Bint Nefisa 06.08.1959 (Nazeer x Nefisa) was one of the foundation broodmares on Gle- annloch Farms, which were owned by Mr. Douglas B. and Mrs. Margaret Marshall, Spring, Houston, Texas. In the early 1960s, Mr. Marshall got a hold of Mr. Carl Reinhard Raswan (Schmidt), the greatest scholar of Arabian bloodlines of those times. The two men decided to set off on a long jour- ney to Asir, a region covering parts of Saudi Arabia and Yemen, where Raswan believed he could track down some of the purest and most ancient Asil Arabian families. Unfortunately, he died before he could embark on the expe- dition. However, his death did not discourage Mr. Douglas and Mrs. Margaret Marshall, nor were they saddened by what Amir Mutib El Sah’alan, Head of the Rouala tribe, once said to them: “Out of a thousand horses, only one is going to be truly special”. The Marshalls were determined to find those exceptional specimens and commenced their own search with the support of King Feisal, who provided them with a military escort, and with the backing of ARAMCO, a giant of the oil industry. In Saudi Arabia they could not find what they were looking for, thus, they travelled to Jor- dan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and, finally, to Egypt. Here, they got struck by the horses that Dou- glas had already seen back in 1942. While he was serving in the American Army, after the events of World War II, he had also had the op- portunity to visit the horses standing at R.A.S. in El Zahraa. 22.08.1959 (Nazeer x Maisa), Bint Maisa El Saghi- ra 22.08.1958-26.10.1973 (Nazeer x Maisa) and Salomy (Salomi) 05.03.1957 (El Sareei x Malaka). This was The Marshall’s first importation of Strai- ght Egyptian Arabian horses from El Zahraa. At that time, horses did not travel by plane like to- 01 02 The Marshalls bought four horses straightaway: Bint Nefisaa (as she would be called in the U.S.A.) along with Bint Maisa day, so in 1961 these four precious mares were em- barked on a ship. After a three-week voyage, they arrived in New York, but a terrible surprise awaited for them. These were the years of the African horse sick- ness (AHS) and all the Egyptian mares had been vaccinated against the disease so, they all tested positive for it. Health certificates clearly said AHS so, The Marshalls had only two options left: either put the mares down or repatriate them. Obviously, they went for the second op- tion and the four mares were shipped back to Egypt to try the same trip the following year un- der more favourable conditions. One more filly named Bint Bint Kateefa 25.8.1960- 01.07.1971 (Anter x Bint Kateefa) was added onto the ori- ginal band. Tom and Rhita McNair, both trainers at Gle- annloch Farms, were just in love with Bint Nefisaa. It could not be otherwise as she was really a lovely mare, full of femininity, and always with a gent le disposition. Tom used to say that Bint Nefisaa was one of the best horses standing at the centre. Her gaits were as natural as powerful and, whene- ver you let her run free in the paddock, she would soon set her tail high up like a flag and she would Rhita McNair used to say that Ansata Ibn Halima was the easiest horse to show in halter competi- tions. She would enjoy riding him especially in the woods where the stallion would stop and stare at the deer as well as the squirrels. In 1965 Bint Nefi- saa was bred to Ansata Ibn Halima. On January 6th, 1966 she bore El Hilal who was going to be a crucial stallion to the Arabian horse selection worldwide. 1965 was also the year when Dou- glas B. Marshall imported the great Morafic 19.3.1956-18.3.1974 (Nazeer x Mabrouka) from El Zahra. Gleannloch Farms had now the oppor- tunity to assess his potential as a sire and, despite all the excellent results from the breeding to An- sata Ibn Halima, Bint Nefisaa was impregnated by Morafic for the next three years. Two males, respectively named Il Nur (1967) and El Sabour (1968) were born out of this breeding along with Nama (1969), which produced very well. This mare was later purchased by Mr. George R. Wright, Ogden, Utah. At a later stage, they tur- ned back to the specific breeding to Ansata Ibn Halima, which led to the birth of two mares that marked the Arabian horse history. These were: Nourah (1971) and Neg- maa 03 show a broad and supple trot. Bint Nefisaa was a very classy mare and she had an innate showy attitude. She was even taken on some shows getting good results, but, she kept looking as slightly small as a really pretty miniature. Bint Nefisaa’s first product at Gleannloch Farms was the male Nar El Zahraa (1964), followed by his sister Narjisa (1965), a mare whose bloodline was used to build important farms. The stallion Moftakhar 3.10.1946 (Enzahi x Kateefa) was the sire of both. In 1964 Donald and Judith Forbis took their stal- lion Ansata Ibn Halima 17.9.1958-17.9.1981 (Na- zeer x Halima) to Gleannloch Farms for training purposes. The stallion had to stay there for a year. At the time, the plan was that he had to get good results both in halter competitions and performance, while also working on a number of Gleannloch Farms’ bro- odmares. This looked like an unaffordable program for a ne- ver trained seven-year-old stallion, but, Ansata Ibn Halima managed to achieve the desired results by winning in both halter and park championships. 04 (1970- 24.2.1993). produced four brilliant contenders: Halter Cham- pion Ruminaja Attallah (1977) by Shaikh Al Badi; 1985 Region XVIII Top Five Stallion Ruminaja Omar (1981) by Ibn Moniet El Nefous; Halter Re- serve Champion Taza Jaliya (1982) by Shaikh Al Badi, and Regional Halter Champion Imperial Bint Negmaa (1984) by Moniet El Nafis. In 1971, Bin Nefisaa was moved to Mr. George R. Wright’s Farm, Ogden, Utah together with her daughter Nourah. Mr. George R. Wright was the zeer that he had ever seen. Keri Wright once wrote that Bint Nefisaa’s femi- ninity, beauty and look combined with her inner qualities was an unforgettable vision and I am pretty sure that this mare still holds a special place in his heart today. Bint Nefisaa’s mortal remains were buried under- neath The Wrights’ old farm, but she has lived on today through her many descendants scattered all around the world. Talking about El Hilal 6.1.1966 (Ansata Ibn Hali- ma x Bint Nefisaa), I must say that he infused his bloodline with even more strength and prestige. Right after weaning, he was purchased by Mrs. Wenonah Varian and her daughter Sheila, co-owners of Varian Ranch, in Arroyo Grande, California. In 1968 Robert J. Thorndike from Jamal Ara- bians, Oroville, Washington, bumped into Shei- la Varian at ‘Cow Palace’ in San Francisco. He hinted to her that him and his wife Joanne were looking for a new stallion and despite Sheila told no-one that she wanted to sell El Hilal, Robert rushed to Varian Ranch, in Arroyo Grande, Cali- fornia, had a quick look at the horse and bought him the following month. At that time El Hilal was still unfit, he was too small and slow developing. In addition to this, Straight Egyptian lines were not so popular as today. Peo- ple, thus, wondered why Joanne and her husband 05 father of Mr. Keri Wright, who today is the owner of the Farm along with his wife Carolee from Cari- swood Arabian, Sandy, Utah. The following year, Bint Nefisaa bore the stallion Nefisaan (1972) by Mohssen 8.2.1966-1989 (An- sata Ibn Halima x Bint Mona), who is now bred by Gleannloch Farms. Bint Nefisaa’s first foal that was bred by Mr. George R. Wright was El Kahtan (1973) by Mohssen, followed by two more males, Ibn Bint Nefisaa (1974) by Dakmar 1971 (Ansata Ibn Halima x Gamilaa), and Desert Phantom (1976) by Mohssen. The latest foal out of Bint Nefisaa was the famous mare Moynese (1977) by Mohssen 8.2.1966-1989 (Ansata Ibn Halima x Bint Mona) who was The Wrights’ cornerstone stallion. Bint Nefisaa had a great impact on the fourteen-year-old boy Keri Wright once she arrived in Ogden, Utah. The kid was just mesmerised by the big, black eyes of the broodmare, which was another distinctive fe- ature of the family she was born into. Bint Nefisaa was a gentle spirit, she embodied the quietness of the desert, her native land, and Keri used to consi- der her as just the most beautiful daughter by Na- had bought him. The colt still needed to develop, but he had a very gentle temperament; he already had his big dark eyes, so The Thorndikes, who fir- mly believed in his parents, felt that El Hilal was a great promise. They waited with patience for the moment when their “Ugly duckling “made an incredible meta- morphosis. At age 3, El Hilal turned into a won- derful “swan” with a beautiful lean head and a well- set long arched neck. Their rough diamond started The Thorndikes kept at stud several daughters by El Hilal, including the great Dark Moon 1971 (El Hilal x Sura Gem by Sureyn), who produced U.S. National Top Ten Halter Mare Brieah (04.33.1976) by The Egyptian Prince. El Hilal proved to be a terrific breeding stallion. The quality of the few offspring he managed to produce during the first three breeding seasons was really out- standing. They were all foals born out of dams coming from a broad range of bloodlines. Meanwhile, El Hilal drew the attention of a breakout star show trainer, Ron Pa- lelek, who owned Vantage Point Farm, Vantage, Washington, together with his wife Joyce. In those days, Ron enjoyed an excellent reputation; he was being very successful both in performance and in halter competitions on the lead of the stallion Meczet 1961 (Comet x Mimika) that he imported from Poland, and that everyone praised for his amazing gaits. The Thorndikes were friends and clien- ts of The Paleleks, whose first chance of meeting El Hilal opened up on one mid-win- 07 to shine as they had longed for. In 1969, all of their mares were bred to El Hilal and to his stud-mate The Egyptian Prince 2.7.1967-20.9.1995 (Morafic x Bint Mona). This band of mares stem- med from the bloodlines of Jubilo 1942 (Caravan x La Plata) and Su- reyn (11.9.1940) (Raseyn x Crabbet Sura), which James E. Draper had been using for his breeding pro- gram Jedel Arabian Horse Ranch, Richmond, California. A year after, three daughters by El Hilal were born. All the fillies had inherited their sire’s big black eyes, his faultless conformation and showy attitude. In 1970, El Hilal covered seven out- side mares and embarked on his path to success. The following year, he covered other 17 mares and, in 1972, the mares were 40. El Hilal was yet living in a remote corner located north-west of the United States, around the Washington area so, even if he sired a great deal of mares, nobody would actually know him. ter night under unforeseeable circumstances. On his way back home, Bob Thorndike decided to stop at The Paleleks’ venue for a break. Given that he had just purchased The Egyptian Prince 2.7.1967-20.9.1995 (Morafic x Bint Mona), Ron’s wife, Mrs. Joyce Palelek, got extremely curious and wanted to sneak a look into Bob’s trailer. Washington, and he could move to Vantage Point Farm the following year. Neither for Robert J. nor for Joanne Thorndike had been it easy to sell El Hilal, but, at the end of the day, they had no regrets. They had always thought of him as an extraordinary stallion. They were aware of the fact that El Hilal could have more career opportunities with Ron Palelek. In their eyes, Ron also knew the show environment far better than them, and they were absolutely right. Shortly the- reafter, El Halil took over the Olympus of the breed right in Ron’s hands. During that period, Vantage Point Farm had a little herd consisting of some Crabbet broodmares which were thin but tall, with a lot of style and a beautiful trot. They carried much blo- od of the sire Serafix 10.2.1949-30.6.1973 (Raktha x Serafina), but, the problem was that they lacked in finesse. Ron hoped that El Hilal could convey more elegance to them. He was pretty sure about it as he had already seen many sons by El Hilal. The stal- lion was not tall, he was only 14.3 spans, but, as Ron argued, he would do very well with tall mares. The Paleleks selected the mares to breed to El Hilal very carefully. They crossed him with different bloodlines, but, mainly with Crabbet mares to eventually realize that their assumptions were correct. 09 Young El Hilal was also there, looking hairy and skinny to her, but, she soon realized that he was a great promise. For the next five years, The Paleleks watched over the stallion and his offspring. Ron got particularly struck by one of El Hilal’s daughters coming from The Thorn- dikes’ first crop so, he took her to several Nor- thwest Junior Championships. Her name was Juelette 1970 (El Hilal x Grand Juelee). One day, Bob Thorndike was at The Paleleks’ complaining about El Hilal being too-tough- to trade. In his opinion, no breeder would ever take their mares to breed to him into the far north-west of the United States. Ron jumped at the chance and told Bob Thor- ndike that he would buy himself the stallion if he had no objection to it. The Paleleks had now to find the money, so Ron set up a partnership with his friend Jim Sjoland and they bought El Hilal before Bob could change his mind. El Hilal was leased to Backacres Arabians owned by Mr. Howard and Mrs. Sally Stokke from Enumclaw, El Hilal proved to be a dominant stallion that possessed all the qualities and distinctive features of his family. In truth, he produced top quality horses, all very beautiful, with elegant gaits and a balanced body. They were also as highly trai- nable as their famous sire. El Hilal was the kind of stallion that when bred to a large variety of mares would definitively improve their top-line and hips; he would convey a beautiful arched neck, a good Palelek, their veterinarian and Jill Clausen who used to look after him. It was a very risky opera- tion for an 18-year-old stallion, but people would treat him like a star. Everyone would go up to his box and take pictures with him. El Hilal’s offspring achieved great successes in shows as well. In the U.S.A., where he was put to massive reproduction, El Hilal got the title of “Leading Straight Egyptian Sire of Champions”. In 1983, they had to cut down on the number of breedings on demand to 60, and the breeding rate was raised to $ 12,500. Ron Palelek’s favourite mare, Ebony Moon 4.3.1974 (El Hilal x Esperanzo Mara), was a living example of the great quality of type that El Hilal was able to produce when bred to Domestic American mares. She was a stunning dark bay mare bred and owned by Mr. Kent and Mrs. Audrey Herron, from Herron Arabians in Pasco, Washington. In her show career, Ebony Moon was crowned Winner of the 1977 title of Canadian National Reserve Champion Mare and 1979 U.S. National Reserve Champion Mare. The- re came many other mares like Ebony Moon, with coats of different colours, very beautiful and ex- tremely well-proportioned; all of excellent quality and great show horses regardless of their dams. Another breeder who was very successful with El Hilal’s offspring was R.O. Lervick Arabians, from Stanwood, Washington. He owned four sons by El Hilal who all became National Champions: Bai Moon 31.3.1980 (El Hilal x Shilow); he was 1983 U.S. National Top Ten Futurity Colt and 1983 Canadian National Reserve Champion Futurity Stallion. Arabay Hilana 3.4.1979 (El Hilal x Arabay); she 11 body structure, but, first and foremost, he would instil so much Arabian type and style. El Hilal became very popular in the northwest. But despite that, Ron and Joyce knew that as long their stallion did not get good results in shows, they would not be able to promote him either. From then on, El Hilal was put under training for hal- ter and saddle competitions; it was also nice to ride him as he was playful and quite exuberant in cross-country. He was a real stallion and it was a joy to introduce him to halter classes. With the passing of time, El Hilal turned into a wonderful and charismatic well-balanced horse. In the ca- pable hands of Ron Palelek, he went on winning many championships, including many A Class and Regional ones. His most important titles were: 1974 Canadian Top Ten Stallion; 1975 U.S. National Top Ten Stallion and 1976 U.S. National Top Ten Stallion. El Hilal was last shown to the public at the Egyp- tian Event of 1984 in Kentucky. On that occasion, he was accompanied by Mr. Ron and Mrs. Joyce was 1982 U.S. National Reserve Champion Futuri- ty Filly and 1982 Canadian National Top Ten Mare. Lalette 12.7.1974 (El Hilal x Chloette); she was 1978 Canadian National Top Ten Mare and 1980 U.S. National Top Ten Mare. JM Tamal 9.4.1974 (El Hilal x Tatumi); he was 1979 U.S. National Top Ten Gelding, 1979 Cana- mare was acquired by Dr. Felino Cruz and his wife from Rancho Bulakenyo, Los Osos, California. As one of the most important Arabian Horse Strai- ght Egyptian mares of modern age, RDM Maar Hala descended from Maaroufa through the mare Maar Ree. Her bloodline was proven Saklawiya Jedraniya Ibn Sudan since she derived from Bint Yamama (Saklawi I x Yemameh), a gray broodma- re that was the foremother of her family, and that belonged to Khedivé Abbas Pasha Hilmi II. There- fore, RDM Maar Hala was not a Kuhayla Jellabiya mare as it was erroneously written in the past. She produced great sons, eight of whom became great champions, reason for which she got the title of “Leading Champion Producing Egyptian Mare “. She looked truly aristocratic and her behaviour was worthy of her ranking. She died in the fields of Rancho Bulakenyo, surrounded by the love of The Cruzes. RDM Maar Hala had also produced three stun- ning females: Halter Champion, Bint Maar Hala (1984) by Shaikh Al Badi; Reserve Junior Halter Champion Filly Maartrabbi (1988) by Al Metrab- bi, who was sold in the United Kingdom in 1989, and Maar Halaa (1992) by Abenhetep. 13 14 dian National Top Ten Gelding and 1980 U.S. Na- tional Top Ten Gelding. In truth, I ought to talk about many more cham- pions because the genetic power of El Hilal went well beyond the first generation. Likewise, his daughters were excellent reproducers and, in their turn, dams of many other champions: Ebony Lace 1978 (Jora Honey Ku x Ebony Moon); she was 1981 US National Top Ten Futurity Mare and 1981 Canadian National Champion Futurity Mare. VP Kahlua 16.6.1981 (Jora Honey Ku x Kahlette); as well as being a beautiful chestnut mare with a lot of femininity, grace and Arabian type, VP Kahlua was crowned: 1984 U.S & Canadian National Champion Mare, 1985 Champion Mare in Scott- sdale and World Champion Junior Mare in Paris. When El Hilal arrived in the state of Washington, Straight Egyptian Arabian mares were pretty rare, so he managed to impregnate the first Straight Egyptian mare later in life at age 7. But, it was an excellent beginning for what he was just able to do. Among the first Straight Egyptian daughters by El Hilal there was the stunning RDM Maar Hala 14.2.1973-2000 (El Hilal x Maar Jumana) bred by Dr. W. Leon and Roberta M. Weaver. Later, this But, she was also famous for being the dam of gre- at stallions such as: ET Crown Prince (1977-2001) by The Egyptian Prince; Halim El Mansour (1979) by Ansata Ibn Halima; El Halimaar (2.12.1980- 15.7.2002) by Ansata Ibn Halima; Prince Ibn Shaikh (12.2.1981) by The Egyptian Prince; Maar Ibn Ali (1986) by Ruminaja Ali; Maar Ibn Amaal (1987) by Amaal and the last born Haliluyah-MH (7.9.1995) by El Halimaar. They all became great champions and terrific reproducers. Another successful breeding partner to El Hilal was the mare Nafairtiti 1.7.1972 (Morafic x Bint Maisa El Saghira), a full sister of Shaikh Al Badi as well as matriarch of the “Moon Family”. She spent the last years of her life in Rancho Bulakenyo, Los Osos, California. This breeding led to the birth of Kachina Moon (1981), Multi-Champion Mare Moon Mystique (1982), Moon Danseur (1985) and the Champion Mare exported to Brazil, Naderah (1989); they were all amazing mares bred by John R. & Joyce L. Hurd, Mount Vernon, Washington. Kachina Moon’s daughter, SF Moon Maiden (1985) by Nabiel, produced Multi-Champion stallion Abraxas Moonstruck (Apr.1992) by ET Crown Prince, and the legendary Abraxas Halima- ar (1990) by El Halimaar. Moon Mystique was the grand-dam of Imdals Jade 1992 (Imperial Imdal x Shamisa Mystique), who in turn produced Egyptian Event Reserve Supreme Champion Mare Jade Lotus SMF (2001) by Ali Sa- roukh 16.4.1994-06.2018 (Ruminaja Ali × Glorieta Sayonaara). Last but not least, Moon Danseur was the dam of Champion Shiaynne (1990) by Simeon Shai 31.8.1984-24.7.2013 (Raadin Royal Star x Simeon Safanad). El Hilal’s Straight Egyptian daughter, Helwa Lan- cer (1988) by Nahidd, was exported to the Uni- ted Kingdom in 1991 to Halsdon Stud, where she bore the stallion HS Hero (1998) by Simeon Sadik 10.10.1989-25.12.2012 (Asfour x Simeon Safanad). Then, HS Hero returned to the U.S.A. in Abraxas Arabians, a breeding farm that had been highly successful in using El Hilal’s bloodline and that se- lected Straight Egyptian horses very carefully. HS Hero is now owned by KC Egyptian Arabians by Mr. Scott and Mrs. Kara Crowell from Holredge, Nebraska. The Straight Egyptian mare HI-Fashion Hitesa 1983 (El Hilal x Yasamin) was another first-rate reproducer. Her son Hi Fashion Creek (1987) by Ibn El Mareekh, left his indelible mark through his son The Elixir (19.5.1992-2017) out of Jaliya 1984 (Halimm x Haniya). Moreover, he was crowned Egyptian Event Reserve Supreme Champion and Sire of many champions. El Hilal was also bred to his full sister Nourah (1971), producing U.S. National Top Ten and Egyptian Event Champion World Class Mare, Si- dra (1986) and the breath-taking stallion, Le Ba- roque (1988) who became U.S. National Top Ten Futurity Colts. Among the Straight Egyptian sons by El Hilal, the best one was maybe Imperial Al Kamar (2.5.1987- 13.10.2018) out of Imperial Sonbesjul 1979 (Hos- sny x Serenity Sonbolah). I spoke already about Imperial Al Kamar in the chapter devoted to his grand-dam Serenity Sonbolah 3.3.1967 (Sameh x Bint Om El Saad). Hansan (1974) out of Hamamaa 1970 (Ibn Antar x Hekmat), bred by George R. Wright, in Ogden, Utah was another remarkable son by El Hilal. In 1976, Hansan was exported to Australia whe- re he was crowned Australian National Cham- pion and he won the title of “Australian Sire of Distinction”. This kind of prize was awarded after assessing a stallion’s overall offspring, and taking into account the combination of halter and perfor- mance competitions. In 1983, Hansan returned to the U.S.A. at Vantage Point Farm, where he beca- me part of a syndicate along with his sire El Hi- lal. Every year, the shareholders of the syndicate were entitled to one breeding to Hansan and one another to El Hilal. I could be talking a lot more about the male pro- geny by El Hilal. But, I am going to only mention the very last of his Straight Egyptian sons so as not to bother the reader any more. This was VP Regal Heir 2.5.1988-2009 (El Hilal x Bint Sammara), a stallion whose name included the suffix (VP) to indicate “Vantage Point Farm” as his main breeder. On the contrary, horse’s do- cuments clearly said that his breeder was Mr. Paul Hulme from Saratoga, California. In 1981, Mr. Paul Hulme purchased the dam of VP Regal Heir, Bint Sammara 6.2.1973 (Mohssen x Sammara “Samara”) from George R. Wright, Og- den, Utah. She was part of a group of mares that included also Bint Nefisaa 6.8.1959 (Nazeer x Ne- fisa) in it. When he was old, Mr. Paul Hulme brought his mares onto Ron Palelek’s Vantage Point Farm, Van- tage, Washington. There, Bint Sammara was bred to El Hilal and she bore VP Regal Heir (2.5.1988- 2009) along with the filly PH Flirtatious (1986). After she was bred to stallion Simeon Shai, she also bore the colts PH Premonition (1990) and PH Promiscuous (1991), and the filly VP Anike Shai (1994). VP Regal Heir came from the family of El Samraa 5.1.1924 (Hab el Rih x Bint el Sheik), a mare standing at Inshass Stud. She was thought to be a Saqlawiyah at first, but they recognized her as a Kuhaylah at a second final testing. Mr. Scott and Mrs. Kara Crowell from KC Egyp- tian Arabians, Holdrege, Nebraska were to be VP Regal Heir’s final owners. They bought the stallion in 2003. The first thing that would strike everybo- dy about VP Regal Heir were his big and expressive dark eyes. If you looked straight into his eyes, you could tell he was a poised and gentle stallion, espe- cially with his mistress Kara with whom he had a special bond from the beginning. When Kara spoke to him, VP Regal Heir would listen to her words carefully. He knew that they came from a kind and friendly voice so he respected her very much. VP Regal Heir had a great temperament and he was born to be an epoch-maker. He was kind but he could also look impassive and imperial. His strong masculinity could be particularly felt each time he was able to draw the attention of the ma- res in the pastures only by neighing. His mistress El Hilal from the family of Bint Nefisaa, owned by Scott & Kara Crowell’s KC Egyptian Arabians, in Holredge, Nebraska. Bint Domineekh (1997) out of Domineekh 1992 (Ibn El Mareekh x Serr Haretta). Bred by Quinton & Phyllis Lane, she won the title of “Most Classic Head”. Bint Rofina (1997) out of Glen- glade Rofina 1992 (Rofann x Bint Dahira). Bred by Quinton & Phyl- lis Lane, she was crowned Senior Champion Mare at the National Festival of Israel. Mark Mreekh (1997) out of Dah- mareekha 1994 (Hi-Fashion Mreekh x Dahmarra). Bred by Quinton & Phyllis Lane, he was Egyptian Event Top Ten World Class Yearling Colt and Sire of the winners in Halter competitions at the Egyptian Event. Heirogant (2007) out of Hakaya El Nefous 1999 (Imperial Salateen x Khafrana). Bred by Kara Crowell & Joann Weisman, this stallion belonged to the fa- mily of Bint Mona and he was owned by Altshuler and Marwan Abusoud from Arabian Meadows, in 19 Kara was very much in love with him. VP Regal Heir had a great personality that he managed to maintain despite a trauma to his shoulders. This was also the reason why he ne- ver participated in shows. When you looked at his silhouette, you would get struck by his great ba- lance and well-defined propor- tions. His long neck was upright and well set; his back was strong and short just like in most of the offspring produced by El Hilal. VP Regal Heir had pretty good lengths of the rump and of the hips; if you observed him from the top of the shoulder down to the buttocks, and, from the top of the withers down to the ground, his body would form a perfect square, not the rectangle that we often see in today’s horses. Morphologically correct in every way, VP Regal Heir had a solid body structure that he passed onto his progeny. To mention but just a few: Patinaa (1995) out of Sidra 1986 (El Hilal x Nou- rah). Bred by Charles E. & Judy W. Jones, Atallah Arabian Farm, Sioux City, Iowa, she was double Valley View, Texas. Nyuserra (2008) out of J Zaziza 1991 (Zaghloul x Iziza), whose female tail line was the same as his si re’s VP Regal Heir. She was bred by Kara Crowell &Joann Weisman. El Hilal had so much of a Prince, and his behaviour fully proved it. He was easy to handle, he was neither restless nor ill-tempered. Some of the stallions who went on training ses- sions at Vantage Point Farms used to be installed next to his box. If the other horses got nervous, began to prance about, to neigh or even to kick the walls, he would just stay aloof and would not care till they surrendered. When bred to his mares, El Hilal was polite and kind. He was mostly attracted to bay mares ra- ther than chestnut and grey ones. When some- one rode him, he would be generous. He was a horse with a lot of style. However, El Hilal would also do weird staff. For example, he would some- times lick the nose of the horse next to his box! At a mature age, El Hilal was ridden much less, but he was fit enough to run free in his paddock. Every morning he would watch the parade of mares from his spacious lodgings, while they were going up the stable to take their daily walk with Ron. That was when he would curl his tail onto his back and he would just go. A great horse must have a great manager behind him. Someone who is fully committed to preserve his genetic pool. El Hilal was quite lucky from this point of view. Ron Palelek was a very clever and visionary breeder; he was very good at managing the stal- lion, making El Hilal one of the most important horses of the breed. In his career, El Hilal produced 616 registered foals and he was the Sire of 52 winners of Natio- nals, 7 Champions in Halter, 11 Reserve Cham- pions in Halter, 1 Reserve Champion in Perfor- mance, 28 Top Ten in Halter and 36 Top Ten in Performance. So far, I have written about Nefisa’s bloodli- ne 29.10.1945 (Balance x Helwa). Now, I am going to write about the offspring produced by Abla. This mare was Helwa’s last daughter and her strong legacy still continues until our days through her descendants. Abla 7.11.1953 (Nazeer x Helwa), was a lovely mare with a beautiful and classy Dahmah head. She had a solid body, well-shaped arched neck and well-levelled croup; a high tail carriage and very correct limbs with an excellent bone structure and beautiful gaits. Being a daughter by Nazeer, Abla was double Mansour 19.4.1921- 1940 (Gamil Manial x Nafaa El Saghira) also be- cause her grand-dam Bint Farida (3.5.1931) was a daughter of this great stallion. I have already written about Abla’s progeny when I dealt with the stallion Ibn Fakhri (Korayem) 14.4.1952 (Nazeer x Helwa), in the chapter devoted to “The Sons of Nazeer in Egypt”.Now, I would like to remind you that Abla was the dam of the stallion Ibn Abla (11.11.1953) by Sid Abouhom. I would also like to point out that the following dau- ghters out of Abla such as: Hayfaa (11.8.1964) by Sameh, Looza (12.4.1969) by Anter and Adaweya (24.3.1970) by Anter, were all kept safe by EAO in order to secure this particular branch of El Dahma’s great family. Abla’s last daugthter was Hanza- da (19.1.1973) by Ibn Shahrzada. Although she remained in Egypt, Hanzada was sold to Madam Wegdan El Bar- bary, a very talented breeder and owner of “Sham el Asil” Stud. Unfortunately, Looza died at a young age, but, after she had al- ready borne the filly Loftah (20.3.1978) by Akhtal. In truth, Looza had also borne the colt Ibn Akhtal before she passed away. According to EAO, Ibn Akhtal was the true heir of the stallion Akhtal 5.3.1968 (Amrulla x Hagir).Ibn Akhtal 4.5.1979 (Akhtal x Looza) provided strong evidence of his being an excellent sire of subjects carrying the distinctive features of both Nazeer and Sid Abouhom. In particular, when he was bred to the elegant mares from the family of Moniet El Nefous 11.2.1946-1976 (Shahloul x Wanisa) such as: Mahlaha 30.3.1970 (Alaa El Din x Mouna), Ibdaa 3.12.1979 (Ikhnato- on x Ibtsam); Enshad 27.3.1974 (Ibn Abla x Reem) and Bint Fayrouz 11.10.1978 (Mourad x Fayrooz). After the death of the mare Looza, of all the daughters by Anter and out of Abla, only Adaweya remained in El Zahraa becau- se the other mares had already been sold to the most important breeding farms in the United States of America. Nagat (5.10.1960- 19.9.1977), Rashika (21.2.1962), Eman (1.2.1963), Somia (21.8.1965-21.10.1990) and Ein (28.7.1971) built families that have grown till today through subjects of great va- lue. Adaweya was one of those rare mares whose beauty would enthral you out of the gate. If you looked deep into her eyes, you would be thrilled by the true spirit of the classic Desert Horse. She looked like a Queen. She epitomi- zed all the distinctive features of the family of El Dahma; but, most of all, Adaweya posses- sed all those inner qualities that matter so much to breeders who do care about and are honestly interested in what the Arabian horse really meant to Bedouin tribes: a loyal companion whose unique personality, intelligence, honesty, courage and gre- at charisma made of him a member of the family. The grey Adaweya was the mare that EAO chose in order to carry on Abla’s bloodline. Her dam used to be one of the most extraordinary broodmares ever existed in Egypt. Adaweya was an extre- mely well-shaped mare, with a lean head, big jaws and a broad forehead. Everything was exceptional about her, from her sophisticated tipped-ears to her fine nostrils. Even more, what to say about that spark of extraordinary intelligence that appeared into her eyes? What to say about the almost touching ‘humanity’ of her face? Adaweya looked so exquisitely Arabian that no honours could do her justice. However, a beautiful classy head was not her only strong suit. Adaweya’s morphology was as amazing as her head and her overall type was everything an Arabian horse must have. Her neck and thorax looked faultless. She had strong, well-levelled croup and back, with a wide circumference which during pregnancy allowed her to make a lot of room for her fo- als. Adaweya proved to be an excellent dam that produced ten foals in her career. EAO was fully aware of Adaweya’s great ge- netic pool, reason for which the mare was bred to the best breeding stallions of the time, and, all of her sons, became great sires in their turn. The first born was the chestnut Lokman (23.2.1980) by Akhtal, whose name was later changed into Ibn Adaweya. Also Lokman was sold to Madam Wegdan El Barbary. She made of him the premier stallion at “Sham el Asil” Stud,the most important breeding program among all private studs. Adaweya’s second and third sons were respectively Adawy (20.2.1982) and Mohab (20.12.1984), both sired by the great Ikhnatoon (26.10.1974) (Farazdac x Bint Om El Sad by Nazeer), and both used in El Zahraa for reproduction pur- poses. As parents, they both proved to be capable of con- veying their offspring the same extraordinary genetic pool of their great sire. In those days, these two stallions established themselves as the most power- ful and masculine sires throu- ghout the land of Egypt. In terms of quality, their progeny went far beyond the most opti- mistic expectations, by spreading the burdensome legacy of beauty and type of their dam. Next, came Omayr (3.5.1987) by Ameer 10.10.1970 (Galal x Moniet El Nefous), who was also used in El Zahraa. By the end of January 1989, Adaweya bore her last son, the handsome Ibn Shamsan by Shamsan 14.1.1983 (Shaarawi x Hayatem), who was sold to Qatar in 1991. There, he got the name of Fouad. Adaweya was also the dam of valuable mares, many of whom were kept safe in El Zahraa to preserve their bloodline. The first born was the filly Ikbal (12.2.1974) by Seef. Sold to Mrs. Joan Ratcliff, England, in 1975, Ikbal had an extraordinary career as a reproducer. On March 25th, 1976 Enayah was born. Sired by stallion Nawaf, she was perhaps the most important daughter out of Adaweya. Enayah was a wonderful classy grey mare and also the dam of Adl (10.3.1982) who can be said to be the most representative and charismatic son of Ikhnatoon. Adl had a decisive role in the selection process developed by EAO. He had just so much type and appeal that he immediately seized the he- arts of all the Egyptians, while the leaders of El Zahraa considered him as the genuine heir of the deceased Ikhnatoon. Among all the great daughters out of Adl, I would like to mention at least one: the grey Tee (23.3.1995) who was the daughter of the mare Bint Ibtsam 4.12.1978 (Akhtal x Ibtsam by Nazeer) who, in turn, came from Moniet El Nefous’ 11.2.1946-12.1976 (Shahloul x Wanisa)Saklawiya Jedraniya Ibn Sudan bloodline. At age 24, Tee was still beautiful and fit; she lo- oked healthy in every way, with excellent limbs and solid hooves. Although she was kept shoed, she would not lose her fantastic supple movement. She was a mare with a great balance and easy to handle from shoeing to any other action to look after her. Enayah was bred to Ikhna- toon several times produ- cing valuable grey-coated daughters: Iman (12.4.1980) and Ebada (1.9.1985) who both remained in El Zahraa, while Enayah Al- lah (1.5.1983) and Nageia (25.8.1984) were exported to the U.S.A. in 1986 by Mr. Mourad El Cassabgui. When she got to the U.S.A. Enayat Allah was acquired by Dr. M. E. Nasr from Antioch, Illinois. As for Nageia, who was a typical Dahmah mare of actual substance, she was purchased by Mourad El Cassabgui’ son-in-law Nabil Hallak as he wanted to develop his herd. Mr. Nabil Hallak used to eulogise Ansata Arabian Stud in every way for their great work so, Nageia was bred to Ansata Halim Shah. In 1989, El Mou- rad was born and, in 1990, after the mare El She- rine had been bred to Shemees 9.3.1983 (Anas x Shomoos), the colt El Cassabgui (1992) was also born. In 1995 Mr. Nabil Hallak leased Nageia to Ansata Arabian Stud run by Mr. Donald L. and Mrs. Judi- th Forbis, Mena, Arkansas, where the mare Ansa- ta Najiba 25.2.1996 (Ansata Hejazi x Nageia) was conceived. Straight after the lease, Nageia was purchased by Mr. Alberto and Mrs. Judi Parks from Abbasiyah Stud, Ocala, Florida, while she was expecting a baby from Ansata Hejazi. In 1997, Nehmedoh came to life. Later on, the Parks would sell this filly in Panama. Nageia had magnificent gaits with a brilliant and supple trot. She was sold in Belgium, but only after she had borne Nazeef (2000) by Ahsen El Serag 1995 (Serag x AK Ahliyeh) at Abbasiyah Stud. In the following years, Nazeef was sold to the great horsewoman Mrs. Joan Eastman Woods and he proved to be an excellent endurance horse. Mrs. Hanna Louise (Hansi) Melnyk was among those people who particularly appreciated Nazeef. The latter was also bred to the mares hosted at Se- renity Arabian Farms. In addition to these two daughters of Adaweya, the- re was also a third one who- se name was Bint Adawia (Bint Adaweya) (30.8.1977) by Akhtal. In 1978, this filly was exported to the U.S.A by Mr. Donald R. and Mrs. Jeanne Ford from Lancer Arabians, Reddick, Florida. Bint Adaweya was a very classy and correct mare, empowered with that same structural strength and sub- stance that sire Anter con- veyed to all his daughters. In 1980 Donald R. Ford or- ganized the “Lancer’s Night of Nights, Sale of Sales” in order to sell his horses. At the Sale, Bint Adaweya was purchased by a group of people called Harper-Reich, from Pittsburgh, Penn- sylvania, to the tune of $ 84,000. However, as they had troubles collecting the mare, Bint Adaweya was later acquired by Bentwood Farms in 1983. There, she was bred to Moniet El Sharaf producing outstanding offspring: the bay stallion Talit Sha- raf (1987), the bay mare Adasharaf (1985) and the black Tanye Rama (1986), a dream broodmare that every breeder would love to have in his herd. Unfortunately, Bint Adaweya died in 1987 when she was only 10 years old. Last but not least, I need to mention Adaweya’ last two daughters, which were respectively: Adalat (5.5.1983) and Onwah (18.3.1986), both sired by the stallion Ameer. Since she was a filly, Adalat had stolen every man’s he- art especially when she ran free in the paddocks of El Zahraa. She had an extraordinarily exotic head that made of her EAO’ little girl. Leaders were very proud of this particular cross insofar as it was a combination that did not alter any physical cha- racteristics - as often happens at present - but that fully succeeded in passing an exceptional type onto future generations. Precisely great type and charisma were the main features of two more full brothers of Adalat, the mare Onwah and the stallion Omayr. And the story continues...