Lady Wentworth Archives

Risslina (Rafeef x Rissla) 1926 chestnut mare. Photo from the Crabbet Arabians by Cecil Covey.

Margaret Murray and the Painswick Lodge Stud: Part 1, 1932-1967

August 25, 2019 Angela1 Comment

By Emma Bennett. Perhaps the inspiration to own and breed Arabs came from Margaret Murray seeing her mother drive a pair of South African Arabs in a phaeton, for in 1932 she bought a grey two-year-old colt from Mr. T.C. Armitage’s stud at Taunton in Somerset. This colt was Sahban, by *Aldebar 1864 (bred by the Prince of Wales) out of the Crabbet mare, Seriya (Skowronek x Somra). Sahban was the start of a long friendship between Margaret Murray and Tom Armitage who was president of the Arab Horse Society three times. Sabhan was used mainly on pony and Thoroughbred mares and only sired a few purebred foals as at that time Arabs were used mainly to improve other types of horses.

*Count Dorsaz

August 20, 2019August 20, 2019 Angela2 Comments

The story of *COUNT DORSAZ and his descendants is one ideally suited to the writing of an entire book, rather than just an article. It is a tale of international success, as his descendants appear in pedigrees all over the world. His influence on the breed in America is a combination of chance circumstances: the exchange of breeding stock between the Crabbet and Hanstead studs, the sudden demise of Miss Gladys Yule shortly after the death of Lady Wentworth, and the foresight of the American breeder Bazy Tankersley in acquiring the cream of Crabbet and Hanstead horses, only available due to the high death duties on the estates of Lady Wentworth and Miss Yule.

Distinctly Crabbet: Sirella and Hanif

August 11, 2019August 11, 2019 AngelaLeave a Comment

Shortly after he won the Supreme Male Championship at the Arab Show in 1962, *Silver Vanity 22555, was exported to America. It was a great los to England as much of the little stock he left behind was also exported. However, the year that *Silver Vanity left, a colt was born to Sirella who was to become an all-time favourite of breeders on both sides of the Atlantic – Hanif. Hanif was one of only two pure Crabbet stallions left by *Silver Vanity in the UK, the other being Rayyan out of Risseefa.

*Silver Drift: Sire Supreme

May 4, 2019May 5, 2019 AngelaLeave a Comment

By Arlene Magid. 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.

Magical Memories – Indian Magic, An Interview with Fred Rice

April 22, 2019April 22, 2019 Angela1 Comment

By Michael V. West. ‘Magic’ was the stable name given to Indian Magic. Born in difficult days in 1944, he was one of the finest horses bred at Crabbet Park but, unfortunately, had the distinction of being the very last horse kept at the Crabbet Arabian Stud.

Three Great Crabbet Sires: Serafix, Silver Vanity and *Raffles

April 13, 2019May 3, 2019 AngelaLeave a Comment

By Georgia Cheer. Have you ever wondered what is so special about the Crabbet Arabian? Could it be their wonderful dispositions, their tractable minds or tremendous athletic ability, their prepotence for passing these characteristics through several generations, or that they excel in everything they are put to? Well, you could say that about nearly all Arabians, but here in the United States, Crabbet Arabians were some of the earliest and largest imports to our country, going back to 1893 when the bay stallion *Bedr 239 (Azrek x Bozra) was imported by W.H. Forbes. Altogether, about 145 Crabbet Arabians were brought to the U.S. from the years 1893 to 1976. So, what was the origination of the Crabbet Arabian?

Star Arabian Stud, Lincolnshire – UK Summer 2000 Stud Tour

April 11, 2019April 11, 2019 AngelaLeave a Comment

By Georgia Cheer. Daphne and Keith Gilbert began their Star Arabian Stud in 1971 when they purchased two gray mares from Crabbet. Those mares were AURORA (Oran x Shadowlight), who was foaled in 1966, and SELINA (Hanif x Dancing Diamond) foaled in 1968. Sadly, SELINA had died in 1999, AURORA the year before and their stallion INDIAN REFLECTION had passed away just a few months before my arrival in the summer of 2000. It seems my stud visit was far overdue and regrettably I had missed seeing these lovely Crabbet treasures.

Blue Moon Arabians, Essex – UK Summer 2000 Stud Tour

April 7, 2019April 7, 2019 AngelaLeave a Comment

By Georgia Cheer. It’s not often that one begins their series of farm visits by viewing a National Champion. This is how my tour began when I was invited to meet Alistair Leslie, of Blue Moon Arabians and see his mare, LALIQUE DS, who was the 1999 British National Supreme Overall Ridden Champion. Since acquiring his first Arabian horse just seven years ago, Alistair could be considered a new comer who has achieved remarkable success.

Dominar

April 5, 2019April 5, 2019 AngelaLeave a Comment

By Lucille Singer Gallant. Dominar #41240 was foaled March 21, 1967, and was an integral member of the first foal crop bred by the Waltons of WWW Arabians of Corpus Christi, Texas, from their imported and quite breathtaking all Crabbet line stallion, *Golden Domino. *Golden Domino was a son of Blue Domino and Crystal Dew (by Rifari out of Gleaming Gold by Indian Gold), and so possessed a truly royal pedigree, rich in the blood of the finest Crabbet lines.

Pilgrimage to Crabbet Park – 2002 Crabbet Convention

March 24, 2019March 24, 2019 AngelaLeave a Comment

By Tiffani McCarthy. Like a modern-day Canterbury Tales, the devoted pilgrims flowed to Crabbet Park in Sussex for the opening of the Crabbet Convention. The only problem was that Crabbet Park is now less Canterbury Cathedral and more Bodiam Castle, just a shell of its former glory and purpose. This did not deter the delegates, however. This was the ancestral home of their beloved horses. For a few moments all of the memories from countless books and film clips and for a lucky few actual time spent at the stud came together through the magic grout of the imagination.