From
our Arieana Notebook: Rahmoun, bred by W.R. and
Austine Hearst, Jr. and foaled in 1955 at San Simeon, California, was the last
son of Rahas. A rich mahogany bay with well-placed white
markings, Rahmoun was a stallion of lovely proportions, bone,
and substance. Backed by his pedigree with its eleven crosses to his
great-great-grandsire Mesaoud, Rahmoun
became renown and sought after as a breeding stallion for the quality
of his foals, and as recently as 1984, he was still listed as the
leading sire of champions.
Considered incorrigible as a youngster and almost put down
because of his behavior, Rahmoun was leased from Mr. and Mrs.
W.R. Hearst, Jr. in 1960, at age 5, by
Harry
and Katy Harness, and he happily remained with Harry and Katy at their ranch in El Cajon,
California until his death due to colic on July 23, 1980 at age 26 .
Rahmoun was much loved and
appreciated by Harry and Katy Harness, and under their care became almost like a house pet to
them; he was treasured to the point if anyone ever made a negative
comment about Rahmoun they were asked by Katy to leave the property and never
come back. Rahmoun hated living in a stall and as a result his home
at Harry and Katy's was their riding arena; on command Rahmoun would retreat to his
corner under the oak tree while the horses (even those mares in heat) were worked and
exercised. It's been said that when Rahmoun died, a piece of
Katy's heart died with him.
Listed
for many years as
the nation's top sire of champions, among Rahmoun's National Champion
get and grandget were: Rayneyn (x Dajjeyn by Ferseyn), Bint
Diana (x Diana by Farana), Katherine
(x Rose of Tra Lee by Rommel), Rahmouns Lancer (x Rose of Tra Lee by
Rommel), Son of Erin (x Erin by Altair by Asil Altair), Polaris
Pico (Baymaruf x Polar Pico by Rahmoun), CW Magnom (AN Magno x
Erin's Belle by Rahmoun), and Lamoun by Sierra Moun (a son of Rahmoun
and head sire at Van Vleet Arabian Stud in Colorado for many years).
Many,
many other championships
and honors at the regional and local levels, too numerous to mention here,
were garnered by the get and
grandget of Rahmoun, but highlighting this list with horses within our
program at Arieana Arabians, you will find Pico
Haat Shaat (Parade Horse Supreme and sire of Endurance Champions), Jolley Pico (Halter Champion)
and Ashan Adar (Halter Champion). We
also salute Joan Embrey Pillsbury,
Goodwill Ambassador for the
San Diego Zoo, and her Half-Arabian son of Rahmoun who performed
a Liberty Act with
her at the San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park in Escondido, California.
Today
at
Arieana Arabians we continue to model on Rahmoun for his many positive
qualities and the traits he passed on to his descendents: true Arabian type,
ideal riding horse conformation, movement with great impulsion and high
action, beauty, disposition, and for his significance carrying forward
one branch of our linebreeding program to his sire, the stallion Rahas. With the death
in 2002 of
Rahmoun's last living son, Rahmoun of Pico, we sadly saw the Rahmoun branch of the Rahas sireline
die
out leaving no sons to carry forward this branch of the Rahas
sireline, but gratefully
and thankfully the daughters of Rahmoun bred on well and their
daughters and grand daughters continue to thrive and carry forward the
rich traditions of our CMK Heritage.
|