Video: Haziz, 2002 asil Dahman Shahwan stallion of Najd and Bahrain lines
Yesterday, long-time asil Arabian breeder Lee Oellerich of British Columbia, Canada, and I initiated a fascinating conversation that was long overdue. Lee knew several of the importers and owners of the last asil desert-breds to come to North America, like Sam Roach, John Rogers, and Ella Chastain, as well as other veteran breeders like the Otts and the Searles.
The video below is one of the outputs of this rich conversation: it features the 2002 dark chestnut asil stallion Haziz (Bahri x Hulaifah by Naizahq), of the precious Bahraini Dahman Shahwan strain that is now extinct in Bahrain.
mikarrun, miffarun, muqbilun, mudbirun, ma’an // kajulmudi sakhrin hattahu al-sayllu min ‘ali
This very roughly tranlates as: “[My horse] attacks, and retreats, he runs forward and bounces backwards, all at once, like a big rock which the floods have driven down from above [the mountain]“. I will look for a more exacts translation in the orientalists’ publications.
More, please!
He ( Haziz) did several flying changes. They were perfectly straight, in rhythym with his stride, and were executed effortlessly. I could easily imagine a horse of his athletic ability just messing around with such flying changes approaching a cross country eventing fence with complete confidence. Where is Haziz located?
Best wishes
Bruce Peek
I have a mare who is in her twenties who is an asil and carries the blood of one of the Roger’s imports. She was a working cow horse and won a Top Ten in Working Cow Horse class in Scottsdale, Arizona. I also had her full sister, which I lost to founder.
Years ago, I arranged to see a colt that the Ott’s had for sale, and which was a story unto itself, but the colt was not anything close to stallion quality. In years of the ongoing search for the “perfect’ stallion or colt and the back and forth across the U.S. to find it in an asil stallion, I visited many different people and looked at just about everything, from the post 58’s to the horse that Ella Chastain owned. I alway try to see the inherent value in horses without pre conception. However, the horse that Ms. Chastain had was again one of those animals whose ancestry more resembled mustang than arabian.
I still have some correspondence from Ms. Ott and, as I’ve mentioned before the correspondence between Ms. Ott and Lois Kinney, the latter being one of my mentors. Fortunately or unfortunately, the written word often reveals more about the authors then mere recollection – and it may not always be kind.
He is located in British Columbia, Canada
Changing leads and Canadian Flags a lot to notice? I always wanted to see this line in the flesh, never have. Bahrain has always held my attention as to their horses. I hope you and Lee come up with something to print?
Caustic remarks? Mrs. Ott was just Mrs. Ott, both she and Jane had a great since of humor as did Mr. Ott.
Mr. Ott received an empty coke can from me on a football game. I bet a coke, I lost but drank the coke prior to mailing! (sore loser) This many years ago!
The coke can was magnetic, Air port Security was called into play. Mr. Ott spent two days at the airport before Mrs. Ott and Jane came forward to security.
I had wrapped the can in multi-boxes! Took enough time for him to get drunk opening, only to find his winnings already emptied by the sore loser, me. He called saying many things, with they, laughing merrily.
Nothing to do about the Bedouin Horse, but a lot to do with the past, almost forty years back? But who is counting? Almost as old as the present strains, like what is several hundred years.
I guess the colt seen but not taken, was saving the breed for Lorriee. A quote given by George Searle about another Stallion, years back.
We all have ideas of what should be, yet,
only the Bedouin is in the position to realize what is truly a Bedouin’s Horse. And only they can swear to God the truth.
jackson
Jeanne Craver contacted me today, and informed me that she thinks she is probably not long for this world with a combination of various pathogens and asked about my mare. On checking the datasource, I discovered that this mare, (27 in May) is actually a descendant of *Mamdouha, and therefore was not of the Rogers importation as I was initially informed.
I am particularly depressed not because I have to make the correction, but because I am the breeder of Midbar Pavan, and have to recognize that both of us are more than a little long in the tooth.
Jackson, I do agree with the majority of what you are saying. And beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I did make an effort to see as many of these horses as I could in the long ago and far away, and while their bloodlines may have been rare and as pure as the driven snow, who is to say that even some of these were recognized as the least of their kind and were allowed to be exported, because there were others at home which were held more dear.
Some of these horses were not just unattractive, they were downright ugly. Ms. Ott always said that the blood was there and if one just kept at it, one would eventually obtain the better of the offspring and use them. It was probably just me, but I felt that I probably did not have the longevity (and I was in my late twenties) to see such a project through. However, for those who did, they have my undying respect.