*Noura, 1917 desert-bred Ma’naqiyah from Ibn Saud
Lebanese-American poet and advisor to first Saudi king Abd al-Aziz ibn Saud with *Noura, a desert-bred Ma’naqiyah Hadrajiyah. Noura, born in 1917, was a gift from her breeder Ibn Saud to Rihani, and was imported to the USA in 1928. She has no asil progeny left.
As an aside, this mare is living proof, if more proof was needed, that the preeminent rulers of Najd bred and owned Ma’naqi horses. So much for those who pretend that Najd people did not have that strain. They had no reason to. It was and still is as good as any other desert blood. Photo from the frontpage of the website of the Ameen Rihani organization, dedicated to the preservation of the legacy of this “founding founder of Arab-American literature”.
The mare has a lovely face, and Ameen Rihani looks so proud of her.
I really do love this photo. Horses are fantastic, and bloodlines are all well and good – but it’s the human connections that really pull it all together. You can tell Ameen Rihani really enjoyed his horses — there is something incredibly timeless and relatable about that. A common thread that echoes across the pages and photos…
Speaking of her head – she has a hell of an expansion chamber..
Best
Bruce Peek
Me thinks that Noura and Haidee trace to the same mare somewhere in the desert. Look at the resemblance with photos of Haidee’s daughter Naomi and her direct offspring
I wish this blog had a “like” feature for posts or comments! I keep wanting to press that heart!