employ, were constantly searching for quality breeding horses, and the farm’s stock was not exclusively straight Egyptian.

In an interview years later, Doug Marshall stated what many horse breeders have found to be true: “We started out looking for a horse to ride, but after you have that first foal, you’re on your way!”

Gleannloch continued to develop as an Arabian breeding and showing farm, and in 1959, a young Tom and Rhita McNair arrived in Texas from Virginia to take the reins as trainers at Gleannloch. The pair proved to be quite successful, and in no more than a year’s time, Gleannloch’s horses, especially a talented California bred stallion named Surf, were making quite an impression in the show ring.

With Tom aboard, Surf won many competitions during his career at Gleannloch including honors as AHSA (American Horse Shows Association) “Horse of the Year” in both 1961 and 1962. Surf was Gleannloch’s first star-quality horse.

During this era, the Marshall’s sons Doug Jr. and Hugh were also representing the farm – and winning – in the show ring.

THE ASCENSION

As the farm’s successes multiplied, so did its infrastructure. In the beginning there were only five stalls on Gleannloch's property. In 1960, a ten-stall barn was constructed. In 1965, an extravagant 28-stall barn with an attached indoor arena was built.

This new arena was rivaled in opulence only by the facilities of moneyed race-horse families of Kentucky. It had laminated wood beams and a mirrored wall for use as a training aid while riding. There were glass-fronted cases jam-packed with silver trophies and other awards. And one day, above it all, would hang a portrait of the farm’s future legend, the stallion *Morafic.

Celebrities in the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo often rode Gleannloch Farms horses. Wayne Newton (who is now an Arabian breeder in his own right) and Dale Evans rode Surf in the rodeo, and Actor Michael Ansara, who starred as Cochise on the popular “Broken Arrow” television series (1956-60), once performed a spectacular act (in which he shot flaming arrows) astride *Moftakhar.

It was during the early 1960s, as the reputation of Gleannloch Farms burgeoned, that famous and influential people from around the globe began visiting the Marshalls. Some were heads of state such as King Hassan II of Morocco (who purchased Gleannloch horses), King Hussein and Queen Noor of Jordan, the King of Zambia, and President Anwar Sadat of Egypt – whose visit warranted the temporary closure of Interstate Highway 45.

Other notable guests included a large number of Arab Trade Commission delegates and Ladybird Johnson. Entertainment for these affairs varied greatly and ranged from the cultural, such as the Coushatta Indians and straight-shooter Joe Bowman, to the gilded, such as commissioned performances by the Houston Symphony and the Houston Jazz Ballet (the latter then directed by Patsy Swayze, mother of actor Patrick Swayze).

Many celebrities have purchased Gleannloch Farms horses over the years including Kenny Rogers, Kareem Abdul Jabar, Wayne Newton, and Patrick Swayze.

Though they would eventually specialize in the rare Egyptian strains, the Marshalls looked at horses in Jordan, Syria, and Iraq as well. As Margaret Marshall put it, “Before we fully decided on the Egyptian, we went all over.”

Horse importation was a difficult process. In 1961, while bringing over newly acquired stock from the Middle East by boat, the horses were quarantined in New York because of the African Horse Sickness plague, and then unexpectedly sent back for seven months. This extended period of time at sea coupled with poor nutrition resulted in the permanent stunting of two young mares in the shipment.

Setbacks such as these didn’t deter the Marshalls, however. Over the next 30 years, they imported more than 60 straight Egyptian Arabians.

In 1964, Tom and Rhita McNair were invited to accompany the Marshalls to Egypt to visit the Egyptian Agricultural Organization’s (E.A.O.’s) prestigious El Zahraa Stud (a farm dedicated to the breeding of horses) on a month-long purchasing trip. This proved to be a pivotal time in all of their lives, for it was on this trip that they discovered the phenomenal stallion destined to become the foundation sire of the Gleannloch Farms breeding program, *Morafic.

Foaled in 1956, *Morafic had initially been considered for a racing career. Due to a neck injury as a colt, the E.A.O. decided to breed him instead, and he eventually became their leading sire.

Within the Egyptian government, political and financial support for the E.A.O. was at a lowpoint. When the Marshalls and McNairs first saw *Morafic he was unpolished and underweight, but they knew they were looking at something special. The gray stallion’s prepotency was evident in viewing his sons and daughters, and the serendipitous decision was made to buy him, forever altering the genetic makeup of the Egyptian Arabian breeding program in the United States.

Back in the states, *Morafic was initially made available to the public for breeding for a sum of $1,000 before Gleannloch increased his stud fee to the unprecedented sum of $5,000 until 1967. Thereafter, he was bred exclusively to Gleannloch’s mares.

At this time, in addition to the newly acquired Egyptian imports, Gleannloch also had English, Spanish, and Polish bred horses in their growing herd. Each spring, the Egyptian bred foals stood out in contrast to the rest of the foal crop.  Although all the foals were of exceptional quality, the Egyptians had more classic Arabian type than the other bloodlines.

The Gleannloch Farm name continued to gain fame in the show ring. *Morafic was shown to a limited extent in 1966, but because of stress induced by the hardships of the show circuit, he lost a considerable amount of weight. He still managed to win some championships, and was recognized as a “Living Legend” at the National Show in 1969. Also, Arabian Horse World Magazine declared him a “Sire of Significance.”

His progeny hit the show circuit with a splash! For example, *Nahlah, *Morafic daughter, won U.S. Reserve National Champion Mare in 1967 and was ultimately awarded six U.S. Top Ten awards.

In spite of Gleannloch’s tremendous success up until that point, the Marshalls decided in 1968 that it was time for a radical change. They had such strong convictions about the prepotency of the straight Egyptian bloodlines possessed by the horses that they had imported, that they elected to liquidate all stock with non-Egyptian blood. This gave rise to the historic “Sale of Champions” on May 18, 1968 at Gleannloch, which even included the sale of the legendary champion Surf and other great horses. Surf sold for $25,000, which broke the industry record for the sale of an Arabian stallion at that time. It was an extremely emotional time for both the Marshalls and McNairs.

Next came the golden era of Gleannloch’s performance superstar, *Sakr. Foaled on New Year’s Day, 1968 in Egypt, the Marshalls purchased him after he had already been imported. Rhita recalls showing him at halter at the State Fair in Dallas as an “animated” two-year old in 1970. Although quite a handful, “Sakr’s fiery antics must have caught the judge’s eye,” Rhita said, “for he won Grand Champion Stallion and Most Classic Arabian.”

*Sakr, a *Morafic grandson on his mother’s side, was best known for his ability in “park horse” class, which showcases the Arabian horse’s natural ability to move with a springy, high-stepping trot in which the front feet appear to float above the ground. “*Sakr went undefeated in park horse classes for an entire year,” Rhita related. “He had tremendous athletic ability and was an absolutely electrifying performer. When he stepped into the ring, all eyes were fixed on him, especially once the announcer called for the park trot.”

*Sakr’s many fans would chant loudly, “Sic ‘em, *Sakr!” as he would steam by. *Sakr was

The hand gallop called for in the costume class is likened to the rolling gait of the canter, but faster and with a lengthened stride. The rules state specifically that it is to be “controlled,” and that “extreme or reckless speed (will) be penalized.” Yet those who saw Tom McNair riding *Sakr in native costume will remember, above all else, the pair blazing past the other exhibitors, traveling just shy of a full-tilt gallop. Such was the exciting nature of this performer that his bending of the rules was a law of nature, and if the judges had pinned any other horse with the blue, the crowds would have mutinied.

Tragically, in 1974 the Marshalls lost the fabled

*Morafic at the age of 18. He left the world having sired 151 purebred foals stateside and another 58 in Egypt. He remains the leading imported Egyptian sire of National winners and the all-time leading Egyptian sire of National winner producers.