Part I - Al Badeia Stables

One of the first foals of the year 2000 - Bondok Al Badeia (AK El Sennari x Walaa)

A glass door at the Cairo airport opens automatically and I walk out. A blue sky and the blazing sun welcome me. Where are the sun-glasses again? Haven't I just thought of the cold, uncomfortable weather in Germany? Over - the next seven days I won't care a bit about it. At the latest when I'm sitting in the taxi, Cairo captures me again. A city that never rests. No wonder, given the fact that there are approximately 16 million inhabitants. The chaotic traffic has its own fascination. Have you ever been in Paris with your own car? In comparison to Cairo it's completely harmless. Other dimensions reign here, and though - the traffic flows.
Cairo in January. That means for the Egyptians deepest winter, for us Europeans spring-like temperatures. Not exactly the right weather for so-called "sun-adorers", for you can be down on your luck as well and get one of the rare rainy days. But it's exavtly the right weather for "horse-freaks", and you can sit and watch the horses for hours comfortably. At this time of the year the Cairo inhabitants fetch their pullovers out of their wardrobes and the horses get their winter-coat. Not to that extent we are used to in Europe, of course. But when you've ever seen horses in Egypt in October and then in April or May, you'll notice the difference quickly. For everyone who is interested in Arabian horses, and particularly in Egyptian bloodlines, Egypt is a "must see" some time in one's life. There are more than hundred private studs by now. Many of them dispose of a small stock - a herd of twenty to thirty horses is already considered as a large farm.

Time stands still at Al Badeia!

The oldest and biggest stud is Al Badeia Stables. It was founded in 1935, when Ahmed Marei bought two Arabian Horses of the Royal Agricultural Society for 30$. In Benha, fifty to sixty kilometers away from Cairo, the stud was built up with the name "Marei Stud Farm". In 1951 Ahmed Marei's son Sayed made a decision for a tract of land in the outskirts of Cairo. Since then, the stud has its place only two kilometers away from the famous pyramids of Gizeh. We have chosen a hotel in the city centre, so it takes us half an hour by taxi. Passing some sort of bus station busy main roads lead to a quiet side road. On our left hand there's a side channel of the Nile, on our right hand sky-scrapers rise. And the tops of the pyramids of Gizeh are always in sight. No one would ever presume a stud around here. Then, on our right hand, there are walls of two meters height, our driver turns and we stand in front of a high gate. After some hooting the gate opens and three lively German Shepherds are barking and running around the car which is slowly rolling in. High palms and citrus trees surround the whole stud and are responsible for the impression of being at an oasis.

The stallion Nasr Al Badeia (Rashdan x Bint Makhsous) enjoys his life

Ahmed Marei left the stud to his son Dr. Sayed Marei who played an important role in Egyptian politics. One of his many high posts was that of a Minister for Agriculture. By now the third generation of breeders - Dr. Sayed Marei's sons Dr. Nasr Marei and his brother Hassan Marei - manages the stud. Horses have always been part of the Marei family. Before Ahmed Marei bought at the RAS his family owned Arabians of Tahawi origin. But they don't play a role in breeding at Al Badeia, how the stud has been called since the early seventies. For many years, the stud of the Marei family was renowned for successful and typeful race-horses. But that is long ago, for many years Al Badeia hasn't sent Arabians to a race-course. With the removal of the stud to the pyramids, not only its location but as well its aim, as far as breeding was concerned, changed. Dr. Sayed Marei took distance to races and concentrated on the breeding of the typeful, classically beautiful Arabian horse. The lines of the mares Bint Magboura (by Hamran) and Bint Bint Bint Riyala (by Ibn Rabdan), both bought in 1935, and Samia (Zeidan x El Samraa), bought in 1942, don't exist any more. The actual stock derives from three families:

- Bint Bint Yosreia (Yakout x Bint Yosreia) and Zahia (Sid Abouhom x Samha), tail female line of Venus, a Hadban Enzahi
- Tifla (Nazeer x Elwya), tail female line of Bint El Bahreyn, a Dahman Shahwaniyah
- Anzar (El Sarei x Hanaa), tail female line of Hind (Inshass), a Saklawiyah

Photo: van Lent
The late Meseda (Maher x Nagwa) at her new home in Qatar

The family of Anzar is the smallest of them. The Anzar-granddaughter Sabriat Alb (Wahag x Asrar by Kayed), a fourteen-year-old grey mare, or the dark grey Ghenwa Alb (Badran x Momtaza), a long-legged gangling three-year-old represent this family. Among others, the mare Meseda (Maher x Nagwa by Kayed x Anzar) stems from it. In the eighties, the Marei family was offered 250.000 US-$ for this extremely typeful grey mare. A sum for which Meseda wasn't to be sold. Until someone found a better, more important argument. In 1991 Meseda left the country and the direction was the desert state of Qatar. For her new owner Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani she became Senior Reserve Champion Mare at Doha's International Show in 1992.

Aneesat Al Badeia (Amir Alb x Nour El Sabah) displays her free way of moving

Tifla's line is represented by her daughter Naeema (by Fayek), born in 1964. For one thing there's the wonderful masculine Badran (by Moataz x Badawia) 1985. And in the broodmare band the noble Aneesat Alb (Amir Alb x Nour El Sabah) is a pearl which cannot be missed. You hardly notice her age of twenty years. Her daughter Walaa Alb (by Amir Alb) is a noticeable beauty as well, with her broad forehead and her muzzle modelled in such a fine way.

Aneesat's extremely beautiful daughter, Walaa Al Badeia (by Amir Al Badeia)

From another private stud with tradition - the Hamdan Stables - Dr. Sayed Marei bought Bint Bint Yosreia. Her dam Bint Yosreia (by Nazeer) was the only full-sister of the famous Aswan who was so successful at the Russian stud Tersk.

Anhar Al Badeia (Amir Al Badeia x Bint Bint Yosreia) and her champion daughter...

Anhar Alb (by Amir Alb) is a daughter of Bint Bint Yosreia. Bred to Imperial Madori she gave birth to the mare Galagel Alb in 1996 who isn't inferior to her in type and expression.

...Galagel Al Badeia (by Imperial Madori)

The Hadban Enzahi-line via Zahia is much stronger. Zahia's daughter Nagdia (by Nazeer) brought the influential full-sisters Malekat El Wadi and Farida (by Fayek). A third daughter, Malekat El Gamal (by Waseem), left two colts before she was exported to the USA. Her first son Tamir (by Hafez) was sold to Spain. But Amir Al Badeia had an enormous influence on the stud.
Such wonderful mares as Halawat (Amir Alb x Malekat El Wadi) or Bint Makhsous (Makhsous x Hasanat Alb) belong to that family. Bint Makhsous' charming filly Halima Alb (by Bar Sama Halim), born in 1998, represents the seventh generation of the Al Badeia stud!

Ibtehag Al Badeia (Badran Alb x Halawat Alb) - Egypt's most successful show mare

One who mustn't be forgotten is Ibtehag Alb (Badran Alb x Halawat Alb). The seven-year-old flea-bitten-grey mare is one of Egypt's horses with the most victories. She won two National Champion titles, both as a filly and as a senior mare. She is a short, compact, harmonic mare who knows how to "fly without wings".

The head stallion Farid Al Badeia (Amir Alb x Farida by Ramses Fayek)

In the stallion barn Farid Alb represents the Hadban Enzahi-line. He is one of the few stallions whose sire-line as well as their dam-line derive from the famous Venus. Farid Alb is an ultra-elegant stallion with almost feminine charisma. He took the heritage of his sire Amir Al Badeia who left so many excellent foals before he was sold to Qatar in 1991.

Photo: van Lent
Amir Al Badeia (Kayed x Malekat El Gamal) in Qatar

Already Amir Al Badeia (Kayed x Malekat El Gamal), born in 1974, was the successor of his "strong" sire. Kayed played an important role for the Marei family. Dr. Sayed Marei bought the grey one in 1968 at the age of two years at an auction. The EAO then offered some horses exclusively to Egyptian breeders. Among these was the Morafic son Kayed. Dr. Sayed Marei thought his dam Kaydahom (Azmi/"Nil" x Om El Saad) to be one of the best mares at the EAO. Kayed didn't disappoint the expectations. As a typical Morafic son he had an ardent temperament and was in his appearance rather long-legged. Many of his get were exported, among these alone 36 horses to the USA. A record which no other stallion achieves. When Kayed died in 1982 because of a severe colic, his son Amir Al Badeia took his position. Though being of the same height as his sire, he was of a different type, less slim and more compact. But he inherited the beautiful eyes of his sire and passed them on to his foals, as well as his well positioned neck and the beautiful topline.

Dr. Nasr Marei and Kayed in 1980

Farid Alb seems to be well aware of his rank. Extremely calm but proud the sixteen-year-old meets the visitor, being a complete gentleman. Even face to face with other stallions he remains calm and in control of the situation. He leaves adolescent boasting to younger ones, for example to his son Insshallah Alb (out of Ibtehag Alb).
Slowly Al Badeia opens to the influence of other countries. Dr. Nasr Marei deliberately incorporates Arabians from other countries who match his breeding concept. He bred some mares to the champion stallion Imperial Madori (Imperial Madheen x Imperial Orianah) whom Omar Sakr brought to Egypt. Dr. Marei owns some typeful young mares of him - for example the full-sisters Gelgelah Alb and Galagel Alb. Besides, he bought the bay Burhan Sakr (Farid Alb. x Alidarra). This colt was bred by Omar Sakr and was born in 1999. If once Burhan Sakr will replace his sire at the stud?

Burhan Sakr - the next head stallion?

Last year Dr. Marei bought, together with Dr. Aly Abdel Bahim, the twenty-year-old AK El Sennari (Ibn Moniet El Nefous x Il Bint Khedena by Ansata Ibn Halima). A flea-bitten-grey with long lines and soft dark eyes. His first foals are expected this year.

The "American" AK El Sennari (Ibn Moniet El Nefous x Il Bint Khedena)

Al Badeia with its 60 horses is still one of the biggest private studs in Egypt and one of the most successful. Al Badeia has exported within some years more than hundred horses. Only the state stud El Zahraa sold more to foreigners. Several trophies at the stud office prove the show success. But successful breeding is the most important. A herd of harmonic horses with good movements, homogenic in type, with expressive faces and beautiful soulfull eyes. Full of temperament when walking freely, but gentle when encountering humans. One inscripture in the guestbook defines it exactly: "This is intelligent breeding over a long period of time!" Nothing has to be added.

Susanne Bösche

All photos, if not stated otherwise: Susanne Bösche