From our Arieana Notebook: Considered one of the most influential sires of all time, the bright chestnut stallion Abu Farwa epitomizes for us all that is beauty and versatility within our breed. As a foal he was prophetically named by Gladys Brown Edwards (then the Kellogg Ranch Secretary) the Arabic name that means "father of chestnuts" and of his 278 registered foals, 220 are chestnut. By pedigree Abu Farwa is the classic of study within the CMK Heritage, combining elements from the Crabbet Stud (Blunt and Wentworth), the Maynesboro Stud (as derived from both Crabbet and Huntington), and W.K. Kellogg's breeding program (Crabbet and Davenport). 

Abu Farwa was a robust, correct, and classically elegant individual. He was a halter winner in his youth at a time when very few shows offered all-Arabian competition, and he continued to win again in extreme old age ~ competing and winning in the aged stallion classes at Del Mar at age 22 and 24 and placing third at age 23, quite a testimony to his basic correctness of conformation and overall lasting quality. He was also shown and worked under saddle, both English and Western, demonstrating his true versatility at both.

Best of all, Abu Farwa was prepotent in passing on his marvelous attributes to his descendants, and the name of Abu Farwa is still highly sought after in pedigrees for those seeking elegance, strength, and lasting athletic ability in the Sport Horse endeavors. Looking for racing blood in the pedigree? The daughters of Abu Farwa produced: Kontiki, Michael (winner of the 2 1/2 races of the early 1960's), Alwallany (winner at 1 1/2 miles), and Corjon (winner of 4 races).

Carol June Woodbridge Mulder has written in the Arabian Horse World, July 1979, her memories of Abu Farwa's disposition and personality,  and these we'd like to share with you now as we conclude his story:

As a young woman, she used to visit the Reese Ranch and grooming the stallions was a relaxing thing for her to do. She writes and we quote: "AB's (Abu Farwa) attention was always somewhere else; it was a job to get his attention and hold it. He couldn't have cared less if he were groomed or not because the thing for him was to see what was going on in the distance, and wish he could go there to see personally. In the brief moments when he'd give me his attention, it was to speak to me in a hurried way with hasty, gentle little lip nips ~ then his mind was off in the clouds again." (p. 79). Ashan Adar was quite the same way; always in a hurry to get "there" (where ever "there" was) and demonstrating his affection, and sometimes his impatience, with his wiggle-nose lip trick. We at Arieana Arabians see these as traits coming down to both these horses via Mesaoud's sire line influence renown for it's fast, speedy, doing, always ready, willing, able, and wanting to get and be "there" attitude. ~spm (updated 01/16/06).