Pedigrees
I’ve noticed something over the years. It seems like most horse people who proclaim they are interested in horse breeding are actually interested only in talking about their own horse’s breeding and rattling off names and pedigrees. I find this immensely boring most of the time, so I try not to bore you, My Dear Reader, with these things. But here I’m going to break my own rule and write a whole page on an old Polish racing line that I believe has heavily influences the kind of endurance horse Farley is and the kind of endurance horse Merrylegs will become, far beyond just names on a paper pedigree .
Never heard of Forta? She’s a kick ass arab broodmare that produced offspring that went out and kicked ass in spades.
She is described as “plain”. She wasn’t a fancy arab that would catch your eye.
But sometimes that reference to her physical appearance is hard to find among all the other adjectives describing her and her offspring and their talent.
A friend summed it all up as “Forta-tude”.
- Tough
- Speed
- Strength
Besides the fact that most of the adjectives I hear applied to Forta and characteristics of her line describe Farley to a “T”, I think I’m fascinated with Forta because she was a MARE.
A mare that made a significant mark on the arab breed for the better. A plain horse that DID stuff and then passed that on to her offspring.
It’s a fact of life that (embryo flushing and superovulating aside) mares don’t get the chance to contribute to a breed like stallions. But Forta did – and people are still talking about her today, 80 years after she was born.
We still talk about some of the stallions of Forta’s generation and their influence on the breed – Bask, Wielki Szlem – but seldom are mares highlighted in the same way.
Forta is the exception.
Farley has 3 Forta lines in her bloodline.
- Czort – first foal of Forta. And maybe one of the best known.
- Finisz – successful race horse
- Formoza – full sister to Finisz. Race winner.
I bought Farley “not believing” in pedigrees and bloodlines. They were nice if you were “breeding or selling”, neither of which I did. But, today I cannot deny the influence of a horse long-dead on who Farley is today.
As much as I would like to clone Farley and ride her until the end of my days, it’s my hope that MerryLegs has enough “forta-tude” to be a suitable replacement.
MerryLegs shares the Forta legacy on her sire’s side and has another Forta (Finisz – same forta offspring as sire side) one generation further back than this pedigree shows on her dam’s side, but isn’t line-bred to the degree Farley is.
MerryLegs is a taller, prettier, more elegant arab than Farley is and I think that has to do with influence from two lines that Farley doesn’t have – Fast Ptrack and Pattrone.
Fast Ptrack is Russian, tall, and has a lot of substance and also of racing lines. Fast Ptrack was bred back to the Polish racing (Forta) line in ML’s pedigree.
Pattrone is also russian bred, and seems to be more halter/sport horse focused.
Some Forta-tude with a smattering of russian and halter? I’m hoping that a recipe for another great endurance partner.
Honestly, these 2 lines don’t hold the same fascination for me that Forta does, but if any one has any information about any of these lines (or more information about Forta), I would love to hear from you.
My mare Ben Her is a Ben Bask daughter out of a Fawor (Probat x Fatma out of Forta) daughter. Fawor ( Fawor (1981) – Polish Junior National Champion Stallion, European and World Junior Champion Stallion, 1990 Polish National Champion Stallion, 1986 chief sire at Janów Podlaski Stud, 1987 – 1990 at Paramount Arabians, U.S.A, 1991 – 1992 chief sire at Michalów Stud) is one of a handful of stallions to stand at all the Polish studs. Ben’s tail female line also goes to Forta via Fortunka. I bred her to Altercation that doubled up on the Aladdinn and the polish lines via Gondolier.. I am hoping to do some endurance with him, once I can get someone to ride him. 🙂 He’s a going machine!! If you know anyone that may wish to lease Ben I think she may have yet another foal in her. She’s the ultimate brood mare! So I know why you love your horse.. so much strength and heart! It’s definitely in the blood!!!
Speedy G (G Ima Starr FA) is out of G Im Fast (x Fast Ptrack). :0)
Speedy’s sire is ATA Bey Starr (a Bey Shah grandson who is by Bay el Bey). They’re all related somehow. :0)
Speedy is your older horse that you still have that has done well for you over the years right? I can’t remember if he did endurance prior to you starting endurance or if you got him specifically for dressage first….He always looks so nice in his pictures – sorta reminds me a bit of ML – nice all-round build that would do well in the dressage ring or on the trail. I do think ML is going to have a naughty streak that Farley doesn’t – not quite as honest – but of course I have no idea what Farley did as a 3 year old 😉