The Pure Arab Horse in Portugal
(Published in the Portuguese Arabian Stud Book, Volume I )
The country with the oldest unchanged
frontier lines of Europe, isolated like an island on the continent’ s
extreme west, looking out onto the Atlantic, Portugal, from its beginnings, is a
country of horsemen, where the horse has always been considered an ally and a
friend.
With such a great tradition, it is not surprising that the Portuguese
have always worshipped the Pure Arab Horse with the mysticism of his own origin,
the charm of his conformation, his vivacity, nobility, intelligence and generous
character and his improving influence on every other major breed.
Having always considered that the Arab has more qualities than just
beauty, that he can and should be used like any other horse since he is not
inferior, and taking into account that the most beautiful of horses would be
just an amusement if he didn’t display functional capabilities, those
responsible for the breed have done everything possible to maintain the
aesthetic, qualities of character and athletic abilities of the oldest and most
prestigious of known breeds.
This preoccupation which is responsible for the great quality of Arab
Horse breeding in Portugal since 1934 made the authorities proceed with a most
rigid and unprecedented selection of its stallions and brood mares, for nearly
half a century.
Therefore, and in order to prove the real value of these horses, the
“Coudelaria Nacional Portuguesa” (Portuguese National Stud) first made a
preliminary selection of colts and fillies at the age of three, and of stallions
at the age of six, accepting for breeding only those that obtained a reasonable
classification in terms of pedigree, conformation, movement, and in performance
tests. The last, at their hardest stage, consisted of :
- a cross country course of 3,000 meters with 15 obstacles of a maximum
height of 1.20 m, to be covered at a minimum speed of 600 m/minute;
- a race of 2,500 m, at a minimum speed of 700 m per minute;
- a jumping course of 12 fences with a maximum height of 1,20 m;
- a road course of 70 km, at a speed of 20 km/hour;
- a dressage test, similar to a horse trials dressage test, to evaluate
the psychologi-cal and movement qualities;
- a thorough medical examination.
Obviously, the horses subject to these tests were previously trained and
prepared in order to take part in this physically demanding, strenuous event.
This selection, which we believe to be the toughest carried out in the
world, made the Portuguese Arab Horse an exceptional, robust and beautiful horse,
which has kept all his qualities of character and functional abilities.
That
is why the officials currently in charge are considering this kind of selection
again, in tests, not so physically demanding but aesthetically harder, to
improve the breed.
Nobody knows exactly when the Arab Horse was introduced to the Iberian
Peninsula, but there is no doubt that this happened no later than 711, when the
Islamic invasion brought to Portugal numerous Oriental horses which
certainly left their mark, since the Arab presence in the extreme South
of Portugal lasted up to the 12th century.
During the 16th century, as a result of the extraordinary Portuguese
expansion in the world, Portugal dominated many Oriental markets, bringing back
to our country the rarest things they found. Why not the Arab Horse ?
Does not the famous historian Damião de Góis (1502-1574) give an
account of the gifts sent by King Manuel I to His Holiness Pope Leo X, reporting
that along with spices, jewellery “which in the memory of mankind had never
been seen before” and elephants, they included “a puma on a gold embroidered
blanket which covered the croup of a magnificent Persian horse”? And to
confirm that it was usual for the King of Portugal to receive Oriental horses as
gifts, does not the same writer also give an account of a splendid Persian Horse
which was sent as a present by the King of Ormuz ?
From the 18th century the oriental horses distinguished themselves,
particularly in Great Britain, and gave rise to the English Thoroughbred, in
Russia to the Orloff, and in the 19th century in France, to the Anglo-Arab. In
France, the Napoleonian campaign of Egypt increased this tendency, bringing back
to the French court the Arab Horse fashion, the Emperor’s favourite horse.
Thus, most of Europe was invaded by Oriental stallions, a fashion that did not
exclude Portugal as is recorded in various documents of imports made from Egypt
and Constantinople in 1812, 1861, 1867, 1872 and 1876.
Of these, there are no known pure descendants, and for the history of the
Arab Horse in Portugal, only the purchases made in 1902 and in 1903 in Beirut,
Constantinople and Djeddah are of interest since their progeny are still
represented nowadays. On that occasion three stallions (Fehran, Dehiman and
Nemyr) and four brood mares (Saada, Nazly, Fhara I and Fhara II) were imported.
Saada was in foal to Pakir, who left excellent progeny. The same is true for
Nazly and Fehran whose descendants have reached our days in pure lineage. The
extraordinary Saada, acquired from Beih Abdel Melek, can be considered the
matriarch of the oldest purebred lines in Portugal.
In 1921 and 1935 various horses were imported from Great Britain, among
them excellent horses such as Fursam and Silfire from Crabbet Park, a famous
stud founded by Lady Blunt, Lord Byron’s granddaughter.
In 1932 the first import from the famous breeder the Duque of Verágua,
descendant from Cristopher Columbus took place. This purchase was completed in
1961 with the import of the prestigious herd of mares of António Egea Delgado,
also from Verágua.
Many other famous lines were later introduced into Portugal, such as Comet
(Abu Afas and Carmen by Tripolys), Wielki-Szlem
(Ofir and Elegantka by Bakszysz), Elokuencja
(Rozmaryn and Ela by Miecznic), Flipper
(Gosse du Bearn and Fleur d’Avril by Meko), Djerba Oua (Dragon and Dorée II by Kriss II), Piruet (Probat
and Pieczec by Palas), Shazamah (Shah Gold and Bazama by Al Marh Radames), Golden
Sceptre (Mikonos and Shazala by The Shah), Magic
Count (Mc Coys Count and Regla’s Rose Flame by Indian Flame II), Nil (Sid Abouhom and Malaka by Kheir), Nitochka (Naseem and Tarazca by Enwer Bey), Pomeranets (Priboj and Mammona by Offir), Klinika (Korej and Naturalistika by Naseem), Jacyo, El Shaklan, Shaker
El Masri, etc.
Thus, in order to avoid any error, always possible because of the
frequent use of Arab Horses to improve local breeds, no horse existing in
Portugal before 1902 has been accepted and registered in the Stud Book and only
those imported subsequently and their descendants have been admitted as
purebred.
This rigor along with the exact Official Registers of the National Studs
and APCRS, and compulsory blood typing, are an undeniable guarantee of the
purity of the Arab Horse in Portugal. This purity, together with the strict
selection process for stallions and brood mares, not only perfectly built but
also truly functional, physically and in their character, makes the Portuguese
Arab Horse one of the most sought-after in the world, and certainly also one of
the best.
This can be proved by horses like the champions Cejuba
El Berana, Juxito, Ohxul Ben Biarritz, Reject Ibn Biarritz, Aicha Ibn Biarritz,
Qkyjul Ibn Biarritz, Diniz Met Biarritz, etc, and the many championships won
in various show rings, along with various sports competitions: Champion of
Champions in Mexico, Champion of Champions in Brazil, six European Champion
titles, five European Vice-Champion titles, two fifth placements in World
Championships and various times the biggest winners of the year in Arab horse
races in France. In this last country, the stallions Dunixi and Blaise out of
Oxylla Ben Biarritz and Nacayhr Ben Biarritz are stallions in the French National Stud and have
produced an exceptionally good lineage, one of the most illustrious in race
horses.
The Portuguese Arab Horse, many times among the best in long-distance
tests, have also shown their great courage, mobility and surprisig cleverness at
the « Tourada » (*). Horses like Gramático,
Imoral, Jasmim, Valoroso, Xistre, etc.., are real « stars ».
It is interesting to note that many Portuguese Arab Horses participated
with great success in competitions for all breeds, having obtained, amongst others, the
following results in various Olympic disciplines, where we rarely see any Arab
Horse .
In Showjumping:
- Finalist of the “Cycle Classique”,
four-year-olds, Fontainebleau, France, 1983
- 9th best winner in France, six- year-olds, 1985
In Dressage
:
- 2nd in the Paris Grand Prix, France, 1981
- 3rd in Madrid, Spain, 1984
- Champion of the international class, Portugal, 1986
- Winner of “Top Equestre”, Portugal, 1986, 1987
- Selected for Olympic Games (did not participate as horse died).
In 3 days events : - 3rd in the French Outdoor
Championship, AA, Pau, France, 1981 (having
participated with a special licence for being a purebred Arab)
- 2nd in Golegã, Portugal, 1983
- 1st in Golegã, Portugal, 1984
- 1st in Mafra, Portugal, 1984
- 1st in Mafra, Portugal, 1985
Thus, like our ancestors, who for centuries knew how to preserve the Arab
Horse’s unique qualities, Portugal is one of the few countries that have
maintained, the breed’s beauty,
character and functional excellence.
Manuel
H. D. Heleno
President of the Pure Arab Horse Stud Book
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(*) - The « Tourada » (Portuguese
bullfight) is a show of courage and elegance, formerly performed only by
noblemen. It has practically nothing to do with the Spanish corrida, as the bull
will not be killed in the arena. The stars of the show are the horsemen, in
their beautiful 18th century outfit and the highly schooled horses who must give
proof of their exceptional bravery.
Coudelaria M. Heleno - Haras Biarritz 
