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Long live Crabbets! And they will, if we can continue to expand
our limited gene pool.
To ensure a fresh supply of bloodlines, three committed British
breeders - Anne Brown, John Illingworth and Deborah Duncan - are
bringing over three pure Crabbet mares from Australia. As a bonus,
they all in foal to pure Crabbet performance stallions. That in
itself is a huge achievement on the part of the Australian stallion
owners, as their breeding season is the other way round to ours.
To foal in an English spring, we needed mares covered in the antipodean
autumn when the mares were at their least romantic. It took two
frustrating breeding seasons for the scans to show positive.
The stud owners persevered, and, if all goes well, five-year
old maiden Kendra Park Zaraelia, will be the first to foal - to
athletic Fenwick Just Brilliant ('Buddy'). Zaraelia, bred by Ken
Johnson and his son Sean, is by Arfaja Starfire (now in Tasmania
with Ros Gladman) and out of Kendra Park Zefia by Arfaja Nassif.
Buddy's generous owners, Darryl and Steph King of Shanadarr Stud,
are delighted that their stallion was chosen for the Boomerang
Gang's initial covering. In gratitude, we sent over an illuminated
pedigree by Alexia Ross, herself a keen supporter of Crabbet Arabians.
Now the hunt was on for other suitable mares with genes lost
to us for decades. We managed to locate mares descended from Arabians
brought to Britain from the Near East before 1920 and registered
in the General Stud Book (GSB). These early lines are preserved
in Australia mostly through the progeny of horses brought from
Crabbet Park by Mrs Dora McLean to her Fenwick Stud in Victoria.
The first, Rafina, arrived in 1925 - exactly a century ago!
Fortunately, Mrs McLean's grand-daughter Vicki Johnson still
runs the stud. Her favourite mare, Fenwick Brilliant Star, now
28, appears in two of the lines the Boomerang Gang has acquired,
including Wollemi Park Amerah Al'Sara. This neat little ridden
mare is by the Australian WAHO-trophy winner Arfaja Alexi and
out of Fenwick Brilliant Diamond. Amerah has been covered by the
powerful and prolific endurance producer, Inshallah Maximus. Anne
greatly admires Inshallah Stud's powerful horses, having visited
the O'Deas twice. She selected the Crabbet bay mare Inshallah
Signature for her Gadebrook Stud back in 2012. Signature has produced
a number of successful horses, including endurance winner Shaarif
and brood mare Bright Moonlight, currently in foal to Binley Silver
Mujiza. Now 28, Signature still pounds around the Gadebrook paddocks
in the very best of health.
Then, much to Anne's delight, the mature bay Pevensey Zaraya
(by Magic Prophecy) unexpectedly became available with the reduction
of Danjera Stud.
Zaraya will replace her dam, Pevensey Zariffia, the iconic mare
whom Anne imported as a six-year old with Inshallah Signature
in 2012. Tragically, Zariffia died foaling her fine colt, Hadiya,
in 2016 leaving a huge hole at Gadebrook. Zaraya, her daughter
in Australia, already has two sons at Danjera so had no problem
conceiving to bay Danjera Saroyan who is by Palma Benay's impressive
sire, Pevensey Safari. On his dam Danjera Phaedra's side, Saroyan
carries a line to Arabian Park Phaeton. In Leon Bennet's words:
"Phaeton was an absolute magnificent horse with action to
die for."
It is hoped that Zaraya will also restore the height and elegance
of this valuable line.
The plan's logistics have been time-consuming and costly. Sourcing
the best mares, getting them covered in Australia's autumn, keeping
them for months with cooperative breeders, arranging vetting,
transport, quarantine, flights, inoculations, export documents,
import requirements, insurance and a dozen other details, has
been demanding. That two of the mares were maiden just added to
the complications! The Boomerang trio are very grateful for the
support from generous stallion owners who donated the coverings
for the Crabbet cause.
Veteran breeder Beatrice Paine, now deceased, supported Anne's
early imports from the outset, calling the Boomerang project "brave
and far-sighted". And Anne is eternally grateful that Diana
Whittome enthusiastically approved her choice of mares in one
of her last 'phone conversations before her death last year.
A fourth import, the beautiful winning show mare Arfaja Bisharah
(Mill Park Blaidd x Pevensey Baybe, the full sister of Pevensey
Safari), is solely owned by John. She should prove to the British
just how beautiful and elegant a Crabbet horse can be.
Arabian elder statesman Br Peter McIntosh is most impressed by
the choice of mares and stallions. He recently messaged:
"Your Boomerang plan is commendable, and I am pleased
you have acquired Zariffia's daughter, Zaraya. The mares you have
selected should fulfil your desires. Some great bloodlines from
the selected stallions as well. Your Palma Benay has been a treasure."
The mares moved into 30-day quarantine in Melbourne in July and
fly to Heathrow in early August. Bisharah will go directly to
Imperial Stud. The other three will live at Gadebrook Stud. The
foals, inshallah, will be jointly bred, with ownership alternating
between the partners.
The generous support of the Australian Crabbet community has been
crucial to progress. We are especially grateful to stallion owners
Darryl and Steph King at Shanadarr, Gail Rooney at Danjera and
Nikki Sample (joint winner of this year's 100-mile Quilty Cup)
at Stirling Performance Arabians. Thanks also to Lisa Sheel at
Jenalea Arabians who hosted Bisharah in the early stages.
"Let's hope the results justify their faith in us,"
says Anne.
Teresa Edwards, the efficient Registrar at the AHSA, helped hugely,
transferring ownerships, and issuing the mares' new passports,
covering certificates and export papers.
Selwyn Wallace, the director at IRT (International Racehorse
Transport), has organised pick-up venues for quarantine and flight
arrangements. The company has also handled the legal side of travelling
the horses to Britain, and ensured correct payment of import taxes
and VAT (a colossal 20% on the cost of both the horse and the
flight). As pure Arabian breeding stock, the mares avoid UK Duty,
small consolation when set against the other hefty expenses!
The latest report from quarantine in Melbourne assures us: "We
feed the mares a rising plane of nutrition, to put on about 7-10kg
a week while they are in quarantine as even frequent flyers can
lose 10-15kg on the flight. By adding this weight beforehand,
we aim to counteract this.
"The day before the flight, your mares will be brought
into the barn for a wash. We do new departure photos, weights
and comments on their condition. On flight day, our IRT vet gives
them an overall health check. A Department of Agriculture vet
carries out their inspection.
"They will be given oral electrolytes before loading
from IRT Park and additional electrolytes mid-flight. They will
have plenty of fresh water and lucerne hay to snack on. The grooms
will make sure to get the mares' heads down when safe to do so
at cruising altitude."
A reassuring report but a nail-biting time until the mares land
safely at Heathrow in their woollies and reach their final destinations
at Gadebrook and Imperial!
The Plaister Charity, based on the core of Crabbet horses bred
lovingly by Geoffrey Plaister at his Imperial Stud, has supported
the project.
"The latest Boomerang plan, led by Anne Brown, represents
a significant investment in the future of the Crabbet Arabian
in the UK," confirms Mark Tindall, the Charity's Chair
of Trustees.
"Its importance cannot be over-estimated. It brings in
four of the best mares available from Australia, carrying classic
bloodlines. These mares and their progeny should provide a valuable
outcross, but within the 100% Crabbet gene pool.
"This will benefit breeders and riders who care about
preserving the original Crabbet lines with their important attributes
for endurance, versatility and easy-going temperaments. The time,
effort and money that Anne, John and Deborah have invested in
this spectacular project for our Crabbet Arabian horses is to
be applauded," concludes Mark.
Deborah Duncan is very enthusiastic about the scheme.
"Our joint venture seemed the perfect opportunity to preserve
the valuable bloodlines that Australia still produces."
John is equally committed. With his own half-Australian Crabbet
stallion, Binley Silvern Mujiza (Binley Ronaldo by Arfaja Robard
x Arfaja Silver Mist), John can provide his pride and joy with
a ready-made harem! 'Skippy' is a former in-hand Crabbet National
Champion and winner of last year's Novice Ridden Championship
at the AHS National Arab Show - at just four. His sire 'Ronnie'
was bred in Australia and imported by leading Crabbet breeder,
Caroline Sussex-Archer, the current Chairman of the AHS Council.
The Boomerang Plan is a two-way operation. Anne's 2009 Crabbet
filly Silver Sunbeam (Binley Prince Salim x PHA Silver Heart)
was snapped up by OSO Arabians and is producing her own family
in Australia. Anne's high percentage Crabbet mare Rusleema (Rusleem
x Sunne in Silver) has given Lynne Bunce a string of fine foals
at Mattilda Arabians in Western Australia.
May this rewarding exchange produce yet more fine Crabbet horses.
Anne Brown initiated the Boomerang Plan in 2007. She was inspired
by the quality of the horses she had seen at the many Crabbet
studs she visited in 2005 and by the performance of the horses
at the World Crabbet Convention in Toowoomba that year. She also
wanted to restore the almost-lost bay gene.
Bowled over by Leon's glamorous working stock horse, Pevensey
Safari, and his bay filly foal Palma Benay from Petra Benay, Anne
managed to acquire Palma. However, flying her over as a two-year
old in 2007 coincided with Australia's first-ever outbreak of
Equine Influenza (EI) which decimated the country's horse population.
They had no vaccines, all horses were isolated, no vets, farriers,
feed deliveries or other movements were allowed on properties
where horses lived, and armed guards patrolled state borders.
Palma, and Pam Flowers' two-year old colt, Erin Park Excel, were
stranded together at Kulnura Quarantine Centre in Sydney. By some
miracle, this highly contagious disease passed right over without
affecting any horses there. The youngsters' departure was delayed
by three months, costing money for livery that had not been budgeted
for. The only alternative was to shoot the horses!
Fortunately, Palma has proved a prolific brood mare, with her
latest colt, Imperial Fire Dancer, at the Plaister Charity. A
great grandson will stand at stud in Cornwall, and her third and
fourth generations are flourishing in Spain and Sweden through
her son Dandini. Her bay pure Australian son Palermo by Excel,
stands in the West Country.
Pevensey Zariffia by Ghazari and Inshallah Signature by Crenel
followed in 2012 and settled into Gadebrook Stud.
Pevensey Zariffia's colt Hadiya by Binley Prince Salim was one
of the finest pure Crabbets of his generation and set for a great
future. Then he tragically broke his leg in his trainer's paddock
in 2020 at just five years old. Fortunately, he left three cracking
foals that year: fillies Bright Moonlight (x Inshallah Signature)
and ridden novice Kamellia (x UK WAHO-trophy winner Kamillah),
plus colt Hazar from AHS Premium Crabbet mare Azarina (by all-round
performance horse Shaded Silver), the fourth generation of Gadebrook
breeding. Hazar has been picked for the Scotland Endurance team
for the Home International in August.
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