Part two of this series will deal with the El Zahraa sires Ikhnatoon, an significant EAO sire, as well as the only Moniet El Nefous son at that time, Ameer and the stallion Wahag together with his son Hafid Anter.
Ikhnatoon
One of the most important sires of the EAO in the 70’s and early 80’s, was Ikhnatoon (Farazdac x Bint Om El Dalal), born in 1974. He had two lines to Nazeer, as his sire as well as his dam both were by Nazeer.
His sire Farazdac was a very beautiful and noble Arab stallion, exported to United States where he sired more than 410 foals. Farazdac died in 2001.
As his sire, Ikhnatoon was a beautiful stallion with accomplished nobility, standing in Saklawi type, with excellent neck, long withers, long back with good saddle position. According to Dr. Otto Saenger, one of the best representatives of the Nazeer line in El Zahraa at that time.
Ikhnatoon’s dam was Bint Om El Saad (Nazeer x Om El Saad) who also was the dam of the chestnut mare Serenity Sonbolahh (by Sameh) who founded her own family at Hansi Heck-Melnyck’s Serenity Farms, Florida.
Besides Ikhnatoon, Bint Om El Saad also produced the stallions Serag (by Anter), exported to the U.S. and Kais I (by Mohawed), exported to England. Kais I’s granddaughters Ravenna (Vympel x Rawayeh) and Riva (Narew x Rawayeh) became excellent broodmares at the stud of Cornelia Kolnberger, Austria.
Ikhnatoon’s most beautiful daughter was Kot El Koloob (x Ghader) that became broodmare at Rabab Stud where she produced the full-siblings Wegdan RB, Afrah and the “Dancing” stallion Yakout Rabab (all by Ibn Adaweya).
Another daughter by Ikhnatoon was Barrada (x Atbara). She was the dam of Ibn Barrada, a liver-chestnut stallion exported to Belgium in 1992 and owned by Flaxman Arabians until he died in 2012.
Although Ikhnatoon was rather known for being a broodmare sire, three of his sons should be mentioned here: The full-brothers Mohab and Adawy (x Adaweya) and his most important son Adl (x Enayah).
Like his sire, Adl became an important sire at El Zahraa. With his daughter Tee (x Bint Ibtisam), Adl stamped a masterpiece. Tee caught a lot of attentions due to her beauty which was legendary and comparable to the one of another remarkable Egyptian mare: Moniet El Nefous (Shahloul x Wanisa).
Ameer
Moniet El Nefous was the most influential broodmare of the EAO of her time (and most likely of all times). Her influence on the Egyptian breeding programm is identical to the one of Nazeer. Many visitors and breeders from abroad admired and praised her beauty, her refined head with big eyes and tiny muzzles. While El Zahraa kept most of her daughters, her best sons were exported. Of the remaining sons, only Ameer, born in 1970, was used as sire at El Zahraa. He was the only chestnut stallion at El Zahraa back then. When Otto Saenger visited the stud in the early 1980’s, he described Ameer as a very typey stallion of average size who could have better built hocks.
His sire Galal (Nazeer x Farasha) produced the full-brothers El Mokthar and Magdi/Ibn Galal (both out of Mogha) and Mehanna (x Mouna).
Contrary to his brothers’ breeding influence, Ameer stood a little bit in the background. His most notable son was Ibn Nazeema (x Nazeema) who got exported to Germany in 1985 and later went to the United Kingdom. Through Ibn Nazeema, Ameer is the grandsire of El Thay Moufeed (x El Thay Maheera) and the full-brothers El Thay Misk and El Thay Mameluk (both out of El Thay Mansoura) that all were used as breeding stallions in Germany.
Wahag and his son Hafid Anter
The last ones to be presented in that part two of this series, is the grey Wahag (Anter x Kamar), born 1964. He was described as having a lot of male expression. His back was elastic and ended in a muscled croup. In type he was a true Koheilan.
Wahag’s sire was Anter (or Antar). Anter (Hamdan x Obeya) was bred by the Inhass Stud of King Farouk and was head sire at that stud. The chestnut stallion with flaxen mane was described by Judith Forbis as very handsome but also strong and powerful. Anter was known for producing excellent daughters: Nabilahh (x Farasha), Adaweya (x Abla) and the full-sisters Dawlat, Bint El Nile and Serenity Shahra (x Shahrzada) should be listed here. All of them were valuable broodmares at El Zahraa or abroad.
But Anter also left some influential sons. Above all there was Gharib, the black pearl who was exported to Germany and stood at Marbach stud as chief sire for many years.
Wahag’s dam Kamar was by Nazeer ouf of Komeira. Kamar also produced the mare Kahramana (full-sister to Wahag), Tamria (by Tuhotmos) and the stallion Shadwan (by Sharaawi) who will be portraited in the next part of this series.
Kahramana was later acquired by Douglas B. Marshall of Gleannloch Farms, Texas and Tamria was exported to Babolna Stud, Hungary in 1977 where she – registered as 9 Tamria – produced the stallion Ibn Ghalion (by Ghalion) and the beautiful mare Pharrah (by Farag).
When Anter died, Wahag was established at El Zahraa stud to continue his sire’s bloodline. To his most notable daughters, the grey Nabda (x Neamat) belonged. She was exported to the United States in 1975 where she became the dam of Makhsous (by Sultann). Makhsous was a long-time headsire at Kehilan Arabians, USA until his death in 2003.
Wahag was also the sire of the chestnut stallion Misk (x Nazeema) who was sold to Mrs El Barbary’s Shams El Asil Stud where he nicked well with her Bilal I daughters.
Wahag’s most notable son however was Hafid Anter (x Bassima), born in 1975, who was standing at El Zahraa Stud together with his sire back then. Dr. Otto Saenger described Hafid Anter as a very noble stallion with beautiful dark-bay color, four black legs with no markings. He also had a very smooth body with good upright carriage.
Hafid Anter, also known as Hafeed Anter or Hafid Antar, was popular among private Egyptian breeders so he covered many outside mares. For example, there was his daughter Gawaher AlBadeia who was bred by Dr. Marei of AlBadeia Stud, Egypt. She produced the stallion Baheer AlBadeia for him.
Hafid Anter’s popularity dropped however as an older stallion when he developed a low back.
Part three of this series will contain the stallions Shadwan (the maternal half-brother to Wahag) and the Amrulla son and El Sareei grandson Akthal.
Further reading
Dr. Otto Saenger: The stallions of El Zahraa – About the breeding conception of the Egyptian state stud, in Arabische Pferde issue No.2, May-July 1980, pages 135-137.
Judith Forbis: The Authentic Arabian Bloodstock, 1990.
Web Links
https://egyptianarabian.blogspot.com/2019/04/the-horse-who-would-be-king.html
https://egyptianarabian.blogspot.com/2019/03/the-cross-of-enayah-and-ikhnatoon.html