Al Khamsa History Ancestral Elements Series: Huntington

Al Khamsa’s ‘language’ about pedigrees can seem complicated at first, but it is actually meant to be a simplification of the process of understanding the total pedigree of an Arabian horse. You need to learn two terms: Foundation Horses and Ancestral Elements. These terms are explained briefly here, but for detailed information, please see the research work, Al Khamsa Arabians III (2008).

A Foundation Horse is what it sounds like: when you go back as far as you can in a pedigree, you stop with either a Bedouin tribe or with a recognized source that is believed to have stock only from the Bedouin tribes. Ancestral Elements are the Building Blocks of Al Khamsa Pedigrees

An Ancestral Element refers to the country, stud farm, person or group who imported or was primarily associated with the Foundation Horses concerned. Four Foundation Horses were acquired individually and are designated by their own names. Simple parenthetical codes follow the names of Foundation horses, which help identify the Ancestral Element blocks to which they belong.

Khamsat V29N1 began this series, AYERZA; V29N2: BISTANY; V29N3: BORDEN; V29N4: COBB; V30N1: BLUNT; V30N2: CRANE; V30.3: DWARKA, V30.4: DAVENPORT, V31.1: HAMIDIE, V31.2: HEARST.

Terminology: a hujjah (hujaj, plural) is a signed and sealed document of evidence/testimony about a thing. In Al Khamsa terms, this means a testimony about the provenance of an Arabian horse. When such a document survives, it is the most important information about an Arabian horse.

HUNTINGTON

Randolph Huntington established his Arabian stud farm in New York in 1888. It was the first Arabian farm in the United States with modern-day descendants. Although he did not personally import horses directly from the desert, certain horses are included under his name as a matter of long-standing tradition in American breeding. Huntington had a great enthusiasm for horses of the Mu’niqi strain and acquired horses primarily of that strain. Huntington imported horses just one or two generations from the desert from breeders in England. Haidee and Yataghan had been selected by Mr. Skene, H.M. Consul of Aleppo, the agent and one-time partner of the Blunts. The term HUNTINGTON applies to the following Foundation Horses. • Haidee (GSB) 1869 chestnut mare • *Kismet 1877 chestnut stallion • *Leopard 1873 grey stallion • Maidan (GSB) 1869 chestnut stallion • Yataghan (GSB) 1867 chestnut stallion

HAIDEE (GSB) An 1869 chestnut Ma’naqiyah Hudrujiyah mare of the marbat of Ibn Sbayyil (or Ma’naqiyah Sbailiyah) purchased by Mr. James Henry Skene, H.M. Consul at Aleppo, for Mr. Arthur Sandeman and imported in 1874 to England by Sandeman. By a Ma’naqi Hudruji out of a Ma’naqiyah Hudrujiyah (of Ibn Sbayyil).

NOTES: The above information (except for the Sbaili family) is from the entry for Haidee in Weatherby’s General Stud Book, Vol. XIII, p571. Entry #3262 in the Raswan Index describes Haidee as purchased by Maj. Roger Upton for Mr. Skene. This entry also shows Haidee as bred by Shaykh Sulayman Ibn Murshid of the Qumusah section of the Saba’ah tribe.

Upton made two trips to the desert: in late 1874 and again in early summer 1875, both times with Mr. Skene. The GSB shows the 1874 Skene/Sandeman horses as a different importation from the 1875 Upton/Chaplin horses, including Kesia I, among others.

It appears that the two importations should not have been completely separated. A letter from Upton quoted by Rev. Francis Furse Vidal to Randolph Huntington [Chard, 1942] corroborates Upton’s connection to Haidee, of the 1874 Sandeman group. This letter from Upton also indicates that Haidee was of the Ibn Sbayyil marbat of the Ma’naqi Hudruji. [See the entry for Kesia I (GSB), p181, and the extended note under Yataghan (GSB), p223.]

Dam of 1 registered foal: AN EXISTING AL KHAMSA DAM LINE *Naomi 1877 cm by Yataghan (GSB) (1877 is the birthdate shown in the GSB for *Naomi. Huntington claimed the mare to have been imported to England in-utero from the desert. The extended note under Yataghan (GSB) indicates that this might have been possible. However, if *Naomi was imported inutero and if the 1874–5 importation date shown in the GSB is correct, *Naomi would have been foaled in 1875–6 and the 1877 foaling date shown for her in the GSB would have been incorrect.)

In progeny lists, italics are used for horses not in Al Khamsa pedigrees. Only eligible-to-be Al Khamsa horses are shown in the progeny lists.

*KISMET 253

1877 chestnut stallion imported in 1882 to India by the ‘aqayl, ‘Abd al-Rahman, then imported in 1884 to England by Mr. Broadwood, and finally imported in 1891 to the USA by Randolph Huntington.

NOTES: The above information (except for the transfer to Huntington), which shows no strain, is from *Kismet’s entry in Weatherby’s General Stud Book Vol. XVI, p.657. *Kismet’s strain on his Arabian Horse Club register page is listed as “Keheilan-Montefik,” but the stud book entry reads “Maneghi-Hedruj.”

The stud book strain information appears to have been provided by Huntington. Entry #5224 in The Raswan Index quotes the GSB entry but follows Huntington’s lead in showing *Kismet as a Ma’naqi Hudruji. The Index entry erroneously attributes the “Keheilan-Montefik” information to the GSB entry. The Muntafiq is a tribe. [See the list and map of Bedouin tribes, pp37–8.]

Sire of 3 foals, including: *Nimr 1891 cs out of *Nazli *Garaveen 1892 bs out of Kushdil (GSB)

Above, *Kismet. Below, Maidan. At right, *Leopard. *LEOPARD 233

1873 grey Saqlawi Jidran stallion bred by Sultan ‘Abd al-Hamid II of Turkey and imported in 1879 to the USA as a gift for President U.S. Grant from the Sultan.

NOTES: The above information is from the Vol. II (1918) Arabian Horse Club stud book entry for *Leopard, his initial and posthumous entry.

According to Raswan Index entry #5548, the breeder of *Leopard (originally called Nimr, or leopard in Arabic) was Jad’aan (“Djeytan”) Ibn Mhayd of the Fid’an tribe, who had presented him to the Ottoman governor of Syria, who in turn presented him to Sultan ‘Abd al-Hamid II. This entry describes *Leopard as a Saqlawi Jidran by a Kuhaylan Ras al-Fidawi. [See under Breeder, p15.]

Sire of 1 foal:

Anazeh 1890 cs out of *Naomi

MAIDAN (GSB)

1869 chestnut stallion imported in 1871 to India by the aqayl, ‘Abd al-Rahman, purchased by Col. Brownlow in 1871, then sold “to Major Brough, who sold him to Captain Fisher. He... was then purchased by Lord Airlie. He was three years in Afghanistan” and finally imported in 1885 to England by the Hon. Eustace Vezey.

NOTES: The above information, which shows no strain, is from the entry for Maidan in Weatherby’s General Stud Book Vol. XVI, p657.

According to the registration application for *Nazli at the Arabian Horse Registry, Maidan was said to be a “Managhi-Hedruj.” The strain information was apparently provided by Randolph Huntington, who imported *Nazli.

Entry #5795 in the Raswan Index shows the same information as the GSB entry, but references the Huntington strain information.

Sire of 7 foals, including:

Jamrood 1888 bs out of Jerud [Pharaoh (BLT) x Jerboa (BLT)] *Nazli 1888 cm out of *Naomi

Sohail 1891 cs out of Jerud

YATAGHAN (GSB)

1867 chestnut Kuhaylan Jurayban stallion bred by Shaykh Sulayman Ibn Mirshid of the Qumusah section of the Saba’ah tribe, selected by James H. Skene, H.M. Consul at Aleppo, for Arthur Sandeman and imported in 1874 to England by Sandeman. By a Kuhaylan Khallawi out of a Kuhaylah Juraybah.

NOTES: The above information is from the entry for Yataghan in Weatherby’s General Stud Book Vol. XIII, p570.

Raswan Index entry #11095 incorrectly quotes Weatherby’s as showing Yataghan (GSB) as a Ma’naqi and full brother to Haidee (GSB). Haidee, also of this importation, was registered as by a Ma’naqi Hudruji out of a Ma’naqiyah Hudrujiyah of the marbat of Ibn Sbayyil. Raswan also says that Yataghan (GSB) and Haidee (GSB) were selected by then-Captain Roger D. Upton for Mr. Skene. The Raswan information appears to be based on the writing of Randolph Huntington—owner of *Naomi (Yataghan x Haidee)—who stated in correspondence that Yataghan and Haidee were full siblings chosen by Upton. Upton himself rules out the “full sibling” statement, as shown below.

Upton made two trips to the desert: in late 1874 and again in early summer 1875, both times with Mr. Skene. The GSB shows the Skene/Sandeman importation—dated 1874—as a different importation from the Upton importation—dated 1875—of *Kesia I, among others, for the Hon. Henry Chaplin.

It appears that the Sandeman and Chaplin horses should not be completely separated, however. The Sandeman entries in the GSB, in addition to Yataghan and Haidee, include a mare named Zuleika, who was by a Ma’naqi Hudruji out of a Ma’naqiyah Sbailiyah, the same as Haidee.

An Upton letter is quoted by Rev. Francis Furse Vidal, who owned *Naomi in England, as follows: “I have tried to get a Managhi Hedrudj of the family of Ibn Sbeyel of the Gomussa tribe of the Sebaa Anezeh... I have succeeded and one of them is now in my stable. I had enquired at the same time about mares; and two have come of the same family. The four are as follows: No. 1, Chestnut stallion, 4 yrs. old, 14.2. His dam a Keheilet Jeabeh taken from the Heissa Anezeh, and his sire the famous Keheilan Hellawi of the Shammar tribe. No. 2. Pearl Grey stallion with black mane and black tail, tipped with white, 4 years old 14.2. His dam ‘Managhi Hedrudj’ of Ibn Sbeyel family of Gomussa Anezeh, and his sire of the same breed, now in the stud of the King of Italy. No. 3. Bay mare 5 years old 14.1 1/2. Same breed as No. 2, but dam and sire not the same. No. 4. Chestnut mare 4 years old 14.3. Same breed as No. 2 and 3, but dam and sire not the same....” [Emphasis is Al Khamsa’s.] No. 1 corresponds to the GSB entry for Yataghan. No. 2 does not correspond with any entry in the GSB. No. 3 corresponds with the GSB entry for Zuleika. No. 4 corresponds with the GSB entry for Haidee.

Vidal wrote to Huntington about the Sandeman importation: “Mrs. Upton cannot remember the date of the arrival—but she thinks it must have been in March or April 1875 or 1876. The latter date would tally with Naomi’s age and with what Mr. Sandeman told me.” (Both letters quoted by Thornton Chard: “From Needham Market to Oyster Bay,” The Horse, May-June and July-August 1942 issues.) [See also the entries for Haidee (GSB), p170, and for Kesia I (GSB), p181.]

Sire of at least 1 foal: *Naomi 1877 cm out of Haidee (GSB) (1877 is the birthdate shown in the GSB for *Naomi. Huntington claimed the mare to have been imported to England inutero from the desert. The extended note under Yataghan (GSB) indicates that this might have been possible. However, if *Naomi was imported in-utero and if the 1874–5 importation date shown in the GSB is correct, *Naomi would have been foaled in 1875–6 and the 1877 foaling date shown for her in the GSB would have been incorrect.)

Above, Yataghan and Haidee’s daughter *Naomi, with her inbred son, Khaled, shown with Randolph Huntington.

Below: Yataghan.