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
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.
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.
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
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
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
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.
Jens Sannek continues to gratify me with photos of desert Arabian imports to Europe and their progeny. This photo came to him from the late Austrian breeder Anton Tucek. It shows Anton’s 1991 bay stallion Jezar, by the Bahraini stallion Sarhan out of the black Iranian mare Jezabel. He had obtained Sarhan (Maanaghi Saghir x … Read more
A September 1975 letter by the late Danah Aal Khalifa in response to a photo sent to her by Lee Oellerich identified the chestnut mare *Sawannah, born in 1948, and later imported to the USA, as follows:
Very proud of Darak, one of three Diva sons to come to France. Diva was one of Danah Al Khalifah’s best mares.
The nice Facebook page “The Old Bahrain” published these photos. The first photo has this legend: 1950s: Sir Charles Belgrave, Advisor to the ruler of Bahrain, astride his Arabian mare Oleander during his daily inspection of the Bahrain’s Police Camel Corps. The second photo has this legend: Sir Charles Belgrave, the advisor to the ruler … Read more
She was bred to Hamdaany Dafuq. In the background, her full sister Dhahabiah, whose loss two weeks ago was a real blunder.
Lyman sent me this photo of Jellaby Maroof M30 from one of the later Bahraini studbooks. My kind of Arabian stallion. Maroof is the maternal brother of Jellaby Radad, who is the sire of my Hamdaany Darak and Lyman’s Hamdaany Daneer. Daneer is coming to the USA.
The late Danah Al Khalifa sure knew how to pick stallions for her Sitah-linebred mares. Georgous Rabdaan Muttaawi (Musannaan Al Meemar x Rabda Shaawieh by Burkaan D3) is just one example. He is the sire of the two full sisters Danika and Dhahabiah, bred by Danah. Dhahabiah is the one that died last week, sadly. … Read more
Kate shared this picture from the 1977 edition of the “Encyclopedia of the Horse”. The legend says “Arаb mares and foаls аtthe stabIes of the Emir in Bahrain on the Persian Gulf.” Neither her nor I had seen it before.
Beautiful Dhahabiah (Rabdaan Muttaawi x Deede by Ibn Sitah) died a sudden death a few days ago. Diarrhea in the morning, then again in the afternoon, spasms and then gone. All in twelve hours. She had been with me 20 days only.
Jens Sannek shared this photo of Sitah D1 which Erika Schiele had given him in 1976. The photo was taken earlier. Note the huge eye, and the body and overall quality reminiscent of another desert mare, *Turfa.
Jens Sannek shared this wonderful historical video, taken by Anton Tucek, of the Bahraini stallion Burkaan D3. Laszlo Kiraly had already shared it with me years ago, and I may have uploaded it here. Jens added: I know that Burkaan is registered bay in the Amiri Stud Book Vol. 1 Nr. D3. The Studbook was … Read more
Five years after Bogdan Zientarski and Carl Raswan’s 1931 horse-buying trip to Arabia including Bahrain, it was the turn of Dr. Ahmed Mabrouk to make a similar trip for the Royal Agriculture Society (RAS) of Egypt. In 1936, he visited the stud of the ruler of Bahrain, Shaykh Hamad Aal Khalifah, and had the following … Read more
The late Danah Al Khalifah wrote in Volume 1 of the Amiri Arabian Studbook of Bahrain that “the breeding program at Danah Farm is centered around the foundation mare SITAH, ‘Hamdaniah Feisul’ and her offspring. Sitah’s history is documented from the time she was acquired as a two year old filly in 1964, at the … Read more
To the right, Diva (Jellaby Mojaahid X Mabrooka by Jellaby Alasil x Sitah d.b.); in the middle, Danika (Rabdaan Muttaawi x Deede by Ibn Sitah x Mabrooka), in the background, Hamdanieh Dania (Rabdaan Farajallah x Danika). Hamdanieh Dania coming to the USA for Lyman Doyle. Marion Wassilewski
Wilton Burger shared these these new-to-me photos of the Bahraini stallion Tuwaisan, imported to South Africa by Valerie Noli-Marais. The first one has Hasan Bin Salih Al Ruwaiyi riding him in Bahrain, the second was taken in South Africa. Photo credits to the Estate of Dr. Valerie Noli-Marais.
The acquisition of the majority of the horses of Danah Stud of Sh. Rashid bin ‘Isa bin Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifah, son of the late Danah Al Khalifah, marks the beginning of a new venture in the nearly 20-year old trajectory of the Al Arab stud. After a focus on some of the best … Read more
I am very proud to announce the acquisition of the black roan stallion Kuheilaan Umm Zorayr Zyad D23. Zyad was bred by the late Danah Al Khalifah in 2001. He belongs to the extremely rare strain of Kuhaylan Wuld Umm Surayyir that is now unique to the Kindgom of Bahrain. Originally the “house strain” of … Read more
One of my favorite photos from Volume 1 of the Arabian Stud Book of Bahrain is that taken by Danah Al Khalifah of this bay Shawafan/Shawaf stallion. Fortunately, his line carries on in modern Bahraini horses. The same stallion appears in another photo (below) that appeared in Danah Al Khalifah’s “Living Treasures of Bahrain”, below. … Read more
I wrote about H.R.P. Dickson’s 1949 book “The Arab of the Desert” in an earlier blog entry about the Ubayyan strain of Ibn Jalawi. This entry is about about the horses of the rulers of Bahrain, in the context of Dickson’s mention of specific Arab leader being famous for keeping a certain strain of Arabian … Read more
On July 27 — my birthday — Wadha foaled a chestnut filly, sired through artificial insemination by the Bahraini stallion of Jenny Lees, Shuwaiman Al Rais (photo below). Further news about this loooong-awaited filly will be shared once she is out of the woods (i.e., the U Penn vet hospital in New Bolton, PA), so … Read more
All photos by Danah Al Khalifa unless otherwise indicated. Sheikh Mohammed bin Sulman Shawaf sired a breeding mare for Sheikh Mohammed bin Sulman’s stud out of Jellabieh No. M1. Bred by the Royal Stud, served as breeding stallion for the Mounted Police. Hamdany Riadh (top); Ma’anagieh Marshoosha (bottom) – photo: Dr. Valérie Noli-Marais. … Read more
Published by Danah al Khalifa in 1980. Photos listed in the same order with pedigree info provided. All photos by Danah al Khalifa, unless otherwise indicated. Shawafa 264 b. 1975 (Ma’anaghi El Kebir x Shawafa Nr. 160) Dahman II Jellaby Sakhir – after 30 in 1980 Old Dahman (photo: Dr. Valérie Noli-Marais) Jellaby … Read more
Yesterday, Jana and I spent a lovely afternoon in the company of Pienaar, Pauline and Gerhard Du Plessis at Saruk Arabians outside Albertinia in the Western Cape. We came for lunch on Easter Sunday and spent a lot of time chatting so time flew by. They run a successful endurance racing operation mainly oriented towards … Read more
كحيلان الملولش من خيل البحرين عند بولين وبينار دو بليسيس في جنوب افريقيا Mlolshaan Mutab, from Bahrain, owned by Pienaar and Pauline Du Plessis in South Africa. Photo Kate McLachlan.
Volume 1 of the Bahrani stud book published in 1980 describes the breeding practice of the Al Khalifa family at the time. “No outside stallion is directly used for stud purposes. New blood is introduced indirectly by the high-caste mares received or exchanged with other Sheikhs from the interior of Arabia. When these mares are … Read more
PJ Altshuler and Marwan Abu Suud received this precious gift from the Bahrain Royal Stud. He is currently the only Bahraini stallion alive in the USA. I s The earliest known source of information on the strain of Kuhailaan Al-Adiyat Hashal is Judith Forbis’s article “Pearls of Great Price” as it appeared in a 1971 … Read more
Jenny Lees posted this superb photo of the Bahraini stallion Tuwaisaan Thaathaa on Facebook the other day. The Tuwayssan reportedly strain came to Bahrain from Syria in the 1920s, and prospered there. It has disappeared everywhere else, and is now mostly associated with Bahrain and thought of as a Bahraini strain. The strain was formed … Read more
In 1971, Judi Forbis took this beautiful and timeless photo of a Kuhaylah Jallabiyah mare in Bahrain, the daughter of an old speckled Jallabi stallion. The photo was published in Arabian Horse World, in Judi’s series of articles “Pearls of Great Price”. The croup is short as in many Bahraini horses, but otherwise, what a … Read more
Pienaar Du Plesssis shared this ‘new’ photo of the 1955 Tuwaissan stallion which Valerie Noli-Marais got from Bahrain. I think it comes from the book of Hasan bin Salih al-Ruway’i, but I am not sure. that’s because its Hasan in the picture.
Last November I submitted a proposal for the inclusion in the Al Khamsa Roster of a number of Bahraini Arabian horses that had been exported from Bahrain, to the UK, South Africa, Egypt, Poland, and Germany. The proposal was masterfully presented by Joe Ferriss, with comparative pedigree charts and nice photos, and it passed its … Read more
Pauline Du Plessis’s Saruk Arabians is standing the bay 1999 Bahraini stallion Mlolshaan Mutab (Mlolshaan Hilal x Mlolesh Durra by Jellaby Adari) at stud in South Africa. He was bred by the stud of Sh. Mohammed Bin Salman Aal Khalifah, and is heavily linebred with Mlolesh (Mulawlishan) blood. He is a sire of endurance winners. … Read more
Monica Savier has two articles on the Bahrain WAHO conference, one is Desert Heritage, and the other in Tutto Arabi.
Sharon Meyers has a comprehensive and nicely illustrated report in the Australian Arabian Horse Society New in two parts (Part 1 and Part 2) on the WAHO conference in Bahrain. Lots of great photos of Bahraini horses.
I made a small but interesting breakthrough in further understanding old Bahraini pedigrees, and I am excited to share it. It concerns the background of one of the Bahraini foundation mares of the Ma’naqi strain. This is the mare “Managhieh Bin Hiddfa Al-Murra”, the maternal grand dam of the two Royal Stud stallions Managhi Al … Read more
This is “Maanaghieh Safra Marshoosha”, literally “the yellow fleebitten Ma’naqiyah mare” from Bahrain. The photo is from Volume 1 of the Bahrain Studbook, and I think by Danah Al Khalifah. I don’t have it in a better resolution. I need help figuring out whether the mare is sticking her tongue out in the photo. It … Read more
This section of the same Youtube video features horses at the Studfarm of the sons of Sh. Mohammed B. Salman. A pure delight, with many thanks to the person who filmed it.
Thanks to Jenny Lees, I had the chance to visit the stud of the late Sh. Mohammad Bin Salman Aal Khalifah, now property of his sons. My camera phone (yes, I know) battery died within the first minutes, but not before I took this video video of the stallions at rest (click here). You will … Read more
Rabdan Alawsaj M291, grey stallion, born 2001, by Jellaby Sultan M49 out of Rabda Salha M125
Jellaby Maroof M309, bay stallion, born 2001, by Jellaby Alyatim M130 out of Jellabieh Rayana M50
Jellaby Faiz M448, grey stallion, born 2007, by Jellaby Mansoor M152 out of Jellabieh Dora M54
Saidan Toofan M346, chestnut stallion, born 2002, by Jellaby Alyatim M130 out of Saida Fajer M72
Shuwaimaan Mishwaar M401, black stallion, born 2006, by Rabdaan Naif M154 out of Shuwaimah Nafaa M97
Obeyaan Smaier M439, grey stallion, born 2007, by Dhahmaan Faraj M157 out of Obeyah Samira M262
Dhahmaan Hoobeishi 1085, dark bay stallion, born 1998, by Kuheilaan Umm Zorayr Al Dheleem 407 out of Dhahma Umm Wajnah 821
Obeyaan Mirage the Bahraini Ubayyan stallion which the Royal stables of Bahrain have gifted to Warren and Regina Staas arrived today at their farm. He is very handsome, and comes from old lines. This is the fourth Bahraini stallion to come to Europe in the last five years, after the Kuhaylan Ibn Aafess stallion “Kuheilaan Afass … Read more
Obeyaan Azheer M361, grey stallion, born 2003 by Dahmaan Shaban M84 out of Obeyah Al Gabra M153
Mlolesh Sehaam M605, chestnut mare, born 2010, by Dhahmaan Alashgar M139 out of Mlolesh Al Mashoora M269
Mlolshaan Adbas M623, bay stallion, born 2011, by Jellaby Maroof M309 out of Mlolesh Khalasa M107
Mlolshaan Al Dhakheel M429, bay stallion, born 2006, by Jellaby Nader M46 out of Mlolesh Khalasa M107