The Beirut, Lebanon, race track built in 1910 was a rare piece of Levantine-Florentine architecture that was destroyed in 1982. The Baghdad, Iraq, race track was built in 1920. When the Bagdad racetrack was closed due to political upheavals in Iraq, horse racing in Beirut flourished. Many of the Iraqi racehorse owners began racing their horses in Beirut, where they spent the hot summer months. Iraqi horses began to come to Beirut in the end of the 1940’s. These horses were often from a different type than the desert Syrian horses who until then were a majority at the Beirut racetrack and the Iraqis began to win nearly every race. In 1953, Gilbert Asseily, the well-known journalist in charge of the horse racing section of the French speaking news paper “L’Orient” wrote an article with the title “Why Iraqi horses are beating our horses”, where he said: “these horses are from the progeny of the Anglo Arab “Tabib” and I suggest that they run in separate races”. Of course, nobody took his advice seriously and the Iraqi horse invasion amplified after 1958 when the new Iraqi military leader Abdul Karim Kassem closed the Baghdad racetrack. When in 1987 the Syrian Ministry of Agriculture, followed in 1990 by the Lebanese SPARCA…
. These two horses are from the Tabib blood line They are completely diferent from the French horses,with Thouroughbred blood, that we posted and from today French race horses. The Iraqis are saying roughly that if Tabib (al Souri) was really a Thouroughbred or an Anglo Arab his sons and grand -sons should have been faster than ordinary Arab horses. Dr. Mohamed el Nujaifi have published the results and times recorded by Iraqi horses on the Bagdad racetrack with and without Tabib blood they are almost the same. He also posted the times of Iraqi Anglo -Arabs, there is really a difference between the times recorded between them and the Tabib blood line horses. I ‘m not taking the Iraqi horses defense ,they are WAHO registered,and free to be sold anywhere in the world.This is what matter for the Iraqis after a ban who lasted more than 15 years,and many scandals due to wars, horses substitution and forged papers;the same happened in the beginning of the 90’s with Russian horses due to the late USSR end. Today everything is in order and they can export horses,the Nujaifi’s sent, this year, 6 horses to race in Europe with not much success ,I may say. They dont care much on what we think about their horses, as long…
I am preparing an entry about the stud of the Iraqi family of al-Nujaifi near Mosul. This family has been breeding Arabian horses for the past 100 years and even sold some mares to the Turkish horsebuying commission in the 1930s. This short report from the WAHO website showcases the young stallion Dahman Bagdad from the al-Nujaifi breeding (scroll down to the Iraq section). Dahman Baghdad
As Edouard said “relying on second hand sources can be a problem”.I say relying on first hand sources can also be a problem. Are the sources and information for accepting a horse as Asil always reliable.? Take the Egyptian Stud Book we have to rely on the word of Egyptian stud manager who sometimes wrote under “Asil” Anglo Arabs(Raswan index photocopies),we never heard about this horses, were they being used as “Asil” on Arab mares ? who knows? maybe. The horses bought from Hazem Pasha( a thcherkesse) by El Hadad were very tall horses,a little bit unusal for Bedouin bred horses. the mares height: Geheilt el Sheriff 1.58m, Kheila 1.60m, Siglavy Bagdadi was 1.56m.Mersuch 1.57m.Those horses were not ,except Mersuch, Hazem pasha breeding.Siglavy Bagdadi is said to be by the Ruweylat, Wifrid Blunt wrote that Iraqi tribes crossed their mares with Turkmen horses,the south of Bagdad region was breeding horses for the Indian race market, (Major General Tweedie,The Arab and his horse). It is very difficult to recognize a Pure from a part bred ,Edouard father experienced this in Beirut,the only way is inside informers like the police. Ie:In 1897 Prince Roman Sanguszko acquired from Ali Pasha sherif a white stallion called “Massad”.”Massaad” was “the one sent from…
This is a picture of Nouro, an Arabian stallion from Syria being trained at the stables next door to where I work as a racehorse trainer.
This paint horse has 99.8% Arabian blood. If he were to be crossed with an Asil mare, the offspring would be a 99.9% Arabian horse, much like more than 95% of all WAHO-accepted horses. Count Alexander Dzieduszycki, the president of the Arab Horse Breeding Society of Poland from 1925 to 1945 called such horses “full blooded Arabs”. Now someone try and explain this to a Bedouin!!
Kuhailan Haifi I is the only son of the desert bred import Kuhailan Haifi out of the Babolna mare Mersuch 1-3-1 (Kohejlanka in Polish breeding). He was exported to Babolna in 1938, where he was renamed “Tajar”. He left two Asil mares: 21 kuhaylan Haifi I, which left no Asil progeny; and 250 kuhailan Haifi I the dam of the Stallion Siglavy Bagdady VI which Edouard recently wrote about. This leads me to surmise that there may be Asil horses from Babolna lines left, trough the Babolna mares taken by the Germans during WWII, rescued by the Poles, who returned them in 1951 to Babolna. Maybe Tzviah can help ?
The three mares Rabda Khuszaiba, Hadba Inzihi, and Szeikha were bought by Zientarski and Raswan in the same mission as the stallions Kuhailain Haifi, Kuhailan Zaid, Kuhailan Kruszan and Kuhailan Afas. The photos of these 3 mares are taken from Britta Fahlgren’s “The Arabian Horses Families of Poland“. All three mares were bred by and bought from the large Muntafiq Bedouin tribe. Rabda Khuszaiba (by a Kuhailan Krush x Rabda Khuszaiba) had a small breeding record, and all her progeny seems to have been lost during World War II. Hadba Inzihi (by a Kuhailan Krush x Hadba Inzihi) was also lost during the war with nothing left from her (neither Asil or non-Asil). Szeikha (by a Dahman Shehwan x Kuhailat Adjouz) produced three mares by Kuhailan Kruszan OA. Only one mare, Udzda, left some non-asil progeny: that was the asil mare Ferha by Kuhailan Abu Arkub (himself by Kuhailan Zaid db).
Some time in 1998 I had dinner with Sheikh Hmeidi al-Daham al-Hadi al-Jarba supreme sheikh of the Shammar tribe (qabilah) and its “satellite tribes” (acha’ir), as per his visiting card… When I asked him about the ghazu (tribal raids), Sheikh Hmeidi (Abu Faris) told me the following: “The ghazu between large tribes was not quite an act of war but rather a kind of competition the aim of which was to send the message to the raided tribe: “we are stronger than you”. The ghazu between the major tribes followed certain codes and regulations, at last between the Major tribes. Minor tribes and marauders raided to steal. Not major tribes. The raiding tribe had to inform the raided tribe of the ghazu, and it didn’t matter if the ghazu took place one year after the information was sent. The ghazu must take place in daylight to avoid colleteral damage like hurting women, children, or elderly people. Any such death led to all-out war, something nobody wanted. The ghazu was done through a combination of camels and horses. 90% of the distance was covered on camelback, and war mares were only used for the last part: the sudden attack and the escape.” That’s why…
Kuhailan Afas (by a Kuhaylan Wadnan x a Kuhaylat Aafess) came to Poland from the island of Bahrain in 1931. This stallion, along with Kuhailan Haifi, Kuhailan Kruszan, Kuhailan Zaid and a few mares, were bought by Bogdan Zietarski and Carl Raswan for the Gumniska stud. The Gumniska stud was owned by the Sanguszko princely family of Poland. Kuhailan Afas left three asil sons: -Bad Afas 1940 x Bad by Diab db -Drop 1939 x Donia by Koheilan Haifi db -Don Afas 1940 x Donia by Koheilan Haifi db Donia is out of Donka (Schehan Shammar db x Koheilan II), she is Babolna bred; this is the same dam line of the asil mare 25 Amurath Sahib.
Pictures taken at Mustapha al-Jabri’s farm in 1991-92. Later, a photo of Al Ward el Mayel was widely used, especially in the “Arabian horse world” were he was pictured jumping in front of a wall, if somebody can remember. Please Edouard give us the pedigrees and strain of the grey Taan and of Al Ward al-Mayel. Thank you.
I am starting a series on the desert-bred Arabians imported to Poland and Hungary in the twentieth century. The first I will highlight is Kuhailan Zaid. This stallion came to Europe in 1931 at the same time as Kuhailan Haifi and Kuhailan Afas. He was purchased by Bogdan Zietarski and Carl Raswan for the Hungarian stud of Babolna. He was bred by the Ruwalah Bedouin tribe, by a Kuhailan Abu Junub out of a Kuhaylat al-Zyadah. Here’s Zietarski’s account of his purchase: “At last they bring a stallion of Kuhailan Zaid strain; bay, stripe, black legs over the knees, a splendid line of the trunk, a long strongly expressive neck, a dry head, legs somewhat worn out, hoofs in awful condition, but on the whole with much type, a first class sire, as created for Babolna… We buy him without any bargain.” Kuhailan Zaid was a herd sire at Babolna between 1931 and 1946, and 26 of his daughters were used for breeding, but only a handful of his sons (none in Hungary, only in Poland). Of these Kuhailan Abu Urkub (b. 1935) out of 22 Kemir, and of Kuhailan Said (b. 1934) out of 204 Kemir were perhaps the most influential. Both of them are asil.
Amer is one of the most successful current arabian racing sires and has produced nearly 300 offspring to date. His progeny has raced in Europe and Middle East and currently more than 80 offspring have won a total of 339 races. 40 of these wins are Group 1 wins, 39 by horses bred and raised at Umm Qarn’s farms in UK and Qatar. His progeny have additionally been placed in 25 Group 1 races, won 4 Group 2 races and 6 Group 3 races. The text and photos are taken from Umm Qarn Farms, Qatar, Amer’s owners (joe)
The first Saudi Arabian Stud book was issued in 1991 by the “Dirab Arabian Horse Center” later named the King Abdul-Aziz horse Center. In 1935 Dr. Mabrouk of the Royal Agricultural Society of Egypt, traveled to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on a horse-buying mission. He wrote about and took pictures of the horses he saw, from the stud of Prince Faysal in Taif near the Red Sea to the stud of Ibn Jiluwi stud near the Persian Gulf. As I’m now in Beirut and the book is in my stables in Damascus ,a post will follow with pictures from Dr. Mabrouk’s trip (if they are good) inshallah. In 1936 a lot of Saudi horses died of a horsesickness, so King Abdul-Aziz received as a present a lot of mares and stallions of Syrian origin,especially from Ibn Mehayd, the sheikh of the Fad’aan Bedouins, Looking at Volume I of the Saudi Arabian studbook one notices the following : The strains are Hamdani Simri, Kuhaylan Abu Arqub, ‘Ubayyan al-Saifi, Kuhailan Suwayti al Firm, Kuhaylan al-Sekti, etc. Saqlawis are very rare. A quick survey of the 1980’s Saudi mares gives the following: Daughters of Safeer (100) a Hamdani Semri: 474 Farasha Kuhaila Sowaitia; 476 Soad Kuhaila Um Arqub; 481 Afeefa Kuhaila Sowaitia; 503…
Of course it is not. This is Shagya XVII, from the Hungarian Arab-related Shagya breed. You have to give credit to the Hungarians for being honest about the Thoroughbred and other non-Arab blood they infused in these horses.
A fascinating and thoroughly documented article (in French) by anthropologist Bernadette Lizet on the French manuscript of count Wenceslas Rzewuski, which was touched upon in an earlier post and ensuing thread.
Horse bought by Michael el Haddad trip to Iraq 1901/ 1902 Koheilan Raschid :This was his first buy. 5 years .Height 1.61cm sire a Koheilan Moradi, Dam a Koheilat el Ajuz He was bought from Raschid Pasha Kaimmakam (governor) of the Holy city of El Najaf. He was agift from Ibn El Rashid the Shammari ruler of Hail so El Haddad named him Koheilan Raschid. He was bought for 150 gold pounds. Farha : 6 years Height 1.56cm Sire Saklawi x Dam Kuhailat el Ajuz Schechan Shammar 6 years chesnut Height 1.57cm Sire Koheilan Ajuz x Dam Scheha Djilfe Bought for 50 gold pounds Mares from Sheikh Nayef supreme Sheikh of the Shammar Em Tiur (meaning mother of the birds) this name was given to her for her speed..For 130 gold pounds.no further details given. Ayda: grey 3 years old bought for 125 gold pounds. Semrie :grey 5 years old.bought for 80 gold pounds. Hagyale (or the grouse) Bay mare taken in war from the Annaze .bought for 220 gold pounds .She became one of Babolna’s most beautiful mares. Hazem Pasha, the governor of Baghdad, horses. A deal was made Between the Governor and Haddad to buy as a”package…
Looking at Denouste’s dam we can easily understand why he looked this way at 2.This is a powerful mare, look at these shoulders and at her hidquarters, you find a lot of horses with the same head in Syria where it is called ‘arneh‘. It is not a beautiful head but does not mean at all that it is not a head of an Asil horse. The head of horses changes when they mature, my stallion ‘al Bark’ now 6 years old, did not have the same head at two. It is more refined now. As for the slooping croup nearly all my (10) Asil race horses have the same croup. A slooping croup does not mean ar all that a horse is not Asil. It depends on what horse you are looking for, if it is for racing this kind of croup is more suitable, giving more power to the hindquarters.This kind of powerful horses existed in the famous horse breeding tribes and still exist today. I will scan the photo of ”Ghazwane” by ”Krush Halba” out of “Kuhaylat al-Kharass” one of the most famous Asil racehorses in Lebanon and Syria, next to him Denouste looks like a Scottsdale winner.. As for Denouste if, according…
Louis Damoiseau was born in 1775 in Chartres (France). In 1818 France interior minister M. Laine sent M. de Portes to Syria on the head of a mission to buy some 40 Arab Stallions. The aim was to replace the Arab and Oriental stallions bought by Napoleon and taken from the Imperial French Studs in 1814 and 1815 by the European armies who had invaded France (Prussians, Austrians, Hungarians). Louis Damoiseau was the veterinary of the mission, which bought 40 stallions and some mares from the Syrian Desert, Aleppo, and the Lebanese coast until Acre. Some legendary names like ”Massoud” the founder of the French Anglo-Arab race and ”Nichab” Lady’s Stanhope’s mare. When he returned to France Damoiseau wrote a book edited in 1833. One of the many interesting things in the book is a testimony of life in Aleppo, Tripoli, Beirut, Damascus, Saida, etc.. Plus families that Edouard, his father and myself know; The way in which the horses were medically treated or defigured to hide them from a greedy Turkish pasha, and the presence of many non-arab horses at that that time are also interesting aspects. Moreover, apart the love letters (in French) Count Rzewuski sent to Lady Stanhope, we have a third party testimoning on the Count’s horses…
Georges Philippe Tabet, was the Finance minister of Lebanon under the French Mandate (1920-1943).He owned ‘’Al Mushrefeh’’ a big estate near Homs in Syria where he use to breed Arab horses for more than 20 years. Moreover he was member of the ‘’Arab Horse Society ‘’ his name appearing in Vol I of the AHS stud book 1919. His status of big wealthy land owner and Arab Horse breeder certainly made the Bedouins of the Homs and Hama region ,mainly ‘’Sbaa’’, to sell him mares and stallions, moreover he must have had good relations with the “Kassasse’’ of both Homs and Hama ,famed horse breeding regions in Syria. In 1937 he edited a small book in French and Arabic called’’ Les noms de Familles des chevaux Arabes’’ (Arab horses family names).This book taken from Bedouin sources, makes the difference between the ‘’Pure Asil” “The Asil’’ and the ‘’Kadish’’ more over Georges Tabet listed the ‘’The Chebou’’ horses’’ and the ‘’Non-Chebou’’ horses. I quote the introduction of his book: …….’’The pure Asils or Chebou’’ have all they ancestors known as only ‘’Chebou ‘’horses, the Bedouin only mate their mares only from ‘’Chebou’’ horses . ‘’The Asils’’ are pure breds but all their…
It was by chance that I learned from my late mother that the “Khalil Sarkis” of the “Hamidie” Society was her maternal grandfather, when one day she told me: “If you like horses you must know that my grand father lost a fortune in horses”. “Gambling” I asked? and she told me that he had lost a lot of money taking horses to the USA. Very excited I went to the “Oriental Library”, belonging to the Jesuits order in Beirut, hoping to find the “Lissan ul Hal” collection, a daily newspaper founded 1875 by Khalil Sarkis in Beirut and widely read. By chance they had all the old volumes from 1882 to 1955, since “Lissan ul Hal” was for many years the leading newspaper in Lebanon and Syria. Khalil Sarkis was the first president of the press syndicate in Lebanon, he was fluent in both English and German, he married Luisa the daughter of professor Butros el Bistani, who was famous in the Arab world for writing and publishing the first Arabic Encyclopedia. Khalil was for many years the paramount figure of the Evangelical community in Beirut. His son Ramez was minister in various governments, and his grandson Khalil is a renowned philosopher and writer, now retired…
I thank you for welcoming me to Edouard’s blog, I’m 65 married with 3 step-sons, I raced arabians in Beirut without knowing that they were part breds, I owned Arabians in Brazil, without knowing that they were part-breds. I also raced Thouroughbreds in Sao Paulo, Brazil and was partner in a horse who won the Brazilian Derby. My maternal great grandfather was Khalil Sarkis, the manager of “the Hamidie company” I wrote once an article on him and on the Hamidie bringing new lights on the way the horses were chosen. I also wrote on Davenport and on Ameen Zeitoun his “translator” with also new informations. Both infos were sent to the Craver’s at that time. I promise to post the two materials but I need time to rewrite them as they are in Arabic, and now is foaling time at the breeding farm… I manage two farms, the breeding one and the racing one located at the Damascus race track while the breeding farm is 15 miles far, we do have the best herd of bedouin racing mares, I promise to send pictures. Edouard, please be kind in posting the Hussam picture it is in “the media library”. I’m…