Barakah, 5 years old
Barakah is now 5. I think she may have more growing (and widening) to do. She is 95% Davenport (four generations of Davenport stallions on top) but she looks nothing like full-Davenport horses. She is leggier, and differently balanced, with flatter bone. She has her sire’s drooping quarter (when moving this does not show). Pity she did not inherit her dam’s beautiful level croup, highly set tail, extra-long ears or blood mark. There may also be a looser coupling than either sire or dam, and I am not sure where that came from, or if it’s here to stay. Still, she has her sire’s deep girth and his broad chest.
Overall, her build is an improvement over her dam’s, and I believe the line is now ready to be crossed with Monologue CF, who will bring extra balance. Like her dam, she has a lot of style, and a “dry”, “deserty” look.
Oh, I like her! That second photo, where her head is turned to look at the camera, captures a real sense of curiosity and alert intelligence. Seems to have a good length to her pelvis as well – bet she’d ride nicely!
You will see considerably more maturity in her as she goes through the next five years, and, I hope, becomes a mother.
I like her, too!
As you sure have noticed, I am most critical of the horses I like best and the one I have the most expectations from!
To use a rather trite turn of phrase, that 2nd photo of her is very classic.
In the photos I have seen of them, Monologue CF reminds me a lot of Iliad, who I see is in Barakah’s pedigree via her dam. It’ll certainly be interesting to see how the genes reshuffle another generation down.