Sic 'em *Sakr

I read about the arrival of the horses from Egypt in The Arabian World (February 1969) and The Arabian Horse Journal (February 1969). I didn't see *Sakr though until the 1970 Texas State Fair where *Sakr won his first championship. It was a halter championship and a fitting beginning to the career of a great horse.

The next time I saw him was at a schooling show in Nacogdoches, Texas. It was just a show where you went so the kids, both horse and human, could learn how to handle themselves in the show ring. One young horse in particular stood out. It was three-year-old *Sakr. Although there was a rodeo going on one side of the ring and trains chugging past on the other he showed like the champion he was destined to become and won his class.

For the next decade, anytime *Sakr was showing anywhere I could travel to I was one of the many fans of the gray stallion on my feet, yelling, "Sic 'em, Sakr" when the gate opened and he swept into the ring with the big, bold trot that was so distinctively his.

*Sakr wasn't especially small for an Arabian, but his trainer/rider Tom McNair was a big man, Once *Sakr was under way though the man disappeared and all you saw was the stallion. This is something dressage riders strive for all their lives, to have the horse so completely overshadow them that those watching only see the horse. Horses like *Sakr make this happen by their very presence.

Tom McNair had a unique relationship with *Sakr. The trainer was known for developing many Arabian champions, but he and *Sakr had such a special relationship that in 1991 Douglas Marshall, *Sakr's owner, gave the stallion to Tom McNair.

That there was a special relationship between McNair and *Sakr is demonstrated by the story McNair and several others told about the day *Sakr was back with Tom. *Sakr was in a pen near the area where other horses were trained. Tom McNair entered a round pen that was completely enclosed with a young horse he was training. As soon as he spoke to the young horse *Sakr froze in place, ears pricked, attention focused on the solid wall that surrounded the round pen. The stallion never moved for the next twenty minutes according to those who were there. The stallion obviously remembered his partner from so many years before.

*Sakr spent the rest of his days with Tom McNair. One thing many of us remember is *Sakr as a grand old man walking quietly with small children on his back. Probably those children had no idea of the great privilege they were being allowed. *Sakr had a bit of a reputation of being a difficult horse to ride. He had his standards and it took someone of Tom McNair's caliber to meet them. Yet, he also knew when to turn off the attitude and carefully carry his young charges.

*Sakr only sired 105 purebred Arabian foals in his life, none of whom equaled his show record. However, they did rack up some impressive wins and some became outstanding sires and dams. *Sakr's first born son, Nabiel, was on the leading sire list for many years, siring over 125 champions, which included 12 National Champions in both halter and performance. (Arabian Legends by Marian K. Carpenter)

Tom McNair freely admits that he cried when *Sakr died June 3, 1997 at the age of 29. "It was one of the saddest days of my life." Tom McNair said. Tom himself passed on in 2006. (Houston Chronicle, May 2006)