Mayassah nearing 3
This is my 2013 Kuhaylat al-Krush filly, Mayassah Al Arab (Clarion CF x Cinnabar Myst by ASF David). Three years old this summer. I am very proud of this filly I bred for several reasons. She embodies my preservation efforts.
The antiquity of her bloodlines is an obvious reason: for instance, Abu Zeyd (Mesaoud x Rose Diamond), b. 1904, is just five generations away. For comparison, he is thirteen generations away in a stallion like Marwan Al Shaqab. The extreme rarity of her lines, too: the stallions Gharis (Abu Zeyd x Guemura by Segario), Fartak (*El Bulad x *Farha), Abu Selim (*Azra x Domow), Tabab (*Deyr x Domow), Royal Amber (Ribal x Babe Azab), and Oriental (Letan x Adouba), were all popular stallions in early Arabian breeding in America, with thousands of descendants in general list Arabians, and she is very much the last Al Khamsa horse that traces to them — and pretty closely too.
The effort I went through to make that breeding happen is a third reason. I leased, then acquired her dam and her dam’s sister from Trish Stockhecke in Canada. They were 19 and 20 years old, and had never been bred before. The older mare was bred to Aurene CF in 2011 (Triermain CF x Aureole CF) but slipped the foal. That was a big loss because she was the better mare of the two. Then Jeanne Craver agreed to take both mares on, and Kirby Drennan agreed to breed the younger mare to Clarion CF (Regency x Chinoiserie). In the late stages of her pregnancy, Kim Davis took the mare to her farm, and foaled and raised Mayassah until weaning age. Mayassah is now at Craver Farms.
Finally, I like how different she is from other Al Khamsa horses. The length of her hip. The strength of the coupling. The inclination of the shoulder. The depth of the girth. The high croup. The balance. You feel you are standing next to an unfolding racing machine. She moves very nicely too, effortlessly, lightly, like a feline, as if there were air cushions under her, and I did not expect that. She has a lot of growing left, and is not three yet. On the downside, the ears are small, and the head, despite the deep jaws and the broad forehead, is plain.
She’s lovely Edouard and you know the saying “You can’t ride the head!”. So if a plain head is the worst of her faults I think that is a good trade off for a using horse. Having just finished “Tribes of the Euphrates” by Lady Anne and Wilfrid Blunt I was surprised by their comments about how many of the asil Arabian mares they encountered had plain heads. Seems the “fancier” head, such as my Fin has, were more rare in the desert among the tribes they visited.
Thanks for sharing Edouard. You are indeed fortunate to have this high quality mare showing much quality overall for only a 3 year old. And of course an excellent pedigree close up. Not only is her dam’s breeding significant but also her sire is a non-Tripoli stallion which is relatively rare and in this case it looks like a strong infusion of Antez in the sire. Perhaps this is where some of the “speed” conformation is coming from. This rare pedigree caused me to go looking for what is left of this dam line in Al Khamsa bloodlines and it appears that unless the 1995 grey mare Nuri Al Krush (Janub Al Krush x Mystalla) produces a foal, the only other female of this line besides your Mayassa is the 2006 bay mare BRW Tatianna (Mist Hallim Amir x SS Moria), that is if she is known to be living.
Thank you, Joe. Tatianna is living and in a preservation program with Ann McGaughey. My filly’s dam and the dam’s full sister are living, but retired.
In general, what do you think about the croup being higher than the wither? is that a good thing in Arabians?
Her pedigree is so rare! Thank you, Edouard, for making the effort to preserve these lines. I heartily look forward to following Mayassa’s progress!
Lovely filly, Edouard. I wouldn’t be too quick to judge her high croup. Many young horses grow “butt first”, then the forehand catches up later. Like a see-saw. Wait until she is more mature before judging her balance.
Agree, Cathie!
I agree too, Cathie. This filly isn’t even three full years yet. She has a long way to go.
i like the tiny ears,and better a deep jowl than a dishy profile, one day when she expands those nostrils-she will look aplenty dishy…very nice filly. very breedy.
You sure have a taste for real things, jeanne marie!
My Babson-Turfa mare was built this way at two and into her three year old period, but she was slow maturing and in maturity she was 15 hands and an absolutely incredible mover. So in time all good things fall into place. I have watched all kinds of horses grow up at various places I visited repeatedly and I learned never to judge proportions in any horse not fully matured.
Well spoken Joe!
At not quite three she has very good leg substance- often a time when many young horses are skinny little weeds. She’s got a really nice lay-back of shoulder too. She might stretch out a little as she grows as well. I’m betting she’s going to end up level or slightly uphill.
best wishes
Bruce Peek
Beautiful mare, Edouard!
Don’t worry about the higher croup, Mayassah is not yet fully developed.
But slowly comes the time for You, to make breeding concept with her.
Congratulation!
Best wishes,
László