The Lost War Horses of Cairo

by Grant Hayter-Menzies

  26. Spooner, For Love of Horses, 109.

  27. Spooner, For Love of Horses, 94–95.

  28. Spooner, For Love of Horses, 95.

  29. Spooner, For Love of Horses, 96.

  30. Quran 17:33.

  31. Spooner, For Love of Horses, 96.

  8. World War

  1. Dr. Mohammed Abd-Elhay, “Autumn,” published in One Side Life, Higher Council of Culture—first book project, Egyptian Ministry of Culture, issue 1, 2010.

  2. Gandhi, quoted in von Tunzelmann, Indian Summer, 16.

  3. S. Searight, Oasis, 44.

  4. Spooner, For Love of Horses, 86.

  5. Hodgkins is listed as a lieutenant colonel on retired pay in The Half-Yearly Army List (July–December 1940), 877, London, January 1941.

  6. S. Searight, Oasis, 22–23.

  7. Spooner, For Love of Horses, 87.

  8. S. Searight, Oasis, 23, 26.

  9. S. Searight, Oasis, 23; Richard Searight, email message to author, September 4, 2016.

  10. Mohammed Abd-Elhay, email message to author, April 3, 2015.

  11. Abd-Elhay to author, April 3, 2015.

  12. Yasmine El-Rashidi, “Brigadier Hassan Sami: An Equine Psychology,” Al-Ahram Weekly On-line, no. 648 (July 24–30, 2003), http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/Archive/2003/648/profile.htm (accessed September 5, 2016); Nesbit, Singing to Donkeys, 18–19.

  13. S. Searight, Oasis, 27. Note: the Transjordanian Frontier Force was formed in 1926 to guard the boarder of the Emirate of Transjordan. It was disbanded in 1948.

  14. S. Searight, Oasis, 27.

  15. S. Searight, Oasis, 27.

  16. A. Cooper, Cairo in the War, 195.

  17. A. Cooper, Cairo in the War, 201.

  18. S. Searight, Oasis, 26.

  19. Spooner, For Love of Horses, 90.

  20. Spooner, For Love of Horses, 87.

  21. S. Searight, Oasis, 27.

  22. J. Cooper, Animals in War, 66.

  23. J. Cooper, Animals in War, 68–69.

  24. J. Cooper, Animals in War, 135.

  25. J. Cooper, Animals in War, 139.

  26. S. Searight, Oasis, 25.

  27. Spooner, For Love of Horses, 93.

  28. Spooner, For Love of Horses, 92–93.

  29. Spooner, For Love of Horses, 93.

  30. Spooner, For Love of Horses, 88, 97.

  31. S. Searight, Oasis, 28–29.

  32. Taylor Smith, Speaking of Palm Trees, 49.

  33. Taylor Smith, Speaking of Palm Trees, 23.

  34. Taylor Smith, Speaking of Palm Trees, 23.

  35. Taylor Smith, Speaking of Palm Trees, 24.

  36. Taylor Smith, Speaking of Palm Trees, 136.

  37. Spooner, For Love of Horses, 99.

  9. Their Portion Is Gardens

  1. Taylor Smith, Speaking of Palm Trees, 15–16.

  2. Taylor Smith, Speaking of Palm Trees, 15–16.

  3. Taylor Smith, Speaking of Palm Trees, 15–16.

  4. A. Cooper, Cairo in the War, 336.

  5. A. Cooper, Cairo in the War, 343.

  6. S. Searight, Oasis, 29.

  7. Sayed Mahmoud, “Egypt’s First President Mohamed Naguib: Homeless Forever,” Ahram Online, October 13, 2012, http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/0/55309/Heritage/Egypts-first-president-Mohamed-Naguib-Homeless-for.aspx (accessed September 5, 2016).

  8. S. Searight, Oasis, 28, 29–30.

  9. Spooner, For Love of Horses, 90–91.

  10. Spooner, For Love of Horses, 90–91.

  11. Spooner, For Love of Horses, 100.

  12. Spooner, For Love of Horses, 100.

  13. Spooner, For Love of Horses, 101–2. Kathleen Taylor Smith also served as vice-chairman for SPANA.

  14. S. Searight, Oasis, 29.

  15. Spooner, For Love of Horses, 102.

  16. Spooner, For Love of Horses, 107.

  17. Spooner, For Love of Horses, 103.

  18. Spooner, For Love of Horses, 104.

  19. S. Searight, Oasis, 29.

  20. Spooner, For Love of Horses, 104.

  21. Spooner, For Love of Horses, 106.

  22. Spooner, For Love of Horses, 106.

  23. Quran, 2:25.

  24. Spooner, For Love of Horses, 111.

  25. Spooner, For Love of Horses, 111.

  26. Sam Webb, “Caught in the Crossfire: Tragic Plight of Terrified Animals at Gaza Zoo Left to Fend for Themselves amid the Shelling,” Daily Mail, August 17, 2014, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2727169/Caught-crossfire-Hundreds-animals-trapped-dilapidated-Gaza-zoo-weeks-Israeli-shelling.html (accessed September 5, 2016); Louise Hastie, email message to author, January 16, 2016. This zoo, known as Khan Younis Zoo, is finally being shut down as of autumn 2016 and the animals taken to sanctuary, thanks to the efforts of Four Paws. See Alex Wheeler, “Gaza: ‘Worst Zoo in the World’ Closes after Charity Rescues Last 15 Animals,” International Business Times, August 24, 2016, http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/gaza-worst-zoo-world-closes-after-charity-rescues-last-15-animals-1577839 (accessed September 5, 2016).

  27. Jillian Kay Melchoir, “Ukraine’s Animal Victims,” National Review (New York), April 17, 2014, http://www.nationalreview.com/article/375933/ukraines-animal-victims-jillian-kay-melchior (accessed September 5, 2016).

  28. “is Threat to Syria’s Northern Bald Ibis near Palmyra,” BBC News, May 25, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-32872350 (accessed September 5, 2016).

  29. S. Searight, Oasis, 31.

  30. Spooner, For Love of Horses, 108.

  31. Ann Searight, email message to author, May 8, 2015. Ann Searight served as Brooke Trustee from 1979 to 2011 and as honorary vice-president in 2014.

  32. S. Searight, Oasis, 29.

  33. S. Searight, Oasis, 34–35.

  34. Mohammed Abd-Elhay, email message to author, May 23, 2015.

  35. S. Searight, Oasis, 34–35.

  36. S. Searight, Oasis, 35.

  37. Petra Sidhom, email message to author, June 6, 2015.

  38. El-Rashidi, “Brigadier Hassan Sami.”

  39. S. Searight, Oasis, 38.

  40. Richard Searight, email message to author, September 4, 2016.

  41. Nesbit, Singing to Donkeys, 30; Richard Searight, email message to author, September 4, 2016. In 1986 Searight produced a film titled The Street of the English Lady, dealing with the Brooke Hospital for Animals and its history. The 40 Minutes BBC 2 documentary was not a Brooke venture, but Searight’s film did influence the BBC to take on what became “Cairo Vets.”

  42. R. Searight to author, September 4, 2016.

  43. “Cairo Vets,” 40 Minutes, BBC TV, February 9, 1989; Fady Lahib, “The Brooke Hospital…A Brilliant History in Treating Sick Animals,” Watani (Cairo), December 15, 2011, http://en.wataninet.com/archive-articles/the-brooke-hospital-a-brilliant-history-in-treating-sick-animals/8786/ (accessed September 5, 2016).

  44. Dr. Graham Munroe, email message to author, August 20, 2016. Dr. Munroe qualified from Bristol Veterinary School (1979) and then took his Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons’ certificates in equine orthopedics and equine stud medicine. He was in charge of the equine surgical and reproduction referral service at the University of Glasgow veterinary school, by which he was awarded a PhD (1994) for his research into equine neonatal ophthalmology, in which he also was awarded the RCVS fellowship.

  45. R. Searight to author, September 4, 2016.

  46. Loretz, “Animal Victims,” 221–22.

  47. S. Searight, Oasis, 40–41. In 2001 U.S.-led air bombings of Taliban bases in Afghanistan led to a refugee crisis for both animals and humans. BBC News reported in December that the refugee camps in Peshawar and Quetta were filled with as many suffering horses and donkeys as people, starved and galled with untreated wounds. Had it not been for Brooke’s mobile clinics in the region, these animals would not have received treatment, many would have died, and their owners would have had no way to keep their families alive. Education for owners and veterinary help for the anima
ls resulted in a win-win solution. As Richard Searight told reporter Ceri Jackson, “This is one of the most important ways of helping the people who have become victims of this war.” See Jackson, “Equine Aid Agency’s War Effort,” BBC News, December 28, 2001, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/1731789.stm (accessed September 5, 2016).

  48. Haroon Siddique, Paul Owen, and Adam Gabbatt, “Protests in Egypt and Unrest in Middle East—As It Happened,” Guardian News Blog, January 25, 2011, http://www.theguardian.com/global/blog/2011/jan/25/middleeast-tunisia#block-32 (accessed September 5, 2016).

  49. “Mubarak Supporters Strike Back,” Al Jazeera, February 2, 2011, http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2011/02/20112315345153370.html (accessed September 5, 2016).

  50. Andrea Sachs and Mackenzie Schmidt, “Cairo’s Cats Forgotten as Its Humans Rebel,” Time, February 12, 2011, http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2048792,00.html (accessed September 5, 2016).

  51. Soueif, Cairo, 108.

  52. Fran Jurga, “Brooke Hospital Continues to Treat Horses in Cairo; Charity Appalled at Use of Horses in Riots,” Jurga Report: Horse Health Headlines, February 3, 2011, http://equusmagazine.com/blog/brooke-hospital-continues-to-treat-horses-in-cairo-charity-appalled-at-use-of-horses-in-riots (accessed September 5, 2016).

  53. Mohammed Abd-Elhay, email message to author, May 23, 2015.

  54. Rick Dewsbury, “Innocent Casualties of Egypt’s Riots: Harrowing Images of the Horses Starving to Death as Tourists Stay Away,” Daily Mail, November 28, 2011, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1354928/Egypt-protests-Horses-starve-death-tourism-troubled-region-dwindles.html (accessed September 5, 2016); Dr. Ammr Mahmoud, email message to author, October 8, 2015.

  55. Abd-Elhay to author, May 23, 2015.

  56. Evans, “Shadow of Equus.”

  57. Mohammed Abd-Elhay, email message to author, May 24, 2015. One free veterinary service, Egypt Equine Aid, founded by Jill and Warren Barton in 2014, is working at the pyramids to alleviate the suffering of equines there and educate their owners in improved care. See the EEA website, http://www.egyptequineaid.org/about/.

  58. Dr. Ammr Mahmoud, email message to author, October 8, 2015; Evans, “Shadow of Equus.”

  59. Mahmoud to author, October 8, 2015; Petra Sidhom, email message to author, June 6, 2015.

  60. Sidhom to author, June 6, 2015.

  61. Sidhom to author, June 6, 2015.

  62. Sidhom to author, June 6, 2015. As of 2016, Article 45 has added to the language around protection of the environment and endangered animals a sentence, at the end, that the state commits to “prevention of cruelty to animals.” See Egypt’s Constitution of 2014, https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Egypt_2014.pdf (accessed September 9, 2016).

  63. Julien Toyer, Yara Bayoumy, and Kevin Liffey, “Egypt’s Sisi Says Parliamentary Election to Be Held before Year-End: El Mundo,” Reuters Canada, April 29, 2015, http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNews/idCAKBN0NK1B720150429 (accessed September 5, 2016). As reported by Alessandra Masi of the International Business Times, low turnout even among eligible Egyptian expats and a $60 fine for all eligible voters who did not cast a ballot made the much-anticipated election something of a nonstarter where reforms were concerned. See Masi, “Egyptian Election 2015: Low Turnout and Voter Indifference Makes Victory for President El-Sisi Inevitable,” International Business Times, October 29, 2015, http://www.ibtimes.com/egyptian-election-2015-low-turnout-voter-indifference-makes-victory-president-el-sisi-2161872 (accessed September 5, 2016).

  64. Sidhom to author, June 6, 2015.

  65. Karenga, Maat, the Moral Ideal, 74–75.

  66. Spooner, For Love of Horses, 111.

  Epilogue

  1. Book of Poems for the Blue Cross Fund, 8.

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