By Joanne Costigan
The Arfaja Arabian Stud was founded in 1966 by Ronald Ryan and is now operated by Ronald’s nephew, Stephen Pearson and Stephen’s wife Joanne Costigan. It is dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the pure Crabbet Arabian horse, those which descend, unmixed in blood, from Arabians bred or owned by the Crabbet Arabian Stud. The Crabbet Arabian Stud was founded in 1878 by Lady Anne Blunt, the highly accomplished grand-daughter of the poet Lord Byron, and her husband Wilfrid Scawen Blunt. The couple travelled extensively throughout what are now modern day Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, acquiring the very finest Arabian horses of stringently authenticated purity and importing them back to their stud in Sussex, England. These original desert horses, and subsequent importations, established a line of Arabians widely recognised not only for their beauty, but also for their exceptional intelligence, soundness, movement and performance ability. For many years Australia has been at the forefront of the preservation of Crabbet blood, resulting in a rare degree of diversity and quality. As if in recognition of this, in 1985 the pure Crabbet stallion Rasham, bred by Ronald Ryan, was awarded the title of Australian National Champion Stallion. No pure Crabbet stallion, before or since, has ever won this title.
Rasham’s impact on Crabbet has been nothing short of remarkable. His sons and daughters have gone on to some of Australia’s top Crabbet studs to create legacies in their own right. Among his sons, several immediately come to mind – the magnificent Arfaja Haluj, the superb Arfaja Robard and the outstanding Arfaja Harlan – each has made a huge contribution to the Crabbet gene pool. The influence of Rasham’s daughters has been equally significant – from Arfaja Rashma, through her daughter Arfaja Silver Mist and son Arfaja Silver Aura, from Arfaja Estella, through her sons Arfaja Rococo and Lord Hyde of Seven Oaks and her daughter Arfaja Evangeline, from Arfaja Alicia, through her son Arfaja Alexi and her lovely Ebjarah daughters Alysium, Amelia and Aviva, from Arfaja Moonflower, through her splendid son Ebjarah Moollah, and from the grand old dame Arfaja Natasha, through her stunning daughter Wentworth Estate Cara-Mia – these are just a few of the precious mares whose legacy will survive long after they are gone.
It was wonderful ‘flying the banner’ for Crabbet at the Nationals, demonstrating to Arabian fanciers from far and wide that Crabbet Arabians are not only wonderful riding horses, but can be classically beautiful as well! Bisharah competed in a class of outstanding two and three year olds and, although missing out on a Top Eight placing, we were delighted with how beautiful and at home she looked in a ring full of world-class fillies! Zamia was entered in two classes – Open Mare and Open Mare Shown by a Non-Pro – and looked impressive in both. However it was in the Non-Pro class where she fully came into her own – showing off her superb movement and wonderful presence to be awarded Reserve Champion Mare, much to the crowd’s delight!
Thirty years after Rasham’s win, a number of his pure Crabbet descendants competed at the 2015 Australian National Championships. Among these was his exotic bay two-yearold great-grand-daughter, Arfaja Bisharah, bred and owned by Arfaja Arabians, and his magnificent grey nine-year-old granddaughter Kendra Park Zamia, bred and owned by Kendra Park Arabians. Both filly and mare had been very successful in 2015, each winning multiple Championships and Reserves and topping it off with a trip to the ‘Aussies’! Bisharah was superbly prepared and presented throughout the 2014/2015 season by the talented Anne McIntosh. Zamia was shown by Sean Johnson of
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Kendra Park Arabians, with much support and generous assistance from Future Farms in her preparation and training.
And so Rasham’s legacy lives on, and with it the goal which we at Arfaja hold dear – to preserve and promote our beloved Crabbet Arabians, our versatile and beautiful equine friends and partners! LEFT: Rasham. ABOVE (TOP): Arfaja Bisharah. Photo: Joanne Costigan. ABOVE (BELOW): Kendra Park Zamia. Photo: Nikki Shegog.