Extinct and surviving Bahraini strains
Putting together information from Judi Forbis’ series of articles “Pearls of Great Price” on Bahraini horses as reproduced in Classic Arabian Bloodstock, with information from Dana Al Khalifa’s introduction to her “Living Treasures of Bahrain”, and comparing these with the current strains existing at the Bahraini Royal studs, one can list the Arabian horse strains lost to Bahrain in the course of the last 80 years:
- Shuhayban, which is Kuhaylan ibn Waberah (mare gifted to Egypt in 1930s, as reported in Forbis, strain died out before 1970s)
- Kuhaylan Om Soura (in Forbis, strain died out before Forbis visit in 1970s)
- Dahman Najib (in Forbis, strain died out before Forbis visit in 1970s)
- Kuhaylan ‘Ajuz (reported as current in Forbis and Danah, died out before WAHO conference of 1998)
- Hadban (reported as current in Danah, died out in 1980s)
- Hadhfan, which is Ubayyan Umm Al-Ardaf (last stallion featured in 1998 catalogue, strain died out in early 2000s)
- Wadnan (last stallion featured in 1998 catalogue, strain died out in 2000s)
- Suwaiti (last stallion featured in 1998 catalogue, strain died out of 2000s, replaced with a branch from Saudi Arabia)
- Krushan (strain died in 1990s or 2000s, replaced with non-asil branch from UK)
- Dahman Umm Amer (strain died out in either 1980s or 1990s)
- Dahman Shahwan (last stallion still alive, strain replaced with a branch from Germany)
The ones that survive are:
- Jallabi
- Mlolshaan
- Musannan
- Shawaf
- Rabdan
- Tuwaisan
- Sa’eedan
- Kuhaylan al-Aadiyat
- Kuhaylan Ibn Aafess
- Kuhaylan Umm Zorayr
- Ma’naqi (possibly more than one branch surviving)
- Shuwayman
- Hamdani (possibly more than one branch)
- Ubayyan (possibly more than one branch)
- Saqlawi (possibly more than one branch)
From the 15 that remain, it seemed to me that the Ma’naqis were the most threatened.
The first Bahraini Studbook (1978) mentions 22 strains, the Vol.II. (1979/80-1992)gives 20 strains.
…and today, your list contains only 15. Regrettable.
You mentioned that the Krushan (strain died in 1990s or 2000s) was replaced with an non-asil branch from UK. Since Bahrain seems to prize itself on preserving the desert bred Arabians, why would they take non-asils and breed them back into their program?
good question Sidney! it seems they got the mare Lettice a Krush through Dafina as a gift from Saudi Arabia, and that the gift did not have pedigree details other than the Krush strain. There also seems to be a new policy the emphasizes maintaining the original diversity of strains over the purity of the line.
http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/lettice3
Well, “YIPES” on that new policy! They could have gotten an Asil Krush from USA, if they had tried.
So right, Carrie. There are beautiful horses in the US that could fill that slot.
*sigh* I’m gonna keep my young mouth shut on what could be done and the issues with this…but if they adopt this new concept…the “asil” they prize themselves will be become tainted and no longer represent the true Arabian horse since I guess they will breed the stallion back to the mares if he passes all the requirements.
yep that’s the fear. I was younger when I started so speak up Sidney.
Anything we can do?
I fear they would not take heed of a young person from the U.S. trying to tell them ways to protect their herds from diluting their asil blood. They may not even care if they accept this as okay. I talked to Jehangir Rustomjee once and he was a kind and amazing man who answered questions on these lovely horses, but I fear it would be out of place to tell him this. I really want to help this cause though.
then start writing..