Silver Maple Farm, The Tree of Life
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By Joe Ferriss
Where do names come from? The names of Arabian strains are based on legendary mares each with extraordinary tales. The names of Arabian farms also have their legends. One such farm is Silver Maple Farm, of Santa Ynez, California in the U.S. lovingly nurtured by Christie and Henry Metz who value the common bond between horse and nature. As Christie Metz relates, the farm derived its name from, "two huge Silver Maple trees over 50 years old which became the inspiration for our farm's name."
THE STALLIONS
THE DAHMAN SHAHWAN BRANCH
Among the prominent branches of the "Silver Maple Tree" is the strain or family of Dahman Shahwan, a most influential family in Egyptian lines. At Silver Maple Farm, the dam lines have been thoughtfully and carefully chosen to produce both excellent females and exceptional stallions. As the ancient Bedouin knew, a superior stallion can only come from a supreme mare.
The Dahman Shahwan strain or family is represented at Silver Maple by the three "branches" of Bint Bint Sabbah, Halima and Bint El Bahreyn.
THE BINT BINT SABBAH BRANCH
Imported to the U.S. from Egypt by Henry Babson in 1932, Bint Bint Sabbah was a simple twist of fate. She was sent as a replacement when another mare Mr. Babson chose was too sick to travel. Bint Bint Sabbah proved herself as a capable endurance performer and then became one of the most prolific mares at the farm. Among her descendants were two that became important for the legendary Ansata Arabian Stud: Sabrah (two crosses to Bint Bint Sabbah) and Fa-Habba, dam of Falima who founded the world renowned Nile Family.
Sabrah's daughter Fa-Halima won the title of U.S. National Champion Mare as well as World Reserve Champion Mare at the Salon du Cheval in Paris, while her sister Ansata Sabiha went on to produce national winners. Silver Maple Farm wisely chose Ansata Sabiha's granddaughter Glorietasayonaara to represent this family and she has proven to be among the most ideal Arabian mares of all time. "Sayo" founded the "S" family at Silver Maple with a line of magnificent mares; each are celebrated for producing outstanding young sons.
Symbolic SMF, (Majestic Noble SMF x Shaboura), foaled in 2006, epitomizes the glory of "Sayo's" influence with his graceful flowing lines, beautiful Arab character and fine skin like the elegance of rice paper. His dam Shaboura is the image of grace with a lineage of fame, being a PVA Kariim daughter out of Sayo's Ruminaja Ali daughter, Sahbine. Symbolic SMF stands unique among today's young Egyptian stallions boasting the second oldest Egyptian sire line of Jamil El Kebir handed down from the unforgettable stallion Makhsous. He is also "symbolic" of the Silver Maple Farm breeding incorporating multiple crosses to the famed Abayyah mare Magidaa.
Sidon SMF, (Ali Saroukh x Shaboura), foaled in 2007, is a dramatic example of doubling "Sayo's" influence. Sidon is 37.5% GlorietaSayonaara, being sired by her son Ali Saroukh and out of her granddaughter Shaboura. Sidon SMF is double Ruminaja Ali, thus building on the legendary Magidaa. Sidon's black-turning-grey color combination holds the mystical potential for producing horses of dark color.
Sayo Sahran SMF, (Makhnificent KA x Bint Bint Sayo), foaled in 2010, stands as a unique Egyptian colt. In appearance he radiates antiquity with the silver sprinkling dispersed throughout his bay coat. Such sprinkling was found in some of the 19th century Ali Pasha Sherif horses. His bay color alludes to two famous bay stallions in his lineage, Ibn Dahman, a spectacular moving stallion in Argentina, and Anaza El Farid, sire of a dynasty through his son the world famous stallion Gazal Al Shaqab and his prolific grandson Marwan Al Shaqab. Sayo Sahran's dam Bint Bint Sayo, is a three-quarter sister to Sidon SMF, again doubling the magnificent Glorietasayonaara.
The other renowned branch of Bint Bint Sabbah is the legendary Nile family, it is celebrated throughout the Arabian Gulf. One young stallion represents this family at Silver Maple. Nile Majesty SMF (Majestic Noble SMF x Ansata Nile Starlight), foaled in 2010. Nile Majesty's dam, the beautiful Ansata Nile Starlight, is out of Ansata Nile Starr, the producer of coveted mares found in Qatar and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Ansata Nile Starlight is a granddaughter of Egyptian Event Supreme Champion Ansata Iemhotep and this combination on the Nile family resembles the breeding of famed New Zealand National Champion Stallion, Ansata Nile Pharaoh. Nile Majesty SMF is set apart from many Nile family members through his sire line to Makhsous, and the multiple crosses to the famed Magidaa, via his sire Majestic Noble SMF.
THE HALIMA BRANCH
Murahd SMF (Majestic Noble SMF x Ansata Majdiya), foaled in 2010, is an impressive grey colt that proudly represents the Halima family. For all the fame associated with Halima from her worldrenowned son Ansata Ibn Halima, she also founded the famous "M" family in Europe, which would eventually come to America to be mated with descendants of Ansata Ibn Halima. The results included several renowned and champion Ansata bred "M's", all sired by Ansata Halim Shah such as the spectacular Ansata Majesty, dam of Ansata Majdiya, and grandam of Murahd SMF. Ansata Majdiya is a full sister to the noted German sire Ansata Mital, and she continues the Halima branch at Silver Maple Farm through her handsome son, Murahd SMF.
THE BINT EL BAHREYN BRANCH
Gifts from one ruler to another can be expected to be of the highest qulaity and such was the lovely bay mare Bint El Bahreyn. This influemtial mare was a gift from the Ruler of Bahrain to the Khedive of Egypt in 1903. Bint El Bahreyn has
become immortalized by her prolific male descendant Shaikh Al Badi. At Silver Maple Farm her line is proudly carried on by Egyptian Event Reserve Supreme Champion Mare Jade Lotus SMF, dam of the handsome colt, Jasoor SMF, foaled in 2010. In addition to the show ring accomplishments of his dam, Jasoor SMF was sired by the historic North American Triple Crown Champion Stallion, World Champion Stallion at the prestigeous Salon du Cheval, and internationally respected sire of champions - Simeon Shai.
THE HADBAN ENZAHI BRANCH
Another important "branch" in the Silver Maple family tree is the celebrated Hadban Enzahi strain famous for producing great Arabian sires. Looking to the future at Silver Maple Farm, a new young Hadban colt has been born and appropriately named: Hajji Bekeer SMF (Majestic Noble SMF x Haalani SMF). All that has made this 2011 colt spectacular is to be found in the Silver Maple recipe of blending the Abayyan with Dahman and Hadban strains. Hajji is from the Bint Samiha female
line that produced the immortal Nazeer and he promises to bring honor to this family well into the future.
As the Silver Maple trees have grown, they have cast far and wide the comforting shade of Arabian beauty, nobility and
extraordinary heritage for Arabian horse breeders and admirers to enjoy.
For additional information on Silver Maple Farm please visit: www.smfarabs.com