Marbach: Past, Present and Future

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M A R BAC H

PA S T, PRE S E N T, A N D F U T U RE

S T O R Y A N D P H O T O S B Y B E T T Y F I N K E

T

he best approach is on foot. Set out from the village of Gomadingen in the early morning and follow the course of the river Lauter along the valley. The path runs parallel to the road and the river on the left and a small railroad track on the right, but if you stick to the path for walkers and cyclists, you will see so much more: herons wading in the water, dragonflys flitting across the grass, red kites circling high in the sky above. After following

the stream for half a mile, you leave the path, take the bridge across the river to your left, cross the road, and follow the footpath leading uphill into the forest. There in the woods, you may encounter something you will see nowhere else: on the rise ahead of you, a magnificent black chestnut draft stallion appears, with a long, near-white flowing mane and tail. On his bare back sits a young girl. With a cheerful greeting, horse and rider pass by and disappear down the path. As you continue onwards and begin to descend the hill out of the trees into the open, you will see a large pasture spread out in front of you, its green expanse dotted with the white shapes of quietly grazing Arabian mares.

Welcome to Marbach, the oldest state stud and the oldest Arabian breeding program in the world.

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I

All the King’s Horses It began, as so many great things do, with one man and a vision. The year was 1817 and the area that would later be known as Germany was still divided into several independent kingdoms. One of them was Württemberg, down south just next to Bavaria, a country whose dense woodlands are still known today as the Black Forest and whose mountain plateau, the Swabian Alb, is one of the coldest places in the country where the snows arrives earlier and lasts longer than anywhere else. Beneath its rough surface hides a vast system of caverns and underground lakes that delight both geologists and archeologists to this day. Württemberg is also one of the oldest horsebreeding countries, which is reflected in the very name of its capital city: Stuttgart, which is derived from “Stutengarten,” literally meaning “a garden full of mares” - a stud farm.

Marbach as a stud farm was founded as far back as 1514, high up on the Alb, 700 meters above sea level. Like most state studs, its original purpose was to produce remounts for the cavalry and to provide a stallion depot for the use of horsebreeding farmers.

The story of its Arabian herd begins a few miles away at the royal domain of Weil on the river Neckar. Wilhelm, Crown Prince of Württemberg, was a keen horseman and had come to know and appreciate Arabian horses during the Napoleonic Wars, where his charger was a bay Arabian stallion called Emir.

At that time pure Arabian horses were not bred in Europe, though their qualities were much appreciated, especially by the cavalry. To get these qualities, Arabian stallions were imported from the Desert

and used to upgrade the local stock, some of them becoming the mounts of generals and kings. Napoleon himself famously preferred to ride Arabian stallions, and Wilhelm’s Emir may have been one of those early imports of which nothing remains now but a name.

Importing horses from Arabia was dramatically different from today. Buyers had to travel long distances to find them, and long distance travel was anything but safe and secure. Such trips took months, even years. But what if it could be done differently? What if you brought back mares as well as stallions, and were able to breed your own supply of pure Arabians? If purebred horses were available in the country, it would no longer be necessary to import them at huge cost and risk. One could simply breed one’s own.

Sooner or later someone had to hit upon this idea, and it was Prince Wilhelm who did. Wilhelm founded his first stud farm in 1810 and already imported Arabians in 1814, but things only took off properly after he ascended the throne as King Wilhelm I

“. . . only

one survived until today : that

of Murana 1 , the oldest still existing Arabian horse family in the world that traces to a desertbred mare. ”

KING WILHELM I RIDING BAIRACTAR. A H W > 107 < F A L L 2 0 2 1

THE CLOCK TOWER AT THE MAIN STUD.

BAIRACTAR'S GREATEST DESCENDENT AMURATH 1881.

“Today,

the blood of Amurath 1881 is

found in virtually all light horse breeds, most prominently in Holsteiners. ”

in 1816. King Wilhelm wasted no time: on September 30, 1817, Weil was declared the king’s private stud farm by royal decree.

That is the official foundation date, but the most important horses were already there. Wilhelm’s emissaries to Arabia had been working hard to find foundation stock. In 1816, the year Wilhelm became king, his agent Baron von Fechtig – a Hungarian nobleman who also procured foundation stock for

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the Hungarian state stud Bábolna – had brought back an eight-year-old desertbred mare named Murana I. A year later, seven mares followed as well as several stallions, including the altogether fabulous Bairactar. The mares initially all established families, but only one survived until today: that of Murana I, the oldest still existing Arabian horse family in the world that traces to a desertbred mare. Similarly, Bairactar established the oldest existing Arabian sire line in the world that has come down to us in the likes of *Nariadni and *Menes and, more recently, El Nabila B. Two years later, another 20 original desertbred horses were added with the help of Count Rzewuski, a Polish nobleman who spent several years in the desert living with the Bedouins. Through him, the stud acquired the desertbred stallion GoumouschBournu, a comparatively plain indivual with more size and bone. He was tremendously influential, but left no direct male line. The last significant imports arrived in 1821 in the shape of the mares Hamdany I and Czebessie I. Hamdany I was in foal to the desertbred stallion Siglavy and produced a daughter, Saady III, who went on to produce the famous Amurath 1829, by Bairactar, one of the key sires of the stud. In 1822, Weil had a herd of 18 desertbred mares and over 20 purebred offspring, the largest collection of asil Arabian horses outside of Arabia.

The stud continued to grow during the following years, with new stock arriving from time to time. Baron von Hügel, who was stud manager from 1852, imported the classically beautiful desertbred stallion Zarif and the only mare from the famous stud of Abbas Pasha to come to Weil: Koheil Aguse, whose portrait shows a classically beautiful Egyptian mare that could easily compete today. At the final auction of the Abbas Pasha horses in 1860, Weil acquired the stallion Gadir, who had been a chief sire at Abbas Pasha’s stud.

When King Wilhelm I died in 1864, the Arabian horses of Weil were known as the best in Europe and much in demand.

His successor, King Karl, did not share his father’s passion for Arabian horses to the same extent. Weil also bred carriage horses and Thoroughbreds, and Karl was more interested in these horses, especially as they were much in demand at the time. As a result, the number of Arabians was cut back. But the bloodlines continued and it was during King Karl’s reign that the greatest Weil-bred stallion of all time was born. He was named Amurath, like his ancestor. Weil used to recycle the same handful of names for all its horses, resulting in large groups of horses all having the same name and confusing researchers. Some have Roman numerals behind their names, but they are best kept apart by adding the year of their birth to their name. Thus the greatest son of Bairactar is known

ONE OF THE MARE BARNS.

THE 1845 STALLION STABLE WITH THE STALLION DSCHEHIM (PAMIR I x DSCHIHAN).

as Amurath 1829, while his descendant is known as Amurath 1881. The latter is also referred to as Amurath Weil, a testimony to his significance. He is frequently referred to as the crowning glory of Weil’s Arabian breeding program. He was sold to the Radowce Stud in Eastern Europe, from where his descendants subsequently spread across all of Europe and influenced numerous horse breeds, not only Arabians. Today, the blood of Amurath 1881 is found is virtually all light horse breeds, most prominently in Holsteiners. Moreover, it is often clearly visible, which is hardly surprising since these horses often carry several thousand (!) lines to Amurath.

The only reason why Amurath 1881 left Weil was that they considered him too closely related to the mares. He was linebred to Amurath 1829, just as they were. Since he did not leave a son behind, the line of Bairactar at Weil ended with his departure.

Karl’s successor Wilhelm II also preferred Thoroughbreds and was less concerned with Arabians and their purity. During his time, a Turcoman stallion was used, and Weil acquired its first Polish Arabian stallion Dardziling, from the Slawuta Stud.

World War I was not kind to Weil, but the stud, though much reduced, survived. The Arabians were taken over by Wilhelm II’s daughter, Princess Pauline, who attempted to rebuild the breeding program by first importing the aged chief sire of Bábolna, Koheilan IV, and then, with the help of Carl Raswan, the Egyptian stallion Jasir (Mabrouk Manial x Negma) from the stud of Prince Mohamed Ali. Jasir was a full brother to the famous mare Mahroussa and regarded as one of the best Arabian stallions of his time.

However, despite her best efforts, Princess Pauline was unable to keep the breeding program going on her own. What to do? In his testament, King Wilhelm I had decreed that his Arabian breeding program should be continued indefinitely and never be A H W > 109 < F A L L 2 0 2 1

top: JATTA (JASIR x SOLDATESKA) THE LAST ASIL WEIL MARE AFTER THE WAR.

GUTTMANN PHOTO

bottom: HADBAN ENZAHI (NAZEER x KAMLA), 1952 STALLION IMPORTED FROM EGYPT, CREATOR OF THE “SILVER HERD.”

disbanded. But with the arrival of the 20th century, the time of kings and their private studs had irrevocably come to an end.

In 1932, in a truly historic move, Princess Pauline gave over the remaining herd of 17 purebred horses to the State of Württemberg. These horses, four stallions including Jasir and 13 mares and fillies, were given over to the care of the ancient Marbach State Stud. King Wilhelm’s legacy had reached its final sanctuary, but the trials were far from over.

“ … one of these mares, Dongola, established a huge and successful mare family within the Trakehner breed that still continues today.”

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II

Preserving the Legacy The early thirties were not a good time to begin anything in Germany, which was on the brink of being taken over by the Nazi regime. Breeding Arabian horses was not high on the list of anyone’s priorities at the time. “The economic pressures of the time and the need to earn income were heavy burdens on the stud,” noted Dr. Georg Wenzler, who took over the duties of stud director after World War II. As a result, the number of Arabian mares was further reduced when four of them were transferred to the Trakehnen Stud in 1935. A side effect of this was that one of these mares, Dongola, established a huge and successful mare family within the Trakehner breed that still continues today.

The Weil horses at Marbach faced a rocky start. Marbach was and is a state stud, whose chief purpose is breeding warmblood horses and draft horses and standing stallions at stud for the use of private breeders in Württemberg at reasonable fees. Within this context, the small group of Arabians played only a very minor role. Also, due to Wilhelm II’s use of outside stallions, only one mare now survived that still represented 100% original Weil breeding: Soldateska, a daughter of Souakim, the last desertbred stallion imported to Weil. Like all the other mares, she traced to Murana I in tail female line, but she was the only one who traced in all lines to the Desert. She was already an old mare when she came to Marbach and was put down only three years later. But before that, she produced one daughter: Jatta, by the Egyptian

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GUTTMANN PHOTO

stallion Jasir, one of the first and arguably the most important foal born at Marbach in those early years.

The Weil herd survived the war years mostly on account of Jasir, who proved a strong and consistent sire. But this also meant that after the War, most of the mares were his daughters. Unlike King Wilhelm I, who inbred heavily to Bairactar and Amurath, the management at the time was reluctant to resort to inbreeding. An outside stallion was brought in as Jasir’s successor from one of the very few private breeding programs at the time. Ahmet, who was used for several years, was undoubtedly a fine horse, which made the subsequent blow all the more devastating: a Warmblood ancestor was discovered in his pedigree, and all his get were consequently SAHMET (HADBAN ENZAHI x JATTA). demoted to non-purebred status. Years had been wasted, the precious mares were getting old, and there was no solution in sight. Arabians were rare in those days.

At the lowest point, a Shagya-Arabian and even a Barb were son, Ghazal (out of Bukra), and the mare used to cover the Arabian mares and Marbach was effectively Moheba (Sid Abouhom x Halima), who breeding partbreds. was in foal to El Sareei and subsequently But it was the War that also offered the solution to the produced a filly named Malacha. These problem. At its end, numerous Arabians from Poland were horses were actually imported by a left scattered around Germany. The Ofir son Wind, half-brother private breeder, Prince Knyphausen, but to such greats as Witraz, Wielki Szlem, and *Witez II, was the both mares remained at Marbach and first of them to be used at Marbach, resulting in one of the became part of the breeding program, stud’s greatest broodmares: Winarsad, out of the old Weil mare and Ghazal was also used at stud at Dinarsad. In 1951, he was followed by another Polish refugee, Marbach. So, in one stroke, Marbach Halef (Enwer Bey x Kasztelanka). Halef was a paternal halfacquired four new horses, two new mare brother to the Polish sire Trypolis and a maternal half-brother to families, and, with Hadban Enzahi, a sire the American sire Fadheilan. He stood at Marbach until 1955 and that would impact its breeding program in became instrumental in saving the breeding program, especially a way no other horse had done since King by siring the three famous full sisters Haita, Hajar, and Hathor Wilhelm’s Bairactar. out of Jatta, who would be the cornerstones of the revived Another thing Marbach acquired this breeding program. way was a straight Egyptian breeding But there was no escaping the fact that the breeding program program, which eventually became so was now far removed from the principles of its founder King successful it threatened to overshadow Wilhelm I, who had continuously added new blood from the the original Weil horses that were the Desert. Only one asil “straight Weil” mare was left now, the aged stud’s reason for being. But while Hadban Jatta. At this point, Dr. Georg Wenzler, who took over in 1949, Enzahi, Nadja, and Moheba established decided to revive the original tradition and bring in new blood a straight Egyptian herd, Hadban Enzahi from the Desert – or, since the Desert was no longer a source for was also instrumental in saving the legacy importing horses, from Egypt. Egypt had always played a part of Weil. When he was bred to the old in the history of Weil, from King Wilhelm’s importation of horses Weil mare Jatta, she produced one last from Abbas Pasha’s stud to Princess Pauline’s purchase of Jasir filly foal: Sahmet, one of the finest mares from Prince Mohammed Ali. In 1955, history was made when Dr. ever foaled at Marbach and the only Wenzler went to the Egyptian Agricultural Organisation’s stud El mare to carry on the last asil branch of Zahraa and returned with the first major importation of Egyptian Murana’s family. horses to Germany in the 20th century. For Marbach, he acquired The arrival of the Egyptian horses in the stallion Hadban Enzahi (Nazeer x Kamla), and El Zahraa’s 1955 marked the beginning of Marbach’s director Dr. Marsafi threw in the filly Nadja (Nazeer x Nefisa) for “golden age” which is irrevocably linked good measure. The same importation included another Nazeer with the names Dr. Georg Wenzler and

Hadban Enzahi. Hadban was a consistent and prepotent sire who singlehandedly created what became known as Marbach’s “silver herd.” Similarly to King Wilhelm’s day, the Marbach Arabians became world famous and were exported across the globe, where they became foundation horses for major breeding programs. The legendary *Sanacht in the U.S. is just one example of many.

It was also a time of great stallions, such as the fabulous Saher (Ghazal x Sahmet). Many who saw him regarded Saher as one of the most perfect Arabian stallions ever born, and he was champion stallion at the very first international Arabian show held in Germany in 1973. He was the finest stallion to emerge from the asil Weil lines, but also for many years the only one. He lived at a time when people were focusing on straight Egyptians, which also became true of Marbach. This ultimately meant that he was not used as much as he should have been. The other great sire that has to be mentioned is the black Egyptian Gharib (Anter x Souhair), who was acquired

by Dr. Wenzler as an outcross and to counteract the fact that Hadban Enzahi was homozygous grey and the herd was losing color and prone to developing melanomas. Gharib was seen as

“Hadban

Enzahi was also instrumental

in saving the legacy of Weil. When he was bred to the old Weil mare Jatta, she produced one last filly foal: Sahmet, one of the finest mares ever foaled at Marbach. ”

a controversial choice by many, since he was very different from the Marbach horses, but at this point the herd was so consolidated that it easily absorbed those difference while retaining precisely what was needed: stronger pigmentation, longer necks, and better movements.

A state stud like Marbach depends very much on its directors, and Dr. Wenzler was certainly a lucky choice as he made it his business to revive the Arabian breeding program and succeeded admirably. When he retired in 1974, he was succeeded by Dr. Wolfgang Cranz, top left: SAHER (GHAZAL x SAHMET), 1967 ASIL WEIL-MARBACH STALLION, THE MASTERPIECE OF THE WENZLER ERA. top right: GHARIB (ANTER x SOUHAIR), 1965 STALLION IMPORTED FROM EGYPT IN 1970 TO ADD PIGMENTATION AND MOVEMENT. bottom: DR. WOLFGANG CRANZ WITH DSCHIHAN IN 1987.

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top left: NASRODIN (ANSATA ABBAS PASHA x NOHA), 1982 STRAIGHT EGYPTIAN STALLION. top right: MOTASSEM (ANSATA HALIM SHAH x MESSAOUDA), 1985 STRAIGHT EGYPTIAN STALLION. bottom left: SERENITY HABIB (KHOFO x SF BINT MAMLOUKA). bottom right: MAAZA (SERENITY HABIB x MASLAMA), 2000 STRAIGHT EGYPTIAN MARE, WITH WM MALAKIL.

who fortunately was equally invested in the Arabian horse and served as an international judge at Arabian shows. He also took some of Marbach’s horses to the shows. In 1986, the Hadban Enzahi daughter Dschadaah, from King Wilhelm’s original Murana family, was named World Champion Mare at Paris. Marbach now had four families: the straight Egyptian “M” and “N” families of Malacha and Nadja, both descending from Ali Pasha Sherif’s El Dahma, and the Weil “D” and “S” families descending from Murana I. The “S” family of Sahmet, the last asil Weil mare, expanded somewhat during Dr. Cranz’s two decades. Sahmet had, frustratingly, produced almost all colts and only at the end came up with one filly, Sandara by Gharib. Sandara’s daughter Sadana (by Saher) produced several

daughters, putting the family on firmer footing. Dr. Cranz also made his own additions to the herd in the form of new stallions.

He twice entered in a partnership with Bábolna State Stud and Dr. Hans Nagel to lease two stallions from the U.S.: Ansata Abbas Pasha and Ansata Halim Shah. The two sons they sired for Marbach, Nasrodin and Motassem, would be instrumental in carrying the Egyptian breeding program forwards.

In 1994, Dr. Cranz retired and was succeeded by Dr. Helmut Gebhardt. While undoubtedly a good horseman, Dr. Gebhardt was not really knowledgeable about Arabians, and his era is commonly seen as a low point in Marbach’s history. It is noteworthy for two important decisions, however. One of them was the lease of yet another U.S.-bred Egyptian stallion, Serenity Habib (*Khofo x *SF Bint Mamlouka). Like Gharib, this was a controversial choice, especially when Habib’s foals turned out a bit on the plain side initially. But, much like the Marbach horses in general, they need time and grow more beautiful with age. In retrospect, it has to be said that Habib gave Marbach some its best broodmares, including the wonderful veteran Maaza who produced several stallions for the stud.

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Dr. Gebhardt’s other noteworthy contribution was to bring back the sire line of Bairactar. It had been missing from the breeding program since the late 19th century, but had survived both in Poland and Russia. The stallion selected to revive it was Penthagonn (Pasat x Panela), a superb pure Polish stallion bred by the Ismer Stud and tracing in direct male line to Bairactar through Gwarny and Amurath Sahib. But while Penthagonn sired some lovely daughters, none of his sons were deemed suitable and the plan very nearly failed. But fate works in strange ways. Marbach also hosts a stallion performance test for stallions from across the country, including Arabians. In 1994, one of the stallions that arrived at Marbach for testing was a Penthagonn son, Pamir I, bred by small breeder Marguerita Hospowsky from a mare of Egyptian and old German bloodlines. Pamir won the performance test – and was promptly snapped up by Marbach.

He subsequently sired several excellent daughters as well as two sons that became chief sires. His 1996 son Dschehim, a grandson of the World Champion mare Dschadaah and the first stallion both of the Bairactar male line and the Murana mare family, bore a resemblance to Bairactar that was almost uncanny. top left: PENTHAGONN (PASAT x PANELA), 1985 POLISH STALLION LEASED IN 1989 TO BRING BACK BAIRACTAR’S SIRE LINE. top right: SESAL (PENTHAGONN x SANDARA), 1990 MARE. MIDDLE: PAMIR I (PENTHAGONN x SHAMS EL INAZAA), 1990 STALLION, CHIEF SIRE 1995-1998. bottom left: DSCHEHIM (PAMIR I x DSCHIHAN), 1996 WEIL-MARBACH STALLION, WITH THE LATE HORST KÖNIG. bottom right: SHAFALI (DSCHEHIM x SARINA), 2001 MARE. A H W > 114 < F A L L 2 0 2 1

top left: NK BOLBOL (SALAA EL DINE x SANNANA), 1998 STRAIGHT EGYPTIAN STALLION USED 2003-2004 top right: NARI (MOTASSEM x NOHA), 1992 STRAIGHT EGYPTIAN MARE. bottom left: MUSAB (NK BOLBOL x MAAZA), 2005 STRAIGHT EGYPTIAN STALLION. middle right: NAMIJE (NK BOLBOL x NARI), 2005 STRAIGHT EGYPTIAN MARE WITH HER 2020 FILLY WM NAIDA BY AL HABIB. bottom right: NAPIRAI (NK BOLBOL x NARI), 2004 STRAIGHT EGYPTIAN MARE.

He proved a strong sire and an accomplished dressage horse, and along with some lovely broodmares also sired the mare Sevinc, who was three times Germany National Endurance Champion. Dschehim may be called the masterpiece of the Gebhardt era.

Along with success stories such as Serenity Habib and Dschehim – which would only become manifest in the next millenium – there was a lot of experimentation.

More outside stallions were used than ever, most of them straight Egyptians, and even a stallion of show bloodlines, but little of this had any lasting impact. The only one that really worked was (as so often) one of the most controversial: the straight Egyptian stallion NK Bolbol (Salaa El Dine x Sannana), bred by Dr. Nagel.

His son Musab (out of the Serenity Habib daughter Maaza) is still at stud today and proved a fine sire.

Twice, NK Bolbol was bred to Marbach’s arguably best straight Egyptian mare at the time, Nari (by the Ansata Halim Shah son Motassem). These two greys together produced the first two black Arabians ever bred at Marbach: the fabulous full sisters Namije and Napirai, only distinguishable by the fact that Namije has a small white spot on the side of her belly. These two black beauties delighted visitors during the annual stud presentations, and both proved to be superb producing mares for the straight Egyptian breeding program. But by the turn of the century, there was no denying that Marbach had lost much of its former status.

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III

A New Age Fast forward to 2007, and the dawn of a new era. As Dr. Gebhardt’s tenure ended, something remarkable happened. For the first time ever, a new director was not simply appointed by the state, but the post was advertised. Anyone with the necessary qualifications could apply and be tested for the job. The candidate who emerged victorious was Dr. Astrid von Velsen-Zerweck, not only the youngest director to ever take over Marbach, but also the first woman.

Naturally this raised a few eyebrows, on both accounts. But it turned out to be a godsend for Marbach, whose new director went to work with determination. The daughter of Dr. Eberhard von Velsen, who for many years was chairman of the Trakehner Breed Society, Astrid von Velsen-Zerweck came from a family of horsemen and had a history with blood horses. Trakehners are the warmblood breed with the highest amount of Arabian blood, and in fact Marbach’s warmblood breeding program is based strongly on Trakehner lines. And while her knowledge of Arabians was not extensive, she had some practical experience: As a student, she spent her

top left: MARBACH STUD DIRECTOR ASTRID VON VELSEN-ZERWECK. top right: NAGA (SERENITY HABIB x NASSEB), 2003 STRAIGHT EGYPTIAN MARE WITH 2013 FILLY WM NUSABE BY MUSAB. bottom left: SARAFINE (INSH ALLAH x SARINA), 2008 MARE, WITH HER COLT WM SAFI BY KP MARYOOM. bottom right: NAGAWA (MOTASSEM x NAGA), 2003 STRAIGHT EGYPTIAN MARE WITH 2017 FILLY WM NEFERET BY NAOUFIL. A H W > 116 < F A L L 2 0 2 1

summer breaks riding and preparing Arabian stallions for their performance tests and learned to appreciate them.

“I have always valued Arabians as a cultural heritage,” she recalls today, “as beautiful athletes, as the foundation of all riding horse breeds and today as a source of refinement. The more I live and work with these horses, the more I appreciate their advantages: their willingness to perform, their good health, their hardiness, their ability to adapt through the centuries. I am fascinated by their character and temperament, by their love for humans which is much deeper than in other breeds.”

As a stud director of Marbach and guardian of the unique heritage of Weil, Dr. Astrid von Velsen-Zerweck made the Arabian breeding program her personal business, especially the old lines inherited from Weil that had been quietly fading under her predecessor. She had to contend with a lot of people who pressed her to use their stallions, suitable or not.

top: DSCHEHIM AND HIS HALF BROTHER SAID (PAMIR I x SADANA) PERFORMING UNDER SADDLE.

annual three-day-events and dressage events, endurance rides (including the National Championships in 2016), and an annual public presentation of the Arabian horses. In 2009, Marbach joined the newly formed ESSA, the European State Studs Association, as a founding member. ESSA, of which Dr. Astrid von Velsen-Zerweck is now president, forms a network of state studs throughout Europe to share information and exchange horses. The German state stud directors meet annually and plan things to do together, one of them being the great state stud quadrille that performs at major equestrian events.

bottom: PRESENTATION OF MARES IN THE OUTDOOR RING

But she also received help from unexpected places: When she took over, she was given the Junior World Champion Insh Allah (Ashhal Al Rayyan x India), a straight Egyptian with several lines to Hadban Enzahi, on a one year lease. In 2007, he covered the entire herd, so all the 2008 foals were his. Marbach retained one daughter from each mare family, of whom Dahi and Sarafine are proving instrumental in continuing the “D” and “S” families of Weil.

But Arabians are still only a small part of Marbach with its warmblood herd, its state stallion depot of warmbloods and the rare Black Forest draft breed, as well as its state riding school and training center for future horsemen and –women. Following the arrival of its new director, Marbach was subjected to a whirlstorm of changes and additions, some of which had already begun under Dr. Gebhardt. Next to the departments mentioned above, Marbach branched out to include education, tourism, and culture. A new visitors’ center and shop were built along with new indoor riding arenas and a guest house for the participants in seminars.

Working together with several other state departments, Marbach now offers a unique network of seminars as well as the completely new tourism sector.

“It is great that are so well supported by the ministry,” notes Dr. Astrid von Velsen-Zerweck, “and the state now properly supports the stud.” Marbach also hosts a variety of events, not just the traditional annual stud presentations.

The most unique addition is the Marbach Classics, a combination of classical music performed by a live symphonic orchestra with equestrian displays, which has proved highly popular. There are A H W > 117 < F A L L 2 0 2 1

“Outside

of Egypt, in the

heart of Europe, Marbach State Stud is the premier safe haven for the Desert Arabian horse. Its rich history, mission, breeding philosophy, all stand Marbach Stud in the highest esteem. ”

top: WM SAFI (KP MARYOOM x SARAFINE), THE FIRST ASIL WEIL-MARBACH STALLION SINCE SAHER. bottom: NAOUFIL (MAHADIN x NAMIJE), 2010 STRAIGHT EGYPTIAN STALLION OF HADBAN ENZAHI’S LINE.

“[I]t

was something of a

sensation: the first major importation of horses directly from Egypt to Marbach in over half a century. ”

On one memorable occasion, ESSA came up with a European state stud quadrille of 86 stallions, setting a record at the time.

Within all these duties and activities, the Arabian breeding program forms a strong, sparkling core. During the last decade, Marbach celebrated two anniversaries: that stud’s 500th in 2014, and the 200th anniversary of King Wilhelm’s breeding program in 2017. The latter was celebrated in style with a big show program featuring the stud’s horses, including a special parade in which some of the horses impersonated notable ancestors. The 2017 foal crop, in keeping with the occasion, was a very special one, as well.

Not only was the overall quality outstanding, but it featured the first foals by Marbach’s young stallion WM Safi (KP Maryoom x Sarafine), the first asil Weil-Marbach stallion since Saher. He is also one of the first horses to carry the new “WM” prefix, standing for Weil-Marbach.

Continuity and upholding traditions are certainly important to the director. “It is very, very important that the breeding program is preserved as a unity, the way King Wilhelm intended it,” she emphasizes, adding that this work is not a one woman show, but a team effort. “Without the people who work here and their experience, I could do nothing.”

Some of them, such as Klaus Niethammer, who is in charge of the broodmares, and Horst König, who up to his untimely death earlier this year was in charge of the Arabian stallions, were already in place under previous directors and know the horses better than anyone else. Their advice was invaluable, especially during the first years.

“Continuing this breeding program in the spirit of King Wilhelm is very close to my heart,” she continues. “I am equally dedicated to the newer horses, the Egyptians, but always within the king’s philosophy of breeding capable and athletic riding horses.” In order to maintain that goal, all of Marbach’s breeding horses are put under saddle and subjected to a performance test before they are used for breeding, including the mares. The stallions are frequently sent to compete in sports.

Some have done endurance, the straight Egyptian stallion Naoufil (Mahadin x Namije) competed in show jumping, and currently both WM Safi and the straight Egyptian WM Malakil are being trained

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DAFINA (AMURATH MUNTAHI x DUKNA), 2009 MARE.

and competing in working equitation, a sport which is becoming very popular in Europe and, requiring some versatility, is perfectly suited for Arabians.

For the continuation of the breeding program, Dr. Astrid von Velsen-Zerweck initially continued the policy of leasing horses, either straight Egyptians or of Weil-Marbach breeding, and using select outside stallions. Of the latter, the straight Egyptian DF Malik Jamil (NK Hafid Jamil x Amouva), who is now in the Middle East, proved especially successful, siring several outstanding mares as well as the stallion WM Malakil. Of the leased stallions, Mahadin (Madkour I x Mahameh), a straight Egyptian of Marbach lines, sired the beautiful broodmare Nuala (out of Napirai) as well as the stallion Naoufil, reinstating the male line of Hadban Enzahi. Among the Weil-Marbach horses used, Amurath Muntahi (Amurath Baikal x Mosila) left two broodmares, bringing back the blood of *Sanacht through his American sire and that of Penthagonn through his Marbach-bred dam. His daughter Dafina is one of the best mares currently at the stud and has already produced two daughters, helping to revive the “D” family which was nearly gone a few years ago.

Keeping alive the precious asil “S” family of Sahmet has presented a particular challenge and was plagued by many setbacks. Worst of all was the untimely loss of the finest mare of this family, Souha, a few years back. Attempting to strengthen the family, Marbach resorted to seeking out and buying back mares that had been sold in the past, which presented another challenge since these mares are no longer young. Embryo transfer is also being employed in order to get more foals from these precious mares. There are still far too few of them around to ensure their continuation, and only time will tell.

The last few years have had their ups and downs. The low point was certainly the premature loss of both the homebred

stallions Dschehim and Said, the only representatives of the Bairactar sire line. In addition, one of the best broodmares, the black Napirai, had to be retired when colic surgery left her unable to carry any more foals. But there have also been highlights, and one of those closest to the director’s heart is the young homebred stallion WM Devdas (Dschehim x Dahi). Standing over 16 hh, yet every inch a purebred Arabian, this horse, representing both the Bairactar male line and the Murana I family, is the perfect embodiment of King Wilhelm’s breeding philosophy. He was champion at the Germany registry’s stallion licensing in 2019 and has since passed an excellent performance test against warmblood stallions and been approved for breeding warmblood horses. He is the embodiment of Weil-Marbach breeding, a horse for all reasons, and a stallion with all the requirements for becoming the Amurath 1881 of his day.

NAMRATA (DF MALIK JAMIL x NAPIRAI), 2012 STRAIGHT EGYPTIAN MARE WITH 2017 FILLY WM NAHIFAH BY NAOUFIL. A H W > 119 < F A L L 2 0 2 1

IV

Back to Egypt But while preservation of the old lines is high on the agenda, it is not everything.

“Continuity is important,” Dr. Astrid von Velsen-Zerweck points out, “but so is progress. We have to look ahead instead of just crossing back to the same lines all the time.” In that spirit, she made the decision to revive another of King Wilhelm’s policies, one that had been copied with such success by Dr. Wenzler. “We succeeded in returning Marbach to the attention of the public and in assembling a new group of stallions. We had now reached the point where it was time to bring in new blood.”

And where else to look, but in Egypt?

As a state stud, Marbach can do nothing without the go-ahead of the department of agriculture. Fortunately, the current minister, Peter Hauk, takes an active interest in the stud. “I had already told him some time ago,” remembers Astrid with a smile, “one day we’ll go to Egypt and fetch the new Hadban Enzahi.”

El Zahraa was the obvious choice, but a visit there proved disappointing. Not because of the horses, but because the

top left and right: NASHEED AL AMAL (HAFEZ AL AHD x ANEEDAH), 2010 STALLION. bottom: TAG AL OLA (SHAER AL NIL x KAWKAB AL SHARK), 2016 STALLION.

management took little interest in the guests from Germany, obviously did not understand who they were, and made no attempt to show them any horses for sale.

But there was another option. In 2013, Egyptian breeder Philippe Paraskevas visited Germany to promote his book “The Egyptian Alternative” and was invited to speak at the Asil Club’s annual meeting. Dr. Astrid von Velsen-Zerweck is a board member of the Asil Club and met him there, and they discovered they shared the same attitude towards preservation breeding.

Paraskevas visited the Marbach Stud Parade in fall 2013, and they remained in contact during the following years.

In 2019, the time had come at last. Paraskevas was wanting to reduce numbers and was willing to let a number of horses go to Marbach for “a symbolic price”. All the ministry had to pay was the transport from Egypt to Germany, and the stallions came with the condition that any stud fees be donated to charity.

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left: SET EL KOL (AGAD x AL SET), 2017 MARE. above: left: SET EL KOL WITH HEAD GROOM JOCHEN OTT AND TRAINEE JOHANNA.

Astrid, the minister, and a representative of the German Arabian Association travelled to Dashour to select horses, and in the course of that process, the one stallion originally envisioned somehow expanded to become a group of nine horses. This included three fillies, each one from a different dam line, including one of the rare Kuhailan Krush strain that has been lost in Germany. “I hadn’t really meant to get mares,” Astrid recalls, but the preservation idea was somehow persuasive. When one of the six stallions originally selected was unable to travel because of a bureaucratic hitch, Paraskevas replaced him with a young mare in foal to his senior sire Ghallab, effectively bringing the total up to 10 and adding yet another dam line.

After quarantine in Cairo, the horses were to arrive at Marbach in 2020, but fate intervened when the corona

“Arriving

pandemic struck. The horses remained stuck in quarantine, and somehow – miraculously in an age when news leaks have become the order of the day – Marbach managed to keep the entire transaction secret for over a year. With the exception of those people directly involved, no one had any idea they existed until finally, in June 2021, the nine horses arrived at Marbach, where they were suitably welcomed by the minister and a few invited members of the press. Because of the pandemic, visitors were excluded. Even Philippe Paraskevas was unable to travel, but sent a statement to be read on the occasion.

In his own words: “Outside of Egypt, in the heart of Europe, Marbach State Stud is the premier safe haven for the Desert Arabian horse. Its rich history, mission, breeding philosophy, all stand Marbach Stud in the highest esteem.

“For me, a lifetime breeder of horses passionately dedicated to the breed, the Egyptian Arabian horse has been a source of infinite happiness, a blessing from God. In an effort to give back to the breed, consistent with my goals of preservation of the bloodlines under my care, I am honored to present to Marbach State Stud these nine horses of Paraskevas Arabians breeding.

This will be my modest contribution to Marbach State Stud breeding goals. Confident of the long term legacy for these

in Germany after a year of being held in quarantine at Cairo,

the horses had lost condition and also suffered something of a culture shock. They were unaccustomed to walking on paved surfaces, as well as to grass that can be cropped and eaten directly off the ground … ” A H W > 121 < F A L L 2 0 2 1

top left: SHAHD AL RADAB (AGAD x NAGHAMET AL KARAWAN), 2018 FILLY. top right: ZAHRET AL EID (AGAD x LEILAT AL EID), 2018 FILLY. middle left: DAY AL KAMAR (ZAI AL HAWA x GEBEEN AL KAMAR), 2016 STALLION. bottom left: LESA FAKER (AGAD x LEILAT AL EID), 2017 STALLION.

bloodlines of precious heritage, I now leave them in the good hands of the dedicated men and women who comprise Marbach’s team, the people who have now become family.”

Once the news got out, it immediately went viral, and the biggest equestrian magazine in Germany ran it as a cover story. After all, it was something of a sensation: the first major importation of horses directly from Egypt to Marbach in over half a century.

Suddenly Marbach was news again and everyone wanted to see the “new Egyptians.”

But even now, not many people have. Part of this is due to the ongoing pandemic, which once again forced Marbach to cancel all its usual presentations.

And while the stud is always open to the public, only two of the stallions were sent there shortly after arrival. The other three stallions and the four mares and fillies were kept at one of the outlying farms for many weeks, acclimatizing to their new surroundings, and were only moved to the main stud fairly recently. Arriving in Germany after a year of being held in quarantine at Cairo, the horses had lost condition and also suffered something of a culture shock. They were unaccustomed to walking on paved surfaces as well as to grass that can be cropped and eaten directly off the ground, never mind people speaking a different language and behaving strangely. But Arabians learn quickly, and head groom Jochen Ott and his staff, who looked after them, quickly became fond of their new, exotic charges. By the time I got to see them, which was some three weeks following their arrival, all but one were in excellent condition and the fillies clearly enjoyed their time in the lush spring pasture. By now they have joined the other horses at the main stud, where the mares and fillies will be slowly accustomed to living in a herd along with the other mares.

The success of this new venture will be determined in the future, once the horses have settled in and their first offspring arrive. There is little doubt that the Paraskevas horses are more ideally suited to Marbach’s breeding philosophy than those of El Zahraa, since, as at Marbach, all of them are tested under saddle. “I rode Nasheed myself in the desert,” says Astrid. “He is very easy to ride, a very sweet horse.”

Nasheed Al Amar, at 11 years the oldest of the horses and already A H W > 122 < F A L L 2 0 2 1

KAF AL KADAR (ASHHAM x ROBAEYAT AL KHAYAAM), 2017 STALLION.

SAHERAT ALEHWERAR (ASHHAM x ROBAEYAT AL KHAYYAM), 2019 FILLY.

a sire at the Paraskevas Stud, is the shining centerpiece of the importation, tall and typey, as radiantly white as his predecessor Hadban Enzahi, whose life size bronze now stands outside the gates of the stud. He has already covered two of the stud’s best Egyptian mares: the grand old Serenity Habib daughter Maaza and the black beauty Namije.

Young Tag Al Ola, who, like Gharib before

him, represents the Rabdan sire line, has been chosen to cover the beautiful young mare Namrata. In fall, the Paraskevas mare Set El Kol is due to produce her Ghallab foal. There are exciting times ahead for Marbach.

Anyone who loves Arabian horses should visit Marbach at least once in their life. But be warned, it can be addictive! There is so much you can see and to do. You can visit the stud’s museum, located in an ancient church a few miles away, where the mounted skeleton of Bairactar may be seen standing next to his life-size portrait. You can shop for books and souvenirs and local

“Anyone

who loves Arabian horses

should visit Marbach at least once in their life. But be warned – it can be addictive! ”

Museum sights include: above left: SKELETON OF BAIRACTAR; above right: PLAQUE SHOWING THE THREE STRAINS OF ARABIAN HORSES; and at bottom: ASSORTED HARNESSES, BRIDLES, AND SADDLES. A H W > 123 < F A L L 2 0 2 1

“The

dream became reality, and it continues

still. You can see it at Marbach, all of it: the past, the present, and the future. ”

delicacies. You can take a ride in a horse-drawn carriage, or go to see the splendid harnesses in the new show room, or marvel at the 15th century stable building that is the home of the Arabian stallions (once the corona restrictions are gone, you can go inside again and socialize with them, too). Best of all, you can just hang around the mare pasture, where sooner or later the foals will come up and want to talk to you. They are very friendly and they love visitors. You can spend hours there watching them, seeing living history unfold before your eyes, the continuation of a story that began over 200 years ago with a young monarch’s dream of breeding Arabians. The dream became reality, and it continues still. You can see it at Marbach, all of it: the past, the present, and the future. And who knows? With all these exciting new developments, the best may be yet to come.

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