A blog on desert arabian horses, past, present and future
The 1911 Ma’naghiyah mare Abbess has no remaining descent, and her sire *Abbeian‘s sire line in the straight Davenports died out with Ibn Ralf. Her dam, *Farha, has a thin line remaining (both in straight Davenports, and another family in Al Khamsa more generally) through Ralf. I don’t know if Abbess’ age in this picture … Read more
Michael Bowling tells me this historic image, previously published as *Urfah, is now believed to be Freda (the markings don’t match *Urfah’s in any case.) Freda, it is hypothesized, had her identity confused with Saleefy’s when both mares were sold in 1918. Freda descends entirely from the Hamidie Society importation of 1893. The markings of … Read more
For today, the 1904 Saqlawi al ‘Abd stallion *Hamrah, of whom much has been said previously, and his century-later echo, the 2004 Hamdani Simri stallion Eldar HD, bred by Michael Bowling. In 2003, I wrote of the 22 year old Palisades CF, “I want a magic wand so I can have another twenty years with … Read more
It’s Boxing Day, so you get a bonus Davenport. (Actually, I ran across a series of comparisons between historic and modern Davenports that some Davenport people did in email in 2006, and I’ll try to share the ones I can illustrate.) Sotamm, 1919 brown mare (*Hamrah x *Farha) ADA Recapitulation, 2003 chestnut mare (Memoir UF … Read more
For our faithful readers who may be taking a break from unwrapping, photographing, and/or toasting, I’m offering a Davenport photo a day for the next twelve days. Do you know anyone who needs yet another partridge in a pear tree? Thought not. Rababe CF, 1987 Hamdaniyah Simriyah (Lydian x Fiddledeedee). When not caring for small … Read more
The very feminine Chablis CF (Sir Marchen x Sauterne by Tripoli), a Hamdaniyah Simriyah of Davenport bloodlines bred by Craver Farms in 1981. The strain goes back in tail female to the Bani Sakhr Bedouins, through the mare Schilla.
Another  beautiful asil stallion of the same generation as El Iat is Greggan (Ibn Gulida x Gharida by Bidaj), a Saqlawi Jadran who traces entirely (as in 100%) to the Crabbet Stud lines of Lady Anne and Wilfrid Blunt. The Doyle breeding program, which celebrate its sixty years in 2009, is based on the three … Read more
Per Jenny Krieg’s suggestion, the Iras full sister Thea Isis, and her daughter, the iconic JAL Athena. Now all we need is a good shot of Portent, HB Octavia’s full brother, and we can complete the set. P.S. I’m sorry about the cropping, but I couldn’t quite get the gallery to do what it said … Read more
The four shots of Ansata Ibn Sudan (Ansata Ibn Halima x Ansata Bint Mabrouka by Nazeer) were taken in 1972, and are from the photo collection of the late Billy Sheets. They were taken in 1972.
I don’t think these two photos of the Egyptian stallion Ansata Ibn Halima (Nazeer x Halima by Sheykh El Arab) have been published before. They were taken at the 1972 nationals, and are from the photo collection of the late Billy Sheets.
Since we have been talking about the Hadban Enzahi strain in “Davenport” breeding in the USA, here is a photo of the 1959 stallion Trian (Tripoli x Ehwat-Ansarlah by Kasar), an earlier representative of this strain. He was the result of a collaboration between Liz Paynter who owned his dam, and Charles Craver who owned his … Read more
Few people outside the group of North American Davenport breeders are aware of the existence of a fourth tail female of asil Arabians entirely tracing to the 1906 importation of 27 desert-bred horses from North Arabia. The Kuhaylan Haifis, the Kuhaylan Krush, and the horses tracing to Schilla are well known, but the Hadbans not … Read more
This picture is from the Craver photo collection, courtesy of Jeanne Craver. It is another one of my favorite pictures of Arabian stallions of Davenport lines.. Lysander (Sir x Dhalana by Salan), was one of the main stallions at Craver Farms in the 1970s and 1980s.
Ambar reminded me of this 1994 video by Carol Mingst, where some of the Davenport Arabian stallions in the North-West USA appear. You will see the magnificent stallions Kuhaylan Haifi stallion Audobon (Iliad x Audacity) and a paternal grandson of Monsoon, SA Apogee (Ascendant x Copper Hill Rysa by Flight Plan), as well as Al … Read more
Bon Vivant CFÂ was bred at Craver Farms by Lysander out of Bonne Fortune by Dharanad. He looks splendid in that picture.
The 1943 mare *Kouhailane (photo above, not flattering) was one of the 14 horses to be imported to the USA by press magnate W.R. Hearst in 1947. She hails from the Lebanese plain of Akkar, north of Tripoli and close to the Syria border. ‘Akkar is the prime horse-breeding area in Lebanon. It is a very … Read more
The desert-bred Saqlawi Jadran stallion Ihsan (Hamdani Simri x Nadya, a Saqlawiyah Jadraniyah) was the second stallion at the Jabri stud in the 1990s. He was mainly used as an outcross to Mahrous daughters. What I liked about him was his large expressive eye, his huge half-moon cheekbone, his nice croup, as well as his … Read more
Fancy Flight (Tripoli x Ceres by Aramis) was a full sister to Monsoon. Asil Kuhaylah Hayfiyah bred by Craver Farms, and founder of a family of herself. Photo courtesy of Jeanne Craver.
A beautiful head shot of the 1980 asil Kuhaylan Haifi stallion Audobon (Iliad x Audacity by Lysander out of Bint Dharebah by Monsoon), bred by Charles Craver and later owned by Carol Lyons and Marge Smith in Oregon.
Since we were discussing Monsoon, here is his most influential daughter, Bint Dharebah (x Dharebah). The DAHC pedigree database credits her with 7 registered foals and a total of 74 descendants as of the 2006 update. I have heard RJ quoted to the effect that she is the modern echo of *Reshan — perhaps he … Read more
[November 1 2010, update from Edouard: The last two otherwise Al Khamsa eligible descendents of *Bint Rajwa have died. There is no point proposing *Bint Rajwa for inclusion in the Al Khamsa Roster] I want to submit a proposal to include the mare *Rajwa and the stallion Karawane in the Al Khamsa Roster before this coming November. … Read more
Below is a translation of the Arabic language hujjah of the mare *Abeyah, imported by Homer Davenport from the Northern Arabian (i.e., Syrian) desert to the USA in 1906. It is adapted from the translation of this hujjah which I did in 2005 for the reference book Al Khamsa Arabians III. The Al Khamsa Arabians … Read more
This beautiful 1905 desert-bred stallion was imported from Northern Arabia to the USA by Homer Davenport in 1906. He is a son of the mare *Urfa, a Saqlawiyat al-‘Abd from the horses of Didhan al-‘Awaji of the Wuld Sulayman Bedouins’ ruling clan. His sire is the “Great Hamdani” Simri stallion, apparently a major sire among the … Read more
I finally found the reason for my aversion for Babson horse pedigrees (not the horses themselves): it’s got to do with the names. These all look the same to me, and I still have trouble recognizing one horse from another on a pedigree. Try figuring this out: there is a Serrou, a Serr El Rou, an … Read more
Jeanne Craver scanned the photo of Monsoon (Tripoli x Ceres by Aramis) which some readers have mentioned and which I was so eager to see. She wrote: “IÂ have it as a slide and as a page proof from an Arabian Horse World ad we did years ago. I used the ad page, so there creases … Read more
I think this stallion, Monsoon (Tripoli x Ceres) is stunning. I am sorry about the poor quality of the picture. He was born at Craver Farms in 1967 and it is a shame he died young [well not so young, says Joe Ferriss, my memory is failing me] and therefore left little progeny.
I was sorry to hear about the passing of Majd, the bay Kuhaylan Hayfi stallion whose picture i recently posted. While visiting the Al Basel government stud in Syria, Majd’s sire was introduced. He is an imposing grey of good size, and his name is Basil [Mahrous x Halah]. He is of the Kuhaylan Mimrah … Read more
Finally, I was able to see a photo of the 1975 asil Kuhaylan Hayfi stallion Iliad (Ibn Alamein x Oriole by Sir), bred by Charles Craver of “Davenport” bloodlines. Iliad is the sire of two stallions I really like, Audobon (out of Audacity), and Salil Ibn Iliad (out of LD Rubic. His extremely correct conformation … Read more
We had a brisk discussion in the comments of an earlier posting about whether the leg faults apparent in the photograph were actually characteristic of the subject. While we did touch on age and injury, I wanted to point out another way in which photos can misrepresent a horse. Herewith, two photos of a nine-year-old … Read more
From left to right: Persephone CF (Hamdani Simri), Tapestry CF (Kuhaylan Haifi), Chiffon CF (Hamdani Simri). Photo c1986 in Las Vegas, NV. Chiffon was at one time the mascot for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She carried the flag and was ridden around the track at football games, and in parades. Persephone has founded … Read more
The 1988 grey Hamdani al-‘Ifri stallion *Ta’an (Awaad x al-Efrieh by a Kuhaylan al-Wati) was born in the Jazirah area of North-Eastern Syria. His breeder, Mis’ir al-Hamad is a member of one of the small Arab nomadic tribes that settled in this area in the XXth century. I first saw *Ta’an in 1990 as a … Read more
This is Ibn El Iat (El Iat x Marecho by Ibn Sirecho) a 1992 Kuhaylan al-‘Ajuz stallion owned by Elta Cook Ozier in Illinois. His pedigree is special because it consists of three horses only: *Fadl, Sirecho and *Turfa. There used to be many horses with that pedigree pattern a couple decades ago. Ibn El … Read more
This handsome stallion, Regatta CF (MV Reflection x Frill by Adrian out of Trill by Tripoli) was bred by Craver Farms and is now owned by Mike and Cindy Pollman of Blu Skai Farms.
Jenny Krieg, of Maryland has partnered with Rodger Davis of Illinois to send two of Rodger Davis’ mares to the stallion from Bahrain, *Mlolshaan Hager Solomon (Rabdaan Alwasmy M19 x Mlolesh Asila M105 by Sharid), who is up in Michigan with Bill Biel. All of us have five pairs of fingers crossed for what should be … Read more
Mustafa heard this story from ‘Anazah Bedouins, and graciously accepted to let me publish my translation of it; you can also find these stories in Arabic and soon in English, on the website: al-Khuyul al-‘Arabiyah al-Asilah, on Facebook: “Kuhaylat al-Musinnah is originally a Kuhaylah Khdiliyah, in reference to the clan of al-Khdilaat of the Fad’aan … Read more
Triermain CF (Javera Thadrian x Demetria by Lysander), a 1988 Kuhaylan Haifi of Davenport bloodlines, with a dam line going back to the mare *Reshan of the Fad’aan Bedouins, is the sire of my mare Wisteria (Triermain x HB Wadduda by Mariner). He is in residence at Craver Farms in Illinois. The photos were sent to … Read more
The second of three videos of foundation horses of Antique Arabian Stud, who draws on desert-bred Arabians from Saudi Arabia. Courtesy of Edie Booth.
Robin Weeks sent me more of these, all tracing to the Saqlawiyat al-‘Abd mare Dahriefa (Dahrecho x Zariefa by Zarlan), one of the main progenitors of the *Urfah tail female in asil breeding in the USA. All photos by Sugar Hill Farms, courtesy of Robin Weeks. Below is Dahriefa, still: The young grey one below … Read more
Jeanne Craver just sent me these other pictures of Dahriefa (Dahrecho x Zariefa by Zarlan), a Saqlawiyat al-‘Abd whose tail female goes back to *Urfa.
Robin Weeks sent me this photo of Dahriefa (Dahrecho x Zariefa by Zarlan), a 1975 Saglawiat al-‘Abd and one of the few sources left to the Davenport import *Urfah in tail female, bred by Mrs. John Ekern Ott and her daughter Jane Ott, and the holder of one of my favorite asil pedigrees. One of the … Read more
This handsome horse, very reminiscent of the some of the horses found in Syria today was presented at the 2007 Al Khamsa Convention in California. His name is Bah-Rani LF (Ibn Don Carlos x Persephone CF by Regency CF) and he traces to Shilla (Letan x Freda by Obeyran) and further back to Galfia, the Hamdaniyah … Read more
This mare, Cataree (Mandarin CF x Minaret CF by Heir Apparent), is a Kuhaylat al-Krush of Davenport bloodlines, tracing to the mare *Werdi imported by Homer Davenport from Syria in 1906. She was presented at the 2007 Al Khamsa Convention in California. Photo by Christine Emmert.
Another Youtube video of an asil black stallion: this is RB Cavalier (Arabi Fadh Onyx x BA Cerulean Ebony by Aza Faabo), a 1991 stallion of predominantly Egyptian lines, with close up crosses to desert imports from Saudi Arabia (*Al Hamdania, *Turfa, *Muhaira), a distant Davenport line, and a tail female to the Ubayyah mare … Read more
Here is a link to his pedigree: Sportin Life (Brimstone x Asallah Al Krush by Dharanad), bred by Craver Farms.
Video of AAS Al Humrah, a Hamdani Simri gelding of desert bloodlines bred by Edie Booth’s Antique Arabian Stud.
If you haven’t already done so, check out the overview article by the late Carol Lyons, on “Drissula, One of a Kind”. Born in 1941, Drissula (Sultan x Ydrissa by Antez) is the only asil progenitor for the Ma’naghi Sbayli line of *Haidee, who was bred by the Sba’ah Bedouins and was imported to the UK in … Read more
This masculine 1991 bay stallion is a son of the timeless LD Rubic (Plantagenet x Tarrla by Tarff), a favorite of mine. His great-great-grand-dam is the desert-bred mare *Nufoud, a Kuhaylat al-‘Ajuz (no marbat recorded) bred by the Saud Royal Studs in Arabia and imported in 1931 to the USA by Albert W. Harris. Salil … Read more
The gorgeous Monologue CF (Rispote CF x Soliloquy CF by Regency CF), a Hamdani Simri stallion tracing to the Hamidie Hippodrome Society mare Galfia. He was bred by Craver Farms, and now stands at stud at Pamela Klein’s in Virgina. Some of you thought he looked like the Syrian mare Hijab, featured below. Huge eyes, like … Read more
A nice photo of a son of two desert-bred imports. Letan is by *Muson, a Kuhalyan al-Musinn of the Ruwalah, out of *Jedah, a Hamdaniyah Simriyah of the marbat of Ibn Ghurab. Both *Muson and *Jedah were imported from Northern Arabia by Homer Davenport in 1906.  My Wisteria has 25 crosses to him, and her daughter … Read more
This is AAS Dahmah Sawanah (DB Shahhat x DB Jasidah by Desert Jalam), a 1999 chestnut Dahmah Shahwaniyah bred by Edie Booth of Antique Arabian Stud, of Canton, Texas, who sent me the photo. She had a colt this year by the Hamdani stallion AAS Al Sakb. She is the sister of the mare of … Read more
Yesterday, I posted the photo of the beautful Bint Turfara (Sirecho x Turfara by Fadl). Below is the photo of another foundation mare of the BLUE STAR program, her 1961 half sister Bint Muhaira (Sirecho x *Muhaira by Old Hamdani), a ‘Ubayyah. She was bred by the Searle Stud. Her dam *Muhaira (Old Hamdani x … Read more
The beautiful chestnut mare Bint Turfara (Sirecho x Turfara by *Fadl), a Kuhaylah, is pictured below. By the way, and just to set the record straight, the strain of “‘Ubayyan al-Hurmah” , which Carl Raswan ascribes to *Turfa (and her sire) simply does not exist.  There are about four dozens different strains of ‘Ubayyan, which I will list on … Read more
The 1987 black mare Cealie (Haziz Halim x Bint Alliette, by *Adhem out of Alliette, by Hallanny Mistanny out of *Lebnaniah) is the last asil descendent of the mare *Lebnaniah, a grey Ma’naghiyah imported from Lebanon by W.R. Hearst to the USA in 1947. The Arab Horse Association Datasource shows Cealie as being last owned … Read more
This pretty little girl, born on May 5th, at Royal Blue Arabians in New Jersey, is the latest addition to Terri Somers’ asil Ma’naqi program. She is by RB Bellagio out of CSA Jerusha (Mahtar x Dan El-Hosanna by RG Joshua, a mare of predominantly Egyptian lines, except for the Ma’naqi tail female to Drissula). This … Read more
I am a big fan of the breeding program of Terri Somers at Royal Blue Arabians in New Jersey. Terri is the owner of the striking grey Ma’naghi Sbayli stallion RB Bellagio (photo below, in harness, by Arabi Fadh Onyx x Sirrunade by Faaryan), and has been breeding classic and athletic horses of this Ma’naghi Sbayli strain for some … Read more
Now if there is one Arabian mare that needs no introduction, it’s *Turfa. Ever since her importation by Henri Babson to the USA in 1941, almost seventy years ago, this pretty Kuhaylah mare has continued to embody the ideal desert-bred Arabian mare. Her famous picture trotting in the snow-covered paddocks of the Babson Farm (below) … Read more
Oregon breeder Joan DeVour recently circulated this picture of the beautiful black stallion El Reata Juan (Julyan x Mist Aana by Hallany Mistanny), a 1968 black Dahman Shahwan of old US Egyptian lines, with the particularity of being one of the handful of stallions to still carry the prized Mesaoud sire-line through his grandsire Julep (Gulastra x … Read more
Tybalt did love to dance as did his son Asar. Asar also had a son named Lente. He could stand at his stall door, dancing as well. I had stall guards installed so the long stallion barn would show all the stallions, waiting and dancing. The day was completly filled with the joy of horses. … Read more
This magnificent Kuhaylan al-Krush stallion (Tripoli x Asara by Kasar), bred by Charles Craver in 1962 must have been the kind of horse a tribe would plan a ghazu to take away from another tribe. I wish I was around when that stallion was alive.
Check out this website and tell me what you think: the Bedouin Heritage Project. In many ways, Daughters of the Wind and it is are ‘like-minded’ websites. I was just telling Jeanne Craver, who pointed me to it, that I expected a lot of such websites to crop out in the coming years, as a … Read more