By Monique Lankhaar
** Originally published in the Summer 1996 issue of The Crabbet Influence magazine
In 1948 Dr. Houtappel imported the stallions Nizzam (Rissam x Nezma) who needs no introduction to American Crabbet breeders, and the The Chief (Riffal x Astrella, a full brother to Oran). He also imported the mares Sulka (Naseem x Nurschida), Tehoura (Radi x Niseyra) and Ziada (Fayal x Raxina). Nizzam and The Chief were both registered as bay, the mares Tehoura and Sulka were chestnuts and Ziada was a grey. Dr. Houtappel did not object against Skowronek, most of the horses he imported carried Skowronek’s blood in one or more lines. They were all used on Dr. Houtappel’s Rodania Stud for breeding. Their descendants can still be found in Europe and abroad. From Tehoura’s offspring must be mentioned Bashida by General Grant, foaled 1952. Bashida still appears in the pedigrees of Dutch Arabians, more about her later on. Also must bementioned Hamad (by The Chief), foaled 1953, who left some lovely offspring. And of course Achim by Noran, foaled 1961, probably Tehoura’s most famous son and the only foal she had by Noran.
From Nizzam two other sons were of great influence on Dutch Arab breeding. Namely Aatik out of Farida who was by Edh Dhahab x Sulka and Nisry out of Rythoura (Rythal x Tehoura).
In 1959 Dr. Houtappel bought Noran at Crabbet Park. Noran became one of the most influential stallions in the Netherlands not to the least through his son Achim. In 1969 Achim went to Great Britain with Dr. Houtappel, he was forced to move because a motorway was going to be built across his land. There Achim was Supreme Male Champion in 1973 and Reserve European Champion in 1980. Later on he went to Mrs. Bazy Tankersley of Al-Marah Arabians in the U.S.A.
During the sixties there were some other people who also imported Arabians from Great Britain. Among them were Mrs. H. De Ruiter Van Eyndthoven, Mrs. A. Peletier-Muller and Prof. Dr. and Mrs. A. Moonen. Some of the horses they imported were the mares Susquehanna (General Grant x Raggassa) and Shakra (Indian Magic x Rissada) and the stallion Rissaz (Indriss x Kazra), he was bred at the Maxwell’s Lodge Farm. They all created their own families in Holland. The stallion Rissaz was exported to Italy a few years ago, and nobody has heard of him since. Maybe he died, because he was not that young anymore. One of his sons still breeds in Holland, a grey named Oostervelds Marzas.
Unfortunately not many descendants from the early imports are left in Holland, Mainly because the Russian Arabs were introduced to Holland. And many people sold their English bred Arabs or bred them to/with a Russian Arab. You might say that the Dutch invented the Crabbet Russian cross. Many Arabs of these crosses were highly placed at shows. To name just a few of the stallions: Hassan and Khouros by Plakat out of the mare Chantal (Fancy Shadow x Mafika). And of course the stallion Amal by Abdullah out of Naomi (Darjeel x Zelda). The English lines were so bred out of the Dutch Arabs, although you can still find Arabs in Holland with one or more lines to either the early imports or to the Crabbet Arabs who were imported to other countries in the world. Also a lot of people discovered the Polish Arabs and switched from the English lines to Polish Arabs. The Moonen family, for example, only breeds Polish Arabs nowadays.
**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.**
