A blog on desert arabian horses, past, present and future
Not Botticelli’s, Rubens’ or Canova’s Three Graces, but Danah Al Khalifa’s: Diva, Danika, Daniah. Photos by Jenny Lees. Daniah with the pretty face and the dark mane is the youngest, and is now with Lyman Doyle in Oregon. Diva, the oldest, now dead, is the fleabitten (marshoosha) with the good bone, large eye and broad … Read more
Sir Ruper Hay, a British political agent in Bahrain two these two photos for the UK Royal Geographical Society now part of Getty Images archives online. The top one is captioned: ”The ruler of Bahrein’s Palace, Rifa’a, Bahrain, circa 1926, and the bottom one: The palace of the late ruler of Bahrein at Sakhir, Bahrain, … Read more
Last month, Mayassa Al Arab delivered a nice and lively chestnut filly at Debbie Mackie’s in Illinois. The sire is Firebolt CF, who is Mayassah’s paternal half brother and the only other offspring of Clarion CF. Following an agreement between Debbie and I, Mayassa will be transferred to her after weaning, and the filly, named … Read more
I wanted to say here that I have deleted all my Facebook and Instagram horse accounts, and that I am doing very well without them, thank you. While they were a great way for people to reach out, the knowledge value gained from them was minimal, but the annoyance was not. I am as likely … Read more
Compare the headshot of my Lizaar above, with that her tail female ancestress *Turfa, below, photographed on her way to the UK in 1937. As an aside, I think that *Turfa’s photo below was taken at her documented stopover in Port-Said in Egypt, not in Jeddah as the comment on the Arabian Horse Archives hypothesizes.
Le Encore (Ibn Sirecho x Ibn Fadl’s Finale) was 47% *Turfa.
Basically, a combination of recent genetic testing and historical research has shown that the Kellogg stallion Hanad (photo below), an existing Davenport sireline through his son Tripoli — headsire at Craver Farms — was a son of the Davenport desert-bred import *Azra instead of being a son of the Davenport desert-bred import *Deyr. The genetic … Read more
The statement below was shared with Davenport Arabian Horse Conservancy (DAHC) supporters: The mission of the Davenport Arabian Horse Conservancy is “to enhance public awareness of the Arabian Horse as Homer Davenport knew it.” Our horses are central to that vision and function; we are responsible for their healthy management and their genetic conservation. We … Read more
Video by Christelle Seranne who keeps them for me. As Christelle put it, an Iran versus Bahrain showdown, with an electric fence rather than a Gulf in between.
She reminds me of her sire in the top picture and of her dam in the bottom one. She also reminds me more and more of her half sister Thalia CF. Moira Walker took both pictures.
Kate found this article in the December 18, 1937 edition of the London Illustrated News. It features the story of the desert-bred Arabians gifted by Saudi King Abd al-Aziz Aal Saud to British King George VI, in return for the hospitality extended to his son Crown Prince Saud ibn Abd al-Aziz at the Coronation event … Read more
Photos by Moira Walker who is boarding her for me.
She is by Bashir Al Dirri (now gelded unfortunately) out of my Kinza Al Arab. She looks amazing for a two year old. Photo by proud owner Irmi Atam in Washington state.
The eight are *Turfa, Hannah, Faras, Nuhra, Bahrain, Kasim, Khaibar and Manak. Four females and four males. Nuhra and Bahrain were from “H.H. the Sheik of Bahrain, Persian Gulf, South Arabia”. *Turfa, Hannah, Faras, Kasim, Khaibar and Manak were from “His Majesty King Ibn Saoud of Nejd, Arabia”. Concerning *Turfa, as indicated before, Al Khorma … Read more
The handsome Munir Al Arab, a two year old colt owned by Debbie Mackie in Illinois. He carries some very endangered old American lines forward.
She is still growing, at three years old. Photos by DeWayne Brown at the Doyle Ranch in Alfalfa, Oregon. Pedigree here. Strain Ma’naqi Sbayli (very few left in the USA). In foal to Hamdaany Dafuq for 2027. Perhaps I should have waited one more year before breeding her.
She looks good. Fat even. Photo DeWayne Brown. She is seven years old now. Pedigree here. Strain Saqlawi Marighi (Ubayri).
.. was Shaykhan Al Bahrain, a.k.a “Robbie” (Kuhailaan Aladiyat Hashal x Labwah Al Shaykah), a three year gelding of the Ubayyan Sharrak strain owned by Jenny Krieg. He was just stunning: tight, compact, powerful, stylish and well built. I missed the opportunity to get him when he was a stallion (I had a lot on … Read more
Courtesy of Nina Heidke, who continues to breed the horses of her partner Lee Oellerich, including descendants of *Hadriyah (*Jalam Al Ubayyan x *Savannah) of the Dahmah Shahwan strain.
The best surprise was Monologue CF who is 25 years old this year, and looks very good for his age. He is now fully owned by Darlene Summers. Strain: Hamdani Simri.
AAS Nelyo who is eleven this year, looks like a *Muhaira reincarnation, the color, the body, the style, the bump on the nose, etc. His is closely linebred to her — I counted seven crosses including the tail female — so that’s no surprise. He is dark (no white marks) and was standing in the … Read more
She looks more like an Egyptian mare in this photo, despite having only fiven percent Old Egyptian blood (*Fadl and Sirecho crosses).
Badia Al Arab (Monologue CF x Barakah Al Arab) looked great for a growing two year old; she has substance, style and a good temperament all at once. She is an improvement over her dam, especially in the length of hip, the depth of the jowls (to me very important) and the breadth of the … Read more
The second new *Turfa mare, Lizaar Del Siksikas, is four years old. I could not get good body shots of her because she was just beginning to learn to trust new people so she kept hiding behind the other *Turfa mare. Lizaar has 87.5 percent desert blood and 12.5 percent Egyptian blood (*Fadl and *Nasr … Read more
Today Jenny Krieg and I drove up to Pennsylvania to see my horses and her colt. First time in a year and first time since my return to the US. It was also my first time seeing the two new *Turfa mares, who are very different from each other. I first saw Nejed Cupid, who … Read more
The first mare, Nejed Cupid is the one on the right of the picture, and is in foal to the stallion on the left for a winter (!) baby. The sheep are not part of the lot. The second younger *Turfa mare, Lizaar Del Siksikas, is not in this photo.
Little Jamr’s big daughter. She is now five years old and still growing, taller and broader.
She is now at Moira Walker’s. Hoping for a live foal next year, and hope on a hope, a filly.
Alaa Wusool (“Upon Arrival” in Arabic) traces to the extraordinary *Turfa in the tail female, and is one of the youngest stallions from that lineage alive today. Photo by his breeder in Capulin, CO. I now own a four year old full sister.
Jasminah, a 2017 Wadhnat Khursan of predominantly Iranian and some Egyptian lines is my latest acquisition. She has adjusted well to Southern France. A double great-granddaughter of the beautiful Jezabel, the star mare of the 1980 importation from Iran to Austria, Jasminah is built like a tank, and possesses tremendous power and stamina. The photos … Read more
Jens Sannek shared this article out of the Journal – Arabische Pferde 1982 I, page 33 – written by the late Dr. Ekkehard Frielinghaus. The article, “Bairactar? Sie können ihn besuchen!” has a picture that shows the skeleton of Bairactar, the Siglawi Jidran born in 1813, which is in the museum of the University of … Read more
Al Khamsa has the following information on the Bahraini mare Nuhra (two photos above): A 1936 bay Kuhaylah Wadnah Khursaniyah mare bred by the Amiri Stud of Bahrain. By a Kuhaylan Jallabi by a Kuhaylan Jallabi, and out of a Kuhaylah Wadnah Khursaniyah by a ‘Ubayyan. NOTES: This information is referenced to the Amiri Stud … Read more
More progress in comparing written primary sources on Bahraini horses with each other. This time it’s about Old Dahman I (1938-1970) also known as Dhahmaan Alawwal, one of the foundation stallions of Bahraini breeding. There is this mention on the Bahraini Royal Stud website, which borrows from and builds on Volume I of the Amiri … Read more
His full name was Fatis bin Salim al-Hajiri of Beni Hajar tribe of Qahtan. I found five sources on him in English, and there must be more in Arabic. 1/ In Judith Forbis’ “Pearls of Great Price” 1971 AHW article: “…an ancient Arab named Fetyz, whom nobody knows the true age of and who attended … Read more
Some progress in linking primary sources on older Bahraini horses to each other. The below is an Ubayyah mare in Volume 1 of the Amiri Arabian Stud Book of Bahrain (page 63): Compare with the description of this mare in Judi Forbis’ AHW “Pearls of Graet Price” series, following her 1970 visit to the Amiri … Read more
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 (alt spelling Araiby). There is a full article about him and his dam, as well as awesome pictures of both, in the “Pearls of Great Price” … Read more
I love the intelligent look on the Bahraini stallion Jellaby Kher M45. He is Darak’s great-grandsire. The photo was taken during the WAHO conference of 1998.
Jasminah, by Abu Hamza x Jalidah by Abu Khamseh, 2017 Wadnat Khursan mare. Photo by Christelle Seranne. Bred to Darak for 2027.
Photo by equestrian photographer Bob Langrish.
Four mares were bred to Hamdaany Darak this year. Two of mine (Danika and Jasminah) and two for Christelle Seranne who is keeping him for me, out of Arab-Barb endurance mares. Top photo Marion Wasilewski, bottom photo Christelle Seranne.
Photo from Jens Sannek at his owner’s Johann Helm in Austria. Jellaby Bint Anbara has no progeny unfortunately.
Munir Al Arab is Mayassah’s son by Pulcher Ibn Reshan (ex-Anecdote CF). He belongs to Debbie Mackie.
The stud of Sheykh Muhammad B. Salman Aal Khalifah in Bahrain includes representatives of an Arabian horse strain by the name of “Sa’idan”, of which one impressive representative is the stallion pictured below, Saidan Gharib. The photo from the 1998 WAHO Convention in Bahrain. While the strain sounds very similar to the strain of Saadan … Read more
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
A nice article in Arabian Horse Magazine by Jehangir Rustomjee on his visit to Poland to see Kuheilaan Aafas Maidaan. Below a different photo of him, by © Lidia Pawłowska.
Two new photos of *Munifan and *Munifeh are delighting the Al Khamsa community online. They come from an article in the Western Livestock Journal that is titled “Desert Imports—Crown Prince of Arabia Sends Arabians as Gift to California Horseman.” The three others photos, including *Munifan’s headshot and the two pictures of their son Munisaud are not new.
From top to bottom: Antar DE, Cascade DE and Hadeed DE. All three sons of Tamaam DE (error in the pedigree of Hadeed, who is not by Carver). Photos by Lyman Doyle in summer 2024.
“Kunz al-Durar wa-Jami’ al-Ghurar anz al-Durar wa-Jami al-Ghurar” (The Treasure of Pearls and the Collection of Shining Objects) is a major nine-volume universal history written by the 14th-century Mamluk historian Abū Bakr ibn ‘Abd Allāh ibn Aybak al-Dawādārī. It is considered one of the most important surviving historical sources for understanding Islamic history and the … Read more
By AAS Nelyo out of Barakah Al Arab, her second foal. Easy, uneventful delivery. After keeping watch that night, Sue went to take a shower, came back and there he was out and up.
So happy that this royal Najdi line to *Nufoud, which ten years ago was down to a couple mares only (Belle herself and AB Dafinaah, a cousin at Monica Respet’s) is now fairly safe with a second branch developing at Moira Walker’s. Moira’s colt Landrace Belisarius (by Jamr) and her filly Landrace Bellara (by Pulcher … Read more
I don’t know the photographer.
Photo by proud owner Moira Walker
She is developing well. Photos DeWayne Brown
Some time in 2023-24, the concept of “quiet luxury” gained traction in fashion circles online and offline. It’s always been there, in close circles, but it’s now out in the mainstream. My built-in web AI defines quiet luxury as “an understated fashion movement that prioritizes high-quality materials, timeless design, and discreet elegance.” It tells me … Read more
Some thirty years ago, an aprocryphal story spread in Arabian horses circles about a purported conversation between a senior Western official and a Saudi prince (their names are not the point of the story). It goes that the Western official pleaded for the Prince to register his large herd of Arabian horses — two hundred … Read more
“Nowadays breeding of the Arabian in the Middle East has concentrated on race horses for the Beirut and Cairo race tracks. However this breeding has been tainted by the intrusion of English Thoroughbred blood in the Arabian horses of Iraq. The Iraqi Arabian is bigger and runs faster — but he has lost the look … Read more
I am not sure who colorized this well-known photo of *Haleb, taken by Arthur Moore during Davenport’s trip to Arabia in 1906, but they did a good job (except perhaps for too many blue gowns). The quality of *Haleb shows well. I am reminded of his descendant Mayassah.