Do you remember the sixties? What was German Arabian breeding like at that time? First of all Polish! Polish mares and stallions were the basis of breeding then.

There were only occasional Egyptians: Hadban Enzahi and Nadja in Marbach. Malacha and her Ghazal-daughter Moheba II in the stables of Prince Knyphausen, her full sister Malikah at Dr. Erwin Filsinger's. Carl-Heinz Doemken finally owned the silver-grey Ghazal (Nazeer x Bukra), while Kaisoon (Nazeer x Bint Kateefa) was in the zoo of Duisburg as a riding-horse.

Ghazal had triggered an Egyptians' wave. To many he was the essence of an oriental horse's beauty. Very few firm ones were able to resist his charm. But there were fault-finders then as there are today: His front leg was said to be intolerable, his low back simply objectionable and his neck much too heavy. The result: Ghazal got mark 4 by the stallion licensing commission, the worst ever at that time! But times changed: Hadban Enzahi did a "large-scale operation" in Marbach and after years Kaisoon's breeding qualities finally were discovered. The Egyptian wave started and so did mass imports of Egyptian Arabians to Germany.

Of the three Nazeer sons in Germany Kaisoon had had the most difficulties, as Polish breeders had laughed at him, the "pin up beauty". They took him for an unbearable sire. His revenge was brilliant progeny... And owned by Carl-Heinz Doemken, Ghazal became inspiration for many - his get was above any doubt anyway.

But it was solely Hadban Enzahi whom Germany had welcomed from the beginning as a king. The reason: He was the only Egyptian stallion who had been acquired for a state stud. Therefore protest was hardly heard...

In November 1955, an acquiring commission had chosen him in the Egyptian state stud El Zahraa. The breeder of Hadban Enzahi was General von Szandtner who once managed Babolna and, from 1949 until 1958, El Zahraa. He was one of the few to realise from the beginning the importance of oriental Arabian stallions for European breeding and not to see Egyptian Arabians with the eyes of a German "fault-finder".

To the bedouins and the Egyptian Pashas the pure blood, nobility, beauty and stamina were the most important. What seemed to be a fault to us wasn't regarded as one. Dr. Wenzler (then the head of Marbach) had travelled to Egypt to buy an oriental stallion, following the tradition of Weil/Marbach - if possible even a second Jasir. And there he was now. Hadban Enzahi, a three-year-old, an uncut diamond. A son of the desert.

Ernst Bilke, who was present at the visit to El Zahraa, remembered the parents of Hadban Enzahi: "The silver-grey Nazeer, then twenty years old, was the most noble you could think of. He was quite lively, a net of veins was all over his body. He was the sire of Hadban Enzahi and Ghazal, the stallions acquired for Germany. The presentation of the brood-mares in groups of six provided wonderful sights of the extreme beauty and nobility of the orient!"

"As one group of mares was walking in a circle, a grey one was immediately striking. Answering the question for her name, Szandtner was thrilled: 'This is Bukra, the dam of Ghazal!' Some rounds later another grey one was noticed and Szandtner said: 'This is Kamla, the dam of the stallion Marbach will get.' The brood-mares of El Zahraa were a marvellous collection of člite Arabians, an accumulation of beauty and nobility."

Within 19 years of breeding and with four foundation mares Hadban Enzahi managed to form a brood-mare band of twenty, which was said to be one of the best and most uniform in the world for quite some time. The "silver band of Marbach" which owed its existence mostly to Hadban Enzahi became a name world-wide.

Already Hadban's first foal became a success: Sahmet (x Jatta by Jasir), born in 1957. For a long time she was said to be the best Hadban Enzahi daughter and at exhibitions she won several first prizes. Her best sons may have been Saher (by Ghazal) and Sindibad (by Hadban Enzahi), the latter very successful in Australia.

Within some years the combination of the two Nazeer sons Ghazal and Hadban Enzahi proved to be a successful breeding concept. His best daughters and sons were born out of Ghazal's daughters: Madkour I, Mameluck, Moneef and Mona III were out of Moheba II (by Ghazal). And Mahomed, Malik, Maymoonah and Maisa were progeny of the Ghazal daughter Malikah.

Photo: Boiselle

Madkour I at Ismer stud

Madkour I was thought to be the most influential Hadban Enzahi-son. His champion get confirmed his quality. He as well had some of his most important breeding products in combination with Ghazal-blood, if you only think of the international champion stallion Mashour (x Shiwa by Ghazal).

The full siblings Mahomed, Malik & Co were the measure of German Egyptian breeding. As far as type, nobility and beauty are concerned Hadban Enzahi had exceeded himself. Maymoonah (Hadban Enzahi x Malikah by Ghazal) - one of these full siblings - gave birth to the unforgotten Maymoon, sired by the third "German" Nazeer son Kaisoon. Maymoon was undoubtedly the most important Kaisoon son of history, and not only because of his internationally successful get. No, simply his charismatic appearance made him an "event"!

Photo: Filsinger

Maymoon was the son of Kaisoon, the grandson of Hadban Enzahi and the great grandson of Ghazal

Together with his brothers Madkour I and Moneef, the snow-white Malik was the star at the first "European Egyptian Event" in 1985. Such a vital paragon of power, beauty and manly presence had hardly ever been seen before. Malik's coal-black eyes sparkled, his nostrils widened and his demanding neighing made it clear to everyone: Here comes an Arabian horse! The applause which accompanied his appearances was frenetic. But his achievements in breeding shouldn't be forgotten. Among his offspring are national and international champions, and his sons are in demand everywhere in the world.

Photo: Filsinger

Malik at the "European Egyptian Event" in 1985 - his last public appearance

Seventy registered daughters of Hadban Enzahi enriched Arabian breeding world-wide.

In Marbach especially the straight Egyptian mares Nabya and Noha (both out of Nadja by Nazeer) drew attention. Noha's best-known son is Norus (by Gharib) who was exported to Canada and whose son Hadidi won the World Championship in Paris.

Of Hadban Enzahi's many splendid daughters particularly Mohena made herself a name; her sons El Mokari and Sanadik El Shaklan (both by El Shaklan) count amongst the top-stallions in Denmark and in the USA respectively.

On the 22nd of July 1975 a heat-stroke ended Hadban Enzahi's life. Already in his lifetime he was a legend. His imperious look and his unapproachable character contributed considerably to that. He was one of the last great horse of international Arabian breeding.