consume us all and from the ashes, we would emerge as new people, having witnessed what we believed to be impossible.  *Serenity Sonbolah gave us everything she had but she gave me more, so much more, at a time in my life that I really needed to learn to go deeper, to find something more real than I have ever known. She taught me a vitally important lesson about real beauty, way beyond all the hallmarks, the breed type, the classic look.  Sonbolah's beauty was found in her courage, more than I had ever seen in a human being or felt within myself. She still inspires me to live life joyfully, boldly and courageously as she once did. It's a lesson of a lifetime, taught by a horse, to whom I am forever grateful. 

***Everyone has that one inspirational photo that takes your breath away, makes your heart race with excitement and leaves all your hair standing on edge. This is that photo for me. I think Scott Trees is the amazing photographer who captured Sonbolah on film, so long ago. How did he keep it all together when he saw her through his lens?***

The Importance of the Saqlawi Horse

TheEgyptianPrince (*Morafic x *Bint Mona) a pure-in-strain Saqlawi Jedran of Ibn Sudan stallion, as photographed by the late Johnny Johnston.

Dr. Joseph L. Doyle of Sigourney, Iowa began breeding Arabian horses in the early 1950's, when he acquired the mare, Gulida (Gulastra x Valida) and bred her to the Gulastra son, Nusi, producing the mare, Im Gulnar. A year after purchasing Gulida, Dr. Doyle purchased the stallion, Ghadaf (Ribal x Gulnare). Shortly thereafter, Dr. Doyle began corresponding with Carl Raswan, who reinforced the significance of using horses with only the highest concentration of Abbas Pasha/Ali Pasha Sherif blood.  The exchange of ideas between both men blossomed into a friendship founded on a common love for the Arabian horse. 

In a letter written to Dr. Doyle, 14 August 1952, Carl Raswan wrote,

"Frankly and confidentially, if you can stay away from all other blood and concentrate always and first of all on the Saqlawi Jidran of Ibn Sudan eventually you will reach such intensification that this ancient and most perfect type will cut through with any other bloodlines and strains its qualities and mark of Arabian characteristics on anything it comes in contact with. Your case should be such that with each advanced breeding you produce a still more refined animal."

How do we reconcile this powerful statement, 70 years later, given the rapid advancement of genetic science which says something completely different? Do we ignore science, using real-life horses like TheEgyptianPrince to prove the accuracy of Raswan's statement? Despite tradition, can we still believe that a matrilineal strain will exert that much influence on shaping a horse, whose pedigree may contain horses of several different strains? Especially, when modern genetic science has revealed that the horses, whom we have learned to separate into historically distinct families, have more in common genetically, than we ever believed? We now understand these relationships, thanks to Dr. William Hudson's groundbreaking mtDNA study of the EAO matrilines, published online at PLOS ONE and within the pages of the critically important 2-volume set, The Matrilines of the Egyptian Arabian Horse , however, we also understand from Dr. Hudson's study, the impact that strain has in breeding horses:

"These data confirm that modern mtDNA haplotyping does not correspond to the traditional strain designation based on Bedouin breeding traditions that depend on maternal lineage."

How did Dr. Doyle incorporate Raswan's philosophy into his breeding program? Once Dr. Doyle acquired the stallion Ghadaf, his immediate focus was to replace him, as Ghadaf was a senior-aged horse, well into his twenties and had not sired a purebred horse in a long while.  Bred to Gulida, Ghadaf sired the mares Gulnara and Bint Gulida and the stallion, Jadib. Bred back to his daughter, Gulnara, Ghadaf sired Bint Ghadaf, an important mare in Dr. Doyle's program. He incorporated other bloodlines into his program, however, he was not happy with the results and dispersed those horses. Dr. Doyle was convinced that inbreeding his foundation horses would not only prove the quality of the Abbas Pasha/Ali Pasha Sherif horses, he would also produce horses who were more pleasing to his eye, possessing the characteristics he valued most. He coined the term "forward reaching" to describe his horses, comprised of uninterrupted, longer flowing lines, "from the root of the tail to the muzzle" and even when not moving, one just knew from looking at them, that they could deliver powerful, free and  bold movement, at a moment's notice. Perhaps, these are the horses, whose beautiful movement inspired yet another term, "poetry-in-motion". Unfortunately, Dr. Doyle passed away in 1957 and his wife and family carried on with the program, which remains relevant to the present day.

***With many thanks and acknowledgement to Arabian Horse World for the article, Doyle Egyptian Breeding written by Jim Brown & Barbara Baird, published within the May 1981 issue. 

Many times, people will ask me to recommend a comprehensive book focused on the Egyptian Arabian horse. I can't imagine a more important body of work than Dr. William Hudson's The Matrilines of the Egyptian Arabian Horse. If you are a breeder, this book is a critically significant study that should be part of your library.  If you haven't purchased this 2-volume set, please, I urge you to do so, before it becomes unavailable.***