New and superb photo of *Astraled resurfaces
Moira Walker found this “new” photo of *Astraled (Mesaoud x Queen of Sheba) in an article written by Spencer Borden in the Cavalry Journal, Volume 29, April-July-October 1920, and shared it on social media, where it’s been circulating. Here is a link to the article.
I have been diving through a lot of old journals and books lately, since the copyrights have expired on many and they’ve been uploaded as Public Domain on Google Books. I have a bunch of nice ones – some you’ve probably seen before, but in perhaps a higher quality. I also have a photo of AZRA with Saied Abdallah aboard that I’ve never seen before, if you’d like me to share that with you.
On Azra of course, you know my address; ealdahdah@hotmail.com
Thanks for posting this. Next year 2019, the 100th Anniversary of this US Remount Endurance Testing ride to Ft. Devens!!! What a great opportunity- as Maynesboro Stud did in 2012, put on by Berlin Coos County Historical Society… Maybe, Norwich University might like to participate over here in VT?!
Kim,
That’s actually an interesting idea. There’s a realm of potential there, and it wouldn’t be a bad idea to use this as an opportunity to revisit some of our celebrated asil Arabian endurance horses from within the early US Remount Program. Certainly, it might not be a bad idea as a sort of impetus to get people involved with their Al Khamsa horses. I believe four Al Khamsa horses entered the Tevis Cup this year, with one AK-sired horse.
Off the top of my head, I can think of the following horses that were used for endurance in the early US Mounted Service endurance tests–
Nejdran, of course, was slated to ridden cross-country from Silverton, Oregon to Morris Plains, New Jersey in 1907, but that never happened, as he came up sick.
The 1912 race you referenced is one that I was actually just looking at. I was able to find photos of Rodan (Harb x Rose of Sharon) and Yaquis (Garaveen x Nejdme), who respectively took 4th and 3rd, coming up behind a Arab/TB cross (sired by Hail, out of a half-Arab mare sired by Maidan) and a Morgan, a breed which many people suspect to be pretty heavily influenced by Arabians.
1919 – the centennial anniversary coming up next year, had Ramla (Astraled x Ridaa) in 1st; a half-Arab named Kingfisher in 2nd (out of the very same Halcyon from the year before, and by Imamzada), and the mare Kheyra (Astraled x Rosa Rugosa – whose authenticity really rests on where you stand re: El Emir and Ishtar). 4th place was taken by Halcyon, and 5th by Crabbet (Rijm x Narda).
1920 had a bunch of half-breds taking the fore (I believe El Sabok was supposed to run, as well, but he got disqualified because of a lump under his saddle. Very strict rules.
1921 – Winner was Crabbet. There is a very lovely photo of Crabbet with W.R. Brown receiving the trophy for the 1921 race on Rehan Ud Din Baber’s facebook album, “Horse” for any and all who might be curious.
Astraled was obviously a sire of significance for the early US Remount program, and was listed as a Remount stallion in 1921.
Interesting photo. As a student of cavalry history, especially US, and collector of related documents and material culture I have seen other interesting photos of Arabs from early in the 20th century. If there is interest, I’ll see what I can find and send a couple in to you for posting.
Of course, like ALL horse photos from the day when horses had practical utility, the photos in the cavalry yearbooks and journals are side views of the whole animal with no particular attention to the heads.
I spoke briefly with others at the Al Khamsa meeting last weekend and learned that some familiar with the cavalry -sponsored breed endurance tests at the turn of the last century. As we would expect, Arab purebreds and part-breds cleaned up, but as the officer corps preferred to ride hunter-types, they changed the rules for the third trial. I suspect that the Quartermaster Corps and the Chief of Staff had a role in this, too, because the US Cavalry had standardized on the McClellan saddle, which fits almost no Arabian. New saddles were also tested, and recommended, but the cost of transition outweighed the obvious benefits. Somewhere I have the tables with those endurance trial results.
Still, both the US and British cavalries were in a heated debate over the right horse for cavalry. Once cavalry was no longer being used in European conditions (or, here in America, east of the Mississippi), and the face of warfare changed from lines of attack with the shock of saber-wielding heavy cavalry used to break through, to months in territory with no reliable lines of supply – endless scouting missions, and occasional running battles, everything changed. This was true in Africa, Asia, and the American West. What was learned was that smaller, tougher horses held up much better in the field. hence, the interest in our Arabians, who, after all, were bred for the harshest of conditions. There is much more to be said — but lest stop by saying that I surmise that what was learned in the endurance tests and the field conditions of the west was remembered when Arabians were brought in towards the twilight of the horse cavalry, to improve American remount stock.