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Reference Sire Kann
Denouste x Kita (Mourgadek)
Sire of Krona (dam of Taktika)



Excerpts from articles with reference to Kann:

Brown Edwards, Gladys and Parkinson, Mary Jane. "Sires of Significance". Arabian Horse World November 1981. Jay Shuler Co., Inc., Palo Alto, California. pg. 136.

"KANN

KANN, as the first stallion imported after founding of the new Arabian breeding program in Russia shortly after World War I, has the honor of being the foundation sire even though new sire lines were introduced in the following years. He was a chestnut, foaled in 1927 in France and purchased by Russia in 1930 together with six mares. KANN's name can be found in most Russian Arabian pedigrees, and his influence, despite the fifty-year interval, can still be seen as to correctness of basic conformation, excellence of legs with flat bone and large hocks. He was nevertheless plain by modern standards, lacking such facets of Arab type as a "classic" head, arched neck and level croup. Nevertheless, he was an infinitely better horse than most of the early-day Arabians which were equally close to desert breeding and which often displayed every type of leg fault as well as peculiarities of body conformation. His measurements were 156-180-19, so, at almost 15.2, he was a fraction of an inch taller than ASWAN but much deeper through the heart.

KANN (Cannes) was sired by DENOUSTE, a son of the desert-bred Hamdani-Simri stallion LATIF. This blood was introduced to America in 1922 by *KOLA, a daughter of LATIF, and she produced FATH, best known as the dam of ALYF, a stallion shown in the Kellogg exhibitions under saddle and in harness. He was naturally five-gaited but since RABIYAS filled that niche and a good three-gaited horse was needed, his inclination to "gait" was trained out. DENOUSTE was out of DZAIMA who was by KURI, a desert-bred Abeyan-Sherrak, but his second dam had a pedigree going back to the first quarter of the 19th century. Yet even that line has plenty of desert-breds listed. For instance, in DENOUSTE's fifth generation there is a Seglawi-Jedran, a Maneghi, a Kehilan and a Habdan. The rare Maneghi strain is that of BELLE PETITE, but her sire was a Seglawi Jedran and her material grandsire was a Kehilan Abu-Urkub, so the actual amount of Maneghi shown in the pedigree of KANN is 1/516 in the ninth generation. However, there could have been others of that strain in the ancestry of the other desert-breds - though obviously not in tail female - which would have upped the percentage. But this is true of all strains unreported in the background of desert-breds. The Maneghi strain is mentioned - as to miniscule amount - simply because KANN has been termed "a Maneghi" by certain strain-type advocates who know not whereof they speak.

KITA, the dam of KANN, was by MURGADEK, a desert-bred sired by a Shueyman-Sbah out of a Kehilet-Rodan. KANN's second dam, KEBIRA, was by SHAITAN, a desert-bred Kehilan Abu-Urkub, and the thrid dam was by KALIFA, by the desert-bred KERBELA. The latter's dam was variously spelled CASE or COSE, and her sire SHERIFF was a desert-bred by a Hamdani-Simri but whose dam was named, or called, "ABBEIAN-KEHILET," obviously the strains of sire and dam. This combining was also shown for the stallion "KOHEIL-HAMDANI," the desert-bred sire of NEKFA 1845 (dam of Case) who was out of MELEKA (Berck DB-Asfoura DB). Thus ASFOURA is the family founder, but since her strain was not recorded KANN has no strain either. She was foaled in Syria in 1825 and imported to France in 1831, where she remained at the famed Pompadour Stud until 1847, when she was sold. She had produced seven purebreds at that Stud, plus two Anglo-Arabs. Thus it is seen that although KANN's pedigree is short in some sectors due to use of desert-bred stallions, the tail female line had been in existence in France for a hundred years before the date he left for Russia.

The data on ASFURA was furnished by Erika Schiele, author of several valuable books on Arabians, and she had studied the original records in France of these long-ago imports. She found this about three stallions mentioned in KANN's pedigree:

'KERBELA D.B. Grey born 1849 in Arabia. 150 cm. Came to Pau on 28-12-1853 through Mr. Petiniand, was used as stallion at Pau from 1854 to 1858, then transferred to the National Stud Farm Pompadour, returned to Pau in 1863, where he remained as a stallion until 1870. He died on 12-7-1870. He was a very precious stallion.

'KOHEIL-HAMDANI D.B. Born 1832 in Arabia. Came to Pau on 8-3-1844, where he remained as a stallion until 1853, then mustered out.

'BERCK D.B. Born 1814 in Arabia. Reddish bay, 153 cm. Arrived at Pau on 4-11-1828 from Cluny, remained at Pau until 12-11-1834.'

(The dating is European, which gives the day first, then the month and year.)

As might be expected, this sire line was noted for superior athletic ability, that aspect having been featured in France for generations, especially in racing. Poland too had imported Arabs bred in France to intensify this talent when racing of Arabs was introduced there in the late '20s. France has long been celebrated for her magnificent Anglo-Arabs, and it is not surprising that desert-bred stock of best conformation and soundness was selected rather than 'pretty ponies' which may have been typier but less well built. Landy Anne Blunt and other authorities had made several references to desert-breds which 'resembled the English horse,' i.e., the Thoroughbred, noting that many Kehilan-Ajuz especially had this look, and apparently the French chose desert-breds of this type, whatever the strain. Such selection, however, gained the French-bred Arabians the reputation for being racey, both in conformation and performance. KANN is a typical product of the original French purebred Arab breeding program. Later, as in Russia, more emphasis was placed on type, but without overlooking the value of correct basic conformation and sound underpinning. Referring back to Anglo-Arabs, the first French-bred of this breed I had seen was the spectacular TAINE, winner of the Individual Dressage Test in the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles. He gave new meaning to 'Anglo-Arab,' and full aprreciation. Several others in the equestrian events were Anglo-Arab also, as has been the case before and after that date."

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