A conversation with Lee Oellerich
I was talking to Lee Oellerich earlier today. It had been a while since we last spoke, more than two years. I always learn new things from him.
He told me that he acquired Sawannah then thought to be 22 from Mrs. Kelly and her daughter *Hadriya then 16 (for free) [see amendment in the comments below] from Mrs. Ott in 1970. Both mares were then at the Searle’s ranch in Arizona and running with Ibn Fadl. Sawannah never took but *Hadriya did and foaled a filly (Al Hadiyya) at Lee’s in Canada in 1971. Sawannah died before Lee could come down from Canada to Arizona to pick her up. Both mares were turned down by an AHA inspector because they were “too small”, so had to be registered in IAHRONA. Canada accepted their papers from IAHRONA and registered them. Lee has pictures of both of them unseen before. Lee also told me that Sawannah was given by a member of the Bahraini Aal Khalifah Royal family to a Saudi prince who in turn gave her to the Kellys. He also told me that Danah Al Khalifah had told him that she had shown the well known photo of Sawannah to old Fatis the master of horses in the Bahrain studs and that he immediately recognized her as a Dahmah mare from the Royal stud.
He also told me that he was offered the Bahraini Tuwaisah mare *Thorayyah by John Rogers who was then aged 25 on the condition that he did not breed her to a desert stallion because he disliked Mrs. Ott so much. Lee did not take the offer.
He also told me he obtained *Halwaaji from Sam Roach when she was 25/26 in Graham, Texas and running on a 700 acres ranch around 1979. *Rudann was already dead then. He also got her daughter Taamhaal at age age 2 from Roach, and also the young stallion Ruta-Am. Ruta-Am, Taamhaal, and Hadriya form the basis of his breeding.
He also got *Halwaaji’s daughter *Amiraa directly from Ella Chastain who had got her from Sam Roach when Halwaaji foaled out in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. Ella Chastain also had *Al Obayya as well, which was a Saud family mare, very gorgeous and very speckled mare. He first leased *Amiraa and then bought her from Ella Chastain.
He told me that thought the best desert mare he had seen was a Saudi bay mare at Connie Cobb’s called Idah. She was never registered.
I wonder why the Saudi prince gave a mare they got from Bahrain to Kelly.
Were these the foundation horses for Edie Booth?
best
Bruce Peek
Their sons, daughters, brothers and sisters were.
Edouard: I thought Thorayyah was bred by the Bani Khalid. There was a story in Arabian Horse World, I think some years back that Rogers, at the time the head of Bechtel in KSA, was driving around out in the desert prospecting for oil, and saw the Bani Khalid off in the distance with horses. Excited by what through his field glasses appeared to be a very impressive mare, Rogers made the mistake of zooming in a straight line towards the Bedouin, who thinking these prospectors were coming to steal their horses, responded by shooting warning shots at them to keep them away. Rogers party reportedly beat a hasty retreat. Later making enquiries through Saudi officials the mare was traced to the Bani Khalid and Rogers bought her eventually breeding her to Serafix giving the stallion Meteor who got a ton of good moving colts.
In the present day the Anglo Arabians Vermiculus and Snooze alarm who competed well at 3 day eventing- Rolex in Kentucky and Burleigh (sp) in the UK are noted individuals of the Meteor line who have done well. This appears to be a text book example of how much cradle country asils can do to fix our degenerated general list horses and give them back their true heritage of doing horses.
best
Bruce Peek
I’m working on a Bahraini database, so checked Thorayyah for you, Bruce. It was Bakhaitah that was from the Banu Khaled. Charles saw her, and said she was really something. He would have loved to have had the use of her! Her daughter Muneerah was purchased with her dam. Thorayyah was indeed from Bahrain.
Lee is an excellent horseman, has great horses and a wealth of knowledge to share. I have asked him repeatedly to start writing it all down.
Where in Canada is Lee Oellerich located? I’m wondering if we could get some contact info? best
Bruce Peek
Far west British Columbia. Fairly close to the US line, I believe.
Scot, yes, it would be marvelous to have Lee’s material and knowledge written or recorded for posterity. That is why the Arabian Horse Archives exists. It is just very hard to get it to full steam ahead.
Lee is superlative with horses. I learnt a massive amount from them when we lived on their farm. They also had some Hamdami Simri I believe. Yes. Lee should write stuff down! All the best Lee.
I am going back to this thread after two and a half years, to clarify that Mrs. Ott had given Hadriya to Lee as a gift, not for free. There is a difference there. For free means the horse had a value of zero, while a gift means that no monetary value could be assigned to the horse.
I wish you could have done this sooner. As I believe Lee was unhappy about how it was originally written. Lee and the Otts had a very good relationship, he was one of few she trusted with her horses
this is also my understanding Scot, I am certain Lee would appreciate that an amendment to the original post has been made. I spent a good amount of time with Lee and Nina before they moved away from the Kootenay area in lower BC and have a very lovely stallion (SABBAQ) bred by Lee, who traces tail female to Hadriya. Lee always spoke with appreciation for the Ott’s and I had the impression the sentiment was very much reciprocated. I also appreciate your amendment Edouard.