Dr. Sandra Olsen published this article in “Arabian Humanities” on “Insight on the Ancient Arabian Horse from North Arabian Petroglyphs”. If you don’t want to read the entire article, skim through it, look at the pictures and compare with your own horses. Stylized depictions of the horse did not begin with the Orientalists.
The link below leads to a video from the British Pathé’s Reuters Archive, showing parts of a competition held in Beirut: LEBANON: BEIRUT: HORSE PARADE OF BEST ARAB STALLIONS. (1959) The British Pathé’s description of the video is given below: Background: The proud and nobly-bred Arab stallion came under scrutiny, October 10, during a competition in Beirut, Lebanon, to select the most perfect animal of the breed. Kuwaits’ ruler, Sheikh Abdullah Sabah, provided strong competition with horses from his Arab stock, but failed to outclass the entry from Iraq. According to age, the horses were placed in one of three sections, Winner of the section for animals over three years of age, was an Arab stallion, owned by Mr. Mirrahi of the Lebanon. A three-year-old Arab horse from Iraq won the intermediate class, for Mr. Mikkaoui. Iraq also claimed first place in the class for the under three-year-old, when a horse owned by Henri Pharaon was chosen. Of interest are two of Edouard’s previous posts on Arab horses from Lebanon: *LEBNANIAH ROSTER PROPOSAL TO AL KHAMSA (2009): Mentions the al-Mi’rabi family. Cf. “Mr. Mirrahi of the Lebanon” in the British Pathé text above; the British Pathé descriptions do not always have…
One of the most stunning Davenport pictures ever taken is this picture of the Davenport broodmare Bint Anta (El Alamein x Antan by Antez), the dam of Regency CF, Fiddledeedee, Orient, Reprise, Levant CF, and many others, a Hamdaniyah Simriyah. Photo by the most talented photographer, Anita Westfall. Photo courtesy of Jeanne Craver. You cannot unsee that look, and you cannot but help looking back.