By Joan Flynn
** Originally published in the November December 1988 issue of The Crabbet Influence magazine.
The major influence of *SILVER DRIFT 23494 in Australia is through his son SPINDRIFT (imp. – pictured above at the top of page as the header/article photo), his only offspring to this country.
Spindrift was foaled at Crabbet Stud in 1957, a gray stallion of the rare Hamdani Simri strain being out of the mare SILVER GRAND, a daughter of SILVER GILT by GRAND ROYAL (imp.).
For many years SPINDRIFT stood at the Queensland Agricultural College alongside his grandsire, GRAND ROYAL (imp.), and MAHIF (imp. – INDIAN MAGIC x MYOLANDA), along with the now legendary ‘Silver’ stallions, SILWAN (imp. – DARGEE x SILWA) and *SILVER MOONLIGHT 53652 (imp. – INDIAN MAGIC x SILVER FIRE).
After Lady Wentworth’s death in 1957, when the stud was being partly dispersed, Mrs. Mary Leitch of Sydney saw the young colt, SPINDRIFT, in a paddock there, fell in love with him, and bought him. Having retired from Arabian breeding and disposing of her entire stud to the Queensland Agricultural College, SPINDRIFT joined the New South Wales Department of Agriculture College for several seasons and in 1963 he went to the Queensland Agricultural College where he remained until his death of an apparent heart attack in 1978.
SPINDRIFT was shown twice and was twice Reserve Champion Stallion at the Sydney Royal Easter Show, but in the years that followed his two best sons, DELOS and AETHON, monopolized this Championship.
In 1979 the championship went to AETHON and there followed a brilliant show career that is unlikely to ever be equaled for the Sydney Royal and the National Stud Horse Show: he was virtually unbeatable at halter while excelling in stallion under saddle championships as well.
AETHON was bred by Mrs. Clare Proudford from the mare HESTIA (JEDRAN x ALAGA MAID), representing some very old Colonial breeding.
Just prior to his scheduled appearance at the WAHO parade held in Sydney in 1984, AETHON died of a heart attack at 21 years of age. He was represented in that parade by his son, CONQUERO, who is from the SILWAN daughter, FLIRT.
DELOS was from the mare IONA, who was by the imported New South Wales Department of Agriculture stallion SALA (GREY OWL x HAMA), he from the mare SIR AATIKA, by the SHAZADA (imp.) son, SIRDAR, from KUFARA by the FAKREDDIN (imp.) son KHAMASIN, he from AL CASWA (RAFYK (imp.) x EL LAHR (imp.)), again representing some very old Colonial and Crabbet breeding.
Some other notable sons of SPINDRIFT are LYSANDER (exp NZ and imp.) out of HEMERA, ABDULLAH (from DARELLA), ROYAL ISHMAEL (from COUNTESS ROYAL), and the very beautiful grey stallion RIMSKI (from the SILVER MOONLIGHT daughter, MOONAMET).
SPINDRIFT’s female progeny include the mare GWYNN (from THETIS) and her full sister, HARMONIA, FARDA (from FARAH), MADAHAR (from BELLONA), SELINA CASCADE (from GAY CASCADE), and the beautiful HESPERA (from SILVER MAGIC (imp.) by INDIAN MAGIC x SILVER FIRE), founding a dynasty of her own.
SPINDRIFT left almost 90 purebred foals for posterity in Australia. His grandget and their accomplishments are too vast to mention here. We were very fortunate that he came to these shores as he may very well have ended up in the U.S.A., as did his sire and his sire’s full brother, *SERAFIX 8955. Australia also acquired ELECTRIC SILVER (RAKTHA x SILFINA), brother-in-blood to *SILVER DRIFT, but his is another story.
**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
