SIRE LINE–URSUS
DESPITE HIS ALLEGEDLY ENORMOUS PURCHASE PRICE, THE STALLION URSUS WAS BARELY USED BY THE SPANISH GOVERNMENT. IT WAS ONLY AFTER HE HAD BEEN DISCARDED IN HIS OLD AGE THAT HE WENT ON TO FOUND ONE OF THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT SIRE LINES OF SPAIN.
The second great sire line of Spain besides Seanderich DB (see Arabian Horse World's September 2019 issue) actually originated in Poland, at the Bialocerkiew Stud of the Counts Branicki. From this same stud, the stallion Van Dyck had already been imported to Spain in 1908. While Van Dyck was very influential through his daughters, he left no sire line of his own. Ursus, who was imported four years later in 1912, was more successful in this respect.
Strictly speaking, this line should be named after his sire, who was the original desert import. However, this horse is difficult to pin down, beginning with the proper spelling of his name. Various sources list him as Dagman Amirch, Dagman Umir, Dagman Emir or (in Spain) Dahman Amir. No pictures of him exist, but at least we have an eye witness description from 1909, quoted by Britta Fahlgren in : “He was black, foaled in 1897 and bought three years ago from the wellknown amateur breeder of Oriental horses, Mr Abramovich of Sachny … This stallion is small but has
