Sometimes you look at an Arabian stallion and see something very special in him, something beautifully unique -- and somehow you know that you will never forget him. DHS Waheeb El Nil is that kind of stallion. One glance at his remarkable heritage is all that is necessary to understand what that “something special” is …you are looking at one of Egypt’s most noble sons.

AN ILLUSTRIOUS HERITAGE:

DHS Waheeb El Nil is sired by Imperial Kamilll (who is by the magnificent El Hilal son Imperial Al Kamar, and out of the exquisite Imperial Mistill). Imperial Mistill, a daughter of Jamill, is out of the legendary mare, Ansata Nile Mist. Imperial Al Kamar is also a grandson of the unforgettable U.S. National Champion mare, Serenity Sonbolah.

The paternal side of DHS Waheeb El Nil’s pedigree reflects a stellar cast of Straight Egyptian ancestors; precious blood bequeathed to modern breeders via the U.S.A and Germany. However, perhaps the “something unique” about this remarkable young stallion, can be attributed to his dam, WardShah (EAO*1506), who brings the very heart of Egypt front and center, through such cornerstone ancestors as; Tuhotmos, Sheikh El Arab, Bint Kamla, Bint Samiha, and Mahfouza.

A lovely grey daughter of Adeeb (EAO*819) and out of Wafisa (EAO*835), WardShah is an Abeyan Um Jurayah; belonging to a very rare subset of the Abayyan strain. Today, there are approximately only 300 mares of the Abbayan Um Juray substrain (within the breeding population) in existence worldwide, and there are even fewer stallions. All Arabian horses of this sub-strain descend from only one root mare, El Obeya Om Grees, a desert bred treasure who was gifted to the Inshass Stud by King Aziz Ibn Saoud.

A LEGACY OF HER OWN:

Bred in Egypt by the E.A.O, WardShah was later owned by Mrs. Fatma Hamza of Hamdan Stables, also of Egypt. WardShah’s journey from the arid sands of her birth to the grassy green pastures of Ireland began in 1993, when she was purchased from Mrs. Hamza by the Schwestermann-Lawless family -- and imported to their Dowdstown House Stud in County Kildare, Ireland. There, in the beautiful rolling tapestry of the Emerald Isle, WardShah settled in nicely, and began to create a lasting and cherished legacy of her own.

Ferdinand Schwestermann describes WardShah as being a mare of great movement, having a long, elegant neck, a well laid back shoulder and a smooth body.  “Her dry and noble face is the icing on the cake!”, exclaims Ferdinand, “Her head is not a disproportionate seahorse face, but has the gently curved profile of a true desert queen”.

One of WardShah’s most impressive produce is her daughter Shaakirah by Alidaar, who descends from the Abayyan Um Juray substrain on both her sire and dam sides, making her a pure in the strain Abayyan Um Juray. It may be said, however, that Ward Shah’s grand finale is, without doubt, the perfect finish to her distinguished career as a broodmare. In 2008, at the age of 22 years, this priceless Egyptian mare gave birth to a glorious son, the steel gray stallion, DHS Waheeb El Nil.

BLOOD TELLS:

While the quality of DHS Waheeb El Nil can be easily judged by his splendid phenotype alone, to appreciate the rarity and value of his genotype (and thus, his potential as a sire), one must consider the history and provenance of his tail female family. The Abayyan Um Juray is so-named for the 7,000 foot mountain peak of Juraiz which is located in southern Asir, a province of Saudi Arabia, which is named after the confederation of clans of the same name.

According to Carl Raswan, an Arabian horse of the Abbayan strain is similar in appearance to the Saqlawi, but is particularly noted for certain contrasting traits. These are described as; a higher tail carriage, unusually deep chest, wide forearms, and straight hind legs - indicating greater speed. With regard to athletic ability, Raswan states, “This strain is particularly well suited to polo and other activities which require speed and agility, coupled with stamina and endurance.”

The signature high tail set of the Abayyan is immortalized by Bedouin legend, recounted by Major Upton as follows: “A family of horses renowned in the desert is descended from a mare of which the following tradition exists. Her owner was once fleeing from the enemy, and, being hard pressed, he cast off his cloak in order to relieve the mare of that unnecessary weight. But when, having distanced his pursuers, he halted, what was his surprise to find that his cloak had lodged on the mare's outstretched tail and still hung there! From this incident, the heroine of the tale has figured ever since in the unwritten pedigrees of the desert as the Arab of the Cloak.”

Upton continues: “"I have seen a mare, an Abayan Search, galloping loose, with both head and tail high to an extent such as I could hardly have believed, had I not seen it. Her tail was not only high, but seemed to be right over her back, and, besides streaming out behind like a flag, covered her loins and quarters. It was a splendid sight to one who can appreciate a horse.”

I have also seen such a horse; it is a stallion who carries within his veins, the precious blood of the original Abbayan mare, the “Arab of the Cloak” - and he is lofty and elegant. His head is noble and beautiful; his eye is large and dark, his muzzle fine and tapered, his forehead wide and prominent. His bones are refined and strong, his forearms wide. His chest is deep and his legs are straight.  His tail is held high -- streaming out from behind him like a flag…he is one of Egypt’s proudest sons. He is called DHS Waheeb El Nil.

YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROW:

Dowdstown House Stud (DHS), located just thirty minutes from Dublin’s International airport, sits directly in the heart of Ireland’s horse country. The limestone-based soil of County Kildare makes the pastures of DHS particularly good for nurturing world class horses. Situated near the historic town of Maynooth, birthplace of the famous Irish hero Lord Edward Fitzgerald, dates back to the early 18th century. The farm’s Egyptian Arabian focus, combined with a 2000-year tradition of horse breeding in Ireland, provides Dowdstown House Stud with a strong and productive history from which to draw.

The broodmare band assembled by the Schwestermann-Lawless family includes descendants of the legendary Morafic, Nazeer, Amaal, Soheir II, Deena, Helwa, Soheir II and Mahfouza, ensuring the herd a genetic background of proven strength. “As we keep our numbers small”  explains Ferdinand, “we only have a limited number of foals every year. Our motto is quality before quantity”. For many years, the tradition at Dowdstown House Stud was the breeding of high class Irish thoroughbreds. However, today the breeding objective is to preserve the rare and much treasured bloodlines of the Straight Egyptian Arabian purebred; horses who embody beauty, nobility, type and an exceptional willingness to perform.

Today, DHS Waheeb El Nil is the pride of DHS, and according to Ferdinand, he has an incredible personality. “He is gentle and kind,” says Ferdinand, “but he is fully aware that he is a stallion and lets the mares know that he is present”. DHS Waheeb El Nil is SCID and CA clear. As for a future in the show ring, it is only just beginning for this remarkable young stallion. Not only will we be looking out for him in the show ring, but we will be CHEERING him in his future career as a breeding stallion!

Photo by: April Visel

See a video of DHS Waheeb El Nil on youtube.

Profile by Caryn Rogosky

References/Sources:

                Raswan Index, Volumes I and II

                Khamsat Vol. 9 num. 2 May '92
                ARABIAN HORSES: from ATLANTIC MONTHLY, July 1892, by H.C.Merwin

                Abbas Pasha Manuscript, by Gulsun Sherif and Judith Forbis

                Al Khamsa Arabians I

                Personal Notes of Cathy Rochon