*For the story of how Makhsous came into Kehilan's life please see his page...... as it relates to this story.

Funny how life has a way of providing silver linings in the storm clouds. At the time of the storm you cannot see the lining...... but it comes. And life often comes full circle. Such is the interwoven tapestry of Kehilan and *Sultann and his impact on our lives.

In 1982, while showing our *Khofo gelding at a Houston horse show - we watched in awe as the arena was dimmed and into the spotlights burst Ibn Morafic and *Sakr+++. Tom McNair presented *Sakr+++ as both stallions received their Supreme Legion of Merit awards. "To us, *Sakr+++ in those spotlights was just a vision in white...... while he strutted around that ring. We were mesmerized." says Nancy. After the presentation we chatted with Tom and Rhita McNair and showed them our *Khofo son. We were hooked on Egyptian Arabians and vowed to try and breed something that special. *Sakr+++ of course, is one of the winningest Arabian horses ever. And *Sultann, his sire was the only Straight Egyptian Stallion to sire 3 different National Champion Performance horses.

Our first Egyptian bred mare was a Shaikh Al Badi daughter who we put in foal to Ruminaja Bahjat. Tragically, the mare died as a result of a freak accident just a couple of months before foaling. The first of a tragic ending to signal a beginning. Devastated, we called Janice Bush at Somerset to tell her about losing the mare and foal. She pointed us towards a clients horse - a *Sultann daughter also in foal to Ruminaja Bahjat. And this mare was Straight Egyptian! Gambling that we could somehow pay her price (Straights at that time had been out of our price range) we took a chance. And thus Diyaa arrived at Kehilan. She foaled a filly by Bahjat that we sold at four months of age into a partnership for 2/3 of her dam's price! We were ecstatic! Impressed with *Sakr+++ from that earlier night - we bred the mare back to his famous son Nabiel+/ against the advice of many who felt that would be too much *Sultann. The resulting filly, won Championships and an Egyptian Event Top Ten Futurity Filly - our first Egyptian Event Top Ten! We then joined the Nabiel+/ Legacy Group and each year sold one Nabiel+/ breeding to finance our own breeding. In a conversation with Pat Trapp, she told us about a gorgeous yearling Straight Egyptian Nabiel+/ daughter that had been sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars only to be injured the day of her sale. She was permanently lame and would need a special home. People who could love her and care about her special handling. Arabest Alina (x Ruminaja Alia by Shaikh Al Badi) arrived and grew into a lovely mare. With the success of the Nabiel+/ and *Sultann cross we had achieved once before, again against advice we sent her as a three year old to breed to *Sultann. *Sultann was only servicing one or two mares a year at that point. And it was not certain any would settle to him. But two months later, Alina came home safely in foal on one cover to the regal old stallion. On a bitter February night the next year, Alina foaled a bay filly. A PRETTY bay filly. Yes, it had worked again. This was certainly one of *Sultann's loveliest daughters. But she was born a little early and was not completely healthy. For over a week we fought to help the little princess survive. Finally, the vet said she would be just fine - if we could get through the next cold snap. A few nights later, with record low temperatures in the single digits - a rarity in Texas, a faulty heat lamp exploded and caught the foaling stall on fire. Becky went to check on the baby and found the barn billowing smoke and the foaling stall in flames. Despite leaping into the flames the Mother and filly could not be rescued - they were dead. The rest of the horses were saved that terrible night, only just barely. The smoke was so thick you could not see the horses but had to feel each stallion by hand and lead them out. What trust Arabians have in their people! But as we looked at the charred remains of a dream filly (one which would be *Sultanns last filly) - the silver lining was no where in sight. It seemed our vision would never be. At that point Kehilan nearly closed its doors and stopped raising Arabian horses.

But again, *Sultann enters the picture. Just a few months after Alina and the *Sultann filly perished in the fire, Janice Bush was dealing with her own tragedy - the closing of Somerset Farms and the untimely death of it's well regarded owner, Leonor Romney. Janice asked if we could take *Sultann but on one condition. It was to be forever. Of course we thought - how long could forever be on 26 year old stallion? (little did we know that *Sultann would live another 10 wonderful years with us) So, now only months after the death of his last filly *Sultann arrived at Kehilan. And a snippet of the silver lining was showing.

He thrived at our farm, and enjoyed the personal attention we gave him. But he had his tantrums....he hated Nabiel+/ when he came and had to be kept in a different barn. He felt he was King of Kehilan. Though he had a sense of humor and loved the new babies and their mothers - the mothers were less fond of him. Especially the old mare *Shagaret El Dorr. Old "Sugar" was nuzzling her 14th foal and brooked no guff from the old stallion next door who wanted to see her filly. *Sultann decided to jump up and look over the stall to see the filly. After all, everyone knew HE was THE babysitter! After quite a bit of ruckus, and a bit of wounded pride, *Sultann decided that was not the avenue to take. It seems as if "Sugar" had leaped up and latched onto *Sultanns nose and hung on like a pit bull!

Time marched on and Janice Bush had sent the remaining Somerset horses to Kehilan and in 1992 the silver lining really began to shine. A partnership was formed to purchase *Sultanns most beautiful son - the ethereal Makhsous. With the arrival of Makhsous to Kehilan our breeding program was eternally changed. And shortly thereafter Janice joined our program as well. And so, after a series of tragedies, what began as an ending was really a beginning.

*Sultann spent his last years in peace and well loved by his Kehilan family enjoying the green pastures and learning to love people. In the last year of his life he had trouble rising to his feet. Herb Rogers fashioned a sling for him which he patiently endured whilst we hoisted him to his feet. Only to walk off with the characteristic *Sultann head swing letting all know that he was not giving up just yet. At the ripe old age of 36 years his kidneys failed. We made the hard decision to let him go. We walked him around the farm the day before his passing and showed him all his children, grandchildren and by now greatgrandchildren. He met each and every one and we thanked him for bringing us back to the Egyptian Arabian horse, serving as our inspiration to not stop breeding- for being our "silver lining". For without him, none of these sweet spirited horses on our farm and across the world with his blood coursing through their genes would exist - in more ways than one.