Pedigree of Saracen Karim

Shaikh Al Badi	Morafic	Nazeer	Mansour
			Bint Samiha
		Mabrouka	Sid Abouhom
			Moniet El Nefous
	Bint Maisa El Saghira	Nazeer	Mansour
			Bint Samiha
		Maisa	Shahloul
			Zareefa
Ruminaja Ghalima	Ansata Ibn Halima	Nazeer	Mansour
			Bint Samiha
		Halima	Sheikh El Arab
			Ragia
	Ghalii Rifala	Ghalii	Nazeer
			Galila
		Aanada	Aaraf
			Aarita

Registered Purebred Progeny of Saracen Karim

Also Sire of Reilly NZL - Unregistered Arabian Endurance Gelding.

Obituary -- Saracen Karim

First published in The Press

(4 September 1997) One of New Zealand's premier show horses, the arabian stallion Saracen Karim, died on Monday at the age of 26. Saracen Karim was the first of the modern Egyptian-type arabians to be imported to this part of the world.

No-one could have foretold the impact he would have on future generations of the breed when he arrived from Canada as a youngster, more than 20 years ago. The horse was imported by the late Lester Marshall, of Holly Farm in Leeston. Saracen Karim's extreme arabian type took some getting used to by judges and breeders of the day.

Determined that the horse's talents should be fully appreciated, the late Mr Marshall and his son, David, polished the rough gem into a show-ring jewel. Karim and his entourage competed at most shows throughout New Zealand, and was unbeaten. Many people made special trips to their local shows just to see him.

As well as being the horse to beat in the show ring and breeding barns around New Zealand, Karim was also photographed for the White Horse Whisky advertisements. He was filmed for a British music video and Air New Zealand advertisements.

The horse also starred in an outdoor production of "The Three Musketeers", and numbered among his many fans and visitors actress Brigitte Bardot. He was an arabian of fairytale proportions, and was the silver-white steed ridden by the kings, with a waterfall of mane and tail.

When shown in arabian costume it was a sight straight from the Arabian Nights. Chas Couling is a firm admirer of Karim who announced at many open days at Holly Farm. He says one lasting memory of the stallion was his arrival in the show ring at Canterbury under spotlight, accompanied by the music of Beethoven.

"A silver vision burst into the ring with David running at his side," he says. "It was quite simply magic."

After the death of his owner, Karim stood at stud in Australia briefly before returning home to retirement. Despite the passage of time and some creaking joints, Karim showed the old magic was still there at his last appearance to visitors, at an open day in April.

The magic that was Saracen Karim will live on long after his passing in both the memories of those who knew him and his many descendants.