Khamsat A magazine devoted to the Bedouin Arabian Horse as recognized by Al Khamsa, Inc.
Volume Thirty-One Number Four
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May 2021
Cover Images Front: Mameluk with Horse, Carle Vernet, 1805. Thanks to Dan Metz. Back: A Mameluk cutout from an old magazine.
“Famous Arab Stallions to Be Placed on Exhibition”
“Heads of (*Ibn) Mahruss and (*)Nejdran of Eleanor Gates Tully’s string which is to be exhibited at the San Francisco riding club Wednesday and Thursday.”
Thanks to Moira Walker for finding this fascinating head study of two Al Khamsa stallions of the early twentieth century. *Ibn Mahruss, 1901 chestnut stallion, was an Egypt-Blunt horse from Crabbet Stud, by the Ali Pasha Sherif stallion Mahruss (BLT), by Mahruss (APS) x Bint Nura (BLT) and out of the the straight Blunt desert-bred mare *Bushra, by Azrek (BLT) x Bozra (BLT), tail female to Basilisk. *Nejdran, 1896 chestnut stallion, was a desert-bred horse himself, serving as both an Al Khamsa Foundation Horse and Ancestral Element. Eleanor Gates Tully was an early American owner and breeder of Arabian horses. These two stallions, along with *Obeyran and some mares were purchased from Homer Davenport. Davenport was based in New Jersey and Tully in California. Both horses were well-traveled. 2
Publisher: Al Khamsa, Inc. Business Office 470 Folsom Jonesville Road Jonesville, KY 41052 970.439.5941 www.alkhamsa.org Printer: Jostens/PrintLynx Sedalia, Missouri Editor:
Khamsat A magazine devoted to the Bedouin Arabian Horse as recognized by Al Khamsa, Inc. • Volume Thirty-One Number Four • May 2021
Jeanne Craver 709 Brackett Lane Winchester, Illinois 62694 the_khamsat@alkhamsa.org
AL KHAMSA, INC., a Tennessee not-for-profit organization, publishes the Khamsat magazine. ‘Al Khamsa’ and the ‘Five Bedouin Riders’ Logo are registered trademarks of Al Khamsa, Inc. SUBSCRIPTION RATES for four issues: US — US$20; Canada and Mexico — US$30, other countries — US$40. See page 3. TO SUBSCRIBE, renew a subscription or change an address, please send information and US$ (check, MasterCard/Visa) to the Al Khamsa Business Office at the above address or via www. alkhamsa.org. SUBMIT all advertisements, unsolicited editorial materials, and correspondence to the Al Khamsa Business Office at the above address, or to the Editor at the_khamsat@alkhamsa.org. ©2021, Al Khamsa, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part, electronically or otherwise, without permission is prohibited. Al Khamsa, Inc. is an organization whose supporters embrace a wide variety of viewpoints on many issues. Recognizing that the free flow of ideas is essential to the growth of knowledge, Al Khamsa, Inc. encourages the reasoned presentation of information and theory by its supporters. Publication of such material in the Khamsat does not imply agreement with the ideas expressed therein by any portion of the supporters or membership of Al Khamsa, Inc., nor does it constitute an endorsement or support for any portion of such material by Al Khamsa, Inc. or the Khamsat, regardless of any position or office held by the author(s). All such material represents a comment and/or a personal opinion of the author(s), and does not necessarily represent the official attitude, opinion, policy or position of Al Khamsa, Inc. on any issue. While the Khamsat has not intentionally printed incorrect materials or made adverse omissions, the contents are nevertheless the responsibility of the parties furnishing material for this magazine. Accuracy of information is subject to information known to us at printing deadline. We apologize for any errors which are sometimes unavoidable. EDITORIAL POLICY: The policy of the Khamsat is to emphasize the aspects of owning, enjoying, breeding and learning about Bedouinbred Arabians as recognized by Al Khamsa, Inc. Al Khamsa’s standard has always been to treat all Al Khamsa bloodlines equally. The Khamsat allows more freedom of expression for independently written articles that deal with a specific breeding group. Al Khamsa reserves the right to refuse or edit articles that, in its opinion, violate the spirit of the standard of treating all bloodlines within Al Khamsa equally. Suitability of all material and ads submitted will be judged on the basis of being consistent with the goals and interests of Al Khamsa, Inc. Al Khamsa, Inc. reserves the right to reject any text or graphics submitted for publication in the Khamsat.
Contents Features: Al Khamsa Community Hub .................................................................................... 3 Spotlight ....................................................................................................................... 4 Bits & Pieces ................................................................................................................ 6 2021 Spring Gathering Report ................................................................................ 9 NATRC: My First Ride by Kathy Busch ................................................................................................. 12 Genetic Diversity in the Arabian Horse by Beth Minnich, with Michael Bowling....................................................... 14 Preserving the Abbas Pasha Heritage, Part Two by Bev Davison.................................................................................................24 Halawa and the Arabian Horses of W.J.G. Bentley by Robert J. Cadranell.....................................................................................40 Preservation Task Force Update by the PTF..........................................................................................................44 It Started with Moe by Nina Harf .....................................................................................................46 El Deree Sire Line by Karin Floyd ...................................................................................................50 Al Khamsa History Ancestral Elements Series: Inshass ..............................................................57 Departments: President’s Message .................................................................................................. 2 Al Khamsa, Inc. Administrative Information ......................................................... 2 Advertising Information and Advertisers ...........................................................63 Donation Levels and Donor Listings.............................................................. 64-65
Editor’s Note: Contact the Al Khamsa Business Office (info@alkhamsa.org, 970.439.5941) or Jeanne Craver (the_khamsat@alkhamsa.org, 217.742.3415) if you are interested in contributing a photo, article or advertisement. Coming: Y-chromosome studies in the Arabian Horse Rather than announce a closing date for advertising in advance, we will be in touch through Inside Al Khamsa and social media when the feature articles are nearing final form.
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Al Khamsa, Inc. Administrative Information
President’s Message 5/15/21 Dear Supporters,
2020-2021 Al Khamsa Officers, Board of Directors and Committees
As spring emerges here in the NorthEast, I engage in a cycle of renewal and change. Old ways spring forward, and new things happen to improve or flex with the process of life. Al Khamsa has been changing as well over the past few years. We are growing as an established organization that was founded on strong and healthy principles. We stretch and bend as needed. Some things in process I will continue to share with you.
Business Office Manager Patricia Lawrence 470 Folsom Jonesville Road Jonesville, Kentucky 41052 970.439.5941 info@alkhamsa.org President Monica Flynn Respet 6635 Central Road New Tripoli, Pennsylvania 18066 610.760.1372 monicarespet@gmail.com
Megan King 23477 Path Valley Road Doylesburg, Pennsylvania 17219 717.889.6808 megan.king23477@gmail.com
Vice President P.J. Altshuler 2900 Hemming Rd Valley View, Texas 76272 972.802.4660 pguth24916@aol.com
Jennifer Krieg 17429 Hoskinson Road Poolesville, Maryland 20837 301.221.2531 jkrieg@isicollc.com
Secretary Kim Davis 7275 Manchester Road Capron, Illinois 61012 815.540.3060 kdavis@sharontelephone.com
Patricia Lawrence 470 Folsom Jonesville Road Jonesville, Kentucky 41052 970.439.5941 alfadee05@gmail.com
Co-Treasurer Debbie Mackie 24610 Middletown Blacktop AV Greenview, Illinois 62642 217.968.5374 dmmackie@gmail.com
Kate Rhodes 6305 Hilltop Road Van Buren, Arkansas 72956 479.651.1715 kt19992000@gmail.com
Co-Treasurer Mary Gills POB 882560 Steamboat Springs, CO 80488 970.846.3747 mgills327@gmail.com
Pam Studebaker 9160 Post Town Road Trotwood, Ohio 45426 937.837.2829 stuzerpd@yahoo.com
Edouard Al-Dahdah 4932 Melinda Court Rockville, MD 20953 ealdahdah@hotmail.com Kathy Busch 24 College Street Madison, AL 35758 913.645.0236 katbuseq1@gmail.com Jeanne Craver 709 Brackett Lane Winchester, Illinois 62694 217.742.3415 mowarda@gmail.com Rosemary Byrnes Doyle 63295 Johnson Ranch Road Bend, Oregon 97701 541.389.9515 rosemary@doylearabians.com Karin Floyd 4515 N Lason Lane Tucson, Arizona 85749 818.219.9226 kvf369@gmail.com
The 2021 Al Khamsa Spring Gathering was a tremendous success, thanks to our Supporters, Speakers and Organizers. We have had so much positive feedback on our presentations from Dr. Samantha Brooks, Beth Minnich and Dr. Elaine Carnevale. Thanks to all! Donations were generous and so much appreciated. We reached our goal of being halfway to paying for the Roster Renewal Project. The Database Task Force came to a consensus on the path forward and the Board of Directors has approved that path. The Task Force did a thorough analysis of what we need and evaluated available Roster solutions. We are moving forward with the best solution and expect a fall completion date, when we will be current with registrations and moving forward actively. Your patience during this period is so much appreciated. Our goal is to keep the Roster data safe, reliable, up to date and available. Also NEW! on the website is an area where you may subscribe to content from the 2020 Al Khamsa Virtual Annual Meeting and Convention and also the 2021 Spring Gathering. Please subscribe if you haven’t already done so, and re-engage if you were with us. The material from both meetings is outstanding and relevant. With all that said, we still need your donations — any amount is appreciated. As an organization with no membership dues for participation, we rely on your generosity. Not only do we need to fund the Roster solution, but we need operating funds to keep Al Khamsa, Inc. running smoothly. Our Volunteers are so generous with their time, money and knowledge, but we count on your ongoing support; www.alkhamsa.org now has options for your donation dollars. Please consider donating to the Roster, General Fund, Preservation Task Force, AERC (distance riding) and Endowment Fund.
2019-20 Committee Chairs Awards: Monica Respet & Janet Maurer Convention: PJ Altshuler & Pam Studebaker Database: Jeanne Craver External Relations: Rosemary Doyle AERC Liaison: Edie Booth Middle Eastern Liaison: Edouard Al-Dahdah Finance: Mary Gills & Debbie Mackie Promotions: PJ Altshuler Nominations & Succession Planning: Rosemary Byrnes Doyle Preservation Task Force: Edouard Al-Dahdah & Kate Rhodes Publications: Jeanne Craver & Kathy Busch Social Media: Nichole Grodski & Jenny Krieg Website: Jeannie Lieb
We welcome all! Anyone who owns an interest in an Al Khamsa Arabian is already eligible to vote. We want to hear your stories; each of these brings out the essence of Al Khamsa. We cherish your foals, your programs, your successes, personal family moments, and want to help share your losses. Al Khamsa is about the horses and the people. Whether you breed, ride or share a life with an Arabian, join our tent. Please consider volunteering for Al Khamsa! We need volunteers who are dedicated and consistent, and we will strive to connect your interest and skills with a useful task. We are currently looking for someone to help the Webmaster. If you have website skills and would consider a few hours a month, we can put you to work! We also need Convention help for virtual content, video editing and loading, and on the ground support. Please contact us at info@alkhamsa.org if you are willing to actively work in this organization in any way.
Nichole Grodski 17 Blue Stem Lane Hawk Point, Missouri 63349 631.879.1502 westcreekarabians@gmail.com
Enjoy your Khamsat, it’s the best reading around! Stay Well,
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Al Khamsa Community Hub Mineral salt blocks that are red contain iron, and it is possible to create an iron overload that affects the health of your horse. Horses cannot excrete iron. https://www.google.com/amp/s/drkhorsesense. wordpress.com/2020/09/10/be-cautious-with-iron/amp/ and https:// forageplustalk.co.uk/iron-overload-in-horses-by-dr-kellon/
Calendar July 17–24, 2021: US Youth Nationals, Oklahoma City, OK. August 5, 2021: Pyramid Society Egyptian Breeders Challenge, Virginia Horse Center, Lexington, Virginia. September 10–12, 2021: Distance Horse National Championships, Oneida, Tennessee, hosted by the Arabian Horse Association. September 13–18, 2021: US Sport Horse Nationals will be held at the World Equestrian Center, Wilmington, Ohio. Look for Al Khamsa exhibitors, and watch our Al Khamsa Facebook page for updates! October 15–17, 2021: The 2021 Al Khamsa Annual Meeting is in the planning stages for a virtual program again this year, as it is impossible to plan for an in-person gatherings at this time.
Vitamin E serves as one of the body’s most potent antioxidants, protecting various cells—including those of the immune system—from the harmful effects of free radicals. https://thehorse. com/192579/vitamin-e-might-provide-support-for-horses-in-stressfulsituations/ Postponement of 2021 WAHO Jordan Conference The current plan is to rearrange suitable dates for the WAHO Jordan Conference to be held either in Spring 2022, perhaps late March or early April, or if necessary to postpone for a full year to early October 2022.
Octoer 22–30, 2021: US Nationals, Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Links of Interest There are a number of new studies and presentations about genetic diversity in various breeds of horses. One such: https://www. vet.cornell.edu/news/20190924/cornell-scientists-uncover-unusualgenetic-diversity-norse-horse in the Icelandic horse. The article that led to Dr. Samantha Brooks’ appearance at our Spring Gathering and to the Minnich/Bowling article in this issue: Genome Diversity and the Origin of the Arabian Horse, https:// pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32546689/ Genetic diversity of Syrian Arabian horses, https://pubmed.ncbi. nlm.nih.gov/28568646/ *** “Changing your mare’s estrous cycle patterns can facilitate your breeding and performance plans. Learn about current options for owners who want to control their mares’ heat cycles.” https://thehorse.com/188638/whats-new-in-equine-estrous-manipulation/ “Learn about the stages of labor and the normal post-foaling chain of events so you can react quickly if issues arise.” https://thehorse.com/198957/during-and-after-foaling-what-to-expect/ “What scientists are learning about equine parasite resistance to dewormers and how to curb it.” https://thehorse.com/features/equineinternal-parasites/ “Though they make up only a tiny part of horses’ diets, micronutrients play big roles in major physiological functions, ranging from bone and muscle performance to digestion to hormone signaling.” https://thehorse.com/178635/a-quick-guide-to-micronutrients-for-horses/ 3
The Weil-Marbach State Stud in Germany recently made news with the purchase of nine horses from Philip Paraskevas, Stud Hoor Al Oyoun, in Egypt. The nine are: 1 Nasheed Al Amal Hoor, 2010 grey stallion by Hafez Al Ahd Hoor out of Aneedah EAO. Saklawi Jidran. 2 Tag Al Ola Hoor, 2016 grey stallion by Shaer Al Nil Hoor out of Kawkab Al Shark Hoor. Saqlawi Jidran. 3 Day Al Kamar Hoor, 2016 grey stallion by Zai Al Hawa Hoor out of Gebeen Al Kamar Hoor. Kuhaylan Krush. 4 Kaf Al Kadar Hoor, 2017 grey stallion by Ashham out of Robaeyat Al Khayaam Hoor. Kuhaylan Rodan. 5 Lesa Faker Hoor, 2017 chesstnut stallion by Agad out of Leilat Al Eid Hoor. ‘Ubayyan Um Jurayss. 6 Set El Kol Hoor, 2017 grey mare by Agad out of Al Set Hoor. Saqlawiyah Jidraniyah. 7 Shahd Al Radab Hoor, 2018 grey mare by Agad out of Naghamet Al Karawan Hoor. Kuhaylat Krush. 8 Saherat Alehwerar Hoor, 2019 grey mare by Ashham out of Robaeyat Al Khayaam Hoor. Kuhaylah Rodaniyah. 9 Zahret Al Eid Hoot, 2018 grey mare by Agad x Leilat Al Eid Hoor. ‘Ubayyat Um Jurayss. With the Egyptian breeding and the foundation Weil European bloodlines, this will be interesting to watch.
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SPOTLIGHT! Waheed Al Azhaar RZ Waheed Al Azhaar RZ Grey 2015 Straight Egyptian Al Khamsa Stallion, bred and owned by Angela White. Accomplishments: Multiple Sport Horse in Hand Championships 2020 East Coast Reserve Championship SHIH & Training Level Dressage 2020 ISR/Oldenburg NA inspected and approved for breeding. https://alkhamsa.org/roster/pedigrees/W/Waheed_ Al_Azhaar_RZ0af5b.HTML ~ Angela White, Roze Arabians Ltd., Pennsylvania
[This issue we are proud to present two “Z’s”: both Waheed and Azeer are known as Z to their friends. We are also delighted to recognize the Al Khamsa 2020 Champion High Mileage Distance Horse, Bak Jabari! If your horse has done something notable, or just been a good all-around friend, share the news! Share the Spotlight!]
Bak Jabari and
Bak Jabari, my parents, and I are honored to have obtained the Al Khamsa high mileage horse award this year. 2020 was not an easy year to find rides so that brought us to making three trips out of state to multi-day rides. Judah (or juju bug as I call him) is a one in a million partner. We are so blessed to have him. There are too many wonder qualities to list about how “different” these treasures are, but once they have your trust they are like no other horse. Judah is the epitome of the best partner a rider could have. I was able to start Judah on endurance for my parents in the fall of 2018 and he now has 1540 AERC miles, 31/31 rides, no pulls, 100 mile 5th place, and a 60 mile win and BC. He did all that from his heart for me and my dad. He has lots more adventures planned with our family and we can’t wait to see what else he has up his socks. 4
SPOTLIGHT! WC Sir Habbas Azeer WC Sir Habbas Azeer, 2017 Al Khamsa, Straight Egyptian and Sheykh Obeyd stallion of West Creek Arabians. The last intact son of Sir Habbas Pasha, by the internationally admired and loved, AK Sirhalima . In his debut year as a two year old in 2019, Azeer went Top 5 Colts/Geldings Sport Horse in Hand at AHA’s Sport Horse Nationals. He was Arabian Sport Horse Alliance’s SHIH All Breed Champion and placed in Breed Restricted through ASHA. He also earned Champion Gold Medalist through the American Warmblood Society & Sporthorse Registry for DSHB in hand. Azeer ranked 12th in the country with the USDF for his performance in his debut show year, with a median score of 71.6. As a four year old stallion this year, he can now be inspected in 2021 for stallion approval with the AWSSR, where he is also registered, and will start his career under saddle and the breeding shed.
We knew from day one that he was special. “Z”, as his close friends affectionately call him, is an absolute joy to be around and has the quiet, gentle nature of his sire, but absolutely loves being in the spotlight. We are so very proud and grateful for this special guy. https://alkhamsa.org/roster/pedigrees/W/WC_Sir_Habbas_ Azeer0b3c6.HTML ~ Nichole Grodski, West Creek Arabians, Missouri
Nefuso Grande RSI
Just completed and won the first Iron woman competition this weekend. Two of the best Horses I could dream up! Both ALKhamsa. I wouldn’t have trusted any other two horses to metabolically and mentally get through this event with me. I completed 50 miles each day on Friday and Sunday with Nefuso Grande RSI, and the 100 Mile event in top ten on Saturday with Bak Jabari. These horses have to be preserved! They are the best trusted friends a rider could ask for. ~ Jennifer Niehaus, the Sousa family, Northern California [Both Bak Jabari and Nefuso Grande are Straight Egyptian horses. Interestingly for this issue, Bak Jabari is tail female to the Inshass mare El Samraa. Nefuso Grande is completely from the Richard Pritzlaff breeding program.] 5
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everything Oriental first induced him to start breeding Arab horses for his own pleasure, and he soon found that, both when riding to hounds and handling the ribbons, his experiment had made him particularly fortunate. For many years it was his habit to harness a team of four horses, which had never, or hardly ever, been in the shafts before, and drive them straight away to the Derby, and one of his favourite plans for breaking in his horses is still to take a team out for a long driving-tour every summer. He pitches a tent on a common and tethers his horses outside it in true Bedouin fasion, only regretting that the customs of the country prevent recourse to nomadic habits for picking up his dinner. Of course, in the desert an Arab horse is chiefly remarkable for its powers of endurance, but Mr. Blunt is too careful of his cattle to put this to a practical test over here. He is quite content to find that his team can easily accomplish from thirty to thirtyfive miles a day without turning a hair.
Arab Horses in England August 3, 1898, The Sketch, pp 46–47. Mr. Wilfrid Blunt, who married Byron’s granddaughter, who went to prison for Ireland, who is a poet and an explorer, glories in Arab horses.
His experiment has now proved such a success that, from a fancy breeder, he has turned into a kind of missionary for the propagation of Arab stock. He is convinced that the advantage of an admixture of Arab blood in English horsebreeding must be of advantage, and if he does not attempt any cross-breeding himself, it is because he has enough to do with producing the original article. But he holds it to be an infallible recipe for the production of a good hunter to mix one quarter of Arab blood with three-quarters of English thoroughbred. He believes also that the same procedure may easily prove effective in producing racers, and he can mention instances of some of his mares having presented English thoroughbred sires with winners of good races in the first generation.
Major Shakespear, one of the best-known authorities on all manner of sport in India, writing about Arab horses a generation ago, expressed himself as Hafiz might have done about a bottle of wine. “As to price,” said he, “count not the money you give for a real Arab. Go sell all you possess and make him your own.” Anyone who has known and tried Arab horses in England might say the same to-day, except that they are cheap enough to make no such sacrifice necessary. The average price at Mr. Blunt’s sale the other day at Crabbet Park was well under a hundred guineas for the purest breed obtainable anywhere, not excepting the realm of the Prince of the Nedjed. One of the chief claims of Ulysses to immortality was that Homer never mentioned his name without adding the epithet “horsenourishing.” Mr. Blunt is an excellent poet, and a politician whose patriotism has never been impugned, but the odds are that he will best be remembered as “Horse-Nourishing Blunt.” His love for
It is not merely however, for breeding that Arabs are to be recommended. An English thoroughbred will doubtless beat them at mere speed, but the one that will do so will cost very much more at present prices. Speed is not, and has never been, the chief point
ED: The horse images in this article were very crudely cut out from their backgrounds and then coarse outlines drawn around them. In some cases, body parts are missing and in others, background is included as part of the horse. These have been corrected as far as is practical without having the original image to work from.
“Mr. Blunt in Arab Dress at Sheykh Obeyd.” On the very young Mesaoud (APS).
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of an Arab. Time is not money in the desert, and other qualities are of far higher account. What Arab breeders for generations, and indeed for centuries, have chiefly considered has been the intelligence of the animal. Among the Arabs the horse is a member of the family, and by no means the one who receives the least consideration. He lives and sleeps in the encampment and associates on familiar terms with everybody. If he prove stupid or vicious, he is no fit companion for the children who play about his heels, and accordingly a process of selection for intelligence has gone on from time immemorial, and bears abundant fruit at the present day. English horse-breeders may live in too great a hurry to exercise a similar selection in their own case, but no sportsman can afford to despise a horse’s intelligence, whether for hunting or racing, or ordinary riding and driving. As Major Shakespear has pointed out with emphasis, if without grammar, an intelligent horse “is always alive when he rolls over you and does not crush you like a low-bred horse, who falls when blown as if he was dead.” “Mareb (sold for 80 guineas).” Mareb, 1896 bay stallion, by Mesaoud (APS) out of Mansura, by Ashgar out of Meshura (BLT). Sire of Mareesa, out of Jamusa by Azrek (BLT) out of Jilfa.
beast you may mention, which find its highest development in this favoured land. As to the horses, so many and so conspicuous are their good qualities that no wide stretch of the fancy is necessary for acceptance of the Bedouins’ tradition that the ancient domestic breed was originally a gift to their ancestors from King Solomon, who has always been held to possess special powers over the whole animal world, and to have been held to possess special powers over the whole animal world, and to have understood every dialect of its language. The chief points of the Arab horse are: a short, well0formed head, a broad and intellectual forehead, a fine muzzle, and a prominent eye, which seems sleepy in repose, but is very brilliant at moments of excitement. The ear is particularly well pricked, and of such sensitiveness that a rider may tell most of the animal’s thoughts simply by watching it. The neck is strong, light, and muscular, and perhaps
“Roula, a four-year-old stallion, bred at Crabbet Park.” Roala (BLT), an 1884 stallion by Kars (BLT) out of Rodania (BLT). Sire of *Jamila.
It is perhaps for polo that Arab horses will chiefly receive consideration in this country and in India. It is extremely difficult to obtain a thoroughbred within the regulation of 14.2, but most Arabs are well under it, and their intelligence is of special value for polo. It is a curious fact that all the animals of Arabia are superior to the corresponding kinds elsewhere. A Muhammadan might tell you that this was due to the special virtues of the land which witnessed the birth and development of his religion; but the simpler theory is more acceptable, that the same original races of animals enjoy the benefits of more natural development. It is not only the horse, but the fox, the hare, the gazelle, the ibex, the oryx, the jerboa, and any 7
“Ras El Ain (sold for 150 guineas).” Ras El Ain, 1896 chestnut stallion by Mesaoud (APS) out of Rosemary (BLT). No get.
a little short, according to English notions. The head is usually not carried so high as that of an English thoroughbred; but, on the other hand, the tail cannot be carried too high, and it is generally safe to judge the character of an Arab horse by the way in which he carries his tail. This is not always understood in England, and Arabs are often foolishly criticised at sales and shows for what is really one of their peculiar excellences. Arabs make the very best shooting-horses possible, as thir courage is unbounded, even in the presence of big game. They will go close enough to a wild boar for the rider to spear him, and ene when they have been wounded several times by his tusks, they will come up again and again to the charge. As far as the horse is concerned, it would be quite possible to take him up to tigers and spear them; but for that it would be necessary to discover riders of equal courage, which would not be easy. Panthers, however, have frequently been speared from the backs of Arab horses. The only animal they seem to be really afraid of is the beat, though, as a matter of fact, it is by no means so formidable as a wild board or a panther.
Courtesy R.J. Cadranell
I think I have now said enough to emphasise the usefulness of Mr. Blunt’s experiment. It has cost him an infinite labour of love in scouring Arabia and persuading Bedouin chiefs to part with mares which they valued farm more highly than their wives or their children, and it has been no child’s play bringing his prizes to England, where, however, they have soon become acclimatised to their new “Rose of Jericho.” The standard photo of the 1883 bay mare by Kars surroundings. Probably no one else would have been found with (BLT) out of Rodania (BLT). sufficient enterprise and enthusiasm to make a similar effort, and it must be a source of great gratification to him that it is at last being properly appreciated and shows promise of affecting some day the breed of horses in this country. For a long time he was considered to be making the attempt of a visionary; but now that the virtue of Arab horses is becoming recognised, not merely for stud purposes, but on their own merits, he may certainly claim to have carved himself a substantial niche in the temple of that animal, which is England must certainly be acknowledge as one of the foremost among the minor deities. — H.V. [ED: Left out were a photo of camels and an unfortunate photo of Wild Bee (assumed to be Wild Bee, identified as Wild Bell, an unknown name).] ~ Thanks to Moira Walker.
Daughter of the Wind blog post of January 29, 2021 by Moira Walker. http://daughterofthewind.org/1892-crabbet-sale-safran-andmoallaka/ A Weekly Illustrated Record and Review July 30th, 1898 revealed this photo of Moallaka (BLT) an 1896 bay mare by Mesaoud (APS) out of Meroe (BLT) [Kars (BLT) x Meshura (BLT)]. “Moallaka was sold as a two-year-old at the 10th Crabbet sale on July 23, 1898, to George Grey, Esq., of Tunbridge Wells for 147 gs. with her full sister Munfyeh.” ~ R.J. Cadranell.
Two photos have turned up recently of W.K. Kellogg with Jeremah, 1913 stallion by *Hamrah x Nanshan (*Garaveen x *Nejdme). In the bottom photo, taken perhaps on the day Kellogg decided to purchase the Chauncey Clarke herd of Arabians to start his own ranch, we also see Clarke on the Davenport import, *Deyr. 8
Al Khamsa Spring Gathering
The Spring Gathering began with this Inside Al Khamsa email:
that were being offered as part of the event. Edie Booth spoke to us briefly about the Al Khamsa virtual booth at the AERC virtual convention, just held the previous month. Many of the photos have been placed on the Al Khamsa website for others to see. She thanked those who had participated by sending in photos.
All of you know the Al Khamsa Roster on our website. It is free to use, but its value is immense: five generation pedigrees, detailed information about the horse, three generation progeny listings, all lines traced to foundation horses and more!
Then it was the turn of the Al Khamsa Database Task Force (AKDBTF) to speak about the history, value and future of the Al Khamsa database and online roster. A detailed slide show was presented by Megan King, co-chair of the Task Force. It detailed how the database has changed from index cards kept in the 1960s and 70s by Diana Marston Wiener through digitization by Sara Jones, who maintained it for over 35 years until ill health intervened. Technology has advanced, and plans are for the database to transition from the current FileMaker Pro database to an online database system, which will be accessible on demand by new software.
Al Khamsa has provided this service for many years, free of charge to everyone. Unfortunately, it is not free to maintain. We need your help so that current and future users can continue to enjoy the Roster. Fifteen years ago, Randy Abler generously volunteered to create our software and maintain the Roster. He recently retired and we need to replace that program with up-to-date software. If we want to continue to offer the Roster pages freely— and we do—we need to raise a lot of money. Your donations are welcome anytime!
There were many questions and much discussion, and then, after a brief break, it was time for the eagerly awaited speakers.
And please join us for the Al Khamsa Spring Gathering via Zoom on April 10th to help facilitate this effort. A series of emails followed with teasers and explanations. So it was an eager group of attendees who showed up on April 10th to participate in the first independent programming of its kind by Al Khamsa. The Zoom conference began with a welcome and introduction by Al Khamsa President Monica Respet. Co-Treasurer Mary Gills explained some of the financial situation, and introduced the books 9
Dr. Samantha Brooks spoke about several major topics: Genome Diversity and the Origin of the Arabian Horse; Estimating Inbreeding and Relatedness; Pedigree vs. Genome, and an update on Juvenile Idiopathic Epilepsy (JIE) Research. It was an absorbing several hours, and kept the audience following along alertly so that they did not miss anything! After another short break, Dr. Elaine Carnevale spoke on a subject dear to all of us: Preserving the Genetics from the Older Mare. Those deeply involved with preserving endangered lines were especially fascinated by the amazing progress that is occurring in this field.
Speakers Dr. Samantha Brooks: Genomics of the Arabian Horse—History Written in the DNA
Dr. Samantha Brooks became interested in equine research and obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Biotechnology. She remained at the University of Kentucky to study at the Gluck Equine Research Center. While there she earned her Ph.D. in Veterinary Science, specializing in Equine Genetics. Beth Minnich moderated Q and A between participants and Dr. Brooks. Beth Minnich is Chair of the Research Advisory Panel of the Arabian Horse Foundation and serves as a member of the AHA Equine Stress, Research and Education Committee. She also served as Chair of the AHA Presidential Task Force on Genetic Disorders. Beth is a graduate of the Colorado State University Equine Sciences Program and has worked as an AHRA (Registry) Field Rep, and staff member at Imperial Egyptian Stud and Valour Arabians. She is also proudly owned by the Davenport gelding, Pal-Ara Khalomi.
Above, left to right: Beth Minnich, Dr. Samantha Brooks and Michael Bowling at the WAHO conference in Doha, 2011. Dr. Brooks and Beth worked well together in presenting information from Dr. Brooks’ latest paper and others. Then Beth and Michael have an article (page 14) in this Khamsat on part of the Brooks paper. A second article is schedule for the next Khamsat, dealing with the section on Y-chromosome ancestry of the Arabian horse in the Brooks paper. Below, Dr. Elaine Carnevale.
Dr. Elaine Carnevale Preserving genetics from the older mare: Challenges and potential solutions
many of the participants stayed around for several hours, visiting with each other, exchanging news of new horses, expected foals, training results and just renewing the bonds of friendship that hold us all together.
Dr. Elaine Carnevale received her DVM from Colorado State University, prior to obtaining a MS (CSU) and PhD (University of Wisconsin) during which her research focused on reproductive technologies and reproductive aging in the mare. Dr. Carnevale worked on broodmare farms and private practice before going to CSU’s Equine Reproduction Laboratory in 1998. She started an Assisted Reproduction Technologies at the Equine Reproduction Laboratory, taught veterinary students, and conducted research. Dr. Carnevale’s teams have produced the first commercial foals after oocyte transfer, ICSI, harvested ovaries, and a novel embryo vitrification protocol. Her research group is currently focusing on maternal factors that influence oocyte quality, such as aging and metabolic issues.
The programs on April 10th, and those from the first virtual Al Khamsa Convention last fall, were so special and so deserving of preservation themselves, that Al Khamsa now has a special section of its website where these can be found. The cost of a subscription to be able to view these is comparable to the cost of attending the live event, and the content is there to be viewed at your convenience.
The speakers were very well received, as the programs were good, well-prepared and of great interest to attendees. Both Dr. Brooks and Dr. Carnevale were asked to return for further such programming, and both agreed. It was noted that many of the most promising procedures for helping aged or damaged mares have successful foalings are not allowed by the World Arabian Horse Organization or the Arabian Horse Association of the U.S. However, they are beginning to be found useful in preserving endangered horse breeds, and as they become more common, may eventually be available to us.
Our webmaster, Jeannie Lieb, has worked very hard to set this system up, and we hope it becomes a much-used asset for Al Khamsa supporters. In addition to videos and slide shows, the system is scheduled to host the digital Khamsat, and Khamsat back issues. So between the website upgrades, the online roster upgrades and the digital Khamsat, there is a whole lot going on!
Following the numerous questions for Dr. Carnevale, the conference was officially over, but the Zoom room stayed open, and 10
Al Khamsa Publications As part of the fund-raising for the Al Khamsa Roster software, specials were offered on books offered by Al Khamsa, as shown here. Al Khamsa Arabians, 1983. Out of print. Al Khamsa Arabians II, 1994. $50.00. Al Khamsa Arabians III, 2008. $50.00. General Interest Books Al Khamsa thanks the publishers of the following books for allowing Al Khamsa to make money from the sale of their books. The Babson Influence: A Retrospective, $30.00. A 504-page monograph reflecting the Institute’s first historical research project. This effort focused on the horses imported by Henry Babson and their international influence on Arabian breeding.
This slide of Dr Carnevale’s presentation summarized things well. The last slide was: don’t waste too much time!
Fund Raising! A special raffle was held, with the winner to receive this elegant horse sheet, with Al Khamsa’s name on it. The winner was Stephanie Kerian, who has joined the work of the Preservation Task Force, purchasing the Code Red Crane-line mare, Cale Hallwah. Congratulations and thanks to Stephanie!
Heirloom Egyptian Arabian Horses, $45.00. Heirloom horses trace entirely to the Egypt I and Blunt ancestral elements within Al Khamsa, Inc. bloodstock. This massive research work was many years in the making. Six hundred pages on the Heirloom movement: those Al Khamsa horses tracing only to the Egypt I and Blunt Ancestral Elements. Many charts and photos. Homer Davenport’s Quest for the Arabian Horse, 2017. $50.00. The annotated edition of Davenport’s My Quest takes the reader along on Homer’s 1906 trip to the Bedouin tribes and then home again with the largest single importation of Arabian horses ever brought to the U.S. from the tribes. It centers Davenport’s original text on the page with marginal notes elucidating 1909 references. The 480-page volume, lavishly illustrated in color and sepia, builds on The Annotated Quest, 1992. Over 150 pages of additional material update the story and clarify questions and mysteries surrounding this remarkable journey. Davenport Arabian Horses: A Collection of Articles, 2004. $35.00. Anthology of articles about Homer Davenport’s Arabians and their descendants. Hardback, many rare photographs, 266 pages with Index of Horses.
In addition to fees to attend the Zoom conference, raffle tickets to win the turn out sheet and many donations, Al Khamsa made special offers and promoted the books for sale on the Al Khamsa website (see column at right). It is a measure of respect for the Al Khamsa Online Roster that about $6,000 was raised by the Spring Gathering.
Out of the Desert, by Peter Upton. $29.50. This superb work by Peter Upton, one of Britain’s leading equine painters and authors, focuses on the profound influence of the Arabian horse on the light horse and pony breeds of Great Britain. The work is lavishly illustrated with Upton’s own paintings and sketches, as well as archive photographs and fine art by artists such as Stubbs, Munnings, Sorolla and the PreRaphaelites. All books available on the Al Khamsa Website. Shipping within the US included in prices listed.
Khamsat Advertising
All funds raised at the Gathering were put toward Al Khamsa website software. In addition, a grant is being sought to help cover the large expense needed. Following the Gathering, the Al Khamsa DataBase Task Force (the ever-popular AKDBTF!) followed up on suggestions from attendees, made a final selection of a firm to do the work, and the process is underway! The goal is to have everything complete and online by Fall. Al Khamsa wishes to thank our speakers, all who participated, who donated, and those who worked so hard to make the Gathering such a success, especially P.J. Altshuler, Mary Gills, Jeannie Lieb and Pam Studebaker, plus Jenny Krieg and Nichole Grodski on social media, and the Al Khamsa Database Task Force. 11
Advertising Rates can be found on page 63 of this issue. You can send your advertising to the Al Khamsa Business Office or to the editor by mail or by email, or you can order advertising directly on the Al Khamsa website as part of the Al Khamsa store. Click on the main drop-down menu under Publications / Khamsat, and you will find links to selected articles, to a listing of all articles that have been published in the Khamsat since its inception in 1984, to an order form for back issues, to order forms for advertising and subscriptions. We will be happy to create an ad for you to your requirements, or you can find specifications for preparing a copy-ready advertisement yourself under that advertising link.
My First Ride: The North American Trail Ride Conference (NATRC) by Kathy Busch
I was in my mid-to-late thirties in the early 1980s when I met Suzanne Bidwell, and oh my, she had horses!!! Three to be exact! They were all rideable and, yes, she wanted me to ride with her. I had gone to heaven! It had always been a dream of mine to have a horse one day. So, we rode and as we rode, I found out about competitive trail riding and NATRC. I would ride as much as she did. As it turned out, I was learning to condition the horse, and she was teaching me everything I had to know in order to compete. When Suzi was convinced that I knew enough, we found a ride in southern Missouri at the Mark Twain National Forest. She would ride Open; I would be a first-time rider in the Novice devision. I had been riding and conditioning Katama, a black half Arab mare. She was riding Miska Prince, a dark bay three-quarter Arab gelding that my husband was later to own.
after trailering.)
ate, organized the tack, feed, buckets, water (fresh water is always provided, but not always close, so we would stock up on Friday for the evening and morning) and generally got ready for an early Saturday morning wake-up call. Suzi and I then took the horses for a relaxing walk, greeted people, and played in the river. (Sometimes we would go for a short ride to give them a stretch
The ride meeting was held at 8pm for all the information about the ride, introductions of the Judges, timers, ride administrators, farrier, safety riders, getting maps of the trail, and mileage as well as timing of the ride divisions, Saturday and Sunday lunch stops (45 minutes), number of P&Rs (pulse and respiration checks), and available water on the trail. They announced wake-up time at 5:00am and start times. Obviously, you need a great watch! At 10pm, all horses must be properly tied to the trailer, with plenty to eat and drink and you may not untie or disturb the horse (other than water and feed) until after the morning check by the judges.
Suzi had the trailer and an old station wagon that we would be using to pull. At the time, we both worked, so in the evenings before we left on Friday, we packed the car with all we would need to camp and cook and sleep. The trailer was packed with feed, hay, buckets, saddles and all the accoutrements for a weekend of serious riding and horse caretaking. We had a map that took us to the campground next to a lovely 70-foot wide, relatively shallow river. It was a beautiful venue, and there were approximately 60 riders arriving to compete.We found a space large enough to park the rig and set up camp. We unloaded the horses, tied them to each side of the trailer, and made sure they had water and hay. We then headed to the meeting area to check in with our entry forms, coggins and health certificates, pick up our numbered vests, and say hello to soon-to-be new friends. This meeting area was at the top of a high hill adjacent to the valley where we were camping.
It was 5:00am when a bull horn woke us up. We got up and immediately attended to the horses with feed, hay and water. Then dress for the ride, eat breakfast, prepare saddle bags with what we wanted to take with us on the horse, the map in a plastic bag with a pen and paper, water bottles for sponging, sponge, drinks, hoof pick, leadrope and halter, and snacks for ourselves. We also organized the horse’s feed and our lunches in buckets to be taken to the lunch location. All of this while waiting for the judges to appear. They come to your camp and the first thing they want you to do is to untie and trot your horse out to check for lameness and stocking up in the fetlock area. They check the horse’s back for any soreness, the safety of the stabling area and the tie and length of the lead rope. When they leave you can relax. Start time is usually between 6:30 and 8am, as each horse is timed out individually. Open Class leaves first as their ride is the longest. Then the other classes start timing into the ride. Suzi and Miska were already competing and now it was Katama’s and my turn to get into the waiting line, mount on request of timer and start.
There was a lot to do that evening. After check-in, we were on the clock and needed to groom the horses for an initial vet check which entailed recording all of the rates of the heart, respiration, hydration, hooves’ condition, way of going and the demeanor of the horse. Back at camp, we set up our tent, a make-shift kitchen, 12
Competitve trail riding is a timed event. Each individual must keep track of their ride time. If you have six hours to complete the ride, you must figure your finish time, adding to the total of six hours + 45 minutes for lunch, and the timed out minutes for the P&Rs. Example: start time was 8:00am, you have six hours to finish, thats 2pm, plus add 45 minutes for lunch and, let’s say, plus 30 min. for two P&Rs equals 3:15pm. This is your “finish time”. You must finish in a 30 minute window of that time, in this case, 3:00 pm to 3:30pm. You write down your start time according to your own watch. Then start your ride. When I was competing, Open was up to 60 miles in two days or approximately 30 miles per day (four to six miles per hour). Novice was 30-40 miles for the two days and 15-20 miles a day (three and a half to five miles per hour) and the ride time for Novice was six hours. The two P&R stops and lunch are not part of the ride time. A P&R is a pulse and resperation stop. When you enter the area designated for the P&R, you are officially clocked out (by the number on your vest.) Your horse’s pulse rate is taken first, the number of beats in 15 seconds. The respiration rate is taken after that and it is the number of breaths in a 15-second period. After this is written down by volunteers, you have 10 minutes for your horse to naturally bring the numbers down to 15 beats or lower for pulse and 12 resperations or lower in a 15 second count. If it was a hot day, I would remove the saddle and bit, and sponge the neck and the big veins between the hind legs, making sure to keep the horse as relaxed as posible. At the end of 10 minutes, you are scored again, this time for recovery rates and you then may continue after being timed back into the ride. There are two Judges, the Veterinary Judge and the Horsemanship Judge, and they can be anywhere on the trail, not always in sight. The Horsemanship Judging is 20% Grooming (body, tack and hooves), 50% Trail Equitation (the mount, body position, balance and and lightness,etc.) and 30% Trail Care (care of horse during ride, safety, courtesy to others, and stabling). Veterinary Judging is 40% Condition (P&R recovery, hydration, mucus membrane check for blood refill, bowel sounds, etc.), 45% Soundness (lameness, heat, tenderness and way of going) and 15% Manners (mounting behaviors, disposition, buddying up, etc.). I did fine through the morning P&R, lunch stop and the afternoon P&R. Katama did the trail obstacles (logs across the trail, water crossings, and hill work, etc.) with flying colors and she was relaxed and eager. We crossed the finish in perfect time. At the finish, I dismounted (a courtesy to the horse) and we walked back to camp. I loosened the girth, provided water and hay, removed all tack and let her settle for a few minutes while I rehydrated. It was wonderful having the river so close. We had to have a vet check and the horses had to be clean, head to tail. As soon as Katama was cooled a bit, we went to the river. It was so easy to use the sponge and clean her body with the cool water. I used the scapper and some towels to help pull the water off. As soon as she was almost 13
dry, I cleaned her nostrils and picked her hooves and headed to the last vet check. Both judges were there and they checked her totally. She behaved beautifully. We went back to camp for dinner, feeding and cleaning ourselves and the campsite. Sunday began the same as Saturday and the ride was basically the same: morning vet check at the trailer, start, P&R, obstacles, lunch, obstacles, P&R, more obstacles and finish on time. I was more tired than I had been on Saturday. I hit my forehead on an low hanging branch in the morning and bumped my knee cap on a tree trunk in the afternoon. Otherwise, the day had gone well. I cleaned her up and headed to the last vet check, where the judges inspected her thoroughly. Suzi was finished for the day as her Open class was faster and her ride time shorter. Being a first-time rider, I had no idea how Katama and I had done. Giving the horses a chance to relax, eat, drink, Suzi and I scramble to eat then begin to pack up the trailer, the campsite, tent and all the innumerable things we brought. The Judges were tallying the score cards and placing the finishes in the different classes. We had some time to clean ourselves up a bit and use the restrooms before we would gather on the hill. When we returned, Katama was missing!! I was horrified, but Suzi kept her cool. After all, she would not have gone far. We asked our neighbors if they had seen her and they didn’t know anything. We climbed the hill and there she was happily eating grass, being held by a very nice safety rider. He said, “Don’t worry! Enjoy yourselves! Go get a seat, as placement and awards are about to be announced and I’m happy to be staying with your mare.” Well, Katama won Sweepstakes in the Novice Class!(That’s why she had been taken). I was astonished! I truly can’t remember how Suzi and Miska did, but I did place lower in horsemenship. Suzi had taught me well and I would have many years to learn a great deal more about horsemanship! This is also how I began to be an Arabian fan. (I bought my first as a 40-year-old). I didn’t know about the Al Khamsa Arabian at the time I was competing, but if I had, I certainly would have owned one. They are perfectly made for this sport in distance riding, temperament, stamina, cooperation, and intelligence. I want to say this — there is no better way to see country than traveling across it on the back of a horse. You have a real chance to create a strong bond and great team work with your horse. NATRC competition is for all ages 10 years+, all weights, all horse breeds, and all types of riders. The North American Trail Ride Conference (NATRC) is the premier competitive trail riding (CTR) organization in six regions across North America. The working NATRC Organization is made up of riders and past riders. The people that participate are friendly and always helpful. It is an education on how to take care of the horse on all levels and how to be a better rider. Find all information about NATRC at natrc.org. [Photos are from the NATRC website.]
Genetic Diversity & Complex Ancestry in the Arabian Horse by Beth Minnich and Michael Bowling
DNA as a Storyteller The Arabian horse possesses a rich history, intimately connected to the physical environment of its ancestral homeland and culture of Bedouin caretakers who nurtured its development. It is unclear when and where the horse was introduced to the area historically known as ‘Arabia’. Yet, from a regional proto-Arabian that was developed over millennia, the nomadic horse breeding tribes cultivated the foundation of the breed now known as the Arabian horse.
“All of us in trying to understand today and tomorrow look to yesterday; to try to get some glimpse of what came before us and some lessons that can help us meet the future.” Kenneth W. Harl, PhD Professor, Dept of History / Tulane University
From the mapping of the horse genome in 2007, genomic tools were developed that provide access to information offering expanded perspectives for viewing breed ancestry. These new observations provide a gateway to deeper understanding of the Arabian breed, helping to connect the threads of culture, history and genetics. With these threads, we can weave a more detailed tapestry depicting the origins of the Arabian horse, to help guide preservation efforts of this iconic animal. To help tell this story, we turn to a paper entitled ‘Genome Diversity and the Origin of the Arabian Horse’ in the journal Scientific Reports (June 2020). Conducted by an international team of researchers from the USA, Qatar, Iran, Austria, Poland and Hong Kong, the project sought to study genomic diversity in the Arabian horse and its relationship to other breeds, particularly the Thoroughbred racehorse. Led by Dr. Samantha Brooks (University of Florida) and Dr. Doug Antczak (Cornell University), the study used a large number of Arabian horses of diverse origin and bloodlines. Project funding was provided by a grant from the Qatar National Research Fund (a member of the Qatar Foundation) to study the genomes of the Arabian horse, Arabian oryx and Dromedary camel, three species with deep cultural ties to the Middle East. Project support was also received from several additional organizations, including non-financial support from the Arabian Horse Foundation. There are several storylines shared in the paper, so there is a lot to conceptually sort through. Due to space limitations, this article will focus on the genetic diversity component of the project. But for interest, the main summary points across the study include: 1. The Arabian breed has a unique genetic profile marked by broad variation and underlying complex ancestry consistent with an ancient origin: • Globally, Arabian horses display a large degree of genetic diversity, more than many other breeds of horse. • Registered Arabian horses were identified in the Middle East that carried expanded genetic and phenotypic diversity. • Straight Egyptians have a distinct genetic signature and less genetic variation than other Arabian bloodline groups considered. 2. Genomic regions were identified that may be associated with important traits of the Arabian horse, such as head shape and athletic ability. 3. Little overall genetic similarity of Arabians to Thoroughbreds was detected, including lack of evidence for Arabian stallion Y chromosome ancestry. 4. Strong evidence was found for recent interbreeding of Thoroughbreds with Arabians used for flat racing. Before we begin this journey, some background needs to be provided. DNA samples were considered from 378 Arabian horses of diverse 14
bloodlines from Qatar, Iran, UAE, Poland, USA, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, United Kingdom, Australia, Denmark and Canada. This data set was then expanded to include additional samples from past studies on Arabians and other breeds; with the final data set including genotype data for 917 samples from 19 different horse breeds. Relatedness of horses sampled was also evaluated, to remove closely related horses and ensure a diverse group of pedigrees. This study posed two primary questions. What is the relationship of the Arabian to other horse breeds, and how diverse are Arabians? Before getting to the answers, it will be helpful to meet some of the main characters involved. • The first one to become acquainted with is a SNP (pronounced ‘snip’), which stands for ‘single nucleotide polymorphism.’ These single base changes in the genetic code, passed down through the generations, are used to look for genetic variation within a population to identify genetic similarity or dissimilarity between individuals (see Figure 1, at right). • Next is a Principal Component Analysis (PCA), which is a method that measures relatedness between individuals, by using genetic variation at SNP markers across the genome. This analysis used a genotyping tool called a ‘SNP chip’ that assesses markers at 640,000 unique locations in the horse genome. PCA works by allowing the computer to identify the patterns of relatedness based on the DNA markers, with no consideration of the pedigree. • And finally, how do you read a PCA plot? Each symbol represents a Figure 1. Modified from https://whatisdna.net/wiki/singlehorse and each color indicates a known population (i.e. a breed or subgroup nucleotide-polymorphisms/ within a breed as identified by the registration of the horse.) The spacing between individuals indicates genetic relationship; with loose clusters showing genetic diversity within the group and tight clusters representing genetically similar individuals. In addition, different groups that are more closely related will cluster nearer to one another. Story #1 – What is the relationship of the Arabian to other horse breeds? Referencing Figure 2 (PCA Plot A), below, the Arabian grouping is shown in purple and forms a separate group, far removed from most of the other breeds evaluated. The closest breed groups in this analysis include the Dareshouri (light blue) and Kurdish breeds from Iran (khaki green), with the furthest group being the Thoroughbred (black). Arabians also form a broad cluster occupying much of the left-hand side of the plot, indicating a high degree of genetic variation within the global Arabian horse population. Of note, even with the breed’s wide distribution across the globe, the Arabian breed overall maintains a unique genetic identity separate from the other breeds. Story #2, Part 1- How much diversity is there in the Arabian breed? Figure 2 (PCA Plot A). The Arabian is a distinct breed with diverse lineages, having little apparent relationship to the Thoroughbred. Principal component analysis of 378 Arabian horses sampled in this study among a reference set including samples from 18 additional global breeds, with symbol shape indicating data source and symbol color indicating breed.
A
Cosgrove, EJ, et al. Genome Diversity and the Origin of the Arabian Horse. Sci Rep. 2020 Jun 16;10(1):9702. http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/ by/4.0/
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DNA vs. the Historical Record Genomic studies are informative for showing relationships, but it is still human interpretation that further defines the information. In other words, there is ‘data’, and then there is ‘interpretation of the data’. So, what happens when the DNA appears to tell a different story from what is outlined in the historical record? Although it is not surprising the Arabian horse forms its own unique group, what is surprising is the lack of genetic similarity shown between the Arabian and the Thoroughbred. This result is counterintuitive to the extensively documented history of the two breeds. So why does this dissimilarity exist? Option #1: The Arabian provided little to no contribution to the founding of the Thoroughbred. This is an easy conclusion to draw, but the historical record indicates otherwise. Does commonly recited breed history overestimate the contribution of the Arabian? Probably. But even with errors in documentation and designation of ‘Arabian horse’ given to horses coming from the Middle East, regardless of whether Arabian or other Oriental breed – is the breadth and depth of the historic record that far off the mark?* Option #2 – History isn’t wrong. But if this is the case, why are the two breeds clustering far apart? The Thoroughbred has a very old closed studbook, with hundreds of years of intense selection behind it. When these elements are added to the scenario, the separation between the groups becomes easier to account for: • The Thoroughbred did not continue to sample from desert sources. As a result, genetic drift, coupled with intense selection, will move the breeds apart. As such, an argument can be made that a representative sample of Thoroughbred founding ancestors and early-era horses might not cluster near current-era Thoroughbreds either. • The Thoroughbred experienced continued positive selection towards performance traits that need not have come from the Arabian lines. • The Arabian horse has also experienced 400 years of selection with an unknown number of population bottlenecks due to wars and migrations. The modern Arabian is also likely to be different from the population sampled in early Thoroughbred breeding. • Additionally, a reason for the lack of evidence for modern Arabian stallion Y chromosome ancestry in the Thoroughbred could be that the foundation stallions came from Arabian male lines that have since died out. Past genetic studies using blood typing markers and STR (simple tandem repeat) data from parentage analysis did show Arabian and Thoroughbred as each other’s closest match (e.g. Bowling 1992). Blood typing involves functional genes, so the range of potential variation would be limited by natural selection; this system could reflect an ancestral connection while the rest of the genome varied. STRs sample fewer than 20 sites in the genome and were chosen to be informative for parentage purposes; they must be less representative of overall variation than are SNPs. It is clear modern-era Thoroughbreds and Arabians are not genetically similar across most of their genomes. For comparison purposes, hopefully DNA samples from historic horses (such as Eclipse) can be accessed and included in the analysis. In the bigger picture, it is important the narrative developed from these findings takes into consideration the historical record (flaws and all) along with the genomic data. *These comments are specific to the PCA analysis. The Y chromosome component of the study involves a different set of issues that require a separate article to cover.
As previously mentioned, the Arabian horse overall displays a large degree of genetic diversity across bloodlines, more than many other breeds of horse. Looking within the Arabian breed cluster, Figure 3 (PCA Plot B), opposite, identifies several lineage subgroupings, including Bahrain, Iran, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Tunisia, along with Straight Egyptians, and Arabians with multi-origin ancestry. In general, horses from the same lineage group cluster together, with differences noted between all the Arabian subgroups examined in the study. Of note, three subgroups segregated strongly: Straight Egyptian (green), Poland (red) and Saudi Arabia (orange), with Straight Egyptians being notably far from the main Arabian cluster. Multi-origin lineages common to main studbook horses in the USA and Europe (light blue) are found across the plot, with some horses located closer to the Thoroughbred (black) cluster. There is also evidence of relatively high inbreeding within some individuals, especially in the Straight Egyptian subgroup — which had a group mean inbreeding coefficient (F) of 30%. The F value is the probability of inheriting two copies of the same allele from an ancestor who appears on both sides of the pedigree. These alleles are also referred to as ‘identical by descent’. This is an important finding, since the paper notes the level of inbreeding “may be reaching levels sufficient to impact animal health.” Even with relatively diverse pedigrees, high inbreeding values were also observed within individual horses of the multi-origin subgroup; though as a whole, the group had a much lower level of inbreeding (F = 14%.) The high inbreeding values may be a result of historical population bottlenecks, along with impacts from Popular Sire Effect. The F values for other lineage subgroups include Iran (12%), Poland (14%), Bahrain/Syria/Tunisia (17%), and Saudi Arabia (20%). Genome-wide heterozygosity was also measured, ranging from a high of 33% for the Iran subgroup to a low of 26% for the Straight Egyptian subgroup. A locus (plural, loci) is the single physical location of a specific gene or marker on a chromosome. Heterozygosity, which is an indicator of genetic variation, measures the proportion of loci that have different alleles. Higher heterozygosity means more genetic 16
Figure 3 (PCA Plot B). The Arabian is a distinct breed with diverse lineages. Principal component analysis of 378 Arabian horses sampled in this study with 71 Persian Arabian and 11 Turkemen samples, and 17 Thoroughbred samples collected in this study, with symbol shape indicating breed, and symbol color indicating Arabian breed lineage, except for the Thoroughbred and Turkemen groups.
B
Cosgrove, EJ, et al. Genome Diversity and the Origin of the Arabian Horse. Sci Rep. 2020 Jun 16;10(1):9702. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by/4.0/
variation within that single genome. Mean heterozygosity values for other lineage subgroups include Poland (32%), Multi-origin ancestry (32%), Bahrain/Syria/Tunisia (31%), and Saudi Arabia (30%). Story #2, Part 2 – Complex ancestry in the Arabian breed To dig deeper into the story of genetic diversity within the Arabian breed, we shift from the use of SNPs to construct PCA Plots, which identify relatedness among groups — to the use of SNPs to construct a STRUCTURE Plot (Figure 4, below), which indicates genetic ancestry of individuals within a group. Similar to DNA ancestry reporting done in humans, the STRUCTURE Program calculates the proportion of an individual’s genome that originates from each of the genetically distinct source groups included in the analysis. The benefit of this type of plot is that it provides a look at genome diversity and ancestry at different levels.
Figure 4 (STRUCTURE Plot). Individual lineages of the Arabian breed display complex ancestry. STRUCTURE cluster assignments are plotted for number of clusters K = 2, 5, 8, and 11 (top to bottom panels). Each cluster in a given analysis (panel) is represented by a separate color. The plotted 312 samples represent Arabian breed subgroups as well as Turkemen, Icelandic and Thoroughbred breeds. The purple bar and asterisk mark the cluster of multi-origin samples showing shared ancestry with Thoroughbred samples. Cosgrove, EJ, et al. Genome Diversity and the Origin of the Arabian Horse. Sci Rep. 2020 Jun 16;10(1):9702. http://creativecommons. org/licenses/by/4.0/
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To read a STRUCTURE Plot, each column represents an individual horse and each color represents a source group defined only by the DNA marker data and the computational analysis. A column with a single color indicates simple ancestry, while multiple colors in a column indicates complex ancestry. The basic concept is SNPs occur at different frequencies in different populations and have their own patterns of distribution among breeds and breed sub-groups. By analyzing horses included in Figure 3 (PCA Plot B), clusters of genetic similarity were identified, with each cluster assigned a different color. The K designations refer to the number of clusters selected for evaluation, i.e. K=2 means inclusion of two ancestral groups (colors), K=4 means inclusion of four ancestral groups, etc. For this study, the computer identified 11 clusters across the group of horses examined as the mostly likely description of the diversity captured in this group. Figure 4 (STRUCTURE Plot) demonstrates horses from Syria, Bahrain, Tunisia, and a portion of the Iran Arabians show complex ancestry, meaning there is a high level of genetic diversity. Conversely, the Straight Egyptian and Polish groups are quite homogenous, indicating a lack of genetic diversity created by historically closed and focused breeding programs. As K values increase, the components of ancestral origin can be seen for the various Arabian lineage subgroups. This type of visualization is valuable for better understanding breed ancestry and origin, especially when trying to identify ancestral components for purposes of preservation. When thinking about the establishment of Arabian horse breeding programs outside the cradle countries, the homogeneity seen in the plot for the Egyptian and Polish sub-groups makes sense. Even with the volumes of information written about the diaspora of the Arabian horse from its ancestral homeland, only a small number of horses left; most of the population stayed in the region. This sets the stage for the difference in levels of genetic diversity found in the global subpopulations of the Arabian horse. This loss of genetic diversity has been driven by 1) the limited number of exported horses (founder animals), and 2) strong selection by breeders to achieve a specific ‘breed standard’ that was developed outside of the Arabian horse’s native region. Since source groups of ancestry can be much older than the formation of breeds, the STRUCTURE Plot can also indicate the amount of historic shared ancestry between breeds. For comparison purposes, several out-groups were added to the analysis, including samples from Turkemen, Icelandic and Thoroughbred horses. The Turkemen grouping included Akhal-Tekes, as well as horses from the closely related Yamut breed. Not surprisingly, the Thoroughbred and geographically isolated Icelandic breed appear relatively homogenous. Of great significance, this study identified Arabian horses from homeland countries that clustered with the Arabian breed but carried expanded genetic diversity. These horses show higher levels of variation, compared to the progeny of exported Arabians in other regions of the world. In particular, the Syrian, Bahraini, Tunisian and Persian (Irani) subgroups evaluated in this project displayed what the paper describes as “a high degree of genetic variation and complex ancestry” (see Figure 5, below). The paper also notes this finding is supported by previous work from other research groups that detected higher genetic diversity in Arabian horses from the Middle East than elsewhere. At first glance, these STRUCTURE Plots can be mistakenly interpreted as meaning ‘complex ancestry’ is akin to being a ‘mutt’. However, a population’s center of diversity is one estimate of its point of origin; prior to tight selection for breed creation or going through a genetic bottleneck, there is a lot of genetic diversity [see sidebar]. As noted in the paper, “these desert-bred Arabian horses have a diversity of physical characteristics and increased genetic diversity typical of a landrace; this includes the breed’s ability to thrive in a hot, dry environment. Yet, these horses still clearly cluster genetically with other modern Arabians. The increased diversity seen in these subgroups is consistent with a Middle Eastern origin for the modern Arabian horse.” While some clusters are readily identifiable, for some multiancestry horses there are large proportions of the genome that do not yet have a historical label. To put it another way, at this point, some of the colors shown (i.e. dusty rose and periwinkle) have not yet been associated with a single modern population. They may be rare, inaccessible, or possibly extinct. Another cluster of interest, that is also not yet identified, is the ‘chocolate brown’ group — which is important for many of the older racing Arabian lines that do not show as much Thoroughbred admixture. The chocolate brown cluster also shares ancestry with some small proportions of the Thoroughbred genomes. Hopefully, further study will yield additional information to see where these clusters fit in the origin of the Arabian breed and shared ancestry with other breeds. From Plots to Practical Applications Having had a quick journey through some of the storylines of the study, how can this information be effectively used by Arabian horse breeders? What is genetic diversity and why does it matter?
Figure 5: High-diversity Arabian breed sub-groups
Genetic diversity is a measure of variation that can be used as an indicator of the genetic health of a breed or individual, including potential impacts on the immune system and reproductive fitness, and incidence of inherited disease.
Image courtesy of Dr. Samantha Brooks, as adapted from Cosgrove et al. 2020. 18
The challenge for any breed, from the time of its establishment, is loss of genetic diversity has already begun. This loss comes from numerous factors, with the foremost being the concept of ‘artificial selection’, where only a limited number of specifically chosen animals are used for breeding. Additional causes include selection pressure for specific traits desired in the breed, closed populations, genetic drift, historical genetic bottlenecks, inbreeding, and the Popular Sire Effect. Small closed groups are especially impacted, so working to maintain beneficial genetic diversity among a breed’s subgroups is critical. o Genetic drift is a change in the frequency of a gene, owing to chance rather than selection. Population size influences both the rate of genetic drift, and the likelihood of inbreeding in the population; small groups tend to lose genetic diversity more quickly than large ones. Additionally, smaller population size means individuals are more likely to breed with close relatives. Notably, in small closed groups individuals will be more closely related to each other, compared to individuals in the previous generation. This results in both inbreeding and drift reducing genetic diversity. o Genetic load is the presence of unfavorable alleles in a population, which decreases the fitness of the average individual. Although deleterious recessive alleles exist in all groups and each individual, increased inbreeding raises the chance of any single individual inheriting two genes at a locus from a common ancestor. Since recessive alleles are exposed by homozygosity, narrowing a program to aim at a specific goal is a double-edged sword; more type consistent foals are produced, but heterozygosity is reduced, and this can bring to light harmful recessive traits. Inevitably, when the allele frequency gets high enough, carrier to carrier matings will occur. While judicious use of genetic testing can eliminate the production of foals affected by some heritable diseases, only a small number of genetic disorders are currently testable. o Two individuals with identical pedigrees may not have the same genetic load. All domestic species carry genetic load and have some level of inbreeding, but these levels will be influenced by breeding decisions. Breeders working in small closed groups need to take pedigree, conformation, and health into consideration. Using health as a selection criterion brings a heterozygous advantage, helping to keep DNA based inbreeding coefficients level.
Complex Ancestry and Breed Origins While the Arabian horse is a domesticated breed, it also shows some historic landrace characteristics. A landrace is “a local variety of a species having distinctive characteristics arising from development and adaptation over time to conditions of a localized geographic region and typically displaying greater genetic diversity than types subjected to formal breeding practices.” A breed is “a group related by descent from common ancestors and visibly similar in most characteristics.” The differentiation between the two is useful when viewing the origins of the modern-day Arabian horse. From its beginnings, the Arabian horse has been a horse of utility. The focus of Bedouin Arab horse breeders was production of horses able to survive the severe living conditions of the region and that were fast, and therefore good for raiding. In combination with the camel, the horse was an integral part of the daily life and survival of the Bedouin. Because this functionality was the desired goal, a variety of physical types are found among Bedouin-bred horses. In other words, selecting for a single physical type was not part of the Bedouin breeding tradition. For interpreting genetic diversity and complex ancestry data, it is helpful to view original desert-bred foundation stock through the lens of being more of a landrace, rather than a breed. For some correlation to studies on human genetic diversity: There is greater genetic diversity in Africa than in the rest of the world combined, due to only small samples of human genetic diversity having been represented in migration out of Africa. Of particular interest, the Khoisan people from Southern Africa have the greatest nuclear-genetic diversity among all human populations. This same concept applies to the Arabian horse, with genetic diversity being greater in the cradle countries than in countries outside the region. Similarly, only a small number of Arabian horses were exported, with most of the population remaining in the region. • An important take home point is homozygosity does not equal ‘breed purity’. In fact, this skewed concept of ‘purity’ is directly at odds with horses in the Middle East exhibiting increased genetic diversity and complex ancestry. • As mentioned in this article’s opening, the Arabian horse is intimately connected to the physical environment of its native region and the culture of the Bedouin Arab horse breeders. The Arab Bedouin tribes defined ‘Arabian horse’ and that definition was based on a framework steeped in their cultural values. An entire series of articles can be written on the Bedouin notion of authenticity and the standards of rasan (strain) and the marbat. The origins of the breed must be viewed within these parameters and not from a Western idea of ‘purity of blood’ — an idea that originated as a religious construct, then morphed into a racial ideology. From a Bedouin perspective, the notion of breed purity is more cultural than genetic, and this perspective must be the primary consideration.
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How does this impact the Al Khamsa Arabian horse? Arabian horse breeders, especially those interested in preservation of Al Khamsa horses, want to maintain rare alleles and heterozygosity in these unique groups, both in the Middle East and abroad. The remarkable genetic diversity found in the cradle countries suggests these geographically defined populations may contain valuable archives of ancient ancestry. As described in the paper, “The application of modern breeding techniques, such as artificial insemination, is producing an international pedigree of modern Arabian horses marked by genetic homogenization, and in some cases, severe inbreeding. ... This emphasizes the critical need for more detailed studies of genomic diversity in native Arabian horses in order to enable conservation efforts and manage inbreeding in at-risk subgroups.” As such, this makes understanding the breed’s genetic diversity and the relationships among Arabian horse subgroups an important subject for breeders. From a slightly different vantage point — most wild species are fixed for the traits that define how that species looks, but overall genetic variation is vital for survival of the species. This is a lesson that carries over to Arabian horse breeding. While homogeneity brings more predictability and consistency in phenotype, it also increases the likelihood of expression of deleterious recessive traits. So, breeders need to seek a balance in selection for desired phenotype, while maintaining healthy variation in other genes. Genomic studies are bringing about new ways of looking at not only the DNA history of the Arabian horse, but also other breeds. While some of the results may be unexpected, DNA is not the entire story. DNA can help in connecting the past to the present, but the charismatic desert-Arabian horse should first and foremost be appreciated through the lens of the environment that shaped its development and the culture of its original custodian. Good science leads to more questions and as our understanding of the background of the Arabian horse expands, further questions will arise. For breeders, the information gained from these genomic studies can be used to assist in guiding decisions regarding their breeding programs and the preservation of rare bloodlines. For the breed, the value of these genomic tools is their use by breeders to assist in making decisions that will maintain the quality and health of the Arabian horse. Acknowledgements:
Special thank you to Dr. Samantha Brooks, Dr. Doug Antczak, Scott Benjamin and Jeanne Craver References: 1. Cosgrove, EJ, et al.: Genome Diversity and the Origin of the Arabian Horse. Sci Rep. 2020 Jun 16;10(1):9702. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-66232-1. https:// pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32546689/ 2. Olsen, S. & Culbertson, C.: A gift from the desert: the art, history, and culture of the Arabian horse. (Kentucky Horse Park, 2010). 3. Bowling, A.T.: Genetics of the Horse. in Evans, J. W. [ed.] Horse Breeding and Management. 1992, Elsevier, New York, pp. 207–236. 4. Mackintosh-Smith, T.: Arabs: A 3,000-Year History of Peoples, Tribes and Empires. 2020, Yale University Press. 5. Lambert, CA & Tishkoff, SA.: Genetic structure in African populations: implications for human demographic history. Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol. 2009;74:395-402. doi: 10.1101/sqb.2009.74.053. 6. Kim, et al.: Khoisan hunter-gatherers have been the largest population throughout most of modern-human demographic history. Nat Comm. 2014 Dec 4;5:5692. doi: 10.1038/ncomms6692. 7. Al Khamsa Arabians III. Ed. by Al Khamsa, Inc. 2008 Edition, Al Khamsa, Inc. 8. Ghanim, Y. The Arabian Horse Manifesto – A Draft for Discussion. February 27, 2021. Daughters of the Wind Blog. http://daughterofthewind.org/ thearabian-horse-manifesto-a-draft-for-discussion/
Library of Congress, Matson Collection
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Preserving the Future. Enhancing the Present. WC Sir Habbas Azeer
Sir Habbas Pasha x Axioms Maarineress 2017 Straight Egyptian Stallion
Nichole Grodski westcreekarabians@gmail.com
Babsoninfluence.com 21
hawk point, mo, usa
631-879-1502
Sahanad Preservation Farm Est. in 2006. We are dedicated to preserving Al Khamsa/Sahanad bloodlines with the rare elements of Hamidie, Huntington as well as Davenport and *Turfa bloodlines. We focus on temperament, athletic ability and desert type. Visit our website for more information. www.sahanadpreservation.com Contact Sarah Clower for more information: Phone: 304-851-7401 Email: sahanadpreservationfarm@gmail.com
Jadah Cassiah 100% Davenport Mare with our Autistic son Landon.
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Al Aaqib Al Zamet (Ashaal Al Rayyan x Muniah), grey, 16hh, was imported from Germany , is the ultimate choice for breeders looking to add true size, movement and suspension to their dressage/Sporthorse program. He is an International Stallion relatively unknown in the USA. He stood at Al Zobair Farms in UAE , was head stallion at the Babolna Stud in Hungary , privately leased in Denmark and has International Champions in Norway and elsewhere in Europe. Along with outstanding temperament, Aaqib adds size, suspension and beauty, as seen in his progeny. A perfect outcross choice for Marwan offspring and the Egyptian/Polish “Golden Cross” for Sporthorses. He throws that extra charisma that has made him a desirable International stallion. NOW available for limited breedings in the USA. We are excited to offer this rare opportunity to the public at Medicine Horse Farm in beautiful Minden, NV at the base of Lake Tahoe in the . Inquires welcome. Fresh and frozen semen available. SCID clear. $1,500 LFG to approved mares. Multiple mare Discounts.
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Al Aaqib Al Zamet Medicine Horse Farm Dr. Ben and Stacie Weigler Painturpony@gmail.com
Pritzlaff Stallion at Stud
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Preserving the Abbas Pasha Heritage, Part II by Bev Davison
The SpiritWind Horses SpiritWind Desert Arabians, LLC 1991-2021 Update Part I of this article presented a glimpse into the genesis of the Babson/Doyle group and the passion involved in maintaining its duration over 60-plus years. These unique Arabian horses represent a deep and rich heritage, tracing to the finest of the old-world Desert blood — blood that reaches far beyond its current labels. Much of this heritage was ensured by Egyptian ruler Abbas Pasha I (1848–1854), and later through those who followed, inspired by his meticulous breeding values. Today, what remains of that ancient Desert blood continues to be preserved in high concentrations within the Babson/Doyle-bred horses.1 Genetic expression is multifaceted and complicated. The genetic diversity and depth of this unique group were introduced in Part I. Part II provides a visual journey through the history of today’s blood and its links to the ancestors whose influences are most apparent. The Babson/Doyle horses are a perfect blend of “WarHorse” and “TentDweller,” superb working animals with family presence and an Old World flair that captures the eye of any would-be horse-loving partner. The physical appearance, temperament, and personality of this group, paired with what is known of the following ancestors, personify the essence of this ancient Desert blood. Its availability keeps us connected to another time. The specific ancestor horses included below represent what I see as the primary influencers in the blending of these old jewels of ancestry, today recognized as tracing from the Blunt, Brown, Babson, Pritzlaff and Doyle breeding programs. These individual horses are not by any means alone in their influence, but they are worthy of specific highlight. The intensity and purity of this old blood speak clearly generation after generation, especially when the physical resemblances over time are unmistakable. Some ancestors influence directly, others more indirectly, but their specific contributions are present without question once you know what you are looking for. The obvious influence of one ancestor does not imply that the influence of others is omitted. For this reason, you may notice some horses featured within multiple sections. The hope is that the following photo series will start to illuminate these concepts and deepen the appreciation for this diverse and precious blood. Mesaoud Mesaoud (Aziz x Yemameh), 1887 Chestnut Stallion: Bred by Ali Pasha Sherif and purchased by the Blunts as a two-year-old to be used in both their Sheykh Obeyd Stud in Egypt and their Crabbet Park Stud in England. Upon Mesaoud’s arrival to the Blunt’s Crabbet Stud, this was his entry into their herd-book: “[Mesaoud is] a bright chestnut with four white feet and blaze, a mark of white under his chin, also group of white hairs under his jowl. Beautiful head and ears, very fine shoulder, great depth in front of girth, powerful quarter, large hocks and knees, and remarkably deep cut sinews. Very fine mover, fast walker and trott er. Tail set on very high and carried magnificently. Dark line along back. Ht. 14.2½, girth 69”, below knee 7¾”.2 His presence and influence in today’s horses are significant and amazingly abundant. Here is a look at his early presence in the Doyle and Babson root stock, expressed in the number of appearances in their pedigrees: Gulida – seven times; Nusi – five times; Ghadaf – three times; *Bint Bint Sabbah – two times; *Bint Serra I – one time; *Fadl/*Maaroufa – 0, but they do share earlier lineage through Bint Yamama and her dam, the 1872 grey mare, Yemameh (APS); *Bint Bint Durra – 0, but she also shares related lineage through the 1876 chestnut stallion Aziz (APS); and *Bint Saada – 0, who shares lineage through the 1880 grey stallion Saklawi I (APS). It is important to keep in mind that the shared genetic heritage provided within these numbers and back through time is more important than the mere number of appearances on paper. Here, Mesaoud’s likeness is demonstrated in the 1998 chestnut Babson/Doyle stallion Sierra Cheyenne, or “Dude.” He is of the rare Fay-El-Dine sire line and owned by Chris Mellen in Utah. He is still available for stud service to the public at age 23. His potential
Part I of this article is in Khamsat Vol. 31 No. 3.
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influence from Mesaoud appears in an impressive 186 crosses compounded over 111 years (to the best of my calculations)! Sierra Cheyenne, like his paternal grandsire Sierra Sand, is a solid 15.2h masculine creature, yet is handled daily by a barely 110-pound woman — including for breeding and riding.
Left, Mesaoud (APS), 14.2 1/2h, 1887 chestnut stallion, Aziz (APS) x Yemameh (APS), 100% Abbas Pasha (AP). Center, Sierra Sand 15.2h 1967 chestnut stallion, Mahrouss x Gulnara, owned by Rich-Mar Arabians, 66.26% AP. Right, Sierra Cheyenne 15.2h 1998 chestnut stallion, Sierra Sandarac x Sally-O-Doyle, owned by Chris Mellen, BjDavison photo, 64.45% AP.
*Rodan *Rodan (Harb x *Rose of Sharon), 1906 Chestnut Stallion: *Rodan, a 15.1½ h, 980-pound chestnut, was bred at Crabbet Stud and imported in utero by Colonel Spencer Borden in 1905. Later, in 1918, he was purchased by W.R. Brown of the Maynesboro Stud, along with the remainder of Spencer Borden’s herd. He was one of the first Arabian stallions purchased to be used as a sire of half-Arabians in the U.S. Army Remount program, contributing attributes he demonstrated in feats such as this: “In 1913, Colonel Spencer Borden and the Morgan Horse Club sponsored a long-distance weight-carrying test trial, a distance of 154 miles in two days with speed alone to count, and of the nine entries, *Rodan placed fourth overall with a time of 30 hours, 40 minutes, and carrying a weight load of 160 pounds. What was more remarkable was that *Rodan, without prior conditioning, trekked all the way to the test from Interlachen and back to the starting point for a total of 507 miles in 10 days (including some rest time). Condition: Excellent.”3 *Rodan sired Gulnare (1914 grey mare) who was the dam of both Ghadaf (1929 chestnut stallion) and Gulastra (1924 chestnut stallion), the latter of whom sired Gulida (1939 chestnut mare), and Nusi (1928 chestnut stallion). Ghadaf, Gulida and Nusi are all cornerstones of the Doyle breeding program. *Rodan is not present in the Babson imports, but the Doyle and Babson horses share common lineage from him much earlier in their heritage through Bint Yamama (KDV), 1895 grey mare, and her dam Yemameh (APS), 1872 grey mare. Bint Yamama, incidentally, is a half-sibling to Mesaoud. Additionally, *Rodan is a grandson of Mesaoud through Harb. Clearly, *Rodan is a key individual. In modern references, the 2007 chestnut stallion Subanet Jabbar SDA carries 45.25% Babson breeding and 54.75% Doyle breeding, representing a fairly balanced mix of historical influence, yet the photo similarities between *Rodan and Jabbar are striking at 101 years apart! Subanet Jabbar SDA reflects the first and only direct combination of the three initial foundation horses in the SpiritWind effort: Sierra Sandarac (Sierra Sand x Sierra Sable), Bint Sierra SS (Parnell x Sierra Summersong), and Bint Bint Subani (Ibn Saafaddan x Bint Subani). This is significant because it brought together three distinct and unique combinations of this type of breeding, offering variety in the genetic options for future progeny. Jabbar’s natural big walk and fast extended trot are reminders of the wellhoned attributes that this group has for Endurance. He is in Idaho and available for live cover or shipped cooled semen. 25
Top, *Rodan 1906 chestnut stallion, Harb (BLT) x *Rose of Sharon, 1927 Maynesboro Catalog photo, 50% AP. Below: Subanet Jabbar SDA 2007 chestnut stallion, Summer Sonnet SDA x Bint Bint Subani, BjDavison photo, 63.94% AP.
*Bint Serra I *Bint Serra I, 1923 Bay Mare: (Sotamm (BLT) x Serra (BLT)) Babson import. At 75% Abbas Pasha heritage, *Bint Serra I is the primary link between the Babson and Doyle groups for this source. Her presence is a foundation that is undeniably influential in the blood of today’s herd. Her sire Sotamm (not Sottam) was sired by *Astraled, a well-known son of Mesaoud. Sotamm also links to Ghazieh (Mesaoud’s granddam) through Sotamm’s dam, Selma (BLT), and her dam Sobha (APS), whose sire Wazir (APS), 1863 grey stallion, was a full sibling to Mesaoud’s dam Yemameh (APS). It is a lot to comprehend, but the point is that there is great reason to merge what currently appears simply to be two separate groups of more modern family-name labels and breeding. Research shows that the mere presence of an animal in a pedigree does not directly translate into a simple predictable influence, as in the coefficient of inbreeding (CoI) concept, but instead is much more complex! The real truth of what actually is shared genetically can only be explored through a look into the genomes, and this data suggests that not only is it complex but also that influences over long periods of time may indeed be present and maintaining a contribution.4 The cascade of this ancient and asil heritage from *Bint Serra I is a great blend of both common ancestry and diversity.
*Bint Serra I, 1923 bay mare, Sotamm (BLT) x Serra (BLT), bred by Prince Kamal al-Din, Elliott S. (Jack) Humphrey photo, 75% AP.
Frustratingly, the photos of *Bint Serra I reflect an image of a horse that is known here in the flesh only on occasion. It seems to appear in young, immature stock, and by the time they mature other features become more prevalent. As a result, there are no striking images in adult form from Babson/Doyle stock that seem to be a clear comparison to share here. Visuals of ancestors in a pedigree are great tools in breeding decisions; good, bad, or indifferent. They are a reminder of the importance of preserving hard-copy images, even video, of today’s horses. They are the ancestors of tomorrow. It is important to give a glimpse into the past, long after the horses and those who knew them are gone. Many photos distort or unfavorably highlight in odd angles or lighting, consequently it is greatly appreciated when there are numerous examples to view and compare. Often, descriptions are significantly more enlightening than photos. *Bint Serra I’s dam, Serra, was described by the highly respected Dr. A.E. Branch, Director of the Royal Agriculture Society (RAS) of Egypt. He considered her “the best mare he had ever seen, a flawless pearl.”5 *Bint Serra I herself was described as “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.” 6
Serra (BLT), 1915 grey mare (aged and heavy in foal), Sahab (APS) x Jemla (BLT), Elliott S. (Jack) Humphrey photo, 100% AP.
*Bint Serra I’s concentrated presence has undoubtedly influenced the generations that followed in both straight Babson and Babson/Doyle breeding. Despite good blood and good intentions, time sometimes alters the course. Joe Ferriss elaborates on the eventual loss of the *Bint Serra I blood as a tail female presence: “Over time the tail female line to Bint Serra I failed to continue via daughters within the straight Babson breeding program. It was Bint Serra’s sons Fay-El-Dine and Fa-Serr who became prolific and popular sires carrying on Serra’s influence at the Babson Farm. Often Fa-Serr would be bred to daughters of Fay-El-Dine thereby doubling the influence of Serra.” 7
It is this intensified lineage through *Bint Serra I’s son Fa-Serr that provides the most apparent link to her presence and the fusion of the Abbas Pasha genetic influence brought forward today within the Babson/Doyle stock. (See Fa-Serr section below.) In addition, the influence of her other son (and full brother to Fa-Serr) Fay-El-Dine is also present in tail-male heritage within the Babson/Doyle group. This sire line is now nearly extinct elsewhere and is, sadly, completely lost within the straight Babson breeding. 26
Gulastra Gulastra (*Astraled x Gulnare), 1924 Chestnut Stallion: “Good himself from the best blood that produces better than himself,” according to Albert Harris.8 Bred by W.R. Brown, the 14.3h Gulastra sired a total of 117 purebred foals and became the greatest producer of the Mesaoud line in the United States. Both during his lifetime and to the present day, Gulastra was a horse of great influence worldwide. He was recognized for his presence in the show ring, and still today, horses with his influence excel in various working and sport activities, particularly in Endurance. He was noted to have a fast flatfooted walk with lots of impulsion, a trait he passed on to his foals and something experienced in the SpiritWind horses as well. Suzi Morris of Arieana Arabians shared these details of Gulastra’s unique characteristics: “Purchased by General J.M. Dickinson and moved to Dickinson’s Travelers Rest Farm in Tennessee where he was highly regarded as the sire of quality foals with excellent dispositions. Peggy Fleming (General Dickinson’s daughter) also recalled in a personal communication that Gulastra was schooled by her father’s old groom in five gaits (walk, trot, canter, running walk or slow gait, and rack) and was able to present them quite creditably, winning prizes at the five gaits in horse shows, and that Gulastra was ‘...very showy and willing, never a problem in any way.’ (Fleming, May 14-17, 2002).”9 Denny Tirral, owner of Binis (1944 chestnut stallion) a son of Islam (1939 chestnut stallion), who was a direct son of Gulastra, shares this description: “Describing Islam is much like giving a run-down of his sire, Gulastra. The head was of good classic type, excellent prominent bone structure throughout, eyes well placed and large, ears small and well placed, and the head going into a fine long neck with a light throatlatch, enabling him to use himself with perfection. Shoulders long and well layed [sic] back, and good withers. The top line was very good, and the croup of the most desired type being very flat with tail coming off high and gay. His legs were square, true, and absolutely straight throughout. Personality and temperament, he inherited from his sire in full measure. A hot horse with loads of presence and fire, yet a sweet guy and easy to handle. One of the foremost characteristics of Gulastra bred horses is some kind of unexplained desire or tendency to be the fellow ‘up front’, high man on the totem pole, and be as it may absolutely supreme.”10
Top, Gulastra, 1924 chestnut stallion, *Astraled x Gulnare, Maynesboro photo, 62.5% AP. Left, Maloof Hassan, 1984 chestnut stallion, Kaerconan x Devlin, Bruce Maloof photo, 64.05% AP. Center, SpiritWind Hassana, 2007 chestnut mare, Maloof Hassan x Sand Dancer SDA, BjDavison photo, 64.07% AP. Right, Mandalay Wind SDA, 2019 chestnut stallion, Mandalay DE x SpiritWind Hassana, BjDavison photo, 64.17% AP.
His intelligent, bold, forward personality is treasured here. The SpiritWind horses all have a lot of “go” and possess a confident work ethic like no other, but they also fit the description of being “yet a sweet guy and easy to handle.” Amazingly, Gulastra appears 62 times in the pedigree of the 2019 chestnut stallion Mandalay Wind SDA (Mandalay DE x SpiritWind Hassana). At 87.5% Doyle breeding and with the resultant strong Gulastra influence and considering the potential depth and balance from this genetic material, Mandalay Wind SDA’s contribution to the maintenance of this fascinating old Desert blood is greatly anticipated. Fa-Serr Fa-Serr (*Fadl x *Bint Serra I), 1947 Black Babson Stallion: Fa-Serr was a direct son of the influential *Bint Serra I, yet noteworthy on his own. In 1955, he was named Champion Stallion at Halter at one of the most prestigious shows of the time, the Chicago Livestock Show. Considered “one of the rare, good blacks,”11 he was used heavily, with many show records also earned by his offspring and beyond. 27
While having the Babson horses present in the show world was good for business, both Henry Babson and his Farm Manager, Homer Watson, personally considered the Babson horses “doing” horses. Fa-Serr’s sire, *Fadl, was known to pull a hay rake, and the mares pulled the manure spreader.12 Known for their “in the tent” temperament and all-around utility and sport attributes, the Babson horses’ influence is a gift to the Babson/Doyle group. Walter Schimanski, a well-known Babson breeder, shared his first impression of Fa-Serr: “I will never forget the day I saw Fa-Serr. It was my first visit to the huge cypress show barn. Seeing him has such an impact that I can still picture him in my mind’s eye, just as if it were only yesterday. Fa-Serr was standing quietly in the stall looking out of the window, his head turned away from me. Even in this position I could see his huge black eyes protruding from his head. His tail was always held in a high arch, even as he stood quietly. When he was led outside for me to photograph, his blue-black coat gleamed as he pranced around Homer Watson. He was the blackest horse I have ever seen. He set himself up naturally, arching and stretching his neck to an advantage, He was an elegant, typey, exotic and obviously loved old gentleman. It was one of those horse thrills one never forgets.”13 The likeness of Fa-Serr is seen and appreciated here regularly in his many descendants. The 2020 filly Ginger Snap SDA (Subanet Jabbar SDA x DA Ginger Moon) is an example of the Pritzlaff, Babson and Doyle blend. She is powerfully built in the Fa-Serr manner and bold, curious, intelligent, colorfully marked with unique white splashes, topped off with a bit of a “war mare” attitude.
Fa-Serr, 1947 black stallion, *Fadl x *Bint Serra I, Arabian Horse Trust photo, 69.53% AP.
Left to right, Bint Sierra SS, 1981 chestnut mare, Parnell x Sierra Summersong, BjDavison photo, 65.07% AP. Summer Sonnet SDA, 1997 chestnut stallion, Sierra Sandarac x Bint Sierra SS, BjDavison photo, 65.39% AP. Subanet Jabbar SDA, 2007 chestnut stallion, Summer Sonnet SDA x Bint Bint Subani, BjDavison photo, 63.94% AP. Ginger Snap SDA, 2020 chestnut mare, Subanet Jabbar SDA x DA Ginger Moon, BjDavison photo, 61.72% AP.
As a four-month-old, only occasionally seen at her mother’s side, Ginger Snap objected to new mommas and their babies “moving in” to her space. She boldly chased and did her best to threaten them to leave, even turning on her haunches to imply she would kick or take on an adult mare. It was quite the show of confidence, bravery, and attitude. Fortunately, the co-mingling mother mares did not take her too seriously and they are all now happy to share their hay peaceably! Subani Subani (Ghadaf x Im Gulnar), 1955 Chestnut Doyle Stallion: A favorite and prevalent influencer in this group, Subani was bred by Dr. J.L. Doyle and left the Doyle farm by age five. He moved through three owners and bred several mares over those years. Cattleman Jerry Smith was drawn to Subani, seeing him for the first time at a show in Colorado. He later acquired his son Bani. He described Subani’s physical appearance: “He was a bright sorrel with a blaze face and white stockings with a somewhat flaxen mane and tail… He was an extremely well-balanced horse with absolutely straight legs, long hip well stifled, good withers, good bone and a pleasing head with a large eye.”14 28
Deborah Hawley, who owned him for 14 years, had this to say of Subani’s personality, “…he was always a joy: good natured, patient, he did it all…parades, trail rides, horse shows, searching for horses that escaped into the hills, climbing out of a ditch we had both fallen into through no fault on his part, to having my father wade him out of shoulder deep water when the Riverside stable where we kept him flooded. He was ever trusting and patient with those who handled him — a true gentleman.”15 Subani’s influence was mainly brought forward through two daughters: Maloof Sahara and Bint Subani, and her two daughters Yasmin Khanum DC and Bint Bint Subani. The latter became a foundation mare for SpiritWind. Subani’s presence and influence are treasured in the Babson/Doyle group. GulastraSpirit SDA (2000 chestnut mare) aka “Gus”, a daughter of Bint Bint Subani, and a great granddaughter of Subani, has added two daughters to the group: Summer Sonatina SDA (2007 chestnut mare), and Tanami Sand SDA
Top: Subani, 1955 chestnut stallion, Ghadaf x Im Gulnar, 62.7% AP. Left to right: Bint Subani, 1979 chestnut mare, Subani x Dolly-O-Doyle, 63.78% AP. With foal Paul Maud Dib. Bint Bint Subani, 1983 chestnut mare, Ibn Saafaddan x Bint Subani, BjDavison photo, 62.49% AP. With foal Bint Sandarac SDA. GulastraSpirit SDA, 2000 chestnut mare, Sierra Sandarac x Bint Bint Subani, BjDavison photo, 64.01% AP. Kinza al-Arab, 2019 chestnut mare, Subanet Jabbar SDA x DA Ginger Moon, BjDavison photo, 61.72% AP.
(2019 chestnut mare), and as of April 12, 2021, her first colt sired by Maarakesh (Babson/Hallany Mistanny breeding), which will be her second foal after colic surgery. Another filly, the 2019 chestnut Kinza Al Arab, owned by Edouard Al-Dahdah, is sired by Subanet Jabbar SDA (a Bint Bint Subani son) and out of DA Ginger Moon. Her breeding is Babson/Doyle combined with Pritzlaff. Neither of her parents strikingly represent the Subani phenotype, but she does. She is a granddaughter of and, without question, in the likeness of Bint Bint Subani. Seasoned breeders will acknowledge that genetic expression often appears to skip a generation. Kinza is testament to this. The 1955 chestnut stallion Subani’s willing and capable demeanor, as well as his “chrome,” are clearly present in his descendants today. Bint Gulida Bint Gulida (Ghadaf x Gulida), 1956 Chestnut Doyle Mare: Within the current Babson/Doyle lines, Bint Gulida is found in the pedigree of the 2019 Babson/ Doyle-bred colt Mandalay Wind SDA. He is sired by the Doyle stallion Mandalay DE (Huntington Doyle x Maloof Hadiya) and out of the Babson/Doyle mare SpiritWind Hassana (Maloof Hassan x Sand Dancer SDA). It is fun to note here that SpiritWind Hassana is fifth-generation Saqlawi Jidran of Ibn Sudan, pure in the strain, and her son is sixth generation!
Bint Gulida, 1956 chestnut mare, Ghadaf x Gulida, Wentworth Tellington photo, 64.45% AP.
Despite the lack of Bint Gulida’s presence in the pedigrees of the majority of the Babson/Doyle horses, her physical likeness (phenotype) is very present. The pedigree influence of her dam, Gulida (1939 chestnut mare), however, is well represented. This is another example of noting the influence of the blood (genome information) and not simply what is on paper. Here are some examples in number of times Gulida appears in the pedigrees of current SpiritWind horses: GulastraSpirit SDA – ten 29
times, Summer Sonatina SDA – 19 times, Tanami Sand SDA – 26 times. It would be interesting to do a genomic comparison with these two mares and the modern descendants! The Doyle mare Bint Gulida (Ghadaf x Gulida) was an outstanding Endurance horse, which should not come as a surprise for a Gulastra granddaughter. She remains highlighted as one of Linda-Tellington Jones’s historical moments in her long and successful career: “In 1961, Linda Tellington-Jones won the Jim Shoulders 100-Mile Endurance Ride in Oklahoma an astonishing five hours and 30 minutes ahead of the second-place rider. Her Arabian mare, Bint Gulida, received the Best Condition award in the event. That same year she rode the mare to a Tevis top-10 completion, something unheard of in that era.”16 Susan Mayo, former assistant instructor to Tellington-Jones, was present at the Jim Shoulders endurance ride and had this summation of Bint Gulida: “She was a real endurance horse, never wearing out, but she was not affectionate or as personable as so many Desert Arabians are.”17 Bint Gulida’s endurance prowess was historic. This genetic influence is intensely woven into these lines throughout the SpiritWind horses, and in time, the hope is to have representatives of today’s youngsters out on the Endurance trails again to demonstrate the attributes of this heritage.
Left to right, GulastraSpirit SDA, 2000 chestnut mare, Sierra Sandarac x Bint Bint Subani, BjDavison photo, 64.10% AP. Summer Sonatina SDA, 2007 chestnut mare, Summer Sonnet SDA x GulastraSpirit SDA, BjDavison photo, 64.74% AP. Tanami Sand SDA, 2019 chestnut mare, Sierra Cheyenne x GulastraSpirit SDA, BjDavison photo, 64.27% AP.
Saafaddan Saafaddan (Faddan x Saaba), 1958 Bay Babson Stallion: Photos of Saafaddan have always captivated me. When the 1994 bay Babson/Doyle stallion Sanda FaaBani SDA (Sierra Sandarac x Bint Bint Subani) was born, I knew instantly that he was in the likeness of this ancestor, and his name reflected my thoughts on that. This powerful description by Joe Ferriss of Sanda FaaBani SDA’s maternal grandsire, Ibn Saafaddan (a Saafaddan son), gives some insight into both of their characters: “He had a very sensitive temperament but an excellent disposition.”18 Sanda FaaBani SDA is a dear, sweet soul with a keen awareness and intelligence. He has an elite sensitivity that raises the wind in his mane if something seems amiss. He is a mix of a completely trusting partner and one whose spirit is akin to attempting to hold the wind in your hand. To ride him is an elite and exhilarating experience and something beyond words. It includes descriptors such as powerful, effortless, fluid, floaty, elastic, big, willing, forward, smooth, confident. It’s an experience similar to imagining yourself on a fantasy dragon that responds to your mere thoughts — like riding the wind! He is currently 27 years young, enjoying life with his own herd of six SpiritWind mares, and getting back out under saddle.
Saafaddan, 1958 bay stallion, Faddan x Saaba, John Riedlinger photo, 61.04% AP.
Susan Mayo wrote of Saafaddan’s temperament: “What I remember about him was his extreme presence. Even when he was not showing off for a mare he was ‘up’ and ready to show off. Walter [Schimanski] loved his disposition, though he was a bit more lively than many Babson stallions, 30
he was very kind and easily handled.”19 Joe Ferriss adds his impression of his physicality: “A horse of great presence, style and movement. He was quite noble and proud. Dark rich bay almost seal brown. Compact, yet elegant, relatively short head, deep jowls, and broad forehead. He was a superior mover.”20 Today, similar words — “superior mover, very fast and quick, extremely athletic, great feminine presence, refined type, having a bold curiosity and a royal attitude” — describe Sumatra Sand SDA (Subanet Jabbar SDA x Sand Allaya SDA). Sumatra Sand SDA, aka Sumi (Zoomie), is a dark bay Babson/Doyle filly who arrived quietly at dawn in September, 2020. She is a granddaughter of Sanda FaaBani SDA, and her mother, Sand Allaya SDA (2009 dark bay mare), is his only asil offspring. Through them, Sumatra Sand SDA has three crosses to Saafaddan, and is, in my opinion, also in his likeness.
Left to right: SandaFaaBani SDA, 1994 bay stallion, Sierra Sandarac x Bint Bint Subani, BjDavison photo, 64.10% AP. SandDancer SDA, 1998 bay mare, Sierra Sandarac x Bint Bint Subani, BjDavison photo, 64.10% AP. Sand Allaya SDA, 2009 bay mare, SandaFaaBani SDA x SandDancer SDA, BjDavison photo, 64.10% AP, with newborn Sumatra Sand SDA, 2020 bay mare, Subanet Jabbar SDA x Sand Allaya SDA, 64.02% AP.
Jady Jady (Jadib x Im Gulnar), 1961 Chestnut Doyle Mare: One of the most striking visual reminders of the complicated dimension of genetics is the comparison of the two fullsibling Doyle-bred mares, Jady and Jadera. Some influences are exceptionally strong and obvious. Jady’s influence appears to be very strong. A Jady granddaughter, the 1971 chestnut Babson/Doyle mare Lon Sara (Sierra Sand x Sierra Sady), came to SpiritWind Desert Arabians as an aged mare with the hopes that we might get one last foal from her. She and Sierra Sandarac were potentially 15/16th siblings through Sierra Sand and Sierra Sady, and it was a chance to capture and intensify some of that old blood up close. It was not to be. She was a treasure, though — bold, lively with a confident “go,” and that constant “parade” look about her. She was comfortably in your pocket at all times and fun to ride. Nothing ever rattled that mare. I was told by her former owner, Robert Doherty, that she was used as a pack horse in the mountains earlier in her life. In 1978, Lon Sara had been bred to the well-known and beautiful stallion *Lancers Sahm (Sabeel (EAO) x Aziza (EAO)), producing the 1979 chestnut daughter EDA Sahmantha. “Sammy” came to me in a group of mares, along with her mother, from Gerry Klinginsmith. She was, in my opinion at that time, an “extra,” until she produced a black stud colt by Sierra Sandarac in 2001, SpiritWind Ahsahm. His name is a play on “Sahm” and my initial reaction to finding a black stud colt on that zero-degree April 1st morning: “AWESOME!” His intelligence and rock-solid temperament are among the best and his locomotion is huge and smooth. His mother proved me wrong. He was a keeper! (He is featured in Part I of this article.) Phenotypically, it is clear that breeding outside of the tighter pattern of simply using Babson/Doyle blood by using *Lancers Sahm on Lon Sara produced a slightly different look in EDA Sahmantha, yet Jady’s influence remained apparent. DA Ginger Moon (1998 chestnut mare) is also a Jady granddaughter. She is of the Pritzlaff/Babson/Doyle combination, and also shares the link through Sierra Sady, her 31
Above, Jady, 1961 chestnut mare, Jadib x Im Gulnar, 62.11% AP. Below, Sierra Sady, 1966 bay mare, Serg x Jady, Sheila Harmon photo, 64.55% AP.
paternal grandmother. Ginger’s resemblance to both Jady (Doyle) and Lon Sara (Babson/Doyle) is clear despite the seemingly different directions from which they were bred. The 2020 chestnut Babson/Doyle filly Jabbara Sand SDA has zero presence of Jady in her pedigree, yet through Jady’s sister Jadera, it is possible to implicate their sire Jadib with his high concentration to have imparted this influence. More will be revealed about this young filly as she matures, but she appears to be a distinct “throwback” genetically at the present (more on her below). It may be more relevant to explore her expression of genetics as the result of her complex heritage rather than that of any specific animal listed on a pedigree. The Doyle program breeding is definitely intense, and the influence of Jady appears to present itself phenotypically through many generations. In addition to her color, markings, and more angular frame, it seems she also imparts height from her sire Jadib, who was described as 15.2h by Jerry Smith in his stallion-promotion material.21
Above, left to right: Lon Sara, 1971 chestnut mare, Sierra Sand x Sierra Sady, BjDavison photo, 65.41% AP. EDA Sahmantha, 1979 chestnut mare, *Lancers Sahm x Lon Sara, BjDavison photo, 58.65% AP. DA Ginger Moon, 1998 mare, DB Destiny Moniet x Kumence RSI, BjDavison photo, 59.5% AP. Right, Jabbara Sand SDA, 2020 chestnut mare, Subanet Jabbar SDA x Sand Dancer SDA, BjDavison photo, 64.02% AP.
Jadera Jadera (Jadib x Im Gulnar), 1962 Chestnut Doyle Mare: Bred by Ellen Doyle and later acquired by Jerry Smith, Jadera became one of Sierra Caballos, Inc.’s top mares. Al Khamsa database lists 11 foals for her between 1967–1984, one being Sierra Sable (Negem x Jadera), featured in Part I of this article, and also the dam of SpiritWind’s senior sire Sierra Sandarac. By the photo, Jadera was a beautiful mare with elegant lines and a soft eye. Her resemblance is shared here in her great granddaughter, and in her great-great-grandson, who has two crosses to her. Jadera is a full sibling to Jady (above), who has a completely different phenotype. It is a striking reminder of the diverse potential in offspring, and the complexity of genetic expression, particularly in groups with intensely woven asil heritage. The DNA genomic scientific data of this ancestral influence would be fascinating to explore! As mentioned above, the phenotypical outcome in the 2020 chestnut mare Jabbara Sand SDA is a present-day example of this possible genetic jump back in time. She is the product of a bay mare and a darker chestnut stallion. Both are direct offspring of the “sabino” influenced chestnut mare: Bint Bint Subani (see her photo string below). Both Jabbara Sand SDA’s sire and dam have ties to Jadera, but not to Jady. While Jabbara currently has commonalities with her granddam Bint Bint Subani, she may very likely take on more of a resemblance to Jady given her long white legs, more angular frame, and belly spots. Time will tell. She is featured above with Jady, and below with Bint Bint Subani.
Left to right, Jadera, 1962 chestnut mare, Jadib x Im Gulnar, Dave Bohart photo, 62.11% AP. Bint Sierra SS, 1981 chestnut mare, Parnell x Sierra Summersong, BjDavison photo, 66.07% AP. Subanet Jabbar SDA, 2007 chestnut stallion, Summer Sonnet SDA x Bint Bint Subani, BjDavison photo, 63.94% AP.
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Parnell Parnell (Ibn Gulida x Bint Ghadaf) 1968 Chestnut Doyle Stallion: Parnell was a third-generation Doyle-bred stallion and has had a noteworthy contribution to this breeding. In 1990, I had the good fortune to see him in person at the Maloof ranch in Colorado. He was curious, friendly, and a bit full of himself that day. He was 22 years of age and sharing pasture with the 27-year-old mare Shillala, a 1963 chestnut mare (Gulson x Gulnara). In hindsight, I recall he was quite intelligent and likely knew his visitors were yet to completely understand his kind. He proudly strutted around to demonstrate that he was the boss and the docile old mare, who ignored all of us, was his. Maloof described him as “one of the most balanced and athletic horses I have ever known.”22 Parnell’s daughter Bint Sierra SS, out of the Babson/Doyle mare Sierra Summersong, had four foals with Sierra Sandarac. She was 75% Doyle and 25% Babson breeding. Bint Sierra SS was a bigwalking, confident, quiet, yet undaunted mare. She was not big in stature, but she was in heart. We had pastured a group about a mile and a half down the road from our property and it was time to bring them home. I had not ridden her, although I knew the kids at her previous home had, so I hopped on with the rope and halter and off we went, arriving uneventfully at our destination shortly after.
Parnell, 1968 chestnut stallion, Ibn Gulida x Bint Ghadaf, Bruce Maloof photo, 65.45% AP.
The 1997 dark chestnut stallion Summer Sonnet SDA was the only representative of her Babson/Doyle progeny to survive long enough to have offspring. Tragedies really, each of those stories. And in the end, Sonnet also died before his time from what a field autopsy revealed as liver cancer. He was in utero when strangles hit the herd. His mother had it course through her body and exit through and damage one of her teats. I always suspected that had something to do with Sonnet’s early demise. He was a very dark liver chestnut and not a big horse in stature either, but everyone who visited liked him. His willingness and calmness were remarkable, and I recall getting him ‘broke” to ride amounted to just getting on. He wanted nothing more than to please. As the sire of Subanet Jabbar SDA (2007 chestnut stallion), Summer Sonnet SDA’s presence here is apparent now and then. Recently, the 2020 chestnut filly Ginger Snap SDA has been in a phase that resembles him greatly. That likeness is featured under the Fa-Serr section. Parnell’s balanced, powerful stature can be seen in the following descendants.
Left to right, Bint Sierra SS, 1981 chesnut mare, Parnell x Sierra Summersong, BjDavison photo, 65.07% AP. Summer Sonnet SDA, 1997 chestnut stallion, Sierra Sandarac x Bint Sierra SS, BjDavison photo, 65.39% AP. Subanet Jabbar SDA, 2007 chestnut stallion, Summer Sonnet SDA x Bint Bint Subani, BjDavison photo, 63.94% AP. Summer Sonatina SDA, 2007 chestnut mare, Summer Sonnet SDA x GulastraSpirit SDA, BjDavison photo, 65.75% AP.
The Preservation View Today As demonstrated, the Babson/Doyle group has a powerhouse of genetic diversity and excellence from which to produce quality representatives of the asil Desert Arabian. The influence of Abbas Pasha’s efforts to gather and maintain the best he could find to bring this heritage forward also weighs in, as its presence is maintained within this group in some of the highest percentages of combination available today. Incredibly, though this group is small, it has persisted 62 years since its inception, from 1959 to 2021. Over the years, many individuals had their hands in keeping this blood alive. Robert Doherty is one to mention as he imparted his heart and soul into this group in its early years. He bred at least five horses in this manner, though again a small percentage carried forward. One special mare who did was Bint Bint Subani. She became a foundation mare for the SpiritWind herd, and like Sierra 33
Sandarac, deserves special recognition. She went on to produce the following Babson/Doyle progeny: 1994 bay stallion Sanda FaaBani SDA, 1995 dark bay mare Bint Sandarac SDA, 1998 bay mare SandDancer SDA, 2000 chestnut mare GulastraSpirit SDA, and 2007 chestnut stallion Subanet Jabbar SDA, all of whom now have offspring, and even grand-get, of their own. She was the very essence of a war mare. Nothing escaped her attention, and her boldness and confidence to face any challenge were recognized by both human and equine. The day she was relieved of her aged body, the entire herd lined up at the fence, all perfectly still, but seemingly quite aware that their matriarch had moved on. Bint Bint Subani Bint Bint Subani (Ibn Saafaddan x Bint Subani), 1983 Chestnut Babson/ Doyle Mare: As mentioned previously, genetic expression can be unique in concentrated, asil, old desert blood. Below is a closer look at an example of this observable influence in genetic expression of one or more generations removed. This notion suggests that the outcome of a breeding results in a foal that does not look or act like either parent, but instead displays the phenotype, and usually the temperament, of a grandparent or an even more distant relative, possibly an unusual expression of deep old features that have been pulled forward with just the right combination. Bint Bint Subani is the dam of both Sand Dancer SDA and Subanet Jabbar SDA. Their mating together produced Jabbara Sand SDA. Although admittedly concentrated on her granddam, Jabbara Sand SDA does not resemble or have the temperament of either parent, but instead looks and acts more like this grandmother. As previously noted, though, she seems to display more resemblance to Jady as she develops, especially given some of her current physical features (long legs!) that are not consistent with Bint Bint Subani or any obvious Bint Bint Subani, 1983 Babson/Doyle mare, Ibn Saafcloser ancestors. Maybe it is more fitting to suggest Jadib (15.2h) as the influaddan x Bint Subani, BjDavison photo, encer in some remote concentrated manner, as it is Jadera (Jadib x Im Gulnar) who is present in Jabbara’s pedigree and not Jady at all. Possibly it comes from *Rodan and his dam *Rose of Sharon. The possibilities extend beyond current measure of what a simple paper pedigree can tell us. It may seem a stretch of the imagination, but we truly do not know such elusive details of heritage and genetic expression yet. It is early to be certain, but Jabbara is already proving to have Bint Bint Subani’s lovable, confident, unrattled, yet bold war mare persona for now! DNA genomic science is providing fascinating information on Arabian horse heritage and with time will hopefully become useful data that we as breeders can utilize in making meaningful decisions for the future of this breed — decisions that will guide us in the pursuit of a healthy balance between diversity and consistency.
Above, left to right, Bint Bint Subani, 1983 chestnut mare, Ibn Saafaddan x Bint Subani, BjDavison photo, 62.49% AP. SandDancer SDA, 1998 bay mare, Sierra Sandarac x Bint Bint Subani, BjDavison photo, 64.10% AP. Subanet Jabbar SDA, 2007 chestnut stallion, Summer Sonnet SDA x Bint Bint Subani, BjDavison photo, 63.94% AP. Right, Jabbara Sand SDA, 2020 chestnut mare, Subanet Jabbar SDA x SandDancer SDA, BjDavison photo, 64.02% AP.
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From Serg to Today This truly ancient blend of Desert blood from the earliest days of Bedouin-bred Arabian horses is a unique treasure. The journey of its management and influence is long and varied. Many recognize its peak to have been under the care of Abbas Pasha and the Bedouins he employed to maintain the essence of the Desert horse into the future, but many hands have played a role in this journey. The core group of these horses now found in the SpiritWind Babson/Doyle (B/D) horses were gathered from all over the United States beginning in 1991. Today, they descend from the following foundation animals: 1974 black bay stallion Sierra Sandarac, 1983 “sabino” chestnut mare Bint Bint Subani, 1981 dark chestnut mare Bint Sierra SS, 1984 chestnut stallion Maloof Hassan, 1971 “sabino” chestnut mare Lon Sara and her daughter 1979 chestnut mare EDA Sahmantha, and 1988 chestnut mare Sally-O-Doyle. Successful breeding efforts in recent years have produced the eighth generation of foals descending from Serg with feet on the ground! Four generations of Babson/ Doyle foals have been produced so far during the SpiritWind years. Serg represents the first of this type of blending of this historic old blood. He is another example of a specific animal whose personal presence in the pedigree history is actually minimal in numbers, but whose essence or likeness is strong. Many photos of Sierra Sandarac or his son Sanda FaaBani SDA, and even his (SFB’s) daughter Sand Allaya SDA, are dramatic look-alikes to Serg. Genetic expression is fascinating, complex, and amazing. The ability to understand and predict its actions and influence is a fluid and challenging art, and an area where the science is quickly progressing. One thing is certain, as commented by Edouard AlDahdah, “The greater the percentage of Abbas Pasha blood in a horse, the better the horse.”
Serg, 1959 bay stallion, Fa-Serr x Gulnara, Leslie Neppel photo, 66.99% AP. First blend of Babson and Doyle breeding.
Left to right, Sierra Sandarac, 1974 bay stallion, Sierra Sand x Sierra Sable, BjDavison photo, 65.7% AP. SandaFaaBani SDA, 1994 bay stallion, Sierra Sandarac x Bint Bint Subani, BjDavison photo, 64.10% AP. Sand Allaya SDA 2009 bay mare, SandaFaaBani SDA x Sand Dancer SDA, BjDavison photo, 64.10% AP.
The Journey of Preservation Breeding Continues In the ’80s I considered a horse, a horse, and putting miles in the saddle on anything that would go all day was all I cared about. I barely knew the difference between an Arabian and any other breed of horse. At the time, I was riding Endurance with my mentor and dear friend, Lynette (Engevold) Mitte, a National Top Ten Endurance competitor. The endurance ride hosted by Bernie and Anne Ness in Pillager, Minnesota, was a favorite to attend, and it was there that she gently started to introduce me to the idea of the Al Khamsa horses. Bernie and Anne were breeding Babson/Turfa horses (NAHR Arabians), and their property and horses were nearby. I remember Bernie holding the first brown Al Khamsa reference book up in my face and asking — no, encouraging — me to learn about the original Desert Arabian horse of the Bedouins. “Beda-who’s?” I said, flipping through the book. The type was small and full of words I could not pronounce. I handed it back to him as graciously as I could and said, “Thanks, but I just want to ride.” Preservation breeders are persistent, if anything (like Endurance riders)! They are as unique as their horses and their commitment to them rivals that of the nomadic Bedouins. It is a passion-filled endeavor and not one for the faint of heart. It involves dedication, sacrifice, loyalty, joy and broken hearts. It is not unlike a love story. 35
It was over 30 years ago now, but I remember it well, that first time I went to the Ness home and saw these much-discussed Al Khamsa horses in person. Even as a “green” horse person in the sense of breeding and evaluating stock, I knew instantly that I was in the presence of animals so completely unique and at a level of distinct excellence from any I had ever before observed. I was awestruck. Their presence, their sense of royalty, their bodies, their bone and stature, the way they moved, even their silly backing up to have their heinies scratched, were all so completely and intimately impressive. They were so connected and present. I was intrigued.
The gentle temperaments and physical silhouette of the darkcoated mares in the Babson ads had me pining for such a specimen. A 1978 Doyle ad, describing their stock as being “forward reaching with cat-like locomotion,” stirred my endurance interests. The Babson/Doyle group began to tug at me. Despite my initial resistance, novice awareness, and questionable timing, it was a perfect fit. The “Spirit of the WarHorse” in the intensely bred Doyle horses, with the “Temperament of the TentDweller” in the graceful Babson horses. Those early experiences touched my soul. The horses lit a fire in my heart. Those early breeders wanted others to know their beloved horses and to understand their passion as well. They knew what it involved, but also that it was deep with reward in the long run. For those of us with this passion, it is indeed a love story of sorts.
Soon after, I attended meetings with the regional Al Khamsa group where I learned about the history and purity of the Desertbred Arabian, its people and their culture. Most importantly, I saw more and more of these unique horses in person. Foals, youngsters, aged, and the eloquently “mature” were all cared for with so much amazing devotion.
It is not an easy task to carry the torch of a preservation breeder and today’s digital world is in no way a substitute for the in-person experiences described. Seeing and being in the presence of these finely bred horses so closely tied to ancient times is the beginning of a relationship that will touch your heart and remain there forever. Take the time, make it a priority, take photos and videos, and go see as many of these fine animals as possible. Come visit the SpiritWind horses, too. See and feel for yourself, the presence of the past in the flesh before you!
In 1989, Lynette and I departed for an extended road trip to see more Al Khamsa horses. This visit included an unanticipated overnight stay at Darrell and Merle Perdue’s Rudalaro Ranch, in Lamar, Colorado. I remember the introduction to each horse that day. We followed Darrell around for hours. Being physically among the horses, seeing their beauty up close, appreciating their history and rarity, and feeling their in-your-tent demeanor were beyond words. Near the end of the day, we met AK Sharouf, a 1984 black stallion, a blend of Babson (old Egyptian) with new Egyptian. I was captivated. I had been captivated by many beautiful horses in recent months, but that night I did not sleep. I knew then I wanted an Al Khamsa horse of Desert heritage of my own.
Bibliography 1) The practice of combining the percentage of heritage from Abbas Pasha/ Ali Pasha Sherif (AP/APS) breeding into simply AP% and of calculating Eid’s AP/APS% at 50% were both derived from personal correspondence with Edouard Al-Dahdah based on new research. Supporting calculations of AP/APS% were taken from: Fippen, John: Heirloom Egyptian Arabian Horses 1840-2000. 2) Carpenter, Marian: “The Pages of History: Mesaoud,” The Arabian Horse Times, April 1992, The Pyramid Report: 48. 3) Morris, Suzi, Arieana Arabians: CMK Heritage Notebook; Pedigree and Photo Gallery R: *Rodan. 4) Brooks, Dr. Samantha: Genomics of the Arabian Horse: History Written in the DNA. Online presentation, 2021 Al Khamsa Spring Gathering. 4-10-2021. 5) Saurez, Ralph: Blog: all for the love of a horse. April 10, 2019. “*Bint Serra I: An Extinction Story.” 6) Ferriss, Joe: “Serra – The Beautiful Old White Mare.” TuttoArabi Archive, BloodlinE: 122-132. 7) Id. 8) Tirral, Denny: “Gulastra AHCR 521,” Arabiana: 35. 9) Morris, Suzi, Arieana Arabians: CMK Heritage Notebook; Pedigree and Photo Gallery G: Gulastra. Fleming, Peggy. Correspondence May 14-17, 2002. 10) Tirral, “Gulastra,” 65. 11) Credit for the source of 11 remains unknown at this time. 12) Credit for the source of 12 remains unknown at this time. 13) Ferriss, Joe: “Fa-Serr, A Prince’s Dream,” Khamsat 18:3; 7, 9. 14) Maloof, Bruce E: “An Interview with Jerry Smith,” Foundations, 4:4 (Winter 1994-1995): 13-15. 15) Maloof, Bruce E: “An Interview with Deborah Hawley,” Foundations, 5:1 (Spring/Summer 1995): 13-15. 16) Yewell Weil, Shannon: Turtlerockpress.com, Welcome to Strike a Long Trot 9-22-18 blog entry, “Bint Gulida’s Story.” Transcribed from handwritten letter 3-17-2008 by Danica Cuckavich Piers Dubois. 17) Mayo, Susan. Personal correspondence. 12-5-2020. 18) Ferriss, Joe. Personal correspondence. Saamir advertisement. 11-30-2020. 19) Mayo, Susan. Personal correspondence. 11-24-2020. 20) Ferriss, Joe: Personal correspondence. Saamir advertisement. 11-30-2020. 21) Latigo Ranch Reference Sires Descriptions, Jerry Smith, hand-typed copy. Personal collection of Bev Davison. 22) Maloof, Bruce. Promotional video. Personal collection of Bev Davison.
Soon after, in 1990, we trekked to Colorado to see Sierra Sandarac and the Maloof collection of Doyle-blooded horses in person. I had almost worn out the promotional video of their horses that he had sent previously. The next year we attended the 1991 Al Khamsa convention in Illinois. The final assurance that I wanted to be involved in the preservation effort of the Desert-bred Arabian took place on that trip. It was all adding up. At the Craver Farm, I was again overwhelmed with the magnificence of these Arabians of ancient type. The visit to the Babson Farm was like stepping back in time and into the pages of a history book. I remember it as if it were yesterday and often wish I could revisit that day, those horses, and that big cypress barn today. It was the final experience to solidify my passion for pursuing a lifelong future with the Desert Arabian horse. That thrill, that awe, has remained with me since. I soon inquired into the likelihood of having my own Desertbred Arabians. This was not an opportunity with numerous options at that time. It led me to the Babson/Doyle horses, a long shot really. I was convinced that the need for their protection was imminent and that enough individuals were alive to resurrect the program… if… I could locate them, get cooperation from their current owners, get them home, and replaced! As I explored this possibility, I learned more about the specific background of these horses. As noted previously, one of their unique and alluring features was their rare and high concentration of Abbas Pasha breeding; another that resonated with my personal interests and experiences was their excellence in the sport of Endurance. My excitement grew as I learned more about their specific attributes and endearing characteristics. 36
SBE
STRAIGHT BABSON EGYPTIAN
JUST FOR THE FUN OF IT
For information contact Jody Dvorak at backatyousoon@gmail. com or go to Facebook — Babson Egyptian Arabian Enthusiasts Clockwise from top left: Fa Maarlina with Jacqueline Kruglick; Serr Kazmeen with Righ Westby; Taliid Faye Neblina with Monica Respet; Serr Mashkour with Don Vance; SS Baaroufa Dani with Paula Rice; SS Fabahs Kahrisalys and Family; Khebirs Akelah and Friend; Mahr Rou with Travis Braden; Center: SS Dandee Rises with Paula Rice. Photos from private collections. Known photographers as noted.
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The Doyle Arabians Celebrating 70 years of Preservation Breeding
Smyrna DE, a 2005 chestnut Saqlawiyah Jadraniyah of Ibn Sudan mare Huntington Doyle x Gulida Kells DE
63295 Johnson Ranch Road Bend, Oregon 97701 541-788-5639 rosemary@doylearabians.com Facebook: The Doyle Arabians http://doylearabians.org
Breeding the strain of Saqlawi Jadran of Ibn Sudan
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The Treasure, AB Dafiinah Nancy Bliss and Jon Michael went to great effort to preserve the legacy of LD Rubic by breeding her to HHP Manabi. Rubic was an old mare at the time, and had not foaled for some years. She had a wonderful long life with Nancy. Jon lit the fire in Nancy to continue the *Nufoud line and a wonderful filly was born the following year. She was named Dafiinah, meaning “hidden treasure”, because the vet said that Rubic wasn’t pregnant, she was just overweight. Well, a wonderful black bay filly was born. Everyone was thrilled! She lived her early life in Kentucky with Nancy and Bob Bliss. Linda Uhrich was learning about Al Khamsa and preservation breeding. She had aquired two Al Khamsa mares who were sired by the *Nufoud tail female stallion, AEP Kamar. Linda saw the ads for Dafiinah in the Khamsat. One day we said, this filly should one day be bred to Kamar, the pedigree and “look” made sense. Linda and husband Jim purchased the mare and Dafiinah was brought to PA to spend the rest of her days. The breeding was successful to Kamar and Dafiinah graced us with a lovely filly, Niinah Nufoud in 2013. That made another of the endangered tailfemale *Nufoud family. She was nearly a carbon copy of her dam, black bay but with no white markings. Meanwhile Dafiinah’s sweet, kind temperment and beautiful feminine face and body won over everyone who met her. She was truly a grande dame. Dafiinah had beautiful movement and a good work ethic. She learned dressage and trail riding, and was a wonderful mare to live with. She was truly a darling. We are thankful to have shared many years with this kind, sweet, beautiful mare. She is remembered kindly by all those who knew her. Warm appreciation to her owners, Jim and Linda Uhrich, who shared great love with this grand rare mare. She leaves behind Niinah Nufoud to carry on the family line: there are very few others. Niinah has very big hooves to fill. Rest in peace, sweet soul, you are missed by all.
Monica & Patrick Respet Husaana Arabians 6635 Central Road New Tripoli, PA 18066 monicarespet@gmail.com 39
Scholar’s Corner
Halawa and the Arabian Horses of W.J.G. Bentley by Robert J. Cadranell, ©1990, 2021
Halawa.
(R.J. Cadranell and Jeanne Craver have investigated the story of Halawa, a 1929 grey mare registered as a daughter of the two bays Ziki and Hamama, and as bred by Raymond C. Force. Halawa is in some very good modern pedigrees through the blood-siblings Tehran, a bay colt by Farana, and Zohara, a chestnut filly by El Nahas. Herewith a Cadranell summary of the evidence. Please read this carefully; it is a closely reasoned treatment of data from a wide variety of sources, and we believe it establishes the true sire of Halawa, rather than leaving her paternity an open question. This serves to underline the value of such thorough and scholarly research. ~ Michael Bowling, Editor)
By 1925, however, the Lewis breeding program was running out of steam for other reasons. W.K. Kellogg purchased in December of that year a major portion of the Diamond Bar stock, including the only three mares bred for 1926 foals. When the Diamond Bar finished the dispersal of its breeding herd, it was left with six geldings
The short-lived Arabian horse breeding program of W.G.J.S. Bentley of San Fernando, California, lasting from only 1924 to 1928, is an adjunct to the story of F.E. Lewis II’s Diamond Bar Ranch. In 1918, Lewis had bought nine mares and two stallions from Peter B. Bradley’s Hingham Stock Farm in Massachusetts and brought them to his California ranch in Spadra, near Pomona. The stallions and seven of the mares traced exclusively to Homer Davenport’s 1906 importation from Arabia. One of the mares was bred entirely from horses the Hamidie Society had imported for the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893. The last mare had a pedigree combining Davenport and Hamidie elements. Though at least one writer has criticized Lewis’s selection of foundation stock for its heavy emphasis on the stallion *Hamrah, it has turned out that one may successfully compound *Hamrah blood ad infinitum. Lewis’s foundation stock was in fact sufficiently diverse that a breeding program using only Diamond Bar bloodlines could, had anyone pursued it, still be in operation today and still be producing Arabians excellent by anyone’s standards.
The 1920 census shows W. George J. Bentley was aged 50, born in Canada, widowed. He was living in Los Angeles at 1617 Vermont Avenue, immigrated to the U.S. in 1889. His father was born in Canada; his mother born in Ireland. He was a contractor for the building of houses, and appears in the 1921 Southwest Builder and Contractor.
There is not much information on W.G.J.S. Bentley, personally. He apparently owned a patent for some type of engine, under the name of William George J. Bentley, about 1908.
There is a William Bentley in the 1930 census who seems to be the same person, aged 60, born in Canada, living at West 30th Street in Los Angeles. The immigration information is the same, and he now has a 28-year-old wife named Kathleen. Bentley is now in the gold mining industry. *** The pedigrees of several horses in this article are affected by the switch of the mares *Saleefy and Freda during the cross-country move from Hingham Stock Farm to F.E. Lewis in late 1918. This switch is explained in detail under Schilla on her page in the Al Khamsa Online Roster. The pedigrees concerned have the switch shown in capital letters. Those changes have not, at this date, been changed in the Al Khamsa Online Roster.
Updated from an article in the CMK Record, VII/1. Horses which are not Al Khamsa eligible are underlined.
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permanently employed as ranch horses: Sinope, Hamek, Shako, Snidhi, Siam, and Simoon. The first supplement (1939) to volume IV of the stud book shows at least five of these horses as still in the ownership of Lewis at that time, and when decades later Pat Payne interviewed Lewis’s manager C.H. Hopkins, Hopkins recalled that when Lewis sold the Diamond Bar in 1943 a few Arab geldings went with it.
the title to her dam. On Fadil’s original documentation, Bentley is named as her breeder, and her entry in volume III (1927) of the Arabian Horse Club stud book repeats this information. This stud book lists Bentley as the owner of both Samit and Fadil. Although stud book volume IV (1937) also credits Bentley as breeder of Fadil, stud book volume V (1944) changes the breeder credit to Lewis.
The 1925 Foal Crop
The ties between Lewis and Bentley are no longer clear. Samit (*Kusof x *Haffia) was apparently Bentley’s first Arabian. According to the records of the Arabian Horse Club, Samit was transferred from Lewis to Bentley on May 1, 1924. On April 19, 1925, she produced the filly Fadil (by Letan). Information connected to Fadil’s registration states she was born at Bentley’s address of 834 North Brand Boulevard in San Fernando. Fadil’s foaling date indicates she was bred after Bentley acquired
The 1926 Foal Crop
By 1925, in addition to Samit, Bentley appears to have had the
Above: Samit, left, 1914 cm (*Kusof x *Haffia) and Hamama, right, 1920 bm (Harara x *SALEEFY, reg. as Freda). At right: Fadil 1925 gm (Letan x Samit). At left: Moliah 1912 cm (*Hamrah x *Wadduda). Bottom left: Miriz 1924 cm (Ziki x FREDA, reg. as *Saleefy). Bottom right: Kapiti 1923 cm (Harara x Tamarinsk) as a yearling.
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Lewis mares Moliah and Hamama in his possession, and possibly also Kapiti and Miriz. However, if any of these mares were ever transferred into Bentley’s name, no transfer certificates have survived. Because the 1927 stud book lists Lewis as the owner of Moliah, Hamama, Kapiti, and Miriz, and in light of evidence presented below, it seems likely such transfers were never made. Despite Bentley’s not having had title to Hamama and Moliah, the stud books from volume III forward list Bentley as the breeder of three 1926 foals, all by Ziki: Samzik (out of Samit), Zimol (out of Moliah), and Hamzik (out of Hamama). The registration applications of Zimol and Samzik indicate they were foaled at a ranch in Los Angeles. On both applications, Bentley stated that he owned Ziki. On Zimol’s application, he stated that he owned Moliah. He likely stated that he owned Hamama on the Hamzi application, but I do not have a copy of it. The 1928 Foal Crop
No Bentley or Lewis foals for 1927 are registered. In 1928, some major horse shuffling occurred. In a letter of July, 1928, preserved in the Kellogg Ranch Files, H.H. Reese wrote to Kellogg that the Diamond Bar had recently taken back a number of horses from Bentley. Bentley had made financial arrangements with the Diamond Bar and failed to honor his part of the bargain. It might have been as simple as time payments on horses, or it could have involved other properties and monies as well. All we know is that the Diamond Bar had a lien on Bentley’s Arabian herd and chose to repossess the horses to satisfy a debt. Reese added that the mares involved were to come to the Kellogg Ranch for breeding.
Above, Ziki, shown here as a yearling, was a 1919 bay colt who traveled in utero cross-country in a freight car from Hingham MA to Spadra CA. His sire was *Hamrah, and his dam Samit. He carried the *Hamrah sire line to the west coast, where he was successful as a breeding stallion, leaving 235 Al Khamsa descendants as of 2019.
the same day. It seems likely that these three foals had accompanied their dams to Force’s in July, when the oldest would have been just three months. The breeding credit for all three went to Lewis; one would think Bentley had been involved in breeding them. Samit’s 1928 filly Hirfa (by Dhareb) was foaled in the possession of Force on July 20. Hopkins credited Bentley as breeder of Hirfa, while noting that she was foaled the property of Force. The breeding of Dhareb to Samit and Miriz in 1927 shows that Bentley had, or had access to, the grey stallion Dhareb as well as the bay stallion Ziki.
On July 15, 1928, Moliah, Hamama, Kapiti, and Miriz were transferred from the name of F.E. Lewis II to the name of Raymond C. Force of Piedmont, California. On the same day, Samit, Samzik, and Zimol were transferred from Bentley to Force. Fadil, who was at Force’s by 1929, likely went when the others did although no transfer certificate seems to have survived. There were also three 1928 foals on the ground as of July 15: Farhan (Dhareb x Miriz), Lazaz (Ziki x Moliah), and Ghurra (Ziki x Kapiti). Hopkins completed their registration applications on October 23, 1928 and transferred them from Lewis to Force on
The 1929 Foal Crop
Breedings during the 1928 season for the five mares in question were recorded as follows, although only three of the five produced a registered 1929 foal: Hamama to Ziki at the beginning of June, (before transfer to Force) Samit to Antez at Kellogg’s toward the end of July Fadil to *Raseyn at Kellogg’s in August Miriz to Mizuel at Kellogg’s in August Kapiti to *Nasik at Kellogg’s in September Moliah to *Nasik at Kellogg’s in October. The three resulting 1929 foals from these mares were: Halawa 733 (out of Hamama), grey filly May 8 Agala 731 (out of Samit), chestnut filly June 10 Mahbuba 732 (out of Fadil), grey filly July 17. Left, the impressive early American broodmare, Farhan (Dhareb x Miriz). In the possession of Donald Jones, she became an important early American broodmare, with sons and daughters contributing to a growing circle of influence.
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Agala spent her life as a riding mare and never produced a registered foal, but Halawa and Mahbuba are important to the CMK [Crabbet-Maynesboro-Kellogg] breeding tradition. These three 1929 fillies, Halawa, Agala, and Mahbuba, are the first Arabians registered as bred by Raymond Force. The standard, but not universal, practice at that time was to credit the owner of the dam at time of covering as the breeder of the resulting foal. One would expect Lewis to have been listed as Halawa’s breeder. A more serious problem with Halawa’s registration is that Ziki and Hamama were both bays while she herself was grey. According to the rules of coat color inheritance, a grey foal must have a grey parent. Ziki and Hamama were positively bay, with Hamama described as “dark bay.” Invoking a foal switch would not offer a solution; only one of the breedings listed above could have produced a grey foal, and Mahbuba is well known to have been a grey. Raymond Force filled out Halawa’s registration application, which is dated December 20, 1929. He described Halawa’s color as “Grey (Roan 12/7.29).” This was Force’s first foal crop, and beginning Arabian breeders are notorious for confusion concerning the eventual color of their grey foals. (The Blunts themselves originally registered the famous grey mare Bozra, one of their early foals, as a brown.) Halawa is known to have matured grey, and she produced grey foals to the chestnut Alla Amarward. With Halawa’s registration application, Force included a statement with Hopkins’s signature on Diamond Bar Ranch stationery, reading: “TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: The Arabian mare HAMAMA No. 418 was bred to ZIKI, No. 415 on the 5th day of June, 1928.” This breeding date corresponds to Halawa’s foaling date but could easily have been prior to the time the horses returned to the Diamond Bar from Bentley. We know that Bentley also used the grey stallion Dhareb, and it seems likely that Hamama was in fact covered by Dhareb, a recording error having occurred as a result of confusion following the Diamond Bar’s repossession of the Bentley horses. The wording of the statement suggests that breeding took place away from the Diamond Bar, since such statements usually read “I bred” instead of “was bred.” If the breeding occurred after the return of the horses to the Diamond Bar, the answer is again Dhareb, since by that time Lewis seems to have sold or gelded all of his other grey males, with the exception of Akil, a three year old at the time and not yet in service. There is nothing to indicate that Akil was involved with Bentley. There is no way at this distance in time to resolve the matter with certainty, but all indicators point to Dhareb as the sire of Halawa.
Davenport Arabian Horse Conservancy Ask us about the Davenport Arabian Horse as Homer Davenport knew it in the desert, and as we still know it.. Secretary Jeanne Craver 709 Brackett Lane. Winchester IL 62694, mowarda@gmail.com www.DavenportHorses.org
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Left, Agala, 1929 chestnut mare (Antez x Samit). Center, the highly thought of sire Dhareb, 1924 grey stallion (Letan x Moliah), with 2105 Al Khamsa descendants, primarily in the Davenport breeding group, as of 2019. He is probably the sire of Halawa, the subject of this article. Bottom, Akil, 1925 grey stallion (Letan x Sedjur). His influence in Al Khamsa breeding is primarily through his granddaughters Baba, Suebe and Milanne, but he is well represented in early American breeding as a whole.
Al Khamsa’s Vanishing Lines
PTF News — May 2021 Update
by the Al Khamsa Preservation Task Force
Changes!
Foals as Plans for the Future!
Cale Marquess, Code Red Crane Ancestral Element, has been purchased by Karin Floyd and Sarah Clower. To be bred by Karin first in Arizona and then sent to Sarah for the next attempt in West Virginia.
2022: Samirahs Adlayah (Code Red tail-female *Samirah and Ancestral Elements Borden, Hamidie and Huntington) is confirmed in foal to Baroud DHA. Karin Floyd, Arizona. 2022: GTS Al Mas Hura is being bred to Treff-Haven Sabeel — another potential tail-female *Haidee in the making. Crystal Robertson and Kate Rhodes are working on this, Arkansas.
Cale Hallwah, Code Red Crane Ancestral Element, has been purchased by Stephanie Kerian of Texas. These two sales are very good news for the Crane Ancestral Element, which has been on life support for a number of years now.
2022: Bint Zahra Al Hadba has been bred to Porte CF for a potential Davenport Core *Hadba foal. Carrie Slayton, California.
New Foals! 2021: Halimah CW has a Musafir Almubarak daughter, “AlHamraa Musafirah DHA” pending, a Selected Sources filly of the Code Red Europa Ancestral Element. “Musafirah” inherits the tailmale El Deree sire line, but as she is female, she won’t be able to pass on that Y-chromosome. Bred and owned by Karin Floyd of Arizona. 2021: GTS Dabab has a Treff-Haven Sabeel filly, Selected Sources, Code Red tail-female *Haidee, bred and owned by newcomer, Crystal (Annette) Robertson of Arkansas. 2021: Jadah Cassiah has a black grey Davenport colt by Siggi Saha. Siggi Saha is of rare lines, one of only five Davenports tracing to Sahanad. Bred and owned by Sarah Clower of West Virginia. 2021: Jadah Belloftheball has a Jamr Al Arab daughter, “Bassma Al Arab”, pending, a Selected Sources filly that now makes one of five tail-female *Nufoud horses. Bred and owned by Edouard Al Dahdah of South Africa. 2021: DB Taamara Shahat had a straight desert-bred Blue Star filly by AAS Al Sakb+/, with Code Red sire line to *Furtha Dhelall and Code Red dam line to *Sindidah. Bred and owned by Edie Booth of Texas. 2021: DB Zahrah has a black Blue Star colt by DB Ibn Najem Huda, with Code Red lines to *Sawannah, *Halwaaji, *Furtha Dhelall. Bred and owned by Shawn McCarthy of Arkansas.
Foals Almost Here! 2021: Loulou AkHawaat is expecting a foal of the Tahawi Ancestral Element by Royal Fa’aiq. Lisa Fratt Craig of Maine says this foal will contain lines of all three Tahawi mares in current U.S. pedigrees: Bint Barakat (TAH), Folla (TAH) and Futna (TAH). 2021: Labwah Al-Shaykhah with Code Red Foundation Horses *Layya, *Kusof, and Dwarka (GSB) is expecting a foal by the Davenport stallion Porte CF at the end of June/beginning of July. *Layya is of the Shaykhah strain and the only tail-female line to Lebanon. Right top, the Jadah BelloftheBall filly by Jamr Al Arab. Right bottom, the Jadah Cassiah colt by Siggi Saha.
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Bashir al-Dirri
Funding Research to Support the Arabian Horse
(Tamaam DE x Sarita Bint Raj)
Donate Today thearabianhorsefoundation.org
Preservation breeding with Code Red ancestral elements *Al-Mashoor, *Mirage and *Euphrates. Athletic, correct and willing. Jenny Krieg 17429 Hoskinson Road Poolesville, MD 20837 ululu@verizon.net This blog is maintained by Edouard Al Dahdah, a breeder and lover of Desert Arabian Horses, and otherwise an economist at the World Bank. It seeks to share a passion, of course, but also to raise awareness about desert Arabian horses, their homeland and their heritage. Keep reading and I will keep posting.
Daughter of the Wind... From eyelashes to ancient skyscrapers in Yemen, from study of the Arabic copy of the Abbas Pasha manuscript to the asil horses of Tunisia, from ancient Arabian history to new foals, from early 19th century European Arabian breeders to Arabian oryx and wolves: this blog is always fascinating and welcomes your input.
http://daughterofthewind.org/ 45
It Started With Moe! by Nina Harf
I was around seven years old when my mom, sister and I met the current president of the Board of Directors of Al Khamsa, Inc., Monica Respet, at Golden Key Stables. Monica and my mom quickly became close friends, and she offered to let me ride Jasuur Ibn Kamar, one of her Al Khamsa Arabians. I became familiar with all of her horses, including her two stallions, and began working with them more regularly. Not long after I started working at her farm, she took me in as one of her own. I learned almost everything I know about owning, breeding, foaling, and caring for horses from her. The more time I spent at her farm, the more I got to understand this unique group of desert Arabians. I was intrigued by how much Al Khamsa horses want to please people.
Above, Nina braiding the Respet stallion, Faydin Sameer, 2005 black stallion (Faydin x MSF Noel), of the Code Red *Urfah tail female line. Below, riding Jasuur Ibn Kamar, 2003 chestnut gelding (AEP Kamar x MSF Noel). At left, teaching Riverton Mocha Starr (Moe) to lead when he was two weeks old. Moe is a 2020 bay Babson Egyptian colt by BW Fadl Tali x Ahmeds Char Serra.
I wanted to learn more, so a friend and I did our 4-H project on Arabians. We presented at a Hippology competition where we got many other 4-Hers interested in the different branches of Arabians. Monica trained me to work with her foals and I was impressed by how quickly they understood what I was asking, even at such a young age. I was caught off guard by the fact that twelve different horses could have such unique personalities yet all have a few similar traits. 46
Working with Moe
The summer of 2020 I had the opportunity of a lifetime. I got to help care for a broodmare until she foaled. I got to watch her grow through her pregnancy until July when she was ready to have her colt. In the middle of the night I got the call that the baby came. When I got there I got to see how handsome this little bay colt was. He took his time when it came to standing up, so we gave him the nickname Slowmoe. I got to do a lot of desensitizing with him, as well as halter training. Slowmoe, now known as Mosey, is a Straight Babson Egyptian colt, almost a year old. He has grown so much but his personality hasn’t changed a bit. He has such a level head and this big stud is not afraid of anything. This past summer was an incredible learning experience for me and ultimately made me fall in love with the Al Khamsa Arabians.
Chef Al Khamsa and Distance Riding
Have you visited our website?
Are you one of the many Al Khamsans who breed distance horses and compete in American Endurance Ride Conference sanctioned competitions? Chef Al wants you to know you have his admiration. There is something about the desert horse and long distances that go together, naturally and happily. To recognize this accomplishment, Al Khamsa has chosen to annually award the high milage Al Khamsa AERC horse. The presentation at the AERC Convention attracts national equine media attention. See this year’s results: https://www.alkhamsa.org/7-blog/187ak-endurance-mileage-awards Al Khamsa needs your help to finance this award, the Endurance Magazine ad and our booth presence at the AERC Convention, held annually the first weekend of March. As always, 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:
Only a few copies are still available of the essential reference book, HEIRLOOM EGYPTIAN ARABIAN HORSES, 1840-2000 by John W. Fippen. Hardcover, 592 pages, with over 400 archival black/white photographs. Please visit the website for excerpts and ordering information.
or by mailing your check to the Al Khamsa Business Office, 470 Folsom-Jonesville Road Jonesville, KY 41052
www.heirloomarabianstud.com 47
Like Mother, Like Daughter!
Summer Blush WA 1996 black mare (Persuasion x Modesty Blaise)
Davenport Arabians Visit us and enjoy horses and the beautiful Rocky Mountains
Windsor Arabians
Fin DeSiecle CF and her five-year-old bestie, Rylan!
Mary Buser Gills PO Box 882560 Steamboat Springs, CO 80488 mgills327@ gmail.com 970.846.3747
Fin is a much loved Davenport mare who owns Jeannie Lieb, JeannieMLieb@gmail.com
Gypsy Moth WA 2006 black mare (Barbican CF x Summer Blush WA) 48
2021 Kuhaylan Krush Davenports Looking for new Families
Hawks Haven Farm
Inquiries: chestnut colt HH Spartan Krush x Altifah Al Krush
Kim Davis 7275 Manchester Road Capron, IL 61012 815-540-3060 kdavis@sharontelephone.com
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grey filly Ayar Pieper x HH Nikita Krush
El Deree and the Fate of his Tail Male Line
Photo: Judith Forbis Archive
by Karin Floyd
The El Deree (INS) tail male or “sire line” at the RAS/EAO has been one of interesting origin and great prepotent contribution to the genetics of Egyptian breeding. This sire line has produced phenomenal racing stock with impressive records; however, its future is hanging on by a thread within the Straight Egyptian Arabians of today. Although El Deree and Sid Abouhom blood is rich within most Straight Egyptian pedigrees, they have been most prevalent in dam lines, and there are only a handful of stallions to carry on the legacy through their tail-male lines in the U.S. Some have sired only mares, and most of the El Deree tail-male stallions left are inactive or currently inaccessible to Al Khamsa.
Hamdan (Ibn Rabdan x Bint Radia), where El Deree sired an additional 26 foals. (Ferriss) One of these offspring was the legendary and prolific offspring Sid Abouhom. He is known as being a broodmare maker and producing “some of Egypt’s best broodmares.” (Paraskevas, p399) This is where the influence of El Deree is most widely passed on in Straight Egyptian breeding. Joe Ferriss quotes Sid Abouhom as being “appreciated for many good daughters.” (“Reflections on El Deree”, Ferriss) He goes on to state, “Given the influence of [his daughters] via their heavily used sons, daughters and descendants, the impact of Sid Abouhom is considerable on most all Egyptian breeding.” (“Reflections on El Deree”, Ferriss) Furthermore, Philippe Paraskevas touts the impact and excellence of Sid Abouhom: “Even the most inveterate detractors of the desert bred legacy through the EAO had to have second thoughts before attacking Sid Abouhom: Sid Abouhom the racehorse, Sid Abouhom the sire of racehorses, Sid Abouhom, the only son of the desertbred racehorse, the northerner El Deree. Sid Abouhom, born to a desert bred and a ‘shamali’ stallion of ‘parents unknown’ therefore and thereafter became forever central to the whole of the breed. In this instance, intolerance of diversity and prejudice are fighting a losing battle.” (Paraskevas, p384) One has to wonder about the motives of those who would object to such a prolific sire line, given the fact that the El Deree “is the founder of one of the third and last surviving sire line of the RAS/EAO.” (Paraskevas, p381)
El Deree came to the Egyptian gene pool as an outcross “through the path of Inshass, the very hotbed of outcrossing” (The Egyptian Alternative Vol. 2, Philippe Paraskevas, p382) and as a shamali, meaning “a northern horse with no implications concerning purity.” (Al Khamsa Arabians III) El Deree is the closest desert-bred stallion of the three sire lines of the RAS/EAO. In the past, this begot certain scrutiny about El Deree’s true origins and purity. There are various discrepancies, although the generally accepted story of his pathway to Egypt comes from Sheik Abdul-Aziz el-Sabek, who states that he “was obtained in the Jezirah region from the Jubur tribe.” (Authentic Arabian Bloodstock, Forbis, p134) After his arrival at Inshass, El Deree became “an early favorite stallion of King Fouad, founder of Inshass Stud” as stated by Joe Ferriss. He was a productive stallion at Inshass, and is recorded to have sired about 17 foals. He was then given to the RAS in exchange for the stallion 50
There are infinite reasons to speculate, but when one learns of the esteem and tradition of horse racing in the desert, they all become seemingly absurd. This may be best summed up in this quote: “El Deree himself is best known for two of his best attributes, each fairly hazardous when it comes to how some influential circles view our horses. El Deree was a racehorse — albeit a superb one — and he was desert-bred. When taken together these features can become corrosive.” (Paraskevas, p382) El Deree is recorded as having won fourteen races in his career, and he certainly passed on that success to his get. Sid Abouhom won thirteen races starting as a three year old, and even won a race as a nine year old. He placed second in nine races from ages 4 – 9, and then won third place an additional five times during that time. The athleticism of this sire line is undeniable. Perhaps more focus should be on preserving and diversifying sire lines and their branches for us modern day conservators of the Al Khamsa bloodlines going forward despite trendiness or past prejudice. Arabian racing tradition, though scrutinized by some individuals, has actually been a well-managed tradition, and was a good outlet for excess colts. (Ferriss) The generally accepted origin of El Deree and his tail male line relies on the esteem of his forebearers and breeders with some documentation, which was satisfactorily accepted for horses of his time. This is the general tradition that racing Arabians have followed. Joe Ferriss states: “Finding exact information about horses appearing in the racing community at the first half of the twentieth century has always been a challenge because the racing community is not a horse breeding community per se.” Even though race participants “bred Arabians from their desert bred stock, they were not breeding based on specific provenance standards required by a registry or formal government studbook. This does not mean the racing community was a shady place that was indiscriminate about bloodlines. The ‘honor’ of participants was very important, and because the British regulated racing activities, there was very little room for shady practices.” (Ferriss)
Sid Abouhom was popularly used at EAO. His most notable contribution is that of his daughters, which have been well-used within Straight Egyptian breeding. Most Straight Egyptian pedigrees can attribute some of their best dam lines to his daughters. Only two of his sons have been able to carry on the El Deree Tail Male line in the U.S., Amrulla and Ibn Hamama. There is a third branch in Egypt through Ibn Abla, who sired Safar, who sired Rabah, who sired Ragehan in 2013. Although there is hope, this is still a rather bleak picture for this sire line. The other Sid Abouhom sons produced only daughters, or were not bred on. Amrulla went on to sire what we have left of the El Deree tail male line currently available and active in Al Khamsa in the United States, although hopefully that will change.
Amrulla (EAO) 1955 stallion by Sid Abouhom (RAS) out of Zaafarrana (RAS). Photo: Judith Forbis Archives.
Amrulla boasts a phenomenal racing career and was an instrumental stallion for preserving this tail male line. He, like his sire, always placed first, second, or third in a myriad of races of various distances, and both also placed first in races over a mile in distance. Joe Ferriss notes that Amrulla had “the fastest time for the one mile race (1:47) eclipsed only by his sire Sid Abouhom (1:46.8).” (Ferriss) This, of course, comes naturally given Amrulla’s breeding: “As far as racing pedigrees go, this one was special. Amrulla was clearly bred for that purpose.” (Paraskevas, p401). Amrulla’s dam, Zaafarana, was by Balance who did very well at the racetrack as well. In The Classic Arabian Horse, Judith Forbis records Balance as having “won 14 races, placed second in 2, and was third in 1. He was Egypt’s leadings racehorse of his era” (Forbis, p388). She also notes that his daughter Zaafarana was “a mare of exceptional quality and actions whose brilliant trot and ceremonial presence were a pleasure to behold” (Forbis, p321). Combining Zaafarana with a stallion like Sid Abouhom, it’s no surprise Amrulla did so well on the racetrack. However, perhaps his greatest victory is what he meant for the propagation of the El Deree tail male line for the future generations (unassumingly at the time, of course). Phillipe Paraskevas passionately preaches: “Superseding in glory all his triumphs on the racetrack, Amrulla won the trophy that really counts: get-of-sire. We all owe Amrulla the continuation of the Sid Abouhom [sire] line for the future of the EAO [and Al Khamsa] by siring that one giant of a stallion. This assessment is not an exaggeration of any sort. Consider this: it is likely that without the advent of Akhtal, the combined virtues of Sid Abouhom and Balance, continuing El Deree, would have in all probability been lost, forever” (Paraskevas, p402). He
Sid Abouhom (RAS) 1936 stallion by El Deree (INS) out of Layla (RAS). Photo: Judith Forbis Archives.
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continues, “That one foal was the work of a lifetime” (Paraskevas, p402). It is troubling to realize that horses descending from such a successful sire line hang by such a thread for Al Khamsa breeders, and agreeably, thank goodness for Akhtal. Akhtal certainly brought a good amount of type to this sire line. It is not known for its particular refinement, although, when we evaluate what is considered to be classic Arabian type, the El Deree sire line individuals certainly fit the bill. Akhtal is noted as being “an utterly dominant stallion and quite a prepotent sire” (Paraskevas, p403). The resemblance of individuals of this sire line is notably and unmistakably striking. Akhtal, like his sires before him, only ever placed first, second, or third on the racetrack, according to his racing record in Authentic Arabian Bloodstock by Judith Forbis. However short his racing career compared to his forebearers, the genetic prepotency continued on through this sire, as his sons have inherited his build, type and athleticism. This quote from The Egyptian Alternative Vol. 2 begs the question as to what is “worth” preserving regarding this sire line: “Akhtal was a giant for our breed, as were El Deree, Sid Abouhom and Amrulla before him. The questions now must be: will this legacy be continued? Do we care enough to make a special place in our hearts and in our breeding programs for this endangered sire line?” (Paraskevas, p404)
*Ibn Al Balad, 1977 stallion by Akhtal (EAO) out of El Yatima.
*Ibn El Balad was imported by Rick and Ann Heber in 1978. Of *Ibn El Balad, Sandy notes that he was a big stallion who sired size in his get. He “was consistent in siring really good hind ends, spectacular necks, shoulders, heads, and really good feet” even when matched to mares that weren’t as lucky in the hoof department. He crossed well with CMK/Abu Farwa mares as well as Babson mares, “giving them more stretch.” Sandy also comments that he had “the most stunning front end with great muscle definition” combined with a neck that had great break at the poll. *Ibn El Balad never raced on the track, but sired a son, Anwarr El Balad, who won two races, came in second once, and third once. *Ibn El Balad’s other progeny have been successful showing in dressage, hunter, Western classes, saddle seat, and halter which goes to show that *Ibn El Balad was capable of consistently siring good movement, conformation, and type. One of his only sons that continued on his sire line was El Musaffir. Sadly, his potential at the racetrack was never reached due to a bowed tendon injury he suffered while in training. He did sire two foals before his untimely death at 11 years old: a filly and also a colt to continue on the El Deree sire line, Musafir Almubarak. When choosing mares to breed into this sire line, Sandy picked Koheilan bred mares with massive shoulders and necks to be balanced by the Akhtal blood in the pedigree. Phillipe Paraskevas also took advantage of this mix of bloodlines in his breeding program, and he advices such a cross in his The Egyptian Alternative Vol. 2: “Bring in Koheilan and Rabdan blood to keep pretty curves in the picture, and to avoid narrowness, angularity, straightish lines and lack of substance” (Paraskevas, p399). Although Musafir Almubarak and his sire are more rounded and less angular than some of the El Deree tail male stallions, it is important to keep width in mind when choosing mare matches for this sire line. Other stallions that were bred for this same look were the excellent and impressive Ibn Akhtal who was shown primarily in hunter classes but also placed well in Most Classic Head classes, *GAF Mosaad and *GAF Hosam (although *GAF Hosam doesn’t have Anter directly in his pedigree, Hamdan, Anter’s sire, is present). Clearly, this type of cross is a “nick” and can produce some impressive individuals. Some currently active stallions, although not of the El Deree tail male line but are good representations of
Akhtal (EAO) 1968 stallion by Amrulla (EAO) out of Hagir (EAO). Photo: Judith Forbis.
Luckily for the future Straight Egyptian breeding, a handful of breeders had this same attitude, and became seemingly unlikely visionaries and preservationist warriors. Sandy Cleland is one such breeder who had the foresight to host this sire along with her late friend Karen Hesel. Karen bred El Musaffir (by *Ibn El Balad), and Sandy bred Musafir Almubarak (by El Musaffir) out of Amber Aziza and has been very familiar with the El Deree sire line for many years. 52
El Musaffir, 1997 stallion by *Ibn Al Balad out of CA Serra. Trotting photo by Christine Emmert.
this cross as a nick, come from the Treff-Haven breeding program (which focused heavily on Inshass breeding) through individuals such as Treff-Haven Labeeb, Treff-Haven Sabeel, Treff-Haven Latif and Baroud DHA. They have *GAF Mosaad in their pedigrees through the late mare Bint Lebleba. *GAF Mosaad excelled in dressage and jumping, boasting a successful show career much like other El Deree tail male individuals. He did sire one son, Nuzul, who is currently inaccessible to Al Khamsa and thus, the Ibn Hamama branch of the El Deree tail male line may soon become lost to Al Khamsa. This leaves Sandy’s stallion, Musafir Almubarak, as one from only a handful of current and active stallions to preserve this critically endangered tail-male line. Looking at Musafir Almubarak, Sandy’s attention to curves while maintaining a racy build is quite obvious as well as her proclivity to this nick in Egyptian bloodlines. She also paid attention to temperament, as this sire line has been known to produce some
Musafir Almubarak, 2008 stallion by El Musaffir out of Amber Aziza. Photo at right by Sandy Cleland.
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unruly colts. Sandy jokes that El Musaffir was nicknamed “Killer” as a joke because of his very gentle nature, and thus was a suitable sire to continue on the El Deree tail male line through his son Musafir Almubarak. Some were notably “bold to the point of being aggressive” according to Sandy and probably best gelded if not managed by careful handlers. Perhaps that is another contributing factor to the rarity of this tail male line, along with characteristically producing more fillies than colts throughout its history. Luckily, Musafir is an excellent candidate to breed this sire line on. He is a handsome and stretchy chestnut stallion with a very similar build to his El Deree tail male ancestors except with a more rounded, refined, and laidback shoulder and hip, much resembling his sire El Musaffir. He has the traditional deep heartgirth of the El Deree sire line and as well as the characteristic racy build. His head is very correct although not particularly refined, but is still an excellent representation of a masculine Egyptian stallion head with
Treff – Haven
expressive and well placed eyes, ample room in his nasal passages to breathe, a large jibbah and large jowls. He is strikingly handsome, and when given his attention, his eye is soft and his affections generous. He also sports a great break in the poll like his forefathers *Ibn El Balad and El Musaffir. Unfortunately, also like his sire El Musafir, he suffered a tendon injury on a hind leg so he never raced, although he is sound and broke to ride. Musafir inherited a gentle temperament, sometimes uncharacteristic of this sire line. However, that does not discount this tail male line in and how precious it really is to the Straight Egyptian Arabian and Al Khamsa gene pool. Rather, I think it goes to show what careful breeding, management and temperament selection can do to bring out the best in a cross, especially with a sire line that has produced such successful racing competitors. Studiers and breeders of the tail-male lines will agree that a worthy sire line perpetuates its value in a pedigree just as the tail-female line does. In the same sense that inherent characteristics of a tail female line influence a pedigree, so does the tail-male line through DNA that is not recombinant via the Y-chromosome. Perhaps more thought should be given to preserving tail-male lines and attention paid to what they bring to a pedigree. Considering the need for tail-male line preservation, in 2020, I bred Musafir Almubarak to my Code Red Preservation mare Halimah CW, who foaled a beautiful filly in 2021. She balances the potential spectrums of the outcross given the pedigrees of her sire and dam. This filly sports this same characteristic racy build, with long legs, elegantly slanted shoulder and hip angles as Musafir. Halimah CW brought ample Ibn Rabdan blood into the mix, a great compliment to this El Deree sire line. Her filly, AlHamraaMusafirah DHA (pending) inherited an incredibly laidback personality, through which parent is hard to determine as both are very gentle. Musafir Almubarak is here at Desert Heritage Arabians, and will someday hopefully produce a colt (to continue the El Deree sire line, a line that produced few, although epic, sons to carry on the legacy.
Sabeel Treff-Haven
Sabeel
17.2% 17.2% Inshass Inshass Non-Nazeer Non-Nazeer NewEgyptian Egyptian New
Producing strong, Producing strong, sporty foals of excellent quality sporty foals of excellent Owned qualityby Kate & Owned byCarol KateRhodes & Carol
Rhodes
Van Alma Arabians
Van Alma Arabians
Van Buren, Arkansas
Van Buren, Arkansas AlHamraa Musafirah DHA (pending), 2021 filly by Musafir Almubarak out of Halimah CW, a Code Red mare of primarily of Egyptian bloodlines, but with a percentage of Europa bloodlines which is extraordinarily rare in the U.S.
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Shahbaa, a Kuhaylah Krush, who came from the Inshass Stud to the EAO. Judith Forbis photo at the EAO.
There she stood in the late afternoon Egyptian sun.... Hamdan
SHAHBAA 1951 grey mare
I
Shahd
Ibn Rabdan Bint Radia El Moez Shams INS
Rabdan (Dahman El Azrak x Rabda) Bint Gamila RAS (Ibn Nadra x Gamila KDV) Mabrouk Manial (Saklawi II x Tarfa) Radia [Ghadia] (Feysul x *Ghazala) Ibn Fayda (Ibn Rabdan x Feyda) Bint Zareefa (Hadban x Zareefa BLT) El Zafir (Awad x Bint Dalal) El Zabia (El Deree x El Kahila - a Kuhaylah Krush from Ibn Saud)
remember in 1974 becoming intrigued with the Royal Inshass Stud after seeing the incomparable *Ibn Hafiza in person, gleaming in the afternoon sun at the Arabian Horse Fair in Louisville, KY. He was of 100% Inshass breeding! Soon afterward, I bought an English translation of the Inshass Original Herdbook and began studying the horses of this mysterious stable. I became intrigued at how the Inshass stud had introduced unique desert bred horses to the Egyptian gene pool that were not found in the RAS government stud. This also introduced new strains to the gene pool such as Abayyan Om Jurays (a strain prized among the Tahawi), and the Kuhaylan Krush, a prized family coming from King Ibn Saud. After Dr. Ahmed Mabrouk’s journey through the Middle East in search of new blood to add to the RAS and essentially coming back unfullfilled, it appeared that the RAS would have to carry on with what they had already in the herd. Were it not for the unforseen circumstances of political change that would disband the Inshass Stud in the 1950s, there would probably be fewer dam lines in Egyptian breeding today. Fortunately the RAS/EAO incorporated stock from the Inshass Stud, thereby expanding the number of prized families to breed from. The Abayyan Om Jurays family would go on to achieve widespread fame, and stallions such as Sameh and Anter from Inshass would flourish in today’s bloodlines, to the point that perhaps the Inshass contribution is overlooked or taken for granted today – so much so, that the once “celebrated by Abbas Pahsa I” strain of Kuhaylan Krush, coming down from Shahbaa, is dwindling as an important strain branch for the Egyptian horse. Granted Shahbaa is represented by stallions but in North America, we are uniquely poised to preserve the tail female line from Shahbaa. But will it happen? Remember that every main branch of a tree that is lost leaves the appearance of devastation of the whole. The line from Shahbaa has always been special and should be considered so well into the future.
We continue to advertise and support the Khamsat magazine because it is here that the Arabian horse of centuries can be found. As a researcher and author, I not only saved my Khamsats from the beginning, but I also refer back to them for information. Often this information is found not only in the articles but also in the advertising. So with pride we continue to support the only magazine of its kind, the Khamsat, and we encourage others to do so also.
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Brownstone Farm
Since 1972
Joe & Sharon Ferriss 1059 Lukesport Road • Quincy, MI 49082 Tel. (517) 639-4443 • e-mail: ferrissjs@dmcibb.net
Al Khamsa History
Ancestral Elements Series: Inshass Al Khamsa’s ‘language’ about pedigrees can seem complicated at first, but it is actually meant to be a simplification of the process of understanding the total pedigree of an Arabian horse. You need to learn two terms: Foundation Horses and Ancestral Elements. These terms are explained briefly here, but for detailed information, please see the research work, Al Khamsa Arabians III (2008). A Foundation Horse is what it sounds like: when you go back as far as you can in a pedigree, you stop with either a Bedouin tribe or with a recognized source that is believed to have stock only from the Bedouin tribes. Ancestral Elements are the Building Blocks of Al Khamsa Pedigrees An Ancestral Element refers to the country, stud farm, person or group who imported or was primarily associated with the Foundation Horses concerned. Four Foundation Horses were acquired individually and are designated by their own names. Simple parenthetical codes follow the names of Foundation horses, which help identify the Ancestral Element blocks to which they belong. Khamsat V29N1 began this series, AYERZA; V29N2: BISTANY; V29N3: BORDEN; V29N4: COBB; V30N1: BLUNT; V30N2: CRANE; V30.3: DWARKA; V30.4: DAVENPORT; V31.1: HAMIDIE; V31.2: HEARST; V31.3: HUNTINGTON. Terminology: a hujjah (hujaj, plural) is a signed and sealed document of evidence/testimony about a thing. In Al Khamsa terms, this means a testimony about the provenance of an Arabian horse. When such a document survives, it is the most important information about an Arabian horse. Unreferenced page numbers refer to Al Khamsa Arabians III.
INSHASS
u
The former kings of Egypt, Fuad (ruled 1917–1936) and Faruq (Farouk) (ruled 1936–1952), maintained the Inshass Stud in Egypt as their private enterprise. The foundation breeding stock consisted of horses of the established Egyptian bloodlines (which are designated under EGYPT in this volume), horses acquired by Inshass for racing and breeding, and several mares which were gifts from the Sa’ud studs in Saudi Arabia. These latter two categories are referred to as INSHASS in Al Khamsa Arabians III. Inshass was also recipient of gift horses that were not retained for breeding or were not incorporated into the Inshass program. Descendants of such horses are not included here. The term INSHASS (see also under Sa’ud) applies to the following horses. • Badria (INS) 1941 mare, see p149 • Besheir el Ashkar (INS) 1935 stallion, see p152 BADRIA (INS) • El Deree (INS) c.1920 grey stallion, see p159 1941 chestnut mare presented to the Inshass Stud of King Faruq • El Kahila (INS) 1921 bay mare, see p160 [from Sa’ud] in Egypt by Bisharat Bey, transferred to the Veterinary Section of the Egyptian Army in 1953. • El Samraa (INS) 1924 grey mare, see p161 NOTES: The above information is from the entry for Badria, • El Shahbaa (INS) 1925 grey mare, see p161 horse #83, in the Inshass Original Herd Book. EAO Stud Book Vol. 3 • Hind (INS) 1942 grey mare, see p176 [from Sa’ud] repeats date of birth, color and date of transfer. Both date the pre• Mabrouka (INS) 1930 bay mare, see p187 [from Sa’ud] sentation to 1948. Dr. Ameen Zaher, an Egyptian veterinarian and • Nafaa (lNS) 1941 roan mare, see p196 [from Sa’ud] student of Egyptian horses and brother to King Faruq’s secretary, says in a 10.9.1979 letter to W.G. Olms that Badria died at Inshass. Midhat Bisharat, son of Bisharat Bey (Shibly Bisharat, a Palestinian businessman involved in resale of war materiél), wrote on 12.27.1982 to Dr. Hans-Joachim Nagel that Badria was by an ‘Ubayyan and out of a Hamdaniyah and had been purchased by his father from the Trans-Jordanian Frontier Force when it disbanded in 1946 following World War II. [Bisharat has been transliterated also as Basharat and Bischarat.] Dam of four foals: Badr (INS) 1946 cs Besheir El Ashkar (INS) Bedour 1949 brm by El Belbesi (INS) Bedran 1952 cm by Ezzat (INS) Bandong (INS) 1957 cs by Anter (INS) In progeny lists, italics are used for horses not in Al Khamsa pedigrees. Only eligible-to-be Al Khamsa horses are shown in the progeny lists.
Bedour (INS), daughter of Badria (INS), Judith Forbis photo.
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Ghandoura (INS) 1933 gm out of El Samraa (INS) Samira (INS) 1934 gm out of El Samraa (INS) El Akhal 1934 -s out of El Kahila (INS) Amira 1935 gm out of Sabah (RAS) Hazma 1935 gm out of Nour [Mansour (RAS) x Bint Sabah (RAS)] Ghandoura 1935 -m out of Naeima [Kazmeen (BLT) x Durra (BLT)] Sid Abouhom (RAS) 1936 gs out of Layla (RAS) Hakma 1936 gm out of Bint Rabdan [Rabdan El Azrak (APK) x Bint Gamila (KDV)] Agiba 1936 gm out of Bint Dalal by Hamran (BLT) out of Dalal Al Zarka (APK) Azeem 1936 gs out of Hind (RAS) Morgana 1936 gm out of Bint Samiha (RAS) Moawada 1936 gm out of Bint Rissala (RAS) Aziza 1936 gm out of El Dahma [Rustem (BLT) out of Bint Obeya (KDV)] Haris 1936 gs out of Bint Rustem (RAS) Hagir 1936 gm out of Fayza [Ibn Rabdan (RAS) x Samiha (RAS)] Tashreefa 1937 gm out of Mahasin [Ibn Rabdan (RAS) x Bint Gamila by Mabrouk Manial (MNL) out of Gamila Manial by Jamil (APS) out of Khatra, by Sabbah (APK) out of Doga, by Rabdan El Azrak (APK) out of Bint Freiha (APK)] Nadi 1937 -s out of Naama [Ibn Rabdan (RAS) x Mofida by Gamil Manial (MNL) out of Gamila Manial (above)] Garada 1937 gm out of Nour [above] Hediea 1943 -m out of Fayza [above] Gasour 1943 -s out of Kahila [Ibn Rabdan (RAS) x Bint Rustem (RAS)] Nagiba 1943 -m out of Rowala [Ibn Samhan (RAS) x Bint Bint Riyala (RAS)] Hanii 1944 -s out of Fayza [above] Nasra 1944 gm out of Layla (RAS) Zameel 1947 -s out of Farhana [Kheir (RAS) x Magboura by Gamil Manial (MNL) out of Bint Hadba El Saghira (KDV)] Dinar 1947 -s out of Ragia (RAS) Mabdooi 1948 gs out of Malaka (RAS) Set Abouha 1949 -m out of Helwa (RAS)
BESHEIR EL ASHKAR (INS) 1935 chestnut stallion presented to the Inshass Stud of King Faruq of Egypt by Bisharat Bey. Sold to El Wasta Farm in 1951. [Alternate spellings: Basheer, Bashir, Bishir Al Ashkar and other variations] NOTES: The above information is from the entry for Besheir El Ashkar, horse #80, in the Inshass Original Herd Book. EAO Stud Book Vol. 3 repeats date of birth, color and date of sale. Both date the presentation to 1948. Neither offers strain or family history. Dr. Ameen Zaher, an Egyptian veterinarian and student of Egyptian horses and brother to King Faruq’s secretary, says in a 10.9.1979 letter to W.G. Olms that El Wasta Farm was a part of the Inshass Stud. Midhat Bisharat, son of Bisharat Bey (Shibly Bisharat, a Palestinian businessman involved in resale of war materiél), wrote on 12.27.1982 to Dr. Hans-Joachim Nagel that Besheir El Ashkar was by a Saqlawi and out of a Kuhaylat ‘Ajuz and had been purchased by his father from the Trans-Jordanian Frontier Force when it disbanded in 1946 following World War II. [Bisharat has been transliterated also as Basharat and Bischarat.] Sire of at least one foal: Badr (INS) 1947 cs out of Badria (INS) Possible sire of Mahmouda (INS) and Rabiaa (INS) See Pedigree Notes: Alternate Sire, p297, for further information.
EL DEREE (INS) c1920 grey Saqlawi Sh’aifi stallion in the Inshass Stud of Egypt and presented to the Royal Agricultural Society by King Fuad in 1934. [Alternate spelling: El Dere] NOTES: This information (with the exception of the birthdate, which is an Al Khamsa estimate) is from the RAS History p29. Judith Forbis [1989] has several items about El Deree. His race record on p384 shows him to have raced 1924-1927. On p134, Shaykh ‘Abd al-Aziz al-Sabiq, a Dawasir Bedouin living in Egypt, is quoted on 9.25.1968 as saying that El Deree was from Hussayn al-Dayri from the al-Jubur tribe in present-day Syria. On p135, Ali al-Barazi, a Syrian horse breeder living in Egypt at the time, is quoted on 8.6.1979 as saying that El Deree was from Hamad Ibn Mudayfir from Najd. This is apparently incorrect. AN EXISTING Sire of 43 foals, including: AL KHAMSA Zareef 1929 -s out of El Kahila (INS) SIRE LINE Sabha 1930 -m out of Radia (MNL) Bolhol 1930 -s out of Zahra (MNL) El Zabia (INS) 1931 gm out of El Kahila (INS) Saada (INS) 1931 gm out of Ghazala (MNL) El Zorayka 1931 -m out of El Samraa (INS) Thouraya (INS) 1932 -m out of Radia (MNL) Hind 1932 gm out of Zahra (MNL) Sahm 1932 -s out of El Kahila (INS) Tarrada 1932 -m out of El Samraa (INS) Bahi 1932 -s out of Radia (MNL) Nadir 1932 -s out of El Shahbaa (INS) Salma 1933 gm out of Zahra (MNL)
El Deree (INS)
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EL KAHILA (INS)
EL SAMRAA (INS)
1921 bay Kuhaylah Kurush mare from the Sa’ud Royal Family imported in 1927 to Egypt by King Ibn Sa’ud as a gift for King Fuad.
1924 grey mare of Shaykh ‘Umar ‘Abd al-Hafiz of Cairo, Egypt, purchased in 1931 by King Fuad. [Alternate spelling: El Samrah]
NOTES: The above information is from the Inshass Original Herd Book, horse #9. The strain information is found under the entry for horse #18, El Kahila’s daughter El Zabia. Dam of six foals, including: Zareef 1929 gs by El Deree (INS) El Zabia (INS) 1931 gm by El Deree (INS) Sahm 1932 brs by El Deree (INS) El Akhal 1934 cs by El Deree (INS) Aziza (INS) 1938 bm by Ibn Fayda (KAD)
AN EXISTING AL KHAMSA DAM LINE
NOTES: The above information is from the entry for El Samraa, horse #13, in the Inshass Original Herd Book, which shows no strain. The EAO stud books have historically included her descendants in both the Saqlawi and Kuhaylan sections. Vol. VI of the EAO stud book shows the horses that are tail female to El Samraa as of the Kuhaylan strain. The Raswan Index also shows both strains in separate entries, listing her once as Kuhaylah in additions entry #577 and also, under “Sumra” in additions entry #1423, as a Saqlawiyah Jidraniyah of Ibn Sudan. The names of “Hab El Reah” as sire and “Bint El Sheik” as dam in the IOHB result from a misuse of a common Arabic statement about an Arabian mare, which says that she is by the breath of the wind (“Hab El Reah”) and is the pride of her owner (“Bint El Sheik”). AN EXISTING Dam of six foals, including: AL KHAMSA El Zereika 1931 gm by El Deree (INS) DAM LINE Tarrada 1932 cm by El Deree (INS) Ghandoura (INS) 1933 gm by El Deree (INS) Samira (INS) 1934 gm by El Deree (INS) Bint El Samraa (INS) 1940 cm by Mekdam (KAD)
EL SHAHBAA (INS) 1925 grey ‘Ubayyah Umm Jurays mare of Muhammad Ibrahim al-Hajj of Cairo, Egypt, purchased in 1931 by King Fuad. By a Hamdani of al-Nasiri and out of an ‘Ubayyah Umm Jurays. NOTES: The above information is from the Inshass Original Herd Book, horse #12. AN EXISTING Dam of five foals, including: AL KHAMSA Nader 1932 cs by El Deree (INS) DAM LINE Shehab 1935 gs by Rasheed (KAD) El Mahroussa (INS) 1937 cm by El Zafir (INS) Naser 1939 cs by Ibn Fayda (KAD)
Above, Sameh (INS), grandson of El Samraa (INS), out of Samira (INS). Judith Forbis photo.
Above left, Shadia I (INS), great granddaughter of El Kahila, out of Shams (INS). Judith Forbis photo.
Left, *Ibn Hafiza, by Sameh (INS), above, and out of a great granddaughter of El Shahbaa (INS).
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HIND (INS)
MABROUKA (INS)
1942 grey Saqlawiyah mare from the Sa’ud Royal Family imported in 1945 to Egypt as a gift from King Ibn Sa’ud to King Farouk.
1930 bay Saqlawiyah mare from the Sa’ud Royal Family imported in 1945 to Egypt as a gift to King Faruq from King Ibn Sa’ud.
By an ‘Ubayyan al-Suyafi out of a Saqlawiyah.
NOTES: The above information is from the Inshass Original Herd Book, horse #64. The Raswan Index addition #1072 shows the same information as IOHB, but adds that Mabrouka was bred by Ibn Sa’ud.
NOTES: The above information is from the Inshass Original Herd Book, horse #51. The Raswan Index has no entry for this mare. Index correction entries #807 and #851 erroneously attributes Hind’s daughter, Hanaa (INS), to a different Inshass mare named Hind, a 1932 mare by El Deree (INS) out of Zahra (MNL). Dam of 3 foals: Hanaa (INS) 1946 bm by El Belbesi (INS) Hindawi 1949 -s by El Belbesi (INS) Hindia 1950 -m by El Belbesi (INS)
Dam of at least 3 foals, including: Bint Mabrouka (INS) 1947 bm by Ezzat (INS) Moneera 1948 bm by Ezzat (INS)
AN EXISTING AL KHAMSA DAM LINE
AN EXISTING AL KHAMSA DAM LINE
Shawki (INS), grandson of Mabrouka (INS), Ursula Guttmann photo. Hanaa (INS), daughter of Hind (INS), Judith Forbis photo.
NAFAA (INS) 1941 roan Kuhaylah mare from the Sa’ud Royal Family, imported c1945 to Egypt as a gift for King Faruq. By an ‘Ubayyan al-Suyayfi out of a Kuhaylah. NOTES: The above information is from the Inshass Original Herd Book, horse #57. Additions entry #1194 in the Raswan Index shows the same information as the IOHB entry, and adds an alternate name of Kheila. Dam of 5 foals: Nargiss 1946 cm by El Moez (INS) Nadia (INS) 1947 bm by Ezzat (INS) Nafeh 1949 brs by Hamdan (RAS) Nady 1950 brs by El Belbesi (INS) Nader 1951 cs by Hamdan (RAS)
AN EXISTING AL KHAMSA DAM LINE
*Serenity Bint Nadia, granddaughter of Nafaa (INS), Judith Forbis photo.
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More Inshass Horses courtesy of Joe Ferriss and the Judith Forbis Archives
Sameera (INS) 1954 mare by Mahfouz (INS) out of Bint El Samraa (INS) 37.5% Inshass desert imports and 62.5% old Egyptian and Blut stock. Tail female to El Samraa, and lines to El Shahbaa and El Kahila. Judith Forbis photo.
Azeem (RAS) 1936 stallion by El Deree (INS) out of Hind (RAS), so half Inshass desert import and half old Egyptian and Blunt. Same tail female line as Galal (EAO), *Farazdac and *Faleh.
Hany (INS) 19-- stallion by Abboud (INS) out of Hanaa (INS). As a grandson of Hind (INS), Hany was 25% Inshass desert import, and 75% old Egyptian and Blunt stock. Judith Forbis photo.
Seef El Arab (EAO) 1964 stallion by Sameh (INS) out of Shadia (INS), 37.5% Inshass desert imports and 62.5% old Egypt and Blunt stock. Influence through his grandson Al Nowasy. Judith Forbis photo.
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Shaheera (EAO) 1955 mare by Ghazi (INS) [Anter (INS) x Bint Ghazala I (INS), 1945 mare by El Belbesi (INS) x Ghazala I (INS)] out of Shahbaa (INS). Primarily old Egyptian and Blunt breeding, Shaheera traced to the Inshass Sa’ud import El Kahila in tail female. Her foals were all by the non-Al Khamsa stallion, Sharkasi. Judith Forbis photo.
Shahbaa (INS) 1951 mare by Hamdan (RAS) out of Shahd (INS), tracing to El Khaila in tail female. Dam of Shaheera, at right. 12.5% Inshass desert import and 87.5% old Egyptian and Blunt breeding. Judith Forbis photo.
Hafiza (INS) 1949 mare by Hamdan (RAS) out of Mahfouza (INS), tracing to El Shahbaa in tail female. 12.5% Inshass desert import and 87.5% old Egyptian and Blunt breeding. Dam of *Ibn Hafiza. Fernando Saenz photo.
Morgana (RAS) 1936 mare by El Deree (INS) out of Bint Samiha (RAS), so 50% Inshass desert import and 50% old Egyptian and Blunt. Her dam was also the sire of Nazeer.
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Index of Advertisers
Advertising Policy 1. Horse advertising is limited ONLY to AL KHAMSA ARABIANS. We accept some horse-related and non-horse advertising that is consistent with the interests of Al Khamsa, its breeders, and its supporters. 2. We assume no responsibility for copy taken over the telephone, corrections taken over the phone, OR handwritten copy. Please type your copy or send copy and corrections by email to khamsat@alkhamsa.org. 3. Materials are sent at sender’s risk, but all reasonable care will be taken to safeguard your ad materials. 4. If you wish to have your photographs or other ad material returned to you, please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. 5. Advertisers are solely responsible for all costs/damages resulting from their ad message. 6. While the Khamsat takes steps to assure the correctness of material it publishes and does not intentionally overlook incorrect material in advertisements, the responsibility of the contents of each advertisement belongs to the parties furnishing advertising copy for this magazine. 7. The Khamsat assumes no responsibility for the terms and conditions under which an individual photographer may have made a photograph available for publication as part of an advertisement appearing in the Khamsat. Photographer consent forms are not required. However, we Khamsat crediting the photographer and accept internal signatures. 8. The Khamsat reserves the right to reject any advertisement for any reason without liability. 9. Advertisers grant Al Khamsa, Inc. the right to use their ads in reprints of the Khamsat in print and electronic form. 10. Copy-in-hand Advertising Deadlines will be sent via broadcast email to all who have subscribed to the Inside Al Khamsa email list. In addition the deadlines will also be announced on both the Al Khamsa, Inc. and Al Khamsa Arabian Horse Breeders Facebook pages.
Al Khamsa, Inc. ................................................................................ 21 Altshuler & Abusaud, Arabian Meadows...............................48 Arabian Horse Foundation .........................................................45 Clower, Sahanad Preservation Farm .......................................22 Davenport Arabian Horse Conservancy ................................43 Daughter of the Wind Blog ........................................................45 Davis, Hawks Haven Arabians....................................................49 Doyle Arabians ...............................................................................38 Ferriss, Brownstone Farm ............................................................56 Floyd, Heritage Arabians...............................................................21 Gills, Windsor Arabians ................................................................48 Grodski, West Creek Arabians ....................................................21 Heirloom Arabian Stud ................................................................47 Krieg ...................................................................................................45 Lieb, Sahra Arabians .....................................................................48 Respet, Husaana Arabians ..........................................................39 Reuter, Holly Arabians ..................................................................55 Rhodes, Van Alma Arabians .......................................................54 Robertson, Royal Legend Arabians .........................................22 Saqlawiyat Arabians ......................................................................23 SBE Straight Babson Egyptian Group .....................................37 Weigler, Medicine Horse Farm ..................................................23
Advertisers/Subscribers waive any and all claims for liability that may arise by virtue of their relationship with Al Khamsa, Inc. and the Khamsat magazine.
Khamsat Back Issues $10 each from the Business Office
Vol. 1.1; Vol. 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4; Vol. 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4; Vol. 7.2, 7.3; Vol. 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4; Vol. 9.1, 9.3, 9.4; Vol. 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4; Vol. 11.1, 11.2, 11.3, 11.4; Vol. 12.1, 12.2, 12.3, 12.4; Vol. 13.1, 13.2, 13.3, 13.4; Vol. 14.1, 14.2, 14.3, 14.4; Vol. 15.1, 15.2, 15.3, 15.4; Vol. 16.1, 16.2, 16.3; Vol. 17.2, 17.3, 17.4; Vol. 18.1, 18.2, 18.3, 18.4; Vol. 19.1, 19.2, 19.3, 19.4; Vol. 20.1, 20.2; Vol. 21; Vol. 22.1, 22.2; Vol. 25.1; Vol. 28.4; Vol. 29.2, 29.3, Vol. 30.1, 30.2, 30.3, 30.4.
Khamsat Advertising Information Because the Khamsat focuses on Al Khamsa Arabians, your ads become part of the continuing legacy of Al Khamsa, and help to support Al Khamsa educational activities. Khamsat Ad Rates Per Insertion (All rates US $) Size Full Page Half (1/2) Third (1/3) Fourth (1/4) Card (1/12)
$15 each from the Business Office Vol. 31.2, 31.3
B&W/Color 1 Time $150/$200 100/125 75/90 60/75 25/30
B&W/Color Repeat w/o Change $120/$170 85/110 65/80 55/70 20/25
Classified Ads: $0.35 per word ($7.00 minimum) Copy-in-hand Advertising Deadlines will be sent via broadcast email to the Al Khamsa, Inc. email list. Advertising Payment Payment in full must accompany each ad in USl$ only. In order to keep costs low, we do not offer billing. We accept Personal Checks drawn on US banks, Visa or MasterCard, PayPal and Money Orders in US funds.
Karen Kasper Prints
Choose from five different artful renditions of Al Khamsa’s Past Carl Raswan, above, 1988, mounted on desert horse with falcon, Prince Mohamed Ali Tewfik, 1989; King Ibn Saud, 1991; Lady Anne Blunt, 1998. Black and white print (signed and numbered, $35 postpaid, unsigned $15 postpaid) Al Khamsa The Legend, 22 x 28 full color, $25 postpaid
Advertising Specifications Khamsat advertisements are now available in color or black and white. Please send all advertising copy to the_khamsat@alkhamsa.org. Please send payment to the Al Khamsa Business Office, address below.
Al Khamsa, Inc. Business Office • 470 Folsom Jonesville Road • Jonesville, KY 41052 • 970.439.5941 • info@alkhamsa.org 63
Thank you! Al Khamsa, Inc. hopes that you will express your generosity and support in contributing to advance the goals of Al Khamsa toward the education about and preservation of the authentic Bedouin Arabian horse. The following levels are suggested for your consideration.
2021 Khamsat Digital Subscription $20
2021Al Khamsa Supporter Levels: Donor $50-$99 Subscription to four issues of the Digital Khamsat and a four-time listing in the Donor’s section in the Khamsat.
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Patron $100-$199 Subscription to four issues of the Digital Khamsat, a four-time listing in the Patron’s section in the Khamsat and an Al Khamsa Pedigree Certificate (please specify Al Khamsa Horse).
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Benefactor $200-$299 Subscription to four issues of the Digital Khamsat, a four-time listing in the Benefactor’s section in the Khamsat, a Business Card Ad in the Khamsat issue of your choice, and Al Khamsa Pedigree Certificate (please specify Al Khamsa Horse).
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Sponsor $300+ Subscription to four issues of the Digital Khamsat, a four-time listing in the Sponsor's section in the Khamsat, a ¼ page Ad in the Khamsat issue of your choice, and Al Khamsa Pedigree Certificate (please specify Al Khamsa Horse).
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Please include full name and registration number of an eligible Al Khamsa horse when submitting your choice for the Pedigree Certificate.
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Foreign Shipping Charges Shipping will be calculated by postal code.
Sponsors
Al Khamsa, Inc. wishes to recognize the following Sponsors for their generosity and support in contributing $300 or more to advance the goals of Al Khamsa toward education about and preservation of the authentic Bedouin Arabian horse. Crockett Dumas Outlaw Trail Arabians POB 470 Escalante, UT 84726 Steve & Gwen Farmer 2859 S 7700 W Cedar City, UT 84720-4907 Joe & Sharon Ferriss 1059 Lukesport Road Quincy, MI 49082
David & Amber Finnigan 3625 S. Mountain Road Knoxville, MD 21758 Janet Franz 181 Polk Road 616 Mena, AR 71953 Mary Gills Windsor Arabians POB 882560 Steamboat Springs, CO 80488
Dean Homstead Grove Hill Farm POB 216 Pittsfield, ME 04967-0216 Andrea Kaiser Karl-Broeger-Strass 8 91257 Pegnitz Germany Keith Kosel 3394 Thornberry Trail Highland Village, TX 75077
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Mr. & Mrs. Brian McClure 9950 Pumphouse Road Toppenish, WA 98948-9750 Beth Minnich 2117 139th Place SE Mill Creek, WA 98012-5556 Monica & Pat Respet Husaana Arabians 6635 Central Road New Tripoli, PA 18066-2025
Kate Smutnick Rhodes & Carol Rhodes 6305 Hilltop Road Van Buren, AR 72956 Carrie Slayton Cerulean Arabians 2100 W Avenue L12 Lancaster, CA 93536-3333 Linda & James Uhrich Kalmay Arabians 7618 Gypsy Moth Drive New Tripoli, PA 18066-4540
Benefactors
Al Khamsa, Inc. wishes to recognize the following Benefactors for their generosity and support in contributing $200-299 or more to advance the goals of Al Khamsa toward education about and preservation of the authentic Bedouin Arabian horse. Honorary Benefactor Peter Harrigan Hope Cottage, Marks Corner NewPort PO30 5UH, Isle of Wight, UK Honorary Benefactor Sara Jones 1700 South River Road #181 Janesville, WI 53546
Honorary Benefactor: Karen Kasper 3452 Newtown Pike Lexington, KY 40511-8436 Margaret Laverty 21650 Sweeney Road SE Maple Valley, WA 98038
Jeannie Lieb Sahra Arabians 288 Maple Street Carlisle, MA 01741
Gert & Elisabeth Stam Caherhurley, Bodyke Broadford, Clare, Ireland
Honorary Benefactor: Peter Upton Honorary Benefactor W.G. Olms The Old Vicarage Olms Presse Clun S47 8JG, Shropshire, UK Hagentorwall 7 D-31134 Hildesheim, Germany
Edna Weeks 326 Timberline Trail Ormond Beach, FL 32174 Dawn & Bob Woods 9 Buck Lane Drummond, MT 59832
Patrons
Al Khamsa, Inc. wishes to recognize the following Patrons for their generosity and support in contributing $100-199 to advance the goals of Al Khamsa toward education about and preservation of the authentic Bedouin Arabian horse. Hussain Abulfaraj 544 W Melrose Street #155 Chicago, IL 60657
Elta Cooke 620 Overlook Tr. Port Orange, FL 32127
Jill Erisman 2136 N US HWY 231 Spencer, IN 47460
Marwan Abusaud & PJ Altshuler 2900 Hemming Road Valley View, TX 76282
Jeanne Craver Craver Farms 709 Brackett Lane Winchester IL 62694
Judith Franklin 20451 Road M Cortez, CO 81321
Frank & Linda Bochansky Bev Davison 1321 East. Circle Mountain Road SpiritWind Arabians New River, AZ 85087 2337 Meadows Lane Indian Valley, MID 83632 Kathleen Cameron 55 Hillside Drive A Willemina DeBoer Pottstown, PA 19464 9710 CR 209 Hico, TX 76457 Chris Carlton & Peter Rankaitis POB 1013 Melvin & Sally DePra Silver City, NM 88062 35380 CR SS Wiley, CO 81092 Robert Coleman 805 Carmel Line Terry & Rosemary Doyle Millbrook, ON L0A 1G0 The Doyle Arabians Canada 63295 Johnson Creek Road Bend, OR 97701
Catherine Fye 4150 Russell Street Cedar Springs, MI 49319 Thelma & George Hooper Hisani Farm 45 Railroad Street Bryant Pond, ME 04219
Carol & Reilly Maginn Bear Creek Ranch 1135 Schuelke Road Lockhart, TX 78644 Karen Kravcov Malcolm 30821 N 138th St Scottsdale, AZ 85262-7932 Diane Malone POB 448 Alvarado, TX 76009 Bill & Georgia Martin 1463 Goose Pond Road Manchester, TN 37355
Stephanie Kerian 20427 Timber Ridge Court Magnolia, TX 77355
Anne McGaughey POB 130 Pomfret, MD 20675
Jennifer Krieg 17429 Hoskinson Road Poolesville, MD 20837
Jon Michael 2888 Rush Branch Road Bradfordsville, KY 40009
Dr. James & Donna Ott 2304 Kechter Road Fort Collins, CO 80528-9583 Elizabeth Pade POB 330 Hudson, CO 80642 Joan Schleicher 465 Santa Rosa Creek Road Cambria, CA 93428 DJ Sheldon 151 Denson Road Lawrenceburg, TN 38464 Joyce Sousa POB 728 Hydesville, CA 95574
Donors Al Khamsa, Inc. wishes to recognize the following Donors for their generosity and support of $50-$99 to advance the goals of Al Khamsa toward education about and preservation of the authentic Bedouin Arabian horse. Saleh Alsahli • Bethany Bonham • Edie Booth • Lisa Craig • Cheryl Fippen • Dick & JoAnn Fletcher • Karin Floyd • Marie Gravel Deborah Jackson • Tom & Sue Karsies • Megan King • Steve Langer • Debra Mackie • Alice Martin & Jackson Hensley Mike Nesbit • Holly Reuter • Robert Root • Sabrina & Karsten Scherling • Laurie Stempo • Pam Studebaker & Deb Switzer Deanne Veselka • Kathy Werking • Peggy Wojchik
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