Strain of the Week: Krush al-Baida at the Shammar today

As I put the final touches of the fourth and last entry of the feature on the Krush al-Baida strain, take a second look at the three previous entries on this precious strain, here, here, and here. Also, check out this account of a conversation about Krush al-Baida with Shaykh Faysal ibn Sattam ibn Mayzar al-‘Abd al-Muhsin al-Jarba.

By the way, the Royal Stud of the Kingdom of Bahrain still retains a line from the Kuhaylan al-Krush strain, from the same branch as Krush al-Baida, “the White Krush”. Here is an exerpt from the Krush page of the Royal Stud’s website, followed by a picture of a Bahraini representative of this strain: 

“It is said by some that the original Krushieh mare came from the Muteyr tribe – and by others that the original came from the Al Rasheed, Amirs of Hail from 1835-1924. Yet everyone agrees that the strain has been in Bahrain since the 1850’s. This old family of Krush is perpetuated through the tail female line, and is predominantly of bay colour.” 

Note that the Krush al-Baida horses of the marbat of Mayzar al-‘Abd al-Muhsin al-Jarba of the Shammar tribe in Syria are from the very same fountainhead – that is, the Dawish leading clan of the Mutayr tribe – as the Bahrain Krush horses. They are also overwhelmingly bay in color. Look at this headshot of Bahr al-Hadi, a bay stallion owned by Shaykh Ahmad al-Daham al-Hadi al-Jarba of the Shammar tribe. Shaykh Ahmad received Bahr’s granddam as a gift from his distant cousins, the sons of Mayzar al-Abd al-Muhsin al-Jarba. Mayzar  al-Abd al-Muhsin is the owner of the marbat of Krush al-Baida. Among the Shammar of Syria the association off Mayzar al-‘Abd al-Muhsin with the strain of Krush al-Baida is such that the strain is currently known as Krush al-Abd al-Muhsin after his name.  

Okay, what was supposed to be a teaser for an entry to come soon has now become an entry of its own. Oh well.. Stay tuned for the Krush al-Baida finale.