stories from around the world, both past and present. In this issue, we pay tribute to the much-respected Daphne Cocksedge, a dedicated breeder sadly lost to the Crabbet community last year. From Tasmania, we bring you the inspiring story of a young rider making her mark in endurance, and Liz Archer begins the frst part of a fascinating deep dive into the history of Courthouse Stud. Caroline Sussex, Chair of the Arab Horse Society, refects on the vital importance of continuing to breed 100% Crabbet Arabians here in the UK—a country where, as in the USA, Crabbet numbers remain worryingly low.
Speaking of the USA, we were fortunate to travel over 4,500 miles across North America and Canada in just three and a half weeks, visiting a wonderful variety of Crabbet breeders. In this issue, we bring you a glimpse of that journey, with more to come in our summer edition. We’re also proud to share exciting news about The Plaister Charity for Crabbet Arabian Horses, the only organisation dedicated solely to the welfare, education, and breeding of Crabbet Arabians. The charity’s mission is to grow Crabbet numbers while encouraging and supporting the next generation of breeders and owners. We’re pleased to announce a formal collaboration between the charity and Crabbet Heritage, with Steering Group members Mark Tindall and Tanya Betts joining the Board of Trustees, alongside John Illingworth. We’ve already begun work on a number of promising initiatives for the future—and there’s much more news to come.
And of course, we’re busy preparing for our National Crabbet Arabian Show, taking place this July alongside the AHS National Show—a fantastic opportunity to showcase these remarkable horses. More on that in our next issue!
Mark, Natalie and Tanya Crabbet Heritage Steering Group
100% Crabbet Filly Magic Etta Mae AD (Magic Domino x Phantasia FA Arabian Dream Farm)
Crabbet Arabian Show held at Addington Equestrian Centre in the UK.
There will be more in depth study, news from North America and news from The Plaister Charity for Crabbet Arabians and news from around the world.
THANK YOU!
We are very grateful to the many contributors and proof readers without whose help we wouldn’t have been able to produce this publication.
Crabbet Heritage has taken care to ensure that content in this publication is accurate on the date of publication. The views expressed in the articles refect the author(s) opinions and are not necessarily the views of Crabbet Heritage. The published material, adverts, editorials and all other content is published in good faith. Crabbet Heritage cannot guarantee and accepts no liability for any loss or damage of any kind caused by this publication and errors and for the accuracy of claims made by the advertisers.
No reproduction, copying, image scanning, storing or recording by any means in any form nor broadcasting or transmission through any medium is permitted without the express permission of Crabbet Heritage.
COVER
PICTURE OF THIS ISSUE
Karen Madden on Marbon Mastarcraftsman a 100% Crabbet gelding, winner of the WAHO Trophy 2023.
COWBOY DRESSAGE
Pure Crabbet stallion Binley Prince Iqbal (imp. UK) competing at the Australian Cowboy Dressage Championships in Queensland, Australia
This exciting new style of horsemanship brings together the best of both the cowboy and the dressage worlds. Classical dressage has been practised for 500 years since the Spanish Riding School of Vienna (established in 1572) and before that, in the training of war horses
What is Cowboy Dressage?
The Californian Cowboy displays style and movement similar to the classic Vaquero (from the Spanish word vaca, meaning cow). Originating in the medieval Iberian Peninsula, Vaqueros came to America with the colonising Spanish in the 16th century and were well known for their skills in roping and cattle herding, riding long hours on half-wild horses, and chasing cattle over many miles of rough country in all kinds of weather.
Dressage horses execute beautiful movements in their competitions. In Cowboy Dressage, our horses become more versatile. They enjoy some dressage manoeuvres and can ride through rough country, chase a cow, wade through creeks and rivers, swing a rope, navigate obstacles, and run in wide open country if needed. This cross-training will surely improve the riding quality of our horses, and we will have fun doing it!
Cowboy Dressage takes us back into history to bring us forward into the future on a more versatile horse.
The Creator of Cowboy Dressage?
Israeli-born Eitan Beth-Halachemy’s fascination for horses began at a very young age. Following his mother’s funeral, a friendly sheriff set the fve-year-old Eitan on his horse. This set off his fascination and imagination with American cowboys. Later, while studying pre-veterinary medicine in Vienna, Eitan, a deep thinker and rider, admired the Spanish Riding School. He moved on to further his studies in California where he felt at home among the Vaquero, the forerunners of Western riding. Eitan embraced both horsemanship styles into his heart and life combining the best philosophies of each and so, in 1993 Eitan and his wife Debbie Beth-Halachmy, founded Cowboy Dressage.
Principles of Cowboy Dressage Soft Feel is the guiding principle of Cowboy
WORDS BY JEN HAWKINS
Dressage. It is a wordless, intimate and for some, spiritual communication within the partnership between horse and rider. Soft feel is not only sending messages but also having the sensitivity and awareness to feel and receive the message the horse sends back. The timing and use of the Release, Relaxation, Preparation and Execution are the fundamentals of Soft Feel.
We believe that to create the ultimate horse, we have to be the ultimate partner for that horse. By improving communication with the horse through soft feel, we aim to create a working partner who is soft, willing, capable, and able to take on any job on the ranch or in the arena. We honour the try in both the horse and the human. Since Soft Feel is the mission of Cowboy Dressage it will be scored with emphases on lightness, harmony, fnesse and partnership as a priority. Balance, cadence, carriage, control, and performance are additional areas the horse and rider are judged and scored. www. cowboydressageworld.com
Who is Cowboy Dressage For?
So why can’t riders of all ages, canter a pirouette, spin, rollback or piaffe in a western saddle? Why can’t we have organised competitions where riders of all ages and abilities compete at their level, increase their horsemanship skills, and improve the quality of their horses? Anyone can learn to do Cowboy Dressage if he or she is interested and willing. All breeds of horses and levels of riders are always welcome.
Founder of Cowboy Dressage, Eitan Beth-Halachemyalia
In Cowboy Dressage there are several areas of competition. In the frst category, Partnership on the Ground, the handler and horse are required to perform a series of moves in just half of the 20m x 40m court with the horse beside them online, responding to the rider’s energy. This is a wonderful opportunity to expose your young horse or unstarted horse or for the nervous or non-rider to have their training assessed.
Liberty has also been introduced in recent years into the Partnership on the Ground division. This is an exciting and challenging new way of performing your Cowboy Dressage tests in the 20m X 20m half-court, with your horse working beside you solely from your energy and
The Open Court category is when the horse and rider individually ride a Cowboy Dressage test in a 20m x 40m open court performing a series of moves executed at various markers or letters on the outside of the court. Each manoeuvre of the test is individually marked and
The Challenge Court. This category is ridden in the same Cowboy Dressage court with the addition of ground poles strategically placed inside the court to greatly improve not only the rider’s understanding of the Cowboy Dressage Court but the placement of the ground poles will enhance the rider’s ability to improve their horse. Riding the Cowboy Dressage tests, whether in your backyard or at a show, can help you train your horse!
Another category of Cowboy Dressage Competition is the Freestyle. This is ridden to the rider’s choice of music over a 4-minute time. The rider is free to do anything they like as long as they include a short list of required manoeuvres. In this, we see many manoeuvres not seen in other horse competitions. It is the ultimate expression of what the horse and rider have learned through their involvement with Cowboy Dressage.
The interest and enthusiasm in this new venture is unbelievable and Cowboy Dressage is here to stay.
“The appeal of Cowboy Dressage spans both classical and Western disciplines and brings ridersandcompetitorstogetherwithastyleofhorsemanshipandaphilosophythatisgood for the souls of both horse and rider.” - Ken Faulkner o
Above and below: Jen Hawkins and Binley Prince Iqbal PhotosthispageKerryHarvey
THE COURTHOUSE
Founded by Henry Vyvyan Musgrave Clark in 1910, it was often referred to as one of the big three studs of ‘Crabbet, Hanstead and Courthouse’ that dominated the show ring in the early to mid 20th century. It was also in existence for a very long time, the majority of the 20th Century.
• WORDS BY LIZ
ARCHER •
The stock were predominantly of Crabbet bloodlines combined with additional imports, such as Nimr and Fedaan, and another later Polish import, the bay mare Celina.
Usually known as Bill Clark, he frequently voiced his opinions, particularly on height, and if he liked a person would be incredibly loyal. He insisted that the Arabian horse should not exceed 15 hands, 14.2 being the ideal height, and even tried to persuade the Arab Horse Society to introduce a height limit, which caused a great deal of argument. His main criteria for breeding were blood, action, height and stamina. If a horse possessed these qualities the rest, including conformation would follow. A short head, large eyes, long
delicate ears, a full and gently sloping croup (necessary for stamina as opposed to the fashionable horizontal croup), and high carriage of a well set tail completed the picture. The relationship between the height, bone and ‘functionality’ of the horse was of great interest to him and he settled on eight inches of bone as his target. He held a lifelong interest in endurance riding, considering it to be the ideal test for an Arabian horse and he and his wife were key participants in the early endurance tests of the Arab Horse Society.
As well as his success as a breeder, he is important as one of the founders of the Arab Horse Society. Towards the end of the First World War there was just one class for Eastern sires at the Polo
STUD
Above left: Painting of Audrey Clark riding Belka on the downs
Above right: Mrs Audrey Clark on Belka, painting by Lucy Kemp Welch
Right: Belka with Bill Clark
Pony Society show at Islington. His friend D B Montefore, owner of Mootrub (sire of Shahzada) was a past president of the Polo Pony Society and a prominent breeder of polo ponies. Together they came to the conclusion, over one of their lunches, that forming a society for Arabians would be of beneft to the breed. Another factor was that up to that time Arabians were registered in the General Stud Book and there was talk of the stud book being closed to new imports. Consequently in the presence of four other people the Arab Horse Society was founded on 21st March 1918 at the Grosvenor Hotel
in London. Bill Clark would have liked Lady Anne Blunt to be the frst president but she had died the previous year so the honour was given to her husband Wilfrid Blunt. In 1919 the frst stud book was published.
Bill Clark was born in 1884 and his father’s family were horse dealers who came over to England in 1832. At the age of nineteen he travelled to America and spent a couple of years experiencing life on cattle ranches in Texas and New Mexico, where he learnt not just the relationship to be had between horse and rider, but something
of the rough and tough characters of the day. On his travels he met the likes of Pat Garrett, who killed the famous outlaw, Billy the Kid. He returned to England with memorabilia that included a bronze of a bucking horse, and a revolver which was brought out and shown off to visitors. Over the years he built up a very impressive collection of horse paintings and sculptures.
He had since an early age had a desire to breed horses and it was the Arabian that drew him. He was encouraged by Lady Anne Blunt, who gave him advice on both breeding Arabians and stud management. “If had not been for the great kindness shown to me by Lady Anne, I should never have had the beautiful horses I now possess, having always carried out the advice she gave me.”
The booklet ‘The Courthouse Arabian Stud’ by R S Summerhays says that the Blunts agreed with Bill Clark over height. Extracts from “Lady Anne Blunt: Journals and Correspondence” suggests otherwise and tells us a little of the early days of the Courthouse Stud. With regard to height Wilfrid did consider smaller sires to be the best but he did not rule out the taller ones and neither did Lady Anne. For example, she notes on 23rd June 1910 that the 15.2hh Rijm had arrived at Crabbet from Newbuildings. It was after the division of the stud and Lady Anne had paid £400 for him (part exchange in horses plus cash), a huge sum in those days. She was thrilled with him, declaring him magnifcent. Clearly not put off by his height.
On July 10th 1910 Lady Anne writes that Holman (stud groom at the time) “had received a visit from a Mr Clark this morning who talks
of buying a hack. He liked Mansur but doubts if a friend in whose stable the horse must be lodged would allow a stallion. Mr Clark can ride, he tried Mansur with saddle and bare-backed.” Bill Clark did buy Mansur on July 16th and told Lady Anne that if he turned out well he was thinking of buying a mare or two and breeding pure Arabians. “Good news!” Lady Anne wrote in her diary. Clark continued to make enquiries over the years and purchased more horses. Lady Anne wrote on June 30th 1914 “Letter received H. V. Clark who offers £60 for Belka! The price in the sale list is 100 guineas.” She was two years old at the time. The sale was eventually agreed and she went on to be probably his most infuential purchase from Crabbet. Ironically she was by Rijm, the horse condemned by Clark for being too tall. Her dam was Bereyda, a daughter of Ahmar and Bozra. Belka became famous for her feats of endurance, and did very well in the 300 mile tests organised by the Arab Horse Society,
Above: Skowronek at Courthouse
Right: Benjamin, a very successful show horse and infuential sire, St Simon being amongst his offspring
winning it in 1921. She was an excellent broodmare too, and her descendants include Belkis II, Betina, Benjamin, Boaz and perhaps the most beautiful of them all, the stallion Bahram.
In 1917 and 1918 Bill Clark acquired from Blunt the mares Feluka (Mesaoud out of Ferida) and another mare by Rijm, Nessima (out of Narghileh). He also had Daoud at Courthouse for a while, following an offer to Lady Anne to give him a home.
In 1920 Bill Clark married Audrey Thorn who used to train Army remounts in the First World War. She was a talented horsewoman and did the majority of the training. In 1935 they settled at Courthouse Farm, Offham, three miles from Lewes on the south coast. It was a beautifully situated stud with large paddocks covering over 100 acres backing onto the South Downs. The land was ideal for raising horses, especially with endurance in mind, with the climb up to downs and its springy turf. The stud itself was well protected from the south westerly winds.
A little must be written of Skowronek as he was in Clark’s ownership for a time. Bred at Antoniny in Poland by Count J Potocki in 1909 (1908 in the GSB and the original Potocki pedigree) and imported by Walter Winans, the sculptor, he was sold to Mr Webb-Ware who rode him as a hack during the war. After demobilisation Skowronek
Above: Fedaan (Rashad x Nejmah) was one of several imported horses used at the stud
Left: Samhan (Bahram x Sesame) at Courthouse
went to Courthouse and Bill Clark used him on a few mares. Lady Wentworth frst spotted Skowronek in March 1920 at the Islington Pony Show where he was second to Crosbie. He reminded her of the Abbas Pasha horses and he was grey, just what she’d been searching for for years. She asked Clark if she could buy him and he agreed but the price was very high. Not long this after an American offcer, by the name of Haydon, approached Bill Clark declaring that he had bought three mares from Crabbet Park and wished to start a stud in California. With great reluctance and apparently under pressure, Clark sold him Skowronek, at a considerably lower price than that offered direct to Lady Wentworth. Two weeks later, Skowronek was at Crabbet, where he spent the rest of his days. This did not go down well at all with the descendent of horse dealers.
As a peace offering, Lady Wentworth gave Audrey Clark the mare Safarjal (by Berk out of Somra) in foal to Rasim. The resulting foal was named Sainfoin, and he and Champurrado (by Irex out of Niseyra and bred by Lady Yule at Hanstead), had a tremendous infuence with the latter combining particularly well with the Courthouse mares. Lady Wentworth had a high opinion of Bill Clark’s judgement of Arabian type and would have liked to have used Fedaan and Nimr if they had been registered in the GSB, and if Bill Clark had let her. The stud
began to produce a consistently excellent, glamorous stamp of horse, impressing many with their compactness, excellent conformation and legs, beautiful heads with large eyes, and good bone.
Bill loved his horses to the point of over cosseting them, and the stallions in particular were often overweight. He would rise at 4:30am and feed them before travelling to London for work. On returning at the end of the day he would visit the stables and give them treats. He did not breed many, did not willingly part with them, and would only reluctantly let a few people send mares to his stallions. The horses trace back quickly to the original foundation stock as neither mares nor stallions were bred from at an early age. On a visit to Courthouse my mother enquired what progeny a stallion had produced (from memory, I think the horse was eight) to be told “he’s far too young”. Benjamin had to wait until he was 18!
The stallions at Courthouse were not at public stud and as he was reluctant to sell horses unless at a very high price, so access to the bloodlines was diffcult. Lady May Abel-Smith was allowed to send mares, and so through the Barton Lodge Stud other smaller breeders could acquire horses carrying Courthouse bloodlines. Lady Anne Lytton got to use Champurrado and bred the very beautiful mare Sahirah of the Storm out of Mellawieh. He very reluctantly let the Biddesden Stud send a couple of mares. On one occasion it required the purchase of an Aberdeen Angus bull! It was worth it as the result was Calliope by Benjamin out of Coppelia.
Pat and Joanna Maxwell of Lodge Farm Arabian Stud assisted in the sale of St Simon (by Benjamin out of Sabrina) to Brazil. After negotiations were complete the fnal price was reputed to be
£45,000, a very high price for those days. Part of the arrangement was that St Simon could spend a couple of months at Lodge Farm before travelling to Brazil and consequently both the Maxwells and a few other breeders were able to send mares to him.
On Bill Clark’s death the stud was inherited by his son, Derek, who bred some foals and leased Shabako (by Shammar out of Somra II) to the Biddesden Stud, but he was struggling to continue the stud and eventually the remaining horses were sold as a block to France. There they were in high demand for endurance with one of the original stallions Ramoth (by Shammar out of Rosa Maria) considered one of the best ever endurance sires in France. The inbred Siroco Courthouse was born in France sired by Saltram (by Samhan out of Sceptre) out of Signorinetta (by Samhan out of Rosemary), and he too sired successful endurance horses.
There is no doubt that Bill Clark had a very clear idea of what he considered to be a true type for the Arabian horse and possessed the eye and knowledge to breed horses consistently to that type. His horses excelled in both the show ring and endurance, proving that they had both beauty and ability. Bahram was considered close to perfection, and Celina, Benjamin and Shammar also won the highest accolades in the showring. Sainfoin was also greatly admired, and won championships in the show ring both in hand and under saddle, and he showed that he had speed as he won and came second on the racetrack in the early days of Arab Racing. To this day Courthouse descendants show their worth in endurance rides, for example, Magdy (by Spearmint out of Magnetika) is a regular member of the GB Endurance team. o Part two will feature in the next issue.
Shammar (Champurrado x Somra II) at Courthouse
Inshallah Arabians
Words by Larry and Marillyn O’Dea
Our mutual love of the Arabian horse brought us together over ffty years ago. We both felt strongly that the Arabian must have the conformation and temperament to compete
in halter and importantly under saddle. We found that the best way to achieve our goals was with the use of Crabbet bred horses
We bred some high percentage Crabbet horses who competed well in open company and major Arabian shows.
Inshallah Solitaire (Makehl x Burrendong Kadine) Herself, a multi champion at halter and under saddle. A prolifc broodmare, producing Maestro, Contessa, Pirhouette, all by Crenel and Sentinel by Tommie. All of these horses gained multiple championships in the showring and dressage arena.
Inshallah Prelude (Crenel x Marengo Filatova) also did extremely well.
A Pure Crabbet stallion retained for our use is Crenel (Baz x Chiffon) a beautiful example of the Rakib line. He arrived when he was sixteen and died with us aged twenty eight.
A lovely stallion who certainly made his mark with our mares. Just a few notable ones, Inshallah Impulse out of Fenwick Raahil; Inshallah Signature (exp GB) out of Inshallah
Tranquillity, Royal Doulton, out of Al Borg Amtal, bred and owned by W Westerside, a truly stunning mare.
A Crenel stallion of special note was Inshallah Silver Echo, out of Dandaloo Sissi.
A lovely stallion we retained and who bred well including the eye-catching stallion Inshallah Colorado (exp NZ) out of Inshallah Indiana and Inshallah Sweet Essence, out of Inshallah Silver Elysian, a truly beautiful mare retained by us. Sadly Echo died young from colic.
Another stallion by Crenel would feel to be the best stallion we have ever bred is Inshallah Silver Salute, out of Fanfaronade. A stunning stallion, once seen never forgotten. Owned and loved by Doug Avery.
Above: Inshallah Inspiration (Tommie x Inshallah Impulse), owned by Ricky Carver and Carlie Beer
Right: Inshallah Signature (exp GB) (Crenel X Inshallah Tranquillity), owned by Anne Brown
Clockwise from above: Tommie (Banderol x Briolette); Inshallah Independence (Monarch Lodge Ambition x Inshallah Silver Elysium), owned by Rodney Rouse; Inshallah Impression (Tommie x Inshallah Impulse (by Crenel); Inshallah Echo’s Rose (exp NZ) (Inshallah Silver Echo x Fenwick Rene)
Monarch Lodge Ambition (Tommie x Pevensey Raisa ) was last son of Tommie. He was bought from Tania Matheson and is a very correct bay stallion who bred well over our mares. Notably, Inshallah Imperial Bay, out of Inshallah Impression who is now owned by Nicole Emmanuel and Nicky Ellen Sample doing well in halter and under saddle.
Our frst Pure Crabbet mares were Fenwick Raahil (Fabulous x Renura) and Fenwick Persahri (Silver Spot x Perfection) and both bred on well. F Raahil produced Inshallah Impulse by Crenel and our stunning mare Inshallah Silver Elysian by Tommie. Fenwick Persahri produced Inshallah Silver Image by Crenel Retained and bred to our Crenel stallion Inshallah Silver Echo for a beautiful exotic flly Inshallah Golden Image, also
retained. We then acquired Fenwick Rene (Greylight x Renura) and Royal Desire (Crenel x Al Borg Amtal) from Wendy Westerside. Both of these mares bred on well.
Royal Desire produced Inshallah Reality by Tommie. He was a small horse with a big heart. Owned and shown by Ricky and Carlie Carver he was twice awarded Arabian Saddle Horse of the year by the AHSA. Also out of Desire was the beautiful bay mare Inshallah Request by Tommie, owned, loved and shown to multiple championships by Tania Matheson. Three of Desire’s stallions by Tommie went into endurance studs and another of her fllies, Inshallah Rendezvous, was exported to Canada.
Inshallah Signature (exp GB) (Crenel x Inshallah Tranquillity) a beautiful bay mare now owned by Anne Brown. Inshallah
Impulse, by Crenel bred on extremely well. Notably the wonderful bay mare Inshallah Impression, by Tommie, still with us, was a showring diva, winning championships and supremes at many top shows and also a top broodmare. Also Inshallah Indiana (exp NZ) by Tommie, a very tall striking chestnut with huge movement.
Another Pure Crabbet mare we loved was Fenwick Rene (Greylight x Renura), a lovely mare who bred well for us including the multi champion Inshallah Riverdance by Tommie. Since retiring and moving up to Congewai in the Lower Hunter Valley we now only breed one or two foals a year. We currently coown Meadow View Silver Spectre (Fenwick Phantom x Meadow View Princess) with Linda Henley and have two very promising yearling colts on the ground from him. o
A Unique Charity Dedicated to the Crabbet Arabian
The Plaister Charitable Foundation, established in the UK in 2017, is a unique charity based in the UK, focused on the welfare, education, and responsible breeding of Crabbet Arabian horses to help safeguard their future.
Geoffrey Plaister, founder of Imperial Stud, built his breeding program on horses acquired directly from Crabbet Park as it was closing, going on to produce some of the fnest Crabbet Arabians of his time. A shrewd businessman, Geoffrey ensured that his legacy would continue through the charity founded in his name.
In the summer of last year, Margaret Bower and the Crabbet Heritage Steering Group began working together to bring in new trustees to share responsibilities and secure the foundation’s future. For the past four years, Margaret, supported by her husband Tony King and niece Alison Mills, has led the charity through many challenges, from caring for an expanding herd, managing investment properties, and building feld shelters to overseeing essential repairs. All this despite living 550 miles from the stud. Their dedication has kept the charity going, though not without great effort and strain.
On-site, this work has been supported by a loyal team led by Peter Robinson, who previously worked for Geoffrey Plaister and has been employed full-time at the stud for 11 years, alongside Peter is Helen Haines, who has contributed her expertise on and off for over 40 years! They have been assisted more recently by Isla and her sister Lauren who have helped enormously in the short time they have been with us.
Following those initial discussions, Mark Tindall and Tanya Betts from Crabbet Heritage, and John Illingworth, a businessman, Crabbet owner, and endurance rider, joined the Board of Trustees. This allowed Margaret, Tony, and Alison to fnally step back and focus on other priorities following their resignations earlier this year. Under the new leadership, the charity has already launched several
exciting initiatives and made important strategic decisions to strengthen the foundations laid over the last seven years. To refect a clearer identity, the charity has been renamed The Plaister Charity, with a fresh, simplifed logo and a new colour scheme to help appeal to a wider and younger audience. We are grateful to Peter Upton for creating the original logo, which served the charity well.
We were recently joined at the stud by renowned Arabian horse expert and AHS Panel Judge, Crispin Mould, and together with other Crabbet experts, the team carried out a full assessment of all the horses currently at the stud. This evaluation helped identify the highest quality individuals to be retained within our breeding programme. Our focus is frmly based on breeding the best quality horses to represent the Crabbet name and prevent valuable bloodlines from being lost. Following these assessments, subsequent meetings have established our breeding plans for the year, based on in-depth analysis of family traits and pedigrees spanning several generations. Our goal is to select the most suitable stallions for our mares, whether or not they are owned by the charity, to ensure we maintain the highest possible standards in breeding and to enhance the dwindling pool of 100% Crabbet horses in the UK.
Several new initiatives are already underway, with a strong focus on improving communication and increasing engagement with the charity’s work. As part of this effort, Crabbet Heritage and The Plaister Charity have formed a collaborative partnership. With both organisations sharing the same core mission, to promote the Crabbet Arabian, encourage the breeding of quality horses, and
preserve Crabbet’s rich history, this partnership is a natural and exciting step forward.
We are excited to announce the launch of a quarterly newsletter in the coming months. There will also be a dedicated Plaister Charity section in the Crabbet Heritage Magazine, helping the charity reach a wider audience.
In addition, our new website, the charity’s frst, is currently in development, with a preview available soon. Visitors to the site can sign up for the newsletter to receive regular updates, news, and information about the many exciting plans we have for the future. There is much to do, and we would love to hear from anyone who would like to volunteer, help, or support us in any way, whether assisting with the horses, picking up a paintbrush, or making a much needed cuppa during our working parties !
Expect plenty of updates this year! Follow us on social media, visit our website, sign up for the newsletter, and don’t miss the Summer Edition of Crabbet Heritage Magazine for more news!
Please visit www.plaister-charity.com or search The Plaister Charity on facebook to fnd out more. o
Some of the mares and foals at the stud admiring the very handsome Imperial Silver Star looking on
WHY BREED 100% CRABBET HORSES
To me the answer is very simple – if you don’t, you lose them forever
My mother, the late Rosemary Archer, was passionate about horses from a very young age. She was lucky. Brought up on a farm, a brilliant horsewoman, point to pointed, hunted and many other things. However, it was her desire to breed horses that put her on the map
WORDS BY CAROLINE SUSSEX
Her love of horses was always with her and her mother, my grand-mother also loved horses and had Arabians. In Rosemary’s young days, Crabbet was the main Arabian Stud in England and she was fortunate enough to be introduced to Lady Wentworth. Lady Wentworth invited my mother to
Crabbet as she had a mare that Lady Wentworth wanted! This mare, Sharona, had been purchased by my mother to start her own stud. However, eventually, Lady Wentworth had her way and my mother swapped Sharona for Risseefa and another mare. In fact, this was just the start of a friendship and my mother was also lucky to have the use of the Crabbet stallions who were not at public stud. Risseefa was the foundation mare of the Worth Arabian Stud. On Lady Wentworth’s death, the Crabbet stud was severely reduced in size, as much of the land had to be sold to pay
Sa’ira and Binley Indian Prince
Photo:LesleyThiel
inheritance tax. It was fortuitous for my parents as they were able to purchase the Cricket Park. Thus was the Worth Arabian Stud founded.
Arabians in England had come from the desert before the Crabbet Arabian Stud was founded in 1878 and also from Poland and other countries. So, whilst the majority of Arabians were of Crabbet descent there were some others, mainly of “Old English” lines.
The Crabbet Arabian Stud was founded by Wilfrid Scawen and Lady Anne Blunt. Lady Anne, grand-daughter of Byron, was meticulous in tracing all the horses they purchased right back through the Bedouin history. She spoke fuent Arabic, travelled through the desert often in great peril. When the Blunts planned to start a Pure-Bred Arabian Stud in England, Lady Anne was adamant that all the lines must be traced back to their source. It was this important point, that inspired my mother and others.
So, whilst my mother bred Crabbet, in fact, for many years she bred Blunt plus Skowronek. Skowronek was purchased for the stud by Lady Wentworth as she felt the horse was a wonderful Arabian and also grey which the stud seemed to be losing. In later years, my mother bred some mares to high percentage Crabbet stallions, from local studs but on the whole, she was very strict about 100% Crabbet.
When I started Binley Arabian Stud, it was based on lines from Worth Arabian Stud and I decided I too wanted to breed 100% Crabbet to preserve them. Once you dilute it, you lose the gene pool to go back to and I felt sure they were also exceptional horses and would perform and win at the top level. My whole aim was to continue this legacy and try and win to show the world that Crabbet was still supreme, particularly under saddle.
Despite my breeding programme, perhaps I really didn’t totally appreciate the 100% Crabbet status until I visited Australia in
2000. I attended the WAHO Conference which was held on the Gold Coast as one of the UK Delegates and then travelled to Melbourne to attend the Crabbet Convention hosted by Vicki McLean at the world famous Fenwick Stud. Peter Upton was one of the speakers at this Conference. Before the talks, a Crabbet show took place in Melbourne. I was blown away by this beautiful mare, Arfaja Evangeline. I even had the audacity to ask if she
Above: Indian Magic with Cecil Covey in later years at Caxtons
Left: Silvern Prince, UK Ridden Arabian of the Year 2010
Naziri (Skowronek x Nasra)
was for sale! At this time, I did not know that the mare was actually owned by Ron Ryan of the Arfaja Stud and was on loan to Liz Fawns as Ron Ryan was very ill. Peter Upton was judging and made her champion. This led to me to talk to Peter and I found out all about the Arfaja Stud. I made up my mind that if I was to import a horse from Australia, I would like these lines. Not only were these horses very beautiful, they could also perform. Following on from the Crabbet Convention in Australia, and on encouragement from Australians, a group of us set up a Committee to organise a Crabbet Convention in 2002 in the UK, following a week after the WAHO Conference, this time in Istanbul. After my trip to Australia, I felt it was important to show which horses were 100% Crabbet as this had been the question I was asked many times in Australia. The UK were well behind
Australia who had put a defnition in place many years before. The Committee discussed having similar options to Australia and include the 75%+ Crabbet status. The Committee made the decision that the UK should follow the Australian defnition as they had far more 100% Crabbet horses in their country than we did. The 2002 UK Crabbet Convention was a great success but the 100% Crabbets were rather thin on the ground.
The trip to Australia in 2003, was to visit the Arfaja Stud. Sadly, for me, Ron Ryan had been very ill and his whole stud had been dispersed across many studs in Australia. The Stud had been abandoned but as a result of this dispersal, with the help of Brother Peter McIntosh (a Member of the Australian Board) and Leon Bennett of Pevensey Arabians, I travelled from South Australia to Melbourne, and then all the way to Sydney visiting really wonderful Crabbet breeders, who became friends. I saw their own horses and those from Arfaja. Some new studs had set up and Arfaja foals were being born all over the country. I felt honoured to be a guest in all this and found the Australian hospitality and fun truly wonderful. It was a ball! However, the tour of 2003, wasn’t what I had hoped. Despite many lovely colts, I couldn’t quite commit. So, it was not until 2006 that a solution was found and I actually bred a horse in Australia, thanks to the very generous help of Astra Temple of Star Park Arabians and Fred and Fiona Seymore of Wentworth Estates Stud. Arfaja Silver Mist was put in foal to Arfaja Robard. In 2007, the resultant mating was born, Binley Ronaldo, whilst Astra’s stud was in the red zone of a major fu epidemic. The colt was all I had wanted in movement and style so he eventually came to England a year later.
Silver Flame at Newbuildings with Lord Lytton, Lady Anne Lytton and Roger Upton holding, at the Centenary Celebrations in 1978
Photo: Fiona Anderson
On the breeding side, I realised that 100% Crabbet was so important and tried hard to fnd homes for all the colts that I bred that were of good quality to remain stallions to continue the lines. At frst it was very successful and quite a few colts were sold as stallions. Sadly, this decreased and people preferred geldings or mares.
There is a word of warning here – whilst saving 100% Crabbet horses is truly worthwhile, there is no point in saving lines that are just not up to standard. You cannot go out into the main horse world and show someone a horse that is 100% Crabbet and expect people to accept it just on that basis. Crabbet Arabians would be a laughing stock if that were the case. The horse has to be top quality to breed on and sadly, other issues also intervene, problems with mares and some low fertility in stallions. We are all up against it in saving these lines. Other breeders, particularly Anne Brown and Pam Flower also imported horses from Australia so the English gene pool was boosted with some lovely Australian horses. We are so
grateful for these imports.
Studying horses of all breeds and Arabians, is the best way to learn about conformation. Also attending lectures offered by the Society and other organisations can also be of help. If you are not sure about conformation, do get onto a friend or judge who knows. We should all be very aware of conformation faults in our horses as well. When choosing a breeding, a full study should be made of mare and stallion and they should counteract any faults they have. Afterall, almost no horse is perfect although I might have seen one or two in my lifetime. A stallion can breed many more foals than a mare so extra caution is needed here for the foals to remain entire.
IwouldliketoendbysayingthattheArabianshouldhavepresence–somethingmanyhorses lackthesedays,orarefrightenedtoshow.Realpresenceshouldblowyouaway–youcannot takeyoureyesoffthathorse.Theysay“lookatme”andyoureallywantto. o
Above: Sa’ira being awarded National Crabbet Mare Champion
Right: Binley Silver Sunset (Sa’ira x Binley Ronaldo (AUS) 2016) on her way to second place at the AHS Crabbet class
ARABIANS Seren
Arabian horse stud/breeding programme in the Lake District
Originally established in 1996 by Jan and Dom Atkinson, with three decades experience of breeding, equine ethology, behaviour, and welfare. Our primary focus has always been on carefully breeding healthy horses while preserving performance, endurance and heritage bloodlines including Crabbet, GSB and Old English Arabians. For full details of our background, beliefs and breeding aims please visit: www.arabianhorse.co.uk
We sadly lost Dom in 2018, with a subsequent reducton in the breeding programme and herd size since then. Currently asking for expressions of interest as I consider my optons for a further reducton in the herd as I look ahead to my own retrement. The herd currently consists of:
• SEREN DALLIHAH (Mare, 2018) – Granddaughter of Silver Fahd, bred at Imperial Arabian stud.
• SEREN ALTAIR (Proven Stallion, 2013) – Potental mate to Dallihah. Ideally would prefer these two to be taken together to be bred in the future, as this was the next planned coupling when we lost Dom and would therefore be a ftng onward chapter for Seren Arabians.
• SEREN GIENHA (Mare, 2016) – Share maternal bloodlines (and mitochondrial DNA) with successful natonal and internatonal endurance horses, including members of the GB endurance team and a previous winner of the 160km Red Dragon ride. Potental performance horse herself or could be used to breed future endurance horses. Ridden.
• SEREN SANITA (Mare, 2012) – (sold subject to contract)
• SEREN BELLATRIX (Mare, 2008) – 100% GSB, over 96% Crabbet and
• SEREN HANITA (Mare, 2008) – 100% Crabbet
Both excellent prospects to join a herd, with experience as broodmares and ridden horses.
Also available, frozen semen for Winged Saint (El Santo x Silver Blue Wings) and Fearnwood Halal (Hanif x Sherilla), 100% Crabbet. Available to UK only.
For expressions of interest or for further informaton please contact me at: mail@arabianhorse.co.uk
DEVIL’S CUB
Life Graded with SHBGB, NPS and Weatherby’s GSB • WFFS Negative
Out of four time winning Noor Al Haya, who excelled at extreme distances on the fat, by Coventry Stakes (Royal Ascot) winner, Hellvelyn. Devil’s Cub raced 15 times on the fat, from 2-3 years old
RACE RESULTS:
At 2:
1st Bath 1 mile
2nd Chepstow 1 mile
2nd Leicester 1 mile
3rd Kempton AW 1 mile
At 3:
1st Bath 1 mile
1st Windsor 1 mile
3rd Kempton AW 1 mile
3rd Windsor 1 mile
Since retiring to stud, sound in wind and limb, he has covered a wide variety of mares, invariably stamping his stock with his beautiful head and bold, affable outlook on life. He has adapted very well to life after racing and is a beautiful balanced ride both on the fat and over fences.
Devil’s Cub is the foundation stallion for Moonlight Arabians’ exciting new Anglo Arab breeding initiative. His daughter, Moonlight Joy of
(above) is an example of what he can sire on a Crabbet mare
Libris
Advert by Tanya Betts, Tameda Design
Stud manager for the Plaister Charitable Foundation, Peter Robinson’s history with horses started out as an accidental occurence, but developed into a deep involvement with Geoff Plaister’s Imperial Arabian Stud and the Crabbet Arabian
WORDS BY PETER ROBINSON
PHOTOS FROM PETER’S AND THE PLAISTER CHARITY ARCHIVES
Peter Robinson
Peter with Imperial Silver Phoenix, Supreme Champion Crabbet Arabian
frst encounter with an Arab horse at the Egyptian Pyramids in 1983
I recall that in my childhood I was absolutely petrifed of horses and wouldn’t go in a feld if there should be a horse in there. As a youngster we did go to the local riding school for maybe half an hour or hour’s ride out on some of their horses. At this time this was the closest I had got to a horse and although it was enjoyable at the time, I couldn’t really see myself making a career of looking after horses or even riding for that matter. How things would change! I went through grammar school until I was sixteen but personally school wasn’t for me, and I wanted to see the bigger outside world, so I enlisted into the Royal Marines at the age of sixteen and a half. The training in the Royal Marines time was very hard as it is today and out of seventy fve that joined up on the same day, only twelve of us passed out of training nine months later as a Royal Marines Commandos. I still to this day feel that the training that I received in the Royal Marines set me up for life. It instilled in me a sense of commitment and dedication.
I saw active service in the Royal Marines, doing three tours of Northern Ireland in the 1970s and 1980s and then in 1982 the Falklands confict, this was the highlight of my career in the Royal Marines. The Falklands confict in 1982 proved a turning point in my life. This was not because of the war but because of a photograph that was taken of me after the surrender of the Argentinians. That photograph showed a Royal Marine fying a union fag from his radio aerial after hearing that the Argentines had surrendered, and the
Left: the photo which inspired the statue outside the Royal Marines Museum in Southsea near Portsmouth (below) where Peter is pictured after the Falklands confict with Margaret Thatcher
I
carried the fag in a previous career and now I am carrying the fag for Geoff and Barbara and the legacy that they left behind to preserve the Crabbet Arabian Horse.
confict was over. This photograph became an iconic image of the confict and is recognised worldwide. It also became the inspiraton for a statue outside what was then the Royal Marines Museum in Southsea near Portsmouth.
When I left the Royal Marines in 1985, I pursued various careers in upholstery, furniture making, fooring, tiling, soft furnishings, and all associated trades. I also had time in the retail business where I was manager for a few well-known household Furniture shop. To say I had a varied working life would be an understatement.
My accidental involvement with horses came about when I moved to a property in Devon and the owners of the property bred Shetland ponies and at the time I also helped look after two horses on another yard whilst the owner was away in the Caribbean.
I lived in Devon for several years and during the latter part I would go and visit my sister who also kept horses at that time. She lived in Wiltshire on a farm just down the road from the Imperial Arabian Stud. I would visit maybe once or sometimes twice a month and eventually started to ride one of her horses, I’d never ridden before. After a while I decided that I would move to Wiltshire and seek a
Peter’s
job in the area. It would also give me the opportunity to ride one of the horses.
When I moved to Wiltshire I went to live on my sister’s and brother in law’s farm. It was here that I became more involved with horses and to cut a long story short I ended up buying Ted, an ex-racehorse. Now my knowledge of horses was limited at this time. Friends asked why a thoroughbred? My reply why not, he has a head, a tail and four legs. Ted taught me to ride as he would have me off at least four times a week. I would go home and read a book, put it into practice the next day, and persevere. After a year I went bitless with him and that was the turning point, fve years without a fall, 37 mph around the gallops all bitless. Twelve years later he can still play up but he’s still my boy.
On my walks up to the village, I would walk past the Imperial Arabian Stud. One day there was a piece of paper on the gate asking for the services of handyman. To that effect I contacted Geoff who, as many people know, was the founder of the Imperial Arabian Stud. I arranged to see him about what was required and if I could help. My
frst contact with Geoff was seeing him and his two workers trying to repair a puncture on the tractor. They seemed to be struggling so I jumped in and helped, at the same time talking about what I could do to help around the stud. From our talk I was asked to repair guttering, which was my frst job at the stud.
At the time of carrying out this work the stud had all but stopped breeding, possibly because of Geoff’s age. Going into the winter. I was asked to help mucking out the stables. My involvement with horses really started that winter.
During the next few months, over winter I was there every day, seven days a week mucking out the horses. This time, Geoff and I frequently spoke about his life, starting off on the farm which then progressed into owning his stud and his horses, not to mention also breeding chinchillas. Barbara, his wife, was still alive at this time, and you could see why they had been married for so many years. Geoff’s passion was his horses, Barbara’s, however, was her dogs and her
Ted on the left, with Seren Dauran. Ted is always good with the youngsters
Geoffrey with Imperial Zanitah
dog training.
About eleven years ago things were not working out on the farm where I was living, Geoff offered me the fat above the main house at the stud, so I promptly moved there. I was getting more involved with the horses and as it turned out, I ended up looking after the horses and dealing with the day-to-day management. The horses became my passion and I felt privileged to be asked to look after them. Geoff and I became very good friends, and some say that he treated me as a son he never had. After the passing of his wife Barbara, I would go to the local shop every day to buy his newspaper. We
would then sit down at 7am every morning and enjoy a cup of tea and a conversation to discuss the horses, what was being done that day, and to refect on his life. We carried on with this morning ritual until his passing in 2017.
During one of our morning conversations, he asked me if I would like a job for life, I said to him that he should know that I am extremely fond of his horses and that I would look after them for life. He said to me, ‘You have a job for life’.
He would often confde in me that his concern was what would happen to his horses on passing. He decided that he would set up
a charitable foundation to preserve his horses and to preserve the Crabbet Arabian horse bloodline.
Whilst I was living in the fat above the main house. I married Anna. She was a nurse and was often called upon when Geoff was unwell.
A happy memory was when we cooked Christmas dinner upstairs in the fat and brought it down to share with Geoff, which as it turned out was his last Christmas, not because of the food I hasten to add!
Upon the passing of Geffrey, the property was left for the creation of a charity. The trustees at the time subsequently founded the Plaister Charitable Foundation. As I was living here and looking after the horses I was kept on. It was, as you can imagine, a diffcult time. What was going to become of the stud? The property needed a lot of maintenance if the future was going to be bright!
I had been working at the stud for some time and my knowledge of horses and their care had grown daily. During my previous working life, I had always learned on the job, and this was to be no exception.
After the initial shock of the passing of Geoffrey, it turned out that the stud would continue and eventually a breeding programme was established. I continued to work with the horses and extended my knowledge, especially in the breeding of the horses. To this effect I went on several courses to enhance my knowledge. The frst being that of foaling down and the care of the mare and foal. My frst year
left and right: Senior stallion at the stud, Imperial Silver
at the Nationals and
here in the costume class in 2024 Above and left: horses enjoying life at the stud
I safely delivered three foals into this world. I then undertook the training to become a DEFRA licensed AI technician.
By this time, I had gone from a maintenance person whose initial job was to repair gutters, to becoming the stud manager. I also have the privilege of showing the horses, not only those that Geoff bred but also the ones that we have bred since his passing. Notably these are Imperial Silver Star and his son Imperial Silver Phoenix. Phoenix was the frst born here at the stud for a long time and the frst after the formation of the Foundation. I was pleased that my suggestion for Phoenix’s name was taken up, as the stud was metaphorically rising out of the ashes.
Like Geoff, I have made many good friends over the years, all with the same love for the Crabbet Arab. My one regret is that Geoff is not here to see the success.
I carried the fag in a previous career and now I am carrying the fag for Geoff and Barbara and the legacy that they left behind to preserve the Crabbet Arabian Horse. o
Top
Star, Supreme Crabbet Arabian Champion
pictured
The Plaister Charity
For Crabbet Arabians
Imperial Sovereign (Imperial Shadow x Luretta)
100% Old English
Stallions at Stud for 2025
To encourage 100% Crabbet breeding we are ofering free coverings for Imperial Silver Phoenix to 100% Crabbet mares
Dhay (Spearmint x Daleela)
100% Old English In hand Champion
We give thanks to Nick Brown for generously gifting Dhay to us after the sad passing of Melanie
Imperial Silver Phoenix
(Imperial Silver Star x Sefnah)
100% Crabbet
100% Old English Supreme Crabbet Champion
Shanadarr Arabians
Words and photos by Daryl and Stephanie
We purchased our frst Part Arabian flly in 1981, soon followed by a Purebred mare, Pasadena Pamela (Kehilan Chrystal x Pasadena Natasha) who was Crabbet/ English breeding and Purebred colt, Ralvon Kaptain (Gai General x Ralvon Ritana) who was Crabbet and Polish. Registering our stud in 1983, we have been involved in breeding Arabians for forty one years. Pasadena Pamela was a plain mare but had correct conformation with movement and a temperament to die for and proved to be a wonderful foundation mare for our stud. She produced seven foals for us, and we still have a couple of her granddaughters here. Ralvon Kaptain was only 14.1hh but
produced very typey progeny with good height and also some exceptional Arabian ponies.
Initially, we bred along the Ralvon lines, producing quality performance horses and much sought after lines for endurance. We purchased Wimsey Joshua (Kyremi Ultraa x Wimsey Milexa) as a two year old as a stallion for the stud. Wimsey Joshua was nine generations of Ralvon breeding, a big solid 15.2hh bay. Darryl broke in Joshua and he competed in endurance, obtaining open status. He produced some lovely progeny some of which have been sold abroad as stallions and endurance horses. Joshua also had the most amazing temperament, and
King
we were heartbroken when we lost him at nineteen years old.
We were on the search for a stallion to replace Wimsey Joshua and felt that a Pure Crabbet would be the best choice for our stud. We wanted to retain the movement, good bone and substance to produce quality performance horses. We were told about a Pure Crabbet stallion that was for sale. Boden (dec) – (Bonn x Dreaming Magic) Dreaming Magic was by Magic Carpet, who was one of our favourite stallions when we were showing in the early 80s. Magic Carpet was owned by Mark Grundy. After his passing, his parents, Doris and Danny Grundy, took over the stud and bred some
Pure Crabbet James Bonn
amazing horses, Boden being one of them, along with his father Bonn. We became friends with Doris and Danny through our association with the Hunter Valley Arabian Club and always admired their horses. Now, their breeding is in a number of our breeding stock and competition horses and we hope Doris is looking down on us saying ‘good work’.
We then set about getting some Pure Crabbet mares to breed to Boden. Bernadine (Arabian Park Phaeton x Priscilla) was the Supreme Exhibit at the 2005 Crabbet Convention and we were lucky enough to purchase and lease three of her four daughters: Dancing Magic (x Magic Prophecy), Lily of Prophecy (x Magic Prophecy) and Bernadett (x Bonn).
We also purchased Pevensey Zahabieh (Royalund Silver Miracle x Pevensey Baybe) and leased Wootton Charisma (Bomori Finale x Chamara), Jeyla’s Image (Starglen Entertainer x Shahwan Park Hajeyla) and Inshallah Show Girl (Inshallah Inspiration x Inshallah Echo’s Rose).
After we decided to breed Pure Crabbets and also not long after we lost Wimsey Joshua, we happened to see photos of a stunning Pure Crabbet colt bred by Fenwick Stud. We had plans to travel to Melbourne the following month for the Crabbet Convention and decided to visit Fenwick Stud on the way. Once we saw him, we knew we had to have him and Fenwick Just Brilliant (Jamahl x Fenwick Brilliance) came home once weaned. He is a stunning bay with four white stockings and a belly splash with a lovely temperament and is producing exceptionally well. He is admired by many visitors, and it is hoped that he may have some progeny on the ground overseas in the near future.
Our senior stallion is the 93% Crabbet Splitters Creek Spin Doctor (Castlebar Gulfstream x Jirrima Ultra Minx), closely related to World Champion Endurance mare, Kurrajong Concorde (Yamamah). Spin Doctor carries the most sought after endurance bloodlines along with many legendary Australian stallions. He produces top class progeny and currently has some that are excelling in endurance. Spin Doctor is a true gentleman and a pleasure to own.
The Pure Crabbet Progeny that we have bred to date, are:
• Shanadarr Magic Man (Boden x Dancing
Pure Crabbet stallion Boden (above) was purchased to produce quality performance horses. Pevensey Zahabieh (below) was one of several mares bought to breed Pure Crabbets, here with her foal Shanadarr Zohar by Fenwick Just Brilliant
• Shanadarr Cherish (Boden x Wootton Charisma) Mare
• Shanadarr Bardot (Wootton Charismatic x Bernadett) Mare
• Shanadarr Lillian (Boden x Lily of Prophecy) Mare
When looking for some potential endurance geldings, we found the Pure Crabbet, James Bonn (Bonn x Blue Bead Ingrid), James Bonn happened to be a ¾ brother to our stallion, Boden. James was a fve year old unbroken gelding, with a very quirky personality. We could see potential in him and knew, with his bloodlines he should make a good endurance mount. Darryl broke him in as a six year old and commenced his endurance training. He grew another hand in height and matured into a stunning looking horse, although he still kept his quirkiness. James Bonn has consistently placed in the top three placings. To date, he has twelve frst placings and Line honours, nine second place, fve third place and an amazing fourteen Best Conditioned awards. In 2023 he received a decade team award for one horse/one
individual with a Lifetime Achievement Award. These are awarded to horses that have realised outstanding performance over a number of years.
rider, competing for ten successive years. In 2022, we had the honour of him being awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award for Endurance by the Arabian Horse Society of Australia. This award was presented to us by the legendary Ron Males of Ralvon Stud. A memory we will cherish. On occasion the Board resolves to honour an outstanding
One of the most memorable experiences with James was when we were travelling to South Australia for the Tom Quilty Endurance Ride in 2017. We had stopped for a lunch break. Darryl was holding James whilst eating his lunch when he got his foot over the lead rope. Darryl dropped the rope, thinking he would just stand there whilst he untangled it from his leg but he started to walk away. As Darryl walked after him, his walk turned into a trot and Darryl’s walk turned into a fat out run as James headed up the road in the direction of the highway. Other endurance riders who saw what was happening were also in hot pursuit. As Darryl was racing up the road, a council truck stopped at an intersection, the council workers were very shocked when Darryl jumped in the road and yelled ‘follow that horse!’. Luckily, James took a right hand turn in the street before the highway and the council truck managed to pull in to cut him off whilst the other endurance riders
Stallions at the stud are Splitters Creek Spin Doctor (left) and Fenwick Just Brilliant (below) who are producing super offspring
Shanadaar Magic Man by Boden ex Dancing Magic
came in from the other side and managed to catch him. We had never been so relieved or exhausted.
Another of our geldings, who is another Magic Carpet grandson, Pindari Park Karizma (Nirou Khani x T’Alula Bey) has just started his endurance career - already having two wins and three Best Conditioned awards. We are currently preparing Karizma for the Tom Quilty 160km ride on 18th October 2024, again in SA Wirrina Cove. Hopefully we don’t have a similar situation as we did with James. It will be his frst 160km ride and hopefully we can achieve a completion. Endurance rides usually start in March
so training commences late January to early February, depending on the summer temperatures. Training usually consists of 10.5km four to fve times a week. We are lucky to have access to lovely open and hilly country to train in on our property and also hundreds of acres at our back fence which our neighbours generously allow us to ride in. Occasionally, we take the horses out for longer, harder training rides or take them to the beach. The horses may alternatively go on the horse walker. Once competing, they will generally have a week off after an 80km ride before recommencing training. They are trained at home, completely barefoot and are
ftted with glue on boots for endurance rides. We fnd that the glue on boots provide good protection and much better grip on various terrains, roads and slippery grass. The hardest thing about the boots is mastering the glue-on technique. We have lost a few boots during rides over the years, but we think we have it down pat now.
We currently have four stallions, one colt, four geldings and twenty two mares. We will have to think about cutting down on numbers soon but hope to continue to breed a couple of foals a year to preserve these lovely old Crabbet lines and stand the stallions at stud for others who appreciate their bloodlines. o
Above: Shanadaar Magic Man, stallion by Boden Right: Bonn at the AHSA Presentation receiving his Lifetime Achievement Award
Amaru Magneto
Words and photos by Eve Spiccelli
Amaru Magneto (Geronimo x Wafeeqa Sahara), a Crabbet related colt born in 2024, marks thirty fve years of hobby breeding. His lines originate with our foundation 75% Crabbet mare Bishari (Darzee x Bishara), bred by Lord and Lady Moyne, and Daphne Cocksedge’s Romac Stud stallion Zaiyan (Magnet x Yanni) bred at Harwood
Zaiyan was an eyecatching dark chestnut with rare ‘birdcatcher’ white spots. He was a very correct, tall horse with a lovely eye and temperament, and he combined beautifully with Bishari’s lines. We bred two fllies that remained with us for their lifetimes, Elfriede and Winifriede. We then took Winifriede to Celtic Shadow (Sollum x Tashmar) and bred Ezme, from Daphne’s treasured line, to one of her foundation mares, Tessra. Ezme is still with us today at twenty seven.
When Daphne came to Cwmddol Fawr, next to Brechfa Forest, with her Arabian stallions, there was a thrill of excitement as it meant we could continue Bishari’s prestigious Arabian line, to incorporate Daphne’s Tessra Old English line through Tashmar (Fancy Shadow x Tessra). Celtic Shadow (Sollum x Tashmar) was a super added bonus and a very precious line to Daphne and it was an honour to continue it in our breeding programme.
In 2001 Daphne and I took one of our many road trip. I was looking for an Arabian stallion for full sisters Winifriede and Elfriede (Zaiyan x Bishari) and although she had a stallion of her own, Daphne wanted to introduce me to Imad (Golden Cavalier x Ivory Wings), owned by Diana Whittome. I took both mares to Imad where Diana Premium nominated both mares, a very exciting time, Capellah being part of the Premium Nomination Scheme. I particularly recall the photo of my daughter Josi when she was a little girl, sitting on Imad with his lead rope on the foor and Josi beaming.
I have amazing memories of Daphne. We went through times of adversity counting the pennies, sharing fuel money to get groceries in and on the quiet having culinary lessons on how to make a nonlumpy cheese sauce and her famous fruitcakes. Daphne was a bit of a culinary queen on the quiet and she had a wonderful sense of humour and a generosity of nature.
Daphne is the reason I have Llain Karida (Erin Park Excel x Cancan), bred by Paul and Pam Flower out of Denise Ann Nancarrow’s super little endurance mare, Cancan. Again a selfess mission on Daphne’s part as she had mares and fllies at home, but from my teenage years she remembered my longing for a bay Crabbet mare. She made dreams a reality. All Daphne’s horses continue in ridden spheres to this day, continually proving themselves. Daphne had vision and we shared values and many in depth conversations about pedigrees!
Tashmar (Fancy Shadow x Tessra) was a unique Arabian: beautiful, strong, correct with a large eye and between Tessra and her other daughters they continue to prove themselves as ridden Arabians. Daphne was delighted when she had her colt Celtic Shadow by Sollum (Sudier x Nasam) when Sollum was around twenty fve. Sadly, we missed the chance of Secret Heart but many years later, an opportunity presented itself to obtain a stallion with important old
Amaru Magneto
Polish/Russian lines. This was Geronimo (Master Design x Ozana) bred by Mrs S Jones of Bychan Arabians, owned by Dean Richards. He has some lovely lines originating at Blommerod Stud, Sweden, and on closer examination on his dam line is double Naseem and Marino Marini through Kaprasalina. He also traces back to the American import, Jellaby, neatly bringing back the Jellaby connection present in Celtic Shadow. Marino Marini (Mikeno x Roshara) was of special signifcance to Daphne, so fnding these little gems, including the visionary Master Design (Versace x Bea Society Belle), imported from the USA and owned by Rhod Jones, who has produced so many successful ridden show horses.
In a conversation with one of the biggest Crabbet breeders with proven endurance lines, we discussed Master Design, a conversation that fnding ourselves drawn to him shaped our breeding forward.
As Wafeeqa Sahara is from a damline originating at Biddesden (Keheilah Mimreih) through Bishra (Aquinor x Biruta), it made sense to use Geronimo as, should she produce a flly, the dam line is not Old English despite her Crabbet percentage. Daphne put a lot of emphasis on the importance of Bishari’s lines through Nowy Dwor and the strains of mares bred there, Gazella, Michech and Sahara, the multiple crosses to Naziri and also the signifcance of Darzee (Saladin II x Doonyah). Master Design has proven himself multiple times, with his links to Khemosabi, El Shaklan and four lines to Bask. For us his infuence through Geronimo has been life changing. Chief Karizmo (Geronimo x Llain Karida) was Gold Crabbet Related Champion at the Arab Horse Society Show and his half sibling Geno Ibn Mansoura (Geronimo x Mansoura Bint Abishai) won a Gold Futurity award amongst other accolades. Amaru’s pedigree also has an old CMK/OE line through Taffta (Ben Rabba x Tamima) and some wonderful Biddesden lines through Abishai (Dhruv x Taffta). Abishai was a retired Grade 1 racehorse standing at stud in South Wales with Audrey Maksood and we were fortunate to use him at twenty four years old. Afeeri (Abishai x Capellah) is now living with Zoe Hollis, turning his hoof to every challenge and recently successfully completed the Red Dragon amongst other activities. El Marzuq (Marbon Mastarpiece x Wafeeqa Sahara) has now also joined Zoe. I wish her the best of luck with him. Afeeri sired Wafeeqa Sahara after a period of grief, when we lost Winifriede to sudden poisoning. We ran them together, then decided to forget the idea and brought both Afeeri and Ezme home and separated them. We had a surprise when eight months later, a big foal was starting to move, that being Wafeeqa Sahara aka Mole. Through Wafeeqa and Afeeri we also have Dura connection, Durr El Zaman, granddam of the legendary event horse Tamarillo who was ridden to success in many international competitions by William Fox Pitt.
I have many great British breeders to thank for my new addition today, but none was as great as my wonderful friend Daphne. I was fortunate enough to see Daphne and show her a video of Amaru of whom she approved (phew) so it was even more wonderful when afterwards I told her he was from her beloved Tessra/Tashmar line. Daphne was very defnite about what she liked and what she did not but she was also my longtime friend and I am continuing today as a result of our friendship.
Another favourite of Daphne’s was Grecian Idyll, owned and bred by Caroline Sussex, a superb stallion, again a line I introduced through
Amaru Magneto, the culmination of thirty fve years of breeding for Eve
Marbon Mastarpiece, who in his own right is an Advanced Level endurance stallion and British National Crabbet Champion bred by Diane Ellis, owned by Anne-Marie Pelc.
At Daphne’s memorial I was especially lucky to receive the plaque of Tessra and wanted to share what a wonderful ambience was felt that day. It truly was a celebration of our dear friend. Yes, she may have had a niche interest, but she has left an everlasting mark on UK breeding. Our last meeting was testament to Daphne’s genuine kindness - she greeted me, holding my hand tightly and congratulating me. We talked and hugged and I told her she was always my Gold Champion and will always be grateful to her for what I have now.
Amaru Magneto’s name inspired by rainbows, spectral spheres and orbs and his marking sealed the name Magneto in recognition of his double Magnet lines. Today many lines are so fashionable that riding quality and ability at times have become compromised. Now I can be proud of what we have preserved. Bishari was no ordinary mare, Winifriede remains one young lady’s Arabian mare of a lifetime and am forever grateful that we were able to incorporate Tashmar. Daphne and I shared an absolute passion for movement, something that I constantly seek and strive for. Thank you Daphne, for your generosity and making our dreams reality, you will always be my blossom in adversity. o
Claire’s Carlotta
Words by Nancy Spencer-Jones BHSII
It was during a catch up with Claire Seward of Rainbow Arabians (she is a friend and has been a regular attendee at clinics and camps I have run) that she asked me if I would be interested in backing one of her youngsters. This was the Crabbet mare Crystal Carlotta (Crystal Romance x Christabella) bred by the late Daphne Cocksedge
I frst met Claire on her then young ridden gelding Khruga back in September 2016 at an Equestrian camp in Milton Keynes. She now has a beautiful collection of Crabbet Arabians and runs her own stud whilst working full time as an accountant. When Claire approached me to see whether I would be willing to introduce Carlotta to ridden work as she had grown considerably over the height Claire had expected! I could not resist saying yes and Claire was delighted as she really wanted Carlotta to be backed at home where she was relaxed and by someone she knew and trusted to give Carlotta the best experience.
Carlotta is a beautiful horse with a great personality but at 5 years of age -a teenager in human terms -she had opinions to go alongside too! Claire has ensured that Carlotta
has seen bits of the world, attending in hand events and clinics. Away from home I understood she was relaxed and well behaved in unfamiliar surroundings. This was not the same at home, however, where her life to date had been having fun with her pals. With a tree line dividing the manege and her buddies, the initial training was to encourage her to keep her attention on what would be her work pen.
Bonding with horses is very important to me. I want them to trust me and ultimately for them to understand every step we take together. There must be respect on both sides and an understanding of spatial awareness. I spent time with Carlotta on groundwork exercises, frst leading her around her new work surroundings then progressing to working her around me and disengaging her hindquarters. These basics play a vital role as we progress, but the training is brain taxing if overdone. The main point is that I want them to enjoy and feel proud of themselves at the end of each session. This means giving them time to absorb the lessons, feel special and enjoy the time and attention.
Carlotta was very distracted to begin with and once we progressed from one lunge line to two it was fun to teach her to stay relatively straight as she meandered all over the place. I love the double lines and having the horse step out in front and feeling the lines against their sides as these will ultimately be replaced by the rider’s legs. It was a wonderful way for Carlotta to work this out as we navigated obstacles and changed direction.
The long lining would evolve to double line lungeing and Carlotta took to this very quickly as she was excellent at responding to voice commands. So, the next step was to add a saddle. Carlotta’s personal saddle had quite a high cantle so I asked if we might use another with a fatter profle for backing as
Carlotta double line lungeing
this would be safer. Fortunately, Khruga’s saddle proved a good ft, so we continued with that. Carlotta was happy with the saddle, and I played with pulling the stirrups down on both sides and pulling on them to ensure she was comfortable which she soon understood. I worked with Carlotta to sidle up against Claire’s mounting block from each direction and be relaxed standing next to it. I prefer my horses not to faff and fdget and once she understood this, I could work on her being comfortable with me standing on the block above her. Finally, having ended a couple of sessions with me stepping my whole weight into her stirrup the day arrived for me to step over and sit on Carlotta. She was a star. She felt comfortable and relaxed with the whole process and stood at complete ease as I patted her gently. In fact, she was so at ease that on the next session when we required movement Claire had to encourage her to walk forward, which I’m pleased to say she did!
I feel touched that Claire asked me to work with one of her precious Crabbet Arabians and I hope to see her out and about in the future. o
Carlotta and Nancy at the various stages of her training, culminating with being able to be totally ease with Nancy on board
SENGORAN and Mrs Joan Mullen
This story begins with a six or seven year old child being taken by her older sister (by thirteen years) to visit a Mrs Joan Mullen and her stallion Sengoran. I was probably along on the visit to Mrs Mullen during a school holiday.
With typical exquisitely sharp memory of important childhood moments I know all about it because I was that little girl. My name was Sarah but I was always called Sally. My sister was Therese but she was sometimes called Terry and then again Tess and then fnally Tessa. Our mother died when Tess was sixteen and I was three. Tess was called Terry at that time and she was my main carer pretty much from birth (our mum was very poorly with a history of TB and also a weak heart).
Our dad was a self employed press photographer, working all hours, covering south and west Wales. I would also accompany him to football matches. Child care was not easy to come by for this little family!
Enter… Sengoran, who also had another name, he was called Colty. Sengoran originally belonged to Lady Wentworth and the story goes that she parted with him because she preferred chestnuts and he was a dark bay. Mrs Mullen fell in love with Colty and didn’t mind his colour one small bit. She needed someone to help with preparing Colty for the shows and this is where Terry came into the picture. Sadly I don’t know exactly how Terry got to know Mrs Mullen. Shall we guess she answered an ad in the local paper for a stable hand? She ended up with a part time occasional role with Mrs Mullen as groom and stable hand. Terry had always been horse and pony mad and so I would follow her wherever that passion took her. A lot of walking to the felds and back to check on her pony Sharry (her name was actually Scheherazade… what’s with these people .. they can’t just have a name and stick to it!).
Terry of course fell in love with Colty and her job entailed a lot of grooming for shows. My memory is that Mrs Mullen was rather strict and horsey but very kind to small hungry little girls. She made several servings of cheese on toast for me on our visits. I still love cheese on toast and am grateful to her for introducing it to my diet!
WORDS BY SARAH FITZGERALD
The next stage of the story was a foal being born. Most of this stuff went straight over my
PHOTOS FROM SARAH’S ARCHIVES
Joan Mullen and Sengoran at the Arab Horse Society National show in Roehampton, 1953. He was placed second in the three year old colt class, and this photo featured in the August 1953 issue of Tatler magazine
head but I do have such a lovely memory of visiting the feld every day and fnally one day there was Moonlight Sonata who had managed, quite nicely thank you, to deliver a beautiful flly foal safely overnight. I am not sure if Sonata was a daughter to Sengoran but then another flly called Melody arrived and was defnitely his. Tess was so excited by her arrival, a chestnut with a faxen mane and tail and beautiful stockings! Of course such glory days never last. Tess got married and emigrated to Canada in 1959. My dad married again, I grew up and, with little or no interest in horses, the memories of my early childhood were fled
Some of the many press cuttings that Sarah has kept from Sengoran’s successful show career
under ‘Precious’ in my hard drive. When my daughter Mary was born the next phase of the story began. She was defnitely horse mad. I wonder where she got it from… Aunty Tessa of course! Fast forward to her lovely mare Chocolate Orange (again called a number of names – Terry, Tezzy, Tez). At this point we befriended Christina Fletcher. She has taken us all on to include providing Tezzy with a very comfortable home and she also happens to be a pony-mad woman, being a Connemara offcianado. She was due to judge at our local county show, and that is where we get to unlock that hard drive fle.
I decided to carry out a little research into Lady Wentworth and therefore the Crabbet story which resulted in the very kind assistance of Mr Tindall who dug into past articles and found Mrs Joan Mullen and Sengoran. We did not have any photos of Sengoran. The one photo I had of the flly Melody and Mrs Mullen is long lost, as dear Tessa died three years ago and the photo cannot be found.
I wanted to be able to share this story with Christina and Mary and here it is, one very happy little girl sharing a very special memory.
Thank you Mark. o
A Whistlestop Tour of Crabbet Studs of North America
...or Breakfast in America!
Words by Natalie Tindall
Photos by Mark and Natalie Tindall
Whistlestop is an apt word to describe a tour of North America as it was frst coined in 1900 by Theodore Roosevelt, the former US president, who believed in bringing politics to the people. He embarked on a whirlwind presidential campaign that encompassed 480 stops at railway stations in 23 states. It was so successful that all subsequent presidents bar three have embraced the whistlestop campaign
Whilst we didn’t rack up quite such impressive fgures in autumn 2024, in three and a half weeks we covered 4,500 miles, visited and stayed in eight states but drove through many more. The subtitle refers to my Facebook post of a sumptuous pancake breakfast piled with fruit which elicited more response than anything else I posted during our trip!
It was an incredible opportunity to see the variety of landscape that the USA has to offer as well as making new friends and catching up with old ones – and of course all their wonderful horses. We landed in New York and the next day drove the length of New York state through the last of the picturesque fall leaves in crimson, cinnamon and gold until we reached our frst visit at the home of the Schemerhorns where we received a warm welcome from Koren and Candace, her daughter. We enjoyed their herd, especially meeting their senior stallion, Rahar Raff Suraj and their promising youngsters before heading off with them to visit their trainer Judy Gayle West. She trains a young mare of theirs, Rahar Primrose and their impressive stallion Rahar Raff Gibzon who she was kind enough to show us in action as he is schooled to Prix St George level. I was thrilled to be offered a ride on him and thoroughly enjoyed the supple and accomplished performance he gave me. Quite remarkable as he was a Western Pleasure horse until he was twelve and had to learn a completely different way of going to do dressage to such a high level.
We said goodbye and headed over the border to stay in Niagara for three nights. Our hotel was in a stunning location and our room overlooked the spectacular horseshoe falls. In every light they were magical; from sunrise to sunset, ever changing and always entrancing. The next day’s visit emphasised their sheer scale and power - we were deafened by the roar and
Mares running free at Twinbrook Arabians
saturated by the ‘mist’. It was perfect way to recover from our fight and frst long drive. Next we headed to Ontario and Richelle Elchuk’s where we visited her 100% Crabbet herd, and some interesting youngsters which incorporate Doyle bloodlines, already fuffy and ready for winter, which arrived not long after we left. By the time we were home in England they were under a foot of snow! One of the mares I liked was one of the bays (Richelle’s favourite colour) Evening Kadence Rumba, (Kari Lockets Kadence x MI Royal
Flag) her bay colour inherited through the Dandaloo Kadet line imported from Australia. All had wonderful temperaments, and it was hard to get them to show off their lovely movement as they just wanted to be sociable!
We travelled on into the mid-west, a two-day trip to Ames, Iowa where we had booked an Air B and B basement apartment. I thought this a wise move as the next day was Election Day! We encountered no unrest but quite a few mutterings! We spent a full couple of days renewing our friendship with Carolyn Hasbrook at her farm where she has around ffty mares and youngstock and a stallion, bearing clear family resemblances, the product of generations of thoughtful breeding. I particularly liked the youngsters that have a Dreamazon infuence in their pedigrees, they tend to be smooth and correct, move well and have a lovely eye. It was sad that her husband Dick died just a few weeks before we visited but his infuence can be strongly felt, and the 2025 foals were breedings that he planned. Carolyn gave Crabbet Heritage a very generous gift of antique books from her collection, and we enjoyed a rainy afternoon studying pedigrees and discussing horses.
She also very kindly organised a visit for us to MG Biologics, a nearby facility that produces plasma and anti-venom for horses. They use two hundred donor horses mostly of draft type and it is a career for them at the end of which they are given an honourable retirement. It is extremely valuable work and has been responsible in saving many neonatal lives that otherwise would have been lost to ffteen diseases including deadly rhodococcus infection. They also produce anti venom against four families of snake bite, a more common problem in the US than for us here in the UK, thankfully.
We headed south to Tennessee to Arabian Dream Farm, home of Mark and Kim Thomasen, where we enjoyed visits to the local town and waterfalls, sampled excellent food, wandered through the paddocks of their beautiful horses and generally relaxed. They have a small breeding programme of Purebred Arabians and half Trakehner horses and excitingly had a beautiful Purebred flly by Magic Domino, foaled twelve years after his sudden death. The half Trakehners showed the best of both breeds, being friendly and beautiful with a scopey athleticism. Their current stallion is the very impressive and tall grey 100% Crabbet Grand Sharif AD who was imported in utero from Australia. He is a stallion with great promise for Crabbet and sport horse breeders.
Even further south we met Lisa Littrell, a CMK breeder and stayed in her unique home in Alabama. She has a beautiful selection of quality Pure and Part Bred Arabians, some crossed
Mark and Kim Thomason’s 100% Crabbet flly Magic Etta Mae AD (Magic Domino x Phantasia FA Arabian Dream Farm)
The infamous American breakfast!
with her palomino Quarter horse stallion. Her Purebred mares are a wonderful cross of Dreamazon and Bremervale Andronicus lines. Lisa knew Bazy Tankersley well and values all the advice she gained from her, which is evident in her breeding decisions. She kindly introduced us to endurance rider Jody Buttram, who had a lovely collection of horses including her stallion VG Dreams Afar (FV Farliek x Exquisite Dream) and a beautifully put together 100 mile endurance mare, RS Lady Empress (Bremervale Andronicus ++++ x Al Marah Empress Elect). Whilst we were here Lisa also took us to the Jesse Owens Museum which was fascinating. Although born in Alabama his
the Berlin Olympic Games. It made me think of how many horses are potential winners in so many spheres; all they need is that opportunity.
We returned through Tennessee on to Kentucky where we had just one day to sample the Museum of the Horse. Secretariat’s statue and life story were impressive surrounded by early Christmas lights which sparkled through the gloomy day. The three ridden demos funnily enough featured two British breeds, a Shire and a Dales pony who weathered the rain very well. Indoors the Al-Marah Arabian galleries with their many artefacts and interactive tent displays told a compelling story via a magic urn! Time was limited so we drove on to the TB and artwork sales at Keeneland where I was most tempted by a grey three-year-old TB flly who sold for a mere $210,000!
The next day saw us driving through West Virginia, (we couldn’t help singing John Denver’s “Country Roads’!) past some spectacular countryside incorporating the Blue Ridge Mountains until we arrived at Charlottesville. This town had a great deal of olde world charm, and I could imagine the Walton family, of fctitious TV fame, enjoying their visits to civilisation there when they left ‘Waltons Mountain’!
The next day we arrived in Virginia to visit Pat Bobb and her senior horses, aged 21-34. They were all pleased to see us and greeted us one by one as they rested calmly in their barn. She took us to the ECAHS lock up where Mark had several (two suitcases full!) of books and items that had been awaiting our return since the pandemic. After a delicious Italian lunch, we drove on.
From there we were close by to our next host Jane Peple whose horses included two older pure Crabbet mares who Jane had rescued from a kill auction in Texas. This was an interesting place to stay
Senior Stallion at Arabian Dream Farm, Grand Sharif AD
Our visit to an Amish market with the wonderful produce on offer
as there was a huge collection of bantams, hens, guinea fowl and a gander who took his job of fock overseer very seriously!
From there, just an hour away, we spent a happy day catching up with William ‘Buzz’ Moore at his Fairfeld Farm where he had a selection of helpers to show us the large number of horses he still has. For me the most special moment was becoming reacquainted with the bay mare FFC Saxbee S (FFC Dundee++ X FFC Csea Sprite) I once showed as a flly foal at one of the Crabbet Celebrations - she is now a beautiful six year old. That was a scary reminder of how quickly time passes.
From there we drove up to conclude our trip in Pennsylvania with the Noonan family at their True Blue Arabians stud farm from where they have bred many winners in the show and performance rings. Their stallion is a grey high percentage Crabbet with a fabulous temperament yet lots of presence Rahar Gaizada (Lea Gai Azada x Rahar Giboraraffa) He enjoyed showing off for us in their arena and we enjoyed watching him. The Noonans live surrounded by Amish farmers, and it was fascinating to see horses working the felds and trotting smartly to market with their produce. But my favourites were the, as I called them, ‘golden mules’ who are an impressive cross of donkey with Belgian Draft horses who are liver chestnut with faxen manes and tails. The resultant mules are rich chestnut with blonde manes and are huge. A special mention at True Blue Arabians must go to another mare I had not seen for six years, the well-named grey
Fantasi (Lea Gai Success x Krystle Sensation) who epitomises dry desert type, now a serene thirty years old and looking very well. We ended our stay here with a lovely social evening of ECAHS members, swapping horse stories.
We were sad to leave all our hosts – we had been so welcomed and looked after everywhere we travelled and it was heartwarming to think that the Crabbet horse had brought us all together as it once brought Lady Anne and Wilfrid Blunt close to the Bedouins from whence these wonderful horses originally came.
We drove back to New York, sad to leave our friends, old and new, but excited to spend a couple of hours in New York City where we visited the Empire State building and dined in Times Square to the unmistakable sound of sirens and vista of brightly coloured fashing lights intensifed by the season.
As we few home the memories of so many friends, horses and humans, spectacular views and the wide range of cocktails, a different one in every state, eased the sadness at leaving. Instead, we felt heartened by the horses we had seen, the new contacts made and that we had played a small part in bringing some Crabbet breeders together. And that breakfast lives long in the memory! o
Desert
Natalie with FFC Saxbee S at Buzz Moore’s Fairfeld Farm
Clockwise from above: Rahar Gaizada; the Amish ‘golden mules’; Desert Fantasi
Klinta Bashir x Hadila
JAMAHR STUD
• WORDS AND PHOTOS BY CHRIS ROS •
It does not take a big stud to be successful
L to r: Waianga Alia, Jamahr Tommy Lee, Jamahr Bill Lee and Jamahr Kristi Lee
Len and Beth Woodland had a small stud on the outskirts of Perth. The star of this stud was the stallion Yamegi Hussein +S (by Sky Hussar imp from Melara Tala). Hussein was a multi Supreme Champion, winner under saddle and the second horse in Western Australia to get the Supreme award in the ROM. Len and Beth wanted a good type of mare to breed a Purebred foal by Hussein so they approached Dr Keith Giles of Yamegi Stud and asked if they could lease Paladin Aarba for two seasons. They were in luck and Aarba joined them on the farm in Roleystone.
Paladin Aarba was by Ivan (Silver Moonlight imp from the Silwan imp
daughter Bellona) and had been shown quite successfully in WA, one of her wins being Senior Champion mare at the 1979 All Arabian Show. Sky Hussar imp was Senior Champion Stallion at the same show. In due course Aarba foaled a grey flly that lived up to all of Len and Beth’s expectations and they called her Waianga Alia.
Alia made her frst entrance into the show ring at the Autumn Horse Show (a very big three day, All Breeds show) in 1985 in the flly foal class and judge Val Males placed her frst and her show career never looked back. As a yearling Alia showed that she had lost none of her beauty and her next show saw her take home the Champion Mare
sash, beating the much decorated Desert Musketa.
At the large Collie Agricultural Show in the South West of the State, Alia won the frst of her many Supreme Champion awards and late in the day she went up under a panel of all the breed judges for the day and won the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Cup for Supreme Champion of All Breeds, quite a feat for a yearling !.
In 1987 Len and Beth made the very hard decision to sell Alia and her new owner became Margaret Jackson. Margaret has never regretted her decision to own an Arab flly. Margaret does all the background work, prepping for the shows, getting them there and also getting good handlers and riders for her precious horses.
Margaret’s frst time in the ring with Alia resulted in a reserve champion sash and many more awards were to follow until this lovely mare was retired in 1995. As well as agricultural show outings, these wins included many championships or reserves at the Autumn Show, Royal Show, All Arabian and State Championships, Supremes and Supremes Champion of All Breed awards, Horse of the Year titles, and the Kadova Favoury Memorial trophy. Alia’s career was not just in in hand classes but she was also broken to saddle. At the 1992 State Championships Alia was Reserve Champion Ridden Mare and also Top 3 in 1995, just some of her saddle horse wins.
In the midst of this excellent show career Alia took time out to become a mother. A tall bay colt by Ricardo was born in 1989; his name was to become Jamahr Bill Lee. The prefx Jamahr, is a combination of some of the letters in Margaret’s name.
Billy was gelded and carried on from his mother, competing in open company as well as Arab competitions. Billy was also a multiple champion, reserve and supreme and supreme of all breeds as well as competing under saddle.
The year 2000 must have rated as the best for Billy. Melissa Barry took over the riding and training of Billy and at the All Arabian he was judged Ultimate Purebred Arabian for which you have to qualify, both in an in hand and a ridden class and is judged by both the ridden and in hand judges. Later in the same month at the Crabbet Show, Billy was judged Senior Champion Crabbet Gelding, Champion Open Arabian Gelding, Champion Crabbet Arabian Hack, Reserve Champion Ridden Exhibit and Hi Point Crabbet Performance Horse. At the Perth Royal, Billy won his ridden gelding class and was then judged to be the Champion Ridden Purebred Arabian Exhibit. Later in the year at the State Championships, Billy took out the titles of Champion Arabian Bridle Path Hack, Champion Arabian Ridden Gelding, Champion Arabian Show Horse and Reserve Champion Arabian English Pleasure. At the end of the year Billy was presented with the WA Arabian Horse Associations Perpetual trophy for Ridden Gelding of the Year.
the year, which was the Crabbet Show, Jamahr Bill Lee was judged Senior Champion Crabbet Gelding, Champion Open Gelding, Best WA Bred Gelding and then in the ridden classes he took off the titles of Champion Crabbet Hack, Champion Ridden Exhibit and winner of the High Point Crabbet Performance Horse Trophy.
Billy continued his winning ways in 2001. At the frst major show for
Bill Lee won the Champion Arabian Hack award at the All Arabian and tried to defend his title of Ultimate Arabian, but the event eluded him this time. Three weeks later at the All Stars Horse and Pony Show, Eastern states judges Shane Ackerley and Leigh Dunstan
Waianga Alia won many Supreme Championships both in hand and ridden before retiring to stud
judged him to be Champion of Champions Ridden Horse!
Bill Lee was Champion Hack at the 2001 All Arabian and in 2002 he was Champion Ridden Arabian, Champion Hack (by age), Champion Hack (by height) and Supreme Champion Hack. The State Championships of 2001 saw Bill Lee with a Top 5 in Halter, Champion Purebred Show Horse, Reserve Champion Ridden Gelding, Champion Bridle Path Hack and Reserve Champion Purebred Show Hunter.
The 2002 Crabbet Show was another triumph for Bill Lee, his owner Margaret and rider Melissa Barry. Champion Crabbet Gelding, Champion Open Gelding, Champion Crabbet Hack and Champion Ridden Exhibit. And still the list goes on.
Jamahr Ricci Lee, a full brother to Billy was born in 1993 but sadly died as a yearling, another full brother Jamahr Tommy Lee was born in 1994. Tommy Lee carried on with the winning ways of his brother by being judged Senior Champion gelding at the Western Australian Arabian Championships in 2003 as well as winning Reserve Champion Ridden Show Hunter. In 2006 Tommy Lee was the Purebred Saddle Horse of the Year.
Alia missed to Marbling Rajah in 1996 but in 1997 she foaled the grey flly Jamahr Kristi Lee by Nassi, a son of Naasser. Kristi started her show career with a Champion Mare and then Supreme Champion at Gidgegannup Agricultural. Show in 1998. Kristi was a fnalist at the 1999 Junior Showcase and in 2000, she was Reserve Champion, she has been in the Top 3 at the State Championships and at the 2000 All Arabian Show she was Reserve Junior Champion to the eventual Junior Supreme.
At the 2000 State Championships Kristi Lee was placed in the Top Ten in the section for fllies two and three years old and she won her class at the 2001 All Arabian.
Kristi continued her winning ways at the 2001 State Champs with a Reserve Champ in the mare four to fve year old mare class and at her frst outing under saddle she won Champion Ridden Purebred Mare. It was at the 2002 All Arabian that Kristi really showed what she is made of. Kristi won her mare class, then Senior Champ mare and Senior Supreme Champion. Later in the day this pretty mare won the Hack three and four years. These wins qualifed Kristi for the Ultimate Arabian Event and guess what? She won at only her second appearance out under saddle. This was the frst time that
Jamahr Bill Lee was Alia’s frst foal, born in 1989, and himself a multi champion in a long show career
one mare (Waianga Alia) had produced multiple the winners of this event.
In 2009, Jamahr Kristi Lee had major wins at the All Arab Show –Senior Reserve Champion Mare, Champion Ridden Purebred and then she topped it off with Supreme Champion Ridden Purebred. Unfortunately the Royal Show of that year was not as successful for Kristi as she could only manage second placings in both her in-hand and ridden events.
Later in the year at the Western Australian Arab Championships she was Champion Show Horse, Champion Ridden Mare and Purebred Champion in the Preliminary and Novice Dressage classes. At the Arab Horse of the Year show Kristi was judged Champion Purebred Saddle Mare of the Year and at the Dressage Gala held on the same day she was Champion in both the Purebred Preliminary and Novice events. She was the Western Australian Arabian Horse Association Ridden Purebred Mare for nine consecutive years. This was the last year in which Kristi graced the showring in WA. Kristi (ridden by Melissa Barry) competed in the Australian Championships in 2005 and 2007 with a Top Ten in the ridden Arabian Mare class in 2005. Sydney was the venue for all three of the championships in which Kristi competed. This trip of nearly 4000 kilometres (one way) is not to be undertaken lightly.
Once that long road trip to the Eastern States for the Australian Arabian Championships in 2010 was planned, Kristi was not shown in WA in that year. Kristi took it all in her stride and came home to WA with the title of Australian Champion Ridden Mare, as well as two Reserve Champions in the dressage, this time ridden by Richard Rice. Margaret decided to retire Kristi after this but unfortunately Kristi has not had any foals to carry on the legacy of her mother
and siblings. She still bosses her young companion, Jarrah, around to prove she is ‘The Queen’.
There are not many mares such as Waianga Alia that boast a record like this one, both as a broodmare and a show horse. Alia lived to a good age of eighteen years. Margaret told me that she didn’t breed any more foals from Alia as she only has a small property and she couldn’t bear to part with any of the horses she has bred. More is the
Jamahr Tommy Lee, full brother to Bill Lee, and also a multi champion
Jamahr Kristi Lee
pity, as mares which can perform and produce like this don’t come along all that often.
In 2012 Margaret decided to start looking for another youngster to bring on for a show career. Many studs were visited in west Australia but nothing ftted in with what Margaret was looking for so she decided on a trip over east to look for one. One youngster was close to what Margaret was after but a visit to another stud had been organized. After about a week of still looking, Margaret found that the flly she had decided upon had been sold the day before.
Not put off, Margaret had fallen in love with a broodmare (not in foal at the time) so that is how the pure Crabbet mare Pevensey Ghia (Ghazari x Veridan Za’aria) came to WA. A pure Crabbet, bay colt was born in 2014 by the WA based stallion Erin Park Nelson (Crenel x Fenwick Rosanna). Ghia died in 2021 without having another foal.
The bay colt was named Jamahr Jarrah, after the renowned Western Australian hard wood timber tree of the lovely red colour. Once again this small stud has produced a winner. Jarrah has been judged Junior Champion in hand gelding at the 2018 All Arab Show. He has competed with moderate success in in hand classes but it was decided to concentrate on ridden events for him, his rider being Richard Rice. Amongst Jarrah’s awards so far he has been awarded Western Australian Arabian Horse Association ridden Purebred gelding of the Year for 2022 and Reserve Champion Ridden Purebred at the All Arab Show 2024.
The last couple of years the WA branch of Equestrian Australia (formerly known as Equestrian Federation of Australia) has added a special section for ridden Arabian and Derivative horses at their Horse of the Year Show. Jarrah has been runner-up in the Purebred section for the last two years. Richard will continue to be Jarrah’s rider with hopefully a long ridden career in front of them both. o
Pure Crabbet Pevensey Ghia and her son Jamahr Jarrah (below, by Erin Park Nelson) are now the future of Jamahr Stud for Margaret
Twinbrook Arabians
After 55 years of breeding our beautiful Crabbet Arabians, Twinbrook Arabians now have a number of quality high percentage Crabbet Arabian horses for sale to good homes
These include some three year old fllies, the last of a 55+ year breeding program. Their ancestors were daughter of Azraf and other sons or grandsons of Azja IV, and other sons of *Rafles.
The infuence of Ferzon was brought a couple generations later. The mare Ragala (daughter of *Rafles dam *Rifala) soon became a most important addition to the pedigrees.
All but a couple of the fllies in the group carry close connections to her, some still in the fve generation pedigree.
“As we close our door, we have probably the most Ragala blood through diferent sources than anyone in the country. With Dick’s passing and my age we must share our treasures with others who will also treasure our years of work and dedication.” Carolyn Hasbrook
I started riding before I was three years old (none of us can remember the exact age!). My mum and dad own Acaciavej Arabians, Latrobe, Tasmania, Australia and I started out-riding my mum’s retired endurance horse, Starsky
Starsky was my frst ‘pony’ and he was my mum’s retired endurance horse,. He was 14.2hh and a little wilful for a child so we borrowed my cousin’s little grey pony (Shetland/miniature horse cross) called Snowball. We had him for about nine months but I had started dancing, and riding was not a priority for me. Mum hates having good horses sitting in the paddock being an ornament, so the decision was made to sell Snowball on to a lovely family with three children all wanting to ride. About twelve months after Snowball, and when Starsky had passed away, I was keen to get riding again. So, we bought a new little chestnut pony, Brandy. What an adventure we had with her! She had been sold as a well-educated pony but once she had been brought home, we found some underlying issues around being touched around her hind end. This is how we ended up in an accident, landing me in hospital with both bones in my wrist broken, growth plates cracked and scratches all over my face. This led to me losing all my confdence riding wise (and ending up not riding for fve years). Mum had a ball of a time educating her and getting her ready to be sold as a suitable child’s pony! My favourite part about endurance riding is spending the day with my partner in crime exploring our state for hours on end! Just something about fying through the countryside seeing all the beautiful views that our state has to offer is so appealing! My favourite ride to-date was State Championships 2024 where I completed my frst 100 miler ride(160km). I am now qualifed to ride in the Tom Quilty Gold Cup National Championship. Luckily for me, the 2025 Tom Quilty is being held in Tasmania.
Third leg of the State Championships 160km with Bella, Arabella, Highland View Mustang Sally and myself.
Photo:RogerNicholls
At midnight on the 29th/30th of November, myself and Highland View Mustang Sally ((Sandine Dakota x Sally) generously offered to me and owned by Carolyn Foley-Jones) set off to start our 160km journey through the lovely terrain of Scottsdale, Tasmania with Bella Sheean and her mare Arabella (Ella). Riding through testing conditions and travelling approximately 6km without head lights on the ffth leg at 9.15pm, we came into the vet ring at 10.00pm to fnish Bella, Ella’s and my own frst 100 miler (Mustang having already completed one). At presentations on Sunday the 1st of December, I was privileged to receive the Andrew Blake Junior Shield, for ‘best managed’.
There are a couple of people who I highly look up to in the sport of endurance. The frst
Above: Highland View Mustang Sally and I the day after our 160km ride with the ‘Andrew Blake Memorial Junior Shield’ that we are honoured to have been presented with at presentations, and below, out on the third leg of our 160km ride with our ride buddies Bella Sheean and Arabella (Ella)
Below: Having a bit of a laugh on the fourth leg of the TQ25 Test Event 160km with Malricia Narah
Photo:RogerNicholls
Photo:TracyNutting
Photo:RogerNicholls
one being my mum Tracy Nutting. She bred her frst foal in 1987 and he was her frst endurance horse, Starsky, who then went on to be my frst ‘pony’. Over her twenty four years of competing in endurance, as of January 2025, she has completed over 6000 kilometres in competitive rides and over 900 in social rides. I look up to her because of her perseverance and care with her equine friend. Her ultimate goal has always been to achieve a State Championship buckle and Tom Quilty buckle, neither of which she has achieved yet, but she has always persisted in her efforts to achieve her dreams. Hopefully 2025 will be the year.
Another lady I look up to in endurance I look up to is Angela Hawks. I continually wonder how she keeps her grey ponies so perfectly white, even in the muddiest conditions. Her cool, calm, and relaxed attitude is truly admirable. She has also accumulated an impressive number of kilometres and achievements throughout her endurance career. Some of these accomplishments have been achieved while navigating the early stages of motherhood! Over her endurance career so far as of January 2025 she has clocked up nearly 22,000 kilometres in competitive endurance rides (what the heck?!) and nearly 2000km in social rides. Her horses are always so well prepared and are always looking fabulous! Whenever I see her name on an entry list I can’t wait to see her chosen steed at the ride. I will always
remember her kindness and encouragement at State champs whenever we came across her and Eve on track or whenever we would pass her going out on our leg. There were other people who were cheering for us that weekend, but she was one of the main ones and I will forever feel privileged to have her support.
At an endurance event you don’t just have to be riding to have some fun, the rides don’t run without the volunteers. There is always a call for volunteers, and no matter who you are or your experience, you are always welcome to help in the vet ring or on a timing gate, no one is going to turn you away! It really is the best way to learn and get information about our amazing sport.
Outside of horses I enjoy my competitive dancing, spending time with my friends and family, reading, shopping and any activity including water!
My hopes and dreams for 2025 and beyond include getting Schumi ((Acaciavej Schumi (Ebjarah Silver Ataan x Acaciavej Sharli), owned by Raelene Smith) qualifed and hopefully ready for the 2025 Tom Quilty Gold Cup National Championships. I aim to enter and ride in the Tom Quilty, hopefully completing it. Additionally, I dream of one day traveling to New South Wales to attempt the 400km marathon known as the Shahzada.
I can’t wait to see where 2025 takes us!
Above: Acaciavej Schumi before a training ride in July
Right: Acaciavej Shamarli and I messing around
Left: Annandale Willow (Lauralyn Bay Magic x Orabanda Dancing Silhouette) at our second 80km ride together
Photo:RogerNicholls
Photo:TracyNutting
Photo:AdamNutting
Caption needed
Silmara was beautiful, graceful and a wonderful ride. You could ride her with the tips of your fngers, she had a lovely mouth and would respond to the lightest touch. She was also hormonally challenged, feisty,
opinionated, queen of all she surveyed and truly believed everything revolved around her!
and it was also the start of a great friendship still going strong today.
Silmara was beautiful, graceful and a wonderful ride. You could ride her with the tips of your fngers, she had a lovely mouth and would respond to the lightest touch. She was also hormonally challenged, feisty, opinionated, queen of all she surveyed and truly believed everything revolved around her! She had belonged to an older lady who, if I remember correctly, did not ride a great deal but treated Silmara as a much-loved pet. In the early days of our relationship I would go to the yard at QEP and stand quietly by Silmara’s box. She made it quite clear that this was HER territory, would I kindly go away or she might bite me. I just moved slightly out of range and carried on as if nothing unusual was happening. This went on for a little while until the penny eventually dropped that I was actually not too bad, was not going to go away, and was even the one who took her out for some jollies round the Park.
Joyce was very encouraging to any of us who were interested in endurance and gave freely of her time and knowledge. Thus it was that in July, three months after acquiring Silmara, I found myself trotting somewhat nervously down the lane from the Cranborne Chase venue. Out on a horse that I was still getting to know and actually taking part in my very frst endurance ride. It was a Bronze Buckle Qualifer, achieving Bronze Buckle being the Holy Grail for Novice endurance riders/horses at that time. I was so engrossed with the whole proceedings that at one stage, cantering blissfully along a grassy track, I completely missed a right turn marker. A few minutes later I came to a gate across the track, and no marker. I retraced my steps and eventually found it, now a left turn up through a wood. My crew were getting anxious, and as it was my frst ride my knowledge of speed/distance was hazy to say the least! However, despite it all we fnished within the speed/distance/time
parameters and Silmara passed the vet with ease. Our Bronze Buckle Qualifer rosette was taken home with joy and more than a little pride.
Most of the rest of 2000 was spent in getting to know each other and to understanding more about endurance. However, in mid October, to fnish the season, two of us from QEP went to the Dorset Coast ride (near Swanage) to do a twenty mile pleasure ride. This was great fun – both horses saw the sea, perhaps for the frst time, and danced about in the small waves breaking on the beach. Neither could be persuaded to venture in any further! It was a lovely ride, coast and countryside, and a good day out for us all. Certainly for Silmara and me it was one more valuable endurance experience.
Silmara had taken to the sport with ease and great enthusiasm and her competitive spirit was much in evidence. If another horse was in front it absolutely needed overtaking, and if a horse/horses overtook us it was not to her liking at all. She had to learn that this was part of the game, and over time she got better, but the desire to be in the lead never really subsided.
Joyce owned all the horses kept during the summer months at QEP and they went home with her for the winter, near Bagshot. I went to ride Silmara every weekend and she was exercised for me during the week. I had a full-on full time job, and had always worked during my horse owning years, but although we did not have our own facilities this was the frst time I had not looked after my horse myself. I missed it very much, having enjoyed the early mornings, winter dark nights, rain, mud, poo picking, wet rugs… I could go on with the list, I’m sure you all know it well! Looking after my horse was always as meaningful as the riding and the best way to build up trust and a true relationship. It niggled away at me that I was having to do the next best alternative.
In the Spring of 2001 the horses returned to QEP, much nearer to my home than Bagshot, and with longer days/annual leave days I was able to spend more time with Silmara. This was also the year of an extremely bad foot and mouth outbreak, and the movement of livestock and the holding of outdoor events were both heavily curtailed.
I think at this stage I must mention my very supportive, non-horsey husband, Don. Despite being non-horsey he literally mucked
in with everything when time allowed. Later on, when I had Silmara at part livery in a small yard near our home, he became well known for being the best yard sweeper in the business! He was also crew member par excellence and as a quantity surveyor he prepared the most detailed speed/distance/ timing checkpoint sheets which I still have. Silmara loved her eyes being stroked and he would stand for ages doing this while whispering sweet nothings in her ear. Competitive endurance rides were much curtailed for part of the year but in July 2001 a group of us based at QEP went to a competition at Tilford, quite near to home. It was a lovely venue, the route being over miles of common land used by the MoD and on sandy bridleways right through the local golf course. Golfers and riders tolerated each other – probably no more than that –and respectful distances were generally maintained. We did another BBQ, achieving all the required parameters, with Silmara vetting well at the end.
In September another group of us from QEP went to a venue near Leatherhead and we completed another twenty mile Bronze Buckle Qualifer successfully. Silmara remained ft and well and sound.
In the middle of October came our biggest challenge to date and at a ride run by Joyce, the venue being Goodwood Race Course. We had achieved the required number of Bronze Buckle Qualifer rides, and could now
take part in a Bronze Buckle Final. This was a distance of thirty miles with no offcial holds en route, we had to rely solely on our crew for all needs both equine and human. We rode with my friend Dru Bowman and her mare Buttercup. The two mares were usually turned out together and got on well. Silmara was a star, apart from pulling my arms out in her eagerness to get on with the job! That is a diffcult one – how to restrain your horse suffciently in order to travel across varying terrain, often at speed, without mishap, but at the same time not interfering with the mouth in terms of bruising or soreness or, heaven forbid, a cut. Silmara wore a simple webbing bridle with a French link snaffe and no gadgets, with simple fetlock boots on her hind legs. I had to try and ride at my very, very best at times like these, not always easy! Obviously I would like to think that I rode as well as I could as often as possible, but sadly I know that at times I could have done better. At the end of this ride it was satisfying beyond belief to achieve our Bronze Buckle, and I really began to feel that we were becoming a proper partnership. The Bronze Buckle is an actual buckle, the surround is gold coloured metal with the middle part in white enamel with a blue horse and rider at full stretch across it. In the early 2000s Joyce moved house to West Sussex, moved the horses from QEP to a private estate close to her home and Silmara went with her. The local Council had
decided not to continue with the seasonal stables at QEP and the move was timely. Joyce set up a very successful business called Rural Rides, combining long distance rides with less demanding horse activities/ holidays.
Our next ride was in August 2002 at Alfreds Tower, a great venue at Stourhead and wonderful riding country. We were part of a riding club team of four, and although not being placed we had a marvellous time and acquitted ourselves well. Under new rules distances were now measured in kilometres, ours being 34km. This was the only competitive ride that year, but we more than made up for it in 2003!
In 2003 I found a part livery space at a small yard a few miles from home and it was so good to be looking after her again. 2003 was our busiest competition year, and required many training miles to be put in at home in order to be ft for the frst ride at the beginning of April. This ride was Wiltshire Droves, the venue being Salisbury Racecourse. It was a favourite venue of mine and I had enjoyed helping at rides there when not competing. The sport of endurance riding gives the opportunity of riding in wonderfully varied places across the UK, often with permission from private landowners to cross their land. Rides were now ‘graded’, the achievement of a Grade 1 being the icing on the cake after a successful ride. On this occasion we received a Grade 2.
On 20th April a group of us formerly from QEP went to a ride known as the Ridgeway. Beautiful riding country but the ground was rock hard. Despite riding as carefully as possible – or so I thought – at the end Silmara failed the vet, lame right fore. This was the only time she ever failed a vetting at the conclusion of a ride, but it was my responsibility. The only ‘solace’ I found was knowing that riders much more experienced than I also met with failed post ride vettings that day. Silmara was sound again in a couple of days, but she had a week off just in case. In June we went to a fantastic ride based at Breamore House in Hampshire. The riding country was everything you could wish for, and I rode with a very experienced friend Carol Meyer on her equally experienced horse Sandy. It was a beautiful day, the horses were great together and we laughed a lot. To cap it all both our horses received a Grade 1 at the post ride vetting.
Wiltshire Droves, April 2003
On 27 July Carol transported Silmara and me to Cranborne Chase but by the time we got there I was not feeling too well. I was able to substitute Carol as the rider, and she had a wonderful ride on Silmara, again achieving a Grade 1 at the end. Husband Don and I crewed for Carol instead of them crewing me, and it worked well.
Carol and I were entered to do a ride at Ashdown Forest in the middle of August, but unfortunately her horse Sandy had a fall on the fat just as we set off so we abandoned. I was not going without her!
Now in 2004, our frst ride, Tilford, was so local to me that I could hack there! Don went to the venue with the car loaded up with all the paraphernalia that one small horse requires! It was early March, freezing cold, and to cap it all the friend I was riding with had trouble persuading her horse to unload from her trailer. He had not wanted to load up, and now he decided that once in he was staying in!
Well, after an enormous amount of cajoling Tiggy (registered name Tir Na Nog) decided he would co-operate after all and emerged from the trailer. Tiggy was by Abishai out of Silver Dazawa (by Dryl ex Sky Silhouette).
The secretary had kindly allowed us to start late, so eventually off we went. The ride was good but very cold and we were glad to return to the venue after 33km. Silmara passed the vetting and received a Grade 2. Don suggested he would walk Silmara back to the yard (about two miles) and I would go ahead in the car and make sure everything was ready when they arrived. This was all achieved and Silmara was settled in her box with all the creature comforts she needed. We headed home to warm up!
Silmara had upgraded from Novice to Intermediate in 2002 and as her rider for every ride but one I was upgraded too. It had taken a good two years to get this far, and the quest to achieve Advanced level was on the far horizon.
In April of 2004 we returned to Salisbury Racecourse for the Wiltshire Droves ride, the distance this time being 66km. To achieve Advanced grading the distances were longer, the speed higher with the timing tighter, but there was a compulsory hold time half way. This ride was completed successfully, with a Grade 1 pass. Silmara had learned that we started off at walk, proceeded to a ‘controlled’ trot and gradually opened up as
the ground permitted. This didn’t stop her thinking that she was in a real race right from the starter counting us down, and at times it felt like sitting on a time bomb! As long as the energy went sort of forward and not up it was generally OK!
On 2nd May we went to a ride named Berkshire Downs, which was sited actually at a venue on the Ridgeway. This was another 65km ride and Silmara was very keen indeed. At the end of the ride she passed the vetting, but no grade for us this time. A ‘C’ for completion was a just reward, I had been trying to stop her headlong dash for a lot of the time and her mouth was a little sore. Not bad enough to actually fail the vetting, but it was suggested I might try her in a hackamore.
I borrowed one shortly afterwards – not a good idea. I had to try and persuade Silmara to be slightly less enthusiastic and agree to bowling along at a more controlled speed, but how do you convince a lively Arab steed that it would be a good idea?
At the end of June we entered a ride run by the Endurance GB Iceni group in Norfolk, the ride entitled North Norfolk Coastal. My good friends Cathy and Mark Stevens took Silmara, Don and me up in their 4x4 and trailer. Cathy and I were due to ride together, but at the time she was advised not to compete on medical grounds. Her parents lived in Norfolk then, so it was a good opportunity for her to see them too.
On the way up we stopped at a service station to give Silmara water and a feed and
North Norfolk ride, June 2004
opened up the front of the trailer so that she could see out properly and we could stand around and chat and just be with her. We parked on the edge of the lorry park as the 4x4 and trailer took up some space, and there were some army lorries parked there too. Some of the soldiers wandered over to see what was going on and Silmara, being the total diva that she was, drew herself up to her full height (all of 15hh), arched her neck and preened. Of course the soldiers were bowled over by this beautiful fery beastie, it’s a memory that has stayed with me as clear as crystal.
We stayed with friends of Joyce’s on Friday and Saturday nights, John and Brigid Fairman – lovely paddock for Silmara – and on Saturday I did a 16km pleasure ride with her. On Sunday we did a 50km ride in the most beautiful countryside, Silmara passed the vetting and achieved a Grade 1. It was a lovely weekend spent in the company of my husband, brilliant friends and, of course, Silmara. Brigid was an endurance rider at the highest level, with years of experience and knowledge of Arabians behind her and deserves an honourable mention! She has just acquired a new young mare who reminds me a lot of Silmara and I wish her much pleasure in this new partnership. At the end of September came our frst opportunity to achieve Advanced status, having completed a number of qualifying rides at the required longer distances. The venue was the Brendon Stud in West Sussex, the ride being named Devil’s Dyke. It was a lovely day weatherwise but we could have got off to a bad start. The man transporting us had his trailer stolen the night before, but thanks to the owner of the yard where I was we managed to get there. She generously loaned us her brand new, never used before, trailer, and it was a godsend.
The 50km ride was lovely, somewhat eventful, but my abiding memory is cantering along the bottom of the Devil’s Dyke, totally alone except for the calling of birds. At the end there is a steepish incline but we few up there on wings. Don and Ian, the man who had transported us, were crewing for me and they made a wonderful job of it. At the end Silmara passed the vet with a Grade 1. My wonderful horse had done it, even though she had no clue as to what she had done, and I truly believe she had relished all the miles (I still thought of them as that)
that we had done together. I had no ambition to compete at Advanced level. I did not have the time to put in the preparation that would be needed, I did not have my own transport, and my lovely horse was now twelve. Not old, of course, but I saw the next years as being less demanding for both of us. We did do one last 32km at Windsor Park in August 2005, and riding in Windsor Park was a fabulous experience. A great venue for calling time on endurance per se.
We did, of course, do much hacking in the years that followed and some pleasure rides too. I did try some proper instruction with her, but she absolutely hated it with a passion. We hacked to the instructor’s premises, and when it was time to go home I had a cross little horse who pranced and ground her teeth and refused to settle until we were near home and a place she recognised. I did not pursue it for very long.
Don and I also did a lot of crewing for Cathy and Tiggy which we really enjoyed and we had some great adventures together. Tiggy was given a dignifed and peaceful end at the age of 30 in September this year. Towards the end of 2007 it was obvious that my dear Mum, now in her early 90s, very independent and still in her own home, was becoming increasingly frail. Despite all the help she had every day, and us spending a lot of time with her, the “emergency dashes” were becoming more frequent. This could not continue and our priority was keeping her safe. The decision was made that she needed to be in a safe and caring environment permanently and we were recommended to a Nursing Home close by. Mum went there and settled in very well, and we had the task of selling her house.
I tell you this to explain that whilst it was all happening my time with Silmara was becoming less and less. I would do her at weekends, which I loved, and snatched the occasional ride, but I was paying someone else to ride her and it became a merry go round. I could not give Silmara the time she deserved and to my mind our personal bond was slipping. She was exhibiting stressy behaviour and I found this extremely sad to witness. She deserved better.
In 2009, after much thought and more than a few tears I took the decision that in all the circumstances she needed a better life than I could give her. I had owned her for nine
years and parting with her would be hard. Amazingly a solution arose by chance, as they sometimes do. The lady who owned the estate where Joyce was running Rural Rides from had recently lost her beautiful mare Carmen, who was by Zehrak ex Taffta whose sire was Ben Rabba. She had always liked and admired Silmara and in short became Silmara’s new owner. Silmara was loved and pampered in her new home, once again Queen of all she surveyed. She lived there for the rest of her days, until her early twenties.
I am now seventy six and my riding years and years of horse ownership are long behind me. On the front page of Horse & Hound Whyte Melville is quoted as saying “I freely admit that the best of my fun I owe it to horse and hound”. Well, I can truthfully say that the best of MY fun I owe to horses in general and to both my wonderful Arabians in particular (my ‘old’ Arabian was El Soud, a son of Cranleigh Red Shadow ex Shamiha). Happiness and joy and yes, a measure of deep sorrow as well, but they enriched my life and I have many treasured memories. A lot of these memories are shared with my lovely husband, which makes them very special indeed.
In closing, a lady who deserves a special mention is the late Peggy Witheyman, a kind and generous friend and a talented rider who shared her knowledge and love of Arabian horses with me. I rode her beautiful mare Silvered Rosebud (Prince Sergei ex Midnight Rose) at a time when I was horseless, and my learning curve continued.. In her time Peggy also owned the lovely Winsome Magic (Scindian Magic ex Ghurub) and a beautiful mare I only knew as Khala who could be quite a handful. Looking for a horse for her daughter Suzie, she saw his head over the stable door and knew he was the one! I believe he was also by Scindian Magic and he proved to be a wonderful boy.
I was also lucky enough to ride a chestnut mare with a lovely temperament called Wish, who was by Silver Scenario. I have not been able to verify her registered name and dam. She belonged to another old riding friend, the late Juliet Fell, and I rode her at a time when Juliet was suffering a bout of ill health. I hope you will have enjoyed reading this article, it gave me great pleasure to dig deep into my personal records and enjoy a lovely trip down memory lane. o
UK Crabbet Stud Tour 2024
A tour of some of the Crabbet Arabian studs in England
Touring studs is a gift that is both educational and joyful. Seeing related horses together gives one a feel for the traits they share in ways that photos and posing in show rings cannot match. We have lost some very experienced breeders during 2024 whose conversation gave one a window into their observations of horses they had seen over the past half century and more. Diana Whittome of CoedY-Foel Stud and Daphne Cocksedge of the Romac Stud are lost resources as well as dear friends to many
Words and photos by Alexia Ross
The world is a lot less tolerant than it was with very few brave or foolish enough to risk sharing opinions. Somehow the horse world needs to fnd a way to share knowledge and perspectives without the need to fuel hate campaigns between all those who disagree.
Rainbow Arabians
This 2024 stud tour got started at Claire Seaward’s Rainbow Arabians in Hertfordshire. Claire is one of those delightful things; a new breeder. She has ridden for years, decided to contribute to breeding to help the Crabbet cause and most fortunately seems to have caught the bug.
Despite the great breeding plans, king of Rainbow Arabians remains Claire’s big, impressive gelding known as “Khruga” (SA Forbidden Spirit), a grandson of Premium Merit stallion Crystal Magic. Despite a mix of Crabbet, Russian and Spanish lines on his dam’s side, he goes all the way back to that Crabbet N line via the important mare Indian Snowfake. Khruga and Claire’s frst Crabbet mare, the late Tir Nan Og aka “Tolly”, remain the inspiration for the kind of athletic Arabian Rainbow Arabians aspires to breed.
The line-up of 100% Crabbet Arabians have come to Claire from her good friend Natalie Tindall at Moonlight Arabians. They represent an interesting group with some key bloodlines in common and a debt, as there always is, to previous breeding programmes. The mares Moonlight Pearl and Silvern Mayday are both daughters of the Romac Stud bred stallion Crystal Red Drift, a tall big-moving boy from the Silver Bell descended mare Crystal Stardrift. The mares are also “Silver” female lines going all the way back to the Blunts’ Hamdanieh Simrieh mare Sobha bred by Ali Pasha Sherif in Egypt. Nonetheless ‘Pearl is a small bay with extravagant movement who shows her inheritance from her maternal grandsire Erin Park Excel. He was imported from Australia. ‘Mayday is a Silver Gilt line girl from Rosemary Archer’s Sa’lilah family and she is a tall elegant Silver type.
Beeston Hall mares and fllies
They have been joined by Moonlight Domino (Klinta Sultan x Dominita) aka “Tom” a classical compact stallion who also moves very well. Like “Khruga” he comes from the N line, the Sirella branch that goes back to the Blunt’s important mare Nefsa, only daughter of the Bedouin mare Dajania. The N line was always known for producing outstanding stallions. He inherits a very sweet temperament from both parents and is the perfect frst stallion for Claire. He and Pearl are expecting his frst foal in 2025.
‘Pearl’s frst foal is the elegant bay colt RBA Moonstone Red Arrow by Marbon Mastarpiece. ‘Mastarpiece is one of the stallions Di Ellis bred from her Kehailet El Khrushieh mare family from Shuhira that goes back to the mare Dafna. Mastarpiece usually stamps his foals strongly so it is interesting to see so much of ‘Pearl still evident in ‘Arrow’s type albeit with more height and substance.
Rainbow Arabians is not complete without mentioning Claire’s determination to do her bit for horses in need of rescue homes. WHW Nellie has been in residence a while. She is a sweet chestnut mare who has grown in confdence and trust in Claire’s tender care. The more recent arrival is the happy go lucky coloured boy Sausage. He keeps ‘Arrow company, is defnitely in charge and is making sure his young companion grows
up into a civilised, well socialised stallion.
On the second day at Rainbow Arabians, there was a visit from Anne Brown of the Gadebrook Stud. She likes to keep abreast of stallions available at stud and was interested to see both Moonlight Domino and Pearl’s son RBA Moonstone Red Arrow. We cleaned them all up and it was just unfortunate that “Tom” decided to have a lovely roll and turn himself brown for her!
Claire’s younger riding horse is the very tall grey Crystal Carlotta. She is just backed and may have to wait a little before having a foal. She is high percentage Crabbet by Crystal Red Drift’s sire Crystal Romance and, like him, was bred at the Romac Stud. She is another “Silver” line girl albeit from a different branch. Carlotta is a calm obliging mare and Claire and I had great fun with her during my stay. Claire’s trainer was having health issues so I was the extra pair of hands so that Claire was able to sit on Carlotta for the frst time while I was there. It was a very exciting moment.
There is a great deal of consistency in the bloodline choices at Rainbow Arabians. It frequently happens that if one picks the same traits as a preference, the result is often that the same lines show up too.
Beeston Hall Stud
The trip to Beeston Hall was in Claire’s lorry as she was on a mission. Beeston is a magical place; an annual pilgrimage which Claire has joined in the last few years. Bill
Moonlight Pearl and Moonlight Domino
SA Forbidden Spirit at Rainbow Arabians
and Atifa,
Dorsey’s estate mixes farming, rare breed sheep, ancient woodland and deer as well as the horses.
Bill’s foundation mares came from Maureen De Popp’s Milla Lauquen Stud. Most were sired by the stallion Kildimo imported on loan from the USA and from the intensely linebred Doyle programme of entirely old Blunt Crabbet lines. Indeed, Kildimo was predominantly descended from the lines the Blunts bought from Ali Pasha Sherif in Egypt. He was the Seglawi Jedran Ibn Sudan strain to the “broken legged mare” Bint Helwa and from the same Ghazieh family as Mesaoud. The mares at Beeston are from the lines to Maureen’s Crabbet x Ayerza line via Amaana, who traces to the Muniqi strain of Maanaqui 1884, and the 100% Crabbet mare Moongleam (Kildimo x Magics Moonlight by Sunlights Allegro). Moongleam is from the Magic Pearl branch of the Silver Fire family of the Hamdani Simri strain that started at Crabbet with Sobha. Beeston’s senior sire Klinta Bashir has recently moved on to PCF’s Imperial Stud so it was strange to see his
“Kildimo
was predominantly descended from the lines the Blunts bought from Ali Pasha Sherif in Egypt. He was the Seglawi Jedran Ibn Sudan strain to the “broken legged mare” Bint Helwa and from the same Ghazieh family as Mesaoud”
Malikka
both of whom travelled back to Rainbow Arabians with Claire
Mulala at Beeston Hall
huge pasture, with the ancient Saxon Church in the background, without him. He and Moongleam lived together for years, even after she retired from breeding, as being with him was her happy place. They both come from the Hamdani Simri strain but share lines to Indian King who is largely responsible for their smooth strong bodies. ‘Bashir is 100% Crabbet and was bred by Gunilla Hamer in Ireland by Naseel grandson Nefeuret from Star Solitaire. Moongleam was little but ‘Bashir seems to have inherited the extra height of his lines to Oran. He is one of the most impressive Crabbet stallions in England. Moongleam’s large family are still grazing the grasslands behind the gothic house. Her ‘Bashir daughters Mohtarma (Bill’s confessed favourite) and little Mulala, who was born when her dam was 26-yearsold and supposed to be past breeding, were there. Mohtarma’s daughter Malikka by Amaana’s great grandson Beeston Akhbar (Aisht x Arrahma by Kildimo) represents the next generation. It was Malikka that was booked to go home with Claire as Bill is cutting down. The girls crowd around as one joins them in the pasture accepting newcomers as part of the herd. Beeston Akhbar also lives in a herd but of geldings; it is refreshing to see stallions with company living a good herd life. We stayed over before travelling back to Rainbow Arabians. We brought the food and Bill supplied the accommodation and his usual fascinating company. The other key family is from Beeston Akhbar’s two full sisters Ayaan and Aysha, both tall bay mares who show their inheritance from two lines to the Indian Magic son Rafd. Ayaan’s daughter Atifa was determined to smother Claire with attention so she somehow ended up coming too. Despite no preparation, because her leaving was unexpected, it was tall grey Atifa who gave Malikka a lead into the lorry and dozed all the way back. It seems ftting to pay tribute to this exceptionally beautiful and gentle flly as Claire tragically lost her at just two years old over Christmas 2024. Malikka and Atifa settled well back at
Rainbow and Claire had plans to keep the two main mare lines of Beeston going. Atifa’s dam Ayaan and her sister Aysha consistently produce tall, athletic babies by ‘Bashir who fnd ridden homes easily. To date none of their daughters have been bred from so Atifa is more than a loss to Claire. It is frightening how our traditional mare lines continue to vanish.
Zobeyni Arabians
The next stop was Claire Seaward’s visit to my Zobeyni Arabians in Shropshire. We were joined by Pauline Atkinson and were lucky with a sunny day which does make it easier to view horses out at grass.
The lines at Zobeyni are heavily infuenced by Naseel and Naufal, both N line stallions of the Kehailan Dajani strain to Dajania but through Nasra’s slightly less remembered three quarter sister Narghileh by Mesaoud. Narghileh is probably best known for her sons, as so many N line mares are, Nasik and Nureddin II by Rijm although she also had Naufal by the double Queen of Sheba stallion Sotamm. Nasik’s full sister Nessima was the granddam of Naseel.
The frst homebred mare at the stud was the double Naseel mare Narishka (Ranadi x Nafranta by Manto) who also brought in the important Naufal daughter Rishka via her sire. Her bay son Zobeyni Nurani by Grecian Idyll is the sire at the stud showing key type factors from Naufal and Naseel combined with some of the symmetry of his sire and the General Gold line. He is a bold friendly boy who was a frst stallion for Zobeyni even though the stud’s frst foal arrived in 1994. His dam never had a flly so, if the line was going to continue, keeping her son was essential.
Narishka’s lack of daughters meant it was exciting for the stud to loan the Klinta Bashir daughter Klinta Salma from Pauline Atkinson at Whitton Park Stud as she is from the same Narghileh and Naxina branch of the N line. She has had a big dark chestnut flly Zobeyni Nefeurina by Imperial Silver Phoenix in 2024 who will be retained. “Nina” gave Claire and Pauline an enthusiastic welcome. Her dam is happy to let “Bambi” supervise so she gets a break but she does like to snuggle into her trusted
Zobeyni Aziza
aka Bambi
owner Pauline.
“Bambi” is a Crabbet x Old English mare registered as Zobeyni Aziza who is by ‘Nurani from the loaned mare AA Ray of Hope (Golden Sequin x Dancers Miracle by Bright Cavalier). She is of the very rare female line to Queen of Sheba’s only surviving daughter Asfura of the Abeyeh Sherrakieh strain. “Bambi” is 14hh if she stands on tiptoe but a very deep bodied correct little mare with outstanding movement and a saintly character with a resting heartrate that is apparently on the foor. One should not have favourites, of course, but sometimes it is tricky. Then there is the 100% Crabbet mare Crystal Solitaire (Klinta Sultan x Crystal Shadowlight by Indian Banner), bred to order by Daphne Cocksedge of the Romac Stud, whose sire and dam both come from
the Silver Crystal branch of the Silver Fire family. She also descends from Naseel through Klinta Sultan’s sire Shabakka. Like Klinta Bashir, Klinta Sultan was bred by Gunilla Hamer from the Daphne Gilbert bred mare, Star Solitaire. ‘Sultan was a Crabbet National Champion stallion his only time shown in 2009 but is now in France. The second ‘Nurani daughter at the stud is the 100% Crabbet two-year-old Munirah from Moza, another of those daughters of Klinta Bashir and Moongleam. Bill Dorsey loaned Moza to Zobeyni to be bred to Zobeyni Nurani. She duly produced a smart chestnut colt in 2020 who is now in a ridden home as a prospective endurance horse. Like “Bambi”, he has a very low resting heartrate and his new owners have high hopes for him. Moza went home back in foal and promptly gave Bill the bay fll
that had been ordered for Zobeyni! As Bill was winding down, he agreed kindly to let Munirah come back to Shropshire. It is a small stud with high hopes. Most Crabbet studs are not large these days. It is increasingly clear that, in our limited remaining gene pool of Crabbet and Old English lines, even small breeders can be the difference between a line surviving or vanishing. One can only hope that a few people take a leaf out of Claire Seaward’s book and try to contribute to the breeding of the horses they like to ride. It is not possible for everyone but there is a real danger that these horses will not be there to ride in the future if some of these great ridden mares do not have a foal or two. These lines do not vanish because they are no good; they vanish because we are all having too much fun riding them.o
Klinta Salma at Zobeyni Arabians
The Plaister Charity
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Bower,
oselet R
She was eighteen months old and when she ran her tail few like a fag. It took all day but we fnally captured her and got her in the trailer. She was a mess - her forelock, mane and tail were full of cockleburs, but my Rosie was a beauty. Her registered name was Roselet (Arko x Rosahra). Arko was bred by Roger Selby and on both sides of her pedigree Roselet had the famous Mirage but her colouring and movement were reminiscent of Rissla on her dam’s side and Rissla of course descended on her tail female line from the faxen maned Rose of Sharon.
I rode home in the trailer with her to help calm her and take the burrs out of her mane. The next day our love story began. I started by letting her get to know me, gently touching and brushing her. Soon I got her to walk with me and we became best friends. I worked with her for a year, and we did a lot of groundwork in that time. In the end she would load in the trailer just by me snapping my fngers and saying ‘Rosie, get in your trailer’, I didn’t even need to hold the lead shank. I tried to teach her things that most people and their horses have trouble with. I wanted her to be good for when the blacksmith came so I taught her to give me her leg when I asked or touched it. All my blacksmiths loved to shoe her, she never needed to be tied up or even held, she would just stand there. I could also clip her without a halter on. I was so blessed to have her. A year after I bought her on my birthday in September, I rode her for the frst time. Boy I was so surprised as she never kicked or bucked or anything. She was so smart right from the start.
By this time I had joined the Virginia Arab Horse Association, and I volunteered to join the annual Toy Parade in Richmond along with ten or twelve other Arabians. She was awesome. She had never seen fre trucks or a band but never acted up.
In the spring I wanted to go to a few shows. Now I had never had a riding lesson in my life. Everything I knew I learned from books I had read, and I didn’t have any proper show or riding outfts. I didn’t have the money to purchase a saddle suit, so I found a pattern and a lady I knew made it for me. It was like the coat of many colours that Dolly Parton had but it was ok for me. I didn’t have a ring to train Rosie in so I would drive to the show and get there about two hours before it started. I would tack up and practise in a real ring. That way she would get used to it and not be afraid.
Well we went to ten shows that summer and competed for the Lewisfeld Trophy (awarded to Arabians in Open Competition) and we were fourth. I was told afterwards that some of the VAHA members laughed at me as I had never had riding lessons and rode a half wild horse. That angered me so I stupidly said that if we could win fourth place we would be back to win the Lewisfeld Trophy. We did, in 1973 and again in 1974.
Our story began on October 3rd 1970. We rented a two-horse trailer and drove 100 miles to Roanoke Virginia to look at and possibly purchase a horse. When I got there I was shown three horses in a two hundred acre feld. All were for sale, but I picked a beautiful bright chestnut with a faxen mane and tail and four white stockings
Words and images by Dianne Lloyd
After that we showed in some open shows and some A class Arabian shows. I made an Arabian costume which we showed in, and we won with it. I trained Rosie to drive, and she did well showing in driving classes too. In 1980 we showed at the Virginia State show in the A rated Arab division and won the Novice Park class before going on to win the championship. I couldn’t believe it, she had beaten all those beautiful stallions. After that as far as I was concerned, she could do it all. She went on to win 697 rosettes in her showing career competing in halter, English, western, trail, driving, costume, park and equitation classes. I was so proud of her.
In 1975 I took her to Dixieland Arabians to be bred to High Hopes, fve times a national champion and four times reserve. In 1976 we entered a competition in the Arabian Horse World magazine. The owners of Bushman (Canadian National Halter Champion and US Reserve National Champion) were giving away fve free breedings. This was an amazing offer as his stud fee even then was $2,500. To enter you
Rosie had a stunning faxen mane and tail
had to send in a photo, pedigree and show history, Rosie was one of the chosen mares. In 1979 the AHW ran another competition this time with Remington Steele and the same requirements and Rosie won again!
After we stopped showing we took up competitive trail riding winning many second places, never a frst, but we had such a great time doing something we loved.
In 1976 the VAHA was asked to be in President Nixon’s Inaugural parade. I felt so honoured to take part in such an historic event, even though it was so cold I almost froze my backside off! Rosie was a people horse, she was so sweet and just loved the attention. For fve years in a row Rosie was asked to be part of the VAHA exhibition at the State fair to meet and greet visitors which she loved to do.
In the winter Rosie would pull our one-horse sleigh and we had such fun out on the trails in the snow. We never had a lot of money but we had each other and that was plenty for me.
Back when we were still showing I was once at a show in Lewes Delaware and after we won Reserve English and Western championships a man offered me $25,000 for her. I was a single mom working in veterinary medicine then with two children. That was a lot of money in the 1970s but I loved her more than money.
That is Rosie’s story – we shared life and love for twenty fve years. Her beauty always took my breath away and her willingness to do whatever I asked was so special. There was nothing like sitting astride and looking between her ears.
Sadly one day in November she had bad colic and had to be euthanised. While I waited for the vet I brushed her and made her look as beautiful as if she were going into the show ring. We led her out to her pasture and she passed peacefully although I cried until I was almost sick. She is buried there now. RIP Rosie, she was the love of my life and a joy to be with her entire life. o
GADEBROOK BLADE
Pure Crabbet gelding Gadebrook Blade, from all-Australian lines (Millpark Blaidd x Palma Benay) was awarded the Best Endurance Newcomer for his 2024 Novice season results at the South East’s Endurance Awards celebration in January. Sixyear old Blade’s rides were shared between owner Susan Hawes and keen teenager Sophie Wynne.
Rosie and Dianne
Photo:AGCPhotography
Rahar Raff Gibzon
Today I was asked to write a piece about a horse whose stamp on my heart is indelible. It is with immense pleasure that I tell the portion of his story that begins and continues with me
WORDS AND PHOTOS BY JUDY GAYLE WEST
Our story starts, not with him, but his progeny. The frst horse entrusted to me as the new trainer for Rahar Arabians was a lovely flly named Rahar Gypsy Rose. Gypsy was dropped off to be started but when I completed my frst three sessions I phoned her owner, Francie Schermerhorn and said, ‘Geez, whoever started this flly did a very nice job, she’s coming along so quickly!’
To this Francie replied, ‘Judy, no one has touched that flly; you are the frst to work with her.’
Every single colt and flly produced by this stallion has presented in the same manner - brilliant, confdent and trainable beyond belief.
This stallion is Rahar Raff Gibzon (Giborr x Comar Azona Raffa). When Gibzon came to me it was with the express purpose of changing his discipline. Francie’s dream was that he be a dressage horse but he had been started and shown in Western Pleasure and when he came to me he was already twelve years old.
I am a trainer of many disciplines. I can safely say that one of the most diffcult tasks is to convince a horse that has worked in a pretty strong curb all his ridden career to now take a snaffe and have connection through the body to the bridle. Furthermore this stallion was very sore; I found him weak in the body and irregular behind due to his previous work. When I diagnosed our situation I told Francie that I could, ‘perhaps get him through Training Level’ (equivalent to Preliminary level in the UK).
I trained him for about a year, starting with schooling shows then progressing to show him in recognised ones. Even in the second year he would occasionally be disqualifed for irregular steps. I tried incredibly hard to use the training pyramid of dressage to help heal and strengthen him, along with proper veterinary care. I believe in the systematic
Gibzon (Giborr x Comar Azona Raffa) at home, now twenty one years of age
approach of this discipline to deliver results but in this case I was beginning to lose hope. The Training Scale, or Pyramid approach, has been developed from the German cavalry. Its base is rhythm and relaxation. The rhythm must be regular so being disqualifed for irregular steps means the rhythm is not pure. I knew it was Gibzon’s weakness in his hind quarters so I worked him every day with very constructive circles and body-building lateral work to help him achieve this regularity. In Gibzon’s First Level year (Novice level in the UK) I began to notice a desire to learn from him that I had not felt before. Perhaps Gibzon was beginning to feel healthier and stronger? Whatever it was his scores began to improve and his rideability right along with them. I was able to achieve the next few ideas in the training pyramid; he began to develop thrust from the hindquarters and his gaits and contact to my hand became more stable and powerful. Paramount to this method is straightness and happily at last I felt Gibzon driving equally from both hind limbs into the bridle!
From there he never looked back; every movement was another game to play, another challenge to conquer. He couldn’t wait for me to come and get him so that he could be trained. I am not certain that I have ever worked with a horse with a greater desire to please and will to learn. His strength improved to include a higher level up the pyramid; collection and carrying power. He
continued up the levels to Fourth (Advanced in the UK) and now at the age of twenty one he schools happily at Prix St George, which includes canter pirouettes and multiple fying changes.
We have sadly lost Francie Schemerhorn but Rahar Arabians lives on through her daughter Koren and granddaughter Candace. I am forever grateful to this family for giving me the opportunity to work with so many astounding horses throughout these precious years. The partnership that I have developed with their stallion and the work we have been able to accomplish together is immeasurable.
At twenty one years of age Gibzon has not asked to retire. For this reason he will continue to do what he loves until the day he stops running to the gate neighing at the top of his lungs for me to take him out of the pasture and go training.
If every stallion were to be as polite, kind and intelligent as this one the world of horses would be a greater place.
PS by Natalie Tindall
On our recent visit to the USA I was offered a chance to ride this magnifcent stallion. He was an inspiration. Immediately I noticed his enquiring mind as he offered to shy at farm machinery outside the arena fence. It was a test which I answered by riding forward and telling him this was his opportunity to show me what he could do. I was very aware that he quite rightly expected me to ride properly!
Within moments he had stolen a piece of my heart; he was willing, generous and kind. I have never ridden such a supple and well-balanced horse which is a testament to Judy’s impeccable and thorough training. We worked through some trot movements including half pass and he invited me to canter. The power from behind was quite something, canter half pass was so easy. But more than the physical, with a great horse you ride with his mind too. It is hard to explain but I feel sure that every time Gibzon steps into an arena he is with you, body, mind and soul. I shall be forever grateful for this opportunity afforded me by the Schermerhorns and Judy for allowing me to ride the great horse that is Gibzon. o
Gibzon at the US Sport Horse Nationals
STUD ROUND UP
Faerie Court Farm
2024 has been a busy year at our farm. We were fortunate to be in the path of totality of the eclipse so got to experience the phenomena associated with that celestial event. At the end of May, FCF Titanias Vanity (AF Vanitys Repeat x AM Tawny Britania by *Sa’Ika) delivered a superb gray flly by FV Kissme Rabba (Ohadi Ben Rabba x Kissme Pico). We have named this flly FCF Fairy Queens Kiss. Titania’s previous three foals were all colts, and her full sister only produced colts, so fnally getting a flly to continue the dam line in our program was a relief. While we have used a few Aulrab line stallions over the years with excellent results, including twice with Titania’s full sister, FCF Silver Stardust, this was the frst Ben Rabba line stallion that we have used. Given the high quality of this flly, we hope to produce a second foal from this cross. In recent years, Titania has settled easily when open, but not when nursing a foal so we plan to repeat the breeding in 2025 for a 2026 foal.
We do have a foal coming in 2025 out of FCF As You Wish (AAA Legend ofthe Seas x Rieba by Aulrab) by the Van Gilder bred stallion VG Juan Inamillion+ (FV Ben Juan x Mackies Emerald). Wish’s frst three foals were by FCF Oberons Vanity (AF Vanitys Repeat x BruMarBa Callisto by Opalo). We retained both fllies from that cross so wanted to give Wish an opportunity to produce a foal by a different stallion. It will be interesting to see how this bloodline cross is expressed in the foal. We expect an athletic powerhouse based on the pedigree!
With the 2019 and 2022 bay daughters of FCF Oberons Vanity and FCF As You Wish and the gray 2024 flly by FV Juan Inamillion+ and out of FCF Titanias Vanity we are building a strong base for the next generation of the Faerie Court Farm breeding program. We only breed a foal or two every year so having quality broodmares is essential.
In addition to preserving Crabbet-Maynesboro-Kellogg bloodlines for breeding, a core goal of the Faerie Court Farm program is to cultivate interest in this “old fashioned” type of Arabian among the wider horse world. We’ve recently sold a number of horses to both adult and youth riders who participate in the all-breed sport horse world. One client has purchased her third Arabian from our program, and a local barn now has three young riders and an adult rider on Arabians and an Anglo-Arabian. We also have a few young horses that have started - or will start - saddle training soon in preparation for marketing them to riders who appreciate the wonderful character and athleticism of these Crabbet lineage Arabians.
Our 2006 stallion, FCF Oberons Vanity, who has competed through Intermediate dressage and been approved for breeding in several studbooks including Trakehner, Shagya-Arabian, Rhineland, and Oldenburg-NA/ISR, was recently retired from competition due
to an injury in the breeding shed. He settled in quickly and clearly remembered his old home, though he left here as a young stallion fourteen years ago. He is enjoying abundant turnout, being pampered, and keeping an eye on the rest of our herd from his paddock and stall.
We are always pleased to get updates on the Arabians, AngloArabians, Shagya-Arabians, and Trakehner offspring sired by
Dawn & Thom Jones-Low , Vermont, USA
Above and left, 2024 foal FCF Fairy Queens Kiss by FV Kissme Rabba out of FCF Titanias Vanity
Below: 2025 foals are expected by FV Juan Inamillion+
“Obie”. Their owners are using them for trail riding, western dressage, dressage, and other athletic pursuits. The two ShagyaArabian mares have been retained by their breeder to incorporate into her Shagya-Arabian breeding program. While our program is focused on Purebred Arabians, for centuries utilising Arabians in other studbooks has been an important aspect of demonstrating the value of soundness, athleticism, willing temperament, and elegance that can be found in the Arabian breed. With the decline in Arabian breeding and the shrinking of participation in Arabian breed shows, it is important to attract interest in what Arabians offer to riders outside of the Arabian breed show world and to breeders in studbooks that incorporate infusions of Arabian genetics to reinforce valued traits within those other breeds. We have found that the wider horse world DOES appreciate the soundness of mind and body that is characteristic of the Crabbet lineage Arabians. We plan to continue our outreach to the wider horse world to help expand interest in the Crabbet infuenced Arabians.
FCF Oberons Vanity (AF Vanitys Repeat x Brumarba Callisto) has been retired and is enjoying a more relaxed way of life
Pevensey Arabians
Just prior to Christmas 2024 we welcomed a lovely bay pure Crabbet flly by Pevensey Safari and from the maiden mare Pevensey Magic Aria (Magic Prophecy x Veridan Za’aria). The mare was a 2010 foal in Australia, sold in 2013 and was re-purchased at the beginning of 2024 and bred to Safari. The intention was to breed a Safari colt for New Zealand, to bring in the line of Sarafre but plans don’t always go as wished.
Magic Aria was due to foal about Christmas Day, however she had other ideas and foaled two days earlier and without any warning. We had arrived home from a trip to town to fnd a foal on the ground at mid-day, with her 3 paddock mates causing mayhem, as she sought to keep her foal close by her side.
After we promptly got the mare and foal into the barn, it took several hours before the foal managed to suckle on her own and progressively the mare showed less and less interest in assisting. So we began two hourly feeds under supervision with the mare being restrained. At midnight, feeling the danger of continuing the program in the dark with only a head-torch, we had to stop until frst light. A blood test from the foal had indicated that despite my efforts to milk out the colostrum and feed it to the foal on day one, she still required plasma and after thirty-six hours the mare was still being very diffcult and becoming dangerous both for foal and handlers, even while mildly sedated.
The vet, after administering the plasma to the foal, decided to give the mare shots of prostaglandin and oxytocin. She said that she had heard that sometimes that treatment could effect a “reset” of
By Leon Bennett
the mare’s hormones and so thought it might be worth a last try. (Already the hard talk of a bottle-fed baby for the next 4 months was being mentioned quietly under our breath!)
However, after just half an hour, when the foal was reintroduced to the mare, the mare’s turn-around was truly unbelievable - the full mothering instinct had kicked in and the foal was fully accepted. Needless to say there was a big sigh of relief all round and a hearty thanks to our wonderful vet. The flly is now doing great and is a much welcomed addition to New Zealand’s minuscule pure Crabbet population. o
Pevensey Magic Aria with her foal Pevensey Zaafira by Pevensey Safari
PURE CRABBET STALLION
MILL PARK BLAIDD
(Arfaja Harlan x Millbanda Bellalina)
Bay 15hh Pure Crabbet Stallion
Clear SCID, CA and LFS
Available AI for UK, European Union, USA, NZ and Australian Domestic
Arfaja Harlan
Rasham
Wellworth Leilani
MILL PARK BLAIDD
Millbanda Bellalina
FV KISSME RABBA
(Ohadi Ben Rabba x Kissme Pico) 2009
FV Kissme Rabba, aka ‘Kiss’ is a ffteen year old Purebred Arabian stallion and is 56% Crabbet and 100% CMK
Kiss stands 15 hands and adds height to his foals and he also passes on his lovable personality to them. Kiss has eleven foals on the ground
You can see additional pictures on his Facebook page and YouTube page: FV Kissme Rabba
Available by AI, fresh and frozen, LFG
Mill Park Falconer
Dandaloo Baylina
THERESA JOHNSON - JOHROY STUD
Maryborough, Queensland, Australia
Email. johroy1@bigpond.com
Tel. 0488 737673
Facebook: Johroy Stud
100% OLD ENGLISH AND CRABBET SILVER ZENIF
(Lutf Pasha x Imperial Silver Lace)
Silver Zenif is an advanced endurance horse competing over one and two day 80km events. He is a Futurity Graduate achieving Higher First Premium with British Breeders. Homebred daughter Silver Harmony achieved three Gold awards and is aimed at an endurance career. Silver Zenif has also competed successfully at inhand championships, dressage and show jumping. Silver Zenif has several foals across the UK including Part Bred Master Zen II who is destined for eventing and two full siblings in Australia for endurance.
SCID/CA/LFS negative
Available by AI within Europe and Southern Hemisphere
Silver Blue Ludo
SILVER ZENIF
Lutf Pasha
Imperial Silver Lace
Lusarah Shabash
Mur El Sams
RACHAEL FARLEY-CLARIDGE
Email: rjclaridge@yahoo.co.uk
Tel. +44(0) 7789 641014 / +44(0) 1208 821328
www.phoenixfeldarabians.co.uk
FV KISSME RABBA
Ohadi Ben Rabba
Kissme Pico
Ben Rabba
Ohadi Miss Aurab
Ben Rabba
Kishtee Pri Moun
MICHAEL F LEHNERTZ
SHADOW MOUNTAIN STUD, LLC
Peyton, CO, United States, Colorado
Email: mlehnertz@icloud.com
Telephone 719 761 4475
>75% CRABBET STALLION AUDAH
(Marlak
Fantastic temperament, homebred and runs with his mares
PREMIUM SCHEME STALLION marcus aurelius
(Aurelian x Fiesta Magica)
15hh CMK (86.99% Crabbet)
Performance tested AHS Premium stallion. Wins in multiple disciplines including Affliated Showing, Endurance, Showjumping, unaffliated Dressage and unaffliated Eventing. Overall winner 2014 AHS Performance Horse Awards. Pure, Anglo and Part Bred progeny in UK, Europe and Australia. His older progeny are showing talent in all disciplines including Affliated Showjumping, winner AHS/BD Novice Dressage Championships, Affliated Ridden Showing including HOYS qualifers, Open affliated Endurance, winners Unaffliated Eventing and Arena Eventing
Camesworth Farm and Stud, Oxbridge Bridport, Dorset, DT6 3TZ
Tel. 07860 448549
Email. judyodt6@icloud.com
Photo:JaneSheppard
15hh chestnut, Audah has 25% Ben Rabba
Magic Aura x Aurela)
14.3hh, grey, bred by Diana Whittome
Lovely
98% CRABBET STALLION AFRICAN BEY KING
(African Emir x Zahlina’s Glimmer)
Although small in stature himself African Bey King has produced Pure and Part Bred foals - all fllies who have all matured to be between 15 hands to 16.1 and with substance.
He also produces horses with correct limbs and feet and with excellent, trainable temperaments. All are destined for performance or family horse careers.
Clear of SCID LFS and CA
African Gold
AFRICAN BEY KING
African Emir
Zahlina’s Glimmer
Meshel
Silvern Glimmer
Zahlina
moonlight arabians
Woodlay Farm Liskeard, Cornwall, UK Email: naaggiss@hotmail.com
98.6% CRABBET 100% OLD ENGLISH STALLION GRand ridge royal fire
(Snow’N’Fire x Cameo Carillion)
Ten years old, 14.2hh, ‘Sparky’ is a rare entire son of the legendary ‘Snow’n’Fire’. He is very correct with superb legs and feet, short canons, powerful movement and an exceptional temperament.
All progeny so far from various mares inherit his quality legs and feet, laid back nature, and big kind eye and they all exceed 15hh.
Standing at Grand Ridge Stud for live cover or WIWO
SCIDS Carrier - LFS and CA Clear
GRAND RIDGE
ROYAL FIRE
Snow’N’Fire Sarafre
Cameo Carillion
100% CRABBET STALLION SEREN SHADEK
(Winged Saint x Sa’ira)
Shadek has extremely good legs and feet and a wonderful temperament
Clear of SCID LFS and CA
SEREN SHADEK
Winged Saint Sa’ira
Santarabia Porfra
Talquah Jai
Cameo Wishing Wind
nicole emanuel - grand ridge stud
8 Hogans Road, Upper Lansdowne, NSW 2430, AUSTRALIA
Phone: 61419 226 644
Email: grandridgestud@gmail.com
100% CRABBET STALLION SILVERN JALEEL
(Silvern Prince x Llain Jumainah)
Jaleel has excellent movement and presence
Clear of SCID LFS and CA
Prince Sadik
El Santo Silver Blue Wings Indian Idyll
Salilah
moonlight arabians
Woodlay Farm Liskeard, Cornwall, UK Email: naaggiss@hotmail.com
100% CRABBET STALLION inshallah imperial bay
(Monarch Lodge Ambition x Inshallah Impression)
Photo:SharonMeyers
Five years old, 14.3hh, being double Banderol, ‘Tommy’ has exceptional proven endurance bloodlines. He has very correct legs and feet, is super sweet natured and has excelled at his frst show season winning two Champion Crabbet at ‘A Class’ shows. He will commence his saddle career this season. Proudly owned by Grand Ridge Stud and Stirling Endurance Arabians, he stands at Stirling Endurance, Imbil, Queensland, Australia.
LFS Carrier-SCIDS and CA Clear
Tommie
INSHALLAH IMPERIAL BAY
Monarch Lodge Ambition
Inshallah Impression
Pevensey Raida Tommie
Inshallah Impulse
nicole emanuel - grand ridge stud
8 Hogans Road, Upper Lansdowne, NSW 2430, AUSTRALIA
Phone: 61419 226 644
Email: grandridgestud@gmail.com
SILVERN JALEEL
Silvern Prince
Llain
Jumainah
Silvern Image
Naresh
Pearl Silva
moonlight arabians
Woodlay Farm Liskeard, Cornwall, UK
Email: naaggiss@hotmail.com
94% CRABBET STALLION GR VIVACE
(Grand Ridge Royal Fire x Solitairey Dancer)
Four years old, 15.2hh, cannon circ. 22cm
Exceptional young stallion who oozes quality, beautiful conformation, short cannons, big round hooves and spectacular movement. Half brother RHYTHMIC was sold to Shea Stables USA in 2020, and dam
SOLITAIREY DANCER sold to Landon Equestrian
USA in 2023. Destined for greatness like his siblings and dam. He is going kindly under saddle and has an impeccable gentle nature.
Standing at Kerewong Endurance Arabians, NSW Australia
SCIDS Carrier-LFS and CA Clear
Snow’N’Fire
GR VIVACE
Grand Ridge Royal Fire
Solitairey Dancer
STALLIONS at stud
Cameo Carillion
Lord Charles of Seven Oaks
Inshallah Bay Solitaire
nicole emanuel - grand ridge stud
8 Hogans Road, Upper Lansdowne, NSW 2430, AUSTRALIA
Phone: 61419 226 644
Email: grandridgestud@gmail.com
a life well lived
Alexia Ross pays tribute to Daphne Cocksedge of the Romac Stud 1st December 1941-30th September 2024
WORDS BY ALEXIA ROSS
Daphne Jones lived a life devoted to horses. She married, became Daphne Cocksedge and was a ferce and loyal friend but the true love of her life was the Arabian horse. The 1940’s were not an easy time in England with war affecting so many lives. Daphne was close to her mother Patsy but her father was a rather absent soul, hiding away with his opera recordings and spending time away from home. One assumes the war had taken its toll in ways so little understood at the time.
Daphne surrounded herself with animals, with an early photo of her and her beloved cat Pearly Puss showing her priorities. Pearly was still remembered for decades afterwards. Bertram Mills’ circus, with a line-up of glorious Arabian stallions of Crabbet breeding, was an inspiration in the 1950s that sparked a lifetime passion. When the Rangoon son Azan was retired to live with a stuntman, Daphne took her Dartmoor pony Gay Star to visit him. She bred two daughters by him and the hunt for sires to send them to introduced Daphne to the Harwood Stud and its owner Monica Calvert. She only regretted that she did not have a purebred mare in time for Azan. Purebred Arabian mares were hard to come by at the time. Monica Calvert was kind and helpful and Daphne was always determined. She would travel any distance to see an interesting horse. The stallions at Harwood such as Magnet and Fancy Shadow had convinced Daphne that the sort of Arabian she preferred often had lines bred by Miss May Lyon, founder of the Harwood Stud so she jumped at the chance when Monica arranged for her to see Tessra by Rufeyan who was bred by Miss Lyon.
Daphne did everything with Tessra. She was shown under saddle both in Arab and hack classes, winning a Wembley qualifer on one occasion. Apparently, Tessra would only jump out hunting, although she could manage that even when she was in foal for the next spring. Daphne rode all her horses back then and remained a frm believer in Arabians needing good limbs and hindquarters in particular as well as a good work ethic.
Daphne married and moved to Wales with Mike Cocksedge. Life there brought new important friends but the horses remained central to all her plans. Holidays were often spent teaming up with Rose Ennick and
Daphne with Goldie
Years later Daphne could give detailed descriptions of horses she had seen including their strengths and weaknesses. She was observant and forthright with very defnite ideas about what she liked.
other Arabian breeders to go on stud tours to see horses. Years later Daphne could give detailed descriptions of horses she had seen including their strengths and weaknesses. She was observant and forthright with very defnite ideas about what she liked.
Other mares joined the stud, Sunfeld Arabian Stud at the time. Harwood breeding remained a top choice with Fancy Shadow daughter Hanna Julia of the Hagar line important to Daphne’s breeding for many years. Tessra also visited Fancy Shadow who sired the mare’s only flly Tashmar. She and the Thora Grey daughter Thyra by Shazda were to remain strong families right to the end.
In those early years Daphne immersed herself in pedigrees and picking the brains of other breeders. She was hands on, riding her horses and getting down to help mares foaling if there were issues, including repositioning foals on occasion. She was amassing huge amounts of experience from which many would beneft over the years.
During a visit to an antiques store in Horsham in the South of England before the move to Wales, she fell across a rolledup piece of paper which transpired to be a pastel drawing by Lady Wentworth of the great Crabbet mare Nasra with her hugely
Daphne aged 7 and 3/4 with Pearly Puss
Photo: Romac Stud archives
Daphne and Harinia (Marino Marino x Hanida)
Photo: Romac Stud archives
infuential son Naseem at foot. It was Daphne’s most precious treasure. She had it framed and it lived up on her wall ever after. When things were tough for her fnancially in the 90’s, she was offered a substantial price for it but said she would rather starve than part with it. It was indicative of her reverence for the history of the Crabbet Arabian and the great Crabbet breeders of the past.
Daphne’s love of art continued over the years. Lesley Benenson was a regular visitor in the 80’s and there was quite a collection of hers done of the horses at the stud. Lesley was a prolifc artist who worked in pastel. Her work is still appreciated by those who remember her at the ringside of many shows and events busily sketching. She used to say that she did not draw the horses as they physically were but tried to capture their spirit. The sketches of Romac, Marino Marini and the Hanna Julia family have been gifted to those who value Daphne’s breeding and where they will be appreciated.
Long-time partner on stud tours Rose Ennick, introduced Daphne to a Traveller called Maggie Steele who was known in the area for painting pub signs. Maggie would turn up in her cowboy hat to sketch and paint in oil. Her painting of the stallion Romac in his stable with the Persian cat Pearl, named for Daphne’s childhood moggy, was second only to the Lady Wentworth pastel amongst the treasures Daphne collected.
Daphne and Rose shared a love of spaniels, although Rose bred King Charles Spaniels whilst Daphne bred Cavalier King Charles and long-haired Dachshunds. Daphne’s house was full of dogs and puppies for many years. Her last dog was the indefatigable Goldie the Dachsy who many will remember following Daphne around her felds, always knowing where she was
“The hunt for Arabians of good breeding, particularly with links to Miss May Lyon, never stopped and in the 70’s the most important horse hunt of Daphne’s life happened”
even when she was mostly blind and deaf with age.
Wales also connected Daphne to Diana Whittome of the Coed-Y-Foel Stud who we lost in March 2024. They continued to speak regularly until Diana’s passing, after a friendship of over 50 years. Together they were instrumental in supporting Arab
Romac and Daphne at the 1976 Arab Horse Society Show
Photo: Romac Stud archives
classes at shows in Wales and getting the Arab Welsh Regional Group up and running. Daphne used to joke that they met regularly in the ring when her horse was usually second to Diana’s! Friends remember that she managed to reverse those placings every now and again particularly with Tessra’s daughter Tashmar. Ideas were freely exchanged and, when Daphne’s mare Tyinda, by Indian King from Thyra, came to go to stud she decided to use the Dargee son Magnet in part because the combination of Indian King and Dargee had worked so well in Diana’s Tarantella family. The result was the lovely little liver chestnut mare Magnetta for whom Daphne was always happy to give Diana a share of the credit. The stallions at Sunfeld Stud arrived for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes they came on loan like the Mikeno son Marino Marini and never left. In the case of the Magnet son Zaiyan, Daphne was told that he was out on Laugham Marsh and was due to be rounded up with others to be sold off for meat. He had been untouched for years so the message was that, if she could catch him, she could have him. She headed off with a trailer and it was as if Zaiyan
knew. He was gentle as a lamb with her as she put the headcollar on and loaded like a dream. Zaiyan did not like everyone but with Daphne he was always an angel. Known for his birdcatcher spots, Daphne always said his colts were better than his fllies which was unfortunate because it meant he left no daughters behind at the stud. When Zaiyan got in with one of the other stallions Idris and pinned him to the ground, Daphne waded right into the middle of the fght and Zaiyan allowed himself to be led away. Somehow everyone survived that experience.
The hunt for Arabians of good breeding, particularly with links to Miss May Lyon, never stopped and in the 70’s the most important horse hunt of Daphne’s life happened. She discovered that Fancy Shadow’s half-brother Romac, by Irex from the Raktha daughter Yavroum, was still alive in Ireland. So a trip to Ireland was arranged and Romac was visited with the Allen family at Kells where he had spent most of his life. He was already twenty four years old, had hunted with the Down and placed well as a hack at the Royal Dublin Show but those years were long behind him and he had been retired. The family had no intention of selling him but Daphne took up residence, drank whiskey with them every night and exchanged stories. In the end they had to give in and let her have her dream stallion.
The stud was renamed and it became The Romac Stud. Romac rewarded Daphne with six more years. He was a gentleman who became her favourite riding horse and companion as well as the sire she wanted for her breeding programme. The Romac children were very talented with Arab racing becoming the major activity for Daphne and her husband Mike. Ibn Romac was the mile record-holder in his day while Princess Romana was an endurance success and on the winning Belgian national endurance team. Rosslare, Irexandya and Irish Charm were all race winners and many were sold to Oman. Romac’s progeny also earned a second place in the sire produce groups at the Arab Horse Society National Show back in the days when there were eleven entries. These were heady days and the only downside was that so many were sold. Romac was a hard act to follow. Loaned stallions Marino Marini and the beautiful Sollum, from the Seglawi Jedran line to Gayza that went back to the Blunts’ “broken-
Daphne with High Plains Drifter
Photo: Romac Stud archives
Alexia, Daphne and Betty Finke whilst on a stud tour in 2019
Daphne’s ‘most precious treasure’, the Lady Wentworth pastel of Nasra and Naseem, which has Lady Wentworth’s signature on (right)
legged mare” Bint Helwa, made their mark at the stud. Idris by Sadi from the great Dargemet represented the stud at shows and sired both performance horses and broodmares. The mad dash to buy the last of the horses at the Crabbet Stud had not resulted in securing the beautiful Indian Silver but, as always, Daphne bided her time and kept her eye out for the lines she loved. She was certainly not dazzled by Crabbet into thinking anything would be good and sold on the stallion Ahram she had purchased by Darjeel as she did not like his temperament.
Life did become a bit tougher and Daphne had to give up riding because of balance issues. She remained a huge resource of knowledge and was always generous with her time and help for other enthusiasts. She continued to support the local shows including the Ridden Arab Group Wales with her friends Maggie Wagstaff and Diana Whittome, with helpers wading in to run horses up or popping over to help cover mares. Karen Madden and Debbie Crothers have many tales to tell of helping with mares and youngsters. In later years, the stud could not have functioned without the calm and reliable help of Brian Llewellyn. He got mares covered and babies halter trained and loading whenever needed. Without him, the opinionated Crystal Stardrift daughter Crystal Shadowlight would never have been covered by gentle little Klinta Sultan! Daphne missed him greatly when he moved away. Daphne herself remained a source of sound advice and would always point people at a horse she thought would interest them, with no regard for selling her own if it was not the right match. As the new millennium arrived, Daphne was using a Polish/CMK stallion called Secret Heart whose lines to Serafx in particular appealed to her. He sired excellent athletes but Daphne
Romac was a hard act to follow. Loaned stallions Marino Marini and the beautiful Sollum, from the Seglawi Jedran line to Gayza that went back to the Blunts’ “brokenlegged mare” Bint Helwa, made their mark at the stud
Photos of pastel from Romac Stud archives
was beginning to worry about what had happened to the lines to Romac who she so loved. She met the author at the Crabbet Organisation stand at the Nationals in 2003 resulting in a long conversation about remaining lines to Romac in 100% Crabbet breeding. All the resulting lines were through one Romac daughter Grey Crystal who had been bred, of course, by Miss Lyon. Generously Daphne used to credit the author with saving the line but that was not the case; Daphne was on a mission and within a few short years of that conversation, armed with a bit of information, two of the remaining three mares descended from Grey Crystal were at the Romac Stud. Daphne was unstoppable.
The 100% Crabbet project started with the beautiful Crystal Stardrift who had been bred by Maureen De Popp, from a Grey Crystal daughter bred by Beatrice Paine. Breeders ride on each other’s shoulders and Daphne had huge respect for the breeders who had kept these important lines going. Crystal Stardrift had been left to Daphne Gilbert who owned her sire Astar. She knew Daphne from years before which is why the mare ended up at the Romac Stud rather than at one of the other studs that wanted her. The mare came on loan and was eventually sold to live out her days in Carmarthenshire.
Daphne sent her precious new mare to outside stallions to start with but the hunt was on for a 100% Crabbet stallion. She was as determined as ever. Her memories of the glorious Indian Silver led her to his son Ibn Silver who was bred to Crystal Stardrift and another loaned Grey Crystal granddaughter Crystal Treasure. It was Crystal Treasure who produced the stallion
Crystal Romance who defned so much of Daphne’s breeding in her later years.
Crystal Romance aka Georgie bred super ridden Arabians that compete in endurance, jump, do dressage and anything asked of them. He bred foals from the Crystal Stardrift family for Daphne’s “double Romac” project but also bred beautifully to the mares descended from Tessra, Thyra, Magnetta and Celestial Silver. Daphne was very proud of him. He would let her lead him in or out with the belt from her dress looped around his neck and would slow his pace to match hers with her walking stick.
For a while Georgie had to share his harem with the very pretty Crabbet National Champion stallion Klinta Sultan, another who came on loan. He was descended from the same female line as Grey Crystal going back to the Silver Bell branch of the Silver Fire line, another of Daphne’s latter-day projects. She always had a project.
Nonetheless Daphne was a practical person and knew she needed to cut down and make sure her horses would be well if she was not there. Klinta Sultan went to France leaving Georgie as the only stallion at Romac. Then an injury to Daphne from a gate blowing in a high wind, resulted in the Plaister Foundation swooping in to help and giving a home to her precious stallion. The last foals were born in 2022. Georgie was not entirely happy living with so many other stallions at the Foundation’s Imperial Stud so PCF kindly arranged for him to go on loan to Ba Tobin’s Granby Stud. Daphne was so delighted to hear he was back running out with mares and expecting foals in 2025. Photos of him cuddling up to Ba were the last Daphne saw of him and gave her great pleasure. Daphne put plans in place for the few remaining horses and relied on her friends and family to make it all happen. She always used to say that, if she could not keep horses, she would just like to pull the earth over her head and stop. Thankfully, she was able to enjoy her last few horses until just before the end with the help and support of her local friends.
Friends and family gathered to bid Daphne goodbye at a memorial at a beautiful little vineyard hotel called Jabajak in Carmarthenshire near Daphne’s home on Sunday 24th November. There was laughter and tears and many wonderful memories shared. Rest in peace Daphne. o
Daphne with Christabella and Crystal Carys at the Ridden Arab Group Wales Show in 2020
Photo: Liz Green
Bint Irexandya 2002–2024
Words by Angela Brown and Karen Burch
Bint Irexandya (by Secret Heart), known to her friends as ‘Iffy’, was the last foal born to Irexandya known as ‘Alex’ in 2002. Alex had raced for Daphne, not winning but coming third at Market Rasen in the 1980s and she died in 2008 aged thirty. Iffy was referred to by this pet name before she was born because she was the ‘iffy’ pregnancy, Daphne said!
Iffy bred seven foals - three fllies and four colts who were gelded. Iffy did not like being a broodmare, she was not the best mother which Daphne said was always a worry for her. All who are 88% Crabbet Arabian and have a dash of Polish from Secret Heart:
• Silver Xenia (2007) grey mare by Ibn Silver owned by Donna Schuurman and was a family horse ridden by her children. She has not bred on
• Silver Xavier (2009) grey gelding by Ibn Silver
• Crystal Heartbeat known as ‘Skye’ (2011), grey gelding by Crystal Romance owned by Ruth Whitby who gained a First at the BEF Futurity Grading and does a bit of everything from a bit of western to pleasure rides
• Crystal Inspiration (2012) grey gelding by Crystal Romance owned by Lyndsay Hutson who does a bit of everything including dressage
• Crystal Quest (2014) grey gelding by Crystal Romance owned by Debbie Crothers and then sold to Michele Luxen, who competed in endurance in Belgium
• Sunfeld Isadora (2021) grey flly by Crystal Romance owned by Lucy Gash
• Sunfeld Iona (2022) a chestnut flly by Crystal Romance and Iffy’s last foal, now owned by Mandy Vallance in Scotland who also had another of Daphne’s horses Crystal Flicker (2013),
Above: Karen and Iffy at Barbury Castle Ride in 2019
Right: Bint Irexandya’s AHS Performance Awards from her time with Karen Burch she completed 750 kms
a chestnut gelding out of Irexanda and by Crystal Romance
It is hoped that Sunfeld Isadora and Sunfeld Iona will carry on her lineage and keep this part of Daphne’s breeding programme and legacy going into the future. Between late 2014 and 2019 Iffy was loaned frst to the late Maggie Wagstaff and was shown at local shows and also did some dressage tests at the Ridden Arab Group Wales (RAGW) shows. Charlotte Wood and the late talented young rider Sarah Rees rode her for Maggie, winning the Novice Crabbet Related Award at the sixth Crabbet Organisation Awards at Stonehouse Court Hotel, Gloucestershire.
In early 2018 Maggie told Karen Burch that Iffy needed a rider and a purpose in life after producing some successful offspring and having done some riding club activities. Karen started to ride Iffy as her endurance horse was lame. Iffy soon got ft competing in ten novice rides including with her half-sister Elenora who was named by Daphne in tribute to her cousin. She entered EGB Rufus Ride which was the last of the ten novice Rides, winning the Novice 46Km in the South Coast Tournament and gaining a Grade 1.
She also took part in a few local shows and dressing up at the RAGW Christmas Show where she won the Champagne Challenge and took part in some dressage tests. Iffy took to hacking around the Ammanford lanes and ‘was off as soon as my bum hit the saddle!’ Karen said. They attended many fun rides, hunt rides and endurance pleasure rides before starting endurance when she was sixteen years young.
Karen said “I truly felt that she enjoyed the endurance rides and I loved riding her, except her initial reluctance at water crossings which took some practice!. She won many trophies for the South West Wales Endurance Group and we travelled extensively to compete with seven Grade 1s, four Grade 2s, three Grade 3s, one Grade 4
and a completion in her two years of endurance. Unfortunately, my understanding of the rules in her novice season was a problem and I completed too many rides in 2018 so we were disqualifed at the Rufus ride. Iffy was not a cuddly horse but we had great fun together and we enjoyed each other’s company”.
She had a super 2019 season although they didn’t do the Red Dragon or Rufus ride and Iffy was returned to Daphne in October 2019 to carry on her brood mare role and produced two further foals, having a short retirement before Daphne’s health deteriorated. Even though it was Daphne’s wishes that her horses who were over twenty years old were put to sleep, you were taken far too soon in October 2024. You will be missed by those who knew you, farewell. RIP Iffy. o
Above: Iffy and Daphne at the Romac Stud when Karen Burch returned her on 12 October 2019
Right: Karen Burch and Iffy at the Dec 2018 RAGW Show at Pibwrlwyd, Carmarthen,
Crystal Stardrift was a beautiful mare wanted by many but she had been left by Maureen De Popp to Daphne Gilbert of Star Arabian Stud, who owned and bred her sire Astar, and she entrusted the mare to Daphne Cocksedge of the Romac Stud. As it worked out the mare and the owner who adored her stepped off this mortal coil within a month of each other.
Crystal Stardrift was sired by Astar a son of the Indian King son Akhbar who went to Jordan and the mare Aurora bred by the Crabbet Stud. Aurora was by the great Oran from Shadowlight, a classically bred mare by Indian Gold from Silver Shadow, one of the several important daughters of the beautiful Silver Fire. It is an inheritance that goes all the way back to the mare Sobha purchased by Lady Anne and Wilfrid Blunt for the Crabbet Stud from Ali Pasha Sherif in Egypt.
Crystal Stardrift’s dam was Crystal Sunset, sired by the Indian Magic son Rafd and out of the stunning Grey Crystal who changed hands multiple times in her life. Grey Crystal was bred by Miss May Lyon by the imposing bay Irex son Romac and out of Silver Bell, another important branch of the Silver Fire line.
The result was a gracious and gentle grey mare who, in this rather different Arabian world, became known for the athletic talents of her children. She earned Premium status with the Arab Horse Society of Great Britain for the achievements of her progeny. Daphne Cocksedge bred every one of her foals and they were all 100% Crabbet Stud bloodlines. Her frst daughter was Crystal Shadowlight by show and race winner Indian Banner. Crystal Shadowlight aka “Amber” took a while to get started breeding. She had strong opinions about being covered and it only worked in a very short window. Then she rejected her frst foal, a flly called Crystal Silver Chance by Ibn Silver, but as a shoulder injury made riding her out of the question, it was decided to give her another chance. As it turned out, motherhood grew on her and the female line to Crystal Stardrift today is mostly reliant on her daughters. Crystal Silver Chance lives with Angela Brown and is going nicely under saddle.
Crystal Shadowlight’s next foal was a son by Ibn Silver’s son Crystal Romance called Crystal Grey Shadow and he is already looking promising in endurance with Sue
CRYSTAL STARDRIFT
1999-2024
WORDS BY ALEXIA ROSS
Crystal Stardrift was a mare from another era. She was bred by Maureen De Popp of the Milla Lauquen Stud from a dam bred by Beatrice Paine of the Bowdell Stud and a grandam bred by Miss May Lyon founder of the Harwood Stud. These are breeders who underpin some of the best of traditional Arabian breeding in the UK, a fact of which Daphne Cocksedge, who owned her most of her life and bred all her foals, was very appreciative.
Daphne with Crystal Stardrift
Photo: Debbie Crothers
Box. His full sister Crystal Grey Special is with Pauline Atkinson at her Whitton Park Stud and has already had a promising young stallion Crystal Sundhance and a flly Whitton Park Sheen by Pauline’s stallion Seren Sadrh. Crystal Sundhance is now with Caroline Senter in Norfolk. “Amber”’s youngest daughter is Crystal Solitaire by Crabbet National Champion stallion Klinta Sultan and she is at the author’s Zobeyni Arabians. There are plans to get her in foal in 2025.
Crystal Stardrift produced excellent colts and her next foal was the very elegant Crystal Satisfaction by Grecian Idyll. He went to Europe, sired a few foals, turned out to be an impressive 100-mile endurance horse and was sold on to the Middle East. He does leave a couple of daughters behind.
At this point Daphne Cocksedge acquired the Indian Silver son Ibn Silver to use on her 100% Crabbet mares. Stardrift’s very elegant daughter Crystal Silver Star unfortunately died young without breeding but her brother Crystal Magic Star went on to an impressive endurance record. Ibn Silver then had to give way to his son Crystal Romance who bred most of Daphne’s mares for a number of years. During this time Stardrift had two colts Crystal Red Drift and Crystal Romeo
and a flly Crystal May. She then had a colt by the Silver Flame grandson Klinta Sultan, Crystal Sultan who joined his sister’s son Crystal Grey Shadow as an endurance prospect with Sue Box. Stardrift returned to Crystal Romance for her last foal two foals, the mare Crystal Grey Charm who was bequeathed to Ruth Whitby at Daphne’s passing and the very beautiful Sunfeld Crystal Star who sadly died as a baby. It seems Crystal Shadowlight is keeping the female line going as Crystal Silver Star died young and Crystal May rejected two foals and could not be persuaded to be a mother. May has turned out to be a talented riding horse though. Crystal Stardrift’s sons are breeding on beautifully, however.
Crystal Romeo is in Scotland with a few impressive foals and plans to bring him out under saddle. The big moving Crystal Red Drift went initially to Mark and Natalie Tindall’s Moonlight Arabians where he had some good foals. His daughters Moonlight Pearl and Silvern Mayday have both gone to Claire Seaward to help form the foundation of her Crabbet breeding programme at Rainbow Arabians. Pearl’s son RBA Moonstone Red Arrow by Marbon Mastarpiece has already been retained as a future sire. Meanwhile Crystal Red Drift has moved on to KWS Arabians where he had a promising half Spanish colt this year. In the tiny gene pool of the Crabbet Arabian in the UK today, every foal is precious. Crystal Stardrift’s legacy seems to be in safe hands where her grace and talent is likely to breed on for a few generations yet. o
Crystal Stardrift at the British National Championships
Photo: Romac Stud archives
Crystal Solitaire (Klinta Sultan x Crystal Shadowlight), granddaughter of Crystal Stardrift
HOW GADEBROOK BEGAN... PART II
With a ffty fve year record, and still counting, Gadebrook Stud’s progeny have increased exponentially. So apologies if the second part of its history trots all over the place, in the UK and overseas.
• WORDS AND PHOTOS BY ANNE
BROWN •
The successful 2002 Crabbet Convention kick started renewed interest in Crabbet Arabians in England. Gadebrook was invited to parade a number of horses, including some of my highstepping Silvern Sceptre progeny: young stallion Crystal Magic (from Crystal Lazuli), and full siblings Silver Aria and Bright Sceptre. These two were out of my gentle Ben Rabba daughter Silver Aura, a former British National Champion Mare, and the daughter of multi-British Champion Silver Sheen.
Two other horses on display that day later came to Gadebrook. The versatile eventing and endurance stallion Shaded Silver arrived in 2004 and sired full siblings Blue Shadow in 2005 and Azarina in 2007 from Zaharina (Ludomino x Zahra), and full sisters Rhapsody in Blue in 2005 and Rose of Summer the following year, from majestic Summertime Blues (Indian Idyll x Rose of Bediya).
Jean Peck and Mary O’Rourke generously loaned me their double Silver Fire line mare PHA Silver Heart, so admired at the Convention, to put to my young stallion Binley Prince Salim. Her long-legged grey flly Silver Sunbeam (2009) was snapped up by OSO Arabians in Australia for their extensive endurance programme.
Now I had settled in to Tansor Lodge Farm, I was able to invite over forty of the horses I had bred – and their owners – to a reunion party in 2004, to celebrate thirty fve years of Gadebrook Stud, with a hog roast, mounted Treasure Hunt, and cream tea. Ironically, my two foal stars of the day were not pure Crabbet. The frst, Rusleema, was by the dashing show champion Rusleem, out of Sunne in Silver. Rusleema has now started her own dynasty with Lyn Bunce at Mattilda Arabians in Australia. The other flly, Kalish (Crystal Magic’s frst progeny), was out of Kumasha (Persimmon x Khamala by El Shaklan), a former ‘Horse of the Year Show’ Ridden Champion Mare.
The party reunited all four of Hachim’s daughters: Hadith (x Someone Special by The Shah), Zaha (x Zaharina by Ludomino), Magic Fire (x Nishtar by Jubilee Star) and Magic Sheen (x Crystal Sheen by Crystal Magician). Silver Aura reigned supreme, bedecked in full Arabian regalia, reunited with her breeder, Iona Bowring. Happy days!
The following February shot Gadebrook into the stratosphere when Hachim (Achim’s Silver Magic x Hamsfah by Hanif) won the World Endurance Championship, in the (then) world record time of 100 miles (160kms) in seven hours and two minutes, ahead of over 140 of the world’s top riders. In the capable hands of HH Sheikh Hazza bin Sultan al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi, Hachim also won the Best Conditioned Award. I followed every stride in the crew car across the Dubai desert, one of the most exciting days of my life. How could that success be topped?
Well, not to be out-done, older brother Magic Domino (Ludomino x Hamsfah by Hanif) earned the coveted ‘Living Legend’ title in the USA for his achievements in ridden showing and dressage and as a prolifc sire of successful competition horses. The honour is bestowed only
Anne and precious Silver Aura (Ben Rabba x Silver Sheen) in 2006
once every twenty years and to only twelve out of around 350,000 Arabian horses in America.
Domino had crossed the Atlantic from Gadebrook as a three year old in 1991, having won the Junior Championship and Reserve Show Championship at the Wessex Arab Show – when classes were huge!on his very frst outing, under judge Diana Whittome. I few over to support owner/ rider Kim Thomason for the long drive from their Arabian Dream Farm in Tennessee to the jamboree in Denver, Colorado. Our adventures during three-day haul across the States with our serene white 16hh Crabbet stallion in tow should have been flmed! The Crabbet Convention in Australia that October, and the stud tours before and afterwards, introduced me to so many pure Crabbet lines long lost in the UK. They opened my eyes to the treasures they have been breeding since Mrs Dorothea McLean imported more than thirty horses from Crabbet Park in the 1930s. Her Fenwick Stud in Victoria, now run by her granddaughter, Mrs Vicky Johnson, still stands pure Crabbet stallions. Shanadarr Stud grabbed young Fenwick Just Brilliant
Above: Magic Sheen took part in the Gadebrook reunion party in 2004 and was later exported to W’rsan, Abu Dhabi where she is pictured here in 2010
Left: Also at the reunion was Summertime Blues. She is pictured here in a Peter Upton painting with her 2006 flly Rose of Summer by Shaded Silver
who is already producing impressive stock. That 2005 visit inspired the Boomerang Plan - to bring these valuable genes back to Britain, starting with bay Palma Benay from Leon Bennett’s Pevensey Stud, as a two year old in 2007. Palma has proved to be an important sire-producer with three bay pure Crabbet sons and a grandson now in breeding programmes in England and Europe – with great grandsons at Binley Stud. The latest colt, Binley Silvern Salam, will soon join Moonlight Arabian Stud. In Cornwall.
Although Palma was initially backed, her value as a brood mare was greater. Among his many awards and accomplishments, the versatile Kaalif (her frst foal, 2010), by Silver Zaanif, won the AHS Performance Horse Awards championship for Purebreds, and the Binley Rose Bowl as Overall Champion at the Crabbet Show at Equifest plus the Junior Sport Horse class at the AHS National Championships! His son, Shaarif, out of Gadebrook’s imported bay Australian mare Inshallah Signature, is now FEI qualifed for international endurance races with rider Anja Ward. Both father and son have represented England at Home Internationals. In 2012, I sent Palma to Llain Arabians in Wales to be covered by Erin Park Excel, the bay pure Crabbet youngster with whom she had travelled from Australia in 2007. She duly produced another fne bay colt, Palermo in 2013.
2012 also saw the arrival at Gadebrook of two bay pure Crabbet mares: Inshallah Signature (in foal to Monarch Lodge Ambition) and Pevensey Zariffa, to expand the Boomerang herd. Signature’s resultant sprightly bay colt, Bismillah, is fourishing in an endurance home with Katherine Macgilchrist in Devon.
By now, fashy chestnut Marbon Masadi (Naresh x Marbon Melissa) had joined Gadebrook, and promptly covered Palma and Pevensey Zariffa. Bay colt Dandini and chestnut flly Mazaria duly arrived in the spring of 2014, charming visitors with their soft muzzles. With the importation of Mill Park Blaidd’s frozen semen from Australia in 2017, Palma produced her second 100% antipodean Crabbet son, Gadebrook Blade, in 2018. In the experienced hands of Susan Hawes, he is now starting open endurance, also ridden by teenager Sophie Wynne. Blade may have inherited his stunning golden sheen and blonde
mane and tail from Rose of Sharon (1885), the daughter of the Blunts’ original imports, Hadban and Rodania. Lady Anne’s perceptive notes on Rose of Sharon say: “A golden chestnut with white mane and tail; the colour constantly appears in her descendants.”
In 2021, I lent Palma to the new Moorland Arabian Stud in Devon where she produced the striking bay colt MAS Royal Dart in 2022, sired by the WAHO trophy winner Silvern Prince. Dart was the ‘Leading Yearling’ at the 2023 National Futurity Evaluations. Palma’s latest colt, the smart bay Imperial Dancing Fire (2024) for the Plaister Charitable Foundation, is the frst progeny from their Crabbet Champion, Imperial Silver Phoenix - and a credit to him. Palma will hopefully produce a couple more foals for Gadebrook
before retirement – a flly would be nice… The invitation to parade fve horses at the 2013 UK Crabbet Convention was irresistible.
Two played starring roles. Pure white stallion Binley Prince Salim was one of the three full brothers to proudly lead the parade under saddle, with Silvern Prince and Ikoni. In the fnale, Kalish appeared in full Arab costume ridden by Caroline Hawes for a gallop round the ring with Jade Rani, ridden by her mother Susan.
Palma’s only flly to date, pretty Palmyra by Klinta Sultan, appeared early in the parade, followed by my young Crabbet stallion Kaalif, and fnally another of my Australian imports, Pevensey Zariffa – all three pure Crabbet. Also in the spotlight were two lovely mares bred at Gadebrook: Rhapsody in Blue, now owned by Diane Northwood, and Hachim’s daughter Magic Fire (ex Nishtar by Jubilee Star), who has done well in endurance and the Marathon with owner Joanne Wallis Baga. Joanne has produced all the illuminated pedigrees of my Crabbet horses that adorn my staircase.
Above: Imported Australian Crabbet mares Pevensey Zariffa and Inshallah Signature at Gadebrook, 2016
Right: MAS Royal Dart and owner-breeder Deborah Duncan (left) at the Futurity evaluation where he gained Gold Premium yearling
All-Australian Crabbet Gadebrook Blade (Mill Park Blaidd x Palma Benay) at the Cirencester Endurance Festival in 2024
Gadebrook featured as the frst stud visit on the tour that followed the 2013 Crabbet Convention. As everyone tucked into lunch, the Australians were mobbed by my inquisitive, sociable herd.
Gadebrook would never have developed the way it has without the input of one very special person – my stud manager Jackie Pringle who would handle any horse or situation with the utmost calm and care. She taught maiden Hachim to cover as a clueless two year old, and also Sambist - who had only over met a dummy for semen collection. The look of surprise (and delight?) on his face when he realised he could mount a real mare was a treat to behold. Both stallions were kind and gentle with their mares, and very fertile.
With Jackie’s support, I have hosted stallions at Gadebrook including pure Crabbets Shaded Silver and Marbon Masadi, maidens Klinta Sultan and Silver Zaanif and homebred Crystal
Fire, on a return visit from Spirit Arabians. Jackie admired Someone Special’s 1996 foal by Hachim’s sire, pure Crabbet Achim’s Silver Magic. We named him Magic Phantom - the vet had thought the mare was having a phantom pregnancy! Jackie trained him single-handedly and ran him in just four races, when entries were so large, horses could be balloted out. Phantom won once, came second twice, and third once – results any professional trainer would be proud of. We were ecstatic!
My frst ‘outsider’ part-Crabbet stallion was Remington Steele *++, a Tevis Buckle winner and top all-rounder, owned by Patti Bailey. I met them at the Denver ‘Living Legend’ presentation where her stallion was also honoured. He followed this by winning the very frst WAHO trophy for the USA. Patti chose me to represent his frozen semen in the UK which has been very successful as he has highly potent sperm. I had monitored its journey in my new $1,000 state-ofthe-art shipper every step of the way from the Denver lab to arrival at Heathrow and storage at Prof Twink Allen’s Equine Fertility Unit in Newmarket.
His frst colt, Remynisce, from my highpercentage Crabbet AHS Premium mare Jazmyn, went to the top in endurance, winning many awards, including Gold and the Faranoush Trophy at the Golden Horseshoe with rider Susan Hawes. Susan has his latest flly by frozen semen, Gadebrook Lily (2022) from my mare, Kamillah – the frst trans-Atlantic mating of two WAHO trophy winners. Jazmyn followed this with fve bright, athletic foals from the other stallion to have a huge infuence on Gadebrookstraight Russian Sambist.
Born at the Tersk State Stud, Sambist had won all fve of their Classic races before he was brought to Europe as a fve year old and sold at auction for $385,000. Once his racing days were over – he won his fnal hardfought race at Goodwood over two and a half miles in a course record time – he retired to Umm Qarn Stud. But when the stud closed and HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa al Thani moved the horses to Qatar, Sambist came to Gadebrook. Sambist was not happy in the heat of the Gulf. What a gift! Who could resist one of the fnest Arab racehorses and racing sires of his generation?
Sambist continued to sire race winners and was awarded the AHS ‘Racing Sire of the
Stud manager Jackie Pringle and her race winner Magic Phantom, pictured here at the Gadebrook 35th reunion party in 2004
Remynisce and Susan Hawes on the hill climb at Cirencester 80kms in 2018
Year’ trophy thirteen times in ffteen years. The achievements of his offspring also earned him AHS Premium Sire status. His progeny are now increasingly competing in endurance although he died in 2011.
Alongside successes, breeders must also accept heartbreak. In the case of Hadiya, it was a double disaster. His dam Pevensey Zariffa, the precious ‘Princess of Pevensey’ had died with a prolapsed colon giving birth to him in 2016. As he had been generously fostered by the woolly Belgian draft mare, Blondie, the orphan colt matured into a fne stallion, winning the Futurity Endurance Reserve Championship as a three year old. From his collected fresh semen, three Gadebrook mares conceived immediately: Inshallah Signature, Azarina and Kamillah. 2020 started so well with all three of the resulting foals – Bright Moonlight, Hazar and Kamelliya – gaining Gold Premiums in the national Futurity Evaluations. Then tragedy struck – twice! First we heard that their sire Hadiya, our golden hope for the future of Crabbet breeding, had broken his leg in three places at his Sussex trainer’s in a freak feld accident, and had to be put down.
Within weeks, a similar call came from Anja, and in a second, Kaalif was gone too. Just so sad that two such versatile, kind, handsome pure Crabbets were lost within a month.
At least Kaalif’s son Shaarif, from Australian imported Inshallah Signature, is now qualifed for international FEI endurance races.
Of Hadiya’s fne foal crop in 2020, super-friendly chestnut Bright Moonlight from Inshallah Signature has been to Italy and is now back at Gadebrook, preparing for a ridden show career – and a Crabbet foal at some point, hopefully.
Hazar, Azarina’s frst foal, is now gelded and settled in a keen endurance home in the Lakes with proud owner Josephine Randall.
Bold, beautiful Kamelliya (‘Leyah’), from WAHO trophy-winner Kamillah, has been gently backed by the brilliant Martin Leonard and is aimed for the top in ridden showing with a new owner in Sussex. All three prove the importance of the Australian bloodlines.
Prolifc Palma’s son Dandini, is now in Sweden with Anne Karlsson at Gimmick Arabians,
Anne Brown, Sambist and Patti Bailey, his US representative, and owner of Remington Steele at Gadebrook in 2014
Pevensey Zariffa interviewed by Al Jazeera TV (Qatar) at Gadebrook in May 2013
Above: Hadiya, orphan Crabbet colt, and Blondie, Belgian draught foster mare Left: Crabbet stallion Hadiya (‘Buddy’) and trainer Susan. Buddy was tragically lost to a feld accident in 2020 but has left some super youngstock including (below) Gold Premium Arabian yearlings Kamelliya, Bright Moonlight and Hazar
after a stint at Iñaki Izagirrre Sarasola’s stud in northern Spain and at Seren in England. Showing the horses to visiting breeders from around the world is always a joy. The Thomasons’ (Magic Domino’s owners) stay at Gadebrook in 2001 coincided with a visit from Yitzak Levron of Sabra Arabians with his wife and baby daughter from Israel. We are a magnet for flm and TV crews from the Middle East – although hearing my words dubbed into Arabic is a little freaky… Guests have included the generouslyturbaned Prince Malik, President of the Pakistan Tent-Pegging Association, mare reproduction specialist Dr Sandra Wilsher and world famous equine geneticist Prof Doug Antczak. Now retired from Cornell University, Prof Antczak was an instigator (with Dr Sam Brooks) of the equine genome project. His TB mare Twilight was the frst horse in the world to have its genome fully mapped – Sambist was the second, and the frst Arabian.
The red carpet is always down for Antipodean guests, including former Arab Horse Society of Australia Council member and good friend Br Peter McIntosh, and leading Crabbet icon Leon Bennett, Astra Temple and Randall McArthur, Bob Curtin, Sean Johnson and his family from Kendra Park, Linda Henley (Wootton Arabians), Ian and Deb Watson (owners of the Sambist son Samson Tai whom I saw at their Moondarra stud in Australia), and keen breeder and endurance rider Struan Duncan from New Zealand. My travels overseas and WAHO conferences have allowed me to meet up with breeders and equine reproduction specialists including Drs Anne and Michael Bowling in 2005 (then, both professors of genetics at University of Cal Davis) and their New Albion Stud of Crabbet horses.
Another world expert, Lee Morris, welcomed me to her Equine Repro Vets, where she is pioneering frozen embryos in New Zealand. I was privileged to meet world-renowned Angus McKinnon, the AI specialist at Goulburn Valley Vets in Australia, before his retirement.
When staying with Buzz Moore’s hospitable mother Barbara at Fairfeld Farms in Virginia, she told me about the wonder drug Banamine which can relieve colic within minutes. Of course, it is banned in the EU, as they eat horses, so the UK banned it too.…. To better understand artifcial insemination
procedures, I completed the DEFRA AI course and qualifed as an AI Technician. ‘Horse & Hound’ gave me a double page spread to explain the process. I have since qualifed in Frozen Semen handling.
Repaying the passion that has rewarded me so well fnds me crewing Gadebrook endurance horses most weekends.
To help the AHS, I edited their magazine from 2015 to 2017 and still report on WAHO conventions (representing the AHS at the 2014 Convention) and the many equine reproduction conferences and vet seminars I attend. I constantly stress the importance of genetic testing to avoid mating carrier to carrier.
I have been privileged to represent the Arab Horse Society as its President, to serve on Council, fnally as Vice Chair, and currently on the Stud Book and Registration committee, and to Chair the AHS Premium
Anne has met many wonderful people in her lifetime with the Arabian horse, from all over the world.
Above: Anne with Peter Upton at the AHS Centenary Exhibition opening and book launch
Left: Prof Douglas Antczak, Anne Brown and Dr Sandra Wilsher gift to Gadebrook, pure Russian Arab mare Pepelka
Above left: Crabbet breeders Leon Bennett and Anne Brown at Makahiwi Stud, New Zealand Feb 2019
Performance Scheme organising parades and events to promote Arabian horses. I have supported Crabbets in the ring since the inception of the Show in Devon in 2006 and present the perpetual Gadebrook Shield to the Champion.
Learning that British Dressage ran championships for specifc breeds, I instigated the annual BD Arab Dressage Awards. Embarrassingly, my own Binley Prince Salim won the Elementary Section, ridden by Emma Thomas, at the inaugural Championships!
Salim was so versatile, he won the Overall Performance Horse Awards championship in 2015. By coincidence, that was the year I was AHS President, so I made the presentation to my own horse, together with his breeder Caroline Sussex.
For more than a year, I created and prepared the events to celebrate the Society’s 100th anniversary in 2018. We started with the launch of the ‘Centenary’ book at the opening of the frst ever Arab Horse exhibition at the National Horse Racing Museum, then held a ‘Champions’ Parade to show-case the versatility of the Arabian horse, and ended with a revival of the AHS Marathon over the historic Rowley Mile and July courses in Newmarket. My e-mail message sign off is www.gadebrookstud.com – established in 1969 to breed world-class Arabian performance horses. It was a dream ffty fve years ago; now it is a reality – and most of the stud’s success is due to Crabbet horses.
Although I was born only a few miles from the Yules’ Hanstead Stud in Hertfordshire, I was far too young to be aware of its existence – and importance. The founder Lady Yule’s daughter, Gladys, died in 1957, just three weeks after her ‘rival’, Lady Wentworth.
I feel proud to carry on the incredible legacy of these gifted breeders. o
Crabbet Arabians are at an all time low in many parts of the world. We want to locate as many as possible so we can get an accurate picture of how many are left and where they are so we can put plans in place to ensure they don’t disappear altogether
