By Mary Giddings Hall, from the 1996 Preservation Breeding Symposium booklet.
This title and quote, although succinct, is broad in its meanings. It refers to young Arabian horses that were gathered together in accordance with intense study along with knowledgeable and careful selection.
They would be fully breed representative. They and their descendants would compliment each other in varying combinations. It was a plan that could serve for generations of breeding.
The plan also included a provision for the working out of interests in horses so that younger people might achieve beginnings with such Arabians and amateurs and juniors have the opportunity to show them: horses with families.
This generous program was developed at a time that otherwise, Arabian-horses-for-profit had begun its ungloved ascent.
This short sketch has as its subject the Skyline Arabians of Carleton Cummings, the thought and planning for which probably began before 1945 but World War II was in progress.
This exceptional group of high class Arabians would be called Skyline because the small barn was on the crest of a hill in Moscow, Idaho. Great distances of forested hills seemed to expand in waves from this viewpoint.
The first purebred mare would be for Mrs. Cummings: Direyn 2123 (*Raseyn x Ferdirah), a mare she rode and cared much about.
It had been arranged that upon the death of Mrs. Cummings, Direyn would forever be with Mr. and Mrs. Turner, Jerome, Idaho, where Azrek Skowronek 8987, one of the earlier sons of Antezeyn Skowronek and Wafa El Shammar, stood at stud and was happily and successfully shown.
Direyn had the last foal of the famed Farana 708 (*Nasik x *Farasin).
These Arabians were Kellogg and Crabbet and other early lines and they were Maynesboro. They were joined by two fillies of Selby lines. At least 18 fillies and three colts were selected over time and some of these or their descendants would become important indeed to new owners and their beginnings with Arabian horses; important to the whole of Skyline, too.
Space forbids much detail, so I merely enumerate some of the fillies according to their sires. At the same time, I emphasize that they were especially richly bred in dam lines.
There were three daughters of the powerful Abu Farwa 1960 (Rabiyas x *Rissletta) and one filly sired by Tamarlane 3274 (Abu Farwa x Ritama). Four fillies were by the all-time sire Ferseyn 1381 (*Raseyn x *Ferda).
A filly by Cavalier 3671 (Jedran x Masala) and a daughter of Gabilan 4405 (Ghazibroa x Antonia) proved excellent additions. Two Gezan 2754 (Antez x Ghazeyna) daughters would prove very important along with a filly by Abu Kabir 6873 (Arabi Kabir x Rasarah) and a filly be Geym 2363 (*Raffles x Rageyma).
I have just listed a treasure of fillies. Let me continue with the two foundation stallions: Antezeyn Skowronek 5321 was magnificent of shoulder and wither, lofty of outlook and a breeding stallion indeed, chestnut and iridescent and dappled like a trout in some seasons, his sire Abu Farwa.
Sharifa 2951 by Antez 448 x the fine mare Ferdith 1920 (Ferseyn x Ardith) was the dam of Antezeyn Skowronek.
Ferseyn’s Rasim 9700, also chestnut, was perfect on his legs, great moving and agile, balanced in conformation, and was an excellent sire. He was by Ferseyn 1381 and his dam was the exceptional mare Anazeh’s Nijm 8090.
Her dam Farnasa was by *Nasik x *Farasin (making her a full sister to Farana), *Farasin being by Rasim x *Ferda. The sire of Anazeh’s Nijm was Alert 4301 by Rabiyas x *Iwonka III.
Alla Skowronek 4530 (Alla Amarward x Joanna, sister of Abu Farwa) was also used at times, a bright and handsome stallion and a good sire.
I think about some of the original Skyline Arabians and their descendants but space forbids my mentioning more than a very few, so those I mention will be at random and with apology for those not included.
Abu Farwa’s Rawia 5203 (Abu Farwa x Ghaziniga), a capacious mare and good all over, was a fine broodmare and performance mare. GBE called her the “Queen of Diamonds” for she had three evenly spaced diamond markings from forehead to nose, along with a bright chestnut coat and light mane and tail.
Abu’s Rissletta 6757 was an extraordinary mare of quality and size and light, free movement. She was by Abu Farwa x Alleyna.
The two Gezan daughters were important indeed to the Skyline plan. They were the quality grey Nadir 5464 x Bint Sedjur of broodmare fame, and Raseynette 7573, a chestnut of almost purple plum tint in some seasons and a daughter of Bakmal 961.
Wafa El Shammar 6406 (Cavalier x the Abu Farwa daughter Shama) was certainly of great importance to many breeders, even down to this date. Her head was extreme and the width of the forehead was reminiscent of Abu Farwa himself. She crossed extra well with the Antezeyn Skowronek line and equally well with Ferseyn’s Rasim.
The grey Rifala Lami 9391 (Geym x Maatiga) and the chestnut Kareyma Bint Helwa 13509 (Abu Kabir x Rukha) were both mares of quality and bred down accordingly, Rifala Lami especially in the Northwest and Canada and Kareyma Bint Helwa in the Midwest.
I must include Taffy 5325 by Ferseyn x Taliti, a mare of great perfection, excellent movement and action, the trot high, extended and light. Her head was extreme – the muzzle, nostrils, and all. Some seasons her chestnut color was so dark she seemed almost black.
And Joseyna, yes, 9437 (Ferseyn x Joanna), a grey of great lightness and beauty of movement – those pasterns. I can think of her only as a butterfly.
This sparse comment about the Cummings’ Skyline Arabians only suggests the dissemination of their descendants and their fine contributions during the past almost half century.
It bespeaks a treasure and a vision and the effort that was Skyline. May the descendants of the original Skyline Arabians on hand at this 1996 Preservation Breeding Symposium be thought of as a living tribute.
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