Dalal Al Zarka

photo: Judith Forbis Collection

Dalal Al Zarka was a grey daughter by Rabdan El Azrak or Rabdan for short. The grey Rabdan El Azrak was bred by Prince Ahmed Kemal of Egypt in 1897. After the Prince died, Rabdan was given to Prince Mohamed Ali (the heir of Prince Ahmed Kemal was not interested in continuing his fathers breeding program). The same happened to Om Dalal, a chestnut Saklawiyah Jedraniyah mare. She was the dam of Dalal Al Zarka. Om Dalal was by Sabbah I out of Bint Roda/Bint Roga.
Through Om Dalal and Rabdan, Dalal Al Zarka, was full-sister to Samhan, a chestnut stallion whose son Ibn Samhan was the sire of Balance, one of the greatest Egyptian race horses, and sire of Kheir. The latter sired Gassir, a grey stallion whose sons Mourad, Sabeel and Zaghloul still have influence today.
Dalal Al Zarka, also known as Bint Dalala or Dalal I, was born at Prince Ahmed Kemal's stud in Egypt in 1903. She was described as an attractive and refined mare with big, expressive eyes, however a bit long in body but good depth.
Dalal Al Zarka had her first registered foal when she was already 9 years old. That grey colt was Gamil Manial, her only son. Gamil Manial left 11 foals of which one son Mansour should be named here. The very masculine Mansour, a grey Kuhaylan Mimri, was the sire of the most influential stallion from Egypt: Nazeer. Nazeer dominated the Straight Egyptian breeding program through his sons and daughters world-wide for decades.
In 1920, when Dalal Al Zarka was 17, she brought the grey mare Ghazalah by her half-brother Kawkab (Saklawi II x Om Dalal). Ghazalah became a broodmare at the Egyptian Inshass Stud. Her family lives on through her only daughter Saada by El Deree.
The second born daughter out of Dalal Al Zarka, was the chestnut Khafifa by Ibn Sahman. Khafifa was the dam of a colt and a filly. The filly was Medellela by Awad. Medallela was the granddam of Moniet El Nefous who was referred as the most beautiful mare of her time. Mainly through her, the family branch of Dalal Al Zarka and her dam Om Dalal is very vital today.
After Khafifa, Dalal Al Azrak gave birth to her last foal, Bint Dalal. Bint Dalal, a grey Hamran daughter was born in 1926.
Dalal Al Azrak died in Egypt in 1931.