From our Arieana Notebook: *Abeyah, taken in war in 1904 by the Anazeh from the Shammar, was supplied by Akmet Haffez for Arthur Moore to ride on the Davenport party's horse buying expedition into the desert and was subsequently imported by Davenport as part of his Importation of 1906. *Abeyah was considered one of the best mares in the desert and was renowned for her speed and beautiful head. Homer Davenport wrote these words about the photo used above: "Imported Arabian mare brought from the desert in 1906. She is of the family of Abeyan Sherrak, a bay standing 14.2, weighing 950. She was captured in war from the Shammar Arabs across the Euphrates by the Anazeh in 1904, her Arabic pedigree bears the last seal of the Great Sheik Farris that was ever put on a pedigree. Arthur Moore rode her in the desert with his weight 300 lbs. galloped her 35 miles in 4 1/2 hours. She was 16 years old when this photo was taken at the N.Y. State Fair 1909. She ran away with the boy just at being brought onto the track and ran 1 1/2 miles before he could stop her. Ed Giero, the greatest reinsman of this age, pronounces her the greatest mare he has ever seen." ("Homer Davenport And His Wonderful Arabian Horses" by Charles C. Craver III.  The Arabian Horse News August 1972. p. 42) 

From our Arieana Notebook: *Azra, a classic son of Sheik Hashem Bey's distinguished war mare, was purchased by Homer Davenport from Sheik Ali of the Aba Gomese tribe. *Azra's desert pedigree, dated August 15, 1906, bore the seals of Sheik Akmet Haffez, Sheik Hashem Bey, and Sheik Ali Rashid. Imported into the United States by Homer Davenport in 1906, *Azra was owned at various times by Hingham Stock Farm, John Gilbert Winant, Morton S. Hawkins, Dr. C.D. Pettigrew, and lastly John A. George of Indianapolis, Indiana where in 1927, at 24 years old, he was still being used for riding and breeding. His son Joon became a foundation sire for the William Randolph Hearst Stud at San Simeon, California.

From our Arieana Notebook: Desert-Bred by Ibn El Rashid of the Anazeh, *Deyr was purchased by Homer Davenport as a two-year-old, along with *Kusof and *El Bulad, at a Circassian village near the Euphrates River and was imported into the United States in 1906. *Deyr had one of the attributes so necessary to a good sire, that is the ability to sire horses much improved over himself in type, conformation, and quality. In 1925 at 21 years old, he was purchased by W.K. Kellogg as one of a group of eleven horses that were to become the foundation animals of his famous Kellogg Ranch in Pomona, California. *Deyr died very shortly thereafter leaving no foals for Mr. Kellogg. *Deyr's skeleton, which showed the characteristic five lumbar vertebrae of the Arabian, was donated to the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History.

We at Arieana Arabians take special pride in noting *Deyr's genetic influence for passing on his iridescent golden chestnut coat coloration to his sons Harara and Hanad. Is this then the source for the golden iridescent sheen of our own Gleeful Pico ("Glitters") and her son Haat Pursuit? We do believe so, though we also pause to wonder and ponder over *Rose of Sharon's potential influence for this trait and must consider the strength for which she was known to pass on her golden coat coloration. Shall we just conclude then that it is something we will never know for sure and just enjoy and accept it for the beauty and joy it brings to our eyes? As we lovingly stroke Haat Pursuit's iridescent golden chestnut coat with its texture of shiny satin, we say "Yes" and decide to simply treasure this gift of expressed genetics from out of this legacy of the CMK Heritage Horses  ~ the very same traits still expressed after over 100 years since the foaling date of this tremendously influential sire named *Deyr.

From our Arieana Notebook: Desert-Bred by Hassan of the Anazeh, *El Bulad, along with *Deyr, and *Kusof, was purchased by Homer Davenport at a Circassian village near the Euphrates River and imported into the United States in 1906. *El Bulad's last owner of record was Albert W. Harris; date of death is noted as January, 1926 at age 23. We at Arieana Arabians appreciate this stallion's lasting influence mid-pedigree for his beauty, bone, and generally pleasing conformation as it comes down to us through his beautiful and prolific daughter Dahura, her son Joon,  and her grandson Stambul.

From our Arieana Notebook: *Haffia, the beautiful chestnut daughter of *Abeyah, was included with her dam in Davenport's Importation of 1906. *Haffia's sire, a Hamdani Simri stallion, was held in such high esteem that the Anazeh refused to put a price on him. *Abeyah, captured by the Anazeh from the Shammar, was bred to this celebrated Hamdani Simri stallion and was in foal to him with *Haffia when she came into the possession of Akmet Haffez. *Haffia was born in Akmet Haffez's stables in Aleppo, Syria in January 1906. The nine month old *Haffia, who had been left behind during the Davenport Expedition, was a parting gift by Akmet Haffez to Davenport for Davenport's then 12 year old son, Homer Clyde. (For further reading on the life of *Haffia and the other horses Davenport's Importation of 1906, we recommend Carol June Woodbridge Mulder's Imported Foundation Stock of North American Horses, Volume 1 Revised Edition. Borden Publishing Company, Los Angeles, CA. 1993.) 

From our Arieana Notebook:  Desert-Bred by Ibn Zaddan El Awazii of the Anazeh and imported into the United States in 1906, the purchase of *Hamrah by Homer Davenport came about one morning as The Davenport party was encamped in the desert. A Bedouin appeared riding a most impressive bay mare (*Urfah) and leading her 2 year old colt, *Hamrah, which the Anazeh had promised to send for Mr. Davenport's inspection. After some bargaining the colt was purchased. During his life he was known for immense power, his fine action under saddle at the gallop, his fast running speed, and for his very good disposition; Davenport wrote of him as sensible and quiet, with an inherited dignity that others in the importation did not have. *Hamrah's last owner of record was Mrs. John Gilbert Winant.

As a Sire *Hamrah was the most popular and influential of all the Davenport Imports, and at Arieana Arabians we have the joy of  *Hamrah's influence coming down to us through several of his daughters: Moliah, Sankirah, Hasiker (See Makina), Morfda (see Stambul), and Poka. As a note aside for those who have interest in these things, the *Hamrah sire line is now extinct per Michael Bowling in his post to the Arabian Preservation List May 20, 2005.

From our Arieana Notebook:  Desert-Bred by the Roala Anazeh east of Palmyra, Syria, *Muson was purchased in the desert for Homer Davenport by Khalil Haik and was imported into the United States in 1906. His ownership transferred from Davenport back to Hingham Stock Farm in 1910, and his last owner of record was H.W. Jacobs of Chicago, Illinois who purchased him on June 10, 1916. *Muson is recorded as dead in the 1918; cause of death unknown.

*Muson's impact on the American public while he was alive here in the United States is worth special mention for he was an uncommonly striking individual with his upright carriage, high tail carriage, large and expressive eyes, and small, tippy, ever-alert ears, and he caused quite a public sensation as the mount of William Frederick ("Buffalo Bill") Cody for the first two evenings of Mr. Cody's 1907 Wild West Show at Madison Square Garden, New York, New York; it was reported that in these shows he was also ridden by Bull Bear, a 72-year-old Cheyenne Indian. Homer Davenport wrote that *Muson was much admired by President Theodore Roosevelt at the time the imported desert horses were presented for the President's inspection.

From our Arieana Notebook:  Desert-Bred by Ibn Zaddan El Awazii of the Anazeh and imported into the United States by Homer Davenport in 1906, along with her two sons *Hamrah and *Euphrates, *Urfah was considered one of the best mares in the northern part of the desert and the finest Seglawi Al-Abd mare owned by the Anazeh. The photo above was taken of *Urfah sometime before 1916 at Hingham Stock Farm and is considered the most validated of the photos that have floated around of her in our Arabian Horse historical documentations. *Urfah went to W.R. Brown's Maynesboro Stud in 1916, and was reported as dead in the 1918 stud book.

Considered a very spirited mare by Homer Davenport, we are proud of *Urfah's influence in the pedigrees of Arieana's Arabians through her son *Hamrah and also through her daughter Sheria who forwarded this valued *Urfah tail female line on to her daughters Poka in the pedigree of Ashan Adar and Sherlet mid-pedigree of Haat Pursuit. (Notes and photo derived from Carol June Woodbridge Mulder's Imported Foundation Stock of North American Arabian Horses, Volumes 2 and 3, Borden Publishing Company, Los Angeles California. 1995.)