Arabische Pferde IN THE FOCUS Nr. 1/2020 (Vol. 21) - Preview

History
tified products, Dénousté died at 27 years old,
having kept his flexibility and fertility!
Impressed by the French racing Arabs, the
Russian government sent a buying mission to
the Southwest of France in the 1930s… this
is how a son of Dénousté (together with six
mares, among them Aissa, tailing back to Asfoura),
Kann, went to Russia… Crabbet mares
were also imported to Russia and Kann's
marriage to one of them (Rixalina) gave the
heroic Korej, who endured the migrations
and vicissitudes of the Second World War and
remained brilliant until his death at almost
30 years old… he left Tersk with prestigious
descendants: Knippel, the big winner on the
flat, and Kankan (closely inbred with Rixalina
as a double grandmother), the father of the
legend Persik!
The North African Outlets
French Arabian breeding owes a lot to the races
reserved for it and which were very popular
with big owners, until the looming of the
Second World War. After this, the number of
Arab horses was in free fall in the countries
of the Cradle: the armies of the whole world
are motorized, many nomads settle down
and prefer the car to the horse ... the local
natural selection is definitely compromised.
Fortunately the English were able to organize
in Egypt an efficient selection body, the Royal
Agricultural Society.
For France remain the studs and stallion depots
of North Africa, however all the work of
selection carried out in Tiaret (in particular
by the commander Bardot with respect to
Bango) will be almost reduced to nil in fifteen
years, with the use of poor standards and a
policy of dispersal. In Tunisia, excellent racing
Arabs are still produced, of native or French
strains, notably Sumeyr and Ourour. After 5
victories in Tunisia Ourour arrives in service
at Tarbes at 5 years old in 1952. He was little
used in purebred Arabians (only 18 foals in 17
years of service, in the worst years of decline,
but what quality!). We find Asfoura as damline
and through his father Duc, Ourour traces
to both, Merjané and Warda.
The immense genetic potential of French
North African establishments have been
dispersed during the political events which
accompany the independence of these
countries. In 1964 the studbook commission
admits some mares repatriated from
North Africa and the administration acquires
three stallions typical and regular in races:
In'Chaalah, Iricho and Irmak… despised by
Anglo-Arab breeders who prefer Ba-Toustem
or Saint Laurent, more consistent models.
French Arabian horses are in the process of
Djerba Oua (Dragon / Doree II) *1946 is inbred three times in III. generation to Dénousté. Through
his son Gosse de Bearn (but not only him), he had great influence on French Arabian breeding.
Dénousté (Latif db / Djaima (von Khouri db)) *1921, one of the most influential stallions; he had
ca. 450 foals, though not all of them purebred Arabians.
disappearing, yet the National Stud of Pompadour
still has a few purebred Arabian broodmares…
Unfortunately in the 1960s, they
only produce Anglo-Arabs as do most private
broodmares: Maderba , Madonna, Magicienne,
Nevada II etc have produced more in
crossbreeding than in the purebred Arabian
breed which leaves us today with immense
regrets: Nevada II, remember, grandmother
in female line of at least 50 Group 1 winners
and, associated with Ourour, mother of Nevadour,
one of the most sought after strains
in the world, "the mare of a lifetime" by Renée
Laure Koch.
The Depression
In 1965, the studbook recorded only two
purebred Arabian foals. One of them comes
from Robert Mauvy, esthete, painter and
breeder of Arabian horses according to the
lineages and customs of the cradle. Then Jacques
Chalom des Cordes set up in 1966 in Provence
a breeding program with Polish Arabians,
much more "beautiful" than ours and
selected however at the races. The latter will
soon be emulated, new studs are flourishing
and importing horses from Poland, Tunisia,
Holland, Morocco - new, the calibration has
become private! It was the time when these
new breeders rebelled against the National
stud farms that they accused of reducing the
Arabian horse to a mere henchman for the
Anglos.
Promoted director of Pompadour, Pierre
Pechdo, personally very favorable to this revival
in favor of the Arab, was sent on a mission
in 1970 to Poland in order to acquire three
stallions. As most of the good subjects were
reserved for the auction where the Americans
buy them at gold prices, negotiations were
difficult but he managed to acquire Baj (by
Negatiw, damline Gazella II), Elaborat and
Badr- Bedur, both by Comet whose ancestor
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