Simply Seductive & Dance Diva
Exciting times are ahead for Silver Maple Farm as we move into the third generation of our breeding program. Our philosophy continues to embrace linebreeding to strengthen certain characteristics, then carefully outcrossing, with the foremost attention given to the dam lines. The lovely chestnut mare Simply Seductive was sired by Raquin RA who is by the *Morafic son, The Egyptian Prince and out of the Ibn Moniet El Nefous daughter AK Zafira. Simply Seductive’s dam is Antigua Dance, a daughter of the Shaikh Al Badi son, Ruminaja Bahat. Antigua Dance’s dam is the Ansata Shah Zaman daughter, Talyla. We deeply appreciated Simply Seductive’s heritage and she was selected for our program with those ideas in mind.
Henry and I fist saw Simply Seductive as a two-year-old at the Egyptian Event. We were smitten! We quickly checked to see who had bred her and as it turned out, it was our good friend Janice Bush. We loudly congratulated Janice for breeding such a beautiful filly and silently committed to ourselves to watch as this filly progressed. Simply Seductive or “Sophie,” had many of the qualities that we admire and strive to breed for in our own program. We wanted to see how she matured and if she would retain her balance, refinement and beauty. If she did, then perhaps we would consider adding her bloodlines to our breeding program in some way, most likely through her sire or her dam. Talk about thinking ahead! This all transpired between Henry and I over a quick lunch at the Patron’s lounge. Sophie had won our hearts even before she won her ribbons.
Within a year Janice, Henry and I formed a partnership on Sophie. As a three-year-old, she was shown and won the title of Region XI Champion Mare handled by Andy Selman of Gallun Farms. It may be affirming for some to win a ribbon at a horse show – and it really is wonderful. However, more important to us is the fact that Sophie represented phenotypically and genotypically, what we were looking for to expand the straight Egyptian bloodlines of our program. Heartbreakingly, Sophie foundered on her way to the U. S. Nationals where she was to have been shown in open mare competition. Sophie came through the founder, but the consensus is that she could not carry a foal. So, we hope to be able to have her bred for an embryo transfer.
It is my opinion that Sophie is the most beautiful Egyptian Arabian mare I have ever seen and has a wonderful personality. She is always happy to greet her humans and visit the other mares with their foals. She is allowed to freely wander the farm as her condition dictates. Her breeder, Janice Bush of Somerset Farm continues to be our partner with this very special mare.
Janice knew how badly we felt about Simply Seductive and so when her full sister, Dance Diva, became available, she let us know. We immediately chose to purchase “Lily” who is now a lovely, six- years-old grey mare. We had her bred to *Simeon Shai and on April, 4, 2005, Dance Diva produced a grey filly. We have not had the chance to see this filly yet, but Janice assures us that we won’t be disappointed.
Together, these mares, represent yet another family we are developing and are the next step for our program. By crossing them with our stallion, *Simeon Shai, we hope to perpetuate the Hadban Enzahi strain which they all represent.
