New Guest Blogger: Yasser Ghanim

I am happy to introduce Yasser Ghanim Barakat of the larger Tahawi clan in Egypt as a guest blogger on Daughters of the Wind. Yasser, his cousin Mohammad Mohammad Othman al-Tahawi and Yehia Abd al-Sattar Eliwa al-Tahawi have been working with Bernd Radtke, Joe Ferriss and myself as well as a number of others to further the cause of the remaining asil horses of the Tahawi (some 20 plus mares and a stallion), as Yasser put it so well in his post on the StraightEgyptians.com:

“The great and historical decision taken by Al Khamsa to recognize all the remaining Tahawy horses renews hope in preserving these asil and rare bloodlines of desert Arabians (see: https://daughterofthewind.org/tahawi-tribel…is-is-historic/ )

Tahawy Arabians were dominating the race in Egypt in the period between the 1880s and 1960s. They were an important source for most of Egypt’s famous breeders such as Lady Anne Blunt, the Egyptian Royal family and the members of the Jockey club.

The Tahawy horses descend from some of the finest desert bred horses acquired by the Tahawies from the best strains of the notable Sheikhs of Eneza and Shammar tribes. Original certificates stamped by Eneza and Shammar Shaikhs were issued for the Tahawy horses imported from Arabia and the Syrian Desert. Tahawies also kept detailed records of their breeding.

Tahawies had strong ties to the clans of Sb’aa, Fad’aan and Rwela in addition to the famous family of Al-Brazi of northern Syria. They acquired hundreds of Asil desert bred horses from the best and rarest strains as their certificates show. Tahawies were very meticulous in selecting their imports. Desert breeders, usually through the Brazi family, used to send the Tahawies photos of their best horses offered for sale.

Only three Tahawy mares were listed in the EAO 1975 vol. IV studbook (many Tahawy horses were previously listed in the later on ignored 1968 studbook). These three mares had been acquired by Hamdan Stables of Ahmed Hamza in 1944 from Shaikh Abdul-Hamid Rageh El-Tahawy. These were the declared ones but Tahawies believe there were many more among EAO horses. The other Tahawy mares (an estimate of 600 at 1980 and thousands before 1952) were not accepted by the EAO for unknown reasons (long and sad story!).”