by Becky Rogers
Ivory, Gold, and Bronze. Precious substances, shimmering in a stallion so exotic you check your vision to see if he is a dream. Indeed, KA Damascus is a dream horse for Colleen Jackson of Subiaco, Western Australia. Searching for her vision of an Arabian stallion to complement her growing farm, Colleen embarked on a trip to the United States with her good friend and fellow Arabian breeder and noted photographer Jennifer Ogden. After numerous farm visits and many gorgeous horses, the pair two-stepped into Texas, and onto the farm of Kehilan Arabians. Magically, an exotic, shimmering gold and bronze stallion with a spectacular ivory mane and tail pranced his way under the hot Texas sun right into Colleen’s heart. “The first time I saw him he just took my breath away; the horse I’ve always dreamed to someday own. I have always been partial to liver chestnut, flaxen horses but quality comes before color. Damascus radiated quality in my favorite color!” Colleen remembers.
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At the time, Damascus was not for sale, as he was scheduled to become the junior sire for the respected Kehilan Arabians, and help headline their impressive roster created over 30 years of passionate breeding. But the persistence of a woman in search of her dream paid off, and wisely he has become the foundation for her new Straight Egyptian breeding program now called Azizah Arabians International. Looks alone are not enough in the Straight Egyptian world — but no worries for Damascus. As with the ancient heritage his name signifies, his ancestry is royal as well. His sire is the National-winning, world-renowned senior stallion at Kehilan — Makhnificent KA, who has winning offspring on most continents around the globe. He remains to date the only Straight Egyptian stallion in the U.S. to have won U.S. National Top Ten honors as both a Yearling Sweepstakes Colt and a National Futurity Colt. Makhnificent was sired by the ethereal, alabaster-white Makhsous, who was also a sire of National Champions in both performance and halter, as well as World Champions globally. The striking liver chestnut color that Damascus sports is inherited from the sire of Makhsous, the Sameh son named *Sultann. *Sultann was an American import from Egypt who sired three U.S. National performance
OGDEN PHOTO
Cover, facing page, and this page: KA Damascus (Makhnificent KA x Rahimah KA), the 2008 straight Egyptian stallion.
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champions with only fifty registered foals in the U.S. He also sired the U.S. National Champion Halter and English winner *Asadd, himself a liver chestnut. And no mention of *Sultann as a sire is complete without a nod to one of the top winning Arabian stallions of all time, with numerous National Top Ten, Reserve, and Champion wins in halter and performance — *Sakr. *Sultann appears three times in the pedigree of Damascus, imparting not only his coloring but the athletic ability and smooth body characteristic of the Sameh horses. The dam of Damascus, Rahimah KA, is no stranger to producing globe-trotters herself. Her children and grandchildren are well represented in many stud farms around the world. She has two sons standing at stud in Italy, including the full brother to Damascus, Royal Spirit KA. Royal Spirit is a Reserve Champion Colt at the Egyptian Event Europe, the Italian Egyptian Event Champion Colt, and Reserve Champion Futurity Colt at the Egyptian Event in Lexington, Kentucky. Royal Spirit is owned by El Precioso Arabians. Rahimah has two full siblings to Damascus in New Zealand; a daughter named Azizah KA, and one of the senior sires at Rhodium Stud, Rajah KA. Rajah, an Egyptian Event Futurity Champion, was shown only twice in Australia, winning Champion Stallion at the Western District Champion Show and Champion Stallion and Supreme Champion Purebred at the Victoria Classic. Rahimah has produced two three-quarter sisters to Damascus, both sired by Marquis I. They have each produced sons and daughters that are foundation horses for discriminating breeders worldwide. The eldest, Simpli Iresistibl, produced daughter Maarakesh KA, owned by Al Thumama Stud in Qatar, who has been shown to a Top Five Egyptian Event Qatar as well as a Top Ten Egyptian Event in the U.S. The younger sister, Marquisah KA, is now a star broodmare for Azizah Arabians. She produced a daughter Maheebah KA, owned by Al-Jenan Arabian Stud of Kuwait, winner of a Top Five at the Egyptian Event Kuwait. Her son Marajh KA, a seven-eighths brother to Damascus, is owned by Al Jood Stud of Qatar and is also an Egyptian Event Top Ten. Another world traveler from this family is the gorgeous filly Athenna KA (Maariq KA x Marquisah KA), a seven-eighths sister to Damascus now residing in Egypt at Al-Zahwa Stud. We can see that Damascus has a well-connected family, fluent in many languages! 4 ▪ KA DAMASCUS ▪ WORLD
Left: The 2014 grey colt (KA Damascus x Saahara KA). Below: The 2014 chestnut colt (KA Damascus x Marisa KA).
“When you dream as a breeder, you hope to perpetuate the best traits of your foundation horses, while refining and adding the characteristics in your vision. Much like a painter carefully choosing the right colors to create her painting, affecting composition, mood, and even creating new colors so the painting will take your breath away. With Damascus we certainly did just that! He retains the striking coloring of his grandfather three times, *Sultann, while exuding the exotic type and style Kehilan has become known for.” — Becky Rogers, owner of Kehilan Arabians and breeder of KA Damascus
Left: Saahara KA (MB Talmaar x Imperial Saahoura by *Ibn Safinaz), 1999 mare, and Emma. Below: Maariah KA (Maariq KA [Makhnificent KA] x Simpli Iresistibl by Marquis I), 2011 filly.
The tapestry of life is woven with threads of many colors and Damascus is no exception. His lineage contains many of the most noble examples of Straight Egyptian blood including: Makhsous, Nabiel, *Tuhotmos, The Egyptian Prince, *Ansata Ibn Halima, *Ibn Hafiza, Alaa El Din, Moniet El Nefous, Rawayeh, Dahmah Shahwaniah, and *Magidaa. His tail female line is to the Mesaoud daughter Risala. Thus the strain is the sought-after Kuhaylan Ajuz Rodan. The Kuhaylan strain is often noted for its powerful bodies and dry, desert look. Damascus is no exception to that description, while in addition exhibiting the elegance and exotic type from his Saklawi and Dahman ancestors. Recognizing the unique opportunity Damascus created, Colleen began to collect precious jewels by way of Straight Egyptian mares for her stallion. She and her Australian partner, John Cranston, were on the lookout for those special ladies to complement Damascus. They traveled to America to find just that, together visiting a number of farms and coming home after buying three females. The Azizah Arabian International breeding farm had been formed. Acquired from Kehilan is the diamond gem, Saahara KA (MB Talmaar x Imperial Saahoura), a Dahman strain mare who has produced one champion after another. Sarah, as she is called, is also the AHA of America’s “Cover Girl,” gracing the cover of their current Arabian Horse Guidebook. The photo of Sarah being kissed by Kehilan owner Nancy
Blankenship’s granddaughter Emma has won hearts the world over. And one has only to see Sarah in person to see why — the huge luminous eyes that radiate kindness combined with her beautiful face are an endearing combination. She traces in tail female to Ansata Nile Mist and has been a proven producer of Event Champions and Canadian Top Ten winners with Makhnificent KA, Marquis I, and Makhsous. In 2014, Sarah produced a simply stunning colt by Damascus. This exotic, elegant first foal is decidedly a home run. Recently, Azizah has added to its broodmare band with a few select individuals from the Rahimah family, including as mentioned, the drop-dead gorgeous Marquisah KA as well as Maariah KA, the show-quality daughter of Simpli Iresistibl. Maariah is sired by Maariq KA (Makhnificent KA x MB Kateena by Imperial Madheen). Adding a tail female line to Ansata Sabiha is Marisa KA (Makhnificent KA x Marina KA by Makhsous). Marisa, a breathtaking jewel herself, produced the second foal by Damascus, a proud chestnut colt with his sire’s flashy color. There are a few more carefully chosen gems that round out the Azizah program, which is one of utmost quality, type, and lineage. With his mystical appeal, Damascus has garnered attention worldwide. A bank of frozen semen is available for global use, and soon the foals will start arriving to astute breeders worldwide. Colleen splits her time between the farm in Mardella, Western Australia, which is near Perth, and visiting her herd in Fort Worth, Texas, at Kehilan Arabians. She is excited by the possibilities the future holds. She says “The first two foals by Damascus are everything we hoped for — tall, elegant, and exotic with the charisma and motion we expected from the Kehilan breeding. Going forward, we are honored to be the caretaker of such a tremendous stallion in both genotype and phenotype. Damascus is a unique Straight Egyptian with his 6 ▪ KA DAMASCUS ▪ WORLD
Above: The 2001 mare and important broodmare Marquisah KA (Marquis I x Rahimah KA by RA Jahim), who is a threequarter sister to KA Damascus. Left: Marisa KA (Makhnificent KA x Marina KA by Makhsous), 2009 mare.
remarkable charisma, color, and type. We look forward to the future with Azizah and Kehilan showing and promoting the Damascus offspring!” This stunning young stallion is a vision in bronze with a sea horse profile, high flag tail, curvaceous neck, and captivating expression. The magic of Colleen’s dream horse has come to life in Damascus KA. As the foals come, the painting continues. Strokes of gold, big eyes, tippy ears, short backs, darling faces, flag tail carriage, and just possibly some ivory and bronze! 7 ▪ KA DAMASCUS ▪ WORLD
STANDING AT KEHIL AN ARABIANS www.Kehil an.com F o r t Wo r t h , Te x a s kehilan@aol.com 路 817.443.6124
OWNED BY AZIZAH ARABIANS INTERNATIONAL Colleen Jackson and John Cranston S u b i a c o , We s t A u s t r a l i a colleen@depwest.com.au
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