Sidi Mabrouka

I have to admit that this mare has always been a favourite of mine, ever since I saw her at my first endurance ride at the age of sixteen. One of her owners, Mr. Paul Kotzé of Diepsand Stud, sent me some screenshots of her, that I will replace when I receive the photos. The photos were taken when she was already 23, after foaling, but you can still see what a quality mare she was. Sidi Mabrouka was bred by Mr. A.W.A. (Jack) Maritz of Farm Kamkuip, South Africa. She is by Raafeek[imp] (Ibn Morafic x Surrayah, by Morafic) out of Sahîby Juleemah (Ahir[imp] x Sahîby Noura, by Ahir[imp]). She falls within the earlier non-Minstril group of offspring. Sidi Mabrouka age 23    List of registered offspring (South African Studbook): Durakha Sarab, by W.D. Majesty[imp] (Prince Fa Moniet x Lar Monieta, by A.K. Shah Moniet) 1991 stallion. No offspring. Sabaa Hamdan, by Sabaa Ibn Muneera (Sidi Ibn Muneera x Durakha Arisa, by Ahir[imp]), 2000 stallion. Sired one filly, Sabaa Juleemah. Status: “Biological Identification Required”. No registered offspring. Kibriya Nishkur – to be discussed later. Sidi Mabrouka then found her way to the Tir’at Stud of Mr. P.A.L. Nel, a long-time…

A hujjah in M. Rousseau’s ‘Lettre sur les chevaux arabes’, 1813

The hujjah published by Rousseau, in 1813, in Fundgruben des Orients, vol. 3, was printed by the journal both in Arabic, and translated into French. I reproduce both versions here below. “Au nom de Dieu, clément et miséricordieux, de qui nous attendons, toute assistance et secours.” “Le prophète dit: mon peuple ne se réunira jamais pour affirmer l’erreur.” “Voici l’objet de cet écrit authentique: Nous soussignés déclarons devant le Dieu suprême, certifions et attestons, en jurant par notre sort, notre fortune et nos ceintures, que la jument baie marquée d’une étoile blanche au front, et dont un pied de l’arrière-main, et un de l’avant sont blancs, descend d’aïeux nobles, tant du côté maternel que du côté paternel, par trois filiations directes et consécutives; qu’elle est véritablement née d’une cavale seglaaouié d’Al-Cazran du Nedjed, et d’un étalon de la race de choueyman Elisebbah, et qu’elle reunit les qualités de ces jumens dont parle le Prophète, lorsqu’il dit: leurs seins sont des trésors et leurs dos des sièges d’honneur. “Appuyés du témoignage de nos predecesseurs, nous attestons, sur notre sort et notre fortune, que la jument en question est d’une origine noble et qu’elle est aussi pure que le lait; qu’elle est renommée par sa légèreté et sa…

A hujjah from 1808

The works of the Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt (1784-1817) were published after his death, by the African Association. The book in which this hujjah is found, Notes on the Bedouins and Wahábys, was the last of his books to be published, in 1831. The subject of the hujjah is a Saqlawi colt, out of a famous white Saqlawiyah, sired by a bay Kuhaylan stallion. “GOD. “Enoch. “In the name of the most merciful God, the Lord of all creatures, peace and prayers be with our Lord Mohammed and his family and his followers until the day of judgment; and peace be with all those who read this writing, and understand its meaning. “The present deed relates to the grayish brown colt, with four white feet and a white mark on the forehead, of the true breed of Sakláwye, called Obeyán, whose skin is as bright and unsullied as milk, resembling those horses of which the Prophet said, ‘True riches are a noble and pure breed of horses;’ and of which God said, ‘The war horses, those which rushed on the enemy with full blowing nostrils,—those which plunge into the battle early in the morning.’ And God spoke the truth in his incomparable…

A hujjah from 1722

Below is the text of a hujjah from the early eighteenth century. It was published in Thomas Pennant’s 1776 British Zoology. Note that the English consul was already aware of the fact that proof of ancestry was needed to confirm that a horse was truly an Arab. The horse that is the subject of this hujjah appears to be a Ma’naqi. The footnote to the hujjah also mentions pure in the strain breeding. Taken before ABDORRAMAN, KADI of ACCA. The Occaſion of this present Writing or Inſtrument is that at ACCA in the Houſe of Badi legal establiſh’d Judge, appear’d in Court Thomas Uxgate the Engliſh Conſul and with him Sheikh Morad Ebn al Hajj Abdollah, Sheikh of the County of Safad, and the ſaid Conſul deſir’d from the aforeſaid Sheikh proof of the Race of the Grey Horſe which he bought of him, and He affirm’d to be Manaki Shadûhi*, but he was not satiſfied with this but deſir’d the Teſtimony of the Arabs, who bred the Horſe and knew how he came to Sheikh Morad; whereupon there appear’d certain Arabs of Repute whoſe names are undermention’d, who teſtified and declar’d that the Grey Horſe which the Conſul formerly bought of Sheikh Morad, is Monaki Shadûki of the pure Race of Horſes, purer than Milk†, and that the…

Three generations of Murana I mares at Marbach

The photo below shows the three mares (from left) Sachida, Sadana and Sandara, daughter, dam, and granddam, at Marbach in 1992. Photo purchased from In The Focus. Sachida’s pedigree. Sachida had nine registered foals, five of whom were asil fillies. These were: Sarina, 1993 grey mare, by Nami Saadawi, 1995 grey mare, by Nami Sabita, 1996 grey mare, by Serenity Habib Sahalina, 1997 grey mare, by Neshan Sabola, 2004 grey mare, by NK Bolbol Sarina has three asil daughters who have produced foals at Marbach, Sabiha II, Sangule, and Sarafine. Of Saadawi’s asil daughters, only WM Sahaabah has produced registered offspring to date. Sabita and Sahalina have no recorded foals, and Sabola is the dam of two colts. Sadana’s two other asil daughters Sahira and Souha have left no asil fillies to continue their line. That said, the stallion Sahil Ibn Farag II-3 (out of Souha) is a source of Murana I in mid-pedigree, with two asil colts bred at Marbach, and a daughter Farah Hafida Farag II-3 foaled in 2020 at Stephanie Weirich’s Farag Arabians. (A previous post on the 25-Amurath Sahib descendants being bred at Farag Arabians can be read here.) Sandara has another asil branch of descent…