The Pyramid Society Foundation

04/01/2026

In the Chinese zodiac, 1918 was the year of the Earth Horse, specifically spanning from February 11, 1918, to January 31, 1919. This was also the year World War I ended and the Spanish Flu pandemic wiped out over 1% of the population of Egypt. That same year at the Royal Agricultural Society (RAS) farm in Bahteem , the Hadbah Inzihiyah mare Bint Gamila produced a grey c**t by Mabrouk Manial. This c**t was named Baiyad (alt. spelling - Bayyad) meaning "whiteness," symbolizing purity and light. Baiyad had the misfortune of being overshadowed by his maternal brother Ibn Rabdan born the prior year. Historians described Ibn Rabdan as a striking liver chestnut with almost perfect conformation. After a very successful racing career, Ibn Rabdan was retired to become the lead sire for the RAS. This meant that Baiyad would be used sparingly and only produced two daughters, Bint Bint Sabbah in 1930 and Samha in 1931.

When Henry Babson made his trek to Egypt in search of Arabian horses in 1932, he was also very impressed with the Ibn Rabdan offspring, importing 2 daughters and a son of his for the Babson breeding program. In total, he selected 6 horses for his program. However, for some reason, the RAS decided not to ship one of his selected mares but offered instead the two year old daughter of Baiyad, Bint Bint Sabbah.

With that substitution the history of the Straight Egyptian horse was forever changed. Bint Bint Sabbah produced thirteen foals for the Babson farm and her line is found in some of the most important horses in Straight Egyptian history such as RDM Maar Hala, Simeon Shai, Dorian Oreana, Laheeb, and Imperial Mistilll.

While Bint Bint Sabbah was changing the course of Straight Egyptian breeding in the US, Baiyad’s other daughter Samha was also making her impact in the Middle East and Europe. Although not as prolific as Bint Bint Sabbah, Samha produced 4 daughters, 3 who would establish their own legacies. The female descendants of Samha were known for being very refined with exquisite heads. Two examples of this are: Lutfia (Alaa El Din x Bint Kamla, by El Sareei) 1967 grey foundation mare for both the Babolna stud in Hungary and NK Katharinenhof in Germany and Gelgelah Albadeia (Imperial Madori x Anhar Albadeia) 1995 grey mare bred by Albadeia Arabians and the 2003 World Champion Senior mare.

Baiyad may have been overshadowed by his brother but it did not stop him from leaving his mark. Please share photos of your Baiyad descendants with us!

03/07/2026

Join us on our podcast on We Love Arabian Horses as we share our vision for the future. Barbara Cole Doubling Gap Ranch LLC

https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/we-love-arabian-horses/episodes/Barbara-Cole--JP-Bilbrey--Preserving-the-Legacy-of-Straight-Egyptian-Arabians-e3g2bh2?fbclid=IwY2xjawQZJCRleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFseld6bnZTcUZaZlE4RTEyc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHqReR8_AhEEPXggN2ZWa5C1ln0v_jOw17KqO5_GndRpxXBVqJGPsoYkWxc7c_aem_y-WkeNNya7etyhyq9nyxrg&%24web_only=true&_branch_match_id=987754105476772680&utm_source=web&utm_campaign=web-share&utm_medium=sharing&_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAAwXB2VKDMBQA0L%2FxrWWxWHWm4wClLTiBwqAsL0xIL2EJW0BDXvx2z6nXdVreFWWZxrWpJOGA15EvOwHlHk%2FTnjVDp4AygaamFbVbrfyoSsKax8kVmb61WIS5Z0cMbtGPqV9YGbobMq2G9Kxz4ssC7PFSDnlMvnKcM%2BcQxY4kz56aibwmN6vCSRii1pXojAwUk0NwdgU6UwNR07rNEUSvhVk7zj2l1NfzBBu2xgb1t2gDoR0%2F58AorsMjmrbU%2Bp69630Zsy7ZyJEUGPpC7pIOfF%2FiI6yylvPbIDdOn%2F44VMB5M9Ci5KNYgJ%2Fsmo89%2FAPdTBuNDQEAAA%3D%3D

In this episode of the We LOVE Arabian Horses Podcast, host Paul Kostial welcomes Barbara Cole and JP Bilbrey for an important conversation about one of the most historically significant bloodlines in the Arabian horse breed: the Straight Egyptian Arabian.Barbara and JP are helping guide the renewed...

02/18/2026

To celebrate the Chinese New Year 2026: Year of the Fire Horse, the Foundation is commencing a series of articles on pivotal moments and events that occurred in previous Years of the Horse that have had a profound impact on the Straight Egyptian horse and community. This first article is dedicated to the memory of Tzviah Idan (1952-2026).

The year 1906 was also a Year of the Fire Horse. Two seemingly insignificant events occurred that year that forever changed the history of the Straight Egyptian. Somewhere in the Arabian Desert along the lower Euphrates a dark bay c**t with white stockings on its hind legs was born. And in the same year, over 3000 miles away in England, the marriage of Wilfred Scawen Blunt and Lady Anne Blunt was dissolved. Soon afterwards, Lady Anne established her home at Sheykh Obeyd, her stud farm outside of Cairo, Egypt where she focused her time on preserving and protecting the purebred Arabian horse. As part of this effort in 1911 she acquired an 'Ubayyan Sharrak stallion bred by Shaykh Mishari Ibn Sa'dun of the Muntafiq. The dark bay stallion with white stockings on his hind legs was named Saadun (also spelled Saadoun) after his breeder.

Saadun was said to be a favorite of Lady Anne and in 1916 was bred to a Dahmah Shahwaniyah mare named Dalal. The following year Dalal foaled a bay filly that Lady Anne named Durra. Unfortunately Durra was to be the only offspring of Saadun as he died that same year. On 15 December of that same year Lady Anne also departed this life. Although she tried to protect the horses by placing them in a trust for her granddaughters, Wilfred still managed to disperse most of the horses at Sheykh Obeyd. It is believed that both Durra and her dam Dalal were among a group of horses sold to Prince Kamal al-Din. Dalal would produce another filly for the Prince but no record of Durra existed until the Royal Agricultural Society (RAS) purchased her from a Mr. Kasdoughli of Cairo in 1924. Edouard Aldahdah has conducted significant research on the Kasdoughli (Casdagli) family that can be found at https://daughterofthewind.org/the-casdagli-family-of-cairo-and-manchester/.

Without this fortunate transaction, the line to Saadun would probably have been lost to the Straight Egyptian world. Why does this matter? Without Saadun there would be no:

Bint Maisa El Saghira
Imperial Madheen
Messaoud
The Vision HG
Ruminaja Ali
Lutfia
Bint Bint Durra
El Sareei
Ramses Fayek
Thee Desperado
Shaikh al Badi
Simeon Sehavi
Mishaal HP

and so many more! Happy Lunar New Year!

02/16/2026

If you are at Scottsdale make sure you stop by the Egyptian Breeders Hospitality tent at the Wendell arena for refreshments and great discussions!

01/20/2026

The wonderful Sameh! Some of the very finest Straight Egyptians to come to this country were some of the Sameh daughters out of Nazeer daughters. That combination produced Serenity Sonbolah, Romanaa II, Omayma, Fawkia, and Deenaa, to name a few. He could be counted on for great body structure and movement, and his influence can still be seen in some of the great breeding programs of our day, including the beautiful horses at Kehilan Arabians. If you’ve never visited Becky Rogers or Janice Bush at Kehilan you should set up a time and go. There are several wonderful stallions and mares who descend from the Sameh sire line. All of the wonderful body structure and movement for which Sameh was known, but lots of elegance and beauty from the mare lines they chose to complement their world famous stallions. We need to remember the importance of maintaining the influence of these great horses from the past.

AHW's Heritage Horse: SAMEH

Written by Mary Jane Parkinson

08/31/2025

Always a quality event, and the farm tours even better!

08/29/2025

Always happy to share the many ways in which the Straight Egyptian Arabian excels in a variety of different disciplines. Congratulations to all involved with this young mare!

Arabians embody stamina, agility and intelligence, bringing a rare harmony of elegance and athleticism to sport and dressage. Their sensitivity and awareness create a partnership that feels dynamic and precise, while their natural rhythm and presence command attention in any arena. These are horses who compete with heart and skill, proving their strength as modern sport horses.

The Breed Show at Dressage at Devon is the place to share that excellence. The Individual Breed Classes include the Purebred Arabian Class, sponsored by the Arabian Horse Association and Pennsylvania Arabian, and the Arabian Halfbred Class, sponsored by The Golden Essence Family. It is where Arabians can be recognized for their performance and celebrated for the qualities that make them remarkable competitors. To lead one into this arena is to affirm their place among the finest horses in the world.

𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐝 𝐨𝐟? 𝐖𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦.👇📸 Let your horse be part of a legacy where Arabians take their place in modern dressage while carrying forward the tradition of the breed.



Pictured: 2024 Arabian Purebred Arabian Class Champion Sayyidah RZ
2023 Straight Egyptian Arabian Filly
(Kisra Djamel Sinan x Desired Millicent)
Bred & Owned by Roze Arabians Ltd.

PC: Purple Horse Photography