Silver Flame Archives

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.

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?

Klinta Arabians, Ireland – UK Summer 2000 Stud Tour

April 11, 2019April 11, 2019 AngelaLeave a Comment

By Georgia Cheer. Fortunately for me, there is one pure Crabbet breeder in Ireland, Klinta Arabians. This was my first visit to Ireland, and I will certainly not forget the wonderful time I had with Gunilla and Geoff Hamer. Gunilla is a very interesting, lively, humorous and unique individual. Gunilla is Swedish by birth, but has traveled the world, living prior to her move to Ireland in Buch b. Frauenfeld, Switzerland, where she and Geoff kept a pet donkey named Oscar, who was raised by the Hamer’s from age nine days old through to his accidental death at age 21. Oscar was a donkey who thought he was human. Stories about Oscar could fill a small book, like his pension for gin and tonic. Sadly he passed away a few years ago so I did not ‘meet’ him. Gunilla also owns a Skye Terrier by the name of Paddy. Paddy was a champion show dog in his younger days and is her constant companion.

Highfield Stud, Wales – UK Summer 2000 Stud Tour

April 11, 2019April 11, 2019 Angela1 Comment

By Georgia Cheer. In the rolling countryside of western Wales, there is another breeder with whom I had a wonderful time getting to know. She is Susan Murphy, a humorous lady with a passion for animals. She has living on her 200 acre farm not only horses, and cows, but chickens, peacocks, numerous dogs and many cats too. I think Susan has a heart as big as Texas as she seems to rescue many creatures from fates undesired. They all thrive under her care.

Coed-y-foel Arabians, Wales – UK Summer 2000 Stud Tour

April 7, 2019April 7, 2019 AngelaLeave a Comment

By Georgia Cheer. Diana Whittome does not breed pure Crabbet; instead her lines are predominantly Crabbet/Old English, with a dash of Polish, Egyptian or Russian. Her emphasis is to breed performance horses and she has done this exceedingly well. Diana is also a show judge, plus she holds several committee positions on the Arab Horse Society council. She writes articles for the AHS News and other publications and is delightfully entertaining and extremely knowledgeable on pedigrees.

UK Summer 2000 Stud Tour

April 6, 2019April 11, 2019 Angela2 Comments

By Georgia Cheer. The Farms that I visited on the summer tour were: Imperial Arabian Stud (Wiltshire), Klinta Arabians (Ireland), Star Arabian Stud (Lincolnshire), Al Waha Arabians (Surrey), Blue Moon Arabians (Surrey), Milla Lauquen Stud (Norfolk), Highfield Stud (Wales), Coed-y-Foel Arabian Stud (Wales), and Templars Stud (Lancashire). Combe Farm (Devon, Aug. 5, 2001). I will present a sample preview of what I will see at each farm below.

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.

Indian Magic: Wentworth Superhorse

February 5, 2019March 13, 2019 AngelaLeave a Comment

By Arlene Magid. Lady Wentworth strove for decades to achieve what she considered to be the ultimate Arabian-a horse of type and extraordinary presence, with superb motion, and larger size to appeal to those for whom Arabians were a bit small. She bred her masterpiece in Indian Magic, foaled at Crabbet in 1944. He embodied the concept of the ‘Wentworth Superhorse’ and none who saw him could forget his dynamic qualities.

UK Sires of Significance: General Gold, Silver Flame and Silver Blue

January 24, 2019April 15, 2019 AngelaLeave a Comment

By Alexia Ross. Articles on the great Crabbet names of yesteryear can often seem to bear little relevance to the breeding of today. It is a fact that, in Straight Crabbets in particular, the genetic pool in England is surprisingly limited and any Crabbet horse you care to mention is likely to carry at least one line if not more to Rissalix, Oran, Raktha and Silver Fire let alone the original imports, the majority of which will be in absolutely everything.

Tag: Silver Flame