r. Erwin Filsinger, a lifetime horseman in the truest sense of the word,
began his interest in horses early in life in the 1920's and 1930's as a school boy.
His life long fascination with Arabian horses was discovered while riding his first
Arabian horse in the early 40's. He was enthralled by the beauty, personality and
smoothness of gait of this Arab horse along with it's great character. An active
sportsman and successful rider in jumping tournaments and cross country events,
he knew that one day, he would have his own Arabian horse.
In the late 1950's when he had settled his family and his veterinarian clinic,
Dr. Erwin Filsinger acquired his first purebred Arab horse - a mare with mixed
Polish and domestic bloodlines. Nobody spoke at this time of "straight Egyptian
Arabian horses"; that term and definitaion did become popular in the United
States later in the middle 1960's.
Dr. Filsinger was a horseman, and he always judged and watched a horse by it's
qualities as a horse, by qualities if functional to sit up and to ride, by it's character
and it's beauty and spirit. A regular visitor of horse events and quality stables,
one day he met, quite accidentially, the stallion GHAZAL, a most expressive and
classical snow white stallion who caught his attention immediately. GHAZAL was
born in Egypt and imported from the Egyptian State Stud by the German Count
Knyphausen. GHAZAL was also leased for a period of time to the Marbach Stud
for breeding purposes.
he moment Dr. Filsinger saw GHAZAL, always full of spirit (also under
saddle), he knew immediately that one day he need to have a son or daughter by
this stallion! A few time later, in 1962, Dr. Filsinger received a call from the Count
who knew of his interest in his stallion GHAZAL, and offered a new born foal out of
his mare Malacha, who had been imported (in utero) along with her dam Moheba
and Ghazal from the Egyptian Agricultural Organization (E.A.O.) in Egypt.
Without hesitation, Dr.Filsinger immediately confirmed the purchase of this filly
currently playing in the Count's pastures. A few weeks later, just weaned, the filly
arrived at her new home and Dr. Filsinger immediately realized that she was indeed
something special, that along with his his passion, trust, and instinctive horsmanship
he had a right sign and made a successful decision.
he Arrival and Influence of MALIKAH
This foal became the straight Egyptian foundation mare MALIKAH, the "Queen"
who later achieved an unbelievable success and influence in the world of purebred
and straight Egyptian Arabian horse breeding on international level and worldwide!
With MALIKAH, the Filsingers had a solid basis, and it was them who made the right
decisions as to whom to breed her and which stallions to incorporate into the breeding
program. Thanks to his deep understanding along with his discerning eye, Dr Filsinger
became one of the most successful and best breeders.
When MALIKAH became breeding age, she became bred for the first time to
Dr. Filsinger's own stallion Saphir, a dark bay of mainly Polish blood and at this time,
his personal daily riding horse. The result was a filly named MEKKA, amongst others,
dam of 1987 German National Champion Stallion, Mansul, and named "Premium Mare"
by the German Breeding Society, VZAP, while with just 5 foals produced, Mekka died
at a young age.
Fascinated by another NAZEER son in Germany, Marbach State Stud's HADBAN
ENZAHI (also born in Egypt and imported from the E.A.O.), Dr. Filsinger did choose
him as mate for the next few years for MALIKAH - to breed famous and most
influential horses like Elite Stallion MAHOMED (*68), Elite Stallion MALIK (*70),
Elite Mare MAYMOONAH (*71), Elite Mare MOFEEDAH (*72) and Elite Mare MAISA (*73).
Please see more more details on the "Hall of Fame" page.
In 1973, HADBAN ENZAHI was no longer available to private breeders while the idea
of "straight Egyptian" breeding in Europe and America were taking shape. Dr. Filsinger
had been trying to locate another stallion that he felt good enough for MALIKAH.
He located the American import, Anchor Hill Halim, a good stallion with excellent
performance qualities. This breeding resulted in the most classical Dahman Shawan,
MANAL, a stallion who combined both, beauty and performance capabilities. MANAL
was a successful show horse, a successful performer, as well as a sire of exceptional
type and conformation. MANAL is another decorated Elite Stallion of this profilic family.
Sometime during mid 1970's, the MORAFIC son MADKOUR OA from Egypt became
available in Germany. Dr. Filsinger utilized this blood to breed his mares MALIKAH
(producing the licensed stallion Mabrouk; the mare Mahdia, exported to the United
States; and the mare Malima, exported to Brazil) as well as her daughters MAISA
(who produced Maydana Bint Maisa and her older fullsister, National Champion Mare
Manaya) and MAYMOONAH.
Maymoonah had already produced the outstanding and most classical Elite Stallion
MAYMOON, a Kaisoon son, a Hadban Enzahi grandson, and a Ghazal great grandson,
and combining all three "German" NAZEER sons in a direct line in his pedigree.
MAYMOON's influence became most dominant in the FILSINGER ARABIANS' breeding
program.
As postive and supportive person (and by retaining Maymoonah's younger full sister,
MAISA, for being a cornerstone of the Filsinger's breeding program in female line),
Dr. Filsinger opened mind and gave in to the consistant inquiry of Madkour's owner,
a new breeder. Therefore Maymoonah along with the Nazeefa daughter Nagha
changed place, and Maymoonah produced thenafter, amongst others, the well
known stallion Messaoud.
uring the 1980's, MALIKAH and MAISA were bred to Filsinger stallions of first
or second generation breeding. First to homebred NABIL Ibn Nazeefa, a double
MORAFIC and also honored from the VZAP as Elite Sallion, who had produced
amongst others, the much charming and most successful multi Champion and
Elite Stallion MAHYUBI Ibn Maisa. Thereafter twice to the exotic MAYMOON, also
Elite Stallion, and besides MALIKAH, maybe the most influential horse at the
breeding program. With the breeding of MALIKAH to her grandson MAYMOON,
Dr. Erwin Filsinger and his son Frank Filsinger (who did manage and leading the
studfarm since 1979), had a clear intention: to inbreed to this most proven mare
and individual, to inbreed to MALIKAH for 'fixing' her qualities for the future. This
inbreeding program was continued by MAYMOON bred to the MALIKAH daughter
MAISA. Results of these inbreedings had been the three most exquisite and
outstanding daughters, MUNIFAH Bint Malikah and MARANI El Malikah, and
MANSOURA Bint Maisa, who have been three real jewels of FILSINGER ARABIANS.
he two Imports from the EAO/Egypt
In 1969, when people had been just started to think and speak about straight
Egyptian horses, Dr. Filsinger's wife pushed her husband to take the chance and
import two mares from the E.A.O stud in Egypt. Until this time, only the three
NAZEER sons and the two mares Moheba (with Malacha in utero) and Nadja, from
Marbach, had been imported from there. So together with friends, who became
introduced and interested to Arabian horses through Dr. Filsinger, he imported two
fillies from Egypt: the 1967 NAZEEFA, a strongly balanced, bay GASSIR daughter out
of a MORAFIC daughter; and the also 1967 ZABIA, a refined chestnut TUHOTMOS
daughter out of a MORAFIC daughter tracing back to famous OM EL SAAD dam line.
At this time, exporting a horse from Egypt to Europe was still a real adventure!
While all the later purchased horses could be exported and transported to Europe
and the USA by air cargo and transportation through air, this was not possible at
this time when Filsingers bought their mares in Egypt. The only option was by boat
and land (a few months later the first exports by plane had been possible).
The money was paid to Egypt and the transportation supposed to be organized
from the EAO. The Filsingers were informed when the horses had left El Zahraa and
when the boat would leave, but nobody knew when it would arrive in Europe and
at Rijeka. Later, all travel details were revealed and created quite a shock:
the horses (four in total) had not been accommodated in luxury containers as one
would know today - the horses had been tied on the top deck of the boat,standing
without any protection all day and night, while traveling on the open sea...!
Arriving finally in the harbor of Rijeka, the horses were transported to a stable
near Vienna, in Austria, where they were to remain in quarantine for four months!
The poor fillies, long-term travelers from desert and summer climate, finally
arrived at their final destination at the Filsingers during the very cold, German
winter months. While NAZEEFA was well and healthy, ZABIA was in very poor
condition due to the rigors of travel. However, ZABIA ultimatively became strong
enough to survive, thanks to the great care she received from Mrs. Filsinger, who
retained a very special relationship with her during her lifetime.
This story sounds a bit like a movie, but the facts are very true and supplied many
scary moments for the Filsinger family who did not know, if or when the horses
would ever arrive, nor what condition they would be in. After the two 2-year-old
fillies arrived, and after half-a-year of having been waiting for them, the unfortunate
situation arose that possibly one of them would not survive.... But the story ended
up happily, and both mares settled into their lives and breeding careers. Their
traveling adventures gave another example of the great strength, the character
and the intelligence of these Arabian horses.
ogether with MALIKAH, these two EAO imports, NAZEEFA and ZABIA, have
been the foundation mares of FILSINGER ARABIANS - and all three (as well as
several of their produce) became meanwhile decorated by the German Arabian
Horse Society VZAP as Elite Mares.
And it is this foundation that has insured the continued success of this breeding
program. Today, ALL horses at the stud farm trace back once, or several times to
one or more of these three foundation mares. And each horse at today's stud is
a FILSINGER ARABIAN in 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 5th generation!
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