Sacred Innocence: Princeton Faaris

If I said that Princeton Faaris was a most precious horse; would you understand what I meant? I think some people would understand that Princeton Faaris was a horse of great value or a horse of great quality and refinement and maybe, a horse who was an outstanding sire, having reproduced his level of quality or better, in his offspring. Yes, Princeton Faaris was the embodiment of all these definitions but he was much, much more. His charisma, his magnetism, for those of us in love with Egyptian Arabian Horses, drew us to him. We searched for him, crossing mountains and rivers, because we wanted to be close to him, touch him, admire him. He was perfect and for many, he was their dream horse, come to life. We wanted to bask in his presence, warming our hearts and our souls with his inner beauty. Princeton Faaris was treasured by all of us, not only because he was beautiful, he was, but he also had this spiritual quality about him, whether his admirer knew it or not. He inspired us. He encouraged us. Long after seeing him, we wanted to have more like him, a piece of him, to bring back home and fill our lives with his presence, like a bright light to light a very dark room. For this reason, as hard-to-define as "it" was, he was most precious. His owner, Mari Silveus, said,

"He was THE most incredible horse I have ever known. One of the most incredible souls of any species. He was my horse-soul-mate. My once-in-a-lifetime horse. To tell you the truth, we were in love with each other.”

Princeton Faaris was born in 1977, a son of Faaris (Fa-Serr x *Maaroufa) and out of the black, Babson mare, Black Satin (Black Sambo x Diroufa), whose sire and dam were both son and daughter of the Babson mare, Biroufa (Khebir x Fay Roufa). Princeton Faaris was unique, as he was a grandson of *Maaroufa, forty-five years after she was imported to America and in fact, was line bred to her, carrying approximately 34.38% of her blood. He was bred by Gail Carmona of Princeton Arabians, Freehold, New Jersey and was later sold to Mari Silveus of Sunnyru Farm, then in Indiana, now in Georgia. He sired over 80 foals in his lifetime and was a leading sire of black-colored Arabians, including Blacklord Arabi, who in turn, has been a very successful sire of black-colored Arabian Horses.

One can see a picture of Princeton Faaris and sense the great sensitivity that the horse possessed and possibly, a very human-like intelligence. This sensitivity remains intensely electric, the energy oozing out of every pixel. I was immediately struck with his look, as I have never seen this look in a horse before. In a human, yes, but never in a horse. There is a boldness present but there was also a vulnerability in him, almost child-like and enough to cause a lump to form in my throat. This innocence, almost wild, is sacred and is a startling reminder to me, that there is so much happening in the natural world that I miss, as I live my too-busy life on my Blackberry. Mari tells me that he was always doing something, that he never stood still. Whether it was walking the fence line, watching over his mares or watching Mari through his stall window, Princeton Faaris kept himself busy. There was nothing that happened at Sunnyru Farm, without Princeton Faaris knowing about it first. Princeton Faaris was self-confident and he was bold, Mari says that he was full of himself, that he fully understood that he was a great horse, a king among kings. At Sunnyru Farm, the stallions were stabled next to each other, all seven of them, including Princeton Faaris. The barn was quiet, which is a testament to the effect that Princeton Faaris’ kingly presence had over all who encountered him, man or horse. When Princeton Faaris died, the barn was thrown into mayhem, as the quiet barn became a “noisy den of horses”.

How do you measure quality? I discussed this once with a friend, hoping to finally embrace this elusive and hard-to-define word. We finally decided that “quality” could be defined as "that extra-special something" in a horse, which you don’t necessarily see in many others. Yes, it is rare but when you see "it", you will never forget "it". And this "it" was Princeton Faaris. His coat color was a deep, intense bluish-black, almost as if he had an icy blue cast all over his body. His hair was very fine, almost like silk to the touch. People unfamiliar with Arabian Horses do remark about this quality, the first time they lay hands on a horse, however, in the case of Princeton Faaris, his coat was extra-soft, with the hair quality having this fineness that is extremely rare and not found in every Arabian. His bone was also fine, dense and flat and yet, as hard as hammered steel. You could see the bone structure in the horse and immediately recognize the quality of the bone. He had beautiful tail carriage, which accented his way of walking, which was similar to the walk of a panther. I guess with his jet black coat, thinking about black panthers, was only natural. His neck was longer, slender, nicely arched, with a very roomy throat-latch, large enough that a man’s fist would fit comfortably. On the lower side of his neck, he had a depression, like a divot in the skin, approximately the size of a thumbprint. In our community, we call this “the thumbprint of Allah” and only the most special horses are blessed by God with His thumbprint, as if God, when he created these horses, let His hand linger upon His work, admiring the horse He had just created.

Mari Silveus enjoyed a unique loving relationship with Princeton Faaris, on a level which most of us would like to experience with our own horses and possibly, we do not. He really loved Mari. When Mari was hurt once and needed to go to the hospital for medical attention, Princeton Faaris became very upset over her absence. He refused to eat and paced in his stall, throwing his weight around the space to indicate how unhappy he was. He was not sick but it was obvious to his care-takers that the horse was extremely upset. When Mari returned home, Princeton Faaris was in his pasture and as she walked towards the gate, he saw her, collected himself and galloping full speed towards her, he ran to the gate, to welcome her home. He could not get to the gate fast enough to see the person whom he most loved in the world. He started eating again and stopped pacing. He stopped throwing himself against everything, His girl was home and all was good again.

Princeton Faaris lived a good life, a long and happy life with Mari. One of the most touching moments, which underscores the love that both Princeton Faaris and Mari felt for each other, occurred when Princeton Faaris was buried. Mari asked the bulldozer operator to lower her into the grave he had dug, for one last good-bye. In this moment of overwhelming grief, Mari cut one side of her long, blond hair and wove it into his mane. One last kiss, one last hug, one last gesture to remind each other that even in death, nothing could separate this horse and this woman...they will be together forever.

"I love thee, I love but thee
With a love that shall not die
Till the sun grows cold,
And the stars grow old..."-Bayard Taylor

What must it feel like to have been loved like this?

EnJoy your horses,
Ralph

POWER & PRESENCE

"...you'll be whispering my name, as if sorrow were your friend and this world so alien, But life will call with daffodils and morning glorious blue skies. You'll think of me - some memory, and softly smile to your surprise."-from the song, When I'm Gone, written by Sandy Emory Lawrence and performed by Joey + Rory Feek

CH Michael Kariim, a 2000 straight Egyptian Arabian stalllion bred by Cheryl Horton, was a son of the Walter Schimanski-bred stallion, Masada Aheb, a Fa Asar son out of the Ansata el Sherif daughter, SF Khala Zahra. His dam was the Jay Gormley-bred JA Nirvana Halima, a Ra'adin Inshalla daughter out of Serouba, a Sirhabba grand-daughter. Primarily a heavily Babson-influenced horse, the blood of the new Egyptian stallion and Nazeer son, *Ansata Ibn Halima appears on both sides of the pedigree, as does the Nazeer daughter, *Ansata Bint Bukra. His pedigree represents the philosophies, dreams and the appreciation felt for older Egyptian bloodlines, by breeders who are no longer alive in this world. He was purchased by Laurence Perceval of Laurence of Arabians, Saint-Arçons-D'Allier, Auvergne, France who loved him deeply. 

"I remember driving 9 hours to Belgium just to "see"  Kariim...Love at first sight....the owner was amazed...I didn't travel with any buying intention at all ...and he wasn't for sale either... his owner was in shock..and so was I. The boy gave me goose bumps...his offspring even more...I even asked to also take one of his fillies, AG Hatsipsut. He is the only horse who triggered in me the desire to ride again...It is so hard for me to talk about him without tears...I see him in every of his offspring daily, I talk to him through his sister Li...how can I explain the unexplainable? He is my best, my gone treasure, my dad and my son..."-Laurence Perceval

It was Laurence's dream to further the influence of CH Michael Kariim in this world and pay tribute to the vision of the people, whose sacrifices made it possible for a horse like him to exist. CH Michael Kariim sired a small amount of progeny overseas. In May of 2011, this brilliant black horse was killed in a tragic traffic accident. He has a left a hole in the heart of his loving owner, who continues to miss the presence of her very special horse. At Laurence's farm, CH Michael Kariim's full sister, Mahrus Li Nirvana, provides some consolation; as does the promise, the legacy of his get.

As she pulled into the driveway, she looked across his field and noticed the fog, heavy and thick, like a smoky curtain hanging at the far back of the pasture. It was dark out, about an hour before the sun would rise and shine her warm light upon the earth. The fog would disappear in the warm morning light, as the temperature moved up from the mid-50's. She shivered. It was cold and damp in her heart. She paused for a moment, savoring the mysterious, almost sinister appearance of the fog in the dark. She could barely make out the silhouettes of the horses, as they continued to graze in the cool morning air, oblivious to her arrival. The blackness of the night enveloped her completely and reached deep inside, squeezing her heart and .releasing an intense wave of sadness that threatened to drown her, right there, on the  wet grass she was standing upon.  She heard her voice call out to him, as if the sound of his name could bring him back to her, from wherever death had taken him. Her heart had not yet gotten used to the fact that he was no longer here, he was no longer alive. She still looked for him, even on this dark and gloomy morning. How she missed him...still! On a morning like this, he would have been waiting for her at the gate, anxious to poke his muzzle into her jacket pockets, searching for a piece of something sweet and special, as her hands caressed his velvety face.  She had loved this horse deeply. She smiled through her tears as in her mind, she saw him and knew that one day, she would see him again.

"I feel privileged to be able to carry on his blood. I have already 7 offspring from him...His son Bukra is cherished as a spitting image and I just hope he produces as well as his daddy."-Laurence Perceval

It never stops from amazing me, the power that horses have upon our emotions. They quickly become part of us and although we, as individuals, choose horses for reasons other than self-empowerment, horses do help us to become better people. For many, horses have been our "constant" in a life that keeps evolving, keeps changing, a bit of security in an unstable world. I am reminded of  a quote from the biomechanics-focused riding teacher about this power.

"Whether you regard the horse with awe or love, it is impossible to escape the sheer power of his presence."-Mary Wanless 

In speaking with Laurence, that power is what impressed me the most in her story. That even though CH Michael Kariim had died, the power of his essence is still, very much alive. I can't think of a more honorable way to pay this wonderful horse homage, than by recognizing the power of his presence. 

Back at you with some JOY,
Ralph

Al Nahr Serroya

"In view of the fabled past of Farida/Abla, I believe that the E.A.O., should have retained and worked with many broodmares of this line...I am personally curious to see what this line could produce if further taken toward Ibn Rabdan blood."-Phillipe Paraskevas, from his book, The Egyptian Alternative, Volume II

Al Nahr Serroya was a 1966 daughter of the straight Babson Egyptian stallion, Fa-Serr.  Her dam was the EAO-bred, Anter daughter, *Nagat, out of Abla. A Dahmah Shahwaniyah by strain, *Nagat was a full sister to the mares: Looza, Rashika, Somaia, Eman, Ein and Adaweya.  Looza and Adaweya were retained for the EAO breeding program and the other mares, were sold. *Nagat was imported into the United States by Jay Stream in 1965, who bred Al Nahr Serroya.
 
When I think of this mare, I am fascinated. She was so unique! In pedigree, she combines individual horses who had been separated by exportation, for more than 30 years. Fa-Serr was a son of *Fadl and *Bint Serra I, horses who came from Egypt, from the programs of Prince Mohamed Aly Tewfik and Prince Kamal al-Din respectively. Fa-Serr was the first generation of the imported Egyptian horses, born at the Babson Farm. While *Maaroufa and *Bint Bint Sabbah were prolific broodmares at the Babson Farm, neither mare appears in the pedigree of Al Nahr Serroya. That's a bit different, as compared to the majority of Babson-bred horses who carry either one or both mares in their pedigree.

Al Nahr Serroya, as photographed by Johnny Johnston

There are three lines to Ibn Rabdan in the pedigree, through *Fadl, Hamdan and Bint Bint Dalal. The stallion, Rabdan el Azrak, who is the sire of Ibn Rabdan, bred by Prince Ahmad Pasha Kamal,  appears eight times in the pedigree and together with the three lines for Ibn Rabdan, brings the total lines to eleven, further intensifying the sire line of Gamil El Kebir and illustrating what the influence of Ibn Rabdan could do, as Phillipe Paraskevas explained in his new book. Her Blunt desert bred percentages are  low, approximately 11% and the Blunt blood comes via two sons of Queen of Sheba, as found in the pedigree of *Bint Serra I (*Astraled by Mesaoud and Ahmar by Azrek). Ahmar is also the sire of Bukra, the dam of Berk, who contributes Blunt desert blood on the bottom of the pedigree, through the sire line of Helwa's pedigree. 

Her production record is not extensive and  includes the 1972 bay stallion, Ser-Rom by AN Monte Carlo (*Ibn Moniet el Nefous x Bint Fada), the 1976 bay mare AK Serrmonietta by *Ibn Moniet el Nefous and the 1980 grey mare AK Bint Serroya by Na Ibn Moniet.

Al Nahr Serroya was a celebration, in physical form, of the wisdom of her breeder and his thinking outside the box, which in his time period was remarkable. I only wish there was more of her!

Al Fattah

Al Fattah was a 1969 chestnut stallion, bred by Gleannloch Farms. A son of *Morafic and the Sameh daughter, Safaa; Al Fattah was a balanced, harmonious,  round, curvey horse of gracefully flowing lines, suggesting a strong Dahman phenotype, maybe even leaning more towards Kuhaylan phenotype,  than his Saqlawi influenced pedigree. He is a horse who had a surprising level of refinement without sacrificing substance. He's strong. Look at his wide chest, the powerfully-muscled shoulders, a deep heart girth, a round hindquarter and a strong and smooth, short,back.

Al Fattah's EAO-bred dam, Safaa, was a Sameh daughter out of the Moniet el Nefous daughter, Lubna. This is the same Lubna who also produced the grey Ghalion by *Morafic and  the chestnut *Sultann by Sameh. Which makes the pedigree especially interesting, when you understand the close connections. It's amazing. Lubna and Mabrouka (the dam of *Morafic) are full sisters, both mares were sired by Sid Abouhom and out of the queen of Egypt, Moniet el Nefous. So, the doubling of Layla and Shaloul, both sired by Ibn Rabdan, may be the reason why we see a generously round and curvey physique on Al Fattah. In both tail female lines (sire side and dam side) Al Fattah traces to the Ali Pasha Sherif mare, Roga el Beda, which may also explain the overall quality and refinement that we also see in Al Fattah..  I also noticed that both sires, *Morafic and Sameh are grey in color and each stallion was bred to a chestnut colored mare. As Al Fattah confirms for me with his phenotype of how much he favors a long ago ancestor like Ibn Rabdan, I am reminded that Ibn Rabdan comes in through the female side of Al Fattah's pedigree on both sides and his chestnut color, may just be the final confirmation of which side of the family influenced him.

I think of similarly colored stallions from the Moniet el Nefous family, i.e.*Soufian and *Fahker el Din, and wonder if Al Fattah sired similarly and shared common ground with these horses?

EnJOY your horses,
Ralph

He Was a Goosebump Horse

That's what my friend, Anne-Louise Toner said about Asfour, an Egyptian Arabian stallion bred by Dr. Hans Joachim Nagel and purchased by Marion Richmond in 1985. Asfour was a son of Malik, a Hadban Enzahi son out of Malikah, who traced in tail female to Halima. Asfour's dam is the legendary queen of Katharinenhof, Hanan. It had been more than a few years and thousands of miles since Anne-Louise last saw Asfour at Simeon Stud.

"I was about 12, and Australia was holding its first-ever National Show.  I already knew I loved Arabian horses, so I told my Mum (who is a great mother) how important it was that I go see the horses at this show.  Suddenly, there was this PRESENCE in the ring.  Galal was a big bodied mare -I think a bit like Sonbolah, in some ways as well as color - and she curled her tail over back and snorted, and the energy about her was humming, palpable, so intense as she stood still - before curling up like a bow about to let loose an arrow, all this incredible, controlled power, and just elevated off the ground in the most amazing, huge, powerful, elegant trot across that arena.  She looked at (well, at the time I said she looked right at me but remember I was 12 and had read "The Black Stallion") the people ringside and snorted at us, and she was SO different!  There was nothing hurried or rushed in her movement, it was strong and deliberate and purposeful but light and effortless as a feather." 

When Anne-Louise last saw Asfour, he was barely out of colt-hood and yet, a rising star for Marion. He would ultimately exert a significant influence not only in Australia but throughout the world, in every place where the straight Egyptian Arabian is revered and celebrated.  Anne-Louise has had the good fortune to meet many great Egyptian horses since then, so, she wondered how Asfour would compare to some of the wonderful horses that she had met. "Would Asfour be just another good horse?" she wondered.

"He was in his box, tied to the back wall, and they had the top door closed as it was cold and rainy.  They opened the top door, and out of the darkness of the back of the stall, Asfour turned his head, just casually, to look at us.  It was like slow motion, a flea-bitten, masculine, dry, exotic face as it slowly turned, and then these two HUGE BLACK eyes in that white face blinked at me.  I had chills running up and down my back and down my arms and my knees were wobbly.  He hit you like a physical force, from 14 feet away.  We wandered in and patted him and I tried to be appropriately cool while I admired him."

Asfour was every bit extraordinary as Anne-Louise had remembered him to be. He was one of the most physically stunning horses she had seen in a long time, a flesh and bone incarnation  of the horse that gallops in a person's imagination, inspiring and encouraging a heart and soul to keep stretching and reaching for the stars, even when everything you have been told, reminds you that this type of horse is just not possible in the real world.


EnJOY,
Ralph

PS this feature is lovingly dedicated to *Simeon Sachi, an Asfour son owned by Anne-Louise Toner of Al Atiq Arabians in Germantown, Maryland.

A Quiet Dignity: The Story of Imperial Falaah

"For 'twas not into my ear you whispered but into my heart,'twas not my lips you kissed but my soul."-Judy Garland 

I had walked into the broodmare barn, focused on a conversation with Beverly Sziraky on the suitability of Egyptian Arabian horses for Dressage. I was really excited, as it had been a very long time since my last visit to Imperial and the barn we were walking into, was a veritable HALL OF FAME of crucially important  broodmares like BB Ora Kalilah, Imperial Safilla, and Imperial Mistilll. I am embarrassed to tell you that  I didn't even notice Imperial Falaah at first. The focus of my day was seeing Imperial Mistilll one more time. Across the aisle from Mistilll, was the *Pharrah grand daughter, Royal Kamiel. To her right, was Falaah, and in the stall next to her was Imperial Baarillla, a Baarez daughter who literally, knocked my socks off. Across the aisle from Baarillla was BB Ora Kalilah, next to her was Safilla and then in the next stall was Phandala. I was like a kid who had eaten too much sugar. I was darting from one stall to the next, not sure of who to stop and admire, as they were all gorgeous mares. I couldn't concentrate on just one horse! As I settled in front of Imperial Baarillla's stall,  Falaah kept looking at me, waiting patiently. She stretched  her neck out towards me and very gently, bumped me over and over with her nose, trying to get my attention. I was oblivious to what she was doing, as I was so enchanted with Baarillla. I turned around, to see who was tapping me and saw this beautiful face, "WOW, who are you pretty girl?" and I paused, as in that split second, I recognized a beauty so fierce, I could not hear or see anything else but her. "Oh my gosh, you are so pretty" I said, as I scratched her forehead, straightened her forelock hairs and the beautiful mare smiled in satisfaction. She didn't make a sound, not a whinny, nicker or even a thumping of the stall door with her hoof, as most other horses would to demand attention. Falaah had too much dignity, too much grace. A few minutes later, I was actually holding her head in my arms, as the mare dozed, content to be in close company with a human being. "Beverly, who is this mare?" I asked. She smiled and said, "That's Falaah, one of our Imdal daughters and one of our best producing mares on the farm. Remember that chestnut colt you liked so much? That's her son." The chestnut colt that Beverly referred to  was none other than Imperial Amir Kamar, who had given an electrifying liberty performance, earlier in the day.

Imperial Falaah, a 1991 grey mare, was a daughter of Imperial Imdal and out of Imperial BTFawkia. Her pedigree primarily reflected the breeding program of Gleannloch Farms, as the majority of the horses in her pedigree like Dalia, *Morafic, *Romanaa II, and *Hoyeda were either bred or imported into America by the Marshalls. She is also one of the straight Egyptian horses with a lower Blunt desert blood percentage, less than 6%. Her Egypt I, Egypt II and Inshass ancestral elements, combined,  total to almost 95%! What's also interesting about the components in her pedigree, is that for the most part, they represent the first wave of horses produced at Imperial. That is, the foundation horses and the first few generations produced with the foundation, before *Orashan, *Imperial Madheen and *Ibn Safinaz were added to the program. Once the broodmare band was selected and after initially breeding some of these mares with horses like Amaal and Hossny, Imperial purchased two colts who would not only complement their powerful mares but establish consistency and predictability, for the next decade and beyond.

“In truth, every one of Imperial’s leading ladies have been hand-picked and held to the highest standards-a necessity in breeding programs, large or small. I believe the mare’s contribution to her foal to be at least 60 percent, so she is extremely important. Many of our mares were successful show mares before entering our broodmare band. I’ve bred or purchased mares that I felt would be good crosses with Imperial stallions and I’ve bred or purchased stallions specifically for select mares.-Barbara Griffith”

The first colt was Ansata Imperial (Ansata Ibn Sudan x Ansata Delilah), who will forever be remembered  for siring the great Imperial Imdal. Much has been written about Imperial Imdal and the impact that he has had not only on Egyptian Arabians, but for Arabian Horses of all bloodlines. Imdal's influence has traveled farther and wider, significantly impacting stud farms all over the world. What I remember most about Imdal, was his abundant charisma. I loved him. There was just something about him, that really got you and you felt compelled to stand next to him, to touch him, to adore him. Susan Gilbert experienced his magnetic presence very personally, when she saw Imdal for the first time at the 1997 Egyptian Event, during the stallion presentation,

"I became aware that this magnificent stallion had an air of complete presence that was emotionally overwhelming to his many onlookers. As I touched his shoulder, Imdal turned his head towards my face, acknowledging my own presence with a calming power deep within his gaze. I continued to admire his completeness and the sheer beauty standing in front of me and I realized that I was crying .. he had touched my soul and heart. There was an aura to his nobility .. a hum of energy.-Susan Gilbert"

The other foundation stallion at Imperial was the Bentwood Farms-bred Moniet el Nafis, who started life with the name of AK Amin Bey. Known on the farm as "Nafis", he was an *Ibn Moniet el Nefous son, who sired Falaah's beautiful dam, Imperial BTFawkia. Nafis was a two-time Scottsdale champion stallion and the leading Arabian race horse sire in the late 1980's,

"...oh, what a horse he was! He had lovely legs and conformation, with strength and refinement, tremendous heart girth and shoulder, great tail carriage, presence, movement, and he reflected Arabian type although his head was not as typey as today's standards demand. As a sire, he produced a fair share of show winners and numerous race horses, at a time when Arabian racing was just beginning to take on a life of its own."-Lisa Lacy

Imperial BTFawkia was a lovely mare, a daughter of the Sameh-sired mare, *Fawkia, pictured to the right. Although I never met Sameh personally; I felt that I  knew him, through his daughters, like *Fawkia. Sameh stamped this mare very unmistakably. So many years later, after seeing her at Imperial in the 1980's and if you believe in coat color inheritance to phenotype, I believe that *Fawkia  favored her sire, more than her dam. Although Kuhaylah Rodaniyah by strain, *Fawkia looked physically, like what I imagined a Saqlawiyah to look like. *Fawkia was very different in type from her half-sisters, Serenity Sabra and Serenity Sonbolah but yet the same, if that makes sense. *Fawkia was smooth and strong of body, alabaster white and she trotted in the same style as her half-sisters, that is, her elastic nostrils became HUGE and she would snort that snort that came from somewhere deep inside of her, maybe pulled from the tips of her toes with her tail curled over her back and a powerful floating trot, elastic hocks driving into the ground pushing the mare  to cover a lot of ground in a few strides. I guess, trying to remember what made the most powerful impression upon me was how this quiet mare changed into a powerfully charismatic personality when turned loose in the ring. If Sameh is responsible for the dynamic personality in *Fawkia, then the influence of Sameh is multiplied in Falaah, as she has two additional lines to Sameh, through Romanaa II and Ansata Bint Misr. I feel that Imperial Falaah inherited her strength, her smoothness, her substance but most of all, her character, from *Fawkia. When Falaah moved, she had many of the Sameh-like characteristics. She was electric.

Imperial Falaah produced more sons than daughters.In 1996, she produced Imperial Sarouf by *Ibn Safinaz, Imperial Amir Kamar by Imperial Al Kamar  in 2001. Then, she produced Imperial Birak in 2004, Imperial Baaron in 2005 and Imperial Baaru in 2006, all three colts sired by Imperial Baarez.  Her two daughters, Imperial Koublah by Imperial Al Kamar and Imperial Orahllah by *Orashan were produced at Imperial, while her third and last foal born in 2010, Nadira al Hadiyah by Ramses Mishaal Nadir was bred by Susan Gilbert of Sumerlan Egyptian Arabians in Texas.

"..Imperial Falaah's daughter, Nadira al Hadiyah, by Ramses Mishaal Nadir, graces our farm with the same magic and nobility etched in time by her beautiful dam and grandsire. Falaah's last gift to me .. in gratitude for loving this beautiful mare who captured me.-Susan Gilbert"

Well before Beverly died and well before Imperial announced their closing, I had called Beverly to inquire about Falaah, as the memory of my last visit was still so strong in my mind. I just had to have her. Beverly was firm with me, "she is not for sale at any price, Ralph. She is only one of two Imdal daughters that we have and she is very important to our program." I wasn't surprised and felt that even if she were available, she would be well outside of my  budget. It was the closest that I came to owning a mare who was like a princess to me. She had so much class, so much dignity, so much love in her heart. No horse could ever be sweeter than Falaah was, not even the ones I already owned.

"If I am a princess in rags and tatters, I can be a princess inside. It would be easy to be a princess if I were dressed in cloth of gold, but it is a great deal more of a triumph to be one all the time when no one knows it."-Frances Hodgson Burnett,  A Little Princess

I went about my business, content that I had done everything that I knew to do and well, time passed and eventually I forgot about Falaah. In the meantime, Susan Gilbert visited Imperial Egyptian Stud with the memory of Imperial Imdal still vivid in her mind.

"In August, 2006, the spirit of emotions created that day by Imperial Imdal were realized the first time I saw his beautiful daughter, Imperial Falaah. It was a beautiful day spent with friends as Beverly Sziraky spoke passionately about each stallion, each mare, and each foal. Imperial Falaah was one of the last mares we saw that day, and she was standing on her own basking in the day's sunlight as if the day belonged only to her. She drew me into her gaze the very same way her noble sire had drawn me back in 1997. She imprinted my heart so much so that I asked to come back to the farm later that day to see her once more."

In February of 2007, Imperial Falaah was sold and her buyer was Susan Gilbert. Of all the people who had expressed interest in Falaah, Beverly picked Susan. The impression that Susan must have made on Beverly that summer, when she visited Imperial must have made a profound impact and convinced Beverly of where Falaah must go. I think that Beverly Sziraky had made a very big statement, as to how she felt and the fact that she could  not trust anyone else, with Falaah. She wanted a forever home for Falaah. That's how valuable Falaah was for Imperial. For Falaah, she had been blessed, as she could not have been purchased by a more loving and adoring owner than Susan.

"Falaah graced our farm in every way possible. Each day spent with her was a gift which touched my spirit. Many onlookers visiting our farm were so captured by her presence that they were drawn to ask me if they could lead her back to her stall. Such were the gifts this magnificent mare offered to one's heart. She lived and died in complete nobility. I miss her so much that I have not spoken to many. The loss feels like it is happening again today as I write this. I will never forget her."-Susan Gilbert

Earlier this week, while casually reading on the internet, I learned the very sad news that Imperial Falaah tragically died a year ago, from cancer. I was stunned and found myself reading the same sentence over and over.  "How could this be?" I thought over and over. The princess, the sweet mare who had captivated me, so many years ago, was gone, leaving the planet as quietly as she had entered my world, so many years ago with both dignity and grace. Now, she lives in the memories of all who loved her, her children will now carry her name and her influence far into the future. And one day, one of these horses will stretch their neck to bump the pant leg of someone with their nose, for attention.  A long ago memory then becomes fresh and new, and the rest of us will smile, because we have just witnessed that the princess, the very sweet and dignified Falaah still lives.

"Promise me you'll never forget me because if I thought you would, I'd never leave."-A.A. Milne

Goodbye dear, sweet Falaah,
Ralph

*opening photo of Imperial Falaah credit: Carol Maginn, Bear Creek Ranch, Photos of Moniet el Nafis and *Fawkia credit: Johnny Johnston

The Story of *Malekat El Gamal

Malekat El Gamal, a 1968 grey mare,  was imported by Imperial Egyptian Stud in 1974, in foal to the *Morafic son, Kayed.  She was bred by Sayed Marei of Al Badeia and was sired by Waseem, a Nazeer son, out of the Kuhaylah Rodaniyah mare Malaka, a daughter of Bint Bint Riyala. Malekat's dam was the Nazeer daughter, Nagdia, out of the Sid Abouhom daughter, Zahia.  Malekat El Gamal, by virtue of her sire and dam, was 50% Nazeer, which is the equivalent of having Nazeer as a sire, even though the horse had died eight years earlier. I met Malekat in person a few times and she was unforgettable, an absolutely beautiful mare. She had the most incredible face...so soulful...her eyes just captivated you, no, actually, I got that wrong...her eyes, they, well, just enchanted you.

“...when the heart is overwhelmed with beauty and the imagination is electrified by some haunting quality in the world or by a spirit or voice speaking from deep within a thing, a place or a person.Enchantment may be...“-Henry Louis Mencken

I'll never forget her look.  I guess her eyes not only pierced my heart, she also pierced my soul...forever. She was harmonious, close-coupled,  balanced and smooth. I think she was perfect, not too big, not too small, everything looked like it belonged on her.

Her son, Ameer AlBadeia, also by Kayed, was a very significant horse for Al Badeia, siring the extraordinary, multiple champion stallion Farid AlBadeia, an influential and consistently strong sire for the Marei's breeding program. Ameer also sired the mare, Anhar AlBadeia, who figured prominently in the Al Badeia program, spreading the influence of Ameer farther in the world by producing the World Champion Mare, Gelgelah AlBadeia, by Imperial Madori.

At Imperial, *Malekat El Gamal was bred to Ibn Morafic, to Amaal, to Hossny, to Moniet el Nafis, to Ansata Imperial and *Ibn Safinaz. Beautiful mares resulted from these breedings like Imperial Ajmalika, Imperial Saahebah, Imperial Al Amali, Imperial Nadirah, Imperial Namunifa, Imperial Nafilah and sons like Imperial Hasib, Imperial Amir Nafis, Imperial Na Malis, as well as the lovely stallion named Imperial Im Mahal. 

However, *Malekat El Gamal's greatest achievement, would be made through *Imperial Sayyah, a full sister to Ameer AlBadeia, who made a very significant impact not only upon the breeding community of straight Egyptian Arabian horses but for lovers of the classic Arabian Horse everywhere. Without Imperial Sayyah, there would not be a Sundar Alisayyah and without Sundar Alisayyah, there would be no Al Adeed Al Shaqab, the horse who danced in people's minds for a long time, until the time the vision became flesh and bone. For me, there is no finer tribute to a most extraordinary mare...*Malekat El Gamal.

EnJOY,
Ralph