I just heard about a film that is available for purchase called the Path to Glory. See here for a view of the trailer. I WANT to see this film! It is a documentary on the history of the Polish Arabian, The Rise and Rise of the Polish Arabian Horse, from desert sands, through war and devastation, to the prestigious stud farms of Poland. How awesome is that?
My Annie is Polish. Her mother was imported from Poland just a few years before Annie was foaled. Annie's grandsires are Palas on her dam's side and El Paso on her sire's side. I still remember seeing the beautiful bay stallion, El Paso, shown at halter at one of the International Arabian Horse Shows many years ago. He was so valuable, he was called the horse that money couldn't buy. Lasma Arabians were only allowed to bring him to the USA for a three year lease from the Poles in 1975. Then, in 1981, he was sold at auction to Mr. Armand Hammer for a cool $1,000,000!! Time changes all things, I guess. I see Czort is mentioned in the film. He is El Paso's sire. See here for information on Czort, also photos of El Paso and, if you click on the links, Forta, Czort's dam, etc. Ofir is also mentioned in the film. I'm sure his famous sons Witraz and Wielki Szlem will also be covered in the film. During bombings of Dresden, Witraz's tail caught on fire. His heroic groom Jan Ziniewiciz put out the tail and held tight to both of these stallions during the night, chafing his hands terribly. Of the 80 stallions there that night, only 38 survived. Both of these stallions are in my mares' pedigrees. Another famous stallion Witez II, brother to both Witraz and Wielki Szlem, survived the war by his famous rescue by General Patton. He took the Super Horses (Hitler's special breeding program) from the Germans as prisoners of war and Witez II was imported to the USA, by boat, where his "look of eagles" spread his fame and he became a top breeding and foundation stallion in America.
Palas was imported from Russia to Poland in 1972. He was by Aswan, the "gift" horse from Egypt, presented by the Egyptian government as a "thank you" to Russia for helping build the Aswan dam, thus the name change from Raafat to Aswan. At first, the Russians were reluctant to use him for stud because of his "incorrect" conformation and lack of race record. However, as a courtesy to Egypt, they bred a few mares and were pleased with the quality of the resulting foals. Soon he was chief sire at Tersk Stud.
His son, Palas, was an extremely successful stud in Poland representing the Saklawi I line, siring many Polish, European, World, and US Champion get, including Annie's dam (Yalla's granddam) Fantastka, who became the Polish National Champion Mare in 1975. For more on the Saklawi I line please see here.
One of my biggest regrets has been not being able to show Annie in the show ring. She is far more quality than I ever imagined I would own. Who knows how far she could have gone?
Anyway, the intent of this post is to mention the film, Path to Glory and my reason for wanting to see it.
Follow my journey into the future. I promise it will be full of random rants, travel and other photos, musical musings, especially BOWIE, general chaos, and all my animal family: four horses, three alpacas, three dogs, and three and a half cats.
Showing posts with label Polish arabians. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Polish arabians. Show all posts
Monday, August 22, 2011
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Follow the lines
I've been asked about Annie's breeding so I decided to do a post on Annie's family. Here is her pedigree. Her name is Fantastyk Gal. Since my husband bought her on our Anniversary, she became Anni, and then Annie.
Annie is by AH Gallant.
AH Gallant is a winner on the track with a Top Ten Racing Association of California award for Outstanding Racing Ability, as well as a US National Champion Top 10 Halter Stallion and winner at Scottsdale at age 16. "He is a substantial horse and sire, being of the golden cross of Czort and Bandos lines. Beauty, strength and agility prevails in this cross and shows in AH Gallant and his offspring." (Amberlea Equestrian Services website)
He is by *El Paso, Scottsdale Champion Stallion and U.S. National Champion Stallion, siring U.S. National Champion Mare, *Wizja.
Annie is out of Fantastka. Fantastka was the Polish National Champion mare in 1985, at age 10. Fantastka holds the record for the highest amount ever paid for a mare from Poland. She was purchased from Poland, pregnant with FORDON, for $240,000 in 1985. Two years later she was bred to BANDOS and produced Cable Cowboy in 1988. She's had at least 10 foals:
Fantastka's sire was Palas. "Palas (Aswan x Panel) The truly great influence of the Saklawi I line came when Palas was imported from Russia in 1972. He was by Aswan, the gift horse from Egypt, and out of the Nil daughter Panel which made him three quarter egyptian. Aswan was a gift from the egyptian government to Russia as a "thank you" for the help building the Aswan dam (hence the name change from Raafat to Aswan). The russians were first reluctant to use him as he was incorrect and didn't have any race record to talk about. As he was a gift between states and so that no offence would be given he was bred to a few mares. The foals were outstanding and far more correct than their sire and he was permanently installed as chief sire at Tersk.
Palas was a tremendous success as a sire and a perfect outcross as he was hardly related to any of the polish mares. His dam line Selma is represented in Poland but it is very scarce and present mainly through the descendants of *Pietuszok who was a full brother to Panel's dam Platina. The other mares of this dam line who were imported are Sardhana 1924 (Nureddin II x Selima, imp 1928 from Crabbet, Zlota Iwa and Rokiczana traces to her), Potencja imp from Russia in 1956 (full sister to *Pietuszok and Platina) and Tiwiriada imp from Russia in 1968 (her dam was maternal sister to *Pietuszok and Platina). Neither one of these branches are large but have left some quality individuals.
Palas himself was described by Andrzej Krzysztalowicz: " He had a hollow back, rounded croup, short neck and decent yet not impressive movement. His refined, lean head boasted a very good eye. Generally speaking, he was a very dry horse whose weak hocks were his only deficiency". He sired many sons as well as daughters who has been used all over the world. He combined very well with the Negatiw daughters and this created the polish "golden cross"." (Amberlea Equetrian Services website)
Fantastka's dam was Fanza. She had nine foals, two of them were mares.
One of Annie's granddams was Forta. She delivered an impressive 22 foals!!
Annie definitely comes from good breeding females which is why at 15 and still maiden, I believed she could carry a healthy foal.
She also has Aladdinn, Czort, Bandos, Negativ and Ofir breeding.
About the Polish Arabian:
The Poles loved these characteristics for their cavalry force. King Sigmund Augustus (1548-1572) had a Royal Stud farm, called Knyszn, that bred pure Arabians.
In the 17th century, Polish noblemen sent emissaries out to search for the noblest desert horses from the Middle East. Prince Sanguszko at Slawuta, Count Branicki at Bialocerkiew, Count Dzieduszycki at Jarczowce, and Count Potocki at Antoniny were some of the best known breeders. The studs at Gumniska and Antoniny were founded with mares from Slawuta .
In the 19th century, Polish Arabs contributed to breeding pure-breds and half-breeds. The Polish silver-grey Obejan Srebrny was born in 1851. He had a line that descended through his foals to the Russian stud farm Strelet that was later known as the Tersky. Tersky is a breed similar to the Russian Strelet, which was in danger of extinction. They were taken to the Tersk stud farm at Stravopol in the northern Caucasus Mountains in the former U.S.S.R. They were mated with purebred Arabs, Kabardins, and Dons. In 1948, the Tersky had emerged as an official breed. The Tersky was a tough athletic horse. Today they race against Arabs in endurance competitions, and are used in harness by the army. Terskys are good-natured in temperment.
The Polish stallion Bagdady became a Hungarian stud at Babolna stud farm, and another called Ban Azel was sold to Emperor Franz Josef for the stud at Lipizza. A grey named Skowronek came from the Antoniny stud. While the stallions Urcus and Van Dyck were studded to Spain.
During World War I and the Russian Revolution, Slawuta, Bialocerkiew, and Antoniny studs were destroyed. Count Josef Potocki owned the Antoniny stud. He inherited some Slawuta horses through his mother, Maria, daughter of Prince Roman Sanguszko. Count Potocki died (in 1918) defending his stud from the Bolsheviks. His mares were burned alive and his stallions hanged or beheaded. This whole scene gives another yet reason why the Poles hated the Russians.
The desert stallion, Pharaoh, was purchased from Crabber stud (founded by Wilfred and Anne Scawen Blunt), in 1882, and other stallions came from Egypt, Turkey, India, and Arabia. The Blunts purchased what was left of the Arabians of Abbas Pasha I. These horses were the basis of U.K., U.S., Austrailian, and South African Arabians.
The Dzieduszycki family had studs at Jarczowce that were lost, stolen or killed off during World War I. Count Juliusz brought the desert stallion, Bagdad for an enormous price. In 1845, he returned with seven (7) stallions; including Abu Hejl, and three mares (Sahara, Mlecha, and Gazella).
Of the five hundred (500) broodmares from Polish stud farms, only forty-six (46) were still alive in 1926.
However, the state stud at Janow Podlaski (founded in 1817), in 1918, had four mares from the Jarczowce's blood (the three mares mentioned above). In 1926, a Polish Arab horse breeding society was established.
In 1803, Prince Sanguszko was the first to import horses from the east. The studs were Slawuta (b. 1877), Chrestowska, Antoniny, and Gumniska. Prince Roman Sanguszko was killed during the Russian Revolution in 1917. At Gumniska, Prince Roman III gathered the rest of the remaining Polish studs and breed mares. In 1919, the breeding program was re-established at Janow Podlaski. Witraz, Otir, Makuta, Dziwa, and Fetysz were bred there.
In 1930, Prince Roman sent his stud manager, Boghan von Zietarski and German Carl Schmidt (later known as Raswan) to buy new Arabs. They acquired Bedouin (a mare) and a stallion of the kehilan haifi strain. Then, in 1931, von Zietarski returned to Gumniska with five stallions and four mares (including Bedouin, the pearl of Arabia).
Kuhailan Zaid (a stallion) was purchsed for Babolna, the Hungarian state stud ranch. The other stallions were Kuhailan Haifi and Kuhailan Afas (ancestors of Comet) Among the foals born to Kuhailan Haifi was Ofir, a great Polish sire. Ofir was at Janow Podlaski from 1937 until 1939, when he was taken by the Russians.
The four males and four females that were saved were Witraz, Weiki Szlem, and Witwz II. Witraz's son, Bask, became the leading sire of the U.S.A. champions. Witraz's mare heirs were Bandola (the "Legend of Janow") who produced Bandos and Banat (stud stallions).
Kukailan Haifi sired Czort who sired the race horses: Sambor and El Paso.
In September 1939, the Soviets took the Janow Podlaski studs including Ofir. Ofir was then the stud at Tersk and made a contribution to the Russian Arabians. The Tersk stud was founded on French, Crabbat, and Polish bloodlines.
In 1944, Janow Podlaski was evacuated to Germany. These studs were returned to Poland in 1946. The sons of Ofir were Witraz, Wielki Szilem, and Amuruth Sahib. In 1946, fifty-two (52) mares were registered in the Polish Arab horse stud book.
By 1961, Janow Podlaski was completed. In 1973, three more stud farms were established: Michalow (the largest state stud farm after World War II), Kurozweki (with champions Euforia and Eukaliptus), and Bialka. Polish Arab horses were sought by breeders all over the world. Banat, Bandos, Struria, Penitent, Pilarska, Dornaba, Aramus, Wizja, Gwalior, Elkana, and Erros were some of the best. Dr Skorkowski and Dr. Ignacy Jaworowsky were responsible for their breeding success.
Poland and Hungary often exchanged breeding stock. For 173 years Hungary was ruled by the Turks until they became a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1699. (this history is from here)
Follow the lines - song: Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere, artist: David Bowie covering Pete townsend, album: Pinups
Annie is by AH Gallant.
AH Gallant is a winner on the track with a Top Ten Racing Association of California award for Outstanding Racing Ability, as well as a US National Champion Top 10 Halter Stallion and winner at Scottsdale at age 16. "He is a substantial horse and sire, being of the golden cross of Czort and Bandos lines. Beauty, strength and agility prevails in this cross and shows in AH Gallant and his offspring." (Amberlea Equestrian Services website)He is by *El Paso, Scottsdale Champion Stallion and U.S. National Champion Stallion, siring U.S. National Champion Mare, *Wizja.
Annie is out of Fantastka. Fantastka was the Polish National Champion mare in 1985, at age 10. Fantastka holds the record for the highest amount ever paid for a mare from Poland. She was purchased from Poland, pregnant with FORDON, for $240,000 in 1985. Two years later she was bred to BANDOS and produced Cable Cowboy in 1988. She's had at least 10 foals:
- 1981- Fant (x Wist)
- 1983- Fazenda (x Bandos)
- 1984- Falsifikat (x Argo)
- 1985- Farmal (x Eternit)
- 1986- Fordon (x Eternit)
- 1987- Fantos (x Bandos)
- 1988- Cable Cowboy (*Bandos x *Fantastka by Palas) was a Champion Halter stallion and a Liberty winner. He was broke to ride and would have made a beautiful western pleasure horse, but Magness decided to keep him home and use him strictly as a breeding stallion. They felt he was much too valuable to be hauling around to shows and would leave that up to his offspring.
Quoted from Magness website: "Cable Cowboy is the epitome of the Saklawi stallion -- a very successful representative of the Diamond cross of Bandos/ Palas. Cable Cowboy is one of the last sons of the immortal Bandos. Cable Cowboy's dam, Fantastka, was the 1985 Polish National Champion Mare. Cable Cowboy has proven himself as a valuable progenitor of the Ibrahim sire line for Magness Arabian Farms through a number of his outstanding get. The best of Cable Cowboys's offspring to date is DAPPAR COWBOY -- a winner in Scottsdale and at the National level as Amateur Owner Western Pleasure Horse." - 1992- Francheskaa (x Europejczyk)
- 1993- Fantastyk Gal (x AH Gallant)
- 1997- Monogramm Fantasy (x Monogramm)
Fordon
Cable Cowboy
Fantastka's sire was Palas. "Palas (Aswan x Panel) The truly great influence of the Saklawi I line came when Palas was imported from Russia in 1972. He was by Aswan, the gift horse from Egypt, and out of the Nil daughter Panel which made him three quarter egyptian. Aswan was a gift from the egyptian government to Russia as a "thank you" for the help building the Aswan dam (hence the name change from Raafat to Aswan). The russians were first reluctant to use him as he was incorrect and didn't have any race record to talk about. As he was a gift between states and so that no offence would be given he was bred to a few mares. The foals were outstanding and far more correct than their sire and he was permanently installed as chief sire at Tersk.
Palas was a tremendous success as a sire and a perfect outcross as he was hardly related to any of the polish mares. His dam line Selma is represented in Poland but it is very scarce and present mainly through the descendants of *Pietuszok who was a full brother to Panel's dam Platina. The other mares of this dam line who were imported are Sardhana 1924 (Nureddin II x Selima, imp 1928 from Crabbet, Zlota Iwa and Rokiczana traces to her), Potencja imp from Russia in 1956 (full sister to *Pietuszok and Platina) and Tiwiriada imp from Russia in 1968 (her dam was maternal sister to *Pietuszok and Platina). Neither one of these branches are large but have left some quality individuals.
Palas himself was described by Andrzej Krzysztalowicz: " He had a hollow back, rounded croup, short neck and decent yet not impressive movement. His refined, lean head boasted a very good eye. Generally speaking, he was a very dry horse whose weak hocks were his only deficiency". He sired many sons as well as daughters who has been used all over the world. He combined very well with the Negatiw daughters and this created the polish "golden cross"." (Amberlea Equetrian Services website)
Fantastka's dam was Fanza. She had nine foals, two of them were mares.
One of Annie's granddams was Forta. She delivered an impressive 22 foals!!
Annie definitely comes from good breeding females which is why at 15 and still maiden, I believed she could carry a healthy foal.
She also has Aladdinn, Czort, Bandos, Negativ and Ofir breeding.
About the Polish Arabian:
The Poles loved these characteristics for their cavalry force. King Sigmund Augustus (1548-1572) had a Royal Stud farm, called Knyszn, that bred pure Arabians.
In the 17th century, Polish noblemen sent emissaries out to search for the noblest desert horses from the Middle East. Prince Sanguszko at Slawuta, Count Branicki at Bialocerkiew, Count Dzieduszycki at Jarczowce, and Count Potocki at Antoniny were some of the best known breeders. The studs at Gumniska and Antoniny were founded with mares from Slawuta .
In the 19th century, Polish Arabs contributed to breeding pure-breds and half-breeds. The Polish silver-grey Obejan Srebrny was born in 1851. He had a line that descended through his foals to the Russian stud farm Strelet that was later known as the Tersky. Tersky is a breed similar to the Russian Strelet, which was in danger of extinction. They were taken to the Tersk stud farm at Stravopol in the northern Caucasus Mountains in the former U.S.S.R. They were mated with purebred Arabs, Kabardins, and Dons. In 1948, the Tersky had emerged as an official breed. The Tersky was a tough athletic horse. Today they race against Arabs in endurance competitions, and are used in harness by the army. Terskys are good-natured in temperment.
The Polish stallion Bagdady became a Hungarian stud at Babolna stud farm, and another called Ban Azel was sold to Emperor Franz Josef for the stud at Lipizza. A grey named Skowronek came from the Antoniny stud. While the stallions Urcus and Van Dyck were studded to Spain.
During World War I and the Russian Revolution, Slawuta, Bialocerkiew, and Antoniny studs were destroyed. Count Josef Potocki owned the Antoniny stud. He inherited some Slawuta horses through his mother, Maria, daughter of Prince Roman Sanguszko. Count Potocki died (in 1918) defending his stud from the Bolsheviks. His mares were burned alive and his stallions hanged or beheaded. This whole scene gives another yet reason why the Poles hated the Russians.
The desert stallion, Pharaoh, was purchased from Crabber stud (founded by Wilfred and Anne Scawen Blunt), in 1882, and other stallions came from Egypt, Turkey, India, and Arabia. The Blunts purchased what was left of the Arabians of Abbas Pasha I. These horses were the basis of U.K., U.S., Austrailian, and South African Arabians.
The Dzieduszycki family had studs at Jarczowce that were lost, stolen or killed off during World War I. Count Juliusz brought the desert stallion, Bagdad for an enormous price. In 1845, he returned with seven (7) stallions; including Abu Hejl, and three mares (Sahara, Mlecha, and Gazella).
Of the five hundred (500) broodmares from Polish stud farms, only forty-six (46) were still alive in 1926.
However, the state stud at Janow Podlaski (founded in 1817), in 1918, had four mares from the Jarczowce's blood (the three mares mentioned above). In 1926, a Polish Arab horse breeding society was established.
In 1803, Prince Sanguszko was the first to import horses from the east. The studs were Slawuta (b. 1877), Chrestowska, Antoniny, and Gumniska. Prince Roman Sanguszko was killed during the Russian Revolution in 1917. At Gumniska, Prince Roman III gathered the rest of the remaining Polish studs and breed mares. In 1919, the breeding program was re-established at Janow Podlaski. Witraz, Otir, Makuta, Dziwa, and Fetysz were bred there.
In 1930, Prince Roman sent his stud manager, Boghan von Zietarski and German Carl Schmidt (later known as Raswan) to buy new Arabs. They acquired Bedouin (a mare) and a stallion of the kehilan haifi strain. Then, in 1931, von Zietarski returned to Gumniska with five stallions and four mares (including Bedouin, the pearl of Arabia).
Kuhailan Zaid (a stallion) was purchsed for Babolna, the Hungarian state stud ranch. The other stallions were Kuhailan Haifi and Kuhailan Afas (ancestors of Comet) Among the foals born to Kuhailan Haifi was Ofir, a great Polish sire. Ofir was at Janow Podlaski from 1937 until 1939, when he was taken by the Russians.
The four males and four females that were saved were Witraz, Weiki Szlem, and Witwz II. Witraz's son, Bask, became the leading sire of the U.S.A. champions. Witraz's mare heirs were Bandola (the "Legend of Janow") who produced Bandos and Banat (stud stallions).
Kukailan Haifi sired Czort who sired the race horses: Sambor and El Paso.
In September 1939, the Soviets took the Janow Podlaski studs including Ofir. Ofir was then the stud at Tersk and made a contribution to the Russian Arabians. The Tersk stud was founded on French, Crabbat, and Polish bloodlines.
In 1944, Janow Podlaski was evacuated to Germany. These studs were returned to Poland in 1946. The sons of Ofir were Witraz, Wielki Szilem, and Amuruth Sahib. In 1946, fifty-two (52) mares were registered in the Polish Arab horse stud book.
By 1961, Janow Podlaski was completed. In 1973, three more stud farms were established: Michalow (the largest state stud farm after World War II), Kurozweki (with champions Euforia and Eukaliptus), and Bialka. Polish Arab horses were sought by breeders all over the world. Banat, Bandos, Struria, Penitent, Pilarska, Dornaba, Aramus, Wizja, Gwalior, Elkana, and Erros were some of the best. Dr Skorkowski and Dr. Ignacy Jaworowsky were responsible for their breeding success.
Poland and Hungary often exchanged breeding stock. For 173 years Hungary was ruled by the Turks until they became a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1699. (this history is from here)
Follow the lines - song: Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere, artist: David Bowie covering Pete townsend, album: Pinups
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