El Salil Paloma is a 2009 Saqlawiyah Jadraniyah from the Nabilah tail female line, in South Africa, out of the mare Induba Wasifa, by the Kuhaylan al-Mimrah stallion Skarabee Picasso. Nabilah (Enzahi x Zamzam) was one of the two Egyptian mares imported in 1945 from the Royal Agricultural Society by Claude Orpen, along with the well-known Mimrahiyah Barakah. After arriving in South Africa, Nabilah was sent to Namibia, where she produced her daughter Inzam Saklabilah by the stallion Gordonville Ziyadan. All Nabilah’s descendants today trace to this one registered daughter. In addition to her status as one of the rare Nabilah line mares, El Salil Paloma is precious in South African asil breeding, as she is also one of the few Nabilah tail female descendants without Hanan or Tifla. To date she has produced two asil foals, a colt by El Salil Benjamin and a filly by Kromar Xoyatan, but the filly sadly died last month. Paloma herself nearly did not make it to adulthood, as her owner and breeder Fallon Thiele writes: When Paloma was a 3month old filly she was caught in a snare, it severed her back tendon on her right hind leg. We nearly put her…
Published in July 1971 by Danah Al Khalifa. All photos by her, unless otherwise indicated. Her photo captions are included. “To the starting post!” Each Friday from November till May, a popular meeting place is His Highness Sheikh Isa’s private racetrack. Races are informal and unique in style. No betting, no prizes, nevertheless each competitor is keen to ride a winner. Every colt and filly is race trained to it’s worth! It is in racing that the good or the bad points of conformation, character and HEART come out. They start to race at three years of age if well developed, over a distance of six furlongs (1200m.) The distance is increased with age, up to two miles, and some horses are still racing when fifteen years old. Stallions and mares race in mixed groups. “Jockeys come in all sizes!” (Photo: R. Paterson) “A mare’s excitement at the start.” “and a stallion’s protest! Shawaf: “Unchanged by the years, a grand old Arab and his grand old steed take part in a festive parade.” “And jockeys come in different styles!” Homestretch!! No whips are permitted! … But sometimes a hollow bamboo reed is used as it…
Published in July 1971 by Danah Al Khalifa. All photos by her, unless otherwise indicated. Her photo captions are included. HAMDANIEH: ” … how exquisite her ears, pointed as a date flower bud … ” “An Arabian beauty with a dropped veil!” During date harvest season when flies are bothersome, some favourites get a ‘rish-rash’ for eye protection – this one’s slipped down. Grey Dahman with Arab headstall. Grey racing mares in ‘summer flesh’. DAHMEH: ” … her chest is power … ” (Photo: Forbis) ‘BAY RACING MARES IN SUMMER FLESH’. Dark bays, the most prominent colour in the royal stud. JETHENIEH: ” … her large head flexeth with ease … ” ‘On a promenade’. MA’ANAGY: “A son of Old Bay Jellaby, young, proud and spirited, yet so gentle a young girl can handle him.” (At private stud.) HATHBEH: ” … know that ye must bridle her with a sizeable and strong bit … ” ‘A young Sheikh on his favourite mare.’ Hamdany and Tuwaisan: “High spirited playful young stallions.” DAHMEH. “On wings and springs.” a) The free flying trot so characteristic of a true hotblood. b) The powerful and bold…
Published in July 1971 by Danah Al Khalifa. All photos by her, unless otherwise indicated. Her photo captions are included. Shuwaimeh & Shawafah. Two expectant mothers. (Photo: Forbis) Hamdany. A new born colt, four hours old. In future will become a dark bay. Hamdany Ibn Krushan. Three weeks old, was born black but on reaching maturity will become silver grey. Hamdany. A dark grey weanling colt pictured when six months old. Hamdany was born dark brown, his second coat dark grey, however on reaching maturity he will be a pure white horse. To accustom the horse to being chained by the legth first lesson is to tie a thick rope around the front pastern for a few days, as shown in this photograph. Hamdanieh. Weanling filly pictured at 7 months of age. Born brown, second coat roan. She is a future speckled grey. “Jellaby Ibn Krushan, a two year old colt. Born black but a future silver grey. Arabs often compare their best horses with the Saluki, the Arabian greyhound, in good points.” At this time the colt is broken to rider and halter, to stand still when mounted and to walk, turn and stop.…
Published in July 1971 by Danah Al Khalifa. All photos by her, unless otherwise indicated. Her photo captions are included. Bahrain’s mounted police leaving the Guest Palace Old Speckled Jellaby, pictured at 34 years of age, sired his last foal the same year. Born 1930, died 1968. (a note in pencil reads: “Tuwaisan’s sire of dam” – Wilton) Photo: M. Shakib Tuwaisan: A treasured racing stallion of Bahrain, was a royal gift to a private stud in South Africa. (Photo: Dr. Valérie Noli-Marais) Old Bay Dahman, in his shady teasing cage, photographed at the age of 30 years while he was still at stud. Born 1938 died 1970. A mare exploding in high spirits. Old Bay Jellaby, at the age of 28 years, still at stud. Sire Old Bay Jellaby. (Photo: F. Alqusaibi) Krushan, son of Old Speckled Jellaby, pictured at 18 years of age. Born 1952 died 1970. Young Bay Jellaby now at stud, aged 16 years, is full brother to Old Bay Jellaby. Young Bay Dahman, pictured at 8 years, was sired by Old Bay Jellaby and now replaces Old Bay Dahman at stud. Hamdany aged 7 years,…
All photos by Danah Al Khalifa unless otherwise indicated. Sheikh Mohammed bin Sulman Shawaf sired a breeding mare for Sheikh Mohammed bin Sulman’s stud out of Jellabieh No. M1. Bred by the Royal Stud, served as breeding stallion for the Mounted Police. Hamdany Riadh (top); Ma’anagieh Marshoosha (bottom) – photo: Dr. Valérie Noli-Marais. Neither are listed as belonging to any particular stud. Danah Farm Danah Al Khalifa writes: The breeding program at Danah Farm is centered around the foundation mare SITAH, ‘Hamdaniah Feisul’ and her offspring. Sitah’s history is documented from the time she was acquired as a two year old filly in 1964, at the Najd encampment of Emir Abdulla bin Saud. It was stated by the caretaker of the horse herd that Sitah was bred by Crown Prince Feisal bin Abdul Aziz, and was out of a Hamdaniah Ghiam mare of the horses of Al Saud, and by stud stallion Saqlawy El Njemy from the horses of Al Rasheed. Sitah No. D1 (Saqlawi El Njemy x Hamdanieh Ghiam) – mare b. 1961 photo: Dr. Valérie Noli-Marais Dhiab No. D4 – stallion b. 1972 (Ma’anagy El Saghir No. 300 x Sitah No. D1) (top); Burkaan…
Published by Danah al Khalifa in 1980. Photos listed in the same order with pedigree info provided. All photos by Danah al Khalifa, unless otherwise indicated. Shawafa 264 b. 1975 (Ma’anaghi El Kebir x Shawafa Nr. 160) Dahman II Jellaby Sakhir – after 30 in 1980 Old Dahman (photo: Dr. Valérie Noli-Marais) Jellaby Wazmiah in old age Dahman 296 – stallion b. 1970 (Ma’anaghi El Saghir No. 300 x Dahmeh El Hamra No. 23) Dameh 23 & Colt. Dameh El Hamra No. 23 – mare b. 1965 (Old Dahman I x Bint Dahmeh El Shagara) Dahman El Ahmar No. 196 – stallion, 2yr (top) (Ma’anagy El Saghir No. 300 x Dahmeh El Hamra No. 23). Hadfan No. 298 – stallion, 2yr, (bottom) b. 1978 (Ma’anagy El Saghir No. 300 x Hadfah No. 159) Hamdany bin Um Shamy No. 81 – stallion b. 1973 (top) (Dahman II x Hamdanieh Um Shamy No. 119). Hamdanieh Bint Um Shamy No. 257 – mare b. 1975 (Hamdany No. 75 x Hamdanieh Um Shamy No. 119) Shuwaimah Nr. 48 – mare b. 1973 (Hamdany Nr. 71 x Shuwaimah No. 47) (left); Hamdanieh Johara No. 305 – mare b.…
Kim Davis has a new colt by Othello LD out of HH Nadira Krush, in yet another demonstration of the continued vitality of her wonderful breeding program. It looks like he will be black after his sire and grandsire.
A rare photo of Abd al-Jalil al-Naqashbandi, one of the preeminent Sufis of the Euphrates Valley, and the owner of a famous marbat of Kuhaylan al-Nawwaq that is now 110 years old. He is pictured here on one of his Nawwaqiyah mares. He was a partner of Fanghash al-Nawwaq, who was the last member of the Nawwaq family to own horses they gave their name to. A precious photo.
This was Belle, the Kuhaylat al-Ajuz, with my daughter Solenn in 2018. Belle was 16, Solenn 5. I am still on a quest to know who this line of horses originally belonged to, back in 1925. I have clues but no hard facts.
I like this image so much that I will make it a blog header for a few days. I think the beautiful mare on the left is a Kuhaylat al-Mimrah.
This year I will be using for the first time frozen semen from one of the Syrian stallions now in France. I chose Arnault Decroix’s Dahjani Al Arab (same prefix as my horses, by chance). He is a Kuhaylan Da’jaani from the old Syrian desert bloodlines I have known and loved for three decades (sheesh!). He traces directly to the Kuhaylan Da’jaani marbat of Ahmad al-Taha, the Shaykh of the large Juhaysh tribe in Northern Iraq. This is the same breeder as El Nasser’s, the Kuhaylan Da’jani which Egypt’s Royal Agricultural Society (RAS) used in the 1940s. These bloodlines are quite prized for racing in Syria today. Just look at the striking similarity between El Nasser and Dahjani Al Arab, 80 years apart.
A quick snapshot of little Bassma from two weeks ago. She is unfolding slowly. I will be back in the USA in July and will take good pictures. I just love the combination of bloodlines this filly brings. A Saudi tail female to *Nufoud with a cross to *Turfa in the bottom, a female line to *Wadduda on her sire’s side, plenty of Davenport blood all over (11/16), and a dose of Doyle lines (3.5/16) for good measure. So proud to have been able to continue this wonderful *Nufoud line, walking in the footsteps of the late Carol Lyons.
RJ Cadranell took this nice photo of Belladonna CHF several years ago. She was a Kuhaylat al-Ajuz tracing to *Nufoud, and was a favorite mare of mine. I saw her in 2001. She is my Bell’s dam and Barakah and Bassma’s grand-dam