Desert Heritage n.62

DESERT HERITAGEMagazine

Nasser Al Rayyan

photos by Alessio Azzali

Fahad Al Rayyan

Available fresh in Qatar and Frozen in limited quantities

Sinan Al Rayyan | Noof Al Rayyan, 2009 grey stallion

photos by Alessio Azzali

photos by Alessio Azzali

Al Adeed Al Shaqab | Sundos Al Rayyan, 2015 grey stallion

Frasera MASHAR

Aymar Frasera NESHAR Frasera Mashar x Frasera Bint Nefisa 20/05/2012 Hadban Enzahi

Gregor

Frasera MONIET

Nabeel al Rayyan x Frasera Mashalla 26/03/2017

Dahamah Shawan

Frasera SHAHYR

Nabeel al Rayyan x Frasera Mia 23/05/2017

Saqlawj Jedrani Ibn Sudan

LA FRASERA

Straight Egyptian Horses

photo by Alessio Azzali

Frasera FARID

Frasera AL MADAL

Frasera IL BELLO

Frasera Neshar x Frasera Carina 20/03/1919

Dahamah Shawan

Frasera KALED

Nabeel al Rayyan x Frasera bint Nefisa 20/02/1917

Hadban Enzahi

LA FRASERA

Straight Egyptian Horses

Frasera KHARIM

Frasera Mashar x Frasera Carina 20/05/2012

Hadban Enzahi

Frasera RAMSETE

Frasera Ramses Shah x Frasera Wasima 21/08/2008

Hadban Enzahi

LA FRASERA

Straight Egyptian Horses

photo by Gigi Grasso

photo by Paola Drera

photo by Alessio Azzali

Frasera MADRA

Frasera Mashall x Frasera Madara 11/05/2013

Dahamah Shawan

Frasera MIA

Frasera Ramses Shah x Frasera Shahyra 11/06/2013

Saqlawj Jedrani Ibn Sudan

photo by Gigi Grasso

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Hans J. Nagel

Monika Savier

Peter Upton

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Pag. 21 Mauro Malacarne

Pag. 30 The Story of the Noble Mares of the Katharinenhof

Pag. 50 Female Choice

Pag. 74 The Stallions of Al Qusar Arabians in Germay

Pag. 86 The Royal Stables in Jordan

Pag. 99 Great Mares of Egypt. Bint Radia

Malacarne Mauro

Mauro Malacame was bom in Brescia (Italy) in 1962 where he currently lives and works. He graduated from the Art School and continued her studies in Milan attending “’European Institute of Design”.

Graphic designer, illustrator with a passi on for drawing and sculpture, with a dominant theme ... the horse.

Tue two passions grow together to become a profession.

For nearly 20 years working with breed associations, trade magazines and at the same

time creates portraits commissioned by the owners and breeders of horses Italian and foreign. Feature in his work is the constant pursuit of anatomica! details, expression that make it unique and recognizable. In recent years, his trophies and portraits, are in the highest Intemational Show importance, such as:

• WorldArabian Horse Championship Paris

• Ajman Arabian Horse Show

• Mediterranean & Arab Countries Menton

• Aachen All Nation Cup

Running on the Dunes

Stallion in the Shadow

Malacarne Mauro

Egyptian Prince

Malacarne Mauro

Arabian Trilogy “The new born” Pencil - Print Size: H.cm. 70 x L.cm. 50

Arabian Trilogy “The drinker of the wind” Pencil - Print Size: H.cm. 70 x L.cm. 50

Malacarne Mauro

“Ajman Trophy”

“The Best Head” Resin Trophy - Size: H.cm. 36 x L.cm. 21 x W.cm11

Malacarne Mauro

Desert Dream

The Story of the Noble Mares of the Katharinenhof Breeding with Criteria

By Hans J. nagel

The Search for my arabian horSeS

It took years, until I finally felt sure to have found the right way to breed Arabian horses successfully. It took so much time, because there are so many opinions and very vague theories about the origin, the authentic type and the correct features of this horse, creating a lot of confusions for any newcomer, including myself. However, so many surprising things happened during my life, which helped me to understand this horse better and better. In the end it was easy for me to find the proper answers to the following two questions:

1, Which of the Arabians among so many different types will finally be my favourite one?

2. Which breeding concept fits to such a horse which was created in another environment and originated from a culture different from the one in Europe.

Lady Anne Blunt’s Sherifa, one of her finest paintings.

The first surprise happened in the 60ies, when my work as one of the very early European experts in modern poultry breeding brought me to Hungary and by chance directly into the State Stud Babolna. After arrival, as I walked around in this Stud, I found out unexpectedly that I was staying in the middle of one of the oldest breeding Studs for Arabians in Europe. It happened that from this first visit on, I worked with Babolna for 30 years. During the day I installed a huge poultry operation and in the early mornings and in the evenings, I was occupied with their Arabian horses. During this period, it was decided that Babolna’ s breeding should be clearly split into two sections: from then on one section concerned pure-bred Arabians only, the second one exclusively ShagyaArabians (before registered under part-bred Arabian). All in all, I had a lot of time to become fully acquainted with Arabian horse breeding in this Stud from early history until our days. This was my first and decisive step and deep encounter with the great ambiance and the mystery, which is surrounding this Arabian horse. The second surprise followed only a few years later, I had to travel to Cairo following an invitation from the Ministry of Agriculture in Egypt to advise them in poultry production as well, but this time on a national scale. My Egyptian counterpart was a very likable person, Dr. Ameen Zaher, Deputy Minister of Agriculture. At this time, he acted also as the breeding advisor of the “El Zahraa Arabian Horse Stud” near Cairo. It did not take long, when he discovered my interest in Arabians and so he invited me, with a group of important visitors from the US, to visit their world-famous Arabian Stud. About the same time a German writer, Mrs. Erika Schiele, published her book “Araber in Europa”; A very interesting comprehensive document about breeding efforts with Arabians in different European countries. Most of her attention was given to breeders in England, Poland, to the State Stud Babolna in Hungary and Germany. I recall that I have studied and read this book again and again. I was mostly interested to look at the photographs and pictures of the Arabian horses as kept in each country, the typical English Crabbet Park Horses, the Polish Arabians in the Stud of Janov Podlaski or the German Arabians kept by a few private breeders and the Arabian Stud of Marbach Württemberg and finally the ones in Spain; they all looked different, each of them had some of their own particularities.

Syrian Arabians as presented to the WAHO committee.

Savier

Naturally I discovered some horses in this book, which became my favourites, but when I arrived at the El Zahraa Stud, everything of what I had seen before in this book got wiped out of my mind. In complete admiration I looked at the fine mares, wandering around in the surrounding paddocks and when some of them were presented by Egyptian grooms together with several stallions to this visitor group. I was totally taken by their elegance and refinement. As I returned later to my hotel and started thinking in quietness about what I had seen on that day. I concluded, that this type of Arabian would be my final choice. I doubted I would ever find better ones anywhere else in the future. These impressions of this first visit became decisive moments, which stayed in my memory until today.

Due to my work with Dr. Zaher and due to the existence of these Egyptian Arabians, Egypt became a very dear country to me and each time, when I was on my way to Egypt, I was very excited to meet again the people I was working with in the different activities and what I could accomplish with them in the coming visit. Dr. Zaher allowed me to move around in total liberty, particularly at the El Zahraa Stud. All its personnel in the office or in the stable were very helpful and open minded in answering all my many questions, which I considered to be very important for my future planning and they gave me, without asking, even a lot of additional information. Having studied the qualities of the various mare families, in this way I had the courage to chosen and to buy my first three fillies. The other four fillies followed later.

Then it happened that I was elected Chairman of the German Arab Horse Society (VZAP) and stayed in this position for more than 20 years. One of the most exciting and very serious duties was the licensing event for the three-year-old stallions, which took place each year in the Frankfurt area. About 100 or even 130 young stallions were presented to be judged for approval of breeding or to be rejected. In my capacity as chairman of a five-member-committee, it was sometimes very hard to come to a correct justified decision, particularly when a decision for refusal had to be made. This refusal rate was very high: in average 65 % of the horses were not approved and 35% were accepted. Most of the owners liked their horses and the refusal for breeding was a great disappointment for them. Whatever happened, I have seen on these yearly occasions several hundreds of Arabian

Arabians bred in Syria and purchased at the end of the 19th century for the Eastern European Studs.

stallions, partly bred in Germany, or imported from Poland, from Egypt, from Russia, from the US, from Spain and from England. There existed no better informative occasions as to see such chosen samples of all important Arabian populations in different countries and to compare them with each other, to discover their highlights, but also the less appreciated features in each group. After each of these events I was asking myself, was I right in my judgements and what did I learn for myself by comparing in my mind the best judged stallion with my own horses at home; mostly I came to a positive answer, but sometimes I also found out, which possible improvements my horses still needed.

Only to mention, I have also spent about ten years serving as a judge in different Arabian horse shows in several countries. After a while I felt this is a boring job, full of repetitions and not very attractive for me. In fact, it was not a challenge at all, when I compared this show-judging with the very professional evaluation applied in the stallion licensing event. And finally, in the early 80ies the WAHO (World Arabian Horse Organisation) was already wellestablished with more than 40 countries as WAHO members, when I was invited to be a member of its Executive Committee and later chosen as its President. I was very hesitant in accepting this position. My interest was to enjoy my Arabians, to care for them, to breed them and to improve them. And not to spend my time in meetings, to organize, to set up rules and regulations or to control and supervise publishing. But finally, I saw that a lot of positive works could still be done and accepted these duties. It happened at this time, that the Arab countries came into the focus of WAHO. I found out later, WAHO wanted me to join them, because I was very familiar with the countries in this region and in fact, in my new capacity I pushed the above project strongly forward. In a General Assembly, it was then decided to offer to these countries the possibility to establish a National Stud Book and to register all those Arabians, which were still in the hands of breeders in that country. Each country had the chance, to propose, which of their horses should be a candidate for registration and a committee of WAHO was then sent to check and to confirm or to refuse their choice. As a member of the committee for Iraq and later as the chairman of another committee for Syria, I have thrown each time all my interest and curiosity into this project, knowing the importance of these countries in history. Both countries, Syria, and Iraq, were those ones, which were heavily visited in the late 19th century by private people, by merchants or by governmental organisations, to choose and to buy Arabians as root stock for the most important Studs in Europe. But also, the idea to try to save the Arabians in these countries as a heritage, which could be a positive addition to the Arabian horse population worldwide, was a good reason to make such an effort and work with these countries. I have seen in each country between 500 and 1000 horses in several different visits. In Iraq a relatively small fraction of the presented horses were accepted, only about 180 stallions and mares; in Syria the choice was a little bit more generous, maybe too generous. Knowing pictures and photos from Arabians imported 100 years before, by example the ones chosen by Lady Ann Blunt for her Crabbet Park Stud in England, the ones Babolna Stud imported at that time or those ones, which were chosen by the already famous Polish breeders in the 18th and 19th century, I had a perfect chance to compare such early imports with those ones, which were now presented in front of me. The answer is it was

still about the same type. The mares, 150 cm or less, the stallions usually much taller. The small ones had mostly a heavy belly and were longer in the back; Their bones were relatively thick, a lot of them had wide flat hooves and all had a straight or even convex bold head. The taller ones were more slender, shorter, had a better neck, but their head shape was similar. Very seldom I saw a more refined horse, and when this happened, it was mostly flea-bitten grey. Never I saw a head-shape like the ones bred in Egypt. However, it was a surprise to note that most of them had a perfect Arabian high tail-carriage, showed a powerful movement and had very nice black eyes. Indeed, in our times about 100 years later and after maybe 15 generations, the European Arabians of today look totally different from those early imports; the effort in selecting, crossing, and breeding only the better ones have made a huge difference between past and present. From these visits originates my conclusion that two types of Arabians existed: a Northern type and a Southern type, the northern Arabians in larger populations bred on rich lands close to the Euphrates and Tigris River, the southern Arabians bred as desert horses in the Arabian Peninsula surviving with the Bedouins and existing only in limited small numbers due to the poor geographic-ecological ambiance.

back To egypT

As well known, the Egyptian horses in El Zahraa, at least the major percentage, were brought in the later 19th century from the Arabian Peninsula to Egypt. Abbas Pasha, the Viceroy of Egypt, and some of his later relatives were the greatest collectors and buyers at that time. These early breeders searched from the very beginning for a certain type of horses, which was apparently only available in this Peninsula and bred by the Bedouin tribes, who migrated following the seasons through these territories.

As already mentioned, these Arabians in Egypt looked totally different from what I had seen during my different travels in the Middle East as Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and even Iran or when I made the inspections on behalf of WAHO in these countries. But this population in El Zahraa was also different from the ones bred in the Babolna Stud, different from those in Crabbet Park, even when a lot of their horses were brought from Egypt to this Stud, but as known, later crossed with Syrian

A Saudi Arabian mare belonging to their special breeding program for local Arabians.

The best head of an Arabian mare in Iraq Photographed in 1989.

imports, and they were also different from the Polish ones, which originated mostly from the already existing older studs established by the old Polish aristocracy. Egypt had an Arabian population which had its own typical look. From Dr. Zaher I learned to know as well, that two types of Arabians were bred and available in El Zahraa since the early 50ies. The old traditional ones, going back to Abbas Pascha breeding, and a taller solid type, a bit less refined and bred to satisfy the horse-racing community in Egypt; at least this was the original idea why to bring additional stallions. I was discussing at length with Dr. Zaher, which of the horses in the Stud he would order into the first group and which ones would belong to the second. One could find out these differences by checking their pedigree, but by the time I was also able to see this difference just by looking at their features. No doubt I was totally committed to the first group. To my surprise in the years to come the later following Egyptian Stud Directors have given up this separation and bred the two groups together as one population. Why do these Egyptian Arabians or at least most of them have only very little in common with those Arabians I saw and judged in Saudi Arabia? I was keen to find out if these Egyptian types still existed somewhere in the Arabian Peninsula, both belonging to the same homeland and once bred in this area. The “Saudi State Stud Dirabh” near Riyadh had made great effort to collect the best of the original Arabians in their country and started a breeding programme exclusively with such horses. But when

El Zahraa, the Mares Paddock, Cairo, Egypt

Savier

The two root mares Hanan and Lotfeia in their old age, both over 20 years old.

comparing these carefully chosen ones with the best local ones in Iraq or Syria, there was no doubt they all were in principle still of the same type; no similarity with the Egyptians at all. In the 19th century the Egyptians must have been taken away, first as ransom during the “Wahabit War” or later by private initiative, the best of the horses bred by the Bedouins and emptied the country to a great extent. This gap was filled up again later by imports from the north. It is interesting that one can read in the report of the Austrian / Hungarian expedition around 1900 the same remark; They could not find any horses different from those in Syria or Iraq, when they searched for Arabians in the south of Palestine and even further south in the direction to the Arabian Peninsula; they made the same observation and came to the above conclusion as I did, however about 100 years earlier In seeing and judging all these Arabians during the travelling years, I became more and more confident, that I had made the right decision to choose my root mares out of the El Zahraa population. It resumed however the challenge, that this would be the suitable breeding concept in considering historical facts and modern breeding knowledge as well. Therefore, one must start to think from the very beginning of the creation of this type of southern

Jamil (Madkour I x Hanan)

Arabians and must decide in the end for a very particular breeding programme, which would recognize traditions and beliefs, data and conditions as set and dictated by nature, and by finally applying all advanced knowledge in animal breeding.

a new modern breeding concepT

There is today a common understanding that the cradle of the Arabian horse is the Arabian Peninsula or more specific, the poor and mostly desert like regions in the centre of this half-island, called “The Nejd”.

When about 500 AD a lighter horse type from the North, from Iraq over the Caspian Bridge, entered the Arabian Peninsula, this country was horse empty. Further on, two vital conditions were existing. Firstly, a relatively good geographical isolation and secondly nearly no contact with other existing horse breeds. Such an isolation could be only offered by the Arabian Peninsula in comparison with other Arab countries in the northern region. Thirdly, a particular breed has only a good chance to emerge as a relative homogeneous population, when their number is somehow limited. The poorness of most of the territories in the Arabian Peninsula never allowed a huge population of thousands of horses as it existed in the north of Arabia. Bedouins in the south owned only little numbers in their tribes; it is said that around 1880 only 500 Arabian horses were kept by the Bedouins roaming in the Nejd region and surroundings. It was finally in the 18/19 century, when these remote territories of the Arabian Peninsula opened to the West, when only a few adventurous and curious travellers had the courage to enter these dangerous regions and to encounter those desert people. Even when this Peninsula was the country, where the world’s second most important religion, the Islam, emerged, it remained closed for western culture for centuries. Neither the Romans before, nor the later Middle Eastern dynasties, and not even the Ottoman Kingdom showed interest to extend their political influence further south. Their southern borders were these territories, highly lifeunfriendly and only suitable for a nomadic way of life. These Bedouins, refusing any political power over them, strongly guided by their traditions only, very independent, and unable to read and to write,

Painting by V. Adam.

Painting by E. Volkers.

Arabians in the Stud of the King of Württemberg, Germany (around 1875).

migrated constantly as a nomadic population by following the seasons which offered them the needed pasture for their animals. They kept their own horses away from other breeds due to their pride and possessiveness concerning their horses, which they believed to be superior to any other breed.

The inner region of this Arabian Peninsula was the Bedouin country for thousands of years. These Bedouins were the authentic breeders of the Arabian horse and their first owners. It happened in the 19th century, when the first travellers discovered the existence of this breed. It is interesting to know, each one of them mentioned these fine horses in their books or in records, some in general only, others in detail. However, in the end remained only a few ones, which were competent enough in horse affairs and which could be chosen as reliable witnesses in this respect.

These were:

The emissaries of Abbas Pasha, the Viceroy of Egypt

Mr. Palgrave, an Englishman

Lady Ann Blunt, an English Lady

An Arabian mare in the palace garden of the Pasha, painted by v. Mayr during his visit in Egypt, accompanying the King of Bavaria in the late 19th century.

The Abbas Pasha’s views are documented in his famous “Abbas Pasha Manuscript”. His emissaries, who searched for him for the best Arabian horses, travelled to the Bedouin tribes living in the Peninsula, but also appeared in the north of Syria, since many Bedouin tribes left the Peninsula due to a big drought in the early 19th century and settled with their goods and horses in the north. In this even sometimes confusing manuscript one can find valuable information about the Bedouins and their knowledge about their horses, their origin, their genealogy, and the way, they were bred. Mr. Palgrave travelled under the cover of a medical doctor from Palestine to Riyadh and gave the best detailed report and description of the Arabian as he saw them at that time in the stables of the Great Sheikh in Riyadh. He described them as follows, with a convincing accuracy, as the noblest creature to be in Arabia; these were the Southern type of Arabian horses.

“…. I had never seen or imagined so lovely a collection. Their statue was indeed somewhat low; I do not think that any came fully up to fifteen hands; fourteen appeared to me about their average; but they were so exquisitely well shaped that want of greater size seemed hardly, if at all, a defect. Remarkably full in the haunches, with a shoulder of a slope so elegant as to make one, in the words of an Arab poet, “go raving mad about it:” a little, a very little, saddle-backed, just the curve which indicates springiness without any weakness; a head broad above, and tapering down to a nose fine enough to verity the phrase “drinking from a pint-pot, “

Adnan (Salaa El Dine x Ghazala)

NK Nasrin (Adnan x Nashua)

did print-pots exist in Nejd; a most intelligent and yet a singularly gentle look, full eye, shape thorn-like little ear, legs fore and hind that seemed as if made of hammered iron, so clean and yet so well twisted with sinew; a neat round hoof, just the requisite for hard ground; the tail set on or rather thrown out at a perfect arch; coats smooth, shining, and light; the mane long, but not overgrown or heavy; and an air and step that seemed to say “look at me, am I not pretty?” (W. G. Palgrave, 1867-68).

Lady Ann Blunt and her husband reached the town of Hail in the north of the Peninsula as travellers and from the experience of this visit, she drew in detail a most impressive painting, showing a typical Arabian mare from this region with a very nice attractive Arabian head. She eventually obtained this mare and named her “Sherifa”.

It was only Abbas Pasha, who owned and bred Arabians, which he had brought from the Arabian Peninsula to Egypt in a greater number. So became his stables at that time the only important and very famous source of the “pure-bred Egyptian Arabians” as they are named today. His amazing collection in and around Cairo and his breeding efforts made it possible, that such fine horses could be obtained by European breeders and found their way into the stable of the King of Württemberg, of King Victor Emanuele II in Italy and into the Stud of Saint-Cloud, founded by King Louis Philippe II of France.

NK Nadirah (Adnan x Nashua)

It was the artists and painters Victor Adam, Emil Volkers, von Mayr and Carl Vernet, all familiar with these two famous royal Studs mentioned above, who have shown the posterity, how these Arabians looked like, either in Egypt (von Mayr) or when they have reached their new homes in Europe (Volkers / V. Adam). To portray famous Arabian horses was a fine luxury in Europe at that time and a valuable documentation about Arabians in history. A great number of these fantastic paintings are now in the hand of some dedicated collectors. Around 1914 the Egyptian RAS (Royal Agricultural Society), later on followed by the EAO, collected the remains of the Abbas Pasha horses and also the ones of his followers with the intention to preserve them as a valuable heritage, a type of an Arabian horse with remarkable features and different from all other Arabian horse populations. “El Zahraa Stud” in Cairo finally became their home. All my further search ended in this Egyptian Stud and it remained a pleasant time to find out which were the best mares and stallions within this exceptional population particular about the mares, which were the parentage of my first three chosen fillies. In addition, a very particular breeding concept for this acquired Arabians should be designed, which will be inspired and orientated on what could be learned from the history of this breed.

1. Such a horse population of Arabians could develop only in a relatively well isolated territory, also with a limited number of horses.

2. As for today, one would replace such a former situation by deciding to breed these Arabians as a “closed population” and a limited number of families.

In its history this breed lived in a very poor environment, their country was not able to nourish a great number of livestock. In times of peace and war, in the south the camel was always the biggest group followed by sheep and goats and finally the horses, only in a low number. Besides the poor living conditions, one could look also concerning limitation into the following circumstances: concerning the fact that on one hand the total horse population of the Bedouin breeders in the Peninsula was relatively small, and that on the other hand so many strains and sub-strains of horses existed, which stood for a certain population and which breeders claimed to own, one could conclude that each of these populations must have been composed of a very limited number of horses. Whatever, it needs this limited number, staying as a one-horse population together, that the rate of homozygosis in the south population could eventually increase and many horses of similar type would appear. Consequently, for now, one has to decide to start such a programme also with only a limited number of horses as a rootstock of the Stud.

In the past the nature was the strongest selection power on the horses following the principle of “the survival of the fittest”, clearing up at the same time the population from weaknesses of all kinds then followed during the long course of time, the men who were the second ones to pick up all recessive undesirable characteristics, which had shown up.

Today the men are the first and the only ones, who decide what to keep and what to select according to their best knowledge about breeding and horsemanship. But they should keep in mind that the Arabian horse is a heritage from another culture and must not lose its exotic flair.

The Katharinenhof breeding programme is consequently built on these three principles:

A closed population.

A limited number of females. Three or four mare families and one sire line, about 25 – 30 horses in total.

To save the Arabian as a heritage and not to change it into another type of horse. In combining these three requirements in one programme, a great chance is given to create a very typical Arabian with a fascinating historical background.

The noble mareS

NK Katharinenhof’ s Arabian broodmares are of a very particular and unique quality. Each one of them is a member of a carefully elaborated long-term breeding concept, which is worldwide the only one in its very special selection method, its application, and its newly developed monitoring procedures. Therefore, no other mares are existing worldwide which are comparable to them. This concept is built on the following detailed facts:

On a closed population, which has been under a severe selection pressure for 40 years. In total it is composed of about 25 breeding horses. They are ordered into 4 different mare families. Each of these mare families has certain characteristics which make them different from each other. These characteristics are positive ones, each one is adding value to the whole population. These mares are bred to stallions, which belong to one and the same stallion line, the one of Nazeer. He and his

Salaa El Dine (Ansata Halim Shah x Hanan) Nabhan (NK Nadeer x NK Nerham)

famous sons have created the high reputation of the Egyptian Arabians since 1960. All of them, mares and stallions trace back to the El Zahraa Arabian Horse Stud in Egypt. The beginning of the stud goes back to the 60's when 7 carefully selected yearling fillies were imported from Egypt. They were chosen from such families, which had proven to be very important and essential for the success of the El Zahraa Stud in the past. When these fillies were grown up and became brood mares, each one of them had to bring 3 – 4 foals which were used for evaluation of their breeding value (progeny testing). This method of testing is imperative in such a program. Only three of these fillies fulfilled all the necessary requirements and became root mares of the Katharinenhof Stud. The fourth required root mare was added later.

On the paternal side, only one stallion from Egypt, Alaa El Dine by Nazeer as the sire of the three imported fillies and in Europe, two sires Ibn Galal and Mohafez were involved in this program. After these three fillies were finally chosen as root mares, the stallions Madkour I, Ghazal and Ansata Halim Shah from the US were used for breeding. Only these ones became part of Katharinenhof’s breeding program, and not any stallions of other existing Egyptian sire lines.

To be able to make such decisions, a testing period of 15 years has passed to collect enough results in Germany besides the others already taken in the El Zahraa Stud before choosing the fillies. It was very essential that all the unwanted characteristics and features had to be detected and if possible, removed during this time, either for constitutional or health reasons. Since then, only stallions and mares bred by Katharinenhof itself have been introduced into the breeding stock.

The above scheme shows the parental relations between some of the important NK Arabians within the breeding concept, based on DNA analysis.

In cooperation with the University of Göttingen and later with the University of Florida under the guidance of Prof. Samantha Brooks, the development of the herd was studied in detail mainly by investigating the speed of increasing homozygosis over a period of 20 years and establishing its status in that year of testing. At the same time the studies focused on the genetic imprint of each Arabian in the Stud, showing the influence of the ancestors (parental relations) on each horse, and allowing to determine the prevailing ones. Further studies on similar topics are in preparation. It is felt that by applying such a narrow breeding concept, such knowledge as a kind of monitoring is very essential and necessary.

The decision for a closed population was triggered by the fact, that a certain type of breeding and even inbreeding was applied in history on many occasions by the Bedouin breeders and that the horse population in the Peninsula was small and limited. Several Bedouin tribes were known as famous horse breeders and they were very keen on their own breed, guarded it with great jealousy and kept it away from other breeding stock.

It is an interesting fact, when looking to a single Bedouin family or a tribe, which such a family belongs to, that they all lived also in a closed society and were used to such a narrow family system.

Finally, under these conditions in the Middle East, in the Peninsula, in the South the Arabian breed emerged. It is a great challenge to choose such historical data in a breeding concept. An Arabian horse corresponding to such a concept can be characterized by these five following features: a very light constitution, an overall dryness, a triangular noble head, a high tail carriage and a firm mental and docile disposition. The selection procedure for these features should be also strictly controlled following today’s scientific knowledge. By time and after several generations, a population with a high increased homozygosis is bound to show up and consequently similar offspring of a well proven quality will appear.

The respective mare families at Katharinenhof have until now produced four to six generations under this closed concept. From each generation, those mares were selected for further testing which corresponded to the required overall quality. The measurement of such quality is not one and the same standard, it considers as well the type, which characterizes each of the four families.

The prevailing mating in this herd follows the principle of breeding "equal to equal". Since four families are involved, inbreeding as generally specified is not applied. In addition, attention is paid to the fact that certain differences in type and conformation remain; such a variation is required to give room in order that new and interesting characteristics and features could show up in the future. All the above principles apply for the mare- and stallion candidates.

This breeding concept could be carried out until today without any mayor setbacks. Even the contrary is true, a high percentage of good typical foals were born in each season; certainly, a result because the choice of the four foundation mares originating from the Egyptian El Zahraa Stud was carried out with great care.

A few years before a good friend of mine made a list of all foals which were born in Katharinenhof since the beginning. The figure came to a total of 450 foals, 221 females and 229 males. Considering some later mortality about 200 registered females carry the blood of these four families, which originally came from Egypt. Only 70 of them were in the course of time a part of Katharinenhof’s concept and they will be bred further on in this well-considered and controlled concept as a closed population. The remaining ones of about 130 fillies went into the hands of other breeders. Some remained in Germany; the majority made their career in major studs in the Middle East. Looking at the stallion side, a dramatically high selection rate was applied. Only twelve stallions out of all the born ones within 50 years, showed the quality and the features, as the commonly wanted ones and those particularly required by Katharinenhof. Ten further stallions of about equal quality, as Safir in Qatar, NK Qaswarah in Kuwait or Mubarak in Iran, were sold to other studs. The remaining ones became pleasure or riding horses, and it is interesting to note that their new owners found out very quickly that they had acquired Arabians with an outstanding gentle behavior, a perfect proof that the selection for a good disposition has positively worked.

This comparatively small breeding population, in comparison to so many bigger ones, is now bringing the Stud into the direction to work with a more and more equal population and to become a source of very fine Arabians with a high degree of homozygosis. This is expressed by the fact that these horses have preserved their light and elegant type of their ancestors, which were grown for generations in another culture, in another environment, in the south of Saudi Arabia.

These four families, each composed of three to six mares as an average in former years, have been constantly improved by always adding the better ones of a new generation, replacing the older ones as they passed away. In addition, each family could maintain, during all these years, its own particularities although the relative mares and stallions have been closely bred together and were crossed with each other. This indicates that a lot of room is left to create and to bring forward again and again for a long time, elegant Arabians. This process will continue, paying high attention that only healthy Arabians and those of the finest type are prevailing in such a limited closed population.

All what was experienced and learned during those years of searching, studying and later, when operating the stud, has shown the vital importance of the brood mares concerning their quality, however, also the variation between the different four families has proven to be a vital factor.

It is common that a breeder chose the best suitable stallion for his mares to improve his breeding, wherever he can find him and by applying today’s breeding techniques (artificial insemination) without any geographical limits. Katharinenhof’s choice of stallion, however, depends to a much higher degree on its brood mares, the most logic procedure when one considers the following: Due to Katharinenhof’s already long-lasting closed concept, a stallion from any other source is a stranger. The rule of breeding “equal to equal” has created such traits and features, which are already strongly fixed in the whole breeding herd. An outside stallion, however, originates from a totally different parentage. Only progeny testing and a serious comprehensive health examination would give proper evidence about his possible qualification, and above all, it makes only sense to use such an outsider, when he is able to bring elements into the population, which might still be missing and are additionally required. Such a situation is, under the given circumstances, neither prevailing, nor realistic considering Katharinenhof’s stallion quality in the past.

This fact explains immediately why it is preferable that Katharinenhof breeds its own stallions. The variation between the families gives enough room that further improvements are feasible. In addition, in Katharinenhof’s population are all positive traits available, distributed between four families, which makes an Arabian a beautiful and docile horse. It is knowledge and a bit of luck to choose those stallions born by an appropriate mare, which can increase the value of the population. Salaa El Dine, NK Hafid Jamil and NK Nabhan are eloquent examples as stallions of such quality. In Bedouin times, these people must have collected during hundreds of years of breeding, a lot of experience. Their daily life gave them more than enough time to observe and to share opinions between them, possibly again and again the same subjects. They must have noticed the immense importance and value of their mares in the breeding process. It is therefore not an expression of great simplicity, it must be much more than that, namely that the genealogy of their Arabians is only based on the mare’s side. Stallions were nowhere recorded neither in oral traditions or in any written records and when they were mentioned, only as sons of a certain mother’s strain. In fact, all this makes sense when a breed lives in a certain isolation as it happened in the Arabian Peninsula.

When the RAS collected its root mares for the Stud around 1920, they chose 14 mares, but only 8 of them succeeded to create their own family and became a solid part of El Zahraa’s long-time population. To breed these Arabians as a “heritage” was the official purpose.

Until 1930, for 15 years, the brood mare band was increased to 35 mares and grew later under very knowledgeable care up to 70 mares. This was around the year 1960. It was a closed and limited population until this time. El Zahraa’s most famous mares and stallions were born during this period.

Then, and already several years before, in a second period, other stallions were introduced, and the number of mares was in a short time drastically increased. The population grew to more than 100 mares and doubled later to over 200. El Zahraa’s Arabians began to look different compared with the ones of earlier times. That this would happen, should have been expected. In other words, with the opening for other stallions and giving up a well-considered limitation, the population lost its moderate homogeneous status and finally became a heterogeneous one. This makes it now not easy to breed a sufficient percentage of Arabians with a particular distinguished look. However, most of the scientists think different. They go for heterozygosis; it guarantees the existence of a breed. Katharinenhof’s Arabians connect directly to El Zahraa’s breeding activities during its first period. This concerns the chosen breeding stock as well as explained in this study and it also applies to the concept: to form a closed and limited population and to continue with such concept from then on. Consequently, the NK Arabian breeding herd remained in this respect a “heritage”, an adequate preservation of this amazing Arabian breed as it had emerged in the Arabian Peninsula, bred by the Bedouin tribes, and enjoying the reputation to be the most noble horse breed amongst all the others world-wide.

LITERATURE

Blunt, Lady Anne, A pilgrimage to the Nejd, London 1851

Palgrave, W. Gifford, Reise in Arabien, Dyk, Leipzig 1867

The Abbas Pasha Manuscript, 1800 - 1880

Ansata Publications Mena Arkansas 1993

Löffler, Eduard, Die Österreichische PferdeeinkaufsKommission, Schreibers Buchhandlung 1860, Reprint Olms Presse Hildesheim 1978

Chevaux et cavaliers arabes, Institut du Monde Arab, Edition Gallimard Paris 2002

Zaher, Dr. Ameen, Arabian Horse Breeding and the Arabians of America, Cairo, University Press 1964

The Egyptian Agricultural Organisation (EAO)

The Arabian Stud Book Vol. II, Cairo 1966

The Egyptian Agricultural Organisation (EAO) formerly Royal Agricultural Society (RAS) Arab Horse Breeding Administration

El Zahra Arab Horse Stud

EAO S. B. Vol. I - Second edition Cairo 1983

H. J. Nagel, The Arabian Horse, Natures Creation and the Art of Breeding, Italy 2013

NK Arabians

Nagels Katharinenhof

Am Gräberfeld 15

26197 Grossenkneten , Germany

Tel. home: 00 49 44 33/13 56

Tel. office: 00 49 44 33/15 35

E-Mail: office@nagels-arabianstud.de

femAle ChOice the lOSt key to SucceSSful breeding abOut the effect Of glObalizatiOn on the life Of StalliOnS and mares

u by Monika Savier u

Good mares have always been the basis of successful breeding, but is it possible that today we take the role of the stallions too seriously?

In our horses’ lives today, reproductive technologies tell us which way to go. Oddly enough, horse breeding is not necessarily more successful today, as progress

does have some disadvantageous side effects; and there have not been more “horses of the century” born in recent years either, no matter how much science and research went into breeding, and no matter how broad the range of modern technologies for the improvement of breeding has become.

The industry around horses, at least, has been flourishing around the globe.

What falls by the wayside, to name one important thing, is the natural contact between stallions and mares, their communication, and their libido. For today, there are hardly any sires who need to compete for being allowed to cover a mare, and

Arabian Broodmares of the Royal Stud Weil. Oil painting Friedrichshafen Castel

there are hardly any mares who come to personally know the stallion who gets them in foal.

How do the stallions and mares react to that? After all, what we take away from them with our artificial interventions in their reproduction is the most important aspect: The passion, and the joy in sexual communication. They cannot even “fall in love” anymore. Somebody laughing at that?

Of course, even horses will sometimes fall in love. Who never encountered that in practical breeding, mares sometimes not displaying heat with certain stallions even though the vet measured them with a 40 mm follicle? Or on the other hand, stallions preferring to whinny after that elderly fat warmblood lady instead of concentrating on the young champion mare right in front of their noses?

Meanwhile we encounter lots of problems with unnatural reproduction. There is lowered fertility in stallions and mares; declining motivation in some mares, and different ways to refuse maternity. In veterinary medicine, only rarely will somebody reflect on the background behind these problems, as there is always the next and most modern intervention at hand, such as giving artificial hormones.

All of this makes breeding ever more expensive and risky because of the side effects these therapies have. Anybody who has been breeding

for many years can see the changes very clearly. For some part, they are due to the formal health legislation regarding the prevention of infectious diseases in the context of shipping semen around - a price one has to pay for globalizing reproduction. Quite a lot of the change for our horses is in the field of behavioral psychology,

with today’s reality in the studs reflecting that it’s not just breeders suffering from skyrocketing costs, but also stallions and mares enormously restructuring and adapting their lives.

Just as a reminder: basically, what it is all about has always been just one thing, at least as far as the stallions

“In Polish breeding, the dam lines have an overwhelming importance” (H.J. Nagel)

France: The brood mares at the state stud of Pompadour

are concerned: Display yourself, court the mare, convince her - in order to finally cover her. And contrary to reputation, that is also what makes a stallion charming and peaceful: He who is nice will be allowed to mate. He will basically try to get along well with everybody - after all, you never know when a chance will open.

In biology, based on scientific evidence, there is a corresponding term which is “Female Choice”. This concept sums up a mating system in which the most important characteristic is the fact that the male needs to work hard for the mating. He needs to perform: He can sing a particularly nice song, display

the most catching colors, perform dances, or bring presents. For every species, the male displays a specific courtship behavior for keeping competitors at bay and for impressing the female and convincing her that he is “the only one”. Stallions will display their charisma and present their athletic bodies, accompanying

An experienced stallion is cautious, always approaching the mare first on the head and flirting until he finally nibbles on the hindquarters, but with great care and patience

Menghini

Menghini

Munir (NK Mudeer x Sulifah), the bay-brown young stallion is lucky enough to be able to walk in the pasture with the mares of his stud. When one is in heat, she is successfully mated. Small studs in Europe, such as SD-Arabians of Regina Schweikert in southern Germany still occasionally practice this original way of keeping horses.

the presentation with lots of clamor to make the mare hear and answer them. So, they need to advertise themselves in order to be able to have sex, as in nature, it is the females who chose, by imposing requirements and setting the conditions. The competition for the male is the other males, those who need to be fended off.

Female Choice implies that the reproductive strategies of the two sexes are completely different. Put simply: “The males bet on quantity, trying to mate with as many females as possible. The females, by contrast, bet on quality, only mating with one

…for the females, reproduction is much more complex, time-consuming, and long-term…

The stallion circles his mares every day in nature, smells their dung and urine on the pastures, stretches his neck towards the sky, contorts his whole face as if he wanted to laugh... So he knows exactly when it is possible to approach the mare without danger. Today the ultrasound scanner of the veterinarian takes over this job

Menghini

Savier

male -- the best one. That’s because for the females, reproduction is much more complex, time-consuming, and long-term. So the male needs to make lots of contact, while the female needs to do lots of fending off. One of the most important elements in that is that the majority of the males will not find a female partner, or very rarely so.” (1)

It took a long time for horse breeding to reach today’s state, which is extensive de-naturalization of the reproduction process. Before the globalization of semen in the Arabian horse industry, almost every European country had their own distinctive type of Arabian horse, formed by selection via the natural environment, climate, or food, or also formed by more specific selection criteria of their respective region or country.

As a result, we had Egyptian, Spanish, Russian, Polish, or Weil-

Marbach Arabians, to name a few. The state studs would coordinate for stallion selection, specifying the criteria to be used. Functionality was more important with the stallions than breed type, as ideally, the horses were also meant to be ridden and otherwise used. The breeze of the legendary cavalries of old still blew through the barn aisles and the training centers of riders and breeders. Private studs were able to use the stallion stations, freeing them from the responsibilities of getting a stallion of their own.

Today however, almost a hundred years after riding horses have vanished from public spaces as a means of transport, a lot has changed. State studs were closed or were, with a few exceptions, assigned a kind of museum function.

Small private breeding operations came into existence. Riding became a hobby devoid of the necessity to get

somewhere. Advanced reproductive technologies were developed and took hold even for the private market of small breeders which now featured stallions just as much as the mares that had been the foundation of rural breeding for so long. Stallions and geldings had been for riding during that time, while most of the mares had been for reproduction, their task to guarantee the next generation on the farm.

Today, Arabian horse breeding is highly specialized due to a completely different kind of different selection - depending on what exactly is the breeding goal for the reproductive efforts. There are Arabians bred for speed on the racetrack, bred for performance in endurance sports, bred for showing and beauty - with just one single branch of worldwide breeding remaining that concentrates on horses from just one historical geographic background: these are

Menghini

Savier

the Straight Egyptians, their origin being the Desert Bred.

While on the racetrack and in endurance sports, selection for breeding purposes is mainly based on the racing performance of mares and stallions, selection among the Straight Egyptians and the show horses is left to their particular markets and to buyers’ demand.

Heavily dominating the media coverage for that is the body language, often spectacular, of the stallions during shows and stud presentations. It is these on-line pictures of our horses, particularly of the show stallions, that served to catapult the analogous world of horse breeding from its former reality into the digital world of business.

For some of the horse owners involved, horses tend to be fabulous creatures turned real, projections of their own selves dreamed into reality

– as indicated by the fact that the most beautiful Arabians in the world are usually just owned and admired, but not used in any way. Stallions represent the other Self, the hidden personality, the esthetical part or the athletical one, or the gentle or the wild one … So the stallion is the projection of his owner’s unfulfilled ideals, and with that comes the need for control, which has resulted in humans’ almost complete mastership over the reproduction of horses.

Globalizing frozen semen, by way of Instagram, Facebook, or show streaming services, makes stallions famous the world over and, occasionally, their owners rich. Simultaneously, stallions that are not present in this world of media are losing their value. Breeders used to buy good colts by the well-known champions in order to go on breeding with them. As frozen semen of the champions themselves is now for

sale all over the world and breeders can use that for breeding, most of them lost their interest in good colts to continue breeding in generations.

The market for them has collapsed, and in countries without a tradition of using geldings in sports and for leisure time riding, breeding has generally become a financial risk: what to do with all those colts?

Only a very few of the very best of them stand a chance, as on the Arabian show catwalks, we see beauty in perfection, quite often closely bordering on unacceptability, as the horses’ functionality is regarded secondary to beauty. And it’s these winner types who divide the market of good mares among them, as their breeding fees are too high for making experiments possible. So again, it’s the mares and the fillies who are there to save the situation. They are the financial basis of the studs today. At the same time,

Menghini

Menghini

the role of the mares has shifted into the background, disregarding them, even though it is they who play the key role in reproduction.

As artificial insemination using the genes of the champion stallions is widespread and normal, the gene pool for horse breeding today has narrowed down considerably. In a modern pedigree, we often find a high degree of inbreeding,

however that’s far too rarely backed by a strategically sound breeding concept.

The sires will usually be from the show world, and the dams from wherever. Even though the mare makes a greater contribution towards the foal’s quality than does the sire, she will usually be considered second when planning for the future. She is already there, right there in

her box stall, and she needs to be covered.

However, it’s not only that she contributes her half of the genetics, just as does the sire, but she also shapes and influences her foal by epi-genetic factors during pregnancy and after birth. As every experienced breeder knows, a timid dam will produce timid foals, while on the other hand, a dominant lead mare will transfer just this kind of character to her foals, to be passed on to the next generations and to make, for example, the very best conditions for a future racehorse.

Racetrack trainers keep their eyes open for horses whose character makes them want to be “rather dead than second”, as these are the ones who will not allow others to overtake them and who will always fight their way to the front, even when the situation is far from easy. Even Darwin wrote in his time that “the winner will mate”, and that winner did not only have to be strong but also intelligent so as to be able to tackle the evolutionary challenges. Darwin called this principle “sexual selection”. (2)

If a mare is meant to produce a good stallion, she needs to occupy a dominant role in the herd and have intelligence, pride, and composure, so as to educate her offspring into a self-confident colt. A normal foal, grown up with a mother whose goal is to fit in, will probably not feel inclined to try and win the position of a lead mare or a sire.

If the mare is not yet in heat, or the heat is over, she will refuse the stallion and he will accept it calmly

Savier

Savier

Although some behavioral scientists still assume that the stallion is the leading member of the mare band, observations with feral horses have shown time and again that at the onset of the mares’ heat season, the stallion will have to fight for his admittance into the herd as well as for his leading role – until the lead mare accepts him. Only then you might say that he is the boss as far as reproduction is concerned, while the lead mare keeps attending to the important decisions of herd life in general. Among these are the vitally important search for food, as well as the early-warning system that mares with foals have: alerting about a predator seen on the horizon. When stallions escape from their paddocks, they won’t run away – you will just find them in the mare barn. When the mare band escapes, it’s easily possible they will start to wander around looking for better pasture – a valiant goal in their minds if their own pasture does not yield good fodder anymore.

There is a delicate balance, so to speak, between the behavioral roles of the sexes; and even if the stallion will finally, after lots of fuss and long courtship, be allowed to mate with the mares, he had to contest for every single one of them. And he had to be careful and resourceful while he was at it, for every mare is different and for the act of mating proper, the stallion needs to be able to recognize if the mare is actually hormonally ready to let him mount without kicking him. A mare’s kick might injure him gravely, as during

Female Choice at Al-Andalus Arabian stud near Aleppo in Syria.

You say that you breed your horses exclusively in the tradition of Bedouin breeding.

Since when have you been breeding Arabian horses?

mounting, his reproductive organs are wide open and unprotected from the mare’s hindlegs. This “biological weakness” forces the stallion to court the mare using intelligence and charm, to woo her, to convince her, so as to finally reach success. This experience will form and stamp his social behavior and become part of his behavioral resources and codes.

Today, a stallion no longer needs to be charming to be allowed to mate, and a mare has no power of decision making towards the stallions. Female Choice in today’s horse breeding is no longer. The breeder decides, and the vet does his job, inseminating the mare without asking her please. Actually, today’s stallions are more often difficult, even dangerous, as

At El Zahraa State Stud in Cairo, the large spacious stables and paddocks for large groups of mares with their foals are famous. The natural herd management in the middle of the city of Cairo deserves all respect and has been for many decades the model of mare management for breeders from all over the world

Savier

Savier

Savier

they don’t know about natural limits anymore, lacking the education the mares used to give them, and lacking the insight that they need to adapt to certain conditions.

The principle of Female Choice had, up to now, defined their everyday lives. Stallions had to invest almost all of their energies into finding and convincing a female partner, and there had hardly been enough time left to find enough to eat. Today, the stallions are stabled in their box stalls, standing around and needing to compensate, eating too much, with many of them suffering and some of them dying from laminitis. Instead of being able to take action, promoting themselves, all they do is wait for the vet with the artificial vagina. No self-display, no competitors, just delivering the semen. The stallion may be famous in the social media, ok, however he never gets something to laugh about. There are no more mares waiting for him.

The mares, in their turn, also suffered from a loss of power and image within the herd. Some of them display low libido and won’t stay pregnant after artificial insemination. Some will miscarriage, or if a foal is born anyway, a few won’t give milk or simply refuse to rear their offspring.

Today, after millions of years of horses’ natural reproduction system in action, this same system has mutated into an insolvable conflict with profit-oriented reproduction technologies. After all, sexual selection by choosy females is at

of evolutionary adaptations; it’s the adjusting screw that serves to decide about success, health, and survival of individuals as well as species.

However, all across the globe there are occasional breeders to be found, breeders for whom the stallions are just as close to their hearts, as parts of their herds, as are the mares. There are profits to be made with these stallions only if you are very lucky, there is hardly one among them who recovers his cost by covering outside mares. Instead, these stallions are

ridden and they are athletically active. With his great attachment to humans, such a stallion will thank his people for his freedom of being allowed to be a stallion, and sometimes, you can even hear him laugh, across the pasture fences, with his mares. u

Bibliography

(1) Stoverock, Meike, “Female Choice”, Stuttgart, 2021

(2) Darwin, Charles, “The Origin of Species, by Means of Natural Selection” London, 1859

Jonientz

Jonientz

Based on the example of the breeding history at Katharinenhof Stud, Dr Nagel explains about the secrets of his success with his long-time experiment. A lot of world-famous stallions such as Salaa El Dine, Adnan, Asfour, Safir, NK HafidJamil,and NK Nadeer were born there. Some others, such as Madkour I, Mohafez, and Ansata Halim Shah only came to fame after they had been used as sires with a group of carefully selected mares whose offspring, in their turn, would then lay the foundations for the success of their respective sire lines all over the world. What were Dr Nagel’s criteria for selecting his stallions? Who were these dams in the background, and what influence did they have on the whole?

u by Dr. Hans J. Nagel - photos by Joanna Jonientz u

How to produce a good stallion? It’s a highly important question.

Most breeders of Arabian horses won’t think much about that topic. They are more interested in having mostly fillies anyway – obviously assuming that some when later, when that filly has grown, they are going to find a stallion that is well suited to this mare. The question is getting increasingly more important, however, as the number of good sires is getting ever smaller. Artificial insemination and the show scene are responsible for that, as only show champions will receive enough mares to cover - mostly done by artificial insemination - while other

stallions are hardly in demand. Our initial question, however, keeps being up to date, and is even crucial in the case of a bigger stud and particularly in the case of one that depends on home-bred stallions: mostly because they will want to breed horses of a type of their own, or with a certain performance capability in mind. The closer such a stud has come to its goals, the more difficult using external stallions will become, as they run the risk of introducing or re-introducing not only the traits they were looking and wishing for, but also unwanted characteristics, or even detrimental drawbacks that had been bred out already.

Successful experienced stud managers in the past were interesting partners for discussing this topic, such as Dr Rudolfski who headed the big Czech stud of Hostau and in whose hands as a director, for some time, the fate of the Vienna Spanish Riding School rested. Later he was one of the foundation members of the German Association for Arabian Horse Breeding (VZAP). Another important contributor when discussing this topic was Dr Krysztalowicz, who headed the Polish State Stud for 30 years, leading this stud to its top-of-theworld position. Basically, there was general agreement on the following points:

“tO breed Successful StalliOns, the breederS need tO Take the maRes mOre SeriOusly”

The first guideline: “Mate same with same”, or to put that more specifically: “Don’t breed small mares to very big stallions” but do, if necessary, “breed small stallions to big mares”.

The second guideline: There ought to be a certain degree of kinship between the horses to be mated. So they should have some common ancestors, they should “nick” with their bloodlines. For example, the sire of the stallion and the grandsire of the mare should be identical, or the grandsire of the stallion and the grandsire of the mare should be siblings, etc.

Both of these guidelines are easy to meet.

It’s no problem if the stallions are smallerthan the mares. I prefer the stallions to deliver type, not size. Those highly influential stallions for the last eighty years: Nazeer, and then Skowronek for the Polish lines, and Amurath for the Russian lines - all three of these influential sires did not reach 148 cm. That idea that a stallion needs to be a big guy to get something going, that s macho thinking and absolutely wrong. In breeding, the smaller and more refined stallions have always been those who were far more influential. The size of the foal is determined by the dam, not the sire..

Hans J. Nagel, 2009

NK Larissa (NK Hafid Jamil x NK Lateefa) with filly NK Leilah, sired by NK Nizam

A sire needs to have developed correctly and according to his age, and may additionally have a special, much desired trait in his outer appearance, such as a typical shape of the head, an elegant neckline, or particularly well conformed hind quarters.

To put that in technical terms: the stallion needs to have a good, correct phenotype. In Arabian breeding, there are many stallions today who won shows and embody that phenotype, with some of them even distinguishing themselves by some much desired trait. However, will stallions like these be good

transmitters at the same time, animals to be recommended as sires? Yes and no. „Yes“ if the stallion’s genotype is known as well, and „no“ if there is no data available. It’s logical and consistent to consider the genotype of the same importance as the phenotype, as the genes are what determines the prepotency of a stallion: his power of transmission or heredity. Experienced breeders are able to guess the genotype from a stallion’s pedigree. However, to correctly evaluate a sire, both sets of data need to be known, the phenotype as well as the genotype. The only way to really determine

the genotype is by progeny testing. An ancient saying from the bible, “Ye shall know them by their fruits”, expresses this time-proven wisdom. The genotype is expressed in the quality of the offspring.

A stallion ought to have produced at least 10 to 15 foals from different dams to make it sufficiently possible to assess his quality. In private breeding, many smaller stallion owners don’t have the opportunity to do this testing, as their stallions don’t receive enough mares for serving, or else it will take several years to produce a pool of

The next question, now, is: how to recognize the quality of the stallion?

The Polish broodmares at Janow Podlaski state stud are famous in the world

offspring big enough to provide reliable information on the stallion’s transmission qualities. During that time, it’s all up in the air, and the mare owners who decided to use such a stallion are those who bear the risk of whether progeny testing will prove successful.

That period of testing is different for big breeders or state studs. They are in a position to present their sire-to-be with a great number of mares within one year, or even more safely, within two breeding periods, and can get the desired information within the shortest time possible.

So the following has been substantiated:

A good sire needs to be exemplary in his outer appearance as well as in his transmitting potency. Without these data, achieving good breeding results is highly unlikely.

It’s not uncommon to find that certain stallions will produce very good female offspring while their male get is of inferior quality, or that they will produce good stallions as well as good mares. Both sexes will profit from carrying out reliable progeny testing.

During the 1980ies and 90ies in Germany, the Association for Arabian Horse Breeding (VZAP) was obliged to conduct stallion approval events on a yearly basis – as decreed by state authorities. However, this supplied a great amount of data with interesting contents. At my suggestion, out of my position as chairman at that time, a study was carried out to estimate the transmitting abilities of the successfully approved stallions. For a period of about 20 years of mandatory stallion approval, the results were as follows. Every year,

about a hundred stallions aged 3 to 4 were presented to an approval committee. About a third of them, so about 30 stallions, were officially approved/licensed, meaning they received an award that was based on their outward appearance and characteristics. The winner of the event received a gold ribbon, the second a silver ribbon as the reserve winner. What the study investigated was how many male offspring of approval event winners - produced during the lifespan of that winner or at least during the period when stallion approval was mandatory - were approved in their turn. The astonishing result: in all those years, there were just eight approved stallions who produced one or two stallions who were approved in turn. Just two more of the placed sires had some approved stallions among their progeny, four and five of them, respectively.

Bandola Bałałajka (Amurath Sahib x Iwonka) and her daughter Bandola by Witraz were cornerstones in Arabian breeding in Poland

This disappointing result is based upon the fact that in a stallion approval, it’s only the phenotype that can be assessed, while the genotype is not considered at all. By the way, another fact that’s not involved in stallion assessment is the quality of their dams, which would be of high value and significance. As a consequence of this study and the results of long years of stallion approval routines, the breeding association decided to introduce today’s system of „elite mares“ which assessed and awarded the outwardly apparent qualities of mares.

There is a special feature which is highly uncommon, and if it is found, it’s a real stroke of luck. This feature is for a mare to be able to consistently produce outstanding offspring, fillies as well as colts, from matings with different stallions. Unfortunately,

mares like this are not easily recognized in everyday breeding in small studs. In the big studs in the East, such as JanoszPodlaski in Poland and Tersk in Russia, these mares were placed first when assessments were carried out. In these vast studs, a few such mares became the cornerstones of whole breeding populations. In Tersk Stud in particular, they had a scale for mare quality which put special emphasis on this feature, elevating dams with these qualities to „stallion producer“ status.

In the U.S.A., the mare Bint Magidaa had a brilliant career as a stallion producer. She was born in the Egyptian stud El Zahraa and was a member of the Obayan strain. Later exported to the US, she achieved fame world-wide via her three sons. All three of these stallions were

Messaouda-M is the dam of well-known stallions such as Maydan-Madheen, Madheen El Shah and Mishaal HP.

Photo by Paufler

Bint Magidaa had a brilliant career as a stallion producer. Her world-famous three sons Ruminaja Ali, Ruminaja Bahjat and Alidaar, were all sired by Sheikh Al Badi

The famous Russian mare Tactica (Taki Pan x Krona) with her outstanding race and show records, was the dam of famous stallions such as Derby winner Topol and Pietuszok, both sired by Priboj

sired by the powerful Morafic son Sheikh El Badi. The most well-known among them was to be Ruminaja Ali, whose name is found in the pedigrees of many famous show horses even today. Second in fame was RuminajaBajat, who produced numerous offspring in the US and later in Argentina, in Zichy Thyssen stud. The third of her sons, Alidaar, was initially active in breeding in Europe and later made his home in Al Rayyan Stud in Qatar, were he was used extensively. His most successful offspring were the females. A lot more of these important foundation mares might be listed, not only among the straight Egyptian lines, but also in show lines as well as in performance breeding lines.

Already within the herd of foals 1968 in El-Zahraa the little bay Hanan appealed as the most brave and elegant one and she remained like this for all her life of 28 years. Her majestic look and her great role as a mother of 11 wonderful foals made her the queen of the stud

Hans J. Nagel

The famous broodmares at El Zahraa State Stud in Cairo

Hanan

As the final outcome of the above considerations, including the VZAP study on the results of long years of stallion approval events, VZAP officials are not the first ones to come to the following conclusion: In order to increase the probability of breeding good stallions – horses that are able to influence a breeding population on a long-term basis –the sire and dam of the stallion need to be as similar as possible. Sire and dam of a potential stallion need to nick to a certain degree, to have a certain part of their bloodlines in common. The potential stallion’s sire needs to have produced a sufficient number of foals for his transmitting potency to be assessed.

These prerequisites are easier to achieve, for sure, when there is a stud with a breeding population composed of a few families only, whose quality and traits are sufficiently well known from long years of breeding with them. In this case, the prerequisite of a bloodline nick - be it more close or more wideis easiest and most conveniently met.

It is also known that a top sire is able to influence breeding positively for three generations. After that, his influence is more or less completed; younger stallions have outcompeted him and taken over his role. If this is not the case, there was no progress in breeding! In all horse breeding operations, no matter

whether for sports horses, racing horses, or Arabian horse breeding, this is a well-known fact.

The great influence of the dams on the quality of the stallions can also be read from the following results achieved on Katharinenhof Stud.

Among the sires who successfully served on Katharinenhof Stud, there was a bay purchased in the USA, the young stallion Mohafez by Ibn Moniet El Nefous out of Ahroufa. The mares to be served by him were selected according to the breeding criteria mentioned before. As a result, Mohafez was the one who had four approved male offspring under his belt in the VZAP study – so he was found to be one of the best transmittors, a prepotent sire.

And then there was USA-born Ansata Halim Shah, a stallion who just blew the statistics. His performance was totally out of the ordinary. Licensed with a very pleasing phenotype, he was leased to Katharinenhof Stud for two years by Ansata Stud of Arkansas, USA. At that time, he was just three years old and had a famous sire and a dam of equal value. He did not yet have any offspring – nevertheless, Katharinenhof Stud choose this hitherto unknown stallion who, in the course of these two years, served 30 mares, with 19 fillies and 11 colts born. One of these sons became a sire for Babolna State Stud. Two

others were successfully approved as sires in Marbach State Stud, seven others received stallion awards during the VZAP stallion approvals in Kranichstein. Among these, there were Salaa el Dine, Maysoun, and El Thay Ibn Halim Shah. Just a single one of the eleven colts was not presented for approval. Never before and never afterwards did a stallion achieve this outstanding result. How was this kind of success even possible?

The answer: both of these successful stallions had only been presented selected mares, females chosen with the greatest care, with a quality similar to that of Ansata Halim Shah, and with more or less of the bloodline nick that is so desirable. His daughters were gorgeously beautiful and correctly built Arabian horses who were sought after worldwide later on. So 95% of the offspring produced during his stay in Germany were of top quality.

On his return into the USA, this success in Germany meant high demand for the stallion. Lots of mares were served by him, mares of all levels of quality. Later analysis showed that just 25% of the foals born succeeded in reaching the quality that had been achieved in Germany.

Later on, Ansata Halim Shah was sold to Qatar and served the mares

Research results confirm the practical experience from breeding for several generations

Several Ansata Halim Shah daughters out of Katharinenhof mares

Aisha (Ansata Halim Shah x Ghazala)

Ken Bint Bint Mahiba (Ansata Halim Shah x Kis Mahiba)

Malaka (Ansata Halim Shah x Kis Mahiba)

of Al Shaqab Stud. Unfortunately, he died in an accident only a short time later, only leaving 15 to 20 offspring on the Gulf – and among all of them, just one achieved world-wide fame: Al Adeed Al Shaqab out of Sundar Alisayyah. This one was a wonderful stallion and sire, a true son of Ansata Halim Shah. Of all the other offspring produced there, nothing special has been heard. Obviously, nobody paid attention to finding the right mares that would have been the most suitable ones for Ansata Halim Shah.

Bint Amal (Ansta Halim Shah x Ken Amal)

Everything said above clearly outlines how important and influential mares are when it comes to breeding horses. It’s an amazing fact that historically, the Bedouins cast their lot with the mares, basing their breeding strategy and recording on the dam lines. In Bedouin genealogy, the stallions were not even mentioned. Today we know that the influence of the dam on the progeny is 60% and more. A number to be kept in mind. u

Asfoura (Ansata Halim Hah x Ameera)

Amar (Ansata Halim Shah x Ameera)

Fa

photos by Alessio Azzali

Teymur B

“If you want to be successful, you have to stay true to your breeding concept”.

The STallionS of al QuSar arabianS in Germany

By Monika Savier

Al QusAr ArAbiAns is a stud of the classical horse breeding tradition. straight Egyptian purebred Arabians have been bred there for almost 30 years. some of the offspring have found a home in the largest stud farms in Europe and the Middle East and have had a positive influence on international breeding. Al Qusar stud is located not far from bremen, embedded in the green world of horse breeding in lower saxony, in the north-west of Germany.

Robert Schlereth with Majd al QuSaR

Volker Wettengl with MaSHaHaNa al QuSaR *2003 (Teymur B x Maida Bint Bint Mohssen)

Photos by Joanna Jonientz, Glenn Jacobs, Kubat

1980

ANSATA IBN

1958

ANSATA ROSETTA 1971

MADKOUR I 1971

HANAN 1967

IBN GALAL 1966

HANAN 1967

TUHOTMOS 1962

214 IBN GALAL I

HALIMA

ANSATA HALIM SHAH

IBN GALAL I

Teymur B

influence on international breeding. Al Qusar Stud is located not far from Bremen, embedded in the green world of horse breeding in Lower Saxony, in the north-west of Germany. The ancient German word “Gestüt” comes from “Stuten”, which means Mares, a stud is traditionally the place of horse breeding where the mares live. Good mares are the basis of a successful stud. The Bedouin tribes in the areas of origin of the Arabian horses loved their mares first and foremost. They saw in them the result of the successful breeding of their ancestors, which had to be preserved. They also knew that their mares were the cornerstone of their success in the future. But without excellent stallions, this proof could not be given.

“The mare is to maintain, and the stallion is to improve the breed” is an old breeder’s wisdom, but it only comes true if the foundation mares of a stud are of the best quality. To be able to maintain the quality of the mares over generations, the critical breeder must keep adding excellent stallions to his broodmare herd. In this respect, the same applies here as everywhere else in nature: everything relates to everything else.

munera al Qusar and naTifa al Qusar

fa nefilim (Fa Medu Neter x Nadirah El Shah) started another dS mare line in the stud through aK Nawal

Robert Schlereth and Volker Wettengl, the founders of Al Qusar Arabians, worked for many years as successful trainers and show handlers before they consciously turned their backs on this world and concentrated on horse breeding. They kept the selection of their foundation mares in the foreground.

With the mare KP Bint Mohssen (Mohssen x KP Mofida) and her noble daughter Maida Bint Bint Mohssen, they founded their Dahman Shahwan line at the stud in the 90s. Maida Bint Bint Mohssen pleased Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al Thani from Qatar so much that he brought her to his home, and she became one of the famous foundation mares of the Al Rayyan Stud in Qatar. Her line still plays an important role there today.

TEymur b, sEnior sirE AT Al QusAr ArAbiAns

The success of the stallion TEYMUR B started with Maida’s daughter Mashahana Al Qusar (Teymur B x Maida Bint Bint Mohssen), as she stayed at Al Qusar Stud and started her own mare family.

Robert Schlereth said at the time: “I had discovered Teymur B when he was 2 years old at the State Stud Babolna in Hungary and fell in love with him. He is a son of Assad, thus an Ansata

Halim Shah grandson and has not only continued producing many successful show horses and champions, he also consistently passes on his great character. His offspring, like himself,

are easy to ride, intelligent and willing to perform. He himself was champion stallion at the stallion licensing and has also had much success at shows in his younger years.”

Teymur B, a stallion from the Dahman Shahwan line, went back to the famous Tamria (Tuhotmos x Kamar), who had been imported from the Egyptian State Stud El Zahraa and established one of the most successful mare lines in the Hungarian State Stud.

Robert Schlereth: “Our best offspring comes from the Tamria line. Our stallion Teymur B keeps the first place. He fits very well with all the Babolna lines, but also in-breeding to Tamria has been a complete success so far. In our stud, the horses bred by us have at least once Tamria blood in their pedigree. This is also ensured by our foundation mares: Turefi B (full sister to Teymur B), Teymura B (half-sister to Teymur B by Alidaar), Tagia B (by 230 Ibn Galal), Tisrina B (Salaa el Dine by 211 Zohair) and the mare 223 Ibn Galal I. She was the dam of the World Champion mare Elf Layla Walayla and of World Champion Emiratus B. We bought her in Babolna when she was already 20 years old.”

In the 1990s and beyond, Al Qusar Arabians had great success in breeding thanks to Teymur B and the mares from Babolna. New foundation mares from the Ansata breed were added, such as Ansata Queen Nefr and the Ansata Ibn Halima granddaughters Bagdady and the black G Ashalima. Not only the Dahman Shahwan line of Tamria, also the Saklawi Jedran Ibn Sudan line became part of the breeding concept through the mares

Tarres rashik al Qusar (Teymur B x ansata Princessa)

Pamina al Qusar (Teymur B x ansata Princessa)

El Thay Bint Maheera and Naafisa. Both had their origin in the Ansata breeding and their 4th generation offspring can be seen at the stud today.

mAjd Al QusAr, junior sirE And TypE rEproducEr

Robert and Volker have been the handlers of the famous horses at Dr. Nagel’s Katharinenhof on many occasions over the years. Therefore, it was obvious that the leading sire at Katharinenhof at that time, NK Nadeer (NK Hafid Jamil x NK Nadirah) covered the beautiful Teymur B daughter Mashahana Al Qusar out of Maida Bint Bint Mohssen. Majd Al Qusar was born in 2015 and his type, his small ears, and the short head with the big black eyes, but also his beautiful trotting action delighted everyone, including his breeders.

auThenTic nadirah (Majd al Qusar x FA Nefilim)

nk lunaa (Majd al Qusar x NK lilly)

And so it happened that he remained at the stud and now one can see his very beautiful offspring with their inherited good characteristics.

Majd Al Qusar has an excellent character, just like his grandfather Teymur B. He is honest and gentle and loves to show off his good movement and charisma.

daniaa al Qusar (Majd al Qusar x Mawiaa al Qusar)

majd al Qusar

bAdr Al rAyyAn, ThE bEAuTiful ExoTic from QATAr

Badr Al Rayyan came to Al Qusar Stud 2 years ago. Volker Wettengl discovered him in Qatar and after many problems had to be solved, this beautiful stallion moved into his box at Al Qusar Stud. If one follows the breeding strategy of Al Rayyan farm, Badr undoubtedly belongs to the old lines of extremely selective quality breeding as initiated by Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al Thani until his retirement from the stud.

Recently it has been said that the future of Al Rayyan Farm lies in looking back to these lines. Through expertise and care their breeding will return to its former greatness.

Badr Al Rayyan was born in 2013 at Al Rayyan farm in Qatar, he belongs to the Obayan branch, tracing to Hanan. Badr is the perfect combination of the best of Judith Forbis’ and Hans Nagel’s Egyptian breeding.

Badr al rayyan

FARES AL RAYYAN 2005

Badr

DARINE AL RAYYAN 2002

ANSATA HEJAZI 1992

ANSATA HALIM SHAH 1980

ANSATA SUDARRA 1982

G SHAFARIA 1992

PRINCE FA MONIET 1981

ANSATA SHARIFA 1987

SAFIR 1991

ASHHAL AL RAYYAN 1996

ANSATA MAJESTA 1989

AISHA 1985

ANSATA HALIM SHAH 1980

GHAZALA 1973

Badr al rayyan

He has an excellent type and charisma with a very good body. His young offspring in the farm have clearly shown his noble roots. His dam, Darine Al Rayyan, is one of the finest root mares in the Al Rayyan stud. Her sire Ashhal Al Rayyan, the “powerhouse sire” is a son of Nagel’s stallion Safir (Salaa El Dine x Aisha), Darine’s dam is a daughter of Aisha from Nagel’s breeding out of the unique combination of Ansata Halim Shah and Ghazala (Ghazal x Hanan). Badr Al Rayyan’s sire is Fares Al Rayyan, who is one of the leading sires at Al Waab Stud today. His sire Ansata Hejazi was among the world’s best Ansata Halim Shah sons. Ansata Sharifa is a daughter of Ansata Samantha, Sharifa’s most famous daughter is G Shafaria, the dam of Fares Al Rayyan.

The three stallions TEymur b, mAjd Al QusAr and bAdr Al rAyyAn are a perfect match for both mare lines of Al Qusar Arabians. The pedigrees of all the horses there meet the breeding strategies of the three most important studs of straight Egyptians in the last century, namely Ansata Stud, Katharinenhof and Al Rayyan Stud.

Al Qusar belongs to the next generation of breeders and was able to successfully build on the gene pool of the “Big Three”. It looks like Al Qusar Stud has set the right course for the future with its clear breeding concept and horse-friendly stud. A visit to the stud opens the door to a new world of horse breeding for many visitors.

nayla al Qusar (Badr al Rayyan x Nadia al Qusar)

Bashir al Qusar (Badr al Rayyan x Miriya al Qusar)

The Royal Stables in Jordan

Looking back to the future with HRH Princess Alia Al Hussein and Peter Upton.

On the last day of the WAHO Conference in Jordan, the participants were able to visit the Royal Arabian Stud. The day before, the conference had listened to a fascinating lecture on the history of the stud, by the English painter and horse connoisseur Peter Upton. He told the story from the beginning going back to the Bedouin tribes and from there to the 21st century. The history of the horses being closely linked to the Hashemite tribe of Jordan, the direct descendants of the Prophet Mohamed.

The director is Princess Alia, the eldest daughter of the late King Hussein of Jordan. She who is known for her commitment to breeding and keeping horses in a species-appropriate manner.

In 1987, Princess Alia organised the first Arabian horse show in Jordan - an event that inspired other Arabian countries to also organise horse shows.

On this day too, the Princess, her staff and the WAHO team put on a wonderful horse show. Peter Upton commented on the presentation and with the Princess talked about the horses, their breeding, pedigree and the preservation of the hugely important Jordanian bloodlines. The subsequent visit to the royal stables was another highlight for all present.

Monika Savier

HRH Princess Alia Al Hussein and Mr. Peter Upton

The Royal Stables in Jordan

Presentation of the noble mares from the Royal Stables of Jordan

Photo: K. Scherling

War Horse to Show Horse History of Royal Horses of

Jordan

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,

In 1937 I was born with a twin who was seven minutes older than me, and and it was the Coronation year of King George VI, which takes us back a long way.

As you know the GSB (General Stud Book) and Weatherbys say that all Thoroughbreds are given the birthday of the first of January, so at least I share something important with our Thoroughbred. It was a life in the country and inevitably with horses, also the time of the Second World War - not the First, I’m not that old! - and petrol rationing and all sorts of things like that. So, we went everywhere by pony and cart and I had an uncle who played polo and, in those days, they played on Arabs.

Much later in life I met the amazing Lady Anne Lytton. She was the granddaughter of Wilfrid Scawen Blunt, and she lived at Newbuildings, in fact I was there only two weeks ago. And she persuaded me that Arabs were the finest horses in the world. She also got me to join the British Arab Horse Society and pushed me to become a member of the committee and then a judge and then, heaven forbid, President! So, it’s been ever since those Arab horses in many ways, along with my wife, have ruled my life. So that’s something about me, but my talk is addressed to Princess Alia and ladies and gentlemen.

I’ve called my talk ‘War Horse to Show Horse’ and you may see why later!

In 1987, (being old I’m always looking backwards), the very first Arab horse show to be held in the Middle East took place in Jordan.

Peter UPton studied art and art history, and after travelling for many years in the Middle East, he returned to England with his sketchbook to create fascinating watercolours and oil paintings. He is an international judge of Arabian horses and a recognised expert on their history and the Arabian desert culture. He has written several books on the subject. His most recent publication, co-authored with HRH Princess Alia Al Hussein, is entitled ‘Royal Heritage: the story of Jordan’s Arab Horses’ (available from medinapublishing.com). Peter Upton’s original paintings allow the participants of the international WAHO Conference in Jordan to also visually enjoy his interesting lecture.

PETER UPTON at the WAHO Conference in Jordan 2022

MoSa

It was named, “The Arab Horse at Home”. And home it is, for many of the horse-breeding tribes lived - and still live - in Jordan. To mention but a few: The Roala, one of the tribes of the Anazeh, is a powerful tribe, long renowned for its Arab horses. At least 183 known Arab horses, and probably as many unknown, were purchased between the 1830’s and 1930’s by such as Abbas Pasha I, Ali Pasha Sherif, Baron von Fechtig, Homer Davenport and the Blunts. Studs in Weil, Germany, Babolna, Hungary, Poland, Italy, Argentina, Spain and England were to visit the Roala in order to purchase Arab horses.

In 1854, Captain Nolan visited the Roala and Wuld Ali tribe, and purchased 72 horses, plus others from the towns, for the British Army for the Crimean War. Only a few of those horses

survived, as many didn’t survive the battle in those days, some were Arabs, they were the tough ones and many of the British Army Officers were proud to bring their horse back to England and many are actually buried in the parks at some of the Stately homes.

Of the horses that the Roala sold certain ones stand out. Both Sueyd, a fleabitten grey Seglawi stallion, and Ghazieh, a grey mare also of the Seglawieh strain, were selected for Abbas Pasha I. Rodania, this is one of the very few old photographs of the old chestnut mare, was bought by Crabbet and proved to be, through two daughters, a major influence at the stud. I can remember Lady Anne Blunt noted: “I think I understand why she’s sometimes a little bit aggressive because she has 13 spear wounds on her body”. Colonel Bruderman bought Aghil-

Farha - the last Seglawieh of the Roala tribe. w/c

Aga for Babolna from the Roala and many other mares and horses. Muson, a grey stallion, was one of many which Homer Davenport imported to America in 1906. The stallion, Tatar, was one of four Arabians who went to Argentina, all got from the Roala.

In 1977, my twin brother visited the Roala in order to purchase four camels for a long desert journey. At the Roala camp, he saw a superb grey mare, that’s my painting of her, named Farha, said to be the last of the Roala Seglawiehs. Incidentally at that time the Emir of the tribe was Aurans lbri Shalaan. Aurans being Laurence.

Another tribe, south of the Roala, is the Beni Sakhr who also provided many famous horses. Some, but not all, were of their breeding, others had been taken in Ghazus

or raids. An early export from the tribe was Dervish, a grey Kehilan, presented to the British King in 1773. Shagya, a grey of 1830 and of a Jilfan strain, went to Babolna where he established a breed named after him. A grey mare named Shakra IV was recorded as bred by Emir Beshir. When I questioned the Beni Sakhr about Emir Beshir, they explained to me that Shakra IV was indeed bred by ‘Emir Bashir’, but of the Druze. She had been taken in a raid along with two other horses including Faride, a bay Kehilet Ajuz and Emir Beszyr, a grey stallion. There are some who suggest, I’m not sure that I agree that Ibrahim, the sire of Skowronek, originally came from the Beni Sakhr.

In 1987, I was out in the desert where I saw a very fine fleabitten grey mare tethered. I

Jilfeh Stam el Bulad of the Beni Sakhr tribe. w/c

mentioned the mare to Princess Alia, for at that time I was assisting with the organization of the first “Arab Horse at Home”. We both thought that it would be good to find out who owned her and to see whether we could have her for the Show. It took more than a week to discover who the mare was and to whom she belonged. One evening l was sitting in a tent having coffee with Sheykh Faisal al Faiz, head of the Beni Sakhr, looking at many horses brought before us, including an excellent Thoroughbred stallion, who had been purchased at the Newmarket Bloodstock sales. At last, in came two Arab mares, a chestnut Kehilet al Wa’ieh, quite nice, and the fleabitten grey I had been seeking. The old mare was exceptionally good and of the Jilfeh Stam el Buled strain, like Shagya. I asked the

Sheykh why he kept these two old mares, and his reply to me was: “I keep them in the memory of my forefathers”.

Many other tribes are to be found in the deserts of Jordan: The Wuld Ali, the Howeitat, the Abu Tayah, Aduan, Da’aja and the Majali from Kerak.

In 1915, many of you will remember the Arab Revolt started, led by Sherif Hussein of Mecca. His sons, Emir Abdullah and Emir Feysul, led the Bedouin warriors northwards, driving back the Turkish army. With them was the legendary figure of “Lawrence of Arabia” who was instrumental in getting British support with weapons and finance for the Revolt. Incidentally Lawrence is still admired by many here for his part in the Revolt and today one can still meet Jordanian boys named “Aurans”. Eventually,

Al Hammama - a mare at the Royal Stud. oils

the Bedouin tribes led by Abdullah and Feysul, fighting all the way, reached Damascus, just before the British Army. With them the Arabs brought their camels and horses. Many years ago, I was fortunate to meet this man, Sheykh Jweibar, who had been the Emir’s Standard Bearer. When I met him, he was about 90 years old, quite a small dark man, immaculate in Arab robes. He spoke no English and did not read or write. Fortunately, I had with me a relative of Princess Alia’s to translate for me. Jweibar’s memory was truly amazing and he was able to tell me much about the Revolt and the horses that came with the Bedouin. He told me that when fourteen years old in 1915, he actually killed six Ottomans with his sword! He was also able to describe many

of the Arab horses and mares, for they used both in battle, he assured me. Jweibar could still remember the Keheileh mare, El Johara, who he was riding the day they besieged El Medina. Another he mentioned was Freiha, who, in the battle of Turba, carried two men to safety. Later, Freiha, was to become one of the original mares of The Royal Jordanian State Stud, which was founded by King Abdullah. It records in the Jordanian Stud Book Volume 1 that Freiha and Jamila were among the mares and horses which accompanied His Majesty King Abdullah north from the Hejaz. Five other mares were given to the King: two of which were gifts from the Sheykh of the Aduan tribe, Abd Al Majid, namely Faddah, a bay Managieh and Abaya of the Abaya Umm

Gazala - a grey mare of the Kehilet el Krush strain, only two generations from the foundation mare. oils

Ejeres strain. A third mare named Selwa, a chestnut of the Hamdanieh Simrieh strain came from Abu Jamoud of the Da’aja tribe. The last two mares that makes the seven foundation mares of the Royal Stud, both bred by Dlewan Pasha Al Majali Sheikh of the Al Majali, were Al Hamama of the Kubeysha strain, and Naseeb of the Umm Argub strain. So, we have the seven foundation mares. Freiha was to establish the strongest line at the stud, and Bahadur and Baharein are two stallions of this family. Both of those are good examples of that strain.

Jamila, the second one I have chosen her daughter Gazella, who was well into her 30’s when I knew her and she was of the Keheilah Krushe strain and all but one of her children

were grey with a very dark pigmentation, beautiful, my favourite family group. The third group was Nasseb and she is beautifully represented by this famous stallion, called Bahar, who was in fact the sire of Baharein and the mare Huseima’s family, such as Al Hamaama. Lovely head, lovely mare. Number four, Selwa’s family is probably best remembered by a stupendous mare called Almasa.

Then next of the Abayan line we have a mare who was called Chocolata who was by an imported Spanish stallion called Saameh. Her family included the daughter Lurbi II. Next, we come to Al Hamama not the Hamaama on Nasseb’s line. Her family includes important mares such as Reema, Sabha and a mare

Mehrez - the bloody-shouldered stallion.oils

called Petra, after a well-known place in the South.

Number 7 Faddah. Her great-grand-daughter was a mare called Aysha, now Aysha was of the Managhieh strain and I think it would be fair to say that Aysha was not the most beautiful mare in the world, but once you’ve seen that mare moving, you said to yourself, “She is a true Arab who covers the ground like a ballet dancer.” Her family also include another great stallion called Thamin.

The stud also had six foundation stallions, some of whom came north from Mecca with Emir Abdullah. Others were horses he had bred. These include, Al Abjar was a grey of unknown strain, and Kuybeshan was another desert-bred stallion. There were possibly two

Kehilans, and one came North from the Hejaz. But it could be that there was only one Kehilan. The last stallion listed as a foundation stallion was the desert bred Mehrez, the bloody shouldered Mehrez, he was a superb horse and he has a superb story about him which you can read in a book. He was born in 1956 bred by Daoud Pasha Al Daghestani, it was down at Baghdad where King Feysul’s grandson, who was the ruler at that time, and when the family was assassinated, that horse was saved by a groom and came to Jordan.

Later, King Abdullah added some new stallions, the first in 1940, a gift from Egypt. He was grey horse named El Fagr, but re named Selman. He was of the Dahman Shahwan strain, his sire Mansour and his dam Sabeh. He was very

Kerak Castle where the Majali tribe is situated. w/c

important to the stud and produced some very good daughters. Some eight years later two more stallions arrived, a gift from Spain, one named Jabao, the other Almozabor. Again, their names were changed, Jabao became Saameh, a bay of the Mokladie strain, the other became Ushaahe, a grey by Ifni of the Duke of Veragua fame.

So, the Royal Jordanian State Stud flourished for thirty years until 1951 when tragedy struck. King Abdullah was assassinated in the Great Mosque in Jerusalem. There was much to be done. Then, in 1952, Hussein, King Abdullah’s 16-year-old grandson became King. He faced a tremendous task, for there were far more pressing matters to be dealt with and the stud was not a priority.

Fortunately, a man named Said Taha, a vet, a wonderful man, with the help of others worked to save the stud and its precious horses. In 1962 King Hussein appointed Santiago Lopez to manage the Stud. During this difficult period, some horses were lost. They actually found Gazelle pulling a plough, being a special mare of the Krush strain they wanted her back and Santi had to pay £60 to get her back. Under sound management the stud was again safe: all seemed well. But then on the 5th June 1967 the Six Day War began. The Stud which was then situated at Shuna, down by the river Jordan, was in the path of the advancing troops. So, Santi, his wife Ursula, Said Taha and the grooms including Radi and Attar, realising that they and the horses were in great

Gazala, found pulling a plough. oils

danger had to get out, so riding the stallions, leading others and with the rest set loose, they got away just in time, climbing 3,000 feet up the mountains, and crossing deep wadis, they reached Amman after a 12-hour ordeal. The precious Arab horses were safe and new stud buildings and paddocks were built at Al-Hummar, north-west of Amman, where I believe we will go tomorrow.

One can’t talk about the Stud without a word or two about Santiago Lopez who was called, “The Master of the King’s Horse”. He organised the first Stud Book which was published and The Royal Jordanian Stud was accepted by WAHO. It was felt that there was little need to widen the Stud’s genetic pool, but ultimately in 1978 it was agreed to introduce two new stallions from England and Santi chose Akhbar and Magento. Akhbar in particular left many good offspring

before retiring to the Jordan Mounted Police. In 1980 Santi retired, only to return again in 1988. Princess Alia, known to us all as the “Princess of the Arab Horse” had from her earliest years been enamoured with horses. She spent much of her time at the Stud and was taught to ride by Ursula. Later, Princess Alia became Chair of the Stud’s Council and then took over as Director, after the death of Santiago Lopez and she still remains as director.

In Jordan the influence of the State Stud soon encouraged others to found studs of their own, many with great success. Over the following years, many other horses and mares have been imported, and others exported. Horse Shows have been introduced in other Arab countries and the International Middle East Championships still take place in Jordan.

Mehrez - Royal Jordanian Stud. w / c

Marathons and Endurance Rides are very popular particularly in Wadi Rum.

I remember at one endurance event some time ago that one rider was an old Bedouin on a flea-bitten grey mare, with no shoes and they were up on the hard rock. He was placed, if I remember correctly, third. After receiving his prize, he climbed back on the mare and rode off. I asked one of the judges having just done a 26-mile marathon where. he was off to and was told that he was riding back home and I thought well where was that and he said ‘oh it’s only about 2 hours away and he had ridden her there before the event began. So, I call that a true Bedouin on a true Bedouin horse. All state studs have the advantage of continuity, I think it is a worry in these days and so it is with the Royal Jordanian State Stud. It has always aimed to retain the lines of the original

foundation lines of the seven mares and the stallions but at the same time to improve the quality of the horses they breed.

Over the years I have visited Jordan, there are inevitably certain horses that hold a special place in my heart. I shall try not to mention them all. So, I would like to end with Mehrez, marvellous horse, a horse of the desert who I have always considered it an honour to have known. Yet for perfection, you can’t get better than the mare Almasa. So, to end I chose Hlayyil Ramadan, who became a World Champion bred by Princess Alia and who sums up my talk, for his dam Haboub is only five generations from Freiha, the original war mare who took part in the ‘Arab Revolt’.

“A War Horse to a Show Horse”.

Thank you.

Peter Upton

Attar riding - Baharein RJS. w / c

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Bint Radia

by Joseph Ferriss

Article published with the kind permission of ArAbiAn EssEncE

- Anyone who looks back into the ancestral history of today’s finest Egyptian Arabian horses, will soon discover that there are certain mares that become very influential and capture the imaginations of many. The magnificent Bint Radia is a part of that legacy, so this is a tribute to her -

Bint Radia, a beautiful grey mare born in the early years of the R.A.S. Forbis archive.

Mabrouk Manial - Sire of Bint Radia

In the early years of the Arabian horse breeding division at Egypt’s government stud, The Royal Agricultural Society, (RAS) Bint Radia was born in 1920 from two horses given to the RAS. Her sire, Mabrouk Manial was received from famed Prince Mohamed Ali’s Manial Stud. He was a grey horse considered to be of great leg quality and balanced proportions and he was a particularly good sire. His beautiful daughter Mahroussa was one of the most photographed in her time, while his son Jasir became an important sire for Marbach in Germany and his other son Kafifan was a sire in Poland but was lost in WWII. Mabrouk Manial’s daughter Bint Gamila RAS would become the grandmother of the stunningly beautiful Barakah, who founded an important line in South Africa. And Mabrouk Manial’s daughter Sabah founded one of the most globally influential Dahman female lines, represented by the likes of Bint Bint Sabah, Kamar and Bukra.

Radia - Dam of Bint Radia

Bint Radia’s dam was the very beautiful mare Radia, also known as Ghadia a name given to her by her breeder, the famous Lady Anne Blunt who with her husband Wilfrid established the renowned Crabbet Stud in England and the important Sheykh Obeyd Stud in Egypt. Radia descends from the original Saqlawiyah Jidraniyah mare Ghazieh born 1850 in the fabled stud of Abbas Pasha I ruler of Egypt. Radia was a daughter of the beloved Ali Pasha Sherif mare Ghazala who was born at Sheykh Obeyd in Egypt and left two daughters, Jemla and Radia before coming to America where she was much admired. Jemla would become the female line of Mr. Babson’s mare Bint Serra imported to the U.S., while Radia created a celebrated family in Egypt. By all accounts Radia was described for her great beauty and her few photos seem to bear that out. Carl Raswan described her as one of the premier Saqlawi Jidran of Ibn Sudan mares of her time. His photo of her lovely head shows her radiant beauty.

Mabrouk Manial, sire of Bint Radia, pictured at age 3 at Manial Palace.

From the Prince Mohammed Ali Scrapbook courtesy of Judith Forbis.

Radia, dam of Bint Radia and a vision of beauty. She was bred by Lady Anne Blunt at Sheykh Obeyd. Raswan photo from Forbis archive.

Legacy of Bint Radia

Thus in 1920 a great Egyptian mare was born of two exceptional parents. Bint Radia had 9 foals in her lifetime, 6 sons and 3 daughters. Bint Radia’s first foal was the filly Bint Bint Radia, sired by the Tahawi bred stallion Nasr [not the grey stallion Manial also known as Nasr in the U.S.]. The filly grew to breeding age and was bred to Nazeer’s sire Mansour at the R.A.S. Thereafter she was sold to Said Zulficar and nothing more became of her. [Her sire Nasr, was exported to the Tunisian government stud and became an important sire in French, Moroccan and Tunisian breeding.]

Bint Radia’s second foal was the beautiful stallion Radi

(x Ibn Samhan) who was raced for one season with some success, but he was not used for breeding by the R.A.S. It would be Bint Radia’s third foal that would become the first of several of her produce to make her a treasured name in Arabian breeding. That third foal is none other than the magnificent stallion Shahloul (x Ibn Rabdan). The R.A.S. knew they had something special and retained him for breeding. Though he sired only 20 registered get, the impact of his famed daughters, Kateefa, Maisa, Bukra, Om El Saad, and Moniet El Nefous, as well as his sons El Sareei and Mashhour, made Shahloul a global source of Bint Radia many times over.

Bint Radia’s granddaughter, the splendid Bukra pictured in old age. Judith Forbis photo.

Shahloul, Bint Radia’s son (x Ibn Rabdan) became head sire at the R.A.S. and a sire of superior broodmares such as Moniet El Nefous and Bukra. Forbis archive.

The Shahloul daughter Om El Saad is a part of the success of world-renowned Albadeia stud, being the dam of their foundation mare Saaida, as well as the granddam of their foundation sire Kayed (double Shahloul). Not to mention the fact that Om El Saad is also grandmother to the splendid U.S. National champion mare and supreme

matriarch, Serenity Sonbolah. When the incomparable queen of Egypt Moniet El Nefous, a Shahloul daughter, was bred to the handsome Shahloul son El Sareei, the result was the spectacular double Shahloul grandson Tuhotmos, a sire of world renown producing 428 foals in his time!

Bint Radia’s granddaughter, Maisa, dam of celebrated Bint Maisa El Saghira, and of the stallions Ibn Maisa, Ezz El Arab and Madkour. Judith Forbis photo.

Bint Radia’s granddaughter, the immortal Queen of Egypt, Moniet El Nefous. Judith Forbis photo.

Consider the facts that Mabrouka, dam of EAO sire Gassir, the legendary Morafic and Ansata Bint Mabrouka, is a Shahloul granddaughter; that Alaa El Din is a Shahloul grandson; that Ansata Bint Bukra and Bint Maisa El Saghira are Shahloul granddaughters, and you can see how quickly the influence of Bint Radia adds up. Bint Maisa El Saghira, being the granddam of world-renowned Ruminaja Ali, Alidaar, and Bint Magidaa, is now in many thousands

of Arabian pedigrees of fame all tracing to the beautiful Bint Radia.

The exquisite Moniet El Nefous daughter, Mouna, (a Shahloul granddaughter) was bred to the magnificent Shahloul grandson Alaa El Din 4 times producing the incomparable mares, Fayrooz, Moneera, Mahlaha, and Mahiba, all double Shahloul mares. And without the great Mahiba there could be no Imperial Madheen (with 9 lines to Shahloul!).

El Sareei, the handsome and charismatic Bint Radia grandson who when bred to Moniet El Nefous produced the legendary Tuhotmos.

Judith Forbis photo

Alaa El Din, a spectacular horse out of the Shahloul daughter Kateefa, and a fine sire of mares. Fernando Saenz photo.

Back in 1958 Richard Pritzlaff imported to the U.S. Bint Moniet El Nefous (1 line to Shahloul), Bint Nefisa (1 line to Shahloul), and Bint Dahma (2 lines to Shahloul) introducing the Shahloul blood early into American breeding. Also Serenity Egyptian Stud imported the great Shahloul granddaughter SF Bint Mamlouka of international renown. Another full sibling to Shahloul would emerge as one of the most beloved of all of Bint Radia’s produce. It was the

pearlescent stallion fit for a king named Hamdan (Ibn Rabdan x Bint Radia). He never seemed to take a bad picture and dignitaries from all over came to visit him in his prime when he became a chief sire for the Royal Inshass stud in Egypt. Hamdan sired more offspring than his brother Shahloul owing in part to his longevity living into very old age and the fact that he was heavily used at Inshass, and then became a foundation sire for Ahmed Hamza who named is Arabian stud after Hamdan.

The king’s horse, Hamdan, a full brother to Shahloul, and chief sire at Inshass and later Ahmed Hamza’s Hamdan Stud. Forbis archive.

Imperial Madheen, sire of international renown and the proud representative of the line to Mahiba (Alaa El Din x Mouna). Rik VanLent Jr. photo.

At Inshass Hamdan became a great sire of mares, in fact seldom even producing a male horse. Among Hamdan’s celebrated daughters are Mahfouza (x El Mahrousa), the female line of the supreme Ruminaja Ali, Mahdia (x El Mahrousa) grandmother of the beloved Hanan in Europe and of the ethereal Bilal I chief sire at Shams El Asil stud in Egypt. Another very beautiful Hamdan daughter was Ameena, cornerstone of the coveted Omnia (x Alaa El Din) line noted for beautiful horses. Hamdan was even inbred to his own daughters at Inshass resulting in such fine producers as Hafiza, dam of sires Ibn Hafiza (x Sameh) and the spectacular El Araby (x Morafic). At Inshass, the only son of great prominence sired by Hamdan was the handsome chestnut stallion Anter,

who became a chief sire at the E.A.O. and one of the most heavily used. Anter sired many excellent mares such as Maysa (x Mahfouza) mother of renowned Magidaa; Nabilahh (x Farasha) dam of celebrated Khofo, and female line of Thee Desperado; the beautiful Kahramana, dam of numerous champions; and the excellent full sisters, Nagat, Somaia, Eman, Looza and the celebrated Adaweya, all by Anter and out of Abla.

Broodmare supreme, Hanan (Alaa El Din x Mona INS) combining Shahloul and Hamdan blood. Rik Van Lent Jr. photo.

Hafiza, lovely Inshass bred mare who was inbred to Hamdan. She produced Ibn Hafiza and the immortal El Araby. Fernando Saenz photo.

As an aged stallion at Ahmed Hamza’s stud, Hamdan sired the important mares, Bint Folla, Bint Folla II, Okt El Fol, and Bint Futna II, all from his foundation Tahawi mares. Bint Folla’s full brother Hamdan II became an important Hamdan son in Europe. Hamdan also sired the excellent mare Bint Muneera, who produced the important European sire of champions Fakhr El Kheil. Bint Muneera’s full sibling

Fol Yasmeen (Hamdan x Muneera) was the only get of Hamdan to come directly to the U.S. and he sired 180 foals.

Considering the success of Shahloul and Hamdan, Bint Radia seemed to nick well with Ibn Rabdan so the breeding was repeated and the full sister Samira was born. Samira would become one of the two female branches of Bint Radia via her daughter Zaafarana.

Maysa, another Inshass bred mare, by the Hamdan son Anter and out of the Hamdan daughter Mahfouza. Maysa founded a family in Egypt, Europe and North America, yet is most famed for her daughter Magidaa’s sons Ruminaja Ali and Alidaar. Judith Forbis photo.

Ansata Bint Zaafarana, high quality representative of the tail female to Bint Radia, via Zaafarana. Imported to the U.S. in 1959 by Ansata and a champion producing influence internationally. Jerry Sparagowski photo.

Zaafarana proved to cross well with legendary Nazeer producing the racing winner Talal, imported to the U.S. and sire of many foals. Zaafarana also produced an important female line at Albadeia Stud via Talal’s full sister El Ameera, a prolific line represented by many females but also the dam line of the spectacular World Champion Al Lahab.

Zaafarana’s third success in crossing with Nazeer was the excellent broodmare Ansata Bint Zaafarana. In fact, Ansata Arabian stud, established over 50 years ago was founded with a great deal of Bint Radia influence, largely through Ansata Bint Mabrouka, Ansata Bint Zaafarana and Ansata Bint Bukra.

Bint Radia’s other female line would be carried forward by the mare Zamzam (x Gamil III). Zamzam’s 4 daughters all extend the Bint Radia family into Egyptian and Arabian breeding. Zamzam’s daughter Kawsar (x Ibn Manial) established a family in North America via her granddaughter Hayam (whose grandsire was Shahloul), and in Europe via her great granddaughter Golson (whose sire is the double Shahloul stallion Tuhotmos).

Saklawia II (Mashhour x Zamzam) granddaughter of Bint Radia, and her sire is a grandson of Bint Radia. Saklawia II is the dam of Salha and An Saaf. Judith Forbis photo.

The handsome Fadell (Ibn Samhan x Bint Radia) the last foal of Bint Radia. He was owned by King Farouk’s mother Queen Nazli and imported to the U.S. as an aged horse. Judith Forbis photo.

Zamzam’s daughter Nabila (x Enzahi) was exported to South Africa and is found today in numerous Egyptian horses there, and figures strongly in endurance and performance winners. Zamzam’s daughter Atlus is granddam of Naglaa bred by Albadeia and she has established an international family in Europe, and North America. Zamzam’s final daughter, the excellent mare Saklawia II (sired by the Shahloul son Mashhour), is dam of the European imported mares Salha (x Sameh) and An Saaf (x Nasralla).

Bint Radia’s final foal was the handsome grey stallion Fadell (x Kheir), another of Bint Radia’s produce worthy of royalty, being owned by King Farouk’s mother Queen Nazli. In the early 1950s when Egypt’s Monarchy was but a dwindling ember, Queen Nazli left for the U.S. settling in California and Doctor Alfred Godward assisted her becoming established in her new surroundings. The Queen brought with her 4 Arabians, among which was the handsome Fadell. Having left no foals in Egypt prior to his export, Fadell was already an aged stallion upon arrival and only sired 8 foals, 6 of

which were from Egyptian mares. So his blood is fairly rare in the U.S. but still appreciated by those who own descendants.

In 1920 no one could have predicted the impact of the lovely grey mare Bint Radia, born during the early years of the R.A.S. But now history has been written. Bint Radia was a lovely representative of a prized heritage established by the breed’s benefactors such as Prince Mohammed Ali and Lady Anne Blunt. They would certainly be proud to see how her legacy has blossomed. q

The lovely Hamdan daughter Bint Futna II bred by Ahmed Hamza. Bint Futna II is a daughter of the Tahawi Kuhaylan Kallawia mare Futna. She is the dam line of Israeli Reserve National champion Rowayah. Judith Forbis photo.

Al Lahab, a charismatic World Champion who has benefited from the legacy of Bint Radia. He traces to her 41 times through all 5 of Shahloul’s daughters and both his sons, as well as 4 of Hamdan’s daughters and his son Anter. In addition he is tail female to Bint Radia. Gigi Grasso photo.

NATURAL IS THE NEW BEAUTY

NABEEL AL KHALED

Photo: MoSa

Maysoun

NABEEL AL KHALED

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Ansata Hejazi

Ansata White Nile

Photo: Alessio Azzali

NABEEL AL KHALED was born in Saudi Arabia in 2010

His dam Ansata Nile Pearl was one of the noble mares of the Dahman Shahwaniya strain who tails back to Bint Sabah. She was successful in the show ring and is a full sibling to Ansata Nile Echo.

His sire, F Shamaal, a stallion of extraordinary type from the Saklawi Jedran strain was World Champion, European Champion and Champion of other title shows, producing many straight Egyptians who also triumphed in shows and sports events His sire, in turn, was Maysoun, one of the most influential Ansata Halim Shah sons in the world

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