*ANSATA IBN HALIMA — by Linda White
*ANSATA IBN HALIMA — by Linda White
I
“
bn Halima was a gift to the world, although we didn’t know it
at the time,” recalls Judith Forbis. “Who could foretell what life had in store for a yearling colt and the young newlyweds who saw in him and his sisters something they had searched the Arab
1969 U.S. National Top Ten Stallion *Ansata Ibn Halima.
world for and had not found — until then! We had been students, doing our work diligently, trying to better understand what
The following summer, Socialist President Nasser’s EAO
constituted beauty and truth in this breed of horse. By the time
administrators asked the ailing General von Standtner to retire,
we reached Egypt, we had mastered our lessons and our search
appointing in his place capable Egyptian veterinarian Dr.
was rewarded.”
Mohamed El Marsafi as RAS/EAO Director. In October of 1959,
It had been almost a year earlier, on September 16, 1958, that
when a young American couple, Donald and Judith Forbis,
the bay Sheikh El Arab daughter Halima had foaled a handsome
came to look for Arabian bloodstock, it was Dr. Marsafi who
grey colt at the Royal Agricultural Society’s El Zahraa Stud near
assisted them. Halima’s Nazeer colt, who was now a yearling,
Cairo, Egypt. Halima, whose name means “the gentle one” in
dazzled them, as did his two paternal sisters: yearling fillies
Arabic, was out of an Ibn Rabdan daughter who traced to the
Bint Mabrouka and Bint Zaafarana. When the Forbises, married
Dahman Shahwan strain long treasured by Arabian horse
less than a year, discovered that their savings wouldn’t meet
breeders and connoisseurs. Halima’s colt was the result of a
the EAO’s asking price for the three grey youngsters, Dr. Marsafi
mating to Nazeer, the most influential Egyptian sire of his era, to
and Dr. Afifi, his superior, kindly accepted the couple’s counter
produce the RAS’s first pedigree in which stallion Mansour
offer for the fillies, and presented Ibn Halima as a gift to the
appeared twice. When former Babolna director Tibor von
couple. A gift! A special gift indeed!
Standtner, a fine horseman, assumed the RAS directorship
“There was something special about Ibn Halima that stood out
in 1949, he was immediately attracted to the Mansour blood
from the first time we saw him: a subtle, faraway look and
through his son Nazeer, and daughters of Mansour’s son
ethereal expression in the big, dark and gentle eyes, perfectly set
Sheikh El Arab.
in a uniquely beautiful head. He was perfectly balanced, his
Nazeer, foaled in 1934, was a successful racehorse highly
demeanor spirited, and he reflected gentility and nobility. We
regarded for passing on his excellent legs, long, sloping shoulder,
had no plans to show him or his sisters, but when Ibn Halima,
deep heart girth and good size, a pleasant surprise given that his
Bint Zaafarana, and Bint Mabrouka arrived in America,
own stature was a mere 14.3. His “nieces,” the Sheikh El Arab
photographs of the three yearlings together appeared in
daughters, were especially beautiful. Ibn Halima, “son of the
newspapers and Arabian horse magazines. Immediately, people
gentle one,” a classic Dahman Shahwan and the first result of
from across the U.S. thronged to see them and wrote us letters
the close Mansour linebreeding, had an embarrassment of
of enthusiasm, wanting to learn more about the bloodlines
riches: size, wonderful structure, extreme quality, and an
behind these imports. I wrote articles for Arabian magazines
abundance of classic Arabian type. General von Standtner’s
describing the present-day horses bred at the EAO, and it wasn’t
experiment would produce many of the RAS’s best horses, of
long before the words “Egyptian Arabians” were heard often in
which this colt was clearly an example.
horse circles.”
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ARABIAN HORSE TIMES • DECEMBER 1999
ARABIAN ARCHIVES: *ANSATA IBN HALIMA
*Ansata Ibn Halima, *Ansata Bint Mabrouka, and *Ansata Bint Zaafarana at the time of their selection by the Forbises.
*Ansata Ibn Halima in Egypt in 1959.
Indeed, as historian Gladys Brown Edwards later observed,
Jimmy Dean visited and passed his approval on the trio. Although
“The importation of those three grey yearlings by the Forbises in
Richard Pritzlaff, a New Mexico breeder whose 1958 importation
1959 proved to be the spark that ignited the enthusiasm for the
had included two El Sareei daughters, two Nazeer daughters and
new Egyptian horses. One of those yearlings, *Ansata Ibn
a young Nazeer son, expressed little interest, Chicagoan Henry
Halima, has won many halter championships. He is a horse with
Babson, whose first importations from Egypt took place in 1932,
excellent action (as have so many Egyptian imports), and he has
sent four of his best mares.
also won several park classes. The Forbises have written many
After a fitful initial start, the Babson alliance proved fruitful.
informative articles … but it was their report of the Egyptian
The two oldest mares failed to conceive, and El Maar died giving
horses, along with excellent photographs of previously
poorly-
birth to her *Ansata Ibn Halima son, who also died, but Fa-Habba
pictured breeding stock, that revitalized interest in Egyptian
produced *Ansata Ibn Halima’s first filly, Falima, who became
Arabians.”
the foundation mare of the Ansata Nile program. A colt, Ansata
Ansata, the ancient, cruciform Egyptian symbol for Key of Life,
Abbas Pasha (*Ansata Ibn Halima x *Ansata Bint Mabrouka) was
was the Forbises’ choice for their farm name, so the three
traded to Babson for the near-black mare Sabrah. Bred to
imports — and every horse subsequently bred by the couple —
*Ansata Ibn Halima, Sabrah produced 1980 U.S. National
were officially registered in the Arabian Horse Registry of
Champion Mare Fa Halima, and her full sister, champion
America with the U.S. trademarked Ansata prefix before their
producer Ansata Sahiba.
names. The first product of the Ansata breeding program was
Jim Panek was one of the judges at the 1980 U.S. National
Ansata Ali Pasha, son of *Ansata Ibn Halima and *Ansata Bint
Championships. The California horseman had judged — and
Zaafarana and thus, “double Nazeer.” Sold to Florida breeder
been smitten by – Fa Halima earlier in the year. “She was the
Willis Flick as a weanling in 1964, Ansata Ali Pasha became a
kind of Arabian mare that just captured every fiber of one’s
champion and 1968 Canadian Top Ten Stallion, the first *Ansata
being,” he admits. “At Nationals that year, this beautiful creature,
Ibn Halima offspring to win a national title. That list eventually
standing at the end of a 10-foot lead, showed the world that she
grew to include 13 U.S. and Canadian National winners and
was now the U.S. National Champion Mare. I had followed
59 Class ‘A’ champions.
*Ansata Ibn Halima’s career through three Top Tens at U.S.
Through *Ansata Ibn Halima, *Morafic and others, Nazeer’s
Nationals and also as a winning park horse,” he recalls, as
influence on Arabian horse breeding in North America would be
quoted in The Gift, by Judith Forbis. “Ansata Ibn Halima was the
profound. An astonishing 70 percent of the Nazeer offspring would
catalyst from which I developed my penchant for type … the
produce national winners. Ansata’s three Nazeer yearlings quickly
hallmark of the Arabian breed.”
attracted the attention of many North American breeders,
On the Babson home front in Dixon, Ill., the Ansata Abbas
particularly those with earlier imports. Revered *Raffles devotee
Pasha daughters out of other Babson mares were becoming top
ARABIAN HORSE TIMES • DECEMBER 1999
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ARABIAN ARCHIVES: *ANSATA IBN HALIMA
*Ansata Ibn Halima’s“harem” of Nazeer daughters, photographed in Chickasha, Oklahoma, by Jerry Sparagowski.
Halima to Texas to breed the Gleannloch mares *Maisa El Saghira, *Bint Nefisaa, *Bint Mona, *Salomy, *Samarra and *Sanaa. *Ansata Ibn Halima in Lufkin, Texas (1970s), with Judith Forbis.
“There weren’t many straight Egyptians in the country at that time, other than the Babson herd and its relatives,” Judith
producers. Ansata Abbas Pasha became a European Reserve
Forbis points out. “The decision to send *Ansata Ibn Halima to
World Champion at the Salon du Cheval with David Gardner for
Gleannloch helped change the face of Egyptian Arabian horse
Bentwood Farm, and, at 17, Abbas Pasha went to Dr. Hans
breeding — and its recognition — worldwide. The Marshalls
Nagel’s Katharinenhof Stud in Germany, where he also serviced
became our close friends, providing the opportunity for *Ansata
mares from Marbach Stud. Abbas Pasha was not *Ansata Bint
Ibn Halima to be bred to their excellent mares, and to be shown
Mabrouka’s first foal, however. His breathtaking older full
under Gleannloch’s auspices by Tom and Rhita McNair.”
brother was the consummate Egyptian Arabian torchbearer,
In The Gift, Tom McNair remembers: “Even though 1965 seems
Ansata Ibn Sudan. It was Ibn Sudan who won the title of 1971
like quite awhile ago, I remember it as if it were yesterday. That
U.S. National Champion Stallion against 83 competitors, and
was the year we leased *Ansata Ibn Halima, and the year in
went on to sire National top ten champions in both halter and
which we showed him to multiple halter, park championships
performance.
and most classic Arabian awards. I then went on to show him
*Ansata Bint Mabrouka, dam of Ibn Sudan and Abbas Pasha,
three times to top ten stallion at the U.S. Nationals. I can truly
was a full sister to *Morafic, the Nazeer son Texas breeders
say that ‘Ib’ was the easiest horse I’ve ever shown at halter. He
Douglas and Margaret Marshall imported to head the stallion
liked to snort and blow when you were trotting him, and he
roster at Gleannloch Farm. These two individuals’ productivity,
always moved in hand with a big, bold trot. It was a pleasure and
while truly remarkable, was predictable. Mabrouka (Sid Abouhom
a privilege to train and show such a horse. Obviously, *Ansata
x Moniet El Nefous), dam of *Morafic and *Ansata Bint Mabrouka,
Ibn Halima did a great deal to popularize the Egyptian Arabian
was also a full sister to Lubna, who produced *Sultann, the sire
horse.”
of beloved multiple U.S. National Champions *Asaad and
“*Bint Maisa El Saghira and *Ansata Ibn Halima were on the
*Sakr.
show road together, winning plaudits and admiration wherever
Meanwhile, the Forbises added to their collection. They were
they were presented,” Judi recalls of those days. “Their resulting
finally able to import Hosnia (renamed *Ansata Bint Bukra), who
filly, Dahma Shahwania, an exceptionally beautiful mare, was
was unavailable earlier due to African Horse Sickness quarantine
admired throughout her lifetime, and eventually was purchased
problems. *Ansata Bint Bukra arrived in the United States in foal
by Count Federico Zichy-Thyssen, a man with an eye for
to Sameh, and she and her resulting Sameh daughter *Ansata
quality.
Bint Misr joined the Ansata foundation mares. Then, in 1965,
“*Bint Nefisaa was one of the outstanding Nazeer daughters:
Douglas and Margaret Marshall arranged to bring *Ansata Ibn
small, but perfect in every way. She and*Ansata Ibn Halima
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ARABIAN HORSE TIMES • DECEMBER 1999
ARABIAN ARCHIVES: *ANSATA IBN HALIMA
LEFT TO RIGHT: Ansata Samantha, the founder of a popular family found mostly in Arabia and the Gulf States; Falima, founder of the Nile family at Ansata; and Ansata Aziza, full sister to U.S. National Top Ten Ansata El Nisr.
produced two excellent daughters and the wonderful El Hilal.
brother to *Ansata Bint Zaafarana, were Egyptians, as were two
Needless to say, El Hilal has gone down in breed history as a
of the Top Ten mares: *Romanaa II and Nahlah. Two years later,
legendary sire.” El Hilal, a foal of 1966, was three times a
both the 1971 U.S. National Champion Stallion Ansata Ibn
Canadian or U.S. National top ten stallion. He was ultimately
Sudan, and the 1971 U.S. National Champion Mare *Serenity
syndicated by breeder Ron Palelek, and sired more champions
Sonbolah were imported Egyptians. Rahalima (*Ansata Ibn
and national winners than any other living Egyptian stallion. El
Halima x Bint Rahma), owned by Bevan Arabians, was twice a
Hilal’s get included more than 150 champions and 44 national
U.S. National Top Ten Park Horse. *Nihal, a Gleannloch import,
winners.
was chosen a U.S. National Western Pleasure Champion from 98
“*Bint Mona was one of my all-time favorite Nazeer daughters,”
entries.
Judi continues. “She produced the classic colt Mohssen, who
With Fa Halima’s win in 1980, *Ansata Ibn Halima became one
was shown successfully, and became a good sire. I’m pleased to
of only five stallions at that time ever to have sired a U.S.
say that today we have three mares in our herd who trace to
National Champion Mare and Stallion. The *Ansata Ibn Halima
*Bint Mona. *Samarra was a strong-bodied, well-balanced mare
grandget and great-grandget with national titles and class ‘A’
who produced El Hadiyi, a handsome bay son who proved to be
wins now number in the hundreds, and *Ansata Ibn Halima can
a fine sire.
be found, often multiple times, in the pedigrees of a high
“Successfully mated to *Ansata Ibn Halima, *Sanaa
percentage of current champions and national winners around
produced many-time halter and performance winner Hossny,
the world.
who went on to become head sire at Alameda Farm, then at
Breeders began to join Ansata, Gleannloch and Imperial in
Imperial Egyptian Stud, and finally, for Count Zichy-Thyssen,
carefully linebreeding new Egyptian bloodstock, with descendants
who used him as a sire and as his personal riding horse.
of *Ansata Ibn Halima and his paternal sisters at the core. The
Sadly, Hossny died of a snakebite in South America.
first wave included Bentwood Farm, who bought Ansata Sherifa
“Bint Deena resulted from the later import of *Deena, an
and Ansata El Khedive. Glorieta Ranch bought Ansata Abu
excellent bay Sameh daughter who was eventually purchased by
Nazeer, and Roy Kurth and daughter Judy bought Hossny, who
Gleannloch, then by the St. Clairs. Bred to *Ansata Ibn Halima,
was by now a multiple champion. Ansata Ali Pasha was already
she produced Bint Deena: one of those rare matriarchs in the
at Glenglade; Clarence and Daisy Hardin bought Ansata El Sherif
breed on which a farm can build its reputation — as did Les and
and named their ranch after him; Dick and Charlotte Kuebler at
Lois St. Clair.”
Moss Hill bought Sar Fadl Halim; and Cathy Downing bought
Although few in number, the Egyptian imports began to
Ansata Shah Zam. Philipe de Bourbon exported Ansata Nile Sun
change the face of the American show ring as well. At the 1969
to Uruguay, and Count Zichy-Thyssen exported Ansata Ibn
U.S. National Championships, three of the Top Ten stallions:
Bukra to Argentina. Zichy-Thyssen also purchased one-half
*Ansata Ibn Halima, his son Ansata Ibn Sudan, and *Talal, a full
interest in Ansata Shah Zaman. Other breeders, large and small,
ARABIAN HORSE TIMES • DECEMBER 1999
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ARABIAN ARCHIVES: *ANSATA IBN HALIMA
LEFT TO RIGHT: Ansata Sokar (Imperial Madheen x Ansata Samantha), Ansata Sirius (Ansata Iemhotep x Ansata Sekhmet), and Ansata Nile Mist (Ansata Ibn Sudan x Falima).
turned to the Ansata program for guidance and foundation
the least. We would have bought *Bint Moniet’s full sister, Maya,
bloodstock. Veteran breeder Roy Jackson told Judith Forbis, “God
on a later trip to Egypt, but when we got there, it was too late.
was good to you when He gave you that horse.”
She had hanged herself on her halter rope. We have recently
In 1981, the Forbises, the Marshalls, the Flicks, and other
purchased a fine chestnut mare intensely bred to *Bint Moniet El
Egyptian breeders came together to form The Pyramid Society.
Nefous, and we look forward to breeding her to close-up
Today, The Pyramid Society, headquartered at the Kentucky
*Ansata Ibn Halima bloodlines.
Horse Park, hosts the annual Egyptian Event, and has grown into
“Our breeding program began with limited bloodstock,” she
a significant, high profile entity which actively promotes and
reminds us. “We selected those individuals we liked most, and
preserves the Egyptian Arabian horse the world over. Nazeer
by doubling Nazeer through *Ansata Ibn Halima and *Morafic on
descendants play a significant role in Egyptian Arabian horse
our Nazeer daughters, we set our initial type. We selected
breeding (and preservation) in America, but, says Judi, there is
particular female lines — and I cannot emphasize strongly
one caveat:
enough the importance of certain female lines — if one is
“I am always amazed when people say a horse has ‘X number
attempting to fix a type. *Ansata Ibn Halima was strong enough
of crosses to Nazeer, or some other horse.’ The number of
to impart his qualities to some degree on all the mares he bred
crosses means nothing unless the horse represents the qualities
— even those of different strains — but the way we interwove
of the referenced individual. Initially, we linebred by breeding a
the pedigrees through certain selections created the type we
Nazeer son to a Nazeer daughter. We later incorporated Nazeer
envisioned.”
grandsons Ansata Shah Zaman, Ansata Ibn Sudan, Ansata
What about selection criteria in the tricky business of close
Halim Shah, Ansata Hejazi, etc., always using stallions who had
linebreeding? A deleterious genetic trait need not be expressed
the Ansata ‘look.’ A few times we crossed father to daughter, but
to be present, nonetheless, in the gene pool — and linebreeding
the close linebreeding was more satisfactory in general.”
reduces the size of that gene pool significantly. Horse breeder,
Considering the excellence of the cross on *Ansata Ibn Halima
author and painter Judith Forbis is a scholar and an artist in the
with the two Moniet El Nefous granddaughters, *Ansata Bint
literal, as well as the figurative, sense. What are her insights?
Mabrouka and *Bint Mona, would not the unforgettable *Bint
“It is difficult to specify selection criteria, because this relates
Moniet El Nefous have been an ideal cross as well? “We asked
to artistic talent,” she muses. “Painters using the same subject
Richard Pritzlaff many times to please consider it, but he insisted
and same materials and pigments will create completely different
on breeding her to his stallion *Rashad Ibn Nazeer,” explains
paintings because of each’s inner vision and sensitivity. Similarly,
Judi. “He was a horse completely out of type to her, and in my
some horse breeders I know have visualized what they wanted
opinion, none of her bay daughters by *Rashad resembles her in
to produce, and although the likelihood of their vision’s resulting
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ARABIAN HORSE TIMES • DECEMBER 1999
ARABIAN ARCHIVES: *ANSATA IBN HALIMA from the selected mating was remote, it happened. I think there
and World Champion *Simeon Shai, and Australian National
must be a magnetic attraction to be considered, too, having
Champion
much to do with the law of attraction through love.”
descendants.
Love was the primary ingredient in the long relationship
Jody Cruz was 13 or 14 when he and his father, Dr. Felino Cruz,
between *Ansata Ibn Halima and Don and Judith Forbis. After
attended an open house at Ansata, then in Lufkin, Texas.
rallying from several bouts with colic at their Lufkin, Texas,
Rancho Bulakenyo today treasures its two *Ansata Ibn Halima
ranch, he died the morning of his 23rd birthday, on September
offspring. “My father always dreamed of owning a straight
16, 1981, at the new Ansata Arabian Stud in Mena, Ark. Tributes
Egyptian *Ansata Ibn Halima daughter, but that never did
to the stallion poured in from around the world. Expressions of
happen — although the colts *Halima gave us have done very
lasting admiration for the beloved grey stallion are reflected in
well for themselves,” explains Jody, who is a physician himself.
the wonderful book, The Gift, published in 1998 and available
“We are very proud of our two *Ansata Ibn Halima get: our
through The Pyramid Society.
senior herd sire, El Halimaar (x RDM Maar Hala, an *Ansata Ibn
“The contribution of *Ansata Ibn Halima to our breeding program
Halima granddaughter), and Cameo’s Jewel (x Cedardell Cameo).”
is pervasive and ongoing,” writes Barbara Griffith. “At Imperial his
Late Egyptian Arabian breeder Lee Romney, of Somerset Farm,
get and grandget were the progenitors of entire families of famous
bred Cameo’s Jewel.
Egyptian Arabians, many of which are still an integral part of our
“Looking back over the past 40 years,” says Judi Forbis, “I
program. These include Ansata Imperial, Ansata Nile Mist, Imperial
realize in retrospect how dramatically this ‘gift’ affected our
Phanilah, Imperial Pharida, and U.S. National Reserve Champion
future, and touched the lives of people in all walks of life, on
Stallion Imperial Imdal, to name a few.”
every continent where Arabian horses are bred.”
Breeder and pedigree authority Walter Schimanski first saw
Two were Michigan breeder Joe Ferris and his wife, Sharon,
*Ansata Ibn Halima in a park class during the 1960s, and was
who first visited Ansata in Texas in July 1977. “When I close my
enthralled with the beautiful stallion’s fantastic movement and
eyes, I can see *Ansata Ibn Halima today,” offers Joe. “He was
overall brilliance. “I decided on that day that he was everything
one of those horses — a vision you never forget. A gift is not a
an Arabian stallion should be. He was truly a legend in his time,
choice, but a fate. Don and Judi have journeyed far, working
and the love and admiration people felt for him during his
hard, making good choices, and experiencing life. The gift of
lifetime has not dimmed in the years since his death.”
*Ansata Ibn Halima was their destiny, and many were rewarded
“*Ansata Ibn Halima has been a most valued influence in
thereby.” ❑
Australia and at Simeon Stud,” states Marion Richmond, of Simeon Stud, NSW, Australia. Many of Simeon Stud’s best-
Imperial
Madaar,
are
*Ansata
Judith and Don Forbis with *Ansata Ibn Halima.
producing mares and stallions, including U.S. National Champion The Ansata show barn in Mena, Ark., where *Ansata Ibn Halima resided.
ARABIAN HORSE TIMES • DECEMBER 1999
Ibn
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Halima