More potential and actual race lines in the USA
Based on the racing records of some specific horse lines in the Middle East, and on the identity of horses from these lines imported to the USA, here is a list of US Arabian horse lines that would be expected to do well in the competitive racing and endurance realms, in addition to the *Hadba Davenport line, already discussed below:
— Any line tracing to any of the Hearst imports, especially *Layya, *Lebnaniah, *Bint Rajwa, *Mounwer, *Bourhane and *Kouhailane. All these were good race horses in Lebanon prior to their importation to the USA in 1947. There is one Al Khamsa line left to *Layya.
— Any line tracing to *King John, a good race horse himself when in Egypt, and a representative of the superior line of Saqlawi Jadran of Dari al-Mahmoud, many representatives of which were either race winners in the Middle East or sires and dams of race winners (e.g., the desert bred Saqlawi Ebbo, a close relative of *King John’s, and the sire of ‘Ataba, an outstanding race horse who sired the Hindi US import of *Bint Attebe). *King John had a thin line in Al Khamsa through Beau Nusik, but it is now gone.
— Any line to the Hindi imports, *Dalal, *Bint Attebe, *Daham, *Jamil Zamen, and *Jamila Zamen (both by Zaffee Zamen, a.k.a Safi al-Zaman, another race horse in Beirut in the 1940s. There is one asil mare left from this line in the USA.
— Any line to the BLUE STAR mare *Sindidah, whose sire Bulaybil was a good race horse in Beirut in the early 1950s. Many Al Khamsa horses left here.
— Any line to the Tahawi mare *Malouma, imported to the USA in the 1920s at the same time as King John. Al Khamsa line extinct.
— Any line to El Nasser at the EAO. He was another good race horse in Beirut in the 1940s.
When I have the time, I am going to look for any racing records of horses tracing to these horses, and see what comes out.
Here’s a piece of advice to race horse owners in this country: breed asil horses from these lines to each other, without giving further consideration to artificial labels (e.g., BLUE STAR, Straight Egyptian, Davenport, etc..). It has not been done before, except incidentally.
Though he does not fit into the Asil or Al Khamsa category the great American bred racing stallion Line Dancer (nearly $375K in wins in 29 starts) carries in his pedigree 4 lines to the great Saudi mare Hamrah Johara as well as a good base of Davenport and early Blunt with the Polish crosses at a minimum. Blue Star horses as a group have lots of potential for racing and have already proven themselves as great endurance competitors when put to the task.
I was emailed your article on USA horses. You state that the Beau Nusik line is gone in the USA. I would like you to know it is not gone. It is alive and well 2 hours south of you outside Richmond Va. at Cre Run farm, where we have the 5 time Darley winner Royal Atheena who still holds the record for the highest female earner in the USA as well as all of her daughters and a half sister Bella Atheena who won the Biltmore. Royal Atheena and her 2 sisters that we bred are out of the great mare Malabar Athena a great race mare herself. If you would like to know more about them or would like to visit the farm we would love to show you the most beautiful of Arabian race horses Royal Atheena and her daughters let us know.
regards,
Deborah
Oh I would love to visit and see them. What I meant is that the line is going within the subgroup of American Arabians known as Al Khamsa Arabians (horses that trace in all their pedigree to desert bred Arabians, ie no Polish, no Spanish, no Skowronek, etc).
Well done Edouard what a valuable post, I hope it is acted on and from my heart …the very best of luck to anyone breeding Asil performance horses!!!!
I am no expert but the advice to ignore labels and breed simply to the best lines seems very sound to me, all are, after all Asil and some groups are really just a collection of horses that an individual Westerner happened to get his/her hands on at any one time (and this from a Crabbet and (from what I’ve seen on here, Davenport) fan, who understands and supports preservation breeding too).
I would really love to see more Asil horses doing seriously well at FEI endurance/racing etc
I am cheering you on from Wales!!!
the rodania tail line has done very well on the us tracks. i was told by dr sephen hollis who claimed that 80% of all stakes winners in usa have tail lines to only 5-6 mares. he said he had the records/research to back this up. too bad his efforts were not printed & shard. rodania was in the top 5 (at least at the time of our conversation). i would like to learn more about tunisian tail lines in racing!