Have Tunisian Arabian horses disappeared?

Back in the 1990s, when Hansi Heck-Melnyk and I were trying to account for all Tunisian horses in Tunisia and Europe, there seemed to be an inexhaustible supply of these beautiful, dry Arabians with lines that traced exclusively to horses imported from the desert of North Arabia. Tunisia was indeed had the one of the largest pools of such Arabians, after Egypt but before Syria (pre-civil war) and Bahrain. The Tunisian state stud of Sidi-Thabet which I visited in 2004 (or was it 2005?), was filled with good broodmares.

Today, almost thirty years later, one is hard-pressed to find a horse with a 100% Tunisian pedigree. Most everything at the state stud of Sidi Thabet seems to have been top crossed with doubtful French blood. There may be a few left at Gisela Bergmann’s near Jendouba, and a couple others in private hands, but that’s about it in Tunisia. Maybe a few more in Germany (thanks to the Bergmann’s influence), and one or two old mares in France, but there hasn’t been any Tunisian stallions there in a while, the last one being Jassem (Koraich x Nefissa by Madani). How can that be?

Can someone undertake a survey of what is left in Europe?

8 Replies to “Have Tunisian Arabian horses disappeared?”

  1. Sorry, in french

    En Tunise, je ne connais pas beaucoup de chevaux pour lesquels je ne peux émettre aucun doute. L’élevage Bergmann est au dessus de tout soupçon, mais c’est certainement le pays pour lequel l’influence des saillies de minuit est le plus difficile à déterminer.

    Plusieurs chevaux ont été exportés de Tunisie vers l’Allemagne dont au moins 1 jument et un étalon de l’élevage Bergmann. La jument n’a à ma connaissance jamais reproduit et est maintenant âgée de plus de 20 ans.

    Après il reste des chevaux avec une forte influence de tunisien, mais aussi des lignées de Tiaret ou Pompadour puisque Pompadour et les Haras des Etablissements Français d’Afrique du Nord fonctionnaient de concert. C’est le cas par exemple de Lannilis présentée dernièrement
    Et ensuite, en restant dans les chevaux asils, on va en retrouver croisés avec de l’égyptien et/ou les lignées de Meknes (qui ont souvent pour origine des chevaux nés à Sidi Thabet), notamment dans les lignées Deleau par exemple (cf Thallame) ou chez nous (cf Riyadh beni Sakr par exemple) ou avec les lignées de Tiaret (cf Mauvy) dont la majorité ont été depuis, et avec raison à mon sens, retrempées avec du syrien.

    Il est par contre vrai que la grande majorité d’entre eux, ont été exportés en masse vers la France et croisés avec des lignées françaises de course, soit dés les années 80-90 en France, soit dans les années 2000 jusqu’à aujourd’hui en Tunisie directement. Quant aux pedigrees 100% tunisien, il y en a pléthore en Tunisie, mais les sources concordent pour dire que bon nombre d’élevages destinés à la course ont utilisés d’autres étalons que ceux mentionnés sur les pedigrees pour gagner en vitesse sur courte distance Donc à prendre avec des pincettes, et à vérifier chacun des naisseurs notamment sur la fin des années 70 et les années 80

  2. Not really researching into these more “recent” bloodlines for now but…As Severine said IMO there is almost no “straight” Tunisian (if this is what you mean). Asil Tunisian plus Egyptian, French, etc. Yes maybe a few left, but fewer and fewer each year.

  3. And what reason would the last owners in Tunesia have to keep their lines asil without global asil studbook and when the money to keep horses lies primerely in racing where the French stallions dominate?

    Many, many years ago a major effort was undertaken by Walter Dill in Germany. He had a magnificient Babolna-bred black stallion El Aswad (www.allbreedpedigree.com/el+aswad) and bought several mares for him in Tunesia and did everything he could to get them accepted by the Asil Club.

    The Asil Club was then (and is still) controled by Olms (Hamasa Arabians) who opposed their acceptance, probably because of commercial reasons. Even back then, asil Arabians were no longer plentiful and accepting the Tunesian asils would have ment an influx of hundred of asils that could have undermined the business with straight Egyptian asils in Germany.

    Dill & Olms fought about it even in court, if I remember correctly Dill obtained that the Tunesians could be named “Asil Tunesians” but not asil Arabians.

    Olms on the other hand never succeeded in turning his Asil Club in a commercial success – it became merely a side-club for straight Egyptian breeders in Europe. I think he eventually liquidated all his Turfa lines as well (crossed by now with several generations Egyptian stallions, Olms Turfa descendants like are currently sold as straight Egyptians).

    In 1987 the European Championships took place in Ostend. This event organized by Christine Jamar was really unique, I don’t know how she did it and it was never repeated ever after but she managed to get breeders from all Europe to sent their finest horses: polish, russian, straight egyptian, pure spanish, crabbets, … they were all there in quality & quantity.

    Although the Polish horses like Penitent & Pilarka and the Russian Plakat & his offspring dominated the show, the horse that impressed me the most was a black stallion El Afnas (www.allbreedpedigree.com/el+afnas) sired by Dill’s El Aswad out of a Tunesian mare, proud, big eys. He was in superb condition but untrained for show, he didn’t pose and galoped around instead of trotting. He ended up last of his class but his owner was so proud because a young guy was so smitten by his stallion and followed him to the stables to ask questions. To me he was Karl May’s desert stallion Rih in the flesh.

    The owner had bought an asil mare for him of egyptian/marbach lines resulting in a daughter Amma Rae. Amma Rae had 1 asil offspring out of her dam’s full brother and was then bred to non-asil purebreds producing amongst others Kama Raitz, a big show regional champion in Belgium & France.

  4. Patrick, your words paint a picture of that stallion. I would so love to have seen him! I don’t suppose photos were preserved of the event… wishful thinking.

  5. I‘m not sure what is left in Germany. The most of the blood imported by Mr. Dill is lost.
    I believe there is still a pure tunisian stallion from Bergmann breeding near Stuttgart and 3 or 4 pure tunisian mares near Kaiserslautern bred by Bergmann and in Maknassy.

    But is it wise to breed with such lines when nobody is interested? Who should take such foals? It is very difficult in Germany to sell arabians and find good places.

  6. Stephan, we used Haoues in 2018. I think we talk about the same stallion (pure tunisian stallion near Stuttgart and bred by Bergmann). 2 fillies and 1 colt were born last year, with asil mares (old french army lines x Egypt). Unfortunately Haoues is tired (born in 1995) then they will be the only offsprings of this wonderful stallion. Hamdiya, Siraayah and Ibreez are scheduled to stay at home

  7. I am so glad that someone has made the successful effort to preserve these wonderful Tunisian lines! Thank you!

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