The story behind America's Arabian horse dynasty starts with Chicago Expo 1893

Story begins with an invitation to a sultan

Ottoman ruler Abdul Hamid II received the official invitation in February 1891, from the White House and Benjamin Harrison, to participate in the Chicago World Fair of 1893.

But the Ottoman Empire lacked the kind of cutting-edge industries and technology the event was designed to showcase. So instead, the committees set up to decide how the empire could participate turned to an area where it could make an impact: showbusiness.

The diversity of its people and territories helped make the choice for traditional entertainment ideal for the Ottomans. But it was by no means obvious that horsemanship would win the nomination to go to the US.

Back then, the Wilayahs and Mutasarrifates of the Levant were famous for their visual arts. So many of the suggestions made to the sultan on what could be taken to America mainly focused on that.

Ideas included theatre plays performed by the Abu Khalil Qabbani troupe from Damascus, musical performances from Beirut's cafés, the artisanal souq in Damascus, and the Melhem Wardi Dabke, a folk dancing troupe from Mount Lebanon.

But the sultan's attention was caught by a different proposal. It was his Damascene aide, Ahmed Ezzat Basha Al-Abid and titled Maydan Al-Hamidi for Purebred Arabian Horses.

The idea came from a nobleman from the city of Akka in Galilee in Palestine, Raji Bek Sayqali, the son of a respected agricultural merchant who maintained good connections with Bedouin Arab tribes.

He was passionate about breeding Arabian horses and founded the first display group for animals in Palestine. His idea combined live theatrical performances with purebred Arabian horses, incorporating scenes inspired by Arabic folklore, especially from the Dahis and Al-Ghubra battle between the Abs and Dhebian tribes. His vision was to recreate the battle in a vast arena.

Sultan Abdul Hamid put Raji in charge of the project and gave him two purebred horses from his own stables, along with two of his horsemen responsible for training Bedouin horsemen in Western horsemanship techniques prevalent at the time.

A huge logistical undertaking

The project was costly, including the purchase of expensive horses, and the pay for horsemen, stablemen, dancers, musicians, and actors. Transporting them all, as well as the horses and camels, required a dedicated and well-equipped ship.

A few businessmen from the Levant Wilayahs proposed to Raji Bek that they establish a joint company to fund the project. Raji agreed on the condition that he retain his position as project director.

A board of directors was formed, comprised of eight members and headed by journalist Khalil Sarkis, the owner of the newspaper Lisan Al-Hal.

Board member Najib Bek Sursock rented the British cargo vessel, Cynthiana, a Cunard steamer, which was fully equipped to transport the team, animals, and supplies. The vessel left the port of Jounieh in late March 1893 and arrived in New York in late April, after spending a few days in the port of Gibraltar.

The team consisted of 120 men and women, 45 horses, 12 camels, and Saluki dogs. They carried with them half a ton of horseshoes and boxes filled with 1.5 million entry tickets, priced at $1 each.

The passengers included the company shareholders, horsemen, camelmen, seven cooks, five veterinarians, and 15 writers and ticket sellers.

The team included horsemen of the Arab Bedouin Anizah tribe, from an area extending from Nejd and Hejaz to the Syrian desert, Iraq, and along the Al-Sham pilgrimage route.

Raji Bek was familiar with this tribe due to his father's connections and earned their trust, meaning they agreed to accompany him to America. The most notable of these tribesmen was the renowned expert of Arabian horses in the Levant, Al-Haj Hassan Al-Enazi who brought along his prized mare named Nejdme and a stallion named Obeyran.

Rave reviews

Despite encountering some administrative difficulties, problems between board members, and a fire in the stables resulting in the loss of several horses, the team managed to put on a show at the Garfield Park horse track in late May.

The performance received rave reviews from most American newspapers. The Chicago Tribune said: "The Bedouins delivered an inaugural horse race show, although an air of sadness permeated the atmosphere. The horsemen showcased their talents adorned in their traditional attire before a partially filled stadium."

"However, the stables had caught fire the previous day, and seven purebred Arabian horses and three camels perished before the arrival of firefighters."

"The unfortunate incident revealed that the most valuable horses were among the casualties, resulting in an estimated loss of $44,000. Among the deceased animals was the $10,000 Stallion Al-Dabran, loaned from the stables of Sultan Abdul Hamid."

The newspaper added: "On the field, the sounds reminiscent of drum beats filled the air, heralding the commencement of the day's show after 3 o'clock. Thirty jockeys paraded dressed in their embroidered and embellished golden costumes, each holding a spear measuring about 10 feet long."

"The Arab women sang peculiar songs to the beat of the music. To the right, the Abs tribe positioned themselves, facing the Murrah tribe. A cavalier emerged on horseback and pointed his spear toward the tents of the Abs tribe."

 "They were putting on a theatrical show: Sa'ada, the beautiful girl from Bani Marra, was abducted and a knight emerged on his majestic steed, brandishing his spear toward the encampments of Bani Abs. The women let out war cries. On both sides, the music grew louder, summoning the horsemen to bear their weapons."

The Chicago Tribune also reported: "The combatants turned around and the music stopped. The cries of the women grew fiercer, reverberating throughout the arena. After that, a group of horsemen from both sides emerged, flaunting their colourful garments while gripping their Arabian swords."

"The battle was short and quick. Then, they retreated. The Abs tribe had been defeated, the bride, Sa'ada, returned to her tribe, and peace was restored. The celebration started and the women formed singing circles. Their thin eyebrows could be seen, and their silver bracelets shimmered." 

Envy leads to plots to seize horses

The horses showcased in the arena left American and British horse owners filled with envy. So much so, that ruthless plots and conspiracies were hatched to seize the horses.

Ben Hur, the editor of the West American Horse magazine said: "People from around the globe came to the Chicago fair. The Bedouin and horse show received great interest. Notable attendees included Reverend F. Vidal from England, Arabian horse breeder Randolf Huntington from Oyster Bay, New York, and J.A.P. Ramsdell from New York, who eventually succeeded in acquiring the mare Nejdme."

"Peter Bradley, an industrialist from Boston, Massachusetts, was particularly interested in the Bedouin show in Chicago and began his pursuit to buy Arabian horses.

"One individual profoundly influenced by the World Fair in Chicago was the caricaturist Homer Davenport, who became infatuated with the Bedouins and their horses. Horses became his life-long aspiration and he travelled to the Arabian desert to buy Arabian horses, thanks to funding from Peter Bradley who helped him import horses in 1906."

Buffalo Bill

The person most captivated by the show was none other than Buffalo Bill Cody, the renowned creator of Wild West shows that travelled across the US and the world.

After seeing the Arab Bedouin show, he was adamant to incorporate Arabian horses in his performance. He managed to acquire five of the Bedouins' horses for his shows which re-enacted battles with the indigenous peoples of the Americas.

Ben Hur reported that Ohanis Asdikian, an Armenian agricultural engineer and envoy of Sultan Abdul Hamid, said of the Bedouin team: "I was in daily contact with those men. I knew every man, woman, and child by name. They were willing to answer every question about the origins and history of the horses."

"One notable member was Al-Haj Hassan, a member of the Anizah tribe. He dedicated his life to horse trading with the tribes of the desert and the Ottoman government often sought his expertise when buying horses from Aleppo, Egypt, and Yemen."

"He was known as the foremost expert on Arabian horses in the region. The Maydan Al-Hamidi company for purebred Arabian horses sent him to the Anizah tribes to buy horses. He bought 11 out of the 45 horses that were brought to Chicago." 

Asdikian added: "These 11 horses possessed written documents proving their lineage. I personally saw these documents and added my notes to them. I can affirm that these horses were among the purest Arabian horses in the desert."

The administrative team lacked familiarity with American laws and the business practices prevalent in Chicago at the time.

Problems arose between team members, and they received misguided advice from American lawyers. It meant the company tragically lost all its horses to pawnbrokers in Chicago.

A long bloodline

As a result, the Arabian Horse Club of America was established in the US and the mare Nijma, from the Kehilan-Ajuz breed, and the stallion Obeyran, from the Seglawi-Obeyran breed, were registered as the first two horses in the official records of Arabian horses in America.

They produced 13 foals according to records. Among horses subsequently recognised for their significance were: the mare Galfia (number 255) of the Hamdani-Simri breed, the mare Pride (number 321), the stallion Mannaky (number 294) from the Managhi breed, the mare Hassna from the Managhi-Hedrij breed, the stallion Halool of the Kehilan-Ras Fedawi breed, and the stallion Kibaby of the Seglawi-Sheyfi breed.

The offspring of these horses were also registered, and their lineage continues to this day. It is rare to find a horse breeder who does not possess one or two of these Arabian horse breeds. These purebred horses hold a vital place in the history of Arabian horses in the US, where their number currently exceeds half a million.