On the background of Krush Al Araibi — the beautiful mare in Bahrain

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I was always curious about the background of the Bahraini stallion Krushan Speckled (aka Krushan Al Marshoosh, also called Krushan Al Aswad), and his beautiful dam Krush Al Araibi. There is a full article about him and his dam, as well as awesome pictures of both, in the “Pearls of Great Price” series of articles that Judith Forbis wrote for Arabian Horse World in 1971. There are also other nice pictures in Danah Al Khalifah’s Pearls of Great Price photo book. 

In addition, below is some of what Volume I of the Amiri Arabian Studbook of Bahrain has to say about Krushan and his dam: 

“The Stud Stallion, Krushan Speckled, was out of the dam Krush El Araibi which was bred by the then Shaikh of Amara, Mohammed El Araibi. He had brought her as a tribute to Shaikh Sulman in the late 1940’s.”

I looked up El Araibi online and found his trace. He was a prominent Iraqi tribal leader, the leader of the al-Bu Muhammad tribe, following the death of his father Araibi Pasha (photo below). 

His tribe, the al-Bu Muhammad, are located in the Amarah district of Southern Iraq, on the Tigris river, just across the border from Iran. They form a part of the larger tribe of al-‘Azzah who are themselves part of the Zubaid confederation. 

According to his online biography, Muhammad Al Araibi was born around 1895 and died in 1971. He was a powerful man in his day, with close ties to the Iraqi Hashemite dynasty and Prime Minister Nuri al-Said. His ties to various Gulf monarchs are also emphasized. 

Now the story of Krush Al Araibi starts to make sense. She was the mare of the leader of a large and important southern Iraqi tribe, straddling the border of Khuzistan in Iran. This leader had ties to Gulf country rulers, among which the Amir of Bahrain. He brought the mare as a gift to the Amir of Bahrain. 

Her strain of Kuhaylan Krush is still present in  Iranian Khuzistan just across the border from Amarah. Horses from that strain in the extreme west of Khuzistan are likely to be related to Krush Al Araibi and her son Krushan Al Aswad.