More on al-Aawar, the desert-bred Hamdani Simri stallion

Thanks Edouard for posting that picture of Al-Awar. I agree with you that he is much more impressive in person than in photos which explains my difficulty in getting a good photo of him at the Racing club in Aleppo, nearing dark time in November 1996. When a horse makes a good impression on me, I have great difficulty in wanting to take a photo because I want to spend every moment looking at the horse to record what I see in my mind, and taking photos requires me to think about the camera and capturing something quickly, which is an intrusion on the live experience, possibly missing an important moment. This is why in the 1970s we mostly took horse movies (before video) and usually Sharon was taking the movies as I was looking.

But Al-Awar is truly a horse that one needed to see in person. Even as an aged horse, his wonderful expression and temperament, light free movement as he was being ridden in front of us, and the rich sheen of his deep chestnut coat resembling some rare earthen stone, was unforgettable. In his harmonious presentation, I was reminded of Homer Davenport’s quote about “nothing to excess and everything in the right place.” It is not just the memory of him but also the legacy of Al-Awar as a sire, for he was used considerably for a tribal-bred of his time.

In looking at the photo you posted one can imagine that considering this horse’s build, the powerful quarters, strong back, smooth perfectly integrated shoulder, the proportions of his legs, long strong forearm and short canons, with powerful hind gaskins and the inherent overall strength combined with refinement would make a horse that can move effortlessly with lightning fast agility. He was a classic original Arabian to me.

Clearly Davenport breeders would admire him but also anyone who understands the traditional Arabian horse would also feel privileged to have seen such a wonderful stallion.