Venus Rising

Kimberli Nelson - 2007

Venus is indeed rising! My first total accounting of the Sheykh Obeyd Hadban Enzahi Straight Egyptian Arabian horses descending from the Bedouin mare Venus was done in the year 2000, when I started my preservation quest there were a mere 32 horses in existence. By 2007 the total number of horses has risen to 64 with both births and deaths in the count. That double in just 7 years!

A Chestnut mare was born in the desert in 1890 and after 117 years there are still descendent's in tail-female from this mare. This is incredible to me. With so many horses being lost to our gene pool each and every year, that any one horse could survive and continue in a direct line to something original is nothing short of miraculous.

Although our goal has been to preserve these lines, there is another aspect that a true breeder must consider, and that is quality of horse flesh. There would be no point in preserving something that can not be used, especially horses. Just being pretty and sweet is not good enough. They are first and foremost “Horses”. That being said, as horses ,they must have correct legs, good movement, be smart with trainable temperaments, strong backs and loins, have balanced conformation head to tail, and as they are Arabian horses, they must also be pretty and have breed type as well. Without all of the above, you have nothing more than a horse. As breeders and preservationists, we must ensure that the horses we bring into this world are something people want, something that people can use and something people will appreciate. Horses are not necessities today, owning them is a choice, therefore, as breeders we must understand that we are held to a much higher standard than your average horse seller. We must produce the best possible horses within our chosen group and mentor those who choose to participate with us in our quest.

In the last seven years there have been a few horses change hands, several new breeders who are dedicated to this preservation effort have been added to the roster, long time breeders looking to add these precocious bloodlines back into their herds, as well and those who started with these horses and are going to continue to preserve and promote some of the finest horses in the world. With Venus Rising, the future is bright.

Many of the older matriarchs have gone to greener pastures. The loss of our foundation stock has been devastating. We know that all horses will one day leave us but we are rarely ready to let them go. Losing them is never easy, but the legacy they have left behind reminds us of why we do what we do, why we are dedicated to our cause and why we must continue to preserve, protect and promote our beloved horses. Gone are *AK Jaheena, Glorieta Dalima, Bint Masarra, and Glorieta Gazaal. The status of two full sisters of Glorieta Dalima, Glorieta Zaafira and Glorieta Zarifa, is unknown to me. We also lost the yearling colt Hadban Ibn Masarra, unnamed filly out of AK Shesarra, and unnamed colt out of JA Hadbaelsaghira and a lovely colt out of SRF Shezadamoniet. Hadban colts are indeed hard to get!

*AK Jaheena was the oldest living Hadban until her death in 2005 just prior to her 32nd birthday. She left no daughters within Sheykh Obeyd breeding so her loss means more than a loss of a old friend. Her line is gone in tail-female. She did leave two intact sons, Meadow Mahonri sired by Kamars Sharif and Hadban Al Nazhi sired by Glorieta Gazaal, so with these two beautiful stallions her lines will carry forward into the future...
This photo was taken just a few weeks before her death.

PHOTO OF AK JAHEENA JUST BEFRORE SHE DIEd

Anchor Hill Hamla was our most prolific producer of Hadba fillies with four producing mares to her credit still available in Sheykh Obeyd breeding. Glorieta Dalima, Glorieta Rabdania, Glorieta Tala and Glorieta Gambolia!


GlorietaDalima Glorieta Rabdania Glorieta Gambolia

(there is no photo of Glorieta Tala that I can find)

Glorieta Dalima was one of the foundation mares here at Zee Ranch. She was the most beautiful mare I had ever seen. Her daughters are treasures and worth their weight in gold. Not only are they correct but extremely beautiful and produce that beauty and correct conformation with rare regularity. Dalima produced two fillies for us, Zurhara Dalima, a black/grey sired by Masada El Shahwan and her last foal, also a black/ grey filly, Hadba Mansoura by the fabulous black Ra'adin Inshalla son, Hallanny Mistanny. Glorieta Dalima left this world two years after her last foal was born at age 24. While she was in foal her melanoma stayed dormant but shortly after Mansoura was born it mastitized. We spent two years fighting the cancer but to no avail. She is still missed and her legacy is here to stay with her three daughters and one son.

Zurhara Dalima and Hadba El Mansoura







The Anchor Hill Hamla Family


Glorieta Dalima, Glorieta Rabdania and AK Rabiya

Mijan Bint Dalima is Glorieta Dalima's oldest living daughter and what a blessing she has been. Bint Dalima is the most exotic of all the Hadbans. She is very fine boned with legs as hard as steel. She has the biggest eyes and a very dry exotically chiseled head. It is broad across the forehead and wide between the jowls, it is short with a small muzzle and big nostrils. When this mare moves it is with power and grace. She is known to out run the Thoroughbreds with both speed and extension. Mijan Bint Dalima is the dam of four beautiful fillies.

Her first daughter is Hadba El Dalanna sired by Masada El Shahwan. Not to let us down, this filly is black and has a refined beauty but is very different from her dam. Her head is expressive and chiseled but not as wide as Bint Dalima. But like her dam, she is fine boned and moves beautifully. She is going to be trained is Dressage as she is smart and talented.


Bint Dalima's second foal was also a filly. This time sired by a Hadban stallion, Meadow Mahonri. Her name is Hadba Bint Zalima. She is a tall mare with extreme type and a very up-right, high set neck. She is very showy and very tall. Bint Zalima owns her own human now. She is residing with Linda Standly in Idaho, one of our newest Hadban breeders. Bint Zalima will be bred to Hadban stallions for replacements and should produce her own beauty and athletic ability. We look forward to seeing her and her foals being shown while continuing the preservation of beautiful athletes.

Bint Dalima's third filly was sired by Gurjani El Jalani. Gurjani El Jalani is a beautiful black stallion with beautiful type and correct conformation. His legs are beautiful and his movement is stunning. I was very excited about this filly when she was born and am still very enamored with her today. Correct and beautiful with much potential in performance as well as halter. This was a nice cross of Babson and Hallany Mistanny on top of the Ansata and Glorieta breeding groups.

Bint Dalima's fourth filly is sired by Marhdalim El Nisr who is also out of Glorieta Dalima. We don't do too much in-breeding here but thought it was worth the chance one time. Boy am I glad we took that chance. This filly is exquisite. She was a very large filly at birth, she looked like she was two weeks old when she was born. She was tall and so filled out and legs that were so perfect and straight it was incredible. As she got older her head started to change and became short and very typey with large low set eyes. She is simply the most beautiful of all Bint Dalima's fillies. We have named her Hadba El Zaafarana as she has three crosses to Zaafarana. We call her the “Flying Tiger” any guess as to why?

Zurhara Dalima is the first filly born here at Zee ranch from Glorieta Dalima. She was born a solid blue black that would go grey. At five years of age she is still very black and you can only see that she is a grey when you are close to her. Zurhara is the tallest of all the Dalima offspring. Standing a solid 15 hands. Zurhara is a substantial mare with a full body, deep heart girth, high withers and great hip. Her fist foal was born in 2007.

We bred her to Glorieta Gazaal and were blessed with yet another filly. And Sadly, Gazaal's last foal. Hadba Bint Gazaal was born black like her mother and grandmother and will go grey. She is a exquisite filly with refinement and type. Zurhara Dalima will be joining the elite group of Sheykh Obeyd horses in Ohio with David Myers. She is being bred to Halim Al Hadiya before she leaves for her new home. David will be breeding her to his black stallion Asif which will be an interesting cross of Post 58 breeding on the Babson/Post 58 breeding of Zurhara.

Glorieta Dalima's last foal was by the black Ra'adin Inshalla son Hallanny Mistanny. Also born black that will go grey, Hadba Mansoura is her dams most look alike daughter. She reminds me so much of Glorieta Dalima is is uncanny. At three years of age, she is still almost totally black. All these Glorieta Dalima daughters have stayed black for the longest time of any line I have ever seen. They are still blackish at 5 but by age 9 they are mostly white with black points. Amazing! When Mansoura is of age, she will be bred to Hadban Al Nazhi for a pure in strain foal. As two of the most correct and typey horses in the breeding group it will be interesting to see what they produce.

The Glorieta Dalima family is a fairly large one with all fillies born here at Zee Ranch. We have yet to have a colt that is tail female to Glorieta Dalima which we would love to have.



Glorieta Rabdania also out of Anchor Hill Hamla (A full sister to Glorieta Dalima), is owned by Stephanie White in North Carolina. This mare is a beautiful chestnut and one heck of a producer. She holds the distinction of being the oldest living Hadban. Not only the oldest living but the oldest producing as well. She has given birth to more Sheykh Obeyd foals than any other Hadba mare. She has a total of 17 foals with 10 foals sired by Sheykh Obeyd Stallions and is being bred again (at her request) for a 2008 foal.!

Willowood Nazeer, sired by Masada El Shahwan and out of Glorieta Rabdania. He has been owned most of his life by Martha Collier of Madina Arabians in North Carolina. He had never sired a foal and Martha was interested in getting him a mare of the same strain and boy did she find him a mare.

His one and only mare is the beautiful Bint Masarra daughter Shahrzada sired by Ibn Lothar. This is his first foal for Martha and she could not be happier with the filly. Her name is Venus Bint Sharzada. This photo is of Willowood Nazeer affectionately known as Fabl with his family, Shahrzada and their daughter Venus.

Rabdania's oldest Sheykh Obeyd daughter Hamla BWA is sired by Amir Seralim BWA. Hamla is the dam of two wonderful daughters. Myrna Loy BWA born in 2004, is sired by Khe Sir BWA bringing both Sirecho and *Adhem into the group. Myrna Loy is a bright rich bay with a very chiseled exotic head with big eyes and great legs with tremendous movement. Everyone who sees her says "There is your show horse" as she has a great length of neck and uses it beautifully, has powerful drive from the hocks and great extention of the front legs. Myrna Loy is a future broodmare here at Zee Ranch.


Hamla's second foal born in 2006, is also sired by Khe Sir BWA. Shinning Star BWA is a brilliant chestnut with a power house body attached to a beautifully arched neck and very pretty head. Photos that I have seen show a lovely shoulder, short solid back and a great hip. This filly should be a great addition for anyone wanting to start or add to a Straight Egyptian breeding program.

Glorieta Rabdania's second Sheykh Obeyd filly was born in 2001, Rabdania BWA is her mothers namesake and sired by the black Amir Seralim BWA. She is a very dark chestnut with flaxen in her mane and tail. She is a tiny exquisite creature. She is balanced from head to tail with a very typey chiseled head with big expressive eyes. We are glad to have here here on life time lease and her first foal is due in 2008. She was bred to Hallanny Mistanny a black Ra'adin Inshalla son.


In 2003 a full sister was born, Glorys Lagada BWA, not nearly as exquisite as her sister but as correct. She is even a darker chestnut, almost liver chestnut in the spring. It remains to be seen which full sister produces the best and most athletic foals.


Then Rabdania gave birth to two colts. Born in 2004 Glorys Legacy BWA sired by Khe Sir BWA and in 2007 Hadban Ibn Rabdania sired by Khebateer BWA. Rabdania and Khesir seem to be a match made in beauty heaven. Legacy is exquisite!. A very bright chestnut, a stallion of the sun. He is going to be tall with great legs. His head is a classic wedge shape with large eyes and nostrils on a tiny muzzle. He has a short back with a close coupling and a long croup that goes between slopping and level. He will finish out with a beautiful long level croup. I think he will help add great hind quarters to the group as well as pretty and athleticism.


Hadban Ibn Rabdania is the latest addition to the Glorieta Rabdaina legacy. Sired by Bateer BWA. Ibn Rabdania is a bright bay with an adorable face marking. He is very typey and loves to run. He is very athletic and shows great potential even at his young age. I am pleassed to announce that this coming year, he will be added to our stallion roster.



AND that's not all folks, the Anchor Hill Hamla family continues!



Mike Case was here to see Glorieta Gazaal before he died and told me a story about getting Glorieta Tala. They lived here in Arizona and were taking Anchor Hill Hamla to California to breed her to *Talal when they had a flat tire on the trailer. They had to pull Hamla out of the trailer to change it. He said she stood quietly along the side of the road with trucks flying by them. He was afraid for Hamla but she took it all in stride and loaded back into the trailer like nothing happened. They got to *Talal, bred Hamla and returned home. 11 months later, Glorieta Tala was born.

AK Rabiya is the daughter of the beautiful Glorieta Tala. Rabiya brings the beautiful and unforgettable Ansata El Sherif as well at *Talal into the Sheykh Obeyd Straight Egyptian Hadban group. AK Rabiya is the dam of seven foals, five that are Sheykh Obeyd but only two foals are in preservation breeding programs. One daughter and one son.


Masada Shaina is a very tall mare with body and true desert appeal. Sired by the Straight Babson stallion Fa Asar making her a little over 50% Babson breeding. She is not as exotically pretty as her dam but she has the big Sherif eyes and has classic type of the Bedu horses. Shiana has a great deal of substance with a full body and deep heart girth. She has very nice clean legs and moves with power and drive. Her personality is sweet and interested in whatever you are doing.. She loves to see new things and never afraid. She will run right up to things that will make the other breeds run away. Shiana may not have the classic beauty of her mother but she produces it, her daughter by Glorieta Gazaal is one of the most exquisite foals I have ever seen.


FA Hadba El Gamila, sired by Glorieta Gazaal, is a grey filly that was born totally black. This seems to be the color of this line of horses, born black then slowly turn grey. Gamila was very typical of of the Gazaal foals, born perfectly tiny then they grow and grow and grow. They tend to get tall with perfect legs and that breathtaking exotic beauty just continues to come on.

AK Rabiya's last foal is Halim Al Hadiya sired the late Halim El Mansour bringing in the blood of El Hilal and Maar Ree. He is a grey stallion with the beauty of both his parents. We have him here for all Hadban breeders to use in their programs. He is only three so he is allowed to breed one mare this year, then in the fall he will go under saddle. He is an exciting colt that is coming into himself. I think he is a great representive of combining his dam and sire. He is not really like either one of them totally but you ca see both when you look at him.

The Bint Masarra Family

AK Shesarra, Shahrzada, Shalimaar Bedu

AK Shesarra is a wonderful mother. She has had two colts and two fillies for me. Her first filly died when she was but two days old. It was a very sad day as this filly was the very first double Bukra foal born in Sheykh Obeyd. She was playing in the front yard when a garbage truck went by, she got scared and into the fence, not the wire where she would have just bounced off, but the post, she ran smack dab into the wood post, knocked herself cold and died shortly thereafter. I was heart broken.

Hadban Ibn Shesarra was Shesarra's second foal for me,and Shesarra's first COLT! He is sired by Mahrdalim El Nisr making him her first pure in strain foal. A very exotic colt born chestnut that would turn grey. He was a big baby and has grown into a big stallion. He is a very typey horse with large eyes and a trot that you will never forget. He is fine combination of his parents. Very short back and close coupled, tall like his dam with the type of his sire. He is a beautiful mover, very up right carriage and a bold ground covering trot. I am keeping him for breeding and he is available to all Hadba Mares.

Hadba El Sherifa is AK Shesarra's second filly born here. She is sired by Meadow Mahonri for a another pure in strain foal. She was born black and is turning grey like her dam. She is tall lie her parents and is very beautiful. She is her mothers replacement. I am looking forward to watching her grow into a beautiful mare and have plans to show her sporthorse in hand then Dressage. The future is bright as a broodmare as well. She is the most perfect of all of Shesarra's babies and I hope she will produce herself or better.

Hadban Ibn Masarra was Shesarra's second colt. He was sired by her half brother Hadban El Sareei. I was very surprised when his baby was born, not only was he a colt, he was the spitting image of his double grandam Bint Masarra right down to the marking on his forehead. He had a level croup, balanced body and neck and a pretty face. Everyone who saw him thought he would be our rising star. But sadly this was not to be. He contract Valley Fever which is a airborne fungus found in the desert southwest. Only 20 cases of systemic Valley Fever have ever been confirmed in Arizona with all but one resulting in death. It was a very sad day when he had to be laid to rest. It was over two months before I could even look at his photo. Our brightest star is gone.

AK Shesarra has been bred back to El Sareei in the hopes of another foal like Hadban Ibn Masarra. AK Shesarra has been an extraordinary broodmare. She produces beautifully with a variety of stallions and has given birth to 11 foals with 7 living and registered. All her foals are Straight Egyptian and Sheykh Obeyd. The future is assured with 6 daughters and a son.

SRF Sherilee, owned by Claudia Fazzino of Imhotep Arabians In Pennsylvania was bred last year to Ben Ibn Inshalla, I have not heard what her status is . I hope she had a filly and all is well.

JA Hadba El Saghira, has had three foals here in the last few years. Her first foal was a beautiful colt that died when he was just a day old. She then went on to have a filly followed by a colt and has been bred to Mahrdalim El Nisr for 2008. In 2004 Hadba gave birth to a filly, Hadba Shahrzada, sired by Meadow Mahonri. She was born black and is going grey. She looks very much like her dam with her sires height. She is a very shy filly with a very sweet personality. Not as brave and bold as many of the Hadbans can be. I look forward to seeing her grow and become all that I think she will be.

Hadban Mabrouk Manial was born in 2006. Sired by the black beauty Gurjani El Jalani, a Babson/Halanny Mistanny stallion. Born bay and going grey, this colt is a stunning beauty. Very correct with type, type and add a little more type. He will be an exciting addition to the Hadban stallion roster. This colt is for sale but I hope he can stay and be one of our sires. He has a lot to add to the group.

SRF Shezada Moniet is our miracle mare. She survived the odds when she lived through so much. You can read her story on my web site. In 2005 she gave birth to a beautiful filly, Hadba El Saafana. She was sired by the black Hallanny Mistanny and was a very rich bay color. Pretty and feminine. She now resides in green Ohio with David Myers. I feel so blessed to have David as a fellow Hadban breeder. We started with the AK Shesarra group from David and since that time he has added 3 Hadba mares back into his fabulous group of Egyptian mares. Take a look at her photo and tell me she's not just about as pretty as they come. Not only is she pretty, but David tells me she is the sweetest mare, always there to see you and follow you around. He loves her and I know she loves him too.

Hadba Al Radiaa was a total surprise. I was sure we were getting a colt as Shezada was as big as a house. But on a Sunday at noon a pretty little face started to appear and then legs and by the time it was all over there was a very large FILLY laying on the ground next to her mother. She is a tall filly with a very typey head and boy can this filly move. She drives off the hocks and has one of the most beautiful laid back shoulders you have ever seen. Great legs all around and very athletic. And she can be a bit bossy to the other horses in the filed with her. She loves to run so she starts after the other horses and they run because they do not want to tangle with her mother and she chases them like she is doing it all herself. It is too funny to watch, she has become my little trouble maker. She is sired by REA Amir Zarif who is the only Saklawi stallion here. He is tail female to Zaafarana. This surely was a great cross and one worth repeating in the future.

REA Bint Shesarra was here with me for 2 foals then David Myers wanted to buy her back as she was sired by his late stallion Apple Hill El Nisr. I hated to let her go but knew that she belonged with David and he loved her as much as I did. Her first foal was Hadba El Tabanna born in 2002, sired by Masada El Shahwan. Born black and turning grey, this year she is a steel grey with big dapples and it is SO pretty I wish she would stay that way for a long time. She is a short bodied mare with a very Bukra head, short and exotic. She is the first double Bukra Sheykh Obeyd Arabian. Deep bodied with a great trot and is very smart and people loving. She is 14.3 hands tall and still growing! Don't give up on your horses because these horses mature very slowly and continue to grow until they are over 7 years old. We have bred Tabanna to Meadow Mahonri for a 2008 foal.

Hadba Bint El Nile is the second daughter of REA Bint Shesarra born is 2003. Nile was recently acquired by our newest addition to the dedicated Hadban breeders group. Please give a hearty welcome to Leslie and Alan Brown! Nile is a very sweet and pretty filly. She is sired by Hallanny Mistanny, and of course born black and turning grey. She is very petite and refined with wide set eyes and a very deserty head. She has a great future ahead, he new owners want to preserve her Heirloom heritage while increasing the exposure we need for all our horses.

REA Bint Shesarra was in foal to REA Amir Zarif when she left to return to David in Ohio. She shortly gave birth to Hadban El Nisr. Her first colt! And what a colt he is. He is double Apple Hill El Nisr with a Zaararana tail female on his sire side. I have only seen a few photos of him and I like what I see. He seems very different from the Zaafarana bred Hadbans. He is making his home with another new breeder, Kimberly and Lee Hertal in Eastern Washington. A big hearty welcome to you!

David bred REA Bint Shesarra to REA Asif for a 2008 foal!

Shahrzada, a rare Ibn Lothar daughter, has a new home as well. Martha Collier of North Carolina is the proud new owner of this beautiful Bint Masarra daughter. Prior to coming to Martha, Shahrzada had only had colts! BUT, now there are two pure in strain daughters to add to our Hadba mare line up, Congratulations Martha and Shahrzada! Sharzada Bint Venus was born in 2006, sired by the Masada El Shahwan and out of our oldest living Hadba mare Glorieta Rabdania. Sharzada Bint Venus is a brilliant chestnut and the first chestnut born to the Bint Masarra family that did not turn grey! Both dam and sire are bays out of chestnut mares which explains the color but it was a surprise to Martha and her husband. I think she is a lovely filly with typical Hadban type. She is a powerful mover with that sweet Hadban personality. Masarra Bint Shahrzada was born April 2007. She is the newest addition and another chestnut for the Bint Masarra family a full sister to Shahrzada Bint Venus. Photos will follow shortly.

Shallimar Bedu was owned by Jon Michael who bred her to Ibn Rabdan USA for a filly HHP Tuhot Masarra born in 2005. Tohot Masarra is a beautiful filly with her Grandmothers fire and love of life. The photos I have seen of her show that Hadban love for life and just pure joy at living. She now makes her home with Randy and Kathy Jamison of Divine Arabians in Virginia. Shallimar Bedu is currently in foal to Ibn Rabdan USA for her new owners Debra Schrishuhn.

Venus Inzihiyah, the only the other Ibn Lothar daughter in the Hadban group, was bred to Hallanny Mistanny for her first foal. She foaled out the beautiful filly Hadba Bint Ghazieh in 2005. Ghazieh is a beautiful dark bay with a beautiful head like her sire. She is in her new home with Leslie and Alan Brown of Karma Arabians in Mississippi.

EF Salome is sired by Mah Deluque. She was bred by the late Margrete Albertine and now makes her home in Kentucky with Nancy Bliss of Arabliss Arabians. She is a very nice filly and a great addition to the hadban group. She is the only source of her sire in Hadban breeding and a real treasure. Nancy Bliss is also a new Hadban owner and in a few years will be breeding her very first Hadban foal.

EF Sahir sired by Inshalla Imhotep and out of Shahrzada, is now owned by Robert Purvis of Middleton WI. I have not contacted him yet but willin the near future. Maybe we will have another dedicated Hadban breeder!

Well, this about wraps it up for our new additions. As a group, we have been able to accomplish tremendous growth in the rare Hadban Enzahi breeding group. Starting with only 32 horses in 2000 and in seven years increased that number to 67 horses with 55 horses in breeding homes. The rest are geldings, mares not being bred or stallions not being used.