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Bits & Pieces

B i t s a n d P i e c e s

More of a Great Arab Mare

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Many thanks to Karen Kravcov Malcolm, Kate McLachlan and Moira Walker for continuing to flesh out the story of one of our Foundation Horses: *Naomi. These photos and newspaper articles are among those received by these researchers. See Khamsat Vol 30 No. 4, page 7.

We have more articles just on the subject of *Naomi and the Huntington program and just from 1888 and 1889, and will include them here in future issues.

The “chesnut” mare, *Naomi, offered for sale by her breeder. It is a pity we do not have more information on the bay Arab gelding. Zuleika was of the same family as Haidee and in the same importation to England, but no produce was registered.

Arabs as Hunters: Remarkable Performance of an Arab Mare. by Hon. Ethelred Dillon in London Stock Journal, reprinted in the

Democrat and Chronicle of Rochester, NY, January 6, 1888.

As last year several of your readers received with increduality [sic] my assertion that an Arab could hold his own (to say the least) with English hunters in a severe run, will you kindly allow me to quote from a letter published in the Field of November 19th, gividg [sic] a description of a very severe run in Suffolk, in which an Arab mare took a prominent part? The mare in question, it is true, is perhaps the biggest Arab at present known, and was foald [sic] in England of imported parents belonging to the Managhi Hedruj breed. [Yataghan was actually by a Kuhaylan Khallawi out of a Kuhaylah Juraybah.] She has been at the stud [as a broodmare] for the last three years, and was only taken up from grass about six weeks ago, expects another foal in April, and has done a long day’s hunting with Harriers the day before the run with the fox hounds. I speak from personal knowledge, as I have had her here, till I sent her to her owner six weeks ago, from May, 1886.

“Casual” writes: “We had a really fine bursting run, pace good throughout, and at times very fast. The country we rode over was very deep and holding plough for the most part, and the fences appallingly big and ugly to a man unacquainted with the country. They ran him [the fox] for an hour and a half. … I noticed that the

*Nazli (Maidan x *Naomi) with a filly (1899 or 1900) by Khaled by *Nimr (*Kismet x *Naomi) out of *Naomi. Photo courtesy of Michael Bowling.

field seemed at home in the country, for the most part taking their fences boldly and some of the latter undoubtedly call for a stout heart and a good horse. It looked to me as iff a mistake would require ropes and windlass to extricate horse and rider from the crevasse. I had all I could well do to take care of myself, and keep near house, without paying much attention to my neighbors; but I did particularly notice a few. Two ladies, who looked like sisters, on small brown, blood-like ponies, not more than 13.2 or 13.3 I should think — I was told they were half-Arabs, and have quite a reputation — were always in front. The ponies seemed to care nothing for deeep dirt, pace, or big fences, and the riders rode with a courage and judgment not always to be found in the fair sex. … I was surprised, too, at the performance of a chestnut Arab mare with a long tail. She was a lenghty [sic] rakinglooking animal, but so tucked up and poor that had I seen her in a saleyard I should have said she was worth nothing; but she seemed able to race away from everything in the heaviest ground, and fenced as well as any. She was not carrying a boy, either, for I should think her rider must have ridden thirteen or fourteen stone [182–196 lbs.] I have heard it said, and believed it, that Arabs cannot cross a country; but after seeing that mare go through a severe thing, I can only say I hope I may never have a worse mount.”

Now your readers will say “One swallow does not make a summer;” that was an exceptional Arab. It, however, happens that last year I lent my little horse, Eldorado, to the mare’s owner during my absence abround, and he rode him as well and as straight as he rode Naomi; and he, also, I was told, created a great impression in those parts. However, considering the mare’s total want of condition and expectations, it was certainly a remarkable performance, but only what I should expect from her, knowing her as I do, and having ridden her.

I have had some communication with Mr. Randolph Huntington. I have no doubt that he will produce a very fine breed of horses. The illustrations show very handsome animals, with a great deal of the Arab character. But if he wishes to breed pure Arabs, he should procure Arab mares and mate them with Linden, so as to keep a reserve of pure blood in case of the Clay mares reverting to

some inferior type. As to the Arab being the primitive horse, I believe the primitive animals was totally different to anything seen for many generations, and happily so, if the scratchings on the mammoth’s tusk of horses by the primeval cave-dweller is to be trusted. It is, however, certain that the eastern horse, as portrayed on the Egyptian mountains and the Greek sculptures of the Elgin marbles, bears a wonderfully close resemblance to the Arab of the present day. Was Bucephalus (the ox-headed) an Arab? The name suggests the idea — the peculiar scarped nose and large ox-eye being so characteristic of the breed. I was struck with the likeness between a lovely Jersey calf and one of my horses.

Arabs as Trotters also by Miss Dillon, from The Arizona Champion, Peach Springs,

AZ December 1, 1888.

Captain Kerr’s letter and the remarks in your journal about the Arab, Naomi, both interested me greatly. As Naomi has passed most of her time for the last three years here, and as I have ridden her several times, I can answer for her grand qualities. It was the worst mistake I ever made not to buy her for my stud. Both her daughters look as if they would make extraordinary trotters. The yearling by Emir has a long, light, dancing sort of action, but it is peculiarly graceful; and the youngest by Maiden [sic, *Nazli] has high knee action. I am quite convinced that by careful selection and by training we can produce a breed of trotters from the pure Arab equal to any Hackney, and the speed of the American. Mr. Huntington writes that had Naomi had the advantage of American training she would have done a mile under 2:20. My horse Maidan trotted six and a half miles in a rather heavy trap with three people in it in twentyeight minutes; Eldorado has done fourteen miles in fifty-five minutes, including over five minutes stoppages; and the fastest trotter of all is Emir. Both the mares, Rasdri la [Raschida] and Zedrania, have beautiful action and perfectly level. The Barb horse, on the contrary,

Chef Al Khamsa and the Summer Doldrums

Top: *Nazli in 1895 with Naarah as a foal. Center: Naarah, by Anazeh (*Leopard x *Naomi) out of *Nazli (Maidan x *Naomi). Bottom: Naaman, a full brother to Naarah, as a youngster. The *Naomi line in Al Khamsa pedigrees descends through Nimnaarah, by Naaman out of Nimrette, by *Nimr (*Kismet x *Nazli) out of Naarah. This is the female line of Drissula. The inbreeding on one mare and two stallions (*Naomi, *Kismet and Maidan) is interesting to compare to the Doyle Egyptian program (Gulida, Ghadaf and Nusi). One wonders what Huntington could have done given another 20 years.

has knee action, but not level hock action.

Chef Al wants you to know it is easy to get down in this strangest summer of them all. Northing is normal. We cannot meet and great our friends and families. The threat of COVID-19 is a gray shadow darkening the sunshine. Several Al Khamsans are health care workers dealing not with the shadow, but the real thing in their hospitals. Bummer. Here’s Chef Al’s tip to feel better. Pay it forward for a health care or other essential worker at the drive through. Get out your checkbook and help Al Khamsa teach the world why our horses need to be saved, in that order. You can designate your donation specifically for the General Fund, the Endowment, the AERC Fund or give to the Preservation Task Force by pressing this button at https://alkhamsa.org/about-us/how-you-can-help:

or by mailing your check to the Al Khamsa Business Office, 470 Folsom-Jonesville Road Jonesville, KY 41052 Remember to designate Al Khamsa, Inc., when making an AmazonSmile purchase!

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