Two Ansata Ibn Halima photos from 1972
I don’t think these two photos of the Egyptian stallion Ansata Ibn Halima (Nazeer x Halima by Sheykh El Arab) have been published before. They were taken at the 1972 nationals, and are from the photo collection of the late Billy Sheets.
Exceptional! Had to share on my facebook page.
Hi Edouard,
I think those photos were taken at Ansata. Looks like the East Texas farm. I attended the 72 Nationals in Oklahoma City and don’t remember there being a tree in sight. Lovely photos regardless. I have some very old photos of A. Ibn Halima also.. some that I shot over the years but the quality of the cameras in those days was certainly not what you find today. It was so good to finally meet you at the breeders conference. You are a wonderful speaker and look forward to communicating with you in the future.
Hi Marilyn, I will be posting other photos of Ansata horses from 1972 over the next couple days. The mention that these were taken at the US nationals figures on the back of the photos which I scanned. It may certainly be a mistake however. It was good to meet you in Atlanta, too.
I cannot imagine them using that nasty clay/shale red dirt at the Nationals. I bet these were taken at the Chickasha farm, tho’ I was quite young and don’t know what years they were there… but, this is the dirt I grew up in and this looks like Oklahoma. And not the OKC Fairgrounds. ;~)
Robin, I believe you are right. I visited the Chickasha farm during the nationals in 1972, and this looks familiar…. Marilyn, I don’t remember trees at the nationals, either!
Ibn Halima reminds one more of Bint Samiha, Nazeers Dam, than he does Nazeer or his own Dam, Halima. I’m referring to the photos of Bint Samiha in good flesh not the one where she is ribby if you will.
Best regards
Bruce Peek
Having seen Ansata Ibn Halima in person on a number of occasions, what I saw (based also on the study of many photos of Sheikh El Arab) is a very strong resemblance to Sheikh El Arab, his maternal grandsire.
To me in overall conformation and form, the horse who seemed very much like Nazeer (again based on seeing many photos including unpublished ones) was Ansata El Nisr, a double grandson of Nazeer.
I think Nazeer seldom passed on his own exact look but rather passed on a kind of essence which lasted for many generations, a special nobility, very fine skin, exceptional dryness and sinewy appearance and a kind of grace of lines even when some of his descendants are angular or unusually deep in heart girth. Seldom did he impart a dramatic mitbah or flowing curve of the neck or curvy lines elsewhere for that matter. Just very slight curves.
Curvyness is more the hallmark of Ibn Rabdan’s influence who also is key to darker skin pigment. Usually the mares added the more flowing lines and the bigger eyes from some dam lines. Neither Nazeer or Ibn Rabdan were noted for passing on large eyes. Mansour seemed to be a better source of that in some of his get. Ansata Ibn Halima did have and impart the larger darker eyes but then he was double Mansour close up and also close to Ibn Rabdan.
I tried to find the blog post that spoke of trying to find some line bred Nazeer Stallions and now am unable to find it. I have a friend who has a 20 year old stallion that she is looking at freezing semen for export and US use. He is homozygous grey, but was born black or liver chestnut. He produces nice type and is a lovely boy. He has 5 crosses to Nazeer, and 3 crosses to Priboj and 3 crosses to Salon. I am still learning strains so parden me if I don’t have things quite right; but he is a wonderfully bred and built horse. He is roughly 14.3hh, not huge but balanced and athletic. He is definitely all boy. I do have a video but no recent photos and do not know how to post for him. I showed him at a halter show when he was younger and everyone kept saying how he was too unruly and noisy to do well in the ring; but the truth of it was, he didn’t like being at the show grounds and when I put my sleeping bag in his stall and slept next to him, not a noise came from him the rest of the time we were there. He took Champion stallion under Bill Melendez and he said he was a classic looking desert bred horse. From my own experience with him and his get, he is smart, willing and definitely puts a stamp of pretty on his girls and masculinity on his boys. His name is Tsarquest (Tsarkan x Meda by Pattrone).
Recently, in early 2013, I have been putting up a wide variety of Ansata El Nisr photos, on a facebook page for Nisr called Loving Arabian Horses. While I have gotten behind in current new posts, there are still many more to go up to as soon as I am able. Lucky are the folks who have been able to see in person the horses in the pedigrees of their own horses – the further back as possible. As well as related horses.
It is because I felt that there are still so many photos of horses in Nisr’s extended pedigree that I wold like to see – more views and in different levels of condition (fit or poor). One such horse is Balance, as he gets some hard knocks based on some limited photos.
I do agree with Joe about Nisr and Nazeer. But there is more to be reckoned with, it is the FEEL of the horse in-hand and on his back. It is the ultimate spiritual picture. Nisr simply “danced” by my side! He never evaded my personal space, stepped on me or shoved me – ever. When Calvin was riding him, he was a drinker of the wind! When I rode him, he was a soft breeze.
I can still feel it all – just as if it were yesterday.