Several productive discussions have recently taken place in public and in private about the proposed draft of the Arabian Horse Manifesto. Earlier this year, I started a series of posts on this blog under the title “Toward a New Manifesto of the Arabian Breed“. After receiving plenty of feedback, and discussions with Arab and non-Arab figures active in the Arabian horse sphere, I am happy to share a more solid draft, with values, principles, and definitions, for more discussions and comments: The Introduction Vision Our vision is a new era of the Arabian Horse that is based on the acknowledgment of its original qualities, more understanding and learning of its historical background, higher respect of its cultural values and context, better cooperation between the East and West, and the adoption of modern science in drawing the future of the breed. Mission The Arabian Horse Manifesto aims at setting a common direction for the community of the Arabian Horse at large, including breeders, researchers, registration bodies, and academia, to unite and align our endeavors for sustaining and prospering the Asil Arabian Horse, and maintaining its authenticity and quality. Introducing the Manifesto The highly famed and distinguished Arabian breed is at a…
A photo of the wonderful Syrian-bred Shuwaymah Sabbah stallion Mahboub Halep at Jean Claude Rajot several days ago. To me, this horse exemplifies the desert Arabian horse as he should be. I wish he had opportunities to cover mares from more diverse lineages. As Lady Anne Blunt said of Aziz in his prime: “He looks gorgeous”. Photo by Severine Vesco from social media.
Here is a photo of another member of the Barakah[imp] tail female line, the stallion Sidi Egyptian Storm. The line almost died with Baraka as a number of the imports contracted strangles. Here is the full story of the importation. Breeder: A.W.A. (Jack) Maritz Owner: Sanniesguns Boerdery Trust Photo provided by Raymond Schierschmidt Another photo. Sidi Bint Maistro, maternal granddam to Sanniesguns Sahara. Sidi Bint Maistro Breeder: A.W.A. (Jack) Maritz Owner: Raymond Schierschmidt (photo)
Kuwaiti researcher Yahia al-Kandari edited a treatise on Arab horses by Father Anastas al-Karmali (1866-1947), the Lebanese Carmelite priest and linguist. The treatise “al-Khayl al-‘Irab 3inda al-Arab wa al-A3raab” was published by Bait al-Arab. Interestingly, the title of the book features three difference uses of the term ‘Arab’.
I found these photos in the first edition of the Austrian stud book. Not the best quality, but at least it’s not an artist’s interpretation. Tohfa (Emam x Folla, by Ibn Barakat) 1962 arabian mare Breeder: Ahmed Hamza, Hamdan Stables Owner: Fatma Hamza, Cairo / Gustl Eutermoser, Arabergestüt Schieferegg Tail Male: Jamil El Kebir (APK) Tail Female: Folla (TAH) Ancestral Elements Tahawi, 50.0% Egypt I, 36.3% Egypt II, 12.5% Blunt, 1.2% Ghada (Emam x Bint Folla, by Hamdan) 1969 arabian mare Imported to Austria 15/05/1970 Breeder: Ahmed Hamza, Hamdan Stables Measurements (adult): 150 – 171 -18 Owner: Gustl Eutermoser, Arabergestüt Schieferegg Also known as *Ghadaa (imp. 1982) Photo: Henry Garde Tail Male: Jamil El Kebir (APK) Tail Female: Folla (TAH) Ancestral Elements Egypt I, 61.3% Tahawi, 25.0% Egypt II, 12.5% Blunt, 1.2%
Power and grace in motion at 25 years young. I have a sense this will become a beloved picture.
Eugene Geyser of Nabilah stud informed me that our stallion, Gülilah Sawwan (Mahib imp] x Gülilah Saraqa, by Shari-Silic Abkar), is the last living son of Mahib. Sawwan is a blend of Gülilah and Nabilah stud’s bloodlines as the two have been intertwined for decades. Here’s more information about the Nabilah stud. Gülilah Sawwan , 2001 stallion. Photo courtesy of Maretha Garbers Coetzee Mahib[imp] (Ibrahim x Mahabba, by Madkour) 1982 stallion. Imported by Mrs. Helga Aschenborn. Sawwan’s case becomes even more interesting when you consider that he is the sole SE, tail male representative of the Ibrahim branch of the Hadban Enzahi descendants in Southern Africa. Mahib did, however, have a maternal half-brother Malesh, that was imported. Ibrahim (Mahomed x Mahiba, by Alaa el Din) Ibrahim was photographed in his stall, shortly after his arrival in Kuwait by W. George Olms. (“Zuruck unter Allah’s Sonne”, Arabische Pferde Nr. 1 ’89) Now we’re making a concerted effort to preserve the Mahib line in Asil arabian breeding, perhaps even his sire line. There’s interest for two mares to visit, one SE, one Asil with a Courthouse damline (One for the list Kate!). The logistics is an absolute nightmare. Throw in the drought, COVID…
I was on the trail of offspring of the Bábolna bred Hadban I (Hadban Inzihi x 24 Gazlan, by Gazlan), a stallion imported to Namibia in 1910. I got stuck into a stack of magazines and I found something unexpected. In the March 1958 edition of the Sankt Georg magazine is an article written by Dr. F. Pilawka after a recent visit to Sidi Thabet, Tunisia. There are three photos that I’ve never seen before and I thought you guys might be interested. I’ve taken the liberty of adding a translation. The desert stallion “Tabriz” from the domain of Maknassy, eight years old, raced before he came to Sidi Thabet. The desert stallion “Ibn” from breeding that is the domain of “Bir Chaïba, fourteen years old, former, successful racer, currently a senior stallion. “Aissauê” an up and coming stallion in Arabian breeding, recently ended his racing career, 5 years old.
Below is a photograph of the young Morafic son Ahir (out of Deenaa), aged two. The photo, taken by Zelda Welgemoed, and shared by Wilton Burger, was taken at the Sahiby Stud in Tokai. Ahir was bred by Gleannloch, and imported to South Africa by Dr Valérie Noli-Marais, who used him on Sahiby Bint Baraka, the daughter of the Egyptian mare Barakah and the Bahraini stallion Tuwaisan. Ahir and Sahiby Bint Baraka had three foals, two of which were colts – Sahiby Asham and Sahiby Tuwaisan – and one filly, Sahiby Noura. Sahiby Noura was then bred back to her own sire twice, producing one colt, Sahiby Rifki, and the celebrated broodmare, Sahiby Juleemah, from whom all the asil al-Mimrah horses in South Africa descend. Ahir left other asil offspring, besides the Barakah descendants. Dr Noli-Marais also imported the Straight Egyptian mare AK Bint Gamilaa (Ibn Moniet El Nefous x Gamilaa); she produced three colts – Sahiby Al Hasni, Sahiby Al Jiwan, and Sahiby Gamaal El Arab – and one filly – Sahibi Bint Ahir – by him. Subsequently, Mr Maritz imported another Straight Egyptian mare Lar Malika (Al Fattah x Talara), who produced the filly Sidi Morafica by Ahir,…
These two previous posts are part of this series: هذين المنشورين السابقين هما جزء من هذه السلسلة TOWARD A NEW MANIFESTO OF THE ARABIAN BREED (Here) نحو بيان عام جديد للحصان العربي THE MANIFESTO OF THE ARABIAN BREED – PART I (Here) الإعلان العام للجواد العربي – الجزء الأول The following post provides PART II of the proposed Manifesto. The goals is to reach a globally agreed definition of the Asil Arabian Horse that can serve as a clear and actionable basis for any future organized effort to list and/or register the Asil Arabian. هذا المنشور يمثل الجزء الثاني من الإعلان العام المقترح. والهدف هو الوصول إلى تعريف عالمي متفق عليه للحصان العربي الأصيل بحيث يقدم أساساً عملياً قابلاً للاستخدام لأي عمل تنظيمي مستقبلي يتضمن قاعدة بيانات أو سجل للجواد العربي. The definition builds on previous work by the Asil organizations such as Al Khamsa and Asil Club. It consists of two sections; the definition statement, and definition notes. The definition notes is what makes it an actionable and working definition. They provide a practical mechanism for applying the definition within any organizational framework such a database or a registry. التعريف مبني على مجهودات سابقة من المنظمات المعنية بالأصالة مثل…
An 1893 grey Hamdani Simri stallion. His dam, Safra, was by the Ali Pasha Sharif stallion Shueyman and out of the Mahmud Bey-Ghezireh mare Sobha. His sire, *Shahwan, has been featured on this blog before, and you can read about him here. Safran was used by the Blunts for breeding, although his influence ended up being pretty much negligible, and he was sold at the 1898 Crabbet Park sale. He had actually been bred to his 2nd dam, Sobha, who produced a grey colt in 1899, “…died immediately, a loss as [Safran] had been sold in 1898.” A description of him, Country Life Illustrated, 7 August 1897: “…but the pick of the basket was a really beautiful four year old named Safran, by Shahwan – Safra (Hamdani Simri). He is quite a pony, only 14h., I think , but a perfect little gentleman, with wonderful power and substance for his size, on the shortest of legs, with long sloping shoulders, short powerful back and loins, the most bloodlike head and neck imaginable, and all quality. He is a perfect little picture, and worth a big price, if only to look at, though I was told…