By Carmel Rowley
Paintings by Marian Duncan

"Aura" a distinctive air, character, a subtle emanation proceeding from a body and surrounding it like an atmosphere.

There are animals of every species born into the world that force mankind to stop, think and savour the beauty around them. The aura they emanate separates and stands them alone as exceptional and distinctive from all others of their kind.

Asfour, one of the world's most admired Arabian stallions celebrates his 20th birthday on the 8th of August, 2004. His purchase proved a true test of patience and dedication that culminated in his eventual arrival to his new home at Simeon Stud, Australia. Asfour made the long journey to Australia as a yearling, arriving without the usual fanfare that accompanies such an importation. His justifiably proud new owners must have felt enormous relief at his safe arrival followed by a growing confidence that Asfour's future was certain.

When you reflect on the character of Asfour it reveals a stallion of nobility and regal parentage, his sire Malik is by the greatly revered Hadban Enzahi from Malikah and you only have to mention his dam Hanan to acquire any breeder's attention. Hanan a daughter of Alaa El Din from Mona/Inshass is a mare that continues to captivate and amaze breeders, even as her name slowly moves back with each generation born her influence remains clearly evident.

That this wondrous mare became the property of a breeder with immeasurable foresight and judgement is a quirk of fate, being in the right place at the right time and his innate ability to sense possible greatness. Even today, eighteen years since the birth of her final foal the impact of this matriarch on the Arabian breed continues to spread around the world.
By the time Asfour was born Hanan had foaled ten glorious offspring before him and he appeared as yet another beautiful tracing of this already illustrious family.

Hank and Lorraine Kauffman of the now disbanded Ariba Stud bred Arabian horses of Russian, Egyptian and Polish bloodlines through the 1980's and 90's utilizing with great success the imported stallion Simeon Shagrir (Plakat x Nadira of Tersk) they still have vivid memories of the first time they saw Asfour.
"We first set eyes on Asfour as a yearling when he was stabled at the Cranbury Stud, Sussex in the UK in transit from Germany to his new home in Australia. We were impressed by not only by his beauty but his correct conformation which justified Dr. Hans Nagel's decision to mate the grand matriarch Hanan with Malik rather than his full brother in blood, Madkour I. Hanan and Madkour I had produced some outstanding offspring, so at the time it seemed a courageous decision to deviate from this success. Malik did not have quite the same fairytale good looks as his blood brother but rather possessed more presence, masculinity and substance, although he still carried the unmistakable stamp of his sire, Hadban Enzahi.

Observing Asfour, it was evident that Marion Richmond had made a wise choice in selecting him to be the future head sire at Simeon Stud. We saw Asfour again as a two year old, and as he was going through an awkward growing phase, he did not make a great impression on us.
However, when he was presented to us as a three year old strutting his stuff in the arena on one of Marion's open days, he just blew us away, he was breathtaking in his loveliness. The best was yet to come from Asfour, the quality of his champion offspring, fulfilling beyond expectation the hopes and aspirations of his breeder, Dr. Nagel and his owner, Marion Richmond, who had shown such faith in the prepotency of his breeding by purchasing him before he was born."

Asfour is most certainly appreciated for his beauty, however, to be remarkable, Arabian horses have to prove their superiority when reproducing their own quality.
The most beautiful Arabian still has to fulfil certain ideals, balanced conformation, brilliance of movement and presence cannot be overlooked as they typify the breed. These characteristics are instilled in Asfour progeny, not only are they most appealing in appearance but they generally show the highest degree of athletic ability and inclination to perform.

Kim Baird a breeder of straight Egyptian horses for over twelve years is the proud owner of Abiebi (El Haddiyyah x RA Jehan) and breeder of the Abiebi daughters Ashouri and Ahaanah both by Simeon Stav, Kim considers: "Beautiful prose can evoke an image in the readers' mind but even the most beautifully written description is nothing compared with seeing Asfour in the flesh. Physically and in character Asfour is my ideal classic Arabian horse. The true desert horse, that Lady Anne Blunt interprets in her memoirs.
An Arabian who's type sustains close line breeding producing progeny that display outstanding prepotency of type with minimal faults. A type so distinguishable that it has become a twelve year long study and action plan to prove the importance of utilizing Asfour in a pedigree to preserve the essence of the Arabian horse."

The pervading influence of the equally excellent Asfour sons and daughters around the world has begun to demonstrate their unlimited potential as eminent show and breeding animals. Their quality has been repeatedly sustained by the number of Australian Championships they have collected as well as the variety of disciplines under saddle that Asfour progeny and grand progeny fulfil. In the halter division Asfour offspring have consistently set a standard for type in the show ring.
An interesting fact as Asfour has never graced a show ring in fact he has never left Simeon Farm. He is a true testament in proving show accolades don't necessarily make the sire.

Click here to see some of Asfour's get

The straight Egyptians, Simeon Stav - September 1987 - (Junior A class show Champion), Simeon Sukari - November 1987 - (Australian National Champion mare) and Simeon Saski - November 1987 - (A class Show Champion), were from his first foal crop a result that irrefutably verified he was a sire of outstanding offspring.
The birth of Simeon Salome in 1988 (Australian National Champion mare) and in October 1989 Simeon Sadik exp UK, (Junior Australian National Champion colt) announced this fact to the world.

With each breeding season another star arrived and in 1994 Simeon Safir, exported to Egypt (multi Show Champion), and Simeon Shemini, exported to New Zealand (NZ National Champion stallion).
Simeon Shiraz made 1995 memorable (Australian National Champion filly) and 1996 Simeon Sakeen was exported to Qatar and 1997 Simeon Sefirot, exported to Germany.

Simeon Sehavi (East Coast & Australian National Champion filly) and Simeon Sharav, exported to Egypt, were born in 1999 and in the year 2000 Simeon Sachi was exported to the USA. The year 2001 saw Simeon Sadran (East Coast Champion ) born with Simeon Shakad and Simeon Silla being exported to Saudi Arabia.

Asfour's record as a sire does not end with his immediate progeny's achievements. His grand progeny and even great grand progeny are starting to make their mark with show ring success as well as excelling in many disciplines of performance, proving the Asfour family line doesn't weaken as it goes down the generations. This consistent stamp of Arabian type, people loving personalities and athletic ability make Asfour bred Arabians ideal for the show ring as well as family enjoyment.

Established in 1984, Dale and Leesa Waldron of Cearadale Arabians, now breed a Russian, Egyptian, and English cross, twenty years ago Dale had never heard of Asfour - so 2004 is a double celebration, Asfour, and Cearadale Arabians celebrating their twentieth birthday. In 1992 Dale and Leesa made the long fourteen hour trip from outback Roma, Queensland to Sydney to see Asfour for the first time.
Dale recalls "The experience of meeting Asfour is one I will never forget as my first glimpse was not by parade but in his stall at Simeon. I looked over the stable door and there was a beautiful white stallion looking back at me with the most gorgeous eyes and face one could imagine. I felt very privileged to be allowed into Asfour's stall.
To me, apart from his stunning beauty, it was his gentle nature which left an impression, here was a stallion so proud and spirited yet, had the gentleness and inquisitiveness to investigate and nuzzle this stranger in his stall. This gentleness is one of the many reasons his blood flows in the breeding program of Cearadale Arabians. We have several daughters of the Asfour son Simeon Stav which clearly shows the dominance of this bloodline. Now some four generations away from Asfour the grey family resemblance is astounding in its strength to reproduce this type, thus showing the true value of Asfour's family heritage."

In Volume V of "The Arabian horse in Australia and New Zealand" Peter Upton states in the introduction, "The mare Hanan and her offspring are of special interest to me. When I first saw Asfour, a son of Hanan, at Simeon Stud, New South Wales, I felt that I had at last found my perfect Arab."

If you study any animal or human being for long enough you can always find a flaw, so perfect isn't always the ideal word to describe any horse. Asfour is most certainly a perfect combination of sparkle, function and fun. From his expressive eyes you can read much of what Asfour is thinking sharp little ears twitch with devilment on the many occasions he has been asked to perform his "bow" to a captive audience. His bow complete he bounces up struts like a peacock kicking up his hind legs often causing the audience to laugh at his temerity.

There is undoubtedly an atmosphere of energy and intelligence as Asfour is led out for visitors, when loose his trotting action has the ability to hold you spellbound at his propulsion and extension. Asfour like no other horse can conjure the image of Pegasus without his wings.

From: "The Chimera" by Nathaniel Hawthorne.
For it was really the winged horse. Nearer and nearer came the aerial wonder, flying in great circles, as you may have seen a dove when about to alight. Downward flew Pegasus, in those wide sweeping circles, which grew narrower and narrower as he gradually approached the earth. The nigher the view of him, the more beautiful he was, and the more marvelous the sweep of his silvery wings. At last, with so light a pressure as to hardly to bend the grass, or imprint a hoof-tramp in the sand of its margin, he alighted to earth.
There never was a more playful creature made than this very Pegasus. So there he frisked, in a way that delights me to think about, fluttering his great wings as lightly as ever did a linnet, and running little races, half on earth and half in the air, and which I know not whether to call a flight or a gallop.
Peeping forth from the shrubbery I thought that there was never any sight more beautiful as this, not ever a horse's eyes so wild and spirited as those of Pegasus………………….

There is an aura that pervades many of the great horses of the past. The captivating photos and stories of history mesh as one with the reality of the present, Asfour, is one of the great horses of the present and like Pegasus, Asfour will prove timeless.

Photo: Jenny Jerrard

"The aura of Asfour..."

Videos of Asfour and his sire and dam can be found at our VIDEO section

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