The Purebred Arabian Horses of Iraq, by Mohammad Al-Nujaifi

For many inwards “the west”, the real advert of  Iraq tin conjure upward generally negative connotations of state of war together with strife.

The Purebred Arabian Horses of Republic of Iraq – Myths together with Realities
by Dr Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz Al-Nujaifi
Hardcover, 239pp, RRP £35
ISBN 978-1-909339-01-9
Available from Amazon or Medina Publishing

But for Equus caballus lovers – arabian Equus caballus lovers, especially – the solid reason together with the immediate portion should live celebrated together with appreciated far to a greater extent than that it currently is every bit the rootage of the world’s oldest together with well-nigh influential breed.

This novel mass past times Iraqi arabian breeder together with racing enthusiast Dr Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz Al-Nujaifi sheds much lite on Republic of Iraq together with its neighbors together with their horse-loving traditions.

The writer needs no introduction inwards arabian racing circles inwards Republic of Iraq together with inwards Europe, beingness the function past times owner for all races inwards all countries in 2012 according to the statistics of the International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities (IFAHR) – the tertiary consecutive flavour he has held the title.

Dr Al-Nujaifi breeds both purebred together with anglo-arabian racehorses at his Al-Nujaifi stud farm northward of Mosul, where his trouble solid unit of measurement has raised Arabians since 1638.

In the book, Dr Al-Nujaifi outlines precisely about of the issues that bring surrounded Iraqi racing inwards recent decades – the worst of which would live state of war together with governance, but likewise including registration together with recognition difficulties.

It is amazing that through all this racing inwards the portion has non exclusively survived, but thrived.

Izz Al-Khail, cantering to the starting gates at the Pompadour Racecourse inwards 2011, where he won over 1700m. He has 1 blueish together with 1 brownish eye.

Many of the horses’ names volition live unfamiliar to those exterior the portion – at to the lowest degree those from recent decades – but readers may live surprised to acquire of the influence of the Iraqi arabian inwards globe breeding programs from the 1800s. In the early on day, many official studbooks would hand an imported horse’s rootage every bit but “desert bred”, ignoring their actual province or solid reason of birth.

But many early on imports to Britain, including those past times the Blunts of Crabbet Park, originated inwards Iraq. The earliest of these was Padischah inwards 1826, with imports continuing into the 1970s together with 1980s. Perhaps the well-nigh famous of the early on horses was Mirage (Ferhan), who was born inwards 1919. He eventually establish his means to the United States of America together with the farm of Roger Selby, where he was national champion together with sired many foals.

Over many decades eastern countries such every bit Libya, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Turkey, India, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan together with Arab Republic of Egypt bring drawn on the speed-focused Iraqi breeding programme for novel blood.

In this book, the well-nigh desirable Iraqi arabian strains are outlined, together with early on famous arabians inwards history are noted.

There are dozens of photographs, both modern-day together with historic,  throughout the text. These are clearly performance horses, non the fattened show-horse type that graces magazine covers together with the show-ring. And despite at that topographic point beingness exclusively 1 modern breed or judging standard, Dr Al-Nujaifi acknowledges that inwards the introduce solar daytime at that topographic point are several dissimilar “types” of arabian, resulting from fashion or a breeders’ preferences for specific traits: “There are basic characteristics required of an Arabian horse, but they are non necessarily the modern characteristics defined for present horses.

“Many of the characteristics are artificial together with bring been created past times genetic applied scientific discipline to arrange specific together with largely Western tastes. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 number of modern characteristics are totally dissimilar from what the ancient Arabs preferred together with regarded every bit a sign of purity together with nobility of the horse,” he says.

“Examples of what the Arabs preferred include brusque back, long together with conduct ears for mares together with brusque ears for colts together with stallions. They commonly preferred potent together with tall horses endowed with qualities of speed, stamina, practiced bones together with long legs.”

And: “Over the course of written report of time, the Iraqi breeding programme focused mainly on speed. Attention was focused on fast, big, together with powerful horses, bred to race together with win. The Iraqi breeding programme ensured that horses were non ugly … but breeders would pay no attending to tail carriage, colour, or so-called European standards.”

Dr Al-Nujaifi includes an extensive chapter on the famous stallion Tabeeb – likewise known every bit Al-Suri together with Dhaman Amer – who had a major influence on Iraqi arabian breeding. His is a political story, together with given his incredible success every bit a sire, his pedigree was challenged. Dr Al-Nujaifi has researched the horse’s history together with provenance inwards swell depth, putting to residuum whatsoever proposition that the stallion, who died inwards 1945, was non a purebred arabian.

The exploits of famous Iraqi racehorses of the past times together with introduce are included inwards precisely about other chapter, together with the even of the author’s trouble solid unit of measurement together with their stud farms is likewise told. There are to a greater extent than than 370 horses on the farms, including 250 broodmares together with 25 stallions, giving precisely about reckon of the reach of the family’s breeding operations. Pictures together with brief information on the well-nigh prominent stallions from the Al-Nujaifi stud farms are shown, all horses with proven winning bloodlines together with racing records who are siring the champion Iraqi racehorses of tomorrow.

The Purebred Arabian Horses of Republic of Iraq – Myths together with Realities deserves a house on the bookshelf of the arabian enthusiast or historian with other valuable reference volumes such every bit Lady Wentworth’s The Authentic Arabian Horse, The Crabbet Arabian Horse, The Arabian Horse inwards Europe,  The Arabian Horse Families of Poland, together with Peter Upton’s The Arab Horse.

Dr Mohammad Al-Nujaifi on an endurance ride with the stallion Oreeo, 1 of his racehorses.

Dr Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz Al-Nujaif, the Chief Advisor to the Speaker of the Iraqi House of Representatives, has a Doctorate inwards Agriculture from Oxford University together with divides his fourth dimension between Iraq and Europe.

He races horses in Iraq as good every bit at major race courses, especially inwards the UK, Sweden, France, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia together with other Gulf States.

He is Vice President of the Iraqi Arabian Horse Organisation, Chairman together with international representative of the Registration, Stud Book together with Rules Committee.

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