Story and photos by Susanne Bösche
Photo: Susanne Bösche
Mares at Dowdstown House Stud
It
is early morning. Through the fog and mist I see the silhouettes of
horses standing in their pasture. A horse neighs and all of a sudden
the whole herd begins to move. Snorting and blowing, the mares gallop
through the wet grass. A sight to behold!
When horse lovers think of Ireland it's inevitable they think of luscious
green pastures and fast English Thoroughbreds. Arabian horses are regarded
as rather exotic animals in Ireland. Just a stone's throw away from
the Al Maktoum's race stables Dowdstown House Stud of Janette and Ferdinand
Schwestermann-Lawless is located in Col. Kildare. There you'll find
a fine collection of mares imported from Egypt, Germany and the US.
Photo: Susanne Bösche
Dschahana
(Nami x Dschala)
"We saw her at a foal at Marbch - and fell in love with her!"
THE
BEGINNING
Originally Fredinand and his wife were searching for an Arabian horse
to ride. "We had read some books about Arabian horses and knew
what we wanted," Ferdinand remembers. But when they visited the
Marbach State Stud in Germany they fell in love with two fillies. One
of them was the Egyptian sired Dschahana (Nami x Dschala), a
small, mousy creature. "She won us over in just one second,"
Ferdinand says. "It was love at first sight."
Photo: Susanne Bösche
Dschahana
A wonderful representative of the coveted "old" Marbach type
This
was seventeen years ago. Today Dschahana presented herself as areal
beauty. The small mousy filly has blossomed into a flea-bitten grey
mare of the sought-after old Marbach type. She is all in one - a wonderful
mount, a successful show horse, and a reliable producer. Her last public
appearance was in 2000. "At the World Championship in Paris she
was a Top Ten Mare," says a proud Ferdinand. She stood behind such
"celebrities" like Focus Gabriela and Lina Gopak.
Pedigree-wise Dschahana combines all important head stallions that were
used at Marbach: Jasir, Halef, Hadban Enzahi and Gharib. In fact, she
carries three lines to Hadban Enzahi and traces in tail female line
to the coveted Murana I (Europe's oldest existing dam line).
Dschahana's seven-years-old daughter DHS Dakila (by Classic Lohim
by Ansata Halim Shah) will carry on her line into the future. She is
a mare whose long lines and flying movements make her the ideal match
for any ambitious rider!
Photo: Susanne Bösche
DHS Dakila
(Classic Lohim x Dschahana)
She is her dam's successor as a mount and as a broodmare
THE
EGYPTIAN TRIO
Today the focus of the breeding program is to utilize straight Egyptian
lines. Therefore they went to El Zahraa in Cairo, the "cradle"
of Egyptian Arabians and bought the mares Julia (Ibn Akhtal x
Nibal) and Wardshah (Adeeb x Wasfia). Naturally they visited
other farms in Egypt as well and at Khaled Bin Laden's stud Janette
and Ferdinand saw the ethereal beautiful filly Teebah (by SEA
Maddah).
Photo: Susanne Bösche
Teebah
(SEA Maddah x Kout El Koloob)
She is the only daughter of the famous mare Kout El Koloob in Europe
Teebah's
beauty is one thing but the other is that she is a daughter of a very
special mare - the famous Kout El Koloob! This name may sound familiar
to you for Kout El Koloob is an icon for many lovers of the Egyptian
Arabian horse. The champion mare Kout El Koloob, own daughter of the
famous Ikhnatoon, is regarded as one of the most beautiful mares ever
born in Egypt. It speaks well for Ferdinand's passion and persuasiveness
that he could convince her owner to part with one of her daughters.
As the current president of the Pyramid Society Europe this persuasiveness
is also helpful for Ferdinand to get sponsors for the Egyptian Event
or to unite the many different thoughts of many different breeders...
Photo: Susanne Bösche
Julia
(Ibn Akhtal x Nibal)
She traces back to Medallela, the grandam of Moniet El Nefous
"With
Wardschah we have a mare of the Obayan Om Grees strain and with Julia
and Teebah two of the Saklawi Gidran Ibn Sudan strain from the Om Dalal
branch. Julia traces in tail female line via Bint El Bataa to Medallela,
the grandam of the world-famous mare, Moniet El Nefous. Teebah stems
via Prince Mohammed Ali's Ghazalah (Kawkab II x Dalal) from the Inshass
branch of Om Dalal," Ferdinand explains.
Photo: Susanne Bösche
Wardschah
(Adeeb x Wasfia)
She is the most successful broodmare of the Egyptian imports
Warschah is the most influential of the three mares. Especially with
stallions from the Obayan line she constantly produced quality foals.
Her most beautiful daughter to date should be DHS Shaakirah (by
Alidaar), who is definitely a keeper. A spectacular mover she also has
a long neck, wonderful shoulder and a smooth body with a perfect topline.
Her dry and noble face is the icing of the cake. She has not a disproportionate
seahorse face but the gently curved profile of a true desert queen.
Her three younger sisters by Salaa El Dine show almost the same quality.
Photo: Susanne Bösche
DHS
Shaakirah
(Alidaar x Wardschah)
One of the most beautiful daughters of Wardschah,
DHS Shaakirah is the pride and joy of Ferdinand Schwestermann
THE EGYPTIAN MARE FROM MARBACH
Later another horse from Marbach was incorporated but this time of straight
Egyptian lines. Born in 1995, the grey Nasira (Motassem x Naima
by Mohafez x Nyaba) is a Dahman Shahwaniah tracing back to the famous
Nazeer daughter Nadja, a full sister to the US import Bint Nefisaa (dam
of the legendary El Hilal). Motassem brings in the coveted blood of
the Halima line. Two crosses to the black Gharib ensure that Nasira
can move like a ballet dancer. "Her pedigree is an interesting
combination of beauty and athletic ability," notes Ferdinand. Indeed,
she looks like her pedigree predicts - she is a graceful and elegant
yet athletic lady with a wonderful gallop.
Photo: Susanne Bösche
Nasira
(Motassem x Naima)
AMERICAN
BEAUTIES
In 1997 the American beauties Hawaa and her daughter Ma-Ajmala (by The Minstril) moved in. "Janette and I adore Morafic,"
says Ferdinand. "We felt very lucky when we could purchase his
grandaughter Hawaa, who was still born at Gleannloch Farms. Her sire
Amaal was a full brother to the famous Shaikh Al Badi and looked like
an oil-painting. Hawaa's dam Haseenah's sire was the bold-moving Zaghloul
and her dam the wonderful Morafic daughter, Hebet Allah."
Photo: Susanne Bösche
Hawaa
(Amaal x Haseenah)
She was bred at Gleannloch Farms and is one of the
very few Amaal daughters alive today
Hawaa's
claim to fame is her son Shah Al Hawaa (by Imperial Imdal). This gelding
won at several different occasions at halter shows in the US and was
handled by his owner. Nothing special, you might think - but his owner
is a young blind woman... At their first appearance in the ring no one
in the stands realized how special the situation was because horse and
handler acted perfectly normal. After the victory pass their secret
was revealed - and the audience hardly could believe it! Shah Al Hawaa
seems to have a special bond with his owner. "He can sense what
I wanted from him," says his lucky owner.
Photo: Susanne Bösche
Ma-Ajmala
(The Minstril x Hawaa)
She won some important titles at European shows
THE
DEENAA CONNECTION
Hawaa's extremely elegant daughter Ma-Ajmala was successful at several
shows in Europe but more important to her owners is the fact that she
gave birth to some wonderful foals. Her most promising daughter to date
is DHS Miraya El Nizr (by Anaza El Nizr). "Anaza El Nizr
carries two crosses to Morafic. His dam is Bint Deenaa, who in my eyes
is one of the most beautiful Ansata Ibn Halima daughters ever!"
The combination of Anaza El Nizr and Ma-Ajmala was a mating made in
heaven and Ferdinand would have loved to do it again. But due Anaza
El Nizr's untimely death it wasn't meant to be.
Photo: Susanne Bösche
Three
generations united in one picture:
Hawaa (Amaal x Haseenah), Ma-Ajmala
(The Minstril x Hawaa) &
DHS Miraya El Nizr (Anaza El Nizr x
Ma-Ajmala)
Two
promising yearling fillies from the Deenaa line were added recently.
"We adore the whole Deenaa family and wanted to incorporate more
of her blood into our herd," Ferdinand explains. "Therefore
we acquired Amira Madheen." She is a lovely daughter of
the famous Shahneekha (Anaza Bay Shahh x Anaza Dineekha), the foundation
mare of German breeder Horst Preuss. Shaneekha's pedigree provides two
close crosses to the Dahman Shahwan mare Deena (Sameh x Dahma II). Attractiv
and charismatic, the younga nd playfull Amira Madheen is a full sister
to the multi-champion mare Shabura HP, who is now in Egypt. At last
year's Egyptian Event the typey Amira Madheen won the Foal Championship.
Naturally the double Anaza El Farid grandaughter Bint Farid Nile
Moon, born in the USA at Karen Henwood's Sanybrook Stud, is a "double
Deenaa", too. Her sire is the late Farid Nile Moon. "In both
sides of her pedigree she traces back to the famous Sakalwi mare Zaafarana,"
explains Ferdinand. A show quality filly with great potential as a show
and breeding prospect.
Photo: Susanne Bösche
Bint
Farid Nile Moon
(Farid Nile Moon x Bint Farid)
The latest import from the USA
You'll find a stallion at Dowdstone House. Ferdinand kept one promising
colt - the three-year-old DHS Mabrouk (Al Lahab x Ma-Ajmala),
who has some important wins to his credit. But he was sold recently.
Ferdinand tries hard to find the perfect match for each of his mares
and don't believe that one single stallion fits for so many different
mares.
Photo: Susanne Bösche
Dschahana & DHS
Miraya El Nizr
For
Ferdinand and his charming wife Janette the horses are a source of joy
and pleasure. The only exception is the time when a horse is entered
at a show. Then the pleasure turns into suspense. Ferdinand is standing
at the arena and watch every singles step of both his horse and its
handler. "But a blue ribbon isn't everything," he smiles.
"My horse isn't less beautiful for me only because a judge doesn't
like it!"
Photo: Susanne Bösche
Hawaa
in full speed at her paddock
More
information about horses and their pedigrees can be
obtained through the website of Dowdstown
House Stud
