By Arlene Magid
** Originally published in the September October 1988 issue of the Crabbet Influence magazine.
To many American breeders, *SILVER DRIFT is a familiar name to be found a few generations back in pedigrees today. Some may recognize him as the only full brother to *SERAFIX, or as a noted broodmare sire in his own right. There is a great deal more to be learned about this fascinating stallion who left his stamp on the horses of Europe, Australia, and North America.
*SILVER DRIFT was foaled on March 1, 1951, two years after his brother *SERAFIX. His breeder was Lady Wentworth of the Crabbet Stud. His sire, RAKTHA, was named Champion Stallion at the Arab Horse Society Show in 1948 at age 14 (the early equivalent of British National Champion Stallion). RAKTHA’s most notable get include halter champion *SILWA (dam of four champions including U.S. Top Ten Mare *SILWARA), *RITHAN, British National Champion Stallion INDIAN MAGIC (sire of U.S. Top Ten Mare *SERAFIRE, U.S. National Champion Western Pleasure *LEWISFIELD MAGIC+/, and the noted sire *ELECTRIC STORM), etc. RAKTHA’s son, *SERAFIX, was a halter champion in both England and America. The top ranked Crabbet sire of all time, he sired 122 champions and 41 National winners for a lifetime champion percentage of 47% – the breed’s highest ever. *SILVER DRIFT’s dam, *SERAFINA produced eight foals in England, six of them imported to North America. Of these, four have produced National winners. She is also the dam of U.S. National Champion Park, Formal Driving, and Formal Combination *ORAN VAN CRABBET, (sire of two National winners), of western pleasure champion *ROYAL CONSTELLATION (sire of U.S. Top Ten Mare and Western Pleasure CONFIDENTIAL++), *SIYAMA (dam of Legion of Merit winner AL-MARAH SEA LION++ and granddam of U.S. Top Ten Park AOTR, PAX), and SERALIXA (dam of two champions).
*SILVER DRIFT was foaled close to the end of Lady Wentworth’s life, so he was not used extensively for breeding by her. He has two foals sired under her ownership – SPINDRIFT, exported to Australia at age two (he was Reserve Champion at the Royal Sydney Show in 1960 and 1961), and STAR DRIFT, imported in utero to Canada in 1957 with her dam, *INDIAN PERIL. Upon the death of Lady Wentworth in 1957, *SILVER DRIFT was sold to Mrs. A.D. Mahony, who bred eight of his subsequent foals including *COUNTESS NINETTE (a reserve champion in halter in Canada), *DANCING DELIGHT (also imported to Canada), and SILVER SILHOUETTE, who was sold to Sweden at age 2 where she produced 1978 Swedish National Champion Mare SILVER STARLET by *ESSAUL. Altogether, *SILVER DRIFT sired twelve foals in his British stud career. His line is comparatively rare in England as four of the twelve get were exported, three sons sired no registered foals, and only one daughter, FRETTED SILVER, had British-born progeny. The leading son of *SILVER DRIFT in England is ROYAL DRIFT, with 23 registered foals through Volume 14 of the British Stud Book. In England *SILVER DRIFT was bred to daughters of GRAND ROYAL, MIKENO, RISSAM, *COUNT DORSAZ, DARGEE, MANASSEH, *RITHAN, and GHAILAN. Several of his get there reflect linebreeding to RAKTHA – one son, RASHEYA, was triple RAKTHA (he was sold to Wales and unfortunately does not have purebred get). The use of *SILVER DRIFT to linebreed to RAKTHA was later repeated with tremendous success by his importer, Dr. Kale, who bred his *SILVER DRIFT daughters to TORNADO, whose dam was a RAKTHA granddaughter sired by DARGEE. For a complete listing of *SILVER DRIFT’s British-bred get, please refer to the accompanying chart. *SILVER DRIFT also had a brief show career in England. He was shown to a first place in halter in London as a 2 year old, and in 1959, at age 8, he placed third in the aged stallin class at the Arab Horse Society Show.
In 1962, Dr. Howard F. Kale (then of Washington) went on a trip to Europe to purchase a stallion and a few mares for his breeding program. Also on the trip was Dr. Eugene LaCroix, who secured *BASK++ for Lasma at this time. Dr. Kale was much impressed with *SILVER DRIFT’s bold masculinity and movement. His full brother, *SERAFIX, was already one of the most talked about stallions in America (in 1962 *SERAFIX sired four of the U.S. Top Ten Mares including the National Champion and Reserve National Champion – a feat still unduplicated in 1988). Mrs. Mahony was willing to part with *SILVER DRIFT and thus arrangements were made for his importation to the Pacific Northwest.
After his importation in 1963, *SILVER DRIFT was shown under saddle briefly, becoming an English Pleasure champion. He proved to be a popular sire in the Pacific Northwest, with 167 registered foals from 1964 through 1974. Of his 167 get registered in America, 58 are champions (a champion percentage of 35 percent) and 17 are National winners (a percentageof 29 percent of his champions are thus National winners). These statistics establish him as one of the breed’s most significant sires on percentage of winners.
Although *SILVER DRIFT’s complete champion list is too lengthy to publish here (Crabbet.com Note: All original authors are welcome to update previously published articles and/or add information as we have plenty of room here on the website!), his 17 National winners deserve special praise. *SILVER DRIFT get have won on the National level in halter, western pleasure, native costume, show hack, English pleasure, sidesaddle, and pleasure driving, as well as in amateur English and western pleasure. His National winners include: U.S. Top Ten Western Pleasure AOTR and Canadian Top Ten Native Costume SUR JORJ++, Canadian Top Ten Stallion and National Champion Native Costume DRIFTWOOD++, Canadian Reserve National Champion Stallion and Top Ten Pleasure Driving SILVER CENTURY++, Canadian Top Ten Gelding SHOTTING SILVER++, Canadian Top Ten Gelding and National Champion Stock GALLANT DRIFT++, Canadian Top Ten AOTR Western Pleasure SILVER CENTURION+ (at age 19 in 1987 also Regions 2 and 7 Top Five Trail), U.S. and Canadian National Champion Gelding and U.S. National Champion Western Pleasure and JOTR Western Pleasure SILFAUN+++ (who has a total of 9 National wins – the most of any *SILVER DRIFT get), Canadian National Champion Mare and U.S. Top Ten Mare JEWEL DRIFT, U.S. National Champion Futurity Stallion BAR DRIFT, Canadian Top Ten Mare LEESA, Canadian National Champion Gelding and Western Pleasure and U.S. Top Ten Gelding and Western Pleasure MEADOWLARK DRIFF++, Canadian Top Ten English Pleasure and Western Pleasure FANTASIA DRIFT, Canadian Top Ten English Pleasure DRIFTING MIST++, Canadian Reserve National Champion Sidesaddle and Top Ten Native Costume COR SUN SILVER HUN++, Canadian National Champion Show Hack and Top Ten Native Costume and Sidesaddle ARGENTE, U.S. Top Ten AOTR English Pleasure SEA DRIFT, and Canadian Top Ten Mare SILVER MINX.
*SILVER DRIFT GET BRED IN ENGLAND
BRED BY LADY WENTWORTH:
SPINDRIFT, 1957 gray stallion (*SILVER GRAND), exported to Australia 1959 and founded strong family there.
*STAR DRIFT 13787, 1958 gray mare (*INDIAN PERIL), imported to Canada in utero in 1957 by S.G. Bennett of Ontario.
BRED BY MRS. A.D. MAHONY:
DIAMOND DRIFT, 1960 gray stallion (*COUNTESS NINA), no registered foals.
RASHEYA, 1960 chestnut stallion (*SILVER VELVET), no registered foals.
COUNTESS NINETTE 175343, 1961 chestnut mare (*COUNTESS NINA), imported to Canada by A. McKinnon of Ontario.
*DANCING DELIGHT, 1961 chestnut mare (*MIKOLETTA), also imported to Canada by McKinnon, but not registered in the U.S.
COUNT PESO, 1962 chestnut stallion (*COUNTESS NINA), one registered foal in England.
ROYAL DRIFT, 1962 gray stallion (*MIKOLETTA), 23 foals registered through Vol. 14 of the A.H.S.
SILVER SILHOUETTE, 1962 gray mare (*ALETTA), sold to Sweden in 1964 (11 foals registered in Sweden).
HAMBLETON VENTURE, 1963 chestnut stallion (*MIKOLETTA), no registered foals in England.
BRED BY MISS MARGARET EVANS:
COUNT ROSCO, 1961 gray stallion (*SAFARA), three registered foals.
FRETTED SILVER, 1962 gray mare (*RAGGASSA), four registered foals (retired from breeding in 1980 at age 18).
*SILVER DRIFT proved himself as a sire with mares of diverse backgrounds. He nicked well with Polish lineage mares. He sired to champions from the imported Polish mare *DORNABA+ (including Canadian National Champion Mare Jewel Drift). He also sired Legion of Merit winner, SILVER MAJESTY++ out of the imported Polish mare*ESKADRA++. Both *DORNABA++ and *ESKADRA++ are by *NABORR, who is from the same sire line as *SILVER DRIFT – that of NASEEM. Other Polish related mares who produced champions with *SILVER DRIFT include the *BASK++ daughters SILHOUETTE++ and SHOOTING STAR (dam of Canadian Top Ten Gelding SHOOTING SILVER++), FARNINA (whose dam *TARNINA was imported from Poland), the *BAJRAM daughters SILVER CHARM and CHIME BELLS (the latter dam of two regional winners by *SILVER DRIFT) and BINT ELBA (dam of two champions by *SILVER DRIFT, one of whom, SILVER SCION, is still winning regional championships in western pleasure at age 15 in the Pacific Northwest).
*SILVER DRIFT was successful with *RAFFLES granddaughters as well. His son SUR JORJ++, a three-time National winner, is out of a *RAFFLES granddaughter, as is his daughter SILVER SPRITE (a halter champion and dam of seven champions and three National winners). The *RAFFLES granddaughter ROSE ANNA (by AARIEF) produced three champions by *SILVER DRIFT: Legion of Merit SILVER COMMODORE++, junior halter champion and park and native costume reserve champion SILVER COMMANDER, and native costume champion and western pleasure reserve champion SILVER DANE. Also out of an AARIEF Daughter is U.S. National Champion Futurity Stallion BAR DRIFT (sire of two National winners). Other *SILVER DRIFT champions out of *RAFFLES lineage mares include halter, English pleasure, and western pleasure champion LAILAH OF ARN, halter, native costume, and western pleasure champion SILVER MARIAH, sidesaddle and western pleasure junior rider champion SILVER SENSATION, western pleasure reserve champion SILVER RIEF, and halter champion TONNYA (dam of three champions).
*SILVER DRIFT’s champions also include a number out of daughters of GA’ZI (by ABU FARWA). COR HONISSA produced three champions by *SILVER DRIFT including the multi-National winner COR SUN SILVER HUN++. Halter reserve champion THE SILVER SULTAN is out of HM TAMUIN by GA’ZI. The GA’ZI daughter MISS CENTURY produced three champions by *SILVER DRIFT including multi-National winner SILVER CENTURY++. BINT ELBA, dam of two champions by *SILVER DRIFT, is a GA’ZI granddaughter. MITZI McCOY, another GA’ZI granddaughter, produced two National winners by *SILVER DRIFT: Canadian Top Ten English Pleasure DRIFTING MIST++ and Canadian Top Ten Western Pleasure and English Pleasure FANTASI ADRIFT. Three other *SILVER DRIFT champions have ABU FARWA in the sirelines of their dams. They are: Canadian Top Ten Mare LEESA (x FARWANAH by ABU FARWA), English Pleasure and show hack champions SYRINGAS SILNEYN and regional halter and western pleasure winner SYRINGAS SILVER++ (both out of the ABU FARWA granddaughter NEYFARA).
Several other mares of typically American breeding (i.e. predominately Crabbet/Davenport blend) produced multiple champions by *SILVER DRIFT and deserve mention. GAHZI (GARY x BERAHDA) produced two of his National winners, DRIFTWOOD++ and ARGENTE. RUMADA (KAMIL x GISELA) is the dam of 1974 Region 17 Top Five Western Pleasure, English Pleasure champion and halter and show hack reserve champion SIR DRIFT+ and of 1970 Canadian Top Ten Mare SILVER MINX (dam of three champions). ZSHAMALI (SHABURA x VALISA) produced reserve junior champion halter SILVER REAL and western pleasure amateur champion SILVER MALIKA.
One of the key tests to determine the importance of a stallion is his influence through his sons and daughters, as some popular sires get show horses that do not live up to the their promise as breeding stock. Fifteen years after his death in 1973, *SILVER DRIFT is still a desirable stallion to find in a pedigree. Twenty-two of his American registered sons have sired champions, and ten of the them have sired National winners. National winners sired by *SILVER DRIFT sons include: 1972 Canadian Top Ten Western Pleasure BINT SILIQUE and 1973 U.S. Top Ten AOTR Western Pleasure SAAMPSON++ (both by SILIQUE), 1975 U.S. National Champion Western Pleasure EL SILMON and 1975 Canadian Top Ten Pleasure Driving, 1981 Canadian Top Ten English Pleasure AOTR and 1982 Canadian Top Ten JOTR English Pleasure TONGA SIMPATIGO (both by SILVER MONARCH), 1982 Canadian Top Ten Show Hack FLAMIN CENTURY (by SILVER CENTURY++), 1981 U.S. Top Ten JOTR English Pleasure ANZA CAESAR+/ (by SILVER CAVALIER), 1974 Canadian Top Ten Pleasure Driving KAE GALLIANO++ (by SNOW DRIFT), 1976 Canadian Top Ten Western Pleasure GALLANT COMMANDER and 1978 Canadian Top Ten Gelding COR SUN ALLAH++ (by SUN DRIFT), 1985 Canadian Top Ten Stock, 1986 and 1987 U.S. Top Ten Stock, and 1984 National Reining Horse Association Champion (against all breeds) PJ SILVER TIDE (by SILVER BOTTLE++), 1983 U.S. Top Ten Western Sidesaddle BARGO and U.S. Top Ten Stock and three times U.S. Top Ten Trail and Canadian Reserve National Champion Trail BAR JONAH (both by BAR DRIFT), and 1972 Canadian National Champion Gelding, 1973 Canadian Reserve National Champion Pleasure Driving and Top Ten Native Costume ROYAL AAKA++ and 1981 Canadian Top Ten English Pleasure AOTR AZRKASH+/ (both by SILVER KING).
*SILVER DRIFT has always been a respected broodmare sire, and with good reason, as his daughters consistently produce quality foals and are versatile enough to nick with stallions of many different lines. *SILVER DRIFT daughters have produced champions by Egyptian, Polish, Russian, Gainey, and Spanish sires. They have helped *MUSCAT become the leading living Russian sire of champions. EL HILAL became the top all time Egyptian sire of champions, and TORNADO sired more winners than any other *BASK++ son. Without the contribution of the *SILVER DRIFT daughters, many top-ranked stallions would have far fewer winners.
A total of 39 *SILVER DRIFT daughters are known to have produced champions, with 15 of them having produced National winners. *SILVER DRIFT daughters with one champion each include COR SUN GRETTINA, FINE SILVER, LA DRIFT, NEHUSTAN, SILVER ANNE (dam of 1981 U.S. Top Ten Native Costume BEY COMPADRE+), PROUD MARE, SILVER KAY, SILVER MOONDRIFT, SILVER ROSEANA, SWL SILVER LACE, SYRINGA SEYYIDA, SHARLAH, VELVET DRIFT, MYMA DRIFT, RABBABAH, POLLYANNA, and SILVER SILHOUETTE (dam of Swedish National Champion Mare SILVER STARLET). *SILVER DRIFT daughters with two known champions each include AL KAMAR, BELLE DRIFT, BRU MAR BA RAHFINA (dam of U.S. and Canadian Top Ten Western Pleasure GAZONETTE), LEESA (dam of twice U.S. Top Ten AOTR Park NV CHINOOK+/, by *ESSAUL), SILMONIQUE (dam of 1977 Canadian Top ten Native Costume NAFALI GHABRA++), KOLMEERA DRIFT, and SYRINGA RAFEEKI. *SILVER DRIFT daughters with three champions each are CENTURIA (dam of champions by *MUSCAT and *NARIADNI), COR JUDY JO (dam of 1974 U.S. National Champion Mare JON SAN JUDIZON by GALIZON), COR SILVER HONEY (dam of 1981 U.S. Top Ten Futurity Mare SHEER DELIGHT by GAFFIZON++), HM AMBER DRIFT (dam of 1983 Canadian Top Ten Futurity Mare AMBROSIAA by EL HILAL), PRINCESS DRIFT (dam of 1987 U.S. National Champion Hunter Pleasure and English Sidesaddle KHANN by TORNADO), SILVER MINX, AMBER DRIFT (dam of 1981 U.S. Top Ten JOTR Western Pleasure BEAU ROBI by CHF BEAU JARABE), SNOMO BALLERINA (all three of her National winners were by different sires: 1982 Canadian Top Ten Sidesaddle HH CHATO+, 1976 Canadian Reserve National Champion Hunter SNONADO, 1985 Canadian Top Ten Mare NARIADINA), and TONNYA (dam of champions by *ELKIN++ and *MARSIANIN). Mares who produced four or more lifetime champions are considered to be leading broodmares. *SILVER DRIFT has seven known daughters who have produced four or more champions. Two have four each: JEWEL DRIFT (dam of champions by *BASK++, *MUSCAT, TORNADO, and *NARIADNI), and SILVER GLEAM (all of whose champions are by TORNADO, including 1974 U.S. and Canadian Top Ten Park and 1979 Canadian Top Ten Formal Driving SILVER FLARE). Two *SILVER DRIFT daughters have five champions each, DRIFADA (x FADBU by FADHEILAN) has produced five champions by EL HILAL, including 1976 Canadian Top Ten Mare JENTE and 1981 Canadian Top Ten Gelding VALHALLAS ODIN. LIEBCHIN (x the FADHEILAN granddaughter FABIANA) also has five champions, by TORNADO, EL HILAL, and KHEMOS PRIDE (by KHEMOSABI+++). Two *SILVER DRIFT daughters have six champions each. FANTASIA DRIFT (x MITZI McCOY by THE REAL McCOY out of a GA’ZI daughter) has produced champions by TORNADO (including 1980 Canadian Top Ten English Pleasure and Pleasure Driving FASCINASHUN+), *MUSCAT, and *NARIADNI. SILVER MYSTIQUE (x BINT WAHIDA) has produced six champions by four different sires: TORNADO, *REZUS++, *BEANDER, and BEY APACHE.
The top producing daughter of *SILVER DRIFT is halter champion SILVER SPRITE, dam of seven lifetime champions. She is out of the *RAFFLES granddaughter RAFFANNE, dam of two National winners. Her champions are: junior halter champions SILVER CELEBRITY and SATIN SILVER, 1985 Region 9 Champion Stallion SILVER PATRIOT, 1974 U.S. Top Five Futurity Stallion SILVER BARON, and 1972 U.S. National Champion Futurity Mare, 1974 U.S. Top Ten Mare, and 1976 Canadian Top ten Mare SILK-N-SILVER (all by TORNADO), halter reserve champion NARLITE (by *NARIADNI), and 1975 Canadian National Champion Western Pleasure and 1984 Canadian Top Ten English Sidesaddle (at age 16!) ROYAL LITE+/, by ROSSIDOR (ROSS’ZI x *DORNABA++). SILVER SPRITE is the maternal granddam of two of *MUSCAT’s best daughters – U.S. and Canadian Top ten Mare AMBER SILK and U.S. and Canadian Reserve National Champion Mare AMBER SATIN (both champion producers themselves).
*SILVER DRIFT’s overall influence on the breed has been considerable. His presence in a pedigree can add charisma, motion, length of neck and good tail carriage. Two of the best known show mares of the breed – JON SAN JUDIZON and AMBER SATIN – trace to him through their dams. If one is seeking a good show horse, a potential broodmare, or both, having *SILVER DRIFT close up in a pedigree can mean success.
**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.**
Last Updated: May 4th, 2019
