A Very Special Announcement
From
Ansata Arabian Stud

"It is with great pleasure that we announce the sale of Ansata Hejazi, together with the choice broodmares, Ansata Shalimar, Ansata Nefertiti, and Ansata Samari, (the 1998 EBC Res. Champion Filly) to Mr. Mohammed J.K. Al Marzouk of Kuwait, whose Ajmal Stud is devoted to breeding and showing straight Egyptian Arabian horses.

The Ajmal Stud is a bright and rising star on the Arabian horizon, and breeders from around the globe are welcome to visit this beautifully appointed showplace where Ansata Hejazi will hold court.

We commend this enthusiastic young Arabian horse breeder for his knowledge of the breed and for his commitment to furthering appreciation and reestablishment of the Arabian horse in Kuwait after it was devastated by the Gulf War. We wish him much success as a respected leader in the Arabian horse world."

Those words were given to me from my friend and neighbor, Judith Forbis and her husband of over 40 years, Donald Forbis. It was apparent that they felt very good about this sale, and see it as a positive forward step for the Egyptian Arabian horses of their bloodlines.

Perhaps no breeder existing today has had the continuous degree of success as Ansata Arabian Stud. Donald and Judith Forbis began their life together with the pursuit of the perfect Arabian horse. Being of a single mind, and single purpose is rare in any relationship, but for this young city girl from New York, and the handsome Oklahoma oil executive, can we say it was chance that brought them to meet and marry in such an unlikely country as Turkey? I think not.

This storybook romance quickly found the couple married and immediately searching for a way for their lives to include horses. Donald had grown up on an Oklahoma horse ranch, while Judith donned her velvet helmet for the stables of Long Island, New York. Both had that special instinct of communication with horses, and the love that goes with it.

You can read about some of their adventures in Judi's first book, "Hoofbeats on the Tigris." But lets move along to the first step that brought them where they are today. What is it about their horses that for over a decade has brought kings, queens and sheikh's to their door? There surely has been a method to their madness.

While involved in travels across the Middle East, they were attracted to a certain type of horse that consistently caught their eye. But where could they find this horse? Surely it would be expensive, and to bring it home with them would cost their combined life's savings. But the realization of a dream is often worth any price.

Their relentless search eventually led them to Egypt and the Egyptian Agricultural Organization state stud called El Zahraa. As they walked the narrow roads that cut their way between the pastures, they both realized that they had found the source of their dreams. As each horse was pulled from the herd, one single factor became apparent. Each horse that had the special quality they were seeking had the same sire. That sire was Nazeer.

They chose one colt and two fillies - each by Nazeer but with different female lines. Those choices were the fillies, Bint Zaafarana, and Bint Mabrouka. And then there was the colt, a lovely yearling destined to become a legend. His name became Ansata Ibn Halima - son of the gentle mare. The story goes on from here, and reads like a fairy tale, but it is best told by the colt himself, Ansata Ibn Halima, in his book, "The Gift." Both books can be found on this site.

Through the years that have led from that day to this, there has been a multitude of beautiful and functional horses born through the careful planning of Donald and Judith Forbis. World and National Champions have been among them, attracting admirers from all over the world. As their international clientele grew, likewise their herd continued it's progression with one generation building on itself to produce yet a better generation to come.

I have watched this progression personally for the past 15 years, making it a point to see each foal as they enter this world. I have watched some grow from playful babies to exquisite adults of celebrity status, capturing the admiration of every discriminating eye. Each foal crop has been lovely, but it has amazed me to see that even more improvement was possible.

At the end of the present chain, stands the young sire, Ansata Hejazi. To my eye, and others, Hejazi has been the proof of the pudding. Not only is he an elegant, well-balanced, very beautiful individual, but his foals are consistently top quality. Hejazi's sire, Ansata Halim Shah was a legend in his own right. Junior World Champion Stallion at the Salon De Cheval in France, he set the record in Germany as a breeding stallion of quality and became known throughout the world as a producer of world class get. Ansata Hejazi takes no back seats to Halim Shah, but instead has gone on to take the program one step further.

As an individual, Ansata Hejazi is an extremely well balanced individual of the typical Ansata classical type. He is upright, with a long beautifully shaped neck, complimented by a clean throatlatch. His well laid back shoulder and the short coupling, excellent tail carriage and lovely topline compliment high wither.

Hejazi's dam had a beautiful head, but it is his sire, Ansata Halim Shah who seems to have stamped him as a look alike son. Like his grandsire, Ansata Ibn Halima, Hejazi is also appreciated for his exceptional movement.

Hejazi was Reserve Supreme Champion Stallion, Top 5 liberty among other wins at the 1995 Egyptian Event, and was also a Res. Supreme Class A Champion. He has not been campaigned as a show horse because of his heavy breeding schedule. The first priority at Ansata has always been as breeders, with moderate show participation.

Although still a young sire, among his exceptional foals are Ansata Nile Echo, Junior Champion Stallion in Qatar, Ansata Samari Reserve EBC Champion filly, Ansata Suleyma, an EBC top 5 '99 winner both from the Samantha female line, and Ansata Riyal, EBC Champion colt. Both Samari and Riyal will continue their careers in Kuwait. Her full brother resides in Kuwait with another private breeder. Sons and daughters of Hejazi now grace the stables of the royal families, government studs, and private breeders in Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Europe, Egypt, South America, Australia and across the U.S. Proof of the quality of his get is the fact that he has recently been named top 10 in the 1999 Leading Junior Sires list.

Ansata Hejazi has been bred to straight Egyptian mares exclusively, nicking especially well with the daughters of Ansata Halim Shah, Ansata Omar Halim, Prince Fa Moniet, Ansata El Naseri and Jamilll, as well as other bloodlines.

Hearing of the sale of Ansata Hejazi to Mohammed J.K. Al Marzouk for his Ajmal Arabian Stud in Kuwait came as quite a shock to everyone. When this information was confided to me, I was left speechless. I have had the privilege of developing a friendly acquaintance with Mr. Marzouk and have visited with him on several occasions both in the U.S. and Middle East. He is truly a fine young man, who has knowledge of the Arabian horse beyond his years, and a well-directed plan before him. If Hejazi must leave Ansata, it would be hard to think of a more deserving home where his contribution to the breed would be more certain.

In speaking with Judi Forbis about the sale, she told me that over the past few years the interest in her horses has been strongest in the Middle East. Arabs, Egyptians and Bedouins seem to have a great appreciation of the Ansata type, and have developed into her largest clientele. With more than 40 years of dedication to the Egyptian Arabian horse, Judi Forbis feels that her contribution is made, and it is now time for younger breeders with the same vision to take up the reins and continue into the future. As it happens, these young breeders are coming out of the east. Here she finds breeders with the means to continue the knowledge of bloodlines, the talent for formulating wise breeding programs, an eye for Arabian quality and type, and a strong vision for the future.

Judith Forbis has always been a willing teacher, and it is at this point that she hopes to share the best of what she can offer with this an other young breeders, to assure that her life's work will continue long after she has gone. Parting with Ansata Hejazi, clearly her premier stallion, at only 7 years of age was nothing less than a sacrifice, but as everything she does, it is with a purpose. We are seeing a passing of the torch.