1881, grey Saqlawi Jadran of Ibn al-Dirri stallion. According to Al Khamsa, Azrek was bred by Shaykh Mashlab Ibn al-Dirri of the Qumusah section of the Sba’ah tribe, imported in 1888 to England by Wilfrid and Lady Anne Blunt.
General Stud Book
Azrek is listed in the GSB, Volume 16: “Foaled in 1881, a Grey Horse, of the Seglawi Jedran breed of Ibn el Derri, bred by Sheykh Mashlab Ibn ed Derri, of the Gomussa tribe of Sebaa Anazeah, purchased from the breeder by Mr. Blunt in 1887, in the desert of Northern Arabia, and imported in the spring of 1888. A celebrated stallion.” *
Crabbet stud books
“Foaled in 1881, a Seglawi Jedran of Ibn ed Derri of the Resallin tribe of Sebaa Anazeh.
14 hands 2 inches, below the knee 8 inches. A flea-bitten grey stallion, originally and up to 7 years grey with black points and black mane and tail. Afterwards quite white and flea-bitten. A magnificent horse in every way, grand head and arched neck, powerful shoulder with unrivaled trotting action (seen approaching at a trot the soles of the hoofs visible) enormous strength of back and quarter, up to any weight, tail set very high and splendidly carried, legs absolutely perfection the sinews literally ‘like steel’ to the touch. Great speed, impossible to tire. His stock 1891 superior to any yet bred in this stud.
Purchased in the desert for Mr. Blunt by Zeyd Saad el Muteyri sent there for the purpose. Zeyd was dispatched from Alexandria to Beyrout in March 1887 and thence via Damascus to the desert to look for the Anazeh. Azrek was purchased from his breeder Mashlab, son of Neddi ibn ed Derri, and brought by land to Egypt (with Ashgar and Jilfa) arriving towards the end of the summer. He was brought to England early in the year 1888.
Azrek was sold in the autumn of 1891 to the Hon. Cecil Rhodes (through his agent Mr Thompson) for exportation to the Cape. Impossible not to regret his departure.Ӡ
Lady anne blunt journals
Lady Anne Blunt’s journals from 1887 give some background on the circumstances of the acquisition of Azrek: “February 28th Wrote to Mr Dickson asking him to find out from Mijuel about Ibn ed Derri’s grey horse of which Zeyd gives such as delightful account.
March 14th Zeyd’s ticket has been taken at Cook’s office by the Beyrout steamer leaving Alexandria next Thursday. I have given him a letter to Mr Dickson who knows about him already and is authorized by me to draw a bill for 150 pounds which Zeyd will take to the desert. He is not to give a large price for any horse by the celebrated grey Ibn ed Derri 5 (or 6) year old.”‡
additional references
A colorful account of Zeyd’s purchase of Azrek for the Blunts can be found here. Further information on other horses of Azrek’s strain as it pertains to speed and endurance is available here. Tribal information on Azrek’s breeder can be found here. Articles on Azrek’s offspring after shipment to Australia can be found here and here.
There is further information forthcoming (post 2020) based on research done by Edouard Al-Dahdah concerning the strain of Azrek.
PEdigree
Click on the image below for the Al Khamsa pedigree for Azrek.
- *Margaret Greely, Arabian Exodus, (London: JA Allen, 1990), 58.
- †Rosemary Archer et al, The Crabbet Arabian Stud Its History & Influence, (Gloucestershire: Alexander Heriot, 1994), 94.
- ‡Rosemary Archer ed., Lady Anne Blunt Journals and Correspondence 1878-1917, (Gloucestershire: Alexander Heriot, 1986), 186-188.
