From our Arieana Notebook: *Mounwer was one of fourteen (14) horses imported to the United States from Syria in 1947 by William Randolph Hearst. The intention of this 1947 Hearst Importation was to breed the newly-imported stallions on the Hearst's older, mostly Maynesboro-derived mares, and in turn, cross the older stallions on the newly-imported mares. In keeping with this plan, *Mounwer sired 22 purebred Arabian foals, and the outcome and success of this desert-source outcross is still clearly evident today in the superior quality of the Hearst-source purebred Arabian bloodstock bred by Arieana Arabians.

After his arrival, Gladys Brown Edwards, in her book The Arabian: War Horse to Show Horse, comments that "*Mounwer was shown in California and won several prizes, rewarded by the judges for his beautiful shoulder, high withers, lots of style and other attributes." We also find in our notes that he was admired by Alice Bracker of Aldachar Arabians for his good head and large and beautiful eye full to the corners without white.

In looking at his photos, we too stand in awe of *Mounwer's beauty and charisma and admire how these traits carried forward to our foundation mares and their foals. In particular, we have *Mounwer's influence through his granddaughter Jolley Pico with her own three crosses to him; she is the dam of our foundation mares Haapey Pico and Gleeful Pico and grand dam of Blitzen of Pico, sire of Haat Pursuit. Within these pedigrees we also find *Mounwer's chestnut son Mounri (x Ribagh by Rehal), a U.S. National Champion Top Ten Stallion in 1961 who sired Kishtee Pri Moun, herself a Class A Halter Champion; the grey mare Muhlis (x Ghanigat by  Ribal) who was dam of Kishtee Priza, herself a U.S. Top Ten Park Horse; and the bay mare Mounigha (x Nigha by Roabrah), herself the dam of Rahmoun and Zamiga (see Amazon of Pico) for a grand total of seven lines to *Mounwer in the pedigree of the rising star and future herd sire Haat Pursuit.

Of a historical note and beyond the Arabian Horse Registry's studbooks, there is a copy of the handwritten pedigree of *Mounwer available to us through the classic book The Horses of San Simeon, written by Mrs. William Randolph Hearst Jr. and published by the San Simeon Press, San Simeon, California (p. 191):

(Letterhead)
George Khamis
Rayak, Lebanon
Original Owner of *Mounwer
whose name means
"One Who Gives Light"
Pedigree of *Mounwer 4210
(Only horses who raced are named)

After studying the above pedigree, we were tremendously excited to discover that *Mounwer's maternal grandsire was black, and see him as one probable source for the black foal coat coloration of both Shaatina Moun and Rahzella Moun. Dare we hope the rising star Haat Pursuit is also carrying that elusive recessive black coat color gene beneath his iridescent gold? Only time will tell when his turn comes to to carry forward the Hearst-source breeding traditions with foals of his own.

We conclude *Mounwer's page with hopes that in the coming years you will meet one of our Arieana foals in the Winner's Circle ~ carrying forward the legacy of those winning racing traditions that *Mounwer and his ancestors established for us years ago at that race track in Beirut, Lebanon.