Following is a short background on the Ancestral Elements. The most frequently found Ancestral Elements (EGYPT I, II, BLUNT, DAVENPORT, INSHASS and SA’UD) are presented first, followed by the other Ancestral Elements in alphabetical order.

EGYPT is divided into EGYPT I AND EGYPT II because of the long time frame and varied history. Of the many hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Arabian horses imported to Egypt prior to 1900, only 47 managed to breed on and become Al Khamsa Foundation Horses. These are the EGYPT I horses which include the horses of Abbas Pasha, Ali Pasha Sherif and other breeders in Egypt who imported Foundation Horses between about 1840 through the late 1890’s. All modern Egyptian and part Egyptian Arabians trace to most of these Foundation Horses. It is no longer possible to find horses of strictly EGYPT I ancestry. All are combined with at least one other AE, most frequently BLUNT.

EGYPT II Foundation horses are associated with the Royal Agricultural Society (RAS) Arabian breeding program which was established in 1914 and originally based on available bloodlines. Four additional Foundation Horses which had been imported to Egypt by private individuals, usually for racing, were utilized by the RAS for heir breeding program and are included in the EGYPT II AE. The RAS also provided pedigree information of the parents of a mare imported to the USA and those parents are included in the EGYPT II AE. The blood of three of these EGYPT II Foundation Horses has been preserved only in the USA. EGYPT II horses are found only in pedigrees that also carry EGYPT I.

INSHASS: The former kings Faoud and Farouk of Egypt (combined rule: 1917-1952) maintained the Inshass Stud as their private venture. Most of their breeding stock came from established EGYPT I and EGYPT II bloodlines, but they also acquired additional Foundation Horses for racing and/or breeding or received them as gifts. (Four INSHASS Foundation mares were gifts from the Sa’ud studs of Saudi Arabia. See under SA’UD as a cross-reference.) Al Khamsa Arabians II lists 7 horses under the INSHASS AE. Additionally, in 1995, Al Khamsa accepted 2 more Foundation Horses which were gifts from a Jordanian businessman to the King of Egypt. These are not included in the INSHASS AE, though neither they nor the otherwise eligible descendants are listed in Al Khamsa Arabians II, which was published prior to their acceptance. INSHASS bloodlines are always found in combination with EGYPT I and Blunt, with or without other Ancestral Elements.

BLUNT: Lady Anne and Wilfrid Blunt made three trips to the desert between 1877 and 1881 to obtain horses. Through 1913, they added more Foundation Horses by using agents and/or aqayls, and also bought EGYPT I horses to incorporate into their breeding programs in both England and in Egypt. Today the BLUNT Foundation Horses are found only in conjunction with EGYPT I bloodlines and frequently with other AE’s. Breeders in the United States and in Egypt independently preserved the influence of 11 BLUNT Foundation Horses into current breeding.

NOTE: Horses known as "straight Egyptian" always trace to EGYPT I and BLUNT. All but about 600 also trace to INSHASS and/or EGYPT II,

DAVENPORT: Homer Davenport went to the desert in 1906 to acquire Arabians directly from the source. Eighteen of the horses he exported to the United States have descendants within Al Khamsa. There are still about 750 horses of only DAVENPORT ancestry, but this AE is also frequently found in combination with others.

SA’UD: The Sa’ud family has long been noted for their horses even though there was never a single comprehensive breeding establishment or royal stud. Between 1931 and 1966, 17 Sa’ud Foundation Horses were imported to the USA. They were acquired by people, usually as gifts from the Sa'ud family. The SA’UD AE is found only in combination with other AE’s. (NOTE: only those Foundation Horses that went to North America are designated as SA’UD. Horses from the Sa’ud studs that went to Egypt during this century are included under INSHASS.)
 
 

AYERZA: Ayerza refers to the 9 Foundation Horses imported to Argentina by Don Hernan Ayerza in the 1890’s. He combined these Foundation Horses with descendants of combined EGYPT I and BLUNT AE’s. These lines are available today through a mare of this breeding who was imported to the USA in 1934.

BORDEN: Spencer Borden established an Arabian breeding program in the USA in 1898 with stock imported from England which preserved lines to 3 Foundation Horses.

CAVEDO: While working for ARAMCO in Saudi Arabia, Richard and Laura Cavedos bought a stallion from a Bedouin. They imported the stallion in 1961. (This bloodline is probably extinct as of this writing.) They also imported a mare of the SA’UD AE.

COBB: While in Saudi Arabia in connection with ARAMCO, Connie Cobb bought a stallion from a member of the Dawasir tribe and imported him to the USA in 1966. She also imported horses from the SA’UD and JILUWI AE’s.

CRANE: Charles Crane, U.S. minister to China and a member of the international King-Crane Commission on Middle Eastern Affairs, imported a stallion to the USA in 1929 which he had received as a gift from the Saudi Arabian Minister to Cairo. He also imported two mares of the SA’UD AE. This is Al Khamsa’s rarest AE. As of 1997, two mares and their sire are the only descendents of the Crane importation surviving in Al Khamsa.

DWARKA: An 1892 stallion, the Foundation Horse Dwarka was imported to England where he sired 2 Al Khamsa-eligible foals that were in turn imported to the USA.

HAMIDIE: In 1893 the Ottoman Sultan, Abdul Hamid II, granted a group of Syrian businessmen permission to take authentic Arabian horses to the Chicago World’s Fair for exhibition purposes only. The Hamidie Society, as it became known in the USA, imported 40 horses, but financial and other problems prevented the return of any horses to the desert. Five Foundation Horses are designated HAMIDIE.

HUNTINGTON: In 1888, Randolph Huntington established America’s first totally Arabian breeding program, primarily with stock from England, but also included a stallion which was given as a gift to U.S. President U. S. Grant by Sultan Abdul Hamid II. Huntington’s pioneer program contributed 5 Foundation Horses which were not preserved elsewhere.

JILUWI: Three Foundation Horses came from Ibn Jiluwi, a close relative and friend of the Sa’ud family. These horses were gifts to various Americans living in Saudi Arabia during the ARAMCO period.

KHALIFA: The Khalifa family has ruled the island of Bahrain off the east coast of Saudi Arabia since the late 1700’s. In 1954 a mare from the Khalifa stud was imported to the USA. (NOTE: Twelve Foundation Horses supplied by the Khalifa family to Egypt during the 1800’s have been included in the EGYPT I AE.)

MIRAGE: A 1919 stallion, *Mirage was owned by Lady Wentworth in England for 7 years before being imported to the USA. His only Al Khamsa descendants are from his get in the USA.

NEJDRAN: An 1896 stallion, *Nejdran was imported to England in 1902 and to the U.S. in 1904. His only Al Khamsa descendants are from a son bred in the USA.

RICHARDS: While living in Saudi Arabia in connection with ARAMCO, Marie Frances Richards obtained a mare which she bred to a friend’s stallion. The daughter of these two Foundation Horses was imported to the USA in 1963.

TA’AN: A 1988 stallion bred by the Tai Bedouin tribe and imported to the USA in 1993 by Debra and Jerald Dirks.

BABOLNA: Nine Foundation Horses were obtained between 1816 and 1866 by the Babolna Stud, which was the Hungarian government stud. These foundation bloodlines were preserved in combination with the WEIL, EGYPT I, and BLUNT Ancestral Elements.

WEIL: Eighteen Foundation Horses were obtained between 1816 and 1894 by the Weil Stud of Germany. These foundation bloodlines were preserved in combination with BABOLNA< EGYPT I, and BLUNT Ancestral Elements. There are only a few horses in North America tracing to the BABOLNA and WEIL stock, and the lines are scarce in Europe.

For more complete information about any of the Ancestral Elements and the Foundation Horses which comprise each of the Ancestral Element designations, please refer to Al Khamsa Arabians II.