A touching story about the Sharif Hussein of Mecca

Colin Pearson and Kees Mol’s “The Arabian Horse Families of Egypt” has this story, at once beautiful and sad, about the relationship of the Sharif of Mecca (and King of the Hijaz from 1916-1924) Hussein ibn Ali, head of the Hashemite royal family with one of his mares, Zahra. The story is buried in an endnote on page 149:

On his abdication in 1924, [King Hussein of Hijaz] went to live in Cyprus and took with him two mares and two stallions. Sir Ronald Storrs, the then British High Commissioner of Cyprus, relates how Zahra “the gentlest and most graceful, would step delicately up the flight of many stairs from the garden and walk without shyness to the Salamlik, to be greeted by cries of “Ahlan”, “Ma Sha Allah”, “Allahu Akbar”, or “Qurribi, ya bint ammi” (“Draw nigh, oh daughter of my paternal uncle”). The king would call her “Qurrat al-Ain” — “cooling of the eyelids” — and offer her dates which she would eat slowly, never failing to eject the stones onto a plate.” But tragedy followed. A groom who had been dismissed took his revenge upon the horses and fatally maimed two of them, including Zahra. King Hussein thereupon sold the remaining stallion and mare, and the latter, named Hegazieh, was acquired by T.G.B Trouncer for his stud Sheikh Sudan. Hegazieh was born in 1913 and was still breeding in 1932.

By the way, I recall from memory that the British Arabian Horse Studbook listed a son of Hegazieh by Ibn Radban, named Talal, as imported to the UK in the early 1930s. Strain: Kuhaylan al-‘Ayaleh — an old and glorious strain. Someone may want to check the AHS.