Khamsat V32N1 September 2021 by Al_Khamsa

Khamsat A magazine devoted to the Bedouin Arabian Horse as recognized by Al Khamsa, Inc.

Volume Thirty-Two Number One

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September 2021

Cover Images Front: Beduinen, Wilhelm Kuhnert (1865–1926). Thanks to Dan Metz. Back: An Arabian Stallion Walking to Right, William Sawrey Gilpin, Graphite and watercolour Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection

Cultural Rock Arts in Hima Najran

“Located in an arid, mountainous area of southwest Saudi Arabia, on one of the Arabian Peninsula’s ancient caravan routes, Himā Cultural Area contains a substantial collection of rock art images depicting hunting, fauna, flora and lifestyles in a cultural continuity of 7,000 years. Travellers and armies camping on the site left a wealth of rock inscriptions and petroglyphs through the ages and until the late 20th century, most of which are preserved in pristine condition. Inscriptions are in different scripts, including Musnad, Aramaic-Nabatean, South-Arabian, Thamudic, Greek and Arabic. The property and its buffer zone are also rich in unexcavated archaeological resources in the form of cairns, stone structures, interments, stone tool scatters and ancient wells. This location is at the oldest known toll station on an important ancient desert caravan route, where the wells of Bi’r Himā date back at least 3,000 years and still produce fresh water.” World Heritage Site List: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1619. By Dr. Majeed Khan, 2017.

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-Two Number One • September 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 Cultural Rock Arts in Hima Najran ......................................................................... IFC President’s Message ......................................................................................................... 2 Al Khamsa, Inc. Administrative Information ................................................................ 2 Al Khamsa Community Hub ........................................................................................... 3 Passings: A Salute to Three Strong Women by Joe Ferriss..............................................................................................................4 Spotlight .............................................................................................................................. 7 Bits & Pieces ....................................................................................................................... 8 2021 Convention Notice / Roster Proposals ............................................................... 9 Y-Chromosome Studies in the Arabian Horse by Beth Minnich, with Michael Bowling.............................................................. 16 Under the Bedouin Tent: the marbat of Da’jani by Edouard Al-Dahdah .........................................................................................28 By The Numbers, Babson Census by Jody Dvorak .......................................................................................................30 Babsons In Europe by Andrea Kaiser ....................................................................................................40 Lady Anne’s Hunt for Abbas Pasha Pedigrees by Robert J. Cadranell............................................................................................49 Why Purity is an Issue by Yasser Ghanim al-Tahawi ...............................................................................53 What Got Away? by Joe Ferriss ...........................................................................................................58 Preservation Task Force September Update by the PTF.................................................................................................................66 Al Khamsa History Ancestral Elements Series: JALAWI .....................................................................69 Advertising Information and Advertisers .................................................................. 71 Donation Levels and Donor Listings..................................................................... 72-73

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: Convention 2021 Report 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.

Al Khamsa, Inc. Administrative Information

President’s Message 8/15/21

2020-2021 Al Khamsa Officers, Board of Directors and Committees 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

Dear Supporters, Al Khamsa, Inc. faces a time of change and also of stability. We are working hard at holding onto the importance of education and preserving these genetics for the future while still moving forward in research and technology. You will soon see our new Website and Roster. Many volunteers are still working hard on this task, creating, organizing, questioning and testing. The goal is to make the website user friendly for both the old-time supporters and newly interested individual. This project has been several years in coming and we near completion. Your generosity in supporting this endeavor is appreciated. We will have another funding drive along with the Annual Meeting and Convention to make up the remainder of the costs associated with the rebuild. Please give what you can. Soon you will see the final products. Enjoy the ride.

2020-21 Committee Chairs

The Board of Directors is working toward lining up a slate of volunteers who will continue to work toward our shared goals. We still need committee volunteers and workers. Tell us your interests and we can match you up with activities that suit you. We continue to seek at least one person who would volunteer a few hours a month to supporting the website. Any volunteers, please contact info@alkhamsa.org.

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

The 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting and Convention is approaching on October 15-16, 2021. Please join us. We have developed a fantastic lineup of speakers. I am so impressed by the topics and experts who so generously share their knowledge. Please register and participate. There is much information in this Khamsat about the event and please use the most current news www.alkhamsa.org. I hope you are all safe and well. I have been honored to serve this community. As a community, we take responsibility for ourselves, but look out to help one another. Help your friends next door, take care of your horses, and be happy! Thank you for supporting Al Khamsa, Inc.

Nichole Grodski 17 Blue Stem Lane Hawk Point, Missouri 63349 631.879.1502 westcreekarabians@gmail.com

Warmly,

Al Khamsa Community Hub Calendar 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 14–17, 2021: The 2021 Al Khamsa Annual Meeting is a virtual program again this year, as it is impossible to plan for an in-person gatherings at this time. Details pp. 9–11. October 22–30, 2021: US Nationals, Tulsa, Oklahoma. November, 2021: Arabian Horse Association Virtual Convention.

Links of Interest 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/ While moderate exercise in heat did not seem to impair reproductive function of stallions, it does appear that exercise and other stress factors (including heat) may interfere with normal ovarian function in mares. Extreme heat may exceed the ability of the stallion to control scrotal temperature, and result in impaired spermatogenesis and a decrease in semen quality. https://info.selectbreeders.com/blog/bid/185750/Heat-Stress-and-Equine-Reproduction It is particularly important to recognise and manage appropriately the older maiden mare as in many cases these mares are susceptible to post-breeding endometritis even though they have never been bred before. https://equine-reproduction.com/articles/ MaidenMare.shtml How Old Is ‘Too Old’ For A Broodmare? https://www.paulickreport.com/horse-care-category/vet-topics/old-old-broodmare/?search=Ho w+Old+Is+‘Too+Old’+For+A+Broodmare%3F Feeding horses in keeping with their nature and managing their stress can help support a healthy hindgut and microbiome. https:// thehorse.com/1102489/return-to-the-wild-to-keep-horses-hindgutshealthy/ Do you know what to do–and just as importantly, what not to do–if your horse displays vague, mild, or serious signs of what might be colic? https://thehorse.com/features/dealing-with-equinecolic/ Leaky gut occurs when the tight junctions break down between the cells that divide intestinal contents from the rest of the body. 3

This can lead to nutrient malabsorption, inflammation, a compromised immune system, and possible behavioral issues. https:// thehorse.com/1101789/leaky-gut-health-and-behavior-whats-theconnection/ 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. Website Update Work on the Al Khamsa website is almost complete. This includes redoing all site pages to conform to a new template and current website software, as well as creating a program to display the Al Khamsa Pedigree Database on the site. These were two large jobs, and they were contracted to our current web hosting service, GWS (Global Web Services), an international firm with consideral experience in the Joomla language our site is based on. Immediately after the convention, our task force and GWS will complete what is necessary to “go live” with the site. We hope all of you, especially those who have contributed to the major amount of money required for such large jobs, will find it attractive and useful. We are still fund-raising to complete the required payment. If you can help us reach this goal, we appreciate it so much!

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Passings: A Salute to Three Resolute Women

It has long been a challenge for women in the Arab world to achieve great things among their male peers. However, women of great strength of character had often played an important role in preserving the heritage of the Arabian horse in the Arab World.

Twenty years have now passed since Mary Gharagozlou has passed away, and her name may not be familiar with many Al Khamsa supporters. However, she was a symbol of strength and perseverance in the quest for preserving the Arabian horses of Iran. Her tribute is best summed up in a memoriam on the WAHO website as follows:

We in the western world have long been familiar with the remarkable contribution of the renowned Lady Anne Blunt and her copious journal entries documenting her life with the Arabian horse, which has served well both scholars and enthusiasts of the Arabian horse for many years. Her contribution is immeasurable and worthy of a separate story.

“On 14th September 2001, after a short illness bravely borne, Mary Gharagozlou passed away. Mary had been a member of WAHO since the early 1970s, and many of you will have met her at WAHO Conferences.

But this short piece is to briefly reflect on the passing of three strong women who we have had to say goodbye to over the past few years.

“Mary led a complex, fascinating, but at times difficult life. Her father, Naqi Khan, was a doctor who came from a long line of Persian landlords and statesmen descended from the Gharagozlou tribe, brought from Central Asia to northwest Persia by Tamerlane in the late 14th century. Her mother was Katherine Ladd, an American librarian at John Hopkins University, Baltimore. Mary grew up to become Iran’s foremost expert on dry farming and a tireless worker for the benefit of the nomadic tribes of Iran, especially in times of famine and earthquakes, earning the greatest of respect from all who knew and worked with her.

Mary Gharagozlou - Iran

“In due course Mary married Majid Khan Bakhtiar, the chief of the Bakhtiari tribe, who introduced her to the Asil horses of Khuzestan that were to become her passion. For many happy years, they enjoyed life to the full. After his death in a flying accident, and for various other reasons, Mary’s circumstances changed greatly but she never gave up her work against all odds to bring the Arabian horses of Iran to the attention of WAHO and the world. “Untiring in her dedication to the Arabian horses of Iran, Mary became the driving force behind the acceptance of their horses by WAHO. What one may not know is that in order to prepare the stud books, especially in the early days, she herself travelled by jeep, by horse and even by camel the length and breadth of Iran, in all weathers and often over difficult terrain, interviewing owners and breeders, recording pedigrees, taking markings, arranging for blood-typing and freeze-marking, and taking every opportunity to learn the history of the horses that had become her life’s work.” Madam Wegdan (Dani) El Barbary - Egypt In January of 2018 “Dani” as her friends called her, passed away. She was a unique woman in Egypt, of noble confidence born out of a love for the Arabian horse and its performance qualities. She had

Mary Gharagozlou on her black Obayan Sharrak stallion, Arras. Courtesy of WAHO Archive.

Dani’s life-long passion for the Arabian horse is best summed up in one of her quotes: “If you want a courageous friend to ride and enjoy, then you should have an Arabian.”

Dani El Barbary, with SEAE Sukkar Maaoud. Gigi Grasso photo.

learned horsemanship in several stables in Europe and on returning to Egypt she was the only woman member of a show jumping team in Egypt in her era. Competing in local jumping competitions, Dani joined an international competition team comprised of Egyptian Army officers, she being the only woman on the team at that time. Being particularly enthusiastic of the performance qualities of the Arabian horse, she had acquired some Tahawi bred horses and also utilized the Sharkasi blood in the early years from her mare Basboosa (Ibn Ghorra — not Al Khamsa — x Mahmouda). Afterward, Dani’s Arabian breeding program, named Shams El Asil, began small but expanded in 1969 with the acquisition of the stallion Bilal I (*Morafic x Mona) a three-quarter brother to the famous mare Hanan. Dani received important advice from the EAO managers General Tibor Pettko-Szandtner and Dr. Mohammed Marsafi. She was also interested in the breeding program of Hamdan Stables and the outcross qualities of the stock of the former Royal Inshass Stud. One of her early mares was the mare Mahmouda of all Inshass breeding. Mahmouda produced the stallion *Hedarr (x Amrulla) for Dani. He was later exported to the US where he became a successful race horse and sire of race horses. In an interview, Dani said that one of her regrets was selling *Hedarr but it later proved a good decision for the racing community in the US. In addition, she added the mares Fanar (Nasralla x Bint Bukra), Taysir (Amrulla x Mohga), Dawlat (*Morafic x Bint Mabrouka Inshass), Hanzada (Ibn Shahrzada x Abla), Yosra (Mourad x Alifa) and Katr El Nada (*Farazdac x Sara), as well as the stallion Misk (Wahag x Nazeema). For many decades, Dani’s Shams El Asil stud has produced internationally renowned Arabians. One of the most winning Straight Egyptian performance horses in North America, Dal-Apollo is sired by the Shams El Asil bred stallion SEA Ben Ben Bilal (Misk x SEA Mashaallah by Bilal I) [imported from Egypt to Canada]. 5

Danah Al-Khalifa in 1973 with two of her original Saluqis.

Danah Al-Khalifa - Bahrain On July 6, 2021 the world said goodbye to the foremost emissary for the original Arabian horses of Bahrain. Danah’s lifelong efforts helped create global notoriety of the original Asil Arabian horses of Bahrain, and has helped preserve these living treasures. Her legacy is especially important to Al Khamsa, which over the past two decades has added some Bahrain foundation bloodlines to its roster. As a young foreign student from Sweden attending school in Southern California, Danah met another foreign student, Isa Bin Abdulla Al-Khalifa, a member of the Ruling family of Bahrain, who she married. The marriage was not met with enthusiasm by either of their parents, causing them to live in various places in the Middle East until finally settling in Bahrain. The story of the early part of Danah’s life is best told in her own words she wrote for Arabiana in 1974 in an article called “A Voice in the Desert”. “My introduction to the Arabian horse was through my Russianborn (Tzarist Ukrania) mother’s stories during early childhood.

However, the physical introduction that caused the awareness that the Arabians are different came in Saudi Arabia in 1962.

And that is the story in Danah’s own words how she ended up in Bahrain. We know afterwards about her exhaustive efforts to document the remaining Asil treasures of Arabian bloodlines, first photographically in the book The Living Treasures of Bahrain [1971] (with some photographic and illustrative contributions from Judith Forbis from her early visits to Bahrain). Later several illustrated studbooks appeared as a consequence of Danah’s work in Bahrain. This was a very significant achievement since Asil horse breeding among the Ruling family was not at all a commercial enterprise but a private and personal one. Horses rarely left the island except as special gifts. While (in classic Bedouin tradition) the horses lineage and strains was held in memory, it became necessary to document that knowledge for later consumption by the western world and also for the horses to be able to be registered in studbooks for WAHO recognition.

“I was watching some mares running loose with their tails curled over their backs – how odd I thought they looked – like dogs of Finland or Alaska! While in Saudi Arabia, all I was truly interested in was a horse to ride. But my husband was too proud to let me borrow anyone’s horse and insisted that we acquire one of our own. (Easier said than done!) After a futile horse-buying trip to Riyadh, on our way back to Dhahran, we discovered a small band of horses in the desert, belonging to Emir Abdulla bin Saud. We went to see them and found that three mares were going to be disposed of. (This being at the time the Emir Feisul was cutting down on the prince’s allowances, so some of the mares had to go.) “Three mares were pointed out to us, a Kuheilah, Obeyah, and a Hamdanieh. I wanted the snow white five year old Obeyah that was ready to be ridden, but my husband and daughter wanted the then roan two year old filly, Hamdanieh. My husband wanted her as she reminded him of a filly his grandfather gave him as a child, and my six year old daughter liked her because she was small, 14.2 h.h.! Of all the strange reasons to choose a horse! Hamdanieh it was, and we named her “SITAH” (a common name the bedu give to mares, “RENOWN”.) The Obeyah is 14.3 h.h. but looks bigger. (Sidi was just 15 h.h.)

Danah Al-Khalifa was not only a cornerstone of preservation of the Asil horses of Bahrain but she was also a breeding of original Saluqis, coursing hounds of the Arab world. Danah became internationally renowned for many reasons and will always be appreciated for her unending work on behalf of preserving the “living treasures of Bahrain.” She will be forever remembered and missed. ~ Joe Ferriss

***

“Two weeks later, we took some Americans from Abquek to pick up the other two mares. As an afterthought, we asked the Bedu in charge about the breeding of the mares and were pleasantly surprised. Hamdanieh (Hamdanieh Ghiam) was bred by Emir Feisal in Taif, out of mares of the house of Al-Saud by a stallion Saqlawy Njemy of the house of Al-Rasheed. Obeyah was bred by then King Saud out of his mares and the stud stallion at the time, HAMDANY.

Danah must have been in her early nineties as she was 40 when I was 20 in Bahrain in the late 1960’s. I am now 72. I saw her for the last time in 2018 by then she was very confused it was sad to see. She taught me so much about Bahrain’s horses and we had such fun putting together the ‘Living Treasures’ booklet. I would shake her tambourine to get the horses to stand nicely while she took the photo! Danah could be so generous but she wasn’t always easy to get along with. Anyone who upset her knew about it! She was always my first port of call when I returned to Bahrain. I remember when she was given ‘Danah Farm’ she was so excited. She called me and said, “come I want to show you my farm.” We bumped across a piece of waste ground/desert. I said, “ where is it?” Danah walked to a large boulder, then pointed to another in the distance and then two more. “That’s it, that’s my farm.” She was overjoyed with her gift and set about making ‘Danah Farm’ out of the desert. There was a diesel pump sucking sweet water out of the ground, three stables went up and within a few years Danah created an oasis. Happy days. ~ Jenny Lees

“In any event, very shortly in 1964, I and my children and Sitah went to Egypt to live. (I should mention perhaps, that it was forbidden to import horses to Egypt at that time, but the Egyptian Government very kindly “lifted the ban” so we could get our mare in.) “In Egypt, again, I was not too interested in anything but to continue to ride my little mare until we both, the mare and I, fell in love with a very handsome stallion stabled next to her, IBN SID ABOUHOM [Namic] (Sid Abouhom x Om El Saad). (The story of “Sidi” as we called him, is fascinating but too long to relate here.) “As Sitah turned out to be a bit too hot blooded for any dressage work, and not fast enough for the races, the logical thing to do was to breed her – to “Sidi” of course. To be perfectly frank, at the time I was only curious to see the result of this combination of my true desert war mare with the very sophisticated stallion of Egyptian breeding, yet so strong in desert blood through El Deree, his grandsire.

*** Rest in Peace, noble lady of the horses. ~ Edouard Al Dahdah.

“In 1965 I was able to purchase Sidi, not that I really wanted two horses to ride, but the circumstances in my private life were such that I needed some distraction – so to speak. Anyhow, later in 1966 I was invited to go to Bahrain to live, and after two short visits and being taken to see H.H. Emir Isa’s (Shaikh Isa bin Sulman Al-Khalifa, the Ruler of Bahrain), horses and completely falling over them in amazement (that anything so antique still existed) I began to prepare to eventually move to Bahrain and start seriously breeding and working with horses. (As Emir Isa so generously put it after our first meeting; “If you stay with us, all these horses are yours” as a gesture to let me know how welcome I was in Bahrain.)” 6

SPOTLIGHT! Mirage SR

Becky Pearman Photography

2007 Soveign x Minstrils Nafia

This is Mirage SR owned and trained by Mary Farris. In this photo, Mirage and I were placing Sixth Individual, Team Silver, and High Vet Score in the 2016 Young Rider Team Championship. Mirage went to Worlds in 2018 with a different rider, and has had an incredibly successful endurance career thus far. Mary Farris and I completed a 50 mile ride together in March at Lizard Run in South Carolina, with Mary riding Mirage, and I on another of her horses. Mirage remains an active competitor and has been for many years. I am blessed to have had the opportunity to ride and train on him, and have enjoyed watching his continuing success in endurance. Mary Farris took me under her wing for the 2016 ride season as Mirage and I worked to qualify as a team for the Young Rider Team Challenge later that year. I feel incredibly lucky to have had the chance to ride Mirage and to learn from Mary, as both she and Mirage taught me the skills necessary to be competitive in a way that also promotes longevity at the international level. Mirage is a horse that thrives under pressure, and he has the heart and mind of a professional athlete. He is incredibly aware of his job, and always takes care of himself, unlike many horses that succumb to "race brain" and run themselves ragged. He has an incredibly sharp mind and a beautifully balanced natural carriage, making him a true challenger on trail. He and I rode many miles together, both in training and competition. He always took care of me, and by the Team Challenge, riding him was an effortless, rewarding experience. He knew my slightest shift in seat, would move off the lightest leg pressure, and he danced over the trail at my slightest direction. I, in turn, knew what he needed of me as a rider, and had learned to read his needs and wants as if he spoke to me aloud in my own language. We raced alone for the majority of the competition, and he never placed a single foot wrong, nor [showed] any signs of fatigue. We breezed through the ride, and then breezed through the final inspection and our BC presentation. Onlookers told me afterwards that Mirage had seemed as if he was dancing instead of simply trotting circles for BC, thus earning us the incredible High Vet Score award. Mirage will always hold a place in my heart, as the best horses always do, and I look back on my training with him fondly. He is an excellent example of his breed and Mary's training program. Mirage was and is my teammate and friend, and I look forward to seeing Mary and him achieve incredible things together in the future. I am excited for Mirage to receive this recognition, and am grateful to have the opportunity to share my experience. ~ Brooks Prater, Clemson University Animal and Veterinary Studies Class of 2021, Stiyu Endurance Senior and Young Rider 7

Pi eces

Bits and

At right, two rare images of the stallion Kenur, AHR*1901, at about the age of 12. Kenur was straight Sa’ud of the Albert W. Harris importation, foaled 1940 by *Sunshine (imported in utero out of *Nufoud) out of *Tairah. The photos were taken by Charles Craver at the Harris farm in Wisconsin, on a tour of Arabian horse farms in 1952 or 3. Kenur has about 1450 descendants in Al Khamsa, but is unfortunately not preserved in straight Sa’ud breeding. His three prominent daughters are Haraka, Azyya and Bint Hamida. Images courtesy of Craver Farms and furnished by the Arabian Horse Archives.

News recognition of the arrival in the U.S. of the earliest Arabian horse to be registered in the Arabian Horse Club (now the AHA). Djeytan, or Panther, the lighter of the two, was registered as *Leopard AHR*233. Missisli was registered as *Linden Tree AHR*234. Image courtesy of Michael Bowling, and furnished by the Arabian Horse Archives.

Roster Proposals Al Khamsa Roster Proposal for Gamal El Din (TAH) submitted by Joe Ferriss on November 1, 2019, up for seccond vote

Gamal El Din was first identified to westerners in the Royal Agricultural Society Stud Book Vol. 1 (1948 English version) on page 58 as the sire of *Saema RAS#50. *Saema was imported to the US in 1950 by Queen Mother Nazli Sabri (mother of King Farouk). *Saema’s dam is Bint Dalal, a 1926 grey mare bred by the RAS. Bint Dalal’s sire and dam, Hamran (BLT) and Dalal Al Zarka (APK), are already Al Khamsa horses. The RAS Stud Book states as follows: “Gamal El Din, a race horse belonging to Ahmed Bey Abu El Fotouh.” No other information was provided about him.

and about the horses she bought from them. These horses are referred to by Lady Anne Blunt in her writings as “The First Attempt” at putting together a stud of Arabian horses at Sheykh Obeyd Gardens. The old Shaikh also spoke about the several Royal Agricultural Society horses that came from the Tahawi clan, and he also confirmed what is already common knowledge, which is that the vast majority of the horses at the race track were also Tahawi horses.

We know Ahmed Bey Abu El Fotouh (aka Ahmed Effendi Abu El Fotouh, or Futuh) as the owner of the Al Khamsa Foundation Horse El Nasser (RAS) when that horse was in Egypt and the provider of El Nasser to the RAS. Ahmed Bey Abu El Fotouh was among the top 20 principal race winning owners in Egypt during the racing season 1939–1940 according to the Egyptian Jockey Club records. He was also a racing steward at both the Heliopolis and Alexandria Racing Clubs in 1945 and hence a prominent and respected figure in the Egyptian racing scene.

He spoke about the famous Tahawi race horse Soniour, who was also by “Dahman Abdallah Saoud”, and who was hence Barakat’s half-brother. Today, Soniour is represented in the pedigree of the stallion Ibn Ghalabawi. He also talked about Renard Bleu, a son of Barakat with an unmatched racing record. There is a nice photo of Renard Bleu in the book of Ali al-Barazi, a copy of which I have with me. The surprise came later in the interview when he mentioned that he had known and seen the race horse Gamal El Din, which was owned by Ahmed Abu al-Futuh (Futuh Bey), and he provided full details about him.

It was not until 2011, during the Al Khamsa contacts with remaining Tahawi breeders in Egypt, that an interview was conducted with the very aged Shaikh Tahawi Sa’eid Mejalli al-Tahawi. This interview was conducted by Yasser Ghanim Barakat al-Tahawi and his cousins Yehia Abd al-Sattar al-Tahawi, and Mohammed Mohammed Saoud al-Tahawi. Yasser provided the summary of the meeting posted on December 6, 2011 on Edouard Al Dahdah’s Daughter of the Wind blog. His text appears below:

It turned out that Gamal El Din was by Barakat out of a Kuhaylah Khallawiyah, and that he was bred by Shaikh Abd al-Hamid Rageh al-Tahawi, who also bred the three Tahawi mares Fulla (Folla), Futna and Bint Barakat, which were sold to Hamdan stables. So Gamal El Din would be a close relative to the mare Futna (Ibn Barakat x a Kuhalyah Khallawiyah), who was from the same strain as him, and from the same Tahawi breeder.

New information on the Egyptian stallion Gamal El Din

Posted on December 6th, 2011. As part of the working group on the horses of the Tahawi, which Edouard mentioned in a recent post, I wanted to share with you brand new information about the Egyptian stallion Gamal El Din.

Gamal El Din was used by Egypt’s Royal Agricultural Society in the 1940s. He has seven offspring in the AHA Datasource, one stallion and six mares all born in 1945, of which only one mare *Saema (x Bint Dalal) bred on in modern lines. *Saema was imported by the Queen Mother of Egypt to the USA in 1950, where she was the progenitor of a line of Egyptian horses that is increasingly successful in the show ring today.

The information was obtained when Yehia Abd al-Sattar al-Tahawi, Mohammad Saoud al-Tahawi, and myself, recently recorded a one hour video with one of the very old Tahawi horse breeders, Shaikh Tahawi Sa’eid Mejalli al-Tahawi, who was born around 1904, and is 107 years old today. He still has an amazing memory for his advanced age, and is one of the old Bedouin breeders, and a great horse expert, following his father Shaikh Sa’ied Mejalli al-Tahawi.

Among her descendants is the 2001 black stallion HU Sheikh Imaan (Imaann x Niema Nile by Shaik Al Badi), a great-grandson of *Saema in the tail female, and a greatgreat-grand son of Gamal El Din. His lines are increasingly popular today. [Note: HU Sheikh Imaan’s pedigree also includes the ancestor *Ibn Farhan, imported by the Queen Mother, but he is not a part of this proposal as research is ongoing for him.]

In this interview, he shared many exciting details about the old Tahawi horses such as “Dahman Abdullah Saoud” which he saw himself when he was young. “Dahman Abdullah Saoud” was the sire of the race horse Barakat (also a Dahman, but from another line), among others, and is today represented in modern Egyptian pedigrees through his great-granddaughters Fulla, Futna, and Bint Barakat.

Before the new information provided by Shaikh Tahawi Sa’ied Mejalli al-Tahawi surfaced, almost nothing was known about him, other than the mention on page 29 of

Shaikh Tahawi Sa’eid Mejalli al-Tahawi also spoke about lady Anne Blunt and her frequent visits to the Tahawi clan, 12

the book “RAS History” that “Gamal El Din was a good racehorse, and was owned by Abu El-Fotouh Bey”. Now, thanks to the testimony of the old Tahawi Shaikh, we know the strain of Gamal El Din (K. Khallawi), his sire Barakat (for which we have a hujjah, and about which we already knew a lot), and his breeder Shaikh Abd al-Hamid Rageh al-Tahawi, one of the most respected breeders of Asil Arabians in Egypt. After an hour of talking, Shaikh Tahawi Sa’ied Mejalli alTahawi became tired, and we stopped the interview. He was also having some difficulty hearing all our questions. So the best thing we could do was to let him tell his own stories and not interrupt him, and this is how the information on Gamal El Din appeared. Here is a photo [opposite] of the elderly Shaikh, with my cousins Yehia Abd al-Sattar al-Tahawi (in the middle) and Mohammed Mohammed Saoud al-Tahawi on the right.

Based on the information provided from the interview with Shaikh Tahawi Sa’ied Mejalli al-Tahawi and combining it with what has been learned from the Tahawi regarding the previous Hamdan Stables Tahawi mares accepted by Al Khamsa, Gamal El Din’s pedigree is as follows:

Best regards, Yasser Ghanim Barakat al-Tahawi

***

a Saqlawi Jidran of Ibn Zobeyni Dahman of Abdallah Saud al-Tahawi a Dahmat ‘Amer of Jar Allah ibn Tuwayrish Barakat

a Dahmat Shahwan of Mnazi’ Amer al-Tahawi

Gamal El Din, a c1935 Kuhaylan Khallawi bred by Shaikh Abdul Hamid Rageh al-Tahawi

a Kuhaylah Khallawiyah of Abdul Hamid Rageh al-Tahawi

In summary: This pedigree above is as close as one can get to the previously accepted Tahawi mare Futna; therefore Gamal El Din deserves to be recognized as a Foundation Horse by Al Khamsa because Gamal El Din in *Saema’s pedigree is essentially the same provenance as all the Tahawi horses already accepted by Al Khamsa. ~ Joe Ferriss, November, 2019.

Al Khamsa Roster Proposal for Kuheilaan Aladiyat Hashal (BHR 1623) submitted by Edouard Al-Dahdah on November 1, 2020, up for first vote The Pedigree: 1. The following is a public link to the pedigree of Kuheilaan Aladiyat Hashal (BHR 1623), based on information from the Bahrain Arabian Horse Studbook and other documents presented in this proposal. https://cloud.smartdraw.com/share.aspx/?pubDocShare=6C65E0AA4DE72E5E9 4EC845C3374D4DE42B Kuheilaan Aafas Ttaawoos Hamdaany Wadhah Burkhaan Ma’anaghy AlSaghir x Sitah D1 BHRSP*300 Hamdanieh Newaahil Hamdanieh Bint Umm Shaameh Hamdaany 71 x Hamdanieh Umm Shaameh Kuheilaan Aladiyat Hashal Kuheilaan Aafas Rakaan Kuheila’t Aladiyat Afeefa Jellaby Nejib Kuheila’t Aladyat Bint Fejri Kuheilaan Aafas Ttaawoos Kuheila’t Aladiyat Raylaanah Kuheila’t Aladiyat Naafleh Jellaby AlSakhir x Kuheilat Aladiyat BHR*576

2. This pedigree forms an integral part of the current proposal for inclusion in the Al Khamsa Roster. All the ancestors in the pedigree of Kuheilaan Aladiyat Hashal were bred in Bahrain from old Bahraini lines. Most ancestors appear in the pedigrees of other Bahraini horses already accepted into the Al Khamsa Roster, except two horses who are new: the mare Kuhailat Aladiyat 576, which is the tail female ancestor, and the mare Sitah, which appears in the middle of the pedigree (see bold elements in the pedigree above). This proposal provides more detail on these two additional ancestors.

Kuhailat Aladiyat 576: 3. The earliest known source of information on the strain of Kuhailaan Al-Adiyat Hashal BHR*1623 is Judith Forbis’s article “Pearls of Great Price” as it appeared in a 1971 issue of the Arabian Horse World (AHW) magazine, republished in her book Authentic Arabian Bloodstock (1990). 4. Judith Forbis visited the studs of the ruling family of Bahrain in March 1970 and mentioned the following: “Kuheilah Al Adiati is another strain rarely heard of before, but deriving from the Kuheilah family. She came from Saudi Arabia, and was presented to Sheikh Hamad when he was a prince, together with a letter of presentation from the offering Sheikh of Al Ajman: “I send to you this mare which fulfills Al Adiat […] When Sheikh Hamad saw her racing and found her exceedingly swift, he happily declaired: “Truly she is of Al Adiat” (Document 1). 5. The same story recurs in Volume I of the Bahraini stud book (1980) and on the website of the Bahraini Royal Stud [http://www.bahrainroyalstud.com/6.php]: “A Kuheilah mare was presented to Shaikh Hamed bin Isa (1874-1942) while he was still a young man. The sender of the mare, Shaikh of the Ajman tribe, wrote a letter to his friend: “We send you this Kuheilah mare which fulfils the Adiyat”. From the Koran, Sura C (Adiyat, or those that run) […] When Shaikh Hamed saw the mare run in a race and found her exceedingly swift, he happily declared: “Truly she is of the El Adiyat”. A descendant of this mare Kuheilat Aladiyat Naafleh 222 has been a prolific producer of fillies. So this line continues to flourish even today. 6. The strain is evidently a branch of the Kuhaylan family, and appears to have come to Bahrain in the period between 1923 and 1932, the period when Shaykh Hamad bin ‘Isa Aal Khalifah was deputy ruler, (i.e., Crown Prince) before succeeding his father as ruler upon the latter’s death in 1932. 7. The strain clearly received its current name following the episode of the gifting of this specific mare. It would have been known under a different name before this episode. The ‘Ajman Bedouin tribesmen of Eastern Saudi Arabian were famed breeders of several Kuhaylan strains, among which were Kuhaylat Umm Surayyir, Kuhaylat al-Harqah and Kuhaylat al-Jaziah. It is entirely possible that the original gift mare belonged to either one of these three strains, or another Kuhaylan strain of the Ajman. 8. Volume 1 of the Bahrain Studbook goes on to say, “One descendant of this mare remains in Bahrain,” and then lists Kuheilah Adiyati Nr. 222, speckled grey mare foaled 1970, by Jellaby Sakhir Nr. 270 and out of “Kuheilah Adiyati (dead). This is the same 1970 grey mare appearing in Volume II of the Bahrain Studbook as Kuheila’t Aladiyat Naafleh 222, by Jellaby Alsakhir and out of Kuheila’t Aladiyat (576). 14

Document 1.

9. Kuhaylat al-Aadiyat 576 (no sire, no dam, no color recorded) must have been a grey, because she had a grey filly, the 1970 Kuhaylat al-Aadiyat Naafleh, by the bay Jellaby al-Sakhir. That she had a foal by Jellaby al-Sakhir is an indication that she was part of the broodmare band at the stud of Sakhir in 1969-1970, where Jellaby al-Sakhir was the main breeding stallion, as his name indicates.

Kuheilaan Aladiyat Hashal, 2011 chestnut stallion, is shown above left with Jamal Abusoud and above right, racing in Bahrain.

10. Judith Forbis took the attached photo (Document 2) of a grey mare at the Sakhir stud in March 1971, with this caption: “A Kuhaylah Al Adiati mare at Sakhir, sired by the Old Speckled Jellabi. One of the few mares of this strain.” It would seem that the mare in the photo is Kuhaylat al-Aadiyat 576. The rarity of the strain in 1970, the grey color of the mare, her having had a 1970 offspring by a stallion stationed at Sakhir, and the Old Speckled Jellabi being the main stallion siring greys at that time all point to this conclusion, which extends the pedigree of Kuheilaan Aladiyat Hashal one generation further back.

Sitah D1: 11. Also in Volume 1 of the Amiri Arabian Stud of Bahrain, the late Danah Al Khalifah writes that “the breeding program at Danah Farm is centered around the foundation mare SITAH, ‘Hamdaniah Feisul’ and her offspring. Sitah’s history is documented from the time she was acquired as a two year old filly in 1964, at the Najd encampment of Emir Abdulla bin Saud. It was stated by the caretaker of the horse herd that Sitah was bred by Crown Prince Feisal bin Abdul Aziz, and was out of a Hamdaniah Ghiam mare of the horses of Al Saud, and by a stud stallion Saqlawy El Njemy from the horses of Al Rasheed.” 12. In the same 1971 Arabian Horse World article on the Bahraini horses, Judith Forbis has the following to say about Sitah: “We stopped to see SITAH, her exquiDocument 2. Kuhaylat al-Aadiyat 576. Forbis photo. sitely refined white desert bred mare of the Hamdaniyah Giam strain. Sired by a Saqlawi Njemi from the Al Rashid family, Sitah was bred at the stud at Tiev, [Edouard’s note: Ta’if, the city where the stud of King Faysal Ibn Abd al-Aziz Aal Saud was located] the long famous Saud stud, by King Feisul of Saudi Arabia, at the time he was a crown prince” (Document 3). 13. An additional source on Sitah is a typewritten letter from Danah Al Khalifah to Jens Sannek where she gives him information on Sitah including a date of birth of 1961 and similar information on her sire and her dam (Document 4). 14. The strain of Saqlawi El Njemy recorded as that of the sire of Sitah is none other than the strain of Saqlawi Nijm al-Subh (Star of the Morning in Arabic), also known today as Saqlawi Marzakani among the northern Shammar. The Northern Shammar are in Syria and Iraq and often sent horses to their Southern Shammar brethren, whose leaders were from the Al Rasheed family. 15. Based on the information above, it would seem that all the antecedents of Kuheilaan Aladiyat Hashal, including Sitah D1 and Kuhailat Aladiyat 576, were either Bedouin bred or bred by the Royal Arabian Stud of Bahrain from well-ascertained, authenticated and reputable Bedouin lines. I would therefore request that the Board and General Assembly of Al Khamsa, Inc, consider adding Kuheilaan Aladiyat Hashal to the Roster of Al Khamsa Arabian horses.

Document 3, right. Document 4, bottom, far right. Document 5, Sitah D1. Dr. V. NoliMarais photo.

Y Chromosome Ancestry in the Arabian Horse by Beth Minnich with Michael Bowling

“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. 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.” The goal of this article is to introduce equine Y chromosome research, with a focus on what has been learned (to date) about Y chromosome ancestry in the Arabian horse. Using modern scientific technology, we can gain greater understanding of the fascinating history of the Arabian horse. Keeping in mind ‘discovery’, by its nature, can yield unexpected results; some of the findings to be discussed are controversial. At the same time, good science should lead to more questions, and as we learn more about the background of the Arabian horse, further questions will arise. The additional perspective offered, alongside a basic explanation of how the conclusions have been drawn, will hopefully provide valuable context as work continues. This is important for the interpretation of data by researchers, as well as for development of narratives shared within the Arabian horse and broader equine communities.

If these words look familiar, they are the opening to “Genetic Diversity & Complex Ancestry in the Arabian Horse” (May 2021, Khamsat), which introduced findings from the scientific paper “Genome Diversity and the Origin of the Arabian Horse” (Cosgrove, et al. Scientific Reports, June 2020).1,2 Genomic studies are bringing about new ways of viewing DNA history of the Arabian horse and other breeds, helping to connect the past to the present. For a brief recap of this research, 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.

Y Chromosome Basics3,4

• Registered Arabian horses were identified in the Middle East that carry expanded genetic and phenotypic diversity.

To establish a foundation to work from, let’s first review some Y chromosome basics. [Note: to assist with terminology, italicized terms appear in a glossary on page 18.]

• Straight Egyptians have a distinct genetic signature and less genetic variation than other Arabian bloodline groups considered.

4. Strong evidence was found for recent interbreeding of Thoroughbreds with Arabians used for flat racing.

Of a horse’s 64 chromosomes, two are sex chromosomes which are designated as X and Y. These chromosomes determine the sex of a horse, with females inheriting two copies of the X chromosome and males inheriting one X chromosome and one Y chromosome. Dams can only pass along an X chromosome to their offspring, and the Y chromosome can only be passed by the sire. But, because a stallion can contribute either an X or Y chromosome, his contribution is what determines the sex of offspring; an X chromosome from the sire produces a filly, while a Y chromosome results in a colt.

As we continue the journey to better understand how DNA can assist in unlocking the mysteries of breed history and ancestry, we will take an introductory walk through the Y chromosome component of the study. To help set the stage for digesting this material, there will also be a brief overview on inheritance and ancestry of the equine Y chromosome. Important work from the lab of Dr. Barbara Wallner, from the Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, will also be included.

Though perhaps the smallest chromosome in the mammalian genome, the Y chromosome is one of the most distinct regions. Comprising <2% of the total haploid genome, the Y chromosome is male specific, and the horse Y chromosome contains 52 genes. Some of these genes have important functions, playing a role in the development of male characteristics, spermatogenesis and male fertility. For comparison, the X chromosome comprises about 5% of the total haploid genome, is the 3rd largest chromosome, and is estimated to contain >800 genes.

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.

The Y chromosome structure includes two regions: 1) a pseudoautosomal region (PAR), the area where the X and Y chromosomes pair during meiosis, and 2) a Male-specific-Y region (MSY), that does not match with the X chromosome. While the PAR is shared between the X and the Y chromosome, the MSY region is present only on the Y chromosome. This article will focus on the MSY, which is passed from father to son without alteration (except for rarely occurring spontaneous mutations or gene conversions.)

In more recent history, strategic breeding in the past 300 years has resulted in the most dramatic change in the genetic make-up of horses. As noted in Horse Genetics, 3rd Edition (Bailey, Brooks) … “About that time, it appears stallions from the Middle East became popular in breeding programs throughout the world. One stallion must have been particularly popular and had a large impact on European horse populations. Extensive use of descendants of this stallion led to the modern disappearance of other Y chromosomes in most breeds. Only breeds in remote regions, such as Iceland, Norway, and North Eastern Asia preserved the ancient variants for the Y chromosome.” In short - domestication, in combination The Y chromosome is paternally inherited, making the MSY ideal for trackwith a limited number of founder stallions (extreme ing genetic history through the tail male line. This same principle applies to founder effect), has led to a significant reduction in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), which is inherited maternally and used for Y chromosome diversity, as compared to mtDNA. tracking genetic history through the tail female line. Haplogroups and Haplotypes With application of genomic tools, natural variations (mutations) trace ancestry as they are passed in the DNA from one population to another over time. On the MSY these variations are classified into ‘haplotypes’ and ‘haplogroups’. Haplotype (HT) is short for ‘haploid genotype’ and is a group of closely linked DNA variations on one chromosome which are often inherited together. A haplogroup (HG) is a group of similar haplotypes which share a common ancestor. Through identification of HTs and HGs, a horse Y chromosome phylogenetic tree can be created to view relationships between different groupings and breeds. In 2013, research by Dr. Barbara Wallner in Vienna, Austria identified six Y chromosomal haplotypes for domestic horse breeds, identified as HT1, HT2, HT3, HT4, HT5, HT6, and two for the Przewalski horse (HTprz1 and HTprz2)9 [see Figure 1]. Each of the domestic horse HTs are separated by only one novel variant or gene conversion step, so there are no deep branches in the tree involving many genetic changes.

Y Chromosome Diversity4-8 In previous studies, autosomal microsatellite markers and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), along with mtDNA, have been used to study the genetic diversity and origins of horse breeds, including the Arabian. It is now possible to utilize alterations in the Y chromosome to expand on these studies. Using MSY genealogies, identification of paternal ancestry and information about horse breeding history can be obtained. Research shows there is a significant amount of genetic diversity in horse mtDNA, but little Y chromosome diversity in the modern horse. Because modern horse Y chromosome lineages are distinct from the Przewalski’s horse, and prehistoric horses show more diversity than modern horses, the low MSY diversity is not a result of a low mutation rate. In fact, several studies show a lot of Y chromosome diversity until 700-1,000 years ago. Horses and humans have shared a close connection going back thousands of years. Not surprisingly, when comparing the human historical record with significant changes in the horse genome, there is a direct relationship with the expansion of human cultures spanning from the Early Bronze Age into the Middle Ages. 17

Figure 1: 2013 Network of Modern Domestic and Przewalski Horse Haplotypes. Source: Wallner, et al. Identification of genetic variation on the horse y chromosome and the tracing of male founder lineages in modern breeds. PLoS One. 2013;8(4):e60015. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Glossary of Terms 1. Allele - one of two or more forms of a gene or a genetic locus, typically differing in their DNA sequences. 2. Autosomal - residing on or due to chromosomes that are not the sex (X or Y) chromosomes. 3. Chromosome - threadlike structure that carries genetic information (DNA). Chromosomes come in pairs; horses have 31 pairs of autosomes (non-sex chromosomes) and one pair of sex chromosomes (X and Y). The sire and dam each contribute one copy of each chromosome. 4. Clustering - refers to patterns of relative genetic similarity among individuals and populations. 5. Deletion - a type of genetic variant in which a part of a chromosome or a sequence of DNA is lost during DNA replication. Deletion size can vary from a single base to an entire piece of a chromosome. 6. Fixation - when an allele reaches 100% frequency in a population. 7. Founder Effect - the reduction in genetic variation that results when a new population is established by a very small number of individuals from a larger population. 8. Gene conversion - the replacement of one part of a chromosome with a copy of the homologous part on the sister chromosome – e.g., the transfer of a short sequence from the homologous, but non-recombining region on the X- to the Y chromosome. 9. Genetic diversity - genetic variability within a species or population. 10. Genetic variation - differences in alleles of genes between individual members of a population, or the frequency in which the various genetic variants are expressed. 11. Haploid – a set of one chromosome from each homologous pair. The haploid number of chromosomes is carried by gametes (sperm and eggs). 12. Haplogroup (HG) - a group of similar haplotypes which share a common ancestor. 13. Haplotype (HT) - a group of closely linked DNA sequences on one chromosome which are often inherited together. 14. Indel (insertion–deletion mutation) – the insertion and/or deletion of nucleotides into genomic DNA. 15. Insertion - the addition of one or more nucleotide base pairs into a DNA sequence. 16. Meiosis – the method of cell division during the production of gametes (sperm and eggs). 17. Microsatellite markers – also called short tandem repeats (STRs), they are segments of DNA where the nucleotide sequence repeats. Microsatellite markers are one type of genetic marker available to measure genetic variation. 18. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) - the small circular chromosome found inside mitochondria; passed from mother to offspring. 19 Mutation – a synonym of genetic variant; a spontaneous mutation is a ‘naturally’ occurring mutation in the absence of a mutagen, such as radiation or a chemical substance. 20. Phylogenetic tree – a diagrammatic representation showing the relationships among various groups that have a common ancestor. 21. Private variants - mutations that have occurred in the line being tested, but not yet in other lines. 22. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) – a DNA sequence variation that occurs when a single nucleotide (A, T, C, or G) in the genome sequence is altered. 23. Tail female line - the continuous, unbroken chain of females and their progression through the generations tracking on the dam side only. 24. Tail male line - the continuous, unbroken chain of males and their progression through the generations tracking on the sire side only. 25. Variant – an alteration in DNA sequence often used synonymously with allele. There are genetic variants in the individual nucleotides (single nucleotide polymorphisms or SNPs) as well as larger variations, such as deletions, insertions, and copy number variations. 26. Whole genome sequence - the complete DNA sequence of an individual.

Domestic horse haplotypes are clearly separated from the Przewalski’s horse. The ancestral haplotype in domestic horses was identified as HT1, with HT2, HT4, HT5 and H6 stemming from HT1 at various time points after domestication, and HT3 stemming from HT2 around 1,800 CE. HT1, as the most widespread, was distributed across almost all breeds. HT2 and HT3 are widely distributed at high frequencies among modern European horse breeds, though HT2 is not found in northern European breeds or horses from the Iberian Peninsula. HT4-6 are found exclusively, and in high frequency, in three local northern European breeds; HT4 in Icelandic horses, HT5 in Norwegian Fjord horses, and HT6 in Shetland ponies. In 2017, Dr. Wallner added whole genome sequencing of a further 52 male horses from 21 different breeds to her studies of the Y chromosome.10 From this, an additional 49 SNPs and three indels were discovered, resulting in identification of new haplotypes; increasing the number to 24 found in 57 different breeds. With this expansion also came a change in naming conventions [see Table 1]. With these HTs, the Central European and North American breeds cluster in a grouping designated as the ‘crown-haplogroup’

TableTable 1: Changes Haplogroup Naming 1: Changesin in Haplogroup Naming 2013 HT1 HT2 HT3 HT4 HT5 HT6

→

2017 Ao, Ad, L, S Ta, Tu and all Tb except Tb-dW1 Tb-dW1 I Nf Ns

[see Figure 2]. Of the four ‘crown branches’ (A, L, S, and T), the A branch is found mainly in Original Arabians, with some Arabian samples clustered at the basal node of T [see Figure 3] in a grouping that would later be identified as HT Ta. The A and T branches will be discussed in greater detail further into this article. In 2018, work by Dr. Sabine Felkel in the Wallner lab studied an additional 52 stallions from European, American, and Asian

Figure 2: 2017 Horse MSY Phylogenetic Tree. HT-defining mutations are indicated on branches in grey. Haplogroups are distinguished by colors. Source breeds are listed for each haplogroup, with number of samples per breed in parentheses. Source: Wallner, et al. Y Chromosome Uncovers the Recent Oriental Origin of Modern Stallions. Curr Biol. 2017 Jul 10;27(13):2029-2035.e5. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.05.086.

Crown Haplogroup

breeds. From this group of samples, 101 new variants were detected, with 61 of these variants found only in Asian breeds. This work expanded the number of haplotypes in domestic horses to 42.12

grouping was named for initially genotyped Original Arabians. At the time HT Ao was named, it appeared to be specific for Arabians and was the only haplotype found in the Arabian breed.

The following year, their continued work increased the domestic horse haplotype count to 71, determined by 740 variants.13 Within the crown-group, 58 HTs (almost double the previous number) were identified across three major haplogroup branches: the branches include the previously described HG A and T, and a newly uncovered HG H (replacing the previously identified L and S groups) containing Iberian lines and a North African Barb Horse [see Figure 5].

However, as sample numbers increased, some Arabians were found to cluster at the root of the T branch, but distinctly separate from the Tu and Tb haplogroups. This discovery resulted in creation of a new haplotype, named Ta, being assigned to this group of horses. Dating of the Ta split is estimated at around 800 CE, shortly after formation of the crown-group in 500 CE. These two different and distantly related haplogroups have led to speculation by some that HT Ta horses are incorrectly identified as purebred Arabians. For additional perspective on why Ta is considered an Arabian haplotype, along with Ao, the following points are important to include in the discussion:

The A and T Branches With this short overview of the identification of horse Y chromosome haplogroups in hand, let’s take a closer look at the groups most relevant to the Arabian horse – the A and T branches. To better comprehend the mutations in the A and T haplogroups, see Table 2 and Figure 4 in sidebar “Haplotype Identification”.

• To date, the Ta haplotype has been found only in Arabian horses. • The Arab Bedouin tribes defined ‘Arabian horse’ and that definition was based on a framework steeped in their cultural values. From a Bedouin perspective, the notion of breed purity is more cultural rather than biological.

Arabian Haplotypes1,10,11 The Ao and Ta haplotypes have been designated as Arabian breed HTs [see Figure 5]. Derived from “Original Arabians”, the Ao

Figure 3: MSY HTs Detected in 363 Purebred Horses of 57 Breeds. (A) The size of each circle reflects the sample size of each HT. Haplogroups with confirmed Original Arabian ancestry are indicated by a dotted green line, and those with English Thoroughbred ancestry are indicated in red. Mutations are given on the branches. (B) Relative frequency of MSY HTs in different breeds and groups of breeds. The number of samples for each group of breeds is given in parentheses. Source: Wallner, et al. Y Chromosome Uncovers the Recent Oriental Origin of Modern Stallions. Curr Biol. 2017 Jul 10;27(13):20292035.e5. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.05.086.

o Several Ta sire line founders have backgrounds qualifying them as foundation horses in the Al Khamsa Roster — including Bairactar, Hamdani Semri, Mersuch, O’Bajan and Souakim.11

o The Bedouin perspective must be the primary consideration for defining ‘Arabian horse’, instead of working backward using modern genetic research as the determinant for breed identification of historical horses.

• These two different haplotypes in Arabians can also be explained by source population substructures and the differences in the expeditions to Arabia (the region), regarding timing, location, tribes visited, horses available for purchase, and selection goals of expedition patrons. Haplotype Identification Categorizing haplotypes is based on discovery of mutations. As more horses are included in testing, study sample size increases, and the potential for unearthing newly detected mutations increases. As additional mutations are identified, new HTs are designated, we can examine the haplotypes with finer resolution, and the phylogenetic tree expands. For a better visual explanation, the mutations associated with the HTs are shown on the branches in Figure 2 (grey letters). For a focus on the A and T branches, that are of most interest in Arabians, Table 2 and Figure 4 (shown below) detail the mutations associated with each of the currently known A and T haplotypes.11 Source: Eva Michaelis 2019 Master’s Thesis: Analysis of Arabian stallion lines with Y chromosomal markers. University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna. Table 2: Ao and T Haplotypes with Corresponding Alleles.

Figure 4: 2018 Phylogenetic Tree Including Genetic Markers (shown in red) for A and T Branches.

Figure 5: 2019 Horse MSY Phylogenetic Tree. The Przewalski’s horses are shown in brown. Blueish clades correspond to early splitting Asian samples (O), Northern European breeds (N and I) and other autochthonous Asian samples (M, Y and J). The three clearly separated crown group clades are represented in pink (H), green (A) and orange (T) shades. Assigned haplogroups are shown on right. Source: Felkel, et al. The horse Y chromosome as an informative marker for tracing sire lines. Sci Rep. 2019 Apr 15;9(1):6095. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The T Haplogroup10, 13 The T haplogroup was first detected in the Thoroughbred influenced breeds, hence the naming convention of ‘T’. Though as more horses were tested, non-Thoroughbred influenced breeds were identified in the T grouping and the nomenclature evolved. The HG T has four sub-branches, Ta (T Arabian), Tu (T Unknown), Tb-d (Thoroughbred-Darley) and Tb-o (Thoroughbred-Other). As already discussed, to date, HT Ta has been found only in the Arabian horse. The HT Tu has been identified in the Franches-Montagnes horse, a Swiss breed with no documented Thoroughbred paternal ancestry; as such,

the Tu origin is currently unknown. The HG Tb, that over the past 300 years has been extensively spread by the Thoroughbred, has three sublines represented by the Darley Arabian (Tb-d), Godolphin Arabian (Tb-oB3b, was formerly Tb-g), and the Byerley Turk (Tb-oB1) [see Figure 6]. HT Tb-dW1 is specific to the Whalebone branch of the Darley Arabian sire line, tracing through the legendary racehorse Eclipse. The mutation responsible for this HT must have occurred either in the germline of Eclipse, his son Waxy, or grandson Pot8os (the sire of Whalebone), making this a haplotype of unique Thoroughbred origin.

Figure 6: Details of Haplogroup Tb. (a) Haplotype network of group Tb. Circle sizes correspond to the number of samples. Determining variants are given on branches. HTs derived from Darley Arabian are shown in red, Godolphin Arabian in orange, and Byerley Turk in yellow. (b) Pedigree reconstruction of English Thoroughbred descendants and the respective HTs. Dotted lines connect relatives where at least one ancestor is omitted. Source: Felkel, et al. The horse Y chromosome as an informative marker for tracing sire lines. Sci Rep. 2019 Apr 15;9(1):6095. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Reconciling DNA with the Historical Record Genomic studies are informative for documenting relationships, but human interpretation further defines the information. In other words, there is ‘data’, and then there is ‘interpretation of the data’. So, what happens when DNA appears to tell a different story from what is outlined in the historical record? Commonly recited breed history regularly references Arabian influence in the Thoroughbred foundation stallions — the Byerley Turk, Godolphin Arabian, and Darley Arabian. Understandably, research indicating the three stallions are likely of Turcoman origin is unexpected and questioned. Granted, over the centuries the classification of these stallions has been fluid, with the Byerly being referred to as an Arabian or Turk, and the Godolphin as an Arabian or Barb. The exception is the Darley, who has been consistently referred to as an Arabian. v Of note – the Darley Arabian is identified with a source Bedouin tribe (Fid’an) and strain (Mu’niqi-Hadruj — which is an old strain). Thomas Darley has a documented history with the Fid’an Anazeh Bedouins near Palmyra. Unless this background information is shown to be incorrect, it should not be ignored or quickly dismissed. As discussed earlier, the Arab Bedouin tribes defined ‘Arabian horse’, so using DNA to determine breed identity of historical horses has limitations. Nomenclature, especially in the era when these horses were imported, can be challenging to work through. Albeit history probably does overestimate the Arabian’s contribution to the founding of the Thoroughbred. With the longstanding debate on the history of Turcoman and Arabian horses, it is possible horses of either breed could have been identified as being of the ‘other’ breed. But before closing the door on this topic and reassigning all three stallions to Turcoman origin, there are a few points for consideration and further research: • Given the human history of the region, gene flow between the various horse populations (including the Arabian and Turcoman) would be expected. Shared ancestry could be the key for reconciling DNA findings with historical information. o As noted in the 2020 Cosgrove paper, “genomic markers do identify a small proportion of Thoroughbred ancestry shared with both modern Persian Arabian sub-groups and the Turkemen breed though the origins of this shared ancestry have yet to be discovered and are likely very old.” [Note: Turkemen refers to the present-day breed, descended from the extinct Turcoman horse] o In addition, with mtDNA of Arabian and Akhal-Teke horses being quite similar, it is possible the two breeds share common ancestry. o Historically, in all populations, there is a tendency for the loss of male lines. A population ancestral to both the Turcoman and the Arabian could have possessed an array of Y chromosomes, only a subset of which persists in the modern Arabian while others were transmitted to the Thoroughbred. • The modern Arabian horse is likely different from the population sampled in early Thoroughbred breeding: o The Arabian horse has experienced 400 years of selection with an unknown number of population bottlenecks due to wars and migrations. o With source populations varying in different time periods, horses exported from the region prior to the mid-1800’s were likely drawn from different tribal sources than those exported later. o The lack of evidence for modern Arabian stallion Y chromosome ancestry in the Thoroughbred could be the foundation stallions came from Arabian male lines that have since died out. As additional horses are tested and focused historical context is added to the discussion, we will continue to learn more about the rich and fascinating genetic histories of these breeds. • The sub-branches of Tb (Tb-d, Tb-oB3b, and Tb-oB1) can be definitely attributed to the Thoroughbred, but the root Tb haplotype is also found in breeds (e.g., Hucul and Lipizzan) with no documented Thoroughbred ancestry. Historically used to refine the bone and structure of many modern breeds, the Arabian, Barb, and Spanish breeds do not carry HT Tb. As such, testing was expanded to include the Akhal-Teke (a breed considered a remnant of the now extinct Turcoman horse); with the results showing 81% of the tested Akhal-Tekes had the Tb haplotype. To address the question of how more recent infusion of Thoroughbred blood in the Akhal-Teke could impact these results — the researchers note the private clustering of the Tb-oB3a lineage (Akhal-Teke) suggests “an origin from a similar source population but

Thoroughbred Founding Sires – Arabian or Turcoman?2,10 One of the conclusions drawn from the 2017 Wallner paper, is the HG Tb is likely of Turcoman origin; meaning the three Thoroughbred founder stallions, the Darley, Byerly and Godolphin were not Arabians. This finding is also described in the 2020 Cosgrove paper, in that little overall genetic similarity of Arabians to Thoroughbreds was detected, including lack of evidence for Arabian stallion Y chromosome ancestry. [see May 2021, Khamsat for perspective on DNA vs. the historical record1] This conclusion is at odds with the extensively documented history of the Thoroughbred breed and raises the question - how was the determination of Turcoman origin made? From the DNA perspective: 24

independent from the Thoroughbreds.” In other words, Thoroughbred infusion which occurred in the AkhalTeke in the early 1900’s would not account for this.

Al Khamsa population. Although this research is specific to the tail male line, through this work we can enrich our understanding of the complexity and richness of the Arabian breed’s fascinating history.

• Other points raised include: 1) breeds influenced by Arabians carry either Ao or T haplotypes, not Tb, and 2) HG Tb is found in many European breeds with no documented Thoroughbred stallion ancestry; with support that Turcoman stallions influenced the development of these breeds provided by the geopolitical history of the region. All put together, the conclusion drawn from DNA is the HG Tb is likely of Turcoman origin. But to go beyond DNA and expand the scope of this discussion — there are several questions that arise. In the age of genomic testing, what makes a historical breed identity ‘authentic’? How does DNA data influence development of narratives regarding horse breed history? What are the implications, especially for a breed identity directly tied to the culture of the people who developed it? For further context regarding these questions, see sidebar “Reconciling DNA with the Historical Record.”

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. This is a true journey of discovery, with the goal of this exploration being to grow our understanding and appreciation of the horse, the history, and the people — and how these relationships fit into our human experience. Acknowledgements: Special thank you to Dr. Barbara Wallner and Dr. Samantha Brooks, with great appreciation to Scott Benjamin for his continual inspiration.

Tb Haplotypes in Arabians2

References:

Perhaps the most emotive aspect of the 2020 Cosgrove paper involves identification of recent admixture of Thoroughbred genomic regions in some Arabian racehorses. To briefly summarize these results — Y chromosome haplotypes were examined for 10 racing Arabians and 29 non-racing Arabians. While all 29 of the non-racing samples carried one of the Y haplogroups associated with the Arabian breed (Ao-1, Ao-2, and Ta), only two of the 10 racing stallions carried any of these Arabian Y haplogroups. Five of the racing horses carried HG Tb-oB1 (Byerley Turk). As noted in the paper, “Tb-oB1* is found within a variety of breeds and lineages, including the Turkomen. It is possible these five horses may carry Y chromosomes derived from ancestors common to both racing Arabians and Thoroughbreds.” As such, hopefully the Tb-oB1 finding will become clearer as research continues, and we learn more about ancestral relationships between the ‘Oriental breeds’ and any shared ancestry.

1. Minnich and Bowling. Genetic Diversity & Complex Ancestry in the Arabian Horse. Khamsat, May 2021.

Where things get contentious is with the three racing Arabian horses who carry HG Tb-dW1 (aka the ‘Whalebone haplotype’). As discussed earlier, this mutation occurred after the founding of the Thoroughbred stud book and is linked specifically to the Whalebone sire line. Further, the Tb-dW1 haplotype has not been reported in modern Arabians but is almost fixed in the Thoroughbred breed. In addition, large autosomal chromosomal blocks of Thoroughbred origin (totaling up to 62%) were detected in some racing Arabians. With the autosomal and Y chromosome data combined, this scenario is easier to interpret in that it suggests recent admixture of Thoroughbred blood in some Arabian horses. While this information raises many debates and questions about how this situation should be handled, that discussion falls outside the scope of this article. Identity in the Age of Ancestral DNA This very condensed introduction to equine Y chromosome research is meant to act as a portal for further, more detailed discussion. With this information, a deep dive can begin into the Y chromosome haplotype and haplogroup representations in the 25

2. Cosgrove, et al. Genome Diversity and the Origin of the Arabian Horse. Sci Rep. 2020 Jun 16;10(1):9702. 3. Chowdhary (editor). Equine Genomics (1st Edition). 2013, Wiley-Blackwell, Iowa. 4. Bailey and Brooks. Horse Genetics (3rd Edition). 2020, CABI, Oxfordshire, UK. 5. Wallner, et al. (2003). Fixed nucleotide differences on the Y chromosome indicate clear divergence between Equus przewalskii and Equus caballus. Anim. Genet. 34, 453–456. 6. Lippold, et al. (2011). Discovery of lost diversity of paternal horse lineages using ancient DNA. Nat. Commun. 2, 450. 7. Librado, et al. (2015). Tracking the origins of Yakutian horses and the genetic basis for their fast adaptation to subarctic environments. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 112, E6889–E6897. 8. Librado, et al. (2017). Ancient genomic changes associated with domestication of the horse. Science 356, 442–445. 9. Wallner, et al. Identification of genetic variation on the horse y chromosome and the tracing of male founder lineages in modern breeds. PLoS One. 2013;8(4):e60015. 10. Wallner, et al. Y Chromosome Uncovers the Recent Oriental Origin of Modern Stallions. Curr Biol. 2017 Jul 10;27(13):2029-2035.e5. 11. Michaelis, Eva. 2019 Master’s Thesis: Analysis of Arabian stallion lines with Y chromosomal markers. University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna. 12. Felkel, et al. Asian horses deepen the MSY phylogeny. Anim Genet. 2018 Feb;49(1):90-93. doi: 10.1111/age.12635. 13. Felkel, et al. The horse Y chromosome as an informative marker for tracing sire lines. Sci Rep. 2019 Apr 15;9(1):6095.

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MaKayla and Frisia Shiisla. Shiisla is in foal to EAI Silvereen. Kathleen and Gary Jost, Valley View, Texas

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Account Of The Kuhaylan Da’jani Horses Of Khidr Al-Ahmad Al-Husayn By Hammad Al-Jaddu’ Al-Jaz’ah Of The Tribe Of Tai This account was recorded in early 2021. It reads like a testimony of the Abbas Pasha Manuscript. My translation: I, Hammad Jaddu’ al-Jaz’ah, of the tribe of Tai, clan of al-Jawwalah, I am the owner of the strain of Saqlawi Dari, the horses of Jaddu’ al-Jaz’ah, in the township of Abu Hujairah, district of al-Qahtaniyah, province of al-Qamishli, governorate of al-Hasakah: Concerning the marbat of Da’jani Kashir, the horses of Khidr al-Ahmad al-Husayn al-Juburi, they came [to Syria] at the end of 1958 or the beginning of 1959. It was the father of Khidr who came [to Syria]; his name was Ahmad al-Ali al-Juburi (of the Jubur); he was the direct son of the daughter of Ahmad al-Taha; his maternal uncle was Ahmad al-Taha. The man came from Iraq, with blood on his hands [Edouard’s note: he had killed two men there]; That’s why he crossed into Syria. There were two mares with him, a red one (bay) and a light grey one, both of the Da’jani Kashir strain, which was the marbat of his maternal uncle Ahmad al-Taha. He settled in Syria, from the beginning of 1959 until his death. To this day, his son Khidr al-Ahmad al-Juburi is around, he inherited the marbat from his father. Two mares came with him, a red one (bay) and a light grey one. One of them I think the light grey one, bred on. The other one did not produce anything, and both died in 1961 of the equine plague which ravaged Syria and other countries. This happened in 1961 during the time of Arab unit between Egypt and Syria, and the president of the United Arab Republic was Gamal Abdel Nasser. The plague killed many horses that year. Both of them died in 1961 from the plague, but one of them had a filly at her side. The filly grew into a light grey, white mare; she was afflicted with lameness “Ba’jah”, hence her name “Um Ba’jah”. It was Um Ba’jah who produced these horses the Da’jani Kashir, of the marbat of Khidr al-Ahmad al-Husayn al-Juburi. One of her offpsring was named Jalilat al-Qadr and went to Hisham Ghurayyib in Damascus. Other horses came from that line too, Nojoumieh and others. These horses, the Da’jani Kashir, the ones that came from the marbat of Ahmad al-Taha, remain present in Syria until today. There is no doubt about them, nor is there any dust; they are clean, surperior horses, steeped into Arabness (mu’arrabat) of the asil Arabian horses that were present with Ahmad al-Taha at the time. Hammad Al-Jaddu’ Al Jaz’ah.

After the man came [to Syria], the census took place in 1962. They made a census of the tribes. It was then that he [Ahmad al-Husayn al-Juburi] obtained the Syrian citizenship. After he obtained the Syrian citizenship, he received a plot of land from the state; his son currently lives in the township of Qarhok Faza’; Qarhok Faza’ al-Hadi; Faza’ al-Hadi is the owner of the marbat of Hadbat Enzahi (al-Jarba); Hadbat Enzahi is owned by Faza’ al-Hadi; the man currently lives in the township of Qarhok Faza’, and the horses are still around in Syria. This is all I know about these horses. God bless you all. As to the horses that spread from this marbat of Khidr al-Juburi, the Da’jani Kashir, one of them went to a certain Dhahir al-Salih, of the people of Garhok al-Tall; a man of the Sharabiyyin; he took a filly from Khidr al-Ahmad al-Juburi, her name is Nojoumieh; she was registered in the studbooks. This mare lives for around 30 years. She established a marbat of her own at Dhahir al-Salih, which remains to this day; horses from this marbat further spread to the interior of the country, to Damascus, Homs and Hama, even to outside the country. The sire of Nojoumieh is the Ma’naqi Hadraji of the horses of al-‘Ufaytan; the Ma’naqi Hadraji of the horses of al-‘Ufaytan. These horses did really well in the races; they were very fast; they are all famous horses. 28

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By the Numbers Presented by SBE Breeders & Enthusiasts

What is now called straight Babson Egyptian (SBE) is, historically, the closed-herd of horses that began with, and is limited to, Henry Babson’s 1932 importation from Egypt of *Fadl, *Bint Serra I, *Bint Bint Sabbah, *Bint Saada, *Maaroufa and *Bint Bint Durra. In the 89 years since, much has been written about Mr. Babson, those horses, and people other than Mr. Babson who have been associated with producing subsequent generations of horses descended solely from those in the importation. All of the 89 years’ worth of breeding decisions brings us to where we are today and, though we may lament the ones that got away, it is what it is. The breeders of today, whether they raise one foal or fifty foals, are providing the next chapter in the SBE story. Their breeding decisions govern what will be possible in the future.

that contain *Fadl, *Maaroufa, *Bint Serra I and *Bint Bint Sabbah. Of these, 43 are mares or fillies; 26 are stallions or colts. The 5-horse pedigree adds *Bint Saada to the above horses. Sixty-six SBEs have this pedigree: 39 mares or fillies and 27 stallions or colts. (Two SBE mares with 5-horse pedigrees have no lines to *Maaroufa but trace to *Bint Bint Durra instead. They are considered a separate group for the purposes of this report and are not included in these numbers.) There are 76 SBEs with the 6-horse pedigree, which includes all of the imports. Of these, 39 are mares or fillies and 37 are stallions or colts. But it’s not just about the total population of the horses, the ages of those horses, the breeding group or groups they are in, or their genetic diversity. It’s also about the number of people involved in ownership of the horses. All owners are not breeders and the people that do raise foals are limited by how many horses they can manage. If the SBEs are to successfully continue for another 89 years, there is not only a need to increase the number of foals born each year and to maintain diversity, there is also a need for more people to be involved in producing those foals.

It’s a numbers game and has always been a numbers game. In the late 1970s Walter Schimanski wrote about it. Almost a decade later his information was updated by Joe Ferriss. Some time after that Barbara Fields added new herd information. And the SBE herd was brought into the 21st century by Diana Johnson in The Babson Influence A Retrospective of 2008. It seems impossible, but it’s now 2021 and some new numbers might be helpful.

Sire Lines — Dam Lines

The information presented here is compiled from the 2021 SBE Index, an informal listing of SBEs that has been maintained for years by breeders and enthusiasts, made available to anyone who asks, and kept as accurate as possible considering it is a tabulation of a fluid population. According to the Index, today’s worldwide SBE breeding herd, horses aged newborn to 20 years of age, with a few outliers in their twenties known to still be producing, consists of some 214 (+/-) horses: 84 stallions and colts and 130 mares and fillies.

What follows is information on the straight Babson Egyptian sire and dam lines in existence. The sire lines still available are through the *Fadl sons Faddan, Lothar, Fa-Serr and Fabah. The dam lines that remain are to *Maaroufa and *Bint Bint Sabbah. Other *Fadl sons and imported mares are present in SBE pedigrees, just not in tail male or tail female lines. In this presentation, if the named horse is believed to be alive its birth year is in parentheses, is followed by the number of horses from the original importation present in its pedigree — (4), (5) or (6) and, if appropriate, its location outside the United States. Names in red indicate no known SBE progeny at this moment in time.

To give a better understanding of the viability of this group of horses, these numbers can be broken down further by counting how many living SBEs have had a foal and/or replaced themselves. Of the 62 stallions aged 4 years to 20 years, 31 have sired foals but only 21 have replaced themselves with colts. Forty-four of the 99 mares within the same age group have produced foals, with 37 of those being fillies. And, though it is a numbers game, numbers can’t be the only driving force. In order to maintain quality in a closed-herd breeding environment, genetic diversity must be considered. SBE breeders are aware of this and are maintaining breeding programs focusing on various combinations of SBE pedigrees by breeding horses with 4-, 5- or 6-horse pedigrees, or horses in the “with” and “without” groups, or horses with a certain sire or dam line — sub-groups that all help add to diversity. Since almost all SBEs fit into the 4-, 5- or 6-horse pedigree groups, here are some numbers associated with those — there are 69 SBEs with 4-horse pedigrees, pedigrees 30

Negem Char Serr SAH Hasim Khabar HR Hasims Legacy (2002) (5) Sundance LB Henry B (2014) (6) Sundance LB Kavanaugh (2018) (6) Serr Basiiri Tarikah (2019) (5) Pending (2021) (6) Mahr Hasim Shahr Mahr Mahrs (2018) (5) Rouhas (2006) (5) (Austria) Shahrs Ibn Hasim (2006) (5)

*FADL Faddan Daaldan Fay El Dan Fay Lombar Fa Saad Nejd’s Ibn Fa-Saad Mahr Saad (2011) (6)

Faddan

Lothar Ibn Lothar Abbas Ibn Lothar Serr Lothar (2004) (6) Fa Lothar Azaba (2004) (6) Serr Mashkour (2011) (6) Sherif Lother (2020) (6) (Ireland) Serr Azaba Sahhar (2018) (6) Mahr Azzab (2021) (6) Dahman Al Lothar Ahmed Lothar (2013) (6) Farradan’s Lothar (2016) (4) (Canada)

Negem

Ibn Fa Serr Serr Rou DHAR Serr Rouf Almoraimo El Cid Fay El Daaldan (2009) (6) Faaroh (2011) (6) Serr El Rou Mahr Rou (2003) (4) Ammahr Rou DJW (2013) (5) Serr Rouge Kamar (2016) (4) Almoraimo Gitano SSH Bahrouf Ser Amir (2003) (4) Almoraimo Capitan Stormin Normin Rou (2005) (5) Capitans Faserouf (2020) (6) Capitans Sable Legacy (2013) (6) Serr Ru R Serr Roul (2006) (4) R Ibn Serr Ru (2015) (4) Serr Maariner Princeton Mariner Vlacq Naseeb (2017) (6) (Great Britain) Fa Asar Masada Sabar Avalon Sabar Sudan (2015) (6) Pending (2020) (6) Amere Legacy El Canelo Supreme (2003) (4) Serrpremacy The II (2004) (4) ASR Bah Rous Star ASR Rous (2010) (5)

Lothar

Faaris Fa-Serr Faaris Princeton Faaris Sunnyru Faaris (1996) (5) Medinna Ibn Faaris (2006) (6) (France) Maarena Battal (2011) (6) (Switzerland) Maarena Satins Image (2012) (6) (France) Sunnyru Legend (2013) (5) Nejds AhmarFasaad (1998) (6) (Canada)

Ibn Fa Asar K Serra (2010) (4) Al-Qalah Asha Azhar (2018) (5) Medinna Maximus (2000) (6) Negem Fasaadaserr (2006) (6) Masada Mazal (2001) (4) Fabah Mazal (2018) (4) Medinna Bay Asar (2002) (6) Serabaar Ibn Sabbah Bedu Serr Sotamm +/ (1998) (4) Serr Lombar (2018) (6) Henry Babson (2018) (6) Serr Fa Rabdan (2019) (4) Serr Serabaar (1999) (4)

Fabo Masada Samhan Masada Faddan Manara Samhan (2010) (6) (Ireland) Kamal Ibn Fabo Masada Bay Serr Masada Serr Aran (2003) (4) Ibn Ser Hannah AAA Hannabba (2003) (4) AAA Ser Hannaba Fabo (2010) (4) (Canada) Maarlinas Faaboh Star (2017) (6) Nejd’s Adhem Fabbah (2018) (6) (Canada) Nejd’s Adham Bintsabbah Muejaza (2019) (6) (Canada) Fa Serrab Charab Amerias Jawad Mahrias Mah Ridian (2016) (6) Al Rahaal El Nafeesah (2021) (6) (Austria) Pending (2021) (6) (Canada) Bah Dan Ibn Bah Dan SS Kahrys (2008) (4) Pending (2021) (4) Kamars Sherif Ru Fadl Esswad Fay El Esswad (2010) (6) Kamah Sherif (2010) (6)

Fa-Serr

Fabah Mahrouf Faydin BW Fadl Tali (2000) (5) Riverton Fadl Starr (2020) (5) Riverton Mocha Starr (2020) (6) BW Ibn Faydin Fay Ibn Serramed (2011) (4) Avalon Deluqueroulett (2017) (4) DU Akhir Flame (2001) (4) Asad Ibn Fadl (2013) (5) Sundance LB Danner (2020) (5) Pending (2021) (5) Fabah Rouf Di Ja Walid Aj-Sahraai (2003) (4) Ser Mahrouf R Ibn Sermahrouf (2002) (4) Serpreme Sermahrouf (2013) (4) Serpreme Kaharif (2016) (4) Mahroufs Image BL Maaroufas Ibn Image (2006) (5) AH Satin Saafaar (2011) (6) Sundance LB Ahmed (2017) (6) Sundance LB Ahmeds Losario (2021) (6) Sundance LB Riverton (2020) (5) Mahroufs Sahleel SS Fabahs Fantastic (2005) (4)

Kamars Sherif

Fabah

*MAAROUFA Aaroufa Fada Faadah Adaah SAH Adayah SAH Shahrah Nejda Bint Shahr (2011) (6) Bahrou Bah Rous Amira Mah Bah Roufa Sah Barou Sudana Ahmeds Char Serra (2009) (6) Riverton Fabah Starr (2019) (6) Maahroufa Maah Anisah (2008) (4) Maah Zaafinah (2010) (4) (Germany) Roufina Aroufina Fay Amy Mah Amy Mah Lily (2004) (4) Amys Amira TES Mahala Amira Emeera (2009) (5) Bint Aroufina Serr Afina DU Sierra Sunrise (2002) (5) Josh Tali Barakah (2006) (5) (Belgium) Asmaa Fa Bar (2010) (6) (Belgium) Axioms Gamila Breeze (2015) (6) Ali Bint Breeze (2020) (6) Luna Bint Sierra (2017) (5) Sabrinas Fabint Sierra (2020) (5) Mah Fina Amirs Cristyl Kaharifa SS Faaroufa RAB (2000) (4) SS Baaroufa Dani (2012) (4) (Canada) Baarabah (2016) (4) (Canada) Kahrysma (2019) (4) Kahristyl SS Fabahs Phoenix (2005) (4) SS Sahleela Dana (2010) (4) Sundance LB Danayella (2014) (5) Pending (2021) (6) Sundance LB Sahira (2020) (5) (Canada) SS Dandee Rises (2012) (4) Mavia Mazal (2020) (4) SS Danaerys Fireborn (2013) (4) SS Bah Dana (2009) (4) Sundance LB Mah Dana (2013) (5) Sundance LB Mah Saada (2019) (5) Sundance LB Stuletta (2021) (5) Sundance LB Dannika (2014) (5) Sundance LB Saadana (2019) (5) (Canada) Pending (2021) (5) Sundance LB Asadadana (2018) (5) Roulena Bint Roulena Mah Bint Roulena R Mahroufs Kyra (2010) (4) R Amirs Roulena (2011) (4) 33

R Bint Ser Mahrouf (2012) (4) (Germany) R Bint Serr Ru (2014) (4) R Bint Bint Serr Ru (2019) (4) Roulett Rou Amirah SR Bint Faaris SR Bint Bint Faaris (2005) (5) Aziza Bint Roufas Mahr Roufa Mahr Rih (2004) (5) Bint Bint Aziza TA (2011) (5) Mahr Khe (2006) (5) Mahr Riana (2009) (Austria) (5) El Nafeesah Adhamah (2020) (6) (Austria) Nejd’s Ahmarou (2012) (6) (Canada) Bint Roulett Fabah Mahrena Avalon Fay Maariyah (2015) (4) Khebirs Amira (2003) (5) Khebirs Kira (2005) (5) Serroufa Bah Roufa Fa Bah Roufa Rou Roufa Almoraima Aurora Moulin Rouge Rou Kahlidah Kamar Rou ++(2007) (4) Laziza Kamar (2010) (4) Tariifah Bint Aurora (2003) (4) Bint Bint Aurora (2008) (4) Bint Bah Roufa Marlaroufa Serpreme Sharifa Serpreme Catrina Asusenia (2011) (4) Gardenia Serpreme (2002) (4) Zara Cali (2007) (4) Copa Supreme (2011) (4) Ser Sangria (2004) (4) R Amirs Marla (2011) (4) Sundance LB Faarisa (2019) (5) R Ser Mahria (2013) (4) R Ser Mahry (2019) (4) R Ser Moulan (2020 (4) Mi Morenita (2008) (4) Premera Maria Felix (2002) (4) Serr Rous Amira Mahroufs Amira Charabs Amira Charabs Sharroufa (2002) (5) Charabs Amurra Charabs Sherifa Khebirs Akelah (2007) (5) Fay Roufa Biroufa Diroufa Black Satin PrincetonMaaroufa Bint Fadl Starr AM Bint Maroufa (2003) (5) Sunnyru Maaroufa Quintessance Maaroufa (2009) (5) Lola Bint Image (2013) (5)

Maaroufas Tiramisu (2014) (5) Sunnyru Legacy SR Satins Legacy (2003) (5) Sunnyru Queen Faaris (2009) (5)

Ellina Fay Aamala (2016) (6) Sundance LB Alona (2021) (6) Ru Bint Robin Ru Rabohath Nejd’s Sabbah Nejd’s Bint Sabbah (2007) (6) (Canada) Nejd’s Dahma BintBint Sabbah (2021) (6) (Canada) Nejds BintBint Ru (2009) (6) Bebes Shahruh (2016) (6) (Canada) Bebes Nammousa (2020) (6) Ruh Taberah Ru Bint Fasaad (2000) (6) Bint Mahr Ru (2013) (6) (Canada) Shahr Saada (2016) (6) Serrasab Serasaab AK Bint Serasaab AK Serramah MK Serra Sabbah (2002) (4) (Canada) Serra Bint Lothar (2006) (4) (Canada) Manara Sabbah Manara Fa Habba (2008) (6) (Austria) Manara Mareena (2013) (6) (Ireland) El Nafeesah Hibah (2018) (6)(Austria) Manara Aana Manara Faddana (2010) (6) (Ireland) Manara Negma (2014) (6) (Ireland) Manara Sabrina (2016) (6) (Italy) Manara Saafa (2019) (6) (Ireland) Manara Saafana (2012) (6) (Belgium) Sabl Sabls Gem ASF Hannah Masada Fa Hannah Masada Arianna Sah Hasima (2009) (5) Masada Binthannah Masada Serrbinthannah (2003) (4) Fa-Habba Ser Habba Mah Habba Serr Habba Comtesse De Nadbar (2004) (4) Riverton Rou Starr (2018) (5) Fa-Abba Fasera Serabah Sera Beth Serr Beth Nefer Tiye Serra Sereneh Serra Khedena (2005) (5 without *Maaroufa) LCA Bint Serabah SSH Serahsaafa Serabahs Sable Gem (2002) (6) Bint Bint Serabah Sotamms Serrhita (2010) (5) Bint Serr Abba Delabba AAA Bint Delabba (2004) (4) AAA Del Annah (2006) (4) Pending (2021) (6)

*BINT BINT SABBAH Faaba Henretta Bahretta Bint Bahretta Fa Mahrouf Almoraima Alegria Aareebah (2002) (5) Capitans Bedweeyah (2008) (5) Taliid Fa Aahndelaay (2009) (6) Taliid Fay Neblina (2016) (6) Serr Rous Fancy Mahroufs Fancy Me AAA Fancys Secret (2005) (4) (Canada) AAA Bint Fancy Me (2006) (4) Fay El Aba Daal Aba Masada Serrasaada Zahara Sabiya Masada Anisah Masada Malina Fay Serrlina (2012) (6) Bint Malina (2014) (5 without *Maaroufa) Nadara Bint Sabiya (2004) (6) (Wales) Vlacq Amurrah (2014) (6) (Ireland) Manara Sabiya (2021) (6) (Ireland) Masada Faadana Masada Faadah Mazala Jamila Sundance LB Mila (2016) (6) Henrietta AK Kasida Mahida Mahbiha (2002) (5) Mah Sahda (2005) (5) ORA Stahrlette (2018) (5) Pending (2021) (6) Amahria (2008) (5) Dija Bint Amahria (2014) (5) Dija Mahmira (2018) (5) Marifay Marifah (2004) (6) Mahr Sabbah Mahrietta (2007) (4) Maarena Desiree (2013) (4) Fay-Sabbah Gammousa Bint Gammousa Ru Sabbah Ru Robin Sabbah Almoraima Ceniza Ahmeds Aamala Callies Aamalasar (2008) (6) Jazeera Hadas (2014) (6) Aamalas Fannie Mae (2009) (6) Sundance LB Serrafina (2019) (6) Aamalas Angel (2014) (6) Angels Lonesome Dove (2018) (6) Sundance LB Ahmeeda (2020) (6) 34

Why I love My Babson Arabian by T. Kelley — Owned by Gems Marou and Serr Basiir Tarikah I was raised by a Babson Arabian named Fabah Serr. He was sweet and very smart. He was a horse that taught special needs kids how to ride and made them feel comfortable when no one else could. The reason I like the Arabian breed is that they put you before themselves. They will leave their food to come and talk to you. They really love their people. Serr Basiir Tarika is a lot like Fabah. One night my mom told me that our friend Linda Bochansky’s mare Mahrietta, had a baby. The baby was a colt. He was born on May 3rd and I was born in May too, of course, different years! We started driving out every weekend to see him. He was black and let me sit with him when he was sleeping. We spent the whole summer; every weekend with him. It was fun to watch him grow. I would brush him and play with him. He knows his name and loves to play with his toys. Basiir loves everyone and everything. My goal is that he grows up to be a breeding stallion. It is important so that the breed does not die out. Another goal is for him to be shown in the show ring, so that other people can learn about Babsons. I want him to be amazing and be able to behave anywhere he goes, even though he is a stallion. Gem is another Babson who is nice and sweet. He is a lover. He is my mom’s horse. Babsons are sweet and loving; they put you above themselves; they can go the distance. They are smart and can figure things out, like how a chain works. They are brave. For all these reasons, I love Babson Arabians.

Gems Marou (Mahr Rou x Serabahs Sable Gem) 2015 Chestnut Gelding and Serr Basiir Tarikah (HR Hasims Legacy x Mahrietta ) 2019 Black Stallion, 5-horse pedigree

SBE Mahr Riana

Capitans Bedweeyah Mahrietta

SBE SAH Hasim Khabar Bint Mahr Ru

Maarlinas Faaboh Star

SBE Mah Sahda

SBE

SBE Fay El Esswad

Nejds Ahmarfasaad

Shahrs Ibn Hasim El Nafeesah 36 Adhamah

AAA Ser Hanabba Fabo

Amerias Jawad

Kahrisalys

Fa Lothar Azaba

Taliid Faye Neblina

Riverton Rou Starr

SBE

Fay Lombar Mahr Saad

SBE

Ibn Fa Asar

SS Dandee Rises

Khebirs Akelah

SBE

Mahr Rou

SBE

NON-IBN FASERR IN TEXAS

Ru Bint Fasaad (Fa Saad x Ru Taberah)

Mahr Khe (SAH Hasim Khabar x Mahr Roufa)

Nejds BintBint Ru (Nejd’s Ibn Fa-saad x Nejd’s Sabbah) Nedja Bint Shahr (Nejds Ibn Fa-saad x SAH Shahrah) Shahr Saada (Shahrs Ibn Hasim x Ru Bint Fasaad)

Bebes Namoussa (Shahrs Ibn Hasim x Nejds BintBint Ru) Fay El Esswad (Ru Fadl Esswad x Ru Bint Fasaad)

Shahrs Ibn Hasim (SAH Hasim Khabar x SAH Shahrah) Mahr Saad (Nejds Ibn Fa-saad x Mahr Roufa) IN CANADA

Nejd’s Ahmarou (Nejd’s Ahmarfasaad x Mahr Roufa) Bint Mahr Ru (Mahr Hasim x Ru Bint Fasaad)

Bebes Shahruh (Shahrs Ibn Hasim x Nejds BintBint Ru) Nejd’s Ahmarfasaad (Princeton Faaris x Ru Rabohath)

Jody M Dvorak Quinlan, Texas

backatyousoon@gmail.com

Straight Babson Egyptian Arabian Horses In Europe by Andrea Kaiser and Annalisa Monticelli

The famous poet Al Mutanabbi must have been talking about the Straight Babson Egyptian Arabian horses!

Fine steeds, like true friends, are few, even if to the eye of the inexperienced they are many; If you have seen nothing but the beauty of their markings and limbs, their true beauty is hidden from you. – Al Mutanabbi

Babson Horses are one of the longest running, closed-herd breeding groups in the entire Arabian Community. A Straight Babson Egyptian Arabian horse (SBE) would be a horse that traces, in all of its bloodlines, to a combination of the six horses imported from Egypt by Henry Babson in 1932:

is concentrating on specific rare bloodlines within the SBE population. They are both from The Netherlands and moved to Ireland in 2001.

“In 1993, we were reading the issue of Arabian Horse World dedicated to Babson breeding. At that time we couldn't find in Europe what we would consider as the original bedouin Horse. Seeing the pictures of the SBEs in this magazine opened a whole new World to us. In 1994 we went to visit the Babson Farm, Nelson Ruiz and Walter Schimanski 's Masada Farm. We immediately saw the significance of Walter's breeding philosophy: finding and preserving the bloodlines of those SBEs that would carry the blood of the original SBEs that were less frequently used. This would not only provide much needed genetic diversity, but also result in another SBE type that would more resemble the original import SBEs than the then more common and more popular SBEs with many lines to Maaroufa. Walter's horses stood out to us. In the following years Walter entrusted us with several of his best horses, believing we could breed them on in his way.”

1) *Maaroufa (Ibn Rabdan (RAS) x Mahroussa (MNL)) — produced 15 Egyptian foals 2) *Bint Bint Sabbah (Baiyad (RAS) x Bint Sabah (RAS)) — produced 13 Egyptian foals 3) *Bint Serra I (Sotamm (BLT) x Serra (BLT)) — produced 10 Egyptian foals 4) *Bint Saada (Ibn Samhan (RAS) x Saada )MNL)) — produced three Egyptian foals 5) *Bint Bint Durra (Ibn Rabdan (RAS) x Bint Durra (RAS)) — produced five Egyptian foals

For the Stams, it's the overall appealing impression at first sight that they like about the SBE, but most appealing to them is the horses’ dispositions, their loving nature and that they love humans.

6) *Fadl (Ibn Rabdan (RAS) x Mahroussa (MNL)) — sired 34 straight Egyptian foals

At MANARA, the Stams work with what they call 'building blocks,' meaning: those horses that contributed most, at least in their perception, to what they have now. The building blocks are all original Babson imports; the *Bint Bint Sabbah tail female line; Ibn Saafaddan, his parents and his grandparents, in particular Daal Aba and Faddan; Daaldan; Fay El Aba; Masada Saafa; Masada El Aba; Lothar; Zahara Sabiya; SSH Serahsaafa and other horses, contributing to wider genetic diversity, like Shar Sabbah.

Different horses were added to the Babson breeding program and then, were dispersed, as Henry Babson kept returning to the bloodlines of the Egyptian horses he imported in 1932. There was no incentive at the time to do this. There was no straight Egyptian breeding concept, there was no Al Khamsa, there was no Pyramid Society. What was it about the horses he imported from Egypt in 1932, that captivated him, to the exclusion of everything else from his program? And what it is about these SBE horses that caused some farsighted breeders in Europe to import pure Babson blood, not just horses with some Babson blood? To answer this question we contacted the owners of SBE in Europe and we want to express our thanks to them for sharing their experiences and knowledge with us:

The breeding stock of MANARA CLASSIC ARABIAN STUD includes: • Manara Samhan (Masada Faddan x Manara Sabbah) 2010 stallion • Manara Faddana (Masada Faddan x Manara Aana) 2010 mare • Vlacq Amurrah (Princeton Mariner x Nadara Bint Sabiya) 2014 mare

Personality – Trainability – Personality – Athleticism – Personality – Versatility – Personality – Beauty and Balance – Did we mention Personality?

• Manara Negma ( Princeton Mariner x Manara Faddana) 2014 mare • Manara Maarena (Princeton Mariner x Manara Fa Habba) 2013 mare

Ireland

• Manara Saafa ( Masada Mamnon x Manara Faddana) 2019 mare

Gert and Elisabeth Stam were the first breeders to import SBE to Europe. Their MANARA CLASSIC ARABIAN STUD in Ireland

• Sharif Lother (Serr Mashkour x Khebirs Akelah) 2020 grey stallion • Manara Sabiya (Masada Samhan x Vlacq Amurrah) 2021 mare 40

Elisabeth Stam with Manara horses.

Manara Samhan, above. Manara Negma, below.

He wanted to own such a horse, but there was no opportunity to purchase at that time. It wasn't until 2006 that he was able to acquire such a wonderful horse. At Jody Dvorak‘s stud he found the stallion Rouhas (SAH Hasim Khabar x Rou Habba), who came to Hannes when he was four years old. Since his arrival Rouhas has brilliantly mastered his services as a stallion, riding horse and school horse. All of his offsprings are ridden and 80 percent of them are used in endurance sports: the breeding goal of character and performance is being confirmed again and again. Like most of the breeders of SBE in Europe, Hannes Krammer is connected with the breeding program of the Stams, as he bought his broodmare for his AL NAFEESAH STUD from them: the bay Manara Fa Habba (Manara Faddan x Manara Sabbah) 2008.

The newest addition to the Stams’ breeding group is Sharif Lother: “For us it was important to add the Lothar top sire line to our group, as this was unfortunately lost in Walter's horses when we got our foundation stock from him. By re-introducing this blood we were able to restore what Walter achieved five decades ago.” That was only possible because there is a group of cooperating SBE breeders covering two continents.

Hannes Krammer is convinced that in our time it is important to win young people’s interest in the breed and to inspire them to carry on. This is the reason he gave two of his SBE horses to Conny Haider and Arnold Schwarz; they will continue his SBE breeding program under his guidance for the future. The two are Mahr Riana (Amerias Jarwad x Mah Roufa) a 2009 bay, and her daughter El Nafeesah Adhamah a 2020 bay, by Nejds Ahmarfaasad. Conny and Arnold also imported from the USA this year, in utero, the bay colt

For 27 years the Stams have preserved and continued Walter Schimanski 's legacy: SBE horses with a wide genetic diversity, mostly outcrosses to the wider SBE population. They plan to continue this as long as they can, with the hope someone else will take over the torch when their time is over.

Austria Hannes Krammer learned about Arabian horses at all from a Babson Arabian horse article in 1980. The most important aspects for the preservation for him is the original breeding goal of Henry B. Babson: character, willingness to perform and the willingness to be there for the human being. Hannes Krammer also followed up this breeding goal in practice, although he didn't know anything about Henry B. Babson at that time. This breeding goal has always fascinated him, so he completely concentrated on these horses. 41

Rouhas.

USA were the 2006 bay mare Josh Tali Barakah (ASR Bah Rous x Du Sierra Sunrise) and her 2010 daughter Aasma Fa Bar (Ahmed Fabo x Josh Tali Barakah).

France The beautiful 1995 grey mare Bint Fay Amy (Mahrouf x Fay Amy) was the first foal bred at the Babson Arabian Horse Farm to go to Belgium. Clothilde Nollet was so captivated by her tremendous personal magnetism that in 2007 she imported the first group of SBE horses from the USA: Fa Daahlina, Medinna Ibn Faaris, BW Ebon Faydin, Roubih, and later BL Maaroufas Image.

El Nafeesah Hibah.

Now the 2006 chestnut Medinna Ibn Faaris (Sunnyru Faaris x Fa Asaria) is owned by Alexandra Butruille and the 2012 black Maarena Satins Image (Medinna Ibn Farris x BL Maaroufas Image) is with Marie Sanchez, NEVERLAND ARABIANS.

Alraahal el Nafeesah by Mah Ridian, 2021 and acquired the three year old dark bay El Nafeesah Hibah, the first daughter of Manara Fa Habba by Rouhas.

Aline Bandela’s best friend and companion is the handsome 2011 chestnut stallion Maarena Battal (Medinna Ibn Farris x Fa Daahlina), pictured below.

Hannes hopes that his role is in helping to expand the SBE group in Europe and maintain the gene pool. The number of these horses is small.

Mahr Riana with Alraahal El Nafeesah. See also page 36.

Belgium Two of the Stams’ horses came to Belgium and are now owned by Bo De Cort, DRIELINDEN ARABIANS: the 1995 black stallion Masada Bahir (Fa Asar x Masada Fa Hannah) [shown below] and the 2012 grey mare Manara Saafana (Masada Faddan x Manara Aana). Masada Bahir symbolizes their Babson breeding program. Bo is perpetuating, preserving, and promoting the valuable Babson qualities for the future. Added to the group and imported from the

England The most influential SBE outside America was without doubt the 1966 bay stallion The Shah (Fabah x Bint Fada), bred by Henry B. Babson. The Shah was exported to England as a two-year-old and remained one of the most popular sires in England until his untimely death in 1979. He topped his career by being named Supreme Male Champion of England in 1978. He was not only a Halter champion; he sired many performance champions and winning racehorses around the world. But his blood is lost in the SBE group. The VLACQ STUD’s interest in the SBE group began with the one-year lease of the 1986 chestnut Princeton Mariner (Serr Maariner x Black Satin) as a then 14-year-old stallion. He came to add to their existing Crabbet and Polish blood in Wales, specifically to complement the daughters of their premium sire Shah Shadow, a grandson of The Shah. It all worked out great, and Prince stayed until his passing aged 30. Later Nadara Bint Sabiya and Dunkeld 42

Forbis and Walter Schimanski about Henry Babson and his horses, but she had to wait until the AHS National Show in 1978 to see her first 100% SBE: The Shah himself! She still remembers: “The Shah — he was dry, svelt, petite and a gleaming, dark bronze in colour, with just the tiniest white star. He was everything I had heard the Arab horse was supposed to look like, and a complete contrast to everything else on the showground — I couldn’t take my eyes off him! All these years later, I still have the image of him dancing round the ring at Ascot, gently playing with his bit, barely seeming to touch the ground, burnt ineradicably into my memory!”

The Shah.

Mairi were added to breed SBE and Sheykh Obeyd stock of their own. A great project to see out, raising three SBE progeny, now all in new homes, and Sheykh Obeyd progeny sold to Germany to ride and breed onwards. Sue Pyke writes about the Babson lines, type and history: “All very interesting, a great community of people devoted to them today, and we spotted the traits we like and breed for were consistent in the Babson program too. Workable minds, natural easy paces, dryness of type. Of the ones I've met, they are light on their feet, zealous in all things, stronger than their stature suggests, and have quite a pony mind. Playful, bold, always eager to do new things. This is perhaps why they train well for dressage, trail etc. These are all great traits and our part was to blend them into blood we know can perform in the modern market. Preservation breeding is important, yes, as long as there are plans to showcase the resulting stock.” The ‘jewel in the crown’ for Keren Gilfoyle-McGroarty is her young SBE stallion Vlacq Naseeb (Princeton Mariner x Nadara Bint Sabiya), who arrived with her as a yearling at Christmas 2018, the culmination of her Arabian dreams. It all began 40 years ago when she saw the breathtaking The Shah daughter Latifah. She was greatly intrigued by what she saw and read in the book of Judith

Keren Gilfoyle-McGroarty is convinced that Babsons produce very predictable results when bred within their own group, not just phenotypically but also in terms of intelligence, sweet nature and performance ability. When crossed on to Crabbet and Old English mares, as The Shah was, the result was a structurally correct and athletic horse with more refinement, dryness and charisma than the English lines generally displayed. Top crossing Babson stallions on to other Arab lines brings the benefit of the ORIGINAL Arab head (a wedge-shape, with straight or slightly dished profile, not the ‘Barbie horse’ head beloved of not-riding owners), the glorious big Arab eyes, that smooth, sweeping curve of outline, dryness, and those equally essential characteristics of Arab type — sanity, toughness and athletic ability — which so many today forget because they cannot be seen, and because they have forgotten that Arabs are first and foremost HORSES. These qualities are essential for anyone wanting to return the Arab horse to what nature and the Bedouin designed it to be. But to sum up: The SBE are everything that the Arabian horse originally was — a true tent horse, not just a pretty face but a superb athlete. Therefore her breeding goal is to ensure Vlacq Naseeb carries on the very important Serr Maariner sire line of performance Arabians, including SBEs, with as wide an influence as possible. And to breed top quality Arabians that can not only excel under saddle, but which will carry the flag of authentic Arabian type onwards into the future, so that as many people as possible can see the GENUINE Arabian horse, and understand how very different ‘the real thing’ is from over-hyped travesties of the modern halter show ring!

Italy Annalisa Monticelli, HALYPA STABLES EGYPTIAN ARABIAN HORSES, is the obstinate pioneer and enthusiastic ambassador for the SBE in Italy. She remembers: “ I started to learn more about this group of horses when by chance, or I can say “ fortune,” in 1996 I met the son of an Italian politician, who lived in Egypt, and who was attending the stables and the Royal House of King Farouk. I met him because he was able to import in Europe the first group of Dahman Shahwan Arabian horses bred by Ansata and with [the] Babson *Bint Bint Sabbah dam line. I was always been obsessed by the strain of Dahman Shahwan. I remember there were continuous and long conversations, on phone and during my days to visit him and his horses we were continuously talking of pedigrees and studying historical and personal photos, of course, never published, which introduced me even more deeply into the history of this wonderful horse. In those days I had the chance to see in person a daughter of Al Karim Sirhalima, or a daughter of Ansata Nile Pasha ... the daughters of Ansata Halim Shah, a daughter of Princeton Mariner.

Shaikh Al Badi by Siralima, or having touched Ansata Nile Pasha and remember their wonderful eyes, a special beauty, impossible to take in a photograph. This breeder has taught me to read and recognize pedigrees, using them as road maps ... as he used to say me, an expression that some time later I found, very similar, in the book Authentic Arabian Bloodstock, by Judith Forbis. I remained fascinated by those bloodlines .... He gave me the book The Royal Arabians of Egypt and the Stud of Henry B. Babson by Judith Forbis and Walter Schimanski and recommended me to take special care of it .... I began a laborious search, since nobody in Italy knew anything at all of what I was blathering. And as I said before, in those years there was no Internet!”

has a larger spectrum of breeding projects, since she has a six horse pedigree, so I will have more space of manoeuvre, so to speak. The obstacle is that in Europe, the interest in breeding SBEs is still in embryonal stage, and for now the choice of stallions is still not varied. But some young boys are in the air to come! Anyway, in the other side, for now, I don’t have rush to breed: I’m here to ponder the different stallions available and continue to study and comparing pedigrees and phenotypes. I have a lot to learn — but by character I am obstinate and I love studying.”

The whole last 22 years were studded by the aura of these horses. It was in 1999 that the great Ansata Halisha (Ansata Iemhotep x Sundar Alisha, from the Glorieta Sabdana family) stepped into her life, a small filly, rejected from her mom, descending directly from her favorite *Bint Bint Sabbah. This filly is a girl’s dream and that of an avid horsewoman; its pedigree contained the best that you could want. So the legendary names like SerraSab, Fay Sabbah, Sabrah, Faddan, Aaroufa ... Ansata Sabiha, entered powerfully into her life. “As a horse's woman as I am, my personal desire was to be surrounded by Arabian horses with souls able to forge an intimate relationship with the owner, horses with a refined intelligence, without the too hot bloodlines, or nervous and unstable temperament. In short I was searching for SBEs horses alongside Ansata Sabiha’s descendants. But SBE Arabians with the pedigree I was searching for were not available in Europe at that time.

Manara Sabrina.

“If you love Arabians, true Asayel Arabians, you must necessarily go in the realm of SBEs… if you need pigment, if you need real long arched neck, not artificially created by the handler’s skills, if you need the perfect legs, if you need hooves, if you need to shorten the heads, if you need to put curves up on the bodies, if you need to put balance in the proportions of your horses, if you need to shorten the rear legs, if you need to improve the quality of canter, if you need a calm behaviour, if you need a horse able to pass on a plastic sack without the need of training him, if you need to take a long walk in the wood while chatting with your own daughter, without having to prevent imaginary monsters behind the trees. — That’s why Babson in Europe.”

Germany There is no SBE stallion in Germany — but not for a long time! In 1969 Dr. Walter Georg Olms imported the mares Faziza and Shar Zarqa from the Shar-Char Farms. They were the first Egyptian-bred mares imported to Germany with Babson blood. He was so pleased with them that in 1973 he bought two more — Shar Gemara and Shar Duda, both by Negem. Also in 1969 the well-known writer and expert Erika Schiele imported from America the 75 percent Babson mare Belle Dahma and the 50 percent Babson colt El Beshir, who made his public debut in 1973 at the First International Arabian Show in Germany at Verden, where he won a race against Polish racing Arabians.

At the end of 2014, Annalisa Monticelli discovered the MANARA stud of the Stams with the legendary horses of MASADA on Facebook. Photos and desires and thoughts were exchanged, Elisabeth and Gert Stam routed her even more deeply into the study of these rare lines — and on the 13th of April a beautiful filly was born with the famous spots on the forehead and between the nostrils of *Bint Bint Sabbah.

Anchor Hill Halim, a son of Hadbah and tracing to *Bint Bint Sabbah, was the first Straight Egyptian stallion ever imported from the USA to Germany and he was carrying a very high percentage of Babson blood. He was the most popular Babson-bred Arabian in Germany. He made a name for himself both as an outstanding performance horse, mainly by winning long-distance rides, and as a sire. But it seemed that the source of his success was his close relationship, a kind of love affair, with his owner Petra Horsch which made a lasting impression on everyone who saw that impressive pair.

Annalisa Monticelli now owns this filly: Manara Sabrina, bred by MANARA stud of Elisabeth and Gert Stam in Ireland, and she is by Manara Samhan (Masada Faddan x Manara Sabbah by Fa Asar) x Manara Faddana ( Masada Faddan x Manara Aana, by Masada Bahir). So she is a pure in the strain Dahmah Shahwaniyah, six horse pedigree, double AK Bint Serasaab and she has some of the most sought after horses in the SBE realm, as Fa Asar, Ibn Saafaddan, Masada Faadana and Masada Fa Hannah, Roufas, Fabo, Khebir.

In 1976 another half-Babson colt was imported to Germany, the dark bay Mohafez (Ibn Moniet El Nefous x Ahroufa). He had three crosses to *Fadl on his dam’s side, and in 1980 he managed to place fifth of all breeds in the performance test at the State Stud Marbach, which no Arabian had done so far. He was the epitome of a true dressage horse!

“I hope to be able to breed Manara Sabrina in accurate ways to produce foals with defined and refined types. Manara Sabrina 44

The Babson blood had shown its potential in such an impressive way, but it took a long time until Stephan Eberhardt, RAFIK EL AMEN FARM, brought the grey SBE mare Manara Fay Dalla (Masada Mamnon x AK Bint Serasaab) 2000, bred by the Stams, together with the Sheykh Obeyd mare Manara Khedena to Germany. Through the Anchor Hill Halim daughter Rahmouna and through magazines, books and articles, he had got into the history of the Babson lines in her pedigree. For him these lines distinguish themselves through their character qualities. It's the well-balanced temperament, strong nerves and a very human-related being of the Babson horses which makes them very reliable partners. Furthermore, there are their good muscles, good feed conversion and a harmonious overall appearance. It all began when Andrea Kaiser was a young girl: She loved horses and admired Arabian horses. Together with her father she read the books of Carl Raswan. There she saw the pictures of Mahroussa. Mahroussa became — and still is — to her the embodiement of a true Arabian mare with her breathtaking head, finely chiseled, perfectly wedge-shaped and very wide between prominent eyes, expressive eyes that were so soulful. In profile, her face exhibited pronounced jibbah and graceful dish, descending to fine muzzle with large, delicate, flaring nostrils and firm lips. Her ears were quite long but fine, alert, and delicately molded, tapering to sharply-pronounced, in turned tips. Overall, she presented the pleasing picture of a fine desert mare — alert, strong, supple, naturally collected, and able at a moment’s notice to carry her rider swiftly and surely across the desert sands. Through Mahroussa, “My Quest of the Arabian Horse” had begun. Andrea Kaiser still remembers: “My first Arabian mare was a daughter of Shar Gemara bred by the Krausnicks, a grand daughter of Negem, tracing to Prince Mohammed Ali's Aziza, the half-sister of Mahroussa. My parents bought her in 1979 when she was five months old and I was 15 years old. This mare was really a true desert horse — a companion, a part of our family and a true friend. Through my Hamasa Wazira I became more and more aware of the value of the SBEs. My dream was born: to own a Straight Babson Egyptian one day — although that was out of reach at that time.

Conformationally they almost always have more substance than the New Egyptians. They are three-circle horses with perfect shoulders and strong hindquarters. They carry their tails like palm fronds, their neck pops right up out of their withers. And they have movements coming from behind from these strong hindquarters — groundcovering, elastic movements, swinging through the whole body, movements which have become so seldom nowadays. “A small pamphlet put out by the Babson Farm gives Mr. Babson’s comments on the horses he selected and has bred: ‘By studying the breeding and individuality of the pedigrees of these foundation animals he found that skillful line-breeding and inbreeding had developed a remarkable degree of prepotency. It showed strongly in the stallion, *Fadl, and his full sister, *Maaroufa. The excellent qualities of the mare *Bint Serra I are concentrated in her son, Fay-El-Dine (by *Fadl). He, when mated to *Fadl’s daughters, continued to hold in the herd the clean-cut refinement, flintiness of bone, disposition and stamina of the original importation.’ “I believe in pedigrees and that the names of old-time horses are not only names. Therefore the horses of the past who impressed me and with whom I build my breeding program are: “*Maaroufa — the incomparably beautiful daughter of Ibn Rabdan and Mahroussa, the embodiment of a broodmare. Ibn Rabdan could be counted on for overall good body quality and conformation but the true head quality came from her dam, the lovely Mahroussa, a granddaughter of Bint Yamama. “*Bint Serra I — ‘She is all Arab.’ An impressive dark bay mare of high quality. She had long powerful shoulders, prominent withers and fine carriage of neck and was said to be an excellent mover. She

“But when I was 16 years old I bought the book of Walter Schimanski and Judith Forbis about the Babson Arabians; I read it, studied and compared the pictures and pedigrees. I also read the Arabian Horse World and, more importantly, the Khamsat since the first issue. I am convinced that it is important to never stop expanding the knowledge about the horse of the desert in order to be able to preserve this unique noble creature, this living treasure.” “We need the SBE because of — just to cite Mrs. Elizabeth Babson Tieken — disposition, intelligence, stamina and looks. And the Babson pedigrees are the cleanest, they are the purest Arabians you can want. “Along with beauty and hardiness, the gentleness of the Arab has been legendary. This sweetness of temper I found in the Babson Egyptian in full measure. They are so people-oriented, they are as sweet as the Bedouin horses were reported to have been. They draw you to them. It’s almost a spiritual thing how they calm and touch the soul. While we may improve on the looks of the Babson horses, we can never improve on their temperaments. Confirmation is the one thing that really turns me on to these SBE — every day. They don’t have any leg faults and they are pretty well balanced. 45

Manara Fay Dalla.

gave a superior topline, outstanding movements and that special overall sparkling. She tended to add height, more withers and longer forearms if line-bred. She was that kind of broodmare that all breeders hope for. “Fay-El-Dine — Fadl’s first born Egyptian son, and a great broodmare sire. He was the epitome of a Saklawi stallion who seemed to have stepped out of one of the paintings of the 19th century. In him the precious heritage of the Abbas Pasha blood shined! “Fa-Serr — He was the epitome of the antique-type Arabian typically illustrated in old engravings. Huge black eyes protruding from his head, his tail held in a high arch, elegant, typey, charismatic, a floating trot to die for. An extraordinary sire whose blood is represented in the disciplines of racing, endurance, halter, and performance horses, highlighting the versatility of his descendent. Often Fa-Serr would be bred to daughters of Fay-El-Dine thereby doubling the influence of *Bint Serra I. To further intensify this blood within the Babson program, Fa-Serr was bred to his full sister Fa-Deene producing the popular stallion Ibn Fa-Serr. He was not only a prolific stallion but he sired numerous major show winners. His get were often superior movers with long powerful shoulders and good size.

Maah Zaafinah.

“The colt R Ser Mowarda and the young mare R Ser Mahry are still in the USA. I am so grateful that Ralph and Rose Tebbe, ROSEWOOD ARABIANS, have so much trust in me that they will send these precious youngsters to Germany to help me to build up my unique breeding program which is so different to the others in Europe. Both are by SS Kahrys and R Ser Mahria and so they trace to Serroufa, the only daughter of Fa-Serr and *Maaroufa. SS Kahrys is the only representative of the sire line of Bah Dan and so he brings diversity within the four-horse-group. This breeding was only possible because of the wise foresight and great cooperation of Jacquie Peregoy and Ralph and Rose Tebbe. Now R Ser Mowarda, whose name means ‘roses and water’, will be the first SBE stallion in Germany!”

“Fabah — He was a great horse, a really good horse from one end to the other. A good performing horse, a good disposition, and a sire who put on a good, smooth topline, strong hindquarters and a beautiful head. “Trying to continue the Babson tradition is a feeling like a dwarf standing on the shoulders of giants. – Nevertheless: “Here in Germany I have two SBE mares both tracing in the dam line to Mahroussa. Both I had chosen very carefully: All of my SBEs are tracing in the dam line to *Maaroufa and in the sire line to Fabah – and both carry the rare blood of Mah Deluque, a extremely typey Dahman Shahwan stallion who was like a willowy horse. They are descending only from *Fadl, *Maaroufa, *Bint Serra I and *Bint Bint Sabbah and they are very close to horses bred by the Babson Farm, no other SBEs are so close to the origin: the BABSON ARABIAN HORSE FARM! This is not sentimentality or an end in itself. For over decades at the Babson Farm, Henry B. Babson, Homer Watson and John Vogel, all true connoisseurs and riders, had bred horses a rider can only dream about, to ride such a noble mount one day.

“Homer Watson said once, in answer to a question about what was down the road for him: ‘I’ll try to raise some good Babson horses. We’ve outcrossed some and we’ve raised some really good outcrossing horses. These Babson horses will cross with just about any stuff. . But I think down the road that people are gonna need these Babson horses.’”

“Maah Zaafinah is a dark bay with a beautiful head and breathtaking trot — and the sweetest personality you can dream of. She is by BW Ibn Faydin and Maahroufa who was a broodmare of the Babson Farm till its end. And she is one of the rare SBEs who carries the foundation horses already in the forth and fifth generation. She traces in the dam line to Aaroufa through the Fabah daughter Bahrou, the dam of the famous Serr Rou. “R Bint Ser Mahrouf is a grey mare, bred by Ralph and Rose Tebbe, Rosewood Arabians, both her sire Ser Mahrouf and her dam Mah Bint Roulena were bred by the Babson Farm and she, too, carries the foundation horses in the forth and fifth generation. She traces in the dam line to Aaroufa through the unforgettable black Roufina by Fa-Serr. She resembles Ibn Fa-Serr so much in conformation and behavior that I call her my true desert war mare with a sharp mind and afraid of nothing. And every time she is dancing in her pasture you can see Mahroussa how she was prancing in the garden of the Manial Palace of Prince Mohamed Aly Tewfik.

R Bint Ser Mahrouf.

Scholar’s Corner

The horses of Ali Pasha Sherif’s breeding that Wilfrid and Lady Anne Blunt (mostly Lady Anne) bought as foundation stock for their Crabbet Stud in England and Sheykh Obeyd stud in Egypt became integral to Crabbet pedigrees. From Crabbet, their lines spread to Arabian horse breeding around the world. This spread includes all modern Egyptian Arabian horse pedigrees.

it was to be nearly ten years before they acquired any of his horses.

Lady Anne com- Mesaoud (APS) mented that she considered Ali Pasha’s horses to be “mazbut of mazbut,” (Lady Anne Blunt Journals and Correspondence (1986), or “J&C,” March 5, 1891) yet I have often wondered why Lady Anne did not have complete pedigree information for certain of her APS purchases. She first met the Pasha in 1880 and he lived until 1897. Did she not attempt to obtain more complete pedigrees from him? On looking again at Lady Anne’s published Journals & Correspondence, it turns out that references to her efforts to get pedigree information are scattered throughout the years when she was acquiring horses of APS breeding. It seems that she did try to get more information from Ali Pasha during his lifetime, but she was not always successful. Detailed pedigree information for many of the Ali Pasha Sherif horses owned by the Blunts was first published in Volume 2 (1922) of the British Arab Horse Society’s stud books. Some people would also have seen the hand-lettered, large format pedigrees created by the Blunts’ daughter, Lady Wentworth, for horses she sold from Crabbet starting in the 1920s. Later published compendiums, such as the Travelers Rest catalogs of the 1930s and 40s, The Raswan Index (seven volumes, 1957 to 1967), and the Blue Arabian Horse Catalog (1961) also included pedigree details for the APS horses. Most of this information seems to be drawn, either directly or at second or third hand, from the records and notes of Lady Anne Blunt. Although the Blunts first met Ali Pasha Sherif in Cairo in 1880, 49

Published sources available in the 1970s were sometimes contradictory and confusing as to the APS pedigrees. It seemed to me that Lady Anne Blunt’s original records would be the gold standard for extending the pedigrees. This source became available to Al Khamsa through Michael Bowling’s transcripts of the handwritten entries for the Ali Pasha Sherif horses found in Lady Anne Blunt’s Traveling Copy of the Crabbet Herd Book; Michael had the opportunity to study this volume during the 1970s when it was in possession of Lady Anne Blunt’s namesake granddaughter, Lady Anne Lytton, at her home Newbuildings Place near Horsham in Sussex, England. (Contrary to what you might read on the Internet, Newbuildings is not another name for Caxtons, which was located on the south side of Crabbet Park, near Crawley.) The pedigrees Lady Anne recorded turn out to have gaps that are not found in works by Carl Raswan, whose sources are not listed. For example: 1. Carl Raswan describes Yemama as a daughter of Aziz and El Argaa (Raswan Index entry #11071). Lady Anne records Yemama as a bay Kuhaylah Jallabiyah she owned at Sheykh Obeyd, without further pedigree. 2. Carl Raswan gives the dam of Merzuk as Aziza III (Raswan Index entry #6294), a mare he says was also called El Argaa (Raswan Index entry #1047). Lady Anne records the dam of her stallion Merzuk simply as a chestnut Kehileh Jellabieh mare of Ali Pasha Sherif, without further pedigree. 3. Lady Anne records the dam of her stallion Mesaoud as a grey mare of the Seglawieh Sudanieh strain named Yemama, without further pedigree, except for a single reference to this

mare in her journals describing her as “sister to Wazir.” Lady Wentworth and Carl Raswan both name this mare’s parents as Shueyman and Bint Ghazieh which, if true, would make Yemama a niece and not a sister to Wazir.

*Ghazala, Fulana, Makbula, and Bint Fereyha. On December 14, 1896, Lady Anne said she “wrote the list in Arabic, and enclosed a cheque for £350, requesting to have the hojja with each with breed of sire and dam from H.E. the Pasha.”

4. Lady Anne records no sire for El Argaa, the dam of her stallion Feysul. Carl Raswan gives El Argaa’s sire as Waziri alAuwal (Raswan Index entry #2350).

In January, 1897 Lady Anne bought Badia, Ibn Nura, and Bint Bint Jamila. A son of Ali Pasha’s called at Sheykh Obeyd on January 20, 1897: “We took him to see the horses from the stud of his father that we have got. He told me his father would be glad to see me if I would call to ask for hojjas of the ones bought direct from H.E.” This indicates that Lady Anne was still wanting hojjas as of this date. Apparently this son was Abd el Hamid Bey Sherif, who sold Fasiha to Lady Anne on January 20, 1897.

The Blunts bought their first APS horses, Merzuk, Khatila, and Mesaoud, directly from APS in early 1889. Ali Pasha supplied handwritten hujjas, in Arabic, for these three. Two of these hujjas survive in apparently full transcript in Lady Anne’s journals, but the third appears there only as a partial transcript. The hujja for Merzuk does not name his dam or give pedigree information for her, describing her only as a chestnut Kehileh Jellabieh mare.

But Ali Pasha Sherif died just 37 days later on February 26, 1897. The published Journals do not include mention of Lady Anne having received the hojjas from Ali Pasha before he died.

After the purchase of these first three horses, it would be seven years before the Blunts bought another horse directly from Ali Pasha Sherif. However, in the intervening years, they did acquire in Egypt a few additional horses of Ali Pasha Sherif ’s bloodlines.

After Ali Pasha’s death, Lady Anne acquired additional horses of his breeding:

The first of these were the mare Sobha (by Ali Pasha Sherif ’s stallion Wazir) and her 1885 daughter Safra (by Ali Pasha Sherif ’s stallion Shueyman). The Blunts bought these two mares on March 5, 1891, along with their 1890 colts by Ali Pasha Sherif ’s stallion Aziz. The Blunts bought these horses not from Ali Pasha Sherif but from Mahmud Bey.

At a March 26, 1897 auction she bought Bint Nura and Bint Horra with foal Ghazieh. On March 31, 1897, she bought Manokta from Mohammed Bey Khuddr Ibn Khuddr Agha. On April 19, 1897, she bought Johara from Ibrahim Bey Sherif. On Dec. 10, 1897, she bought Jellabieh from Ayub Bey.

According to Sobha’s entry in the General Stud Book, she had been bred by Mahmud Bey, who purchased her dam “at the sale of Abbas Pacha’s Stud.” Crabbet Stud records as published in Archer, Pearson, and Covey, The Crabbet Arabian Stud, Its History and Influence (1978) (“A,P&C”) give more detail, stating that Sobha’s dam was a mare named Selma, a Hamdanieh Simrieh “in Abbas Pasha’s stud, purchased by Mahmud Bey with his brother Suleyman Bey at Ismail Pasha’s sale of the mares collected by Abbas Pasha. This sale took place about 1868. Mahmud and Suleyman Beys being ‘Mamluks’ of Ali Pasha Sherif, their horses were kept with his. Mahmud survived Suleyman being still (in 1891) with Ali Pasha Sherif.”

On March, 2, 1898, she bought Kasida from Leon Clery. On March 27, 1898, Lady Anne wrote, “A very interesting visitor came to see me: it was Mohammed Salame late Syce Basha (roughly translated as head groom or master of horses) to Ali Pasha Sherif. He told me most of what I wanted to know about the horses’ pedigrees.” (emphasis added). This entry is key. It shows that despite Lady Anne’s earlier expectations of receiving pedigree information from Ali Pasha Sherif, during his lifetime she had received either no information or incomplete information. It also reveals that a major source of information was not Ali Pasha himself but this Mohammed Salame. However, even he could tell her only “most” of what she wanted to know, not all. The index to the J&C includes only this one reference to Mohammed Salame.

Although Lady Anne bought the horses from Mahmud Bey, she expected to get the pedigree information from Ali Pasha Sherif, writing, “we were to pay on receiving the particulars of their pedigrees from the hand of Ali Pasha Sherif.” (J&C March 5, 1891). This indicates a strong interest in getting the pedigrees; apparently the agreement was that payment for the horses would not be due until Ali Pasha supplied the pedigree information.

(There is one final note about the Syce Basha. When Peter Upton presented the pedigree of Lady Anne’s mare Makbula in his book Desert Heritage (1980), he gave her dam as “Makbula—a chestnut? (Mohd. Salame says white) Kehilet Ajuz of the Jellabi strain.” I submit that the name Peter Upton transcribed as Mohammed Salame in Desert Heritage refers to the same individual that Rosemary Archer transcribed from Lady Anne’s journals (apparently incorrectly, per Edouard al-Dahdah) as Mohammed Sarame.)

In January 1892, the Blunts bought *Shahwan, not from Ali Pasha Sherif, but from Mohammed Sadyk Pasha. In March 1892, they bought Yemama (bay Jellabieh mare), not from Ali Pasha Sherif, but from Moharrem Pasha through Ali Bey.

What can we conclude? That Lady Anne was not apathetic and consistently wanted, tried, and expected to receive complete pedigree information from Ali Pasha Sherif, but that she never did. Information was either not received or, when it was, came incomplete. An example of this is Ali Pasha’s simple description of Merzuk’s dam as a chestnut Kehileh Jellabieh. It is also clear that an important source of information for Lady Anne was Ali Pasha’s head groom. There were others purchased after the March 27, 1898 visit of Mohammed Salame (or Salame), like Azz, Sahab, Feysul, and Jamil, but I decided to end my tale with his visit.

Sherif was purchased in December 1895 from Mahmud Bey Akif. In January of 1896, they bought Mahruss, the first purchase directly from APS since the original three in 1889. Lady Anne’s journal entry describing the purchase of Mahruss (Jan. 7, 1896) states, “Mutlak said the Pasha promises to write the hojja of the pedigree.” Again, Lady Anne records an interest in receiving the hujja, along with a promise that it would be provided. The next purchases were in December, 1896. This was a package of Abu Khasheb and mares including Bint Helwa with her foal 50

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Why Purity is an Issue?! An Essay by Yasser Ghanim al-Tahawi

Studying the different episodes of the Arabian breed’s history is a very rewarding and enlightening process. Even for me as an Arab, I am still learning. I had some core knowledge driven from my culture as an Arab in general, and specifically of Bedouin origin, but there is a lot of historical context that I am still learning and trying to understand in a better way. Thanks to the research of Edouard Al-Dahdah and other Arab researchers, we are building a better understanding of the parameters that formed and maintained the culture around the breed, and allowed for the breed to survive many turbulent periods in its long history. It is a miracle that such a breed could remain largely pure and distinctive not only for a few centuries but for millennia, considering how widely celebrated and traded it was all over the ancient world over at least the last 14 centuries! Is Purity the Issue? A question was raised before during the famous dispute between the WAHO and AHRA around the purity of some WAHO horses imported to the US. At that time Kees Mol, the famous WAHO thinker, wrote in the 1998 WAHO official report: “The WAHO definition of a purebred Arabian was not a ‘compromise’ at all. It was adopted as the only possible definition of a purebred Arabian which could ACCURATELY AND HONESTLY reflect the reality of existing breed purity in any of the voting member registries, including the AHRA.” Just to recall together the mentioned WAHO definition, that Kees Mol mentioned, is: “A PURE-BRED ARABIAN HORSE IS ONE WHICH APPEARS IN ANY PURE-BRED ARABIAN STUD BOOK OR REGISTER LISTED BY WAHO AS ACCEPTABLE.” The report continues to justify this ambiguous definition by stating: “Our investigation revealed that even the simple requirement of pedigrees which trace in EVERY line to ‘the Orient’, could not be met by any of the 7 studbooks initially approved by WAHO.”

“The nomadic horse-breeding tribes did have very strong beliefs in purity and were undoubtedly master breeders. To them, their horses were a necessity, their strength and powers of endurance were vital lifelines. Pedigree aside, if a horse looked, performed and above all survived like an Arabian, then asil it must be.” “Every story has a beginning, and to go even further back in history, the uncompromising truth is that idea of the ‘purebred Arabian horse’ as a completely separate pure breed is simply not scientifically acceptable, on zoological, biological, archaeological, historical or geographical grounds. The lands from where the ‘breed’ is said to originate were never isolated.” This is the logic upon which the WAHO definition was made by the founders, and the philosophy behind a completely new world that was started by the WAHO in 1974 and allowed horses with proven impurity to become the vast majority of the so-called WAHO Arabians today. The report includes many examples of these horses with proven impurity! In this article I am not going to argue with every point in the WAHO report. I fully understand where they come from. Kees Mol in his frame of thought could not be more honest and true to his beliefs and cultural background, and so were the other WAHO founders, I assume. This is exactly the problem when cultural constructs are interpreted out of context through different cultural frameworks with insufficient knowledge and understanding of the original culture that created and shaped these constructs. In this article I am going to speak from the side of the original cultural framework of the Arabian horse. I will try to provide brief analysis of the values, drivers and the historical context that surrounded the breed over history. The reader can then relate this to some of the above arguments and try to find out for himself the key misunderstandings that led to the wrong conclusions about the notion of purity. Note: You may refer to a related article published in both the Khamsat magazine in the US and the Arabische Pferde magazine in Germany under the title “The Origin of the Strains”. Another article published on the Daughters of the Wind blog was titled: “The Reestablishment of the Arabian Breed” for more detailed analysis of the historical context.

Going through the introduction of this official WAHO report, we find more elaboration in statements like: “The Arabian horse always has been, and still is, surrounded by myths and fantasies, many of which were invented in the 18th and 19th centuries …”

1. Cultural Values

“The most persistent myth is that purity of blood as we now know it was always meticulously controlled from the time of the domestication of the first horse, and that the interior of the Arabian subcontinent was completely closed off to the rest of the world.”

Culture is key in this discussion. The Arabian horse is the product of the Arab Bedouin culture. This must be an axiom, which I think no one would deny. It is culture that should serve as our primary reference for understanding the background of the breed. 53

Purity: To understand the term purity of blood correctly, one needs to put it in the right cultural context. Purity is a cultural notion rather than a biological or genetic one. It represents an ideal which the Arab Bedouins always strived to maintain. I agree with Kees Mol when he said: “The nomadic horse-breeding tribes did have very strong beliefs in purity,” and yes, they did — but the question is: How did this work?

inevitable process would largely contaminate and transform the whole breed over centuries into some new heterogeneous product. From a practical point of view, the strictness of cultural values is the only way to understand the survival of the breed with the same traits and characteristics over very extended and successive eras. We are not talking centuries here, but rather millennia. Should the Bedouins have the slightest tolerance deviation from their cultural values and beliefs, we could only have horses with varying degrees of Arabian blood mixed with Turkmen, Barb and Persian blood from the surrounding breeds who were not far from the reach of the Bedouins.

Preservation: The Arab Bedouins were great preservationists by their cultural beliefs! The cultural values embedded in their breeding practices turned the breeding of the Arabian horse into a large preservation project. These values were driven from their original perception of the breed, a perception best represented in the concept of Atiq. The term atiq appears in the Arabic literature in the 7th century AD at the beginning of the Islamic time. It was used by the early Muslims to refer to the ancient Arabians from the chronological perspective of their time. They traced the Arabian horse back to some early prophets many centuries before Islam. The Arabian horse was perceived by them as a divine gift through the prophets. The Arabs genuinely believed the Arabian horse was created in perfection and required no modification or improvement. Whether we agree with the religious mythology or not, it remains part of the culture.

The scientific unacceptability of having a separate pure breed — which Kees Mol pointed out in his report based on the following logical input: “The lands from where the ‘breed’ is said to originate were never isolated” — actually missed another unavoidable logical consequence of this inference. A breed that was never isolated cannot remain largely distinctive over such extended eras. Fractional changes based on loose breeding restrictions would accumulate, the distinction with the surrounding breeds would fade out, and homogeneity between all these adjacent breeds would grow over time. So, solving this paradox lies in one simple conclusion: Cultural boundaries and strict constraints, rather than geographical and political isolation, were the reason for the assumed purity of the breed. We do not presume it was a watertight process; it did not have to be. “Purity is a cultural notion rather than a biological or genetic one,” as mentioned above. It is the strict striving for maintaining purity that counted, regardless of any natural inbound leakage. Conserving the Arabian horse for the future must always continue to adopt the same motivation and scrutinized striving to maintain its purity. Known impurity or loose measures are totally against the cultural framework, which was always the true cradle for the breed.

Atiq: The term atiq carries multiple overlapping meanings. It means ancient, precious and free [of flaws] all at the same time. The cultural perception of the breed was not only derived by celebrating its natural characteristics and excellent functional qualities for the desert life. An important driver was the mystical beliefs, as mentioned above, that shaped the Arab’s breeding practices and constraints. An atiq is pure by definition, and from the Arabic cultural perspective, an Arabian can only be atiq. There is no nonatiq Arabian. Authenticating a horse as Arabian (atiq) means the firm conviction (based on cultural measures) that it purely traces to those ancient and preserved sources from the time of the prophets.

2. Historical Context In several previous articles I proposed that we live in a moment very similar to what happened 800 years ago when the strain system is believed to have started. I will try to give a quick historical flow that shows this similarity.

Asil: The term asil developed later in history and appears in literature in the 13th century AD by non-Bedouin writers. It meant “of known noble origins.” The term was later adopted by the Bedouins usually in the plural form (asayel). Another similar term that became common in the Bedouin literature was safi (pure). None of these terms indicated a subset of Arabians, but described what an Arabian is. Terminology and language change, but the concepts and cultural values remained the same; Arabian is asil and nothing but asil. There is no such thing, from the Arabic cultural perspective, as a non-asil Arabian. You lose the purity, you lose the Arabian status, and here came an array of Arabic terms like Hajin (impure dam), Muqrif (impure sire), Kadish (a more recent term for unknown origins), etc. All of these terms indicated impure horses with small or big amounts of Arabian blood; it does not matter.

Fourteen centuries ago, the Muslim Arabs conquered the ancient world. The Arabian horse went in all directions from central Asia to Spain with the armies and with the migrating tribes. It was prized and celebrated by everyone for its extraordinary athletic qualities and unmistakable nobility. The Arabian horse was in the stables of every sultan and amir from India to Marrakesh — a far cry from the assumption of being isolated inside Arabia! Owned by Arab nobility at the beginning, and shortly after by Turkish and Persian sultans ruling Egypt, Syria, Anatolia, Persia and even most of Arabia, the Arabian horse became a fashionable international commodity in the Islamic world. This vast geographical territory was the modern globalized market of the Arabian horse in the sense of those days, quite similar to its modern global market that developed over the past two centuries.

The Arabian horse did not survive because the Bedouins were isolated, as the above argument intrigued the readers. It survived because of the strict cultural values. Two horses could exist in the same one square kilometer at the heart of Arabia, one Arabian and one hajin. The hajin would not get qualified as a mating stallion under the cultural values, and would not carry the name Arabian in the first place. Should it get used, the offspring will automatically become hajin! Very strict but necessary. If we think of anything else, while rejecting the false assumption of isolation, a slow and

This new heterogeneous breeding community did not strictly abide by the scrutiny of the cultural values of the Arab conquerors described above. The horses that filled the stables of those “modern” owners had indeed a lot of Arabian blood but were not necessarily pure. Those owners proudly continued to call their horses Arabians for decades and centuries. Just like Godolphin Arabian, Darley Arabian and Byerley Turk, which were labeled Arabians in 54

the 18th century, but appeared later by the means of DNA testing to be of the same sire lines as Turkmene horses! One can very much expect that in this kind of global and open marketplace, purity can no longer be maintained. It was even worse than the situation under the above WAHO definition with no central registration authority. It was beyond control by any group or even state to maintain this purity. But the Bedouins had another say. The original owners of the breed had to step in and declare their stand toward all these purported Arabians all over the place. The Bedouins started a newly devised and innovative system driven from their “pure culture,” and created the revolutionary system of strains. That was a big thing at a very transitional point of time between the 12th and 14th centuries AD, around six to eight centuries after Islam arose. The Bedouins did not try to classify all those “Arabian” from India to Morocco whose authenticity and purity they knew nothing about. They did not ask anyone to prove any of these horses. They simply said we do not recognize these horses as Arabians any more. Full stop. The Arab Bedouins who still have the culture and values started a completely new game with new rules. They identified the purest of their horses (not even all the Bedouin horses) in the possession of some eminent and culturally loyal tribal leaders with the new strain system and rejected everything else. The Arab Bedouins inside Arabia did not have the luxury of worrying about all the sultans and amirs or even the other tribes around the Muslim world who are proud of their horses with very apparent Arabian descent. The Arabic Bedouin tribes inside Arabia had to do what they were obliged to do. With simple statistics one would expect that more than 95% of the horses that were assumed Arabians around the Muslim world at that time were disqualified as Arabians by the original legitimate owners of the breed, the Arab Bedouins. The non-Bedouin owners were not the only losers in these new game-changing rules. Even some big Bedouin tribes inside Arabia incurred a loss, and we have a very famous example. Shammar, the great Arab Bedouin tribe of the finest Arabians in modern history, whose horses were celebrated and mentioned in high esteem by every Western traveler, and sought after by every devoted owner like Abbas Pasha I of Egypt. The horses of Shammar were not recognized as Arabians some 500 years ago under the Bedouin strain system. Shammar had to fight the strong alliance of the Sherif of Mecca and Anazah tribe in a famous battle circa 1600 AD to win seven authentic strains. Those strains were the sole foundation horses of Shammar Arabians. ALL the older (previously Arabians) of Shammar were abandoned because they were not qualified under the strain system. They are not Arabians anymore, but Shamalyat (Northern), another term for horses with unproven purity. The same story repeated again, this time with my tribe, the Tahawies. We migrated from Arabia to North Africa circa 1000 AD with our pure Arabians of the great tribe of Banu Sulaym. We returned to Egypt circa 1700. We went with Mohammed Ali to Syria and Arabia in the 1830s. We were confronted and struck there by the pure and strict culture of the Arab Bedouin tribes who maintain the strict strain system. We decided to abandon all our old “Arabians” that came with us from North Africa and we reestablished our lines based on the Arabian horses of Anazah and Shammar who carried recognizable strain names. The horses that came with us from North Africa were considered kadish, no matter what percentage of Arabian blood they carried. 55

Now think of all the sultans, amirs and pashas who owned “Arabians” in Cairo, Damascus, Baghdad, etc. over the past millennium. They probably continued to call their horses Arabians. Pretty much like many modern breeders of the WAHO Polish or Russian lines. But the Bedouins moved on with their own rules. Among all the sultans, amirs and owners who continued to think of their poorly authenticated horses as Arabians came Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qalawun from Egypt’s Mamluk dynasty (died 1341), who decided to respect the new Bedouin system. He ignored all the assumed Arabians of 14th-century Egypt and reverted back to the Bedouin sources through Al Mehena and Tai tribes to import authentic Arabians. History speaks about some several thousand horses brought by him from Arabia to Egypt — a sufficient number to start a fresh new and sustainable Arabian population in Egypt. But the cultural system had no mercy and no exceptions. These horses were not maintained under the strict cultural values and constraints of the Bedouins that mandate absolute purity. These horses gradually became kadish and shamalyat again. Now comes Abbas Pasha I in the 1850s, who was raised amid the Bedouins with his father Tusun Pasha during Mohammed Ali’s campaigns in Arabia. Similar to his Mamluk predecessor, Abbas Pasha decided to follow the Bedouin system and refused to accept Egypt’s local population of 99.9% Arabian blood in the early 19th century. He reverted to the Bedouin system and brought authentic horses with strain names. We all know the rest of the story. The large community of horses today with proven impurity that are considered Arabians under the WAHO studbooks as exhibited by the WAHO 1998 report is not a new and unique case in history. There had been many WAHO-like worlds before. However, these worlds had to surrender to the determination and strong cultural values of the legitimate owners of the breed. Only horses that can be authenticated as atiq / asil and assumed to be pure under the cultural measures are to carry the name “Arabian.” I quote Edouard Al-Dahdah on his Daughter of the Wind blog: “To me, the offpspring of a hajin and an Arabian is always a hajin, meaning hujna is transmitted indefinitely. And a hajin is not an Arabian but a partbred, even if the percentage of non-Arabian blood goes down to infinitesimal proportions. And a hajin has no strain, also by definition.” This is not discrimination against the non-pure horses. Many of these horses are great horses and carry a lot of value, whether Polish and Russian WAHO registered, or Shaqya, Appaloosa, Thoroughbred, etc. They are all great and valuable horses for what they are. We the Arabs should be proud of the Arabian legacy they carry. But in the Arabic cultural system and Bedouin values, purity is indeed an issue, and so it shall remain! It is important to deal with the Arabian horse as a cultural product that deserves to be preserved as it is. It has become a valuable cultural heritage for humanity. A lot of care and modesty are required in dealing with unrepairable cultural constructs, especially those embodied in genes and blood. Yet, more efforts are needed to study and understand its identity from different perspectives. Scientific tools such as archeological and genetic research can provide great additions to our knowledge. Culture and science together can help us set a viable plan for the future, instead of creating intrusive measures that mess with breed identity.

Lothar Ibn Lothar Shar Sabbah Abbas Ibn Lothar Mah Hab Roulett Fa Lothar Azaba Saafaddan Ibn Saafaddan Daal Aba Almoraima Neblina Mahrouf Marlaroufa Bint Bah Roufa

*Fadl x Habba Negem x Gammousa Mahrouf x Bah Habba Bint Roulett Mahrouf x Roulena Faddan x Saaba Daaldan x Fay El Aba Fabah x Aaroufa Ibn Fa-Serr x Bah Roufa

Taliid Faye Neblina Fleet-Foot Sera DahmanSabbah Khezera Bedu Sabir Negem Shar Sabbah Gammousa Aareebah Ibn Fa-Serr Midbar Fa Rabdan Aroufina Almoraima Alegria Mahrouf Fa Mahrouf Bint Bahretta

Khebir x Nadra Ibn Faddan x Aradan Fa-Serr x Fay-Negma *Fadl x Fay-Sabbah Fa-Serr x Fa Deene Fabah x Roufina Fabah x Aaroufa Serr Rou x Bahretta

Living with this lovely 2016 SBE filly is easy, she’s a delight in every way!

co-owned by Linda & Frank Bochansky and Monica & Patrick Respet at Husaana Arabians 6635 Central Road New Tripoli, PA 18066 monicarespet@gmail.com

Moniets Regent SA ‘A horse must be handsome, possess quality both inwardly and outwardly and arouse enthusiasm by its action.’ - General Tibor von Pettko- Szandtner, from Erika Schiele in “The Arab Horse in Europe”

Photo Credits: KRAE Photography at https://www.kraephotography.com/

Moniets Regent SA represents Pamela Studebaker & Deborah Switzer’s 56+ year involvement with Arabian horses. He is expertly fitted and trained by Chuck Flickinger, as he represent Al Khamsa, SE, SOF and Heirloom horses at the Arabian Sport Horse National Championships in Wilmington, OH on September 18, 2021. Watch this space and FB for updates! Most attendees will have never seen anything like him, as he is rare these days. He represents primarily Pritzlaff breeding with two outstanding Babson mares (Maarqada & Allah Ateyyah), plus two crosses to *Ansata Ibn Halima.

Saqlawiyat Arabians Dedicated to Al Khamsa

Pam Studebaker • Deborah Switzer • Jill Erisman 9160 Post Town Road, Trotwood, Ohio 45426 937-837-2829 • stuzerpd@yahoo.com

What Got Away?

Musings on What Might Have Been by Joe Ferriss photos from the Ferriss and Forbis collections

This feature is based on a previous two-part article I wrote for the Arabian Essence Newsletters that first appeared in August and October 2010. Al Khamsa has increasingly been concerned about preservation of all its remaining bloodlines and in fact the Preservation Task Force has led the way in sounding alarms about what may become lost with its color code system. Presumably the more widely known horses of "straight Egyptian lineage," mainly represented by imports from Egypt would seem to be in good shape and perhaps not have a place in a feature like this. Yet even the Straight Egyptian horse, which descends from only 66 original desert-bred imports to Egypt, also has its future challenges in maintaining diversity and preserving what it has. Preserving anything always faces challenges over time considering social upheavals, political changes, and economic crises. The RAS (Royal Agricultural Society, later named EAO: Egyptian Agricultural Organization) was no different in being presented with challenges to its Arabian horse population. So presented herein are some photos of horses born at the RAS and EAO many years ago who are no longer found in straight Egyptian breeding but might have made some interesting contributions to the quality and genetic choices for today’s straight Egyptians. We do not always know the actual circumstances as to why the following horses were not selected to continue in the breeding stock in Egypt, or bred on as exports to other countries, but just seeing these photos and their accompanying pedigree descriptions stimulates thought and perhaps will lead to some reflection as to what not to let "get away" in the future.

El Dalil 1940 bay stallion by Sheikh El Arab x Bint Dalal. This handsome bay stallion is one of the Sheikh El Arab sons that “got away.” Forbis archive photo.

In the late 1930s at the RAS, Nazeer would have been a young horse at the racetrack and then out at the stallion depots, so he was not yet a phenomenon to be presented to visitors. His sire Mansour was much in use and had proved to be a very good sire. Mansour’s first prominent son, Sheikh El Arab (x Bint Sabah), would precede Nazeer at stud at the RAS. Today we have Sheikh El Arab blood only through his daughters, not any of his sons. In the Forbis archive are photos of two sons of Sheikh El Arab who are not found today in straight Egyptian breeding. The first is the 1940 bay stallion El Dalil (x Bint Dalal). He was used once by the RAS producing a bay daughter named Dalila II (x Shams) sold as a three-year-old. Nothing much is known about what became of El Dalil, but since his daughter was out of the mare Shams (Mashaan x Bint Samiha) there must have been some interest for racing potential. He appears to be a very handsome horse.

Salhan 1943 grey stallion (Sheikh El Arab x Medallela), a handsome full brother to Wanisa, dam of Moniet El Nefous. Forbis archive photo.

The second son of Sheikh El Arab pictured is Salhan, a 1943 grey stallion out of Medallela, making him a full brother to Wanisa, the dam of legendary Moniet El Nefous. A handsome horse, Salhan also exhibits the type and quality that seems consistent from Sheikh El Arab. However, there are no recorded get of Salhan and nothing further is known about his fate. Sheikh El Arab’s daughters became legendary for their produce, yet sadly no sons succeeded him. Because most of his get were born during the era of World War II, one could speculate that point in history might have limited breeding opportunities for Arabians at the RAS. Perhaps if either of these two Sheikh El Arab sons had been given an opportunity for a good selection of mares, things would be different. They would have added a new branch to the Saklawi I sire line, which now is only represented by Nazeer.

Note Habashi’s excellent legs and good proportions as well as large eyes well placed in his head. Habashi was sired by Mansour, so again, if he had been given an opportunity at stud, he could have created another branch of the Saklawi I sire line. A number of good stallions from the RAS spent their lives in the stallion depots out in the provinces to improve local horses and that is no doubt a worthy contribution for the Egyptian population who depended on good horseflesh to conduct their daily business.

Habashi, 1935 grey stallion (Mansour x Bint Rabdan). He was Bint Rabdan’s last son before she died. Note his overall high quality. Forbis archive photo.

Bint Rabdan, 1921 grey mare (Rabdan El Azrak x Bint Gamila) a lovely full sister to Ibn Rabdan. Forbis archive photo.

Digging further in the Forbis archive reveals a photo of the RAS mare Bint Rabdan. This lovely flea-bitten grey mare is a full sister to the celebrated sire Ibn Rabdan (Rabdan El Azrak x Bint Gamila). She was born in 1921 and produced five foals for the RAS. Unfortunately, she died after her fifth foal, named Hakma, sired by El Deree. Hakma was sold to Mohammed Hilmi Baleigh and has no recorded progeny. Her only other daughter Rasmeia, sired by Rustem, was sold to the Italian government. So there were no daughters to replace Bint Rabdan at the RAS — a loss considering the legacy of the Hadban Inzihi strain. Bint Rabdan produced three sons, Ibn Bint Rabdan (x Hamran), Dahshan (x Mansour) and Habashi (x Mansour). Ibn Bint Rabdan was listed as being at the government stallion depot to breed local mares in the Menoufia Province. However no horses of RAS descent sired by him are known to exist. Dahshan died at age nine without any get, and there are no get recorded for the other stallion Habashi. For such a nice mare, it is a shame that Bint Rabdan did not leave any legacy today, even though there is considerable representation of her brother Ibn Rabdan. Judging from Bint Rabdan’s son Habashi, who is pictured here, there seems to be a lot of quality in her get. 59

Speaking of stallion depots, another handsome stallion that "got away" is Ibn Sabah, born 1926, by Hamran x Sabah, the dam of Bint Sabah. He spent his life at the stallion depot at Beni Souef in the Wasta district but left no progeny at the RAS. Nazeer himself spend much of his life in the provinces before being called back for stud at the RAS when he was 15 years old.

Ibn Sabah, 1926 chestnut stallion (Hamran x Sabah). He was sent to the stallion depot. Forbis archive photo.

While on the subject of Nazeer and the Hadban Inzahi strain, Nazeer’s dam was favored by the racing community and her line has done well on the track. In honor of the new young King Farouk, the RAS gave the stallion Hamdan (Ibn Rabdan x Bint Radia) to the Royal Inshass Stud in exchange for El Deree from the King. At the RAS, El Deree sired a number of good foals, one of which was out of Nazeer’s dam Bint Samiha. The resulting foal was the mare Morgana. This would have been an ideal representative of both parents. In Morgana’s picture as a young mare, one can see the good legs and conformation of her sire along with a lovely head from her dam. Morgana was sold to Mohammed Taher Pasha, presumably for the racing community; however, she left no recorded progeny for the RAS. El Deree was a wonderful outcross for the RAS mares giving quality and genetic diversity. It would have been very nice if Morgana had replaced herself several times at the RAS before being sold but it was not to be.

one of Nazeer's full sisters had been retained at the RAS to see how she would have contributed, but it was not to be.

Bint Bint Samiha 1932 grey mare (Mansour x Bint Samiha) a full sister to Nazeer shown here as a yearling. Forbis archive photo.

A stallion of the Hadban Inzahi strain on both sides of his pedigree was the black-bay stallion El Akhrani born at the RAS in 1937. His is an interesting pedigree because he is by the desert bred stallion Nabras and out of the RAS mare Bint Rustem, who founded a dynasty of many greats, including Aswan, Ibn Galal and many others. Bint Rustem herself was close to desert breeding so this would make El Akhrani a useful outcross for Egyptian breeding at the RAS. He was first sold to Mohammed Taher Pasha as a young

Morgana, 1936 grey mare (El Deree x Bint Samiha). Another good El Deree daughter bred by the RAS sold to Mohammed Taher Pasha. Forbis archive photo.

Another El Deree get produced in 1936 at the RAS was the stallion Azeem (at right) out of Hind (Ibn Rabdan x Bint Rustem). His photo as a young horse shows the good overall quality and form of another El Deree get from a mare of the Hadban Inzihi strain. His dam’s line is that of the famed Aswan and Simeon Shai. If Azeem had been retained by the RAS and given an opportunity for a selection of good mares, it would have been another chance to preserve the now very rare El Deree sire line. But it did not happen. Let's explore some more possibilities that got away. First is the full sister to Nazeer, Bint Bint Samiha. Actually, there were two full sisters to the legendary Nazeer produced before Nazeer was born. Both were purchased by Ahmed El Sherif. While there are no recorded progeny from these two in the RAS studbooks, it is likely that they became a part of the racing community, since there was a great deal of respect for the produce of Bint Samiha as racing prospects. One can see by the yearling photo of Bint Bint Samiha that the special kind of dryness and refinement associated with Nazeer is also apparent in his full sister. It would have been interesting if

Azeem as a young colt, 1936 grey stallion (El Deree x Hind). A good El Deree son bred by the RAS Forbis archive photo.

horse and so became a part of the racing community. Later he was owned by Queen Nazli of Egypt and when she came to America in 1950, she imported four horses including El Akhrani. It appears that El Akhrani was then acquired by Queen Nazli's son-in-law Riyad Ghali in California. However, it was not until El Akhrani was 27 years old that he sired his first foals, three of which were out of Al Khamsa mares that were Egyptian, early Blunt, and Davenport desert breeding. The three were: El Saree, bay stallion (x Baba), who did not produce any Al Khamsa foals; Masai, black stallion (x Khumissi) who also did not produce any Al Khamsa foals; and Bint Khuziby, bay mare (x Khuziby) who produced one Al Khamsa daughter (by *Ansata Ibn Halima). However, she did not leave any foals; thus, El Akhrani "got away" from Al Khamsa breeders. Likewise, El Akhrani did not carry on within straight Egyptian breeding so he was lost to Egyptian breeders as well, which is sad considering the quality of his pedigree and the potential for adding another sire line in straight Egyptian breeding. The one photo of El Akhrani shows a handsome horse with large expressive eyes, so true to close-up desert breeding.

Hamama and she was absolutely magnificent, perhaps the best mare of the 1932 WR Brown importation. I provide one photo of her here, at bottom. She did produce a few straight Egyptian foals in America but most were exported to South America and England, where at that time there were no straight Egyptian horses for them. While H.H. Mohammed Alis Hamama is found in the pedigrees of other international champions, sadly, she is lost to straight Egyptian breeding, and to Al Khamsa breeding.

Above: H.H. Mohamed Alis Hamida 1929 grey mare (Nasr x Mahroussa) imported to the U.S. in 1932 by W.R. Brown. Ferriss archive. El Akhrani 1937 black-bay stallion (Nabras x Bint Rustem) imported to the U.S. as an old horse by Queen Nazli of Egypt. Forbis archive.

Below: H.H. Mohamed Alis Hamama 1927 grey mare (Kawkab x Mahroussa) imported to the U.S. in 1932 by W.R. Brown. Ferriss archive.

El Akhrani 1937 black-bay stallion (Nabras x Bint Rustem) imported to the U.S. as an old horse by Queen Nazli of Egypt. Forbis archive.

Another loss to American breeders of straight Egyptian bloodlines was the two mares, bred by Prince Mohamed Ali, H.H. Mohamed Alis Hamida (Nasr x Mahroussa) and H.H. Mohamed Alis Hamama (Kawkab x Mahroussa). Both were among the much-admired 1932 imports by W.R. Brown that included Nasr, Zarife, Aziza, Roda (who are found in straight Egyptian pedigrees still) and H.H. Mohamed Alis Hamida and H.H. Mohamed Hamama (who are not). H.H. Mohamed Alis Hamida is still preserved within Al Khamsa bloodlines; however, she is lost to straight Egyptian breeding. The lovely H.H. Mohamed Alis Hamama was sired by Kawkab (Saklawi II x Om Dalal), an excellent stallion of Prince Mohamed Ali who is only found in descendants of the Inshass mare Ragaa. I saw old home movies of H.H. Mohamed Alis 61

So let us take a look at some of the following photos of a few of the RAS bred representatives of the Kuhaylan Mimreh strain that "got away" from us. When the Inshass Royal stud was dispersed and some of its horses went to the EAO, it was a treasure that we now realize. Because of

Ibn Gamila, 1929 chestnut stallion (Kazmeen x Gamila Manial) imported in 1934 to the US by Frances M. Dodge. Forbis archive.

While we are on the subject of losses of imported Egyptian bloodlines in the US, here is another interesting horse to mention. The internationally known horsewoman Frances M. Dodge, daughter of John Francis Dodge, co-founder of Dodge Motor Company, became famous for her American Saddlebred horses and later Standardbreds. In 1934, she made a trip to Egypt and fell for a handsome chestnut stallion at the RAS named Ibn Gamila. He was foaled in 1929, sired by the renowned Crabbet stallion Kazmeen and out of Gamila Manial (of the Kuhaylan Mimreh strain) from Prince Mohamed Ali. Ibn Gamila arrived in the US. However, there is no record of his ever having sired any Arabians or half-Arabians. His history in the US remains a mystery and a loss because he would have introduced a sire line to Kazmeen and also represented the celebrated dam line of the strain of Kuhaylan Mimreh, now lost in tail female to straight Egyptian and only rarely preserved in Al Khamsaeligible breeding in South Africa. Once again, another one that "got away." On the subject of the celebrated Kuhaylan Mimreh, it seems odd that this once prized family seems to only make its way down through the passage of time only via stallions and not mares. Such well-known Egyptian stallions as Mabrouk Manial, Mansour, Ibn Samhan and Hadban are of the Kuhaylan Mimreh strain. Looking through the RAS studbook Vol. 1, there are numerous mares of the Kuhaylan Mimreh strain and many were sold to prominent Egyptian citizens, perhaps being popular for the racing community. Selling so many, however, meant that there were few mares left at the RAS to potentially carry on this strain. The mare Barakah (Ibn Manial x Gamalat) went in 1945 to South Africa and she turned out to be the last hope for preserving the Mimreh in tail female straight Egyptian breeding, but in the end only her sons in straight Egyptian breeding would carry her forward. Her only tail female Al Khamsaeligible descent would come via her daughter by the Bahraini stallion Tuwaisan.

Shouman, 1935 grey stallion (Mansour x Gamila Manial). He was Kuhaylan Mimreh through both sire and dam, but he left no progeny at the RAS. Forbis archive. Lost to straight Egyptian breeding.

Mahasin 1931 grey mare (Ibn Rabdan x Bint Gamila Manial) pictured as a young mare. Full sister to Hurra. She produced four foals, all sold to prominent racing enthusiasts in Egypt. She is lost to straight Egyptian breeding now. Kuhaylan Mimreh strain.

Hurra, 1932 grey mare, (Ibn Rabdan x Bint Gamila Manial), pictured with chestnut colt, El Bahr (x Kheir). Hurra was sold to H.E. Ali Islam Pasha. Mare and foal both lost to straight Egyptian breeding. Kuhaylan Mimreh strain.

Germany and retained in the stallion Sabeel in Egypt and AK Shahm in the US. From the photo, one can see that Shaheera was a wonderful mare and although she produced five foals in Egypt, they are all sired by the non-Al Khamsa, non-straight Egyptian desert bred stallion Sharkasi, and her blood is no longer found in Egypt.

the Inshass breeding program, the strains of Abayyan Om Jurays and Kuhaylan Krush were added to the gene pool the new EAO had to work with. Among the very nice mares of the Kuhaylan Krush group was the lovely fleabitten grey mare Shaheera. She was sired by the Anter son Ghazi, who was out of a mare tracing to the same female line as HH Mohamed Alis Hamama. Shaheera's dam is Shahd, who was preserved in the Bint Shahbaa line exported to the U.S. and

In Egypt, the RAS had acquired the excellent stallion El Nasser of the Kuhaylan Dajani strain. He was a good sire of horses who not only raced well but looked good also. However, only one of his descendants bred forward into modern Egyptian pedigrees, the stallion Nasralla, sired by Balance and out of the Hadban Inzahi mare Sehr a granddaughter of Bint Rustem (who produced El Akhrani mentioned above). Nasralla has proved to be an influence of great quality and is in many thousands of Egyptian horses today. However, another very handsome son of El Nasser was El Moutannabi, who was also a Hadban Inzahi stallion out of Fasiha (Awad x Hind), a granddaughter of Bint Rustem. El Moutannabi raced very well. Because he became a part of the racing community, he did not leave any registered foals in the EAO studbooks. His photos show a very handsome stallion of great quality and type. El Moutannabi would have been another opportunity for the kind of formula that helped to extend the success of the horse of Egypt — that of an outcross desert bred horse combined with an Egyptian bred one. This formula created the great sires Sid Abouhom (El Deree x Layla) and Sameh (El Moez x Samira INS), the excellent mare Shams (Mashaan x Bint Shaheera 1955 grey mare (Ghazi x Shahbaa) a lovely mare lost now to straight Samiha) and the important sire Kheir (Ibn Samhan x Egyptian breeding. Forbis archive. 63

Badaouia), all found in the pedigree of many of today's straight Egyptian horses. While all of this reflection on "what got away" is just speculation and perhaps a bit of lament about past choices, this feature is intended to encourage thinking about what has bred on into today and what has been lost, and to take a second look at maintaining some diversity so that the future of Egyptian breeding will not need to be one of fewer choices and lament about what got away. Every new foal born deserves a closer look. Every strain and family of our prized Al Khamsa Arabians needs to be valued with a look to the future. Let us not be like the person who turns a blind eye now, only to become focused after he discovers what he lost.

El Moutannabi 1949 grey stallion (El Nasser x Fasiha). More than half-brother to Nasralla, El Moutannabi was a handsome horse who raced very well. Forbis archive.

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/ 64

Mlolshaan Hager Solomon, photographed in old age by Jenny Kreig

The passing of two Living Treasures of Bahrain....

I remember the excitement when I found out in 1996 that there was an Asil stallion from Bahrain in Michigan only about two hours drive away! I found out that the horse was a gift from Sheikh Mohammed Al-Khalifa to the William Biel family in Michigan. The whole family loved this horse and enjoyed him even though they were not familiar with Arabians. The stallion still had not been registered here. I learned that much from Danah Al-Khalifa, the incomparable authority on Bahrain Arabians, who I had become friends with while working on the book: Saluqi, Coursing Hound of the East, an anthology in which she wrote one of the chapters about horses and Saluqis in Bahrain. So I told Danah, that I would go look at the horse and also see if I could help get him registered. Wow, I was so impressed with him! In June of that year I wrote to Danah about what I saw, excerpted here: Dear Danah, Yesterday I drove up to Ada, Michigan to visit with Bill Biel and his stallion, “Hager,” [later registered as Mlolshaan Hager Solomon AHR #547139] from Bahrain. I got some nice video of the stallion despite some problems with my old video camera. I did not get any photos of him as I left my still camera in the car and the place that he wished to have the horse turned loose for videoing was about a mile away from my car but I figured I would return another time to take photos. This horse is a wonderful animal, about 10 years old, white with a very pearl-like quality to his coat and mane, very fine coated, fine skinned and fine clean bone with ample tendon. The veins are not only prominent in his face and elsewhere but very large as well. He is very much like many of the Davenport Arabians here in America. [reminiscent of Prince Hal or his progeny] He has the most beautiful, soulful dark eyes, with very long eyelashes. A very wise, smart and friendly horse that has a wonderful disposition, extremely calm and confident but also showy only when he comes near other horses. Mr. Biel’s children ride this horse as well as Mr Biel. Hager’s body proportions are very harmonious, graceful flowing lines, with nothing to excess (as Homer Davenport put it) all fitting in to the illusion of a sort of square shape. His height is about 14.3+ but with enough air underneath him to give the impression of being taller. He walks like a predator, long reaching stride, long free shoulder. At liberty, he runs flat out from the body down like a swift runner, but carries his head relatively high and strongly positioned. His full speed trot is extremely driving swallowing up enormous amounts of ground with tremendous drive from behind and lots of reach in front with a little float and dwell. His trot reminded me of the published photo of the Saudi mare *Al Obayyah at full trot. We walked the mile over to Mr. Biel’s neighbor’s large paddock for the liberty footage and periodically Hager would do something interesting. Most stallions are keen of scent anyway, but he would ever so often raise his head up very high while keeping the plane of his skull parallel to the ground and open his huge nostrils, slowly drinking in a large volume of air that he was clearly analyzing for familiar scents. The way in which he did this was more like one would expect from an elk or a caribou in the wild. His eyes grew large and with an intense but distant stare. He was clearly thinking about what the scents meant to him but he never broke stride. His ability to expand his nostrils so large and take in so much air while walking and never missing a step makes his doing this much more dramatic. After doing this he seemed to know exactly where every building was that housed a horse before any horses made any sounds. As to pedigree, Mr. Biel is going to send me copies of the paperwork he has but he did show me the pedigree you prepared for him which appears to be all old Bahrain families. (interestingly, the pedigree is the last thing I saw in our visit and I didn’t even think about asking for it once I first saw the horse step out of the stall.) We have nothing of the Mlolshaan family in America so it is a pleasure to see one of these. The gift from Shaikh Mohammed has the potential of planting seeds much like a fine and unique plant which bears fruit, the flavor and scent of which will always spread an appreciation for spirit of the original gift. The blossom can be observed by anyone who appreciates beauty, but the fruit assures the plant will be there for the next generation to admire. As you know it has become my mission to share with Westerners the joy of what was no trouble for me to see. Perhaps it was inspired by my purchase of your book “Living Treasures of the Bahrain” in 1975. Without even examining Hager’s breeding or where he came from, he immediately gives a true, “natural” impression of a Desert Arabian and I think he is a magnificent representative of the Asil horse. I think the horse is a great compliment to the kind of Arabians of which Bahrain has had such a long history and a fine compliment to the Shaikh and his extended family.

With Danah’s encouaragement, I was able to get Mlolshaan Hager Solomon registered and later accepted by Al Khamsa. By then he was quite old but fortunately he left a few Al Khamsa foals to carry on his lineage. Now they are both gone, Mlolshaan Hager Solomon and Danah Al-Khalifa. A fitting tribute to Danah appears elsewhere in this Khamsat and Mlolshaan’s tribute will continue in the generations ahead as he imparts the spirit of the Asil horses of Bahrain into the Al Khamsa genotype. 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.

Brownstone Farm

Since 1972

Joe & Sharon Ferriss 1059 Lukesport Road • Quincy, MI 49082 Tel. (517) 639-4443 • e-mail: ferrissjs@dmcibb.net

Al Khamsa’s Vanishing Lines

PTF News — September 2021 Update by the Al Khamsa Preservation Task Force

Changes! The PTF is working on new classification rules for reporting on scarcity of Foundation Horse line representation. The first rules were prepared 10 years ago (TEN YEARS!), and they no longer fit the situation on the ground. We now know that the new rules must take into account not just new DNA data and new research on the number of Al Khamsa foals born each year, but also Tail Male and Tail Female lines, in order to preserve the DNA that is only passed down directly from sire or dam. Once we have lost a dam line, or a sire line, presence in the center of the pedigree does not guarantee genetic persistence. We now know that while it may be risky but logical to try to breed mares in their early 20s, it is extremely difficult to try breed mares in their late 20s. Stallions might be fertile in their late 20s, but it may take hard work and money to preserve them. We now know just because 50 horses containing a Foundation Horse in their pedigree may be not reported dead, it is a long way from that point to having 10 of those horses with a known owner, and still possibly available for reproduction. If you have something to share with the PTF, either an opinion or piece of data to share on new classifications, or a foal or breeding to report, or a line lost, please contact preservation@alkhamsa.org. Thank you! New Foals! 2021: Maya CC (aged 21) has an August bay filly by Tammens Kismet. å This filly is in the Code Red group tracing to the Tahawi mare Folla (TAH) in tail female. There are 14 breeding age mares left. Tammens Kismet himself is 25. 2021: RC Miss Burgundy (aged 23) had a chestnut filly by Tammens Kismet. This is the first female born since 2010 in the Code Red group tracing to the Tahawi mare Bint Barakat (TAH). Seven mares left. This filly is also by Tammens Kismet. Both fillies reported by Lisa Craig, Maine. å 2021: DB Taamara Shahat has a 3.5 month old filly, AAS Tinnineh (Arabic for Dragon, so you know this is a future war mare!) by AAS Al Sakb+/. Edie Booth, Texas. See photo, page 68. Foals as Plans for the Future! 2022: GTS Al Mas Hura is in foal to Treff-Haven Sabeel — another potential tail-female *Haidee in the making. Crystal Robertson and Kate Rhodes are working on this, Arkansas. 2022: Bint Zahra Al Hadba is in foal to Porte CF for a potential Davenport Core Hadban foal. Carrie Slayton, California. 66

Tail Male and Tail Female Lines in Egyptian Breeding

Because there are many thousands of Egyptian horses, it is common to believe that there is no reason to worry about those lines. However, Egyptian horses trace their lineage to a fairly small number of Foundation Horses, repeated over and over in their pedigrees. This means that their diversity is also in danger, as covered in Minnich and Bowling. “Genetic Diversity & Complex Ancestry in the Arabian Horse”. Khamsat, May 2021. While the Preservation Task Force cannot control the world of Al Khamsa horse breeding, it can at least point out some problem areas that need attention. For instance, there are many lines on the inside of pedigrees, or branches of tail male and tail female lines, that are becoming scarce. There are breeding groups established by breeders or groups of breeders that fall within the endangered classifications. Those are beyond our grasp at this time, but we are starting to work on the Tail Male and Tail Female lines within Egyptian breeding that are fading away, losing out to the most popular lines. This report just gives basic numbers or estimates, not detailed information on individual horses. That kind of information is being gathered from the Al Khamsa online roster and the AHA Datasource, to serve as a resource for those Al Khamsa supporters who wish to make a difference by taking on an endangered line. Tail Male Lines in Egyptian Breeding There are very few. There is a marked tendency in all populations for sire lines (Y chromosomes) to be lost. In human genetics this is reflected by the loss of surnames over generations. In Egyptian breeding, it is the line tracing to Saklawi I that has become the “one” (and therefore in Al Khamsa as a whole) So every line other than Saklawi I (Nazeer) needs to be kept active, and some need more help than others. There are active breeders working with nonNazeer programs, and even those with Nazeer in their pedigrees could think about adding a different sire line. Saklawi I (APS) is the predominant sire line in Egyptian pedigrees, with thousands of representatives. The primary line is through his grandson Gamil Manial to Mansour to Nazeer. Jamil El Kebir (APK) is plentiful in Al Khamsa pedigreess, but the sire lines through his great-grandson Rabdan El Azrak and on to Ibn Rabdan and Samhan make him relevant in Babson related breeding especially. Lines through *Tuhotmos by El Sareei, and *Ibn Safinaz, by Seef. Code Green. Be watching. Gadir (AP) is now considered the sire line of Mesaoud. There are thousands of lines through Mesaoud in Al Khamsa breeding, but very few in Tail Male. There are lines through *Astraled to Julep and lines from Seyal through Doyle breeding. Code Red. El Deree (INS), as written up in the Khamsat last issue, is critically rare in Tail Mail. Code Red, with less than ten stallions available, mostly through the Akhtal line. Zobeyni (AP) is lost to Al Khamsa as a sire line.

Tail Female Lines in Egyptian Breeding It is obviously easier for a Foundation Mare to establish a female line that comes forward to her daughters and their daughters, carrying mtDNA only by the female line. Still, the same process occurs with dam lines as with sire lines. There is a process whereby rarer lines drop out and dominant lines become more dominant. In Egyptian breeding, and therefore Al Khamsa as a whole, El Dahma (APS) is the dominant dam line. El Dahma (APS) is the predominant dam line in Egyptian pedigrees, with thousands of representatives. As with the Saklawi I sire line, breeders with these horses might do well to look at the various branches through which the dam line comes forward in pedigrees, and make an effort to keep the lesser used afloat in the gene pool. Code Green, safe. Rodania (BLT) is perhaps the most dominant dam line in all Arabian breeding globally. In Egyptian breeding, she is represented by two sub-branches of the *Rose of Sharon branch (one of three Rodania daughters) — Bint Rissala and Bint Riyala, who were sold from Crabbet to the RAS in Egypt. Code Green. Roga El Beda (APS) was proven through mtDNA research to not be from the Ghazieh (AP) line, as had been conjectured. Her most famous line is through Moniet El Nefous (RAS). Code Green. Venus (KDV) is the Hadban line in Egyptian breeding, with multiple branches. Code Green. Ghazieh (AP) was represented by the Bint Helwa/*Ghazala branch only until the mtDNA research that proved the Mesaoud’s dam Yemameh (APS) was also the dam of Bint Yamama (KDV). Now this line is represented by descendants of Bint Yamama through her descendants from the Manial Stud of Prince Mohamed Ali. Code Yellow. Watch. Bint El Bahreyn (KDV) is a Dahmah line with branches of *Bint Bint Durra in Babson breeding and Bint Zareefa (RAS) in Egypt. Code Yellow. El Shahbaa (INS) is probably the safest of the Inshass mare lines, with nearly 200 hundred mares in her list since 2000. Her line is popular, especially in Europe, which helps. Code Yellow. Hind (INS) boasts over 150 mares registered to her in tail female since 2000. Most of these have not produced a foal. Her line could be in much more distress than seen by that number. However, it is fortunate that a number of the mares are in the hands of active Egyptian breeders. Code Orange. Rare. El Samraa (INS) has perhaps 100 mares registered to her in tail female since 2000. Many are no doubt lost to us through a variety of issues. Code Red, if we knew each mare’s story. Mabrouka (INS) is in a similar situation to El Samraa (INS), with perhaps 100 mares representing her in tail female, but many of these are likely to have died, been lost, been exported, or out of production. Probably Code Red if we knew each mare’s story. El Kahila (INS) is well represented in Egyptian breeding in the center of the pedigree, but in tail female, she has perhaps 50 representative mares at most. Code Red. Endangered.

No other Egyptian Foundation Stallion has an established sire line. 67

Futna (TAH) is the best off of the Tahawi mare lines from the Hamdan Stud, with 25 representative mares. Still, very much Code Red.

Davenport Arabian Horse Conservancy

Folla (TAH) (see the newest member, opposite) has 14 representatives on her list. Six fillies born in the last 11 years. Code Red.

Ask us about the Davenport Arabian Horse as Homer Davenport knew it in the desert, and as we still know it..

Bint Barakat (TAH) (see the only female born since 2010, opposite) is the rarest of the Hamdan Tahawi mares. Code Red. Lisa Craig has taken on the task of keeping these three mare lines going, but she can use some extra hands.

Secretary Jeanne Craver 709 Brackett Lane. Winchester IL 62694, mowarda@gmail.com www.DavenportHorses.org

Nafaa (INS) was covered in a lovely article by Samantha Winborn in the Khamsat, V25N2 Summer 2009. Since then, more mares have been lost, and this is Code Red, hanging by a thread. Selma (AP) is Code Red, down to a scarce handful of mares, perhaps even just one. About as rare as you can get without being gone. Jellabiet Feysul (AP) is lost to Al Khamsa as a dam line. See under Ghazieh (AP), above. As with Zobeyni (AP), there is presence in the center of pedigrees. No other Egyptian Foundation Mare has an established dam line.

***** The classifications, as noted at the beginning of this report, are in a state of flux between the system set up over 10 years ago, and the situation we find outselves in currently. Takeaway #1 is: Green appears to be safe, Yellow is of concern, Orange is rare, and Red is distinctly endangered. Takeaway #2 is: Egyptians may be the overwhelmingly dominant set of bloodlines in Al Khamsa breeding, but they are more lacking in genetic diversity than would seem logical, from their numbers in the thousands. Care should be taken to make sure that as much genetic diversity as possible, both in the middle of pedigrees and in tail male and tail female, is preserved for the future.

Have you visited our website?

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.

The straight Sa’ud mare DB Taamara Shahat, by Hafiid Taamri out of Desert Dhelalliah, with her day old filly AAS Tinnineh by AAS Al Sakb+/. A welcome addition to the *Sindidah tail female line.

www.heirloomarabianstud.com 68

Al Khamsa History

Ancestral Elements Series: EGYPT 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.

JALAWI Amir Sa’ud Ibn Abdullah Ibn Jalawi (Governor of the Hasa province of Saudi Arabia) and his family have reportedly bred Arabians for generations. The original Jalawi was brother to Faysul Ibn Turki al-Sa’ud, grandfather of the first King of Hijaz and Najd, later called Saudi Arabia. There has been considerable interchange of horses between the Ibn Jalawi family, the Al Khalifa family of Bahrayn, and the Ibn Sa’ud royal family. The term JALAWI (Jiluwi) applies to horses bred by the Ibn Jalawi family. • Hamdani (ARA) c1938 grey stallion • *Jalam Al Ubayan 1949 chestnut stallion • *Mahraa 1943 bay mare

Hamdani (ARA), as an aged horse.

HAMDANI (ARA) c1938 grey Hamdani stallion foaled in the possession of Ibn Jalawi, Governor of Hasa province, and presented by Ibn Jalawi to Thomas C. Barger, CEO of ARAMCO. NOTES: The above information is from a letter in AHA importation records concerning *Muhaira. This stallion was part of the Arabian horse-owning ARAMCO community in Dhahran, Hasa province, in 1952 and was known for his exceptional disposition. He was referred to by those who knew him as “The Old Hamdani.” Sire of at least one foal: ‘Abd Allah Ibn Jalawi, contemporary of King ‘Abd al-Aziz Ibn Sa’ud.

• *Muhaira 1948 bm out of *Mahraa 69

*JALAM AL UBAYAN 36944 1949 chestnut stallion bred by Amir Sa’ud Ibn ‘Abd Allah Ibn Jalawi, Governor of al-Hasa, Saudi Arabia, and imported in 1966 to the USA by Connie Cobb. By an ’Ubayyan from Ibn Jalawi out of an ‘Ubayyah from Ibn Jalawi. NOTES: The above information is from *Jalam al Ubayan’s Saudi export document and AHA importation records. Sire of 13 foals, including: • *Hadriya 1954 cm out of *Sawannah • *Sheri 1963 cm out of Sabihah (of Saihat) • Jalam Fairlie 1966 bg out of *Habiti • Malika El Shahhat 1968 gm out of *Sindidah • Alwal Bahet 1970 gs out of *Sindidah • Nejma Azrek 1970 bm out of Esperanzo Asal Fanifara • Ibn Al Ubayan 1972 cs out of Fadaa • Hisani Jalam 1972 cs out of Nauwas • Hisani Jzairah 1974 cm out of Nauwas *Jalam Al Ubayan, aged four, in Saudi Arabia.

*MAHRAA 5947 1943 bay ‘Ubayyah mare bred by Amir Sa’ud Ibn ‘Abd Allah Ibn Jalawi, Governor of al-Hasa Province, Saudi Arabia, presented to Dr. Esther Ames by Ibn Jalawi and imported in 1950 to the USA by Dr. Ames.

AN EXISTING AL KHAMSA DAM LINE

AN EXISTING AL KHAMSA SIRE LINE

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.

By an ‘Ubayyan out of an ‘Ubayyah. NOTES: The above information is from *Mahraa’s Saudi export document and AHA importation records. Dam of seven foals, including: • *Muhaira 1948 bm by Hamdani (ARA)

E L P

M A S

The Al Khamsa Certificate is a glory to behold, and a treasure you can display with pride. You can obtain one for your horse on the Al Khamsa website, or with a donation to Al Khamsa, see p.72.

*Mahraa. NOTE: This photo was badly distorted by a tilted camera lens. Lens correction has been applied.

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Khamsat V32N1 September 2021

Articles inside

Donation Levels and Donor Listings

Advertising Information and Advertisers

Ancestral Elements Series: JALAWI

by the PTF

by Joe Ferriss

by Yasser Ghanim al-Tahawi

by Robert J. Cadranell

by Andrea Kaiser

by Beth Minnich, with Michael Bowling

by Edouard Al-Dahdah

2021 Convention Notice / Roster Proposals

by Joe Ferriss

Al Khamsa Community Hub

Bits & Pieces

Spotlight