By Jessie Preece
While visiting the UK to attend a wedding I took the opportunity to have a bit of an equine adventure, which involved visiting as many studs as I was able to, and making the pilgrimage to Crabbet Stud and the grave of The Godolphin. I had contacted the British Natural History Museum before leaving Australia, attempting to make an appointment to see the remains of Skowronek... Aussie accent + Info Desk = lots and lots of wasted time and frustration! “You would like to see a horse skeleton? We have one on display in the main hall.” However, I was eventually able to get through to the right department, and was then disappointed to find that the earliest available time for me to visit was two days after I was due to fly out! Shuffling and expense followed, but I was able to keep the appointment. I had struggled to find details on the collection, both online and in publications, and only knew for sure that the collection included Skowronek’s skull and hide, and the skulls of three mares. So, on speaking to the Museum before my visit, I requested access to anything with any reference to Crabbet Park, the Blunts and Lady Wentworth. On arrival at the Museum, I was led to one of the back vaults, being led past walls covered in the mounted heads of dozens of rare species. Not expecting to have many items in the collection, I was gob smacked as the Curator opened drawer after drawer. Left unsupervised to examine the collection, I proceeded to spend the day surrounded by the most amazing collection of specimens. These included the remains of the stallions Skowronek (Ibrahim x Jaskolka), Dwarka (desert bred), the Barb Stallion from Gibraltar, the Welsh Mountain Pony Dyoll Starlight (Dyoll Glasallt x Dyoll Moonlight), the Shire Blaisdon Conqueror (Hitchin Conqueror x unknown) and the mares Ajjam (Ibn Yashmak x Ajrameh), Risala (Mesaoud x Ridaa) and Bint Nura along with an unnamed set of hooves, an Arabian filly five months of age (Skowronek x Nasira), an unnamed 26 THE AUSTRALIAN ARABIAN HORSE NEWS
TOP: Crabbet Park. ABOVE: The swimming pool and tennis courts. OPPOSITE PAGE: Various images from Crabbet Park including a plaque to Wilfrid Blunt and ‘his wife’.