By R.J. Cadranell © 1991 (photos from Crabbet Arabians by Cecil Covey, 1982)
** Originally published in the April 1991 issue of The Crabbet Influence magazine. Also published in The Crabbet Influence's 1993 Collector's Volume II.
Along with the 'Indians' and Sharima's 'Royals,' the 'Silvers' comprised one of the most important mare families of the post-war Crabbet. The 'Silver' family never dominated Crabbet breeding, as the Sharima mares came to do toward the end of Lady Wentworth's life. Instead, the 'Silvers' were particularly pretty ornaments of the Crabbet breeding program.
As Mrs. Archer wrote in The Crabbet Arabian Stud, It's History and Influence,
The striking characteristics of the 'Silver' line are their quality and extreme beauty, particularly of the head."
Mr. Covey wrote in the same book,
The 'Silver' line were all of outstanding quality...[They] had great presence though perhaps some lacked the best of hocks."
Although they never outnumbered the other families, by the time of Lady Wentworth's death in 1957 the 'Silver' mares seemed to be gaining ground. At that time approximately 20% of the herd traced in tail-female to Silver Fire, the family foundress, including five broodmares and an additional five young mares and fillies.
Pointing to a final synthesis of the Crabbet program, many of these horses had been sired by Sharima stallions, and in turn Lady Wentworth was starting to use *Silver Vanity on Sharima mares.
The 'Silver' line was actually the final manifestation of the Sobha family at Crabbet. The Blunts had imported Sobha from Egypt in 1891. The Crabbet Stud owned several Sobha mares when Lady Wentworth took charge in 1920.
However only three, Safarjal, Selima, and Somra, produced GSB registered foals for her. Safarjal left one colt and then left Crabbet to become a cornerstone for the Courthouse Stud.
Selima's daughters Star of the Hills and Sardhana each left a few foals at Crabbet, but Crabbet's last mare of the Selima line, Starilla, left in 1939 or 1940.
Selima continued to be represented through the get of her son Shareer, but Somra's daughter Silver Fire was left alone to carry the Sobha mare line forward to war-time and post-war Crabbet breeding.
Somra was a 1908 grey mare bred in Lady Anne Blunt's half of the partitioned Crabbet Stud. Her sire was Daoud and her dam was Siwa (Ahmar x Sobha), making Somra 75% Abbas Pasha breeding.
Mr. Covey described her in Crabbet Arabians:
Very fine head and fine bone, very much the look of the desert Arabian. Very good shoulder."
During Lady Anne's lifetime Somra had two *Berk fillies, one of which was Safarjal. The GSB records that Lady Wentworth bred five named foals from Somra.
Of these five, the 1926 filly Silver Fire (seemingly a homozygous grey) was far the most important and apparently the only one used for breeding at Crabbet.
Silver Fire was the first foal of Naseem, a 1922 son of Skowronek and Nasra bred by Lady Wentworth. Since Nasra was also by Daoud, Silver Fire carried a high concentration of his blood.
Silver Fire must have spoken well for her sire, since Lady Wentworth used him on seven mares in 1926.
Silver Fire, like several younger Naseem daughters, has the reputation of being among the most beautiful mares Lady Wentworth ever bred. She was a champion at the Richmond Royal Show, and Mr. Covey has written that she had a good temperament as well.
Silver Fire produced her first foal in 1930. During the early 1930s, when the Depression and overcrowding brought much of the Crabbet breeding program to a halt, Silver Fire was covered in every season except 1933.
She was covered every year after that and produced her last foal in 1950. In December of 1950 Silver Fire was destroyed. In addition to the foals described below, Silver Fire produced an unnamed 1937 colt by Naziri, full brother to Naseem.
Below are the horses of the Silver Fire female line listed as bred or owned by Lady Wentworth in the General Stud Book, the Stud Book of the Arab Horse Society, or the American Arabian Stud Book. Comments in quotation marks and initialed "CGC" are extracted form Cecil Covey's booklet, Crabbet Arabians.
*AL-MARAH SILVER SILWA 1958 grey mare (*Silver Vanity x *Silwa) was imported to the United States in-utero by Bazy Tankersley. The mating that produced this mare is the only record in the General Stud Book of Lady Wentworth doubling to Silver Fire. Dam of fifteen foals in America.
*BRIGHT DIAMOND 1957 chestnut stallion (Bright Shadow x *Silver Diamond) was included in Bazy Tankersley's 1957 importation to American following Lady Wentworth's death. Sire of nearly fifty foals in America.
CRYSTAL GREY 1947 grey mare (Faris x *Silver Crystal) had been sold to Lord Moyne by the time she was three. For him Crystal Grey produced a series of five foals by Saladin, but was noted as dead in the 1961 volume of the General Stud Book.
FILAGREE 1955 grey stallion (Dargee x *Silver Grand). As of the 1966 stud book of the Arab Horse Society, where he is registered as Shiek, he had been gelded and was owned by Mrs. D. Ellery.
GREY CRABBET 1935 grey mare (Raseem x Silver Fire) was one of the horses Lady Wentworth sold to Russia in 1936. She was the dam of five colts in Russia, the last born in 1950, and was sold.
Although her Korej son Katalog seems to have been earmarked for trial at stud, he died and there is none of Grey Crabbet's blood in the Russian stud book today.
ROYAL GLITTER 1954 grey stallion (Grand Royal x Silver Gilt) was the fourth and last Silver Gilt foal by Grand Royal. Mr. Covey sold Royal Glitter to Israel in 1958.
ROYAL RADIANCE 1955 grey mare (*Royal Diamond x Silver Gilt) was an elder full sister to Silver Grey. In 1959 Mr. Covey sold Royal Radiance to Mrs. Maclean for exportation to Australia's Fenwick Stud.
In Australia she produced thirteen foals, including the important sire Greylight (imported in-utero). Her last foal was born in 1978.
*ROYAL SILVER 1952 grey mare (Grand Royal x *Silver Crystal) was imported to the United States in-utero by John Rogers. A champion herself, *Royal Silver was also the dam of well-known champions by *Serafix and El Hilal.
She also completed more than one Tevis Cup ride for Mr. Rogers. Her last foal in the stud book was a 1978 filly bred by Ron Palalek and Owen Panner.
SHADOWLIGHT 1953 grey mare (Indian Gold x Silver Shadow) was among the horses Mr. Covey inherited following Lady Wentworth's death. "A rangy mare with a good front," ~ CGC. Mr. Covey retained Shadowlight as a broodmare and a show horse.
SILESTRA 1948 grey mare (Star Diamond x *Silver Crystal)
SILFARIS 1939 grey stallion (Faris x Silver Fire) was sold as a young horse to Major Ronald Armstrong-Jones and as of the 1944 stud book of the Arab Horse Society was owned by R.S. Goddard.
SILFIRE 1932 grey stallion (*Nureddin II x SIlver Fire) was a full brother to Somara. "A very fine colt with great promise," ~ CGC. Exported to Portugal in 1936.
Silfire was used in the breeding program at the National Stud at Fonte Boa, where he had a lasting influence.
SILSILLA 1949 grey mare (*Rithan x Somara) was one of four *Rithan foals William Hay bred from Somara. According to the 1952 stud book of the Arab Horse Society, Silsilla passed through Lady Wentworth's hands before exportation to South Africa in 1951.
SILVADORIS 1954 grey stallion (Oran x Silver Magic) "was bred at Crabbet and sold to the north of England as a young colt," ~ CGC. He became a well-regarded sire in the U.K., and died in 1985.
SILVER BELL 1946 grey mare (Raktha x *Silver Crystal) was originally registered in GSB as Chrissilla, later changed to Chrysilla. In the stud book of the Arab Horse Society she is Silver Bell.
As of 1950 Miss M.C.E. Lyon owned Silver Bell. She bred several foals from her. In September 1963 Silver Bell was imported to the United States by James F. Lewis.
In America she is registered as *Silver Belle. She was the dam of two foals for the Lewisfield program, the last born in 1969.
*SILVER CRYSTAL 1937 grey mare (Rangoon x Somara) was bred by Mr. William Hay and originally named Zenobia. As of 1944 she was owned by Lady Wentworth, who seems to have been the one who renamed her.
After breeding a number of foals from *Silver Crystal, Lady Wentworth sold her to John Rogers, who imported her to his California ranch in October, 1951.
According to the Rogers Arabian Stud catalog, *Silver Crystal had been a champion in England. In America she was the dam of numerous champions, including Mujahid, Seraj, Silver Dawn, and Silfix.
*SILVER DIAMOND 1952 chestnut mare (Grand Royal x Silver Gilt), a champion show horse, was just beginning her broodmare career at Crabbet when Lady Wentworth died.
Bazy Tankersley included her in the 1957 Al-Marah importation to America. In the U.S. she produced six foals.
SILVER FROST 1940 grey stallion (Faris x Silver Fire) was dead by 1944.
SILVER GILT 1943 grey mare (Indian Gold x Silver Fire). After Silver Fire herself, Silver Gilt is probably the most famous broodmare of the entire family. She produced eight foals during Lady Wentworth's lifetime, and went on to become an important broodmare for Mr. Covey.
"Had that fine quality of the 'Silver' line. A beautiful head with large eye and well set on tail," ~ CGC. She remained with Mr. Covey until the final dispersal in 1971, when she was given away. Silver Gilt died in 1975.
*SILVER GRAND 1951 grey mare (Grand Royal x Silver Gilt) was one of Lady Wentworth's young broodmares, and was the dam of two foals by 1957.
*Silver Grand was part of the 1957 Al-Marah importation to America. She produced twelve more foals in the U.S.
SILVER GREY 1957 grey mare (*Royal Diamond x Silver Gilt) was more than once British National Champion mare. "One of Silver Gilt's best fillies and proved a great broodmare like her dam. She had a most charming nature and much easier to handle than her dam," ~ CGC.
Silver Grey remained with Mr. Covey until the final Crabbet dispersal in 1971 when she went to Mrs. Bowring.
SILVERLET 1948 grey mare (Raktha x Silver Gilt) was exported to South Africa in 1951.
SILVER MAGIC 1950 grey mare (Indian Magic x Silver Fire)was a full sister to Silver Moonlight and was her dam's last foal. "She had a beautiful head," ~ CGC.
In 1956 Lady Wentworth sold Silver Magic to Mrs. Leicht, who brought her to Australia. She produced only five foals in Australia, and died in 1977.
*SILVER MOONLIGHT 1949 grey stallion (Indian Magic x Silver Fire) was imported to Australia in 1951 by Mrs. Maclean. He left more than seventy foals in Australia, and in 1969 was imported to the United States by Dr. Sharf.
He died later that same year. (For more information on *Silver Moonlight, see Coralie Gordon's article in the March-April 1990 issue of the Crabbet Influence and Carol Mulder's article in the July-August 1990 issue of the Crabbet Influence.)
SILVER ROCKET 1952 grey stallion (Grand Royal x Silver Shamrock) was exported to South Africa as a foal. There he became an influential sire.
SILVER ROYAL 1953 chestnut stallion (Grand Royal x Silver Gilt). As of the 1966 stud book of the Arab Horse Society, Silver Royal was owned in Holland, although an earlier volume of the General Stud Book reported his export to Thailand.
SILVER SHADOW 1946 grey mare (Oran x Silver Fire) was named champion mare at Roehampton in 1953, and named national champion on other occasions as well. By 1957, she was showing herself to be a broodmare of promise. "Rangy mare, very good head," ~ CGC.
She was part of the 1957 Al-Marah importation to the U.S. Mr.Covey wrote in his chapter of The Crabbet Arabian Stud, Its History and Influence:
The mare I most regretted selling [following Lady Wentworth's death] was Silver Shadow...She was really beautiful but...had an accident soon after arriving at Al-Marah and died in February the following year."
Silver Shadow was never registered in America.
SILVERSHAFT 1958 grey stallion (Oran x Silver Gilt), foaled the year after Lady Wentworth died, was a full brother to *Silver Vanity. Following a successful junior show career, Mrs. Svinhufvud bought him from Mr. Covey as a stallion prospect and imported him to Sweden.
There he failed to pass the government test and was gelded, but later became a successful show mount for the Ohlsson family.
SILVER SHAMROCK 1941 grey mare (Indian Gold x Silver Fire) was the elder full sister of the more famous Silver Gilt. She was not nearly as fortunate a broodmare at Crabbet; the GSB lists foals that died young and years in which Silver Shamrock was barren. She was exported to South Africa in 1952.
SILVER SNOW 1941 grey mare (Rangoon x Somara), bred by William Hay, was a full sister to *Silver Crystal. Silver snow was originally named Shayba, and seems to have been renamed when acquired by Lady Wentworth.
She produced just one foal for Lady Wentworth (unnamed in GSB) before returning to Mr. Hay. He sold her to Walter Ross, and she was imported to the United States in 1951. In America she was registered as *Shayba.
SILVER SPARKLE 1947 grey stallion (Oran x Silver Fire) was a full brother to the illustrious but unlucky Silver Shadow. Silver Sparkle was exported to New Zealand in 1948, where he sired several Arabian foals, and from there traveled to America in 1970, imported by Dr. Sharf.
In America he was registered as *Silver Sparklee. He died in the spring of 1970. (For more information on *Silver Sparklee, see Carol Mulder's article in the July-August 1990 issue of the Crabbet Influence.)
SILVER SUN 1951 stallion (*Sun Royal x Silver Shadow) was imported to Argentina as a yearling by Carlos Hogan, Argentine Minister of Agriculture and former ambassador to Britain.
A champion at the Palermo National Show, Silver Sun founded an important sire line and was also the sire of broodmares influential in Argentine breeding.
*SILVER VANITY 1950 grey stallion (Oran x Silver Gilt) along with Indian Magic and Grand Royal is acknowledged as one of Lady Wentworth's greatest achievements. "Excellent quality with very beautiful head and neck. Great presence. His hocks were his only fault. Sired very good stock," ~ CGC.
According to the General Stud Book, *Silver Vanity was the only stallion of the Silver Fire line Lady Wentworth used at stud. She seems to have selected Sharima mares for him; he got foals out of Silfina, *Serafina, and Sharfina.
He was also bred to *Silwa for Crabbet's first foal with two crosses to Silver Fire. *Silver Vanity was a sire for Mr. Covey following Lady Wentworth's death, and the winner of National Champion titles in Britain.
In 1962 *Silver Vanity was imported to the United States by Bazy Tankersley and Charles Prange. He has more than two hundred foals to his credit in America's stud book. *Silver Vanity died in 1979. (For more information on *Silver Vanity, see Arlene Magid's article in the July-August 1985 issue of the Crabbet Influence.)
SILVIANA 1945 grey mare (Oran x Silver Fire) was a full sister to Silver Shadow and *Silver Sparkle(e). Mr. A.J. Botha purchased her. She was imported to South Africa in 1951.
*SILWA 1950 grey mare (Raktha x *Silver Crystal) was a full sister to Silver Bell, and like her sister strongly linebred to Naseem and Skowronek. *Silwa was one of Crabbet's young broodmares at the time of Lady Wentworth's death in 1957, following which Mr. Covey sold her to Bazy Tankerlsey for exportation to America.
"Very strong mare, good quality," ~ CGC. Dam of five foals at Al-Marah, the last in 1964.
SILWAN 1954 grey stallion (Dargee x *Silwa) was imported to Australia in 1956 by Mrs. M. Leicht. He was the sire of more than one hundred foals, and died in 1987.
*SILWARA 1955 grey mare (Dargee x *Silwa) was imported to America in 1957 by Bazy Tankersley. She was a full sister to Australia's Silwan, above. *Silwara's first foal, Countess of Lasma, was bred by Dr. and Mrs. Roger Baker.
Her next six foals were all bred by Lasma, and include such familiar show horses as Silver Charm, Tornada, and Silhouette. *Silwara's last foal was born in 1971.
SOMARA 1930 grey mare (Nureddin II x Silver Fire) was her dam's first foal. By 1934 she was owned by Mr. William Hay of Winestead Hall. Mr. Hay bred a total of fifteen foals from Somara (nine of them by the Skowronek son Rangoon), the last of which was born in 1952.
As described above, several of Somara's daughters returned to Crabbet. Mr. Hay was one of Crabbet's 'satellite' breeders: his foundation horses came from Lady Wentworth, he made use of the Crabbet sires on occasion, and several animals he bred returned to the parent herd.
Mrs. Mullen wrote in a letter published in the February 1955 Arabian Horse News that her champion stallion Sengoran, by Oran out of *Senga (Rangoon x Somara) was "bred by Lady Wentworth for Mr. Hay," and that she purchased Sengoran from Lady Wentworth at seven months old.
SPINDRIFT 1957 grey stallion (*Silver Drift x *Silver Grand) was imported to Australia in 1959 by Mrs. Leicht. He sired more than seventy foals, and died in 1978. (For more information on Spindrift, see Joan Flynn's article in the November-December 1988 issue of the Crabbet Influence.)
SUNWHIRL 1949 grey mare (Whirlstorm x Silver Shamrock) was covered in 1952 by Bright Shadow and exported to Siam.
WENTWORTH GOLDEN SHADOW 1956 grey mare (Indian Gold x Silver Shadow) was one of the horses Mr. Covey inherited following Lady Wentworth's death. He retained her as a broodmare for a few years. "A very beautiful mare, more compact than her full sister Shadow Light. Sold from the stud in 1962...," ~ CGC.
**All of the articles included in the re-launched Crabbet.com site from the original website, Georgia Cheer, Silver Monarch Publishing and The Crabbet Influence magazine are shared here with permission of Georgia Cheer given May 16, 2012.**
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