Historical Breeders Archives

RAS Bint Vanity (Silver Vanity x Blue Sal) 1977 grey mare owned by Rhodes Arabian Stud.

Long Live Crabbet: A Tour of Straight Crabbets in the American North East

September 18, 2019September 18, 2019 AngelaLeave a Comment

By Alexia Ross. The good news is that there are a small number of breeders in America who are still trying to preserve a resource of Straight Crabbet Arabians and are doing so with some very nice horses. Standards vary, as in any bloodline group, with some plain heads and rough couplings in evidence but good temperament and athleticism is pretty standard with more than enough exotic heads and smooth bodies to offer a positive future. On the whole, limbs, length of shoulder and movement are better than the norm that is accepted in the show ring these days with long ground covering strides on offer instead of the stylized, but not particularly functional, high knee action which is becoming fashionable now in Europe.

Carleton Cummings and his Skyline Trust Arabians

April 1, 2019April 22, 2019 AngelaLeave a Comment

By Rick Synowski. Like many kids looking for their first Arabian horse in the 1950’s and early 1960’s — kids perhaps from less than affluent families and looking to make their dreams of owning an Arabian horse come true — I first heard of Carleton Cummings after reading about his Skyline Trust Arabians. An article by H.H. Reese stated that Cummings had “developed his Arabian horse breeding program with the purpose of assisting boys and girls who like horses to secure good specimens of the breed on a partnership basis.” Reese’s article described Cummings’ “lend lease” program whereby youngsters could lease a mare, breed her and then, after the birth of the foal, return either the mare or the foal. To an imaginative 11-year-old, this sounded like just the ticket. I wrote a letter to Cummings.

Bill Munson (left) with Jimmie Dean at the 1983 Crabbet Symposium Denver, Colorado. Carolyn Hasbrook photo.

Bill Munson – An Interview by Jim Robbins

March 19, 2019March 19, 2019 AngelaLeave a Comment

By Jim Robbins. Ask Bill Munson how he breeds horses at his Shalimar Ranch in Harrison, Nebraska, and the answer is one word: “Raffles.” The pedigrees on Bill’s horses read ‘*Raffles on *Raffles on *Raffles on *Raffles.’ He has been line-breeding horses with *Raffles blood at Shalimar since 1942. As a breeder, veterinarian, and the longest recorded Big ‘R’ judge in history, he is eminently qualified to begin the Historic Breeders series in the Crabbet Influence.

Why I Did What I Did – An Interview with Lois Selby Perry

March 19, 2019March 19, 2019 AngelaLeave a Comment

By Tara Perry, LAC. I was fortunate. I started a step ahead, and was grateful for it. But with that gratitude also went the need and the responsibility to be more than just a production factory cranking out the numbers and taking credit for what had gone before.

My Visit to Al-Marah Arabians in November of 2002

March 14, 2019March 14, 2019 AngelaLeave a Comment

By Les Crowl. I have wanted to attend the Al-Marah (Arabic for ‘The Very Happy’) Winter Forum for the past few years but due to timing and/or circumstances, was never able to go, until this year. Besides, the registration fee was reasonable and I couldn’t beat the deal I got on the hotel room and airline tickets, flying through Dallas-Fort Worth airport, rather than non-stop to Tucson!

“Mr. Crabbet” – Fred Rice

March 5, 2019March 8, 2019 Angela2 Comments

By Michael West. No one is more deserving of the title “Mr. Crabbet” than Fred Rice. Fred, who was born on 31 August, 1905, in a cottage situated on land that was part of the vast Crabbet Estate, spent his entire working life in the employ of Lady Wentworth.

(Left to Right) Rifnada 836, Danas 842, and Ferdas 841. This photograph was taken from the entrance to the Kellogg stables; the horses are shown standing in the parking lot.

The W.K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Ranch – Part 15: The 1931 Foal Crop

March 4, 2019March 8, 2019 AngelaLeave a Comment

By Carol Woodbridge Mulder. The Kellogg Ranch at Pomona, California, was six years old in 1931 and the foal crop of that year was the seventh to be foaled at the ranch; the first foal crop, of 1925, had been in-utero purchases. Eighteen registered foals arrived in 1931. While these animals were bred by W.K. Kellogg, they actually reflected the breeding ideas and policies of the Kellogg Ranch manager, Herbert H. Reese. The quality of the foals was more than gratifying in most cases.

The W.K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Ranch – Part 14: 1931, Malouma 738 and King John 739 Are Purchased

March 3, 2019March 13, 2019 AngelaLeave a Comment

By Carol Woodbridge Mulder. *Malouma 738 and *King John 739 had been brought to the Kellogg Ranch to be boarded in September of 1930 by their owner, Herman W. Frank of Los Angeles, California. In March of 1931 W. K. Kellogg bought the pair of Egyptian imports. They were the only Egyptian Arabians ever used in the old Kellogg breeding program.

Ralet 759 liberty jumping in the show ring at Kellogg Ranch.

The W.K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Ranch – Part 13: The 1930 Foal Crop

February 27, 2019March 13, 2019 AngelaLeave a Comment

By Carol Woodbridge Mulder. The 1930 foal crop of the W.K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Ranch at Pomona, California, consisted of 21 youngsters – the largest crop yet for the then five year old stud which had already gained wide recognition and fame. There were eleven fillies and ten colts which arrived from January through November with the six births during April making it the busiest month.

The W.K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Ranch – Part 12: The New Arabians of 1930

February 27, 2019March 13, 2019 AngelaLeave a Comment

By Carol Woodbridge Mulder. The W.K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Ranch manager, Herbert H. Reese, was not only an astute and well educated horseman, manager, businessman, and gifted horse breeder, but was also a born horse trader. In 1930 there were so few Arabians in the United States – less than 800 living animals – that, despite the depression, buyers were to be found for most of the few Arabs which were available for sale.