A Great Adventure in International Crabbet Breeding!

Or the 2003 Australian Pure Crabbet imports to the U. S. A.

By CORALIE GORDON April 2003

      One of the most exciting innovations in Crabbet breeding in decades is under way.  Barring fall-out from an outbreak of war in Iraq, or some other, unforeseen catastrophe, three Australian-bred Pure Crabbet Arabians will fly out of Australia in April, bound for new homes in North America.  They are owned by a consortium of North Americans who describe themselves as "small" breeders, and who have combined their resources in order to bring fresh bloodlines to the shrinking Crabbet gene pool of North America.  They are passionate about the Crabbet Arabian and plan to share the new resources in order to achieve their goals in their individual breeding programs.  Three individuals - two in-foal mares and a stallion - will be based at three different Studs in Canada and the United States.

      The project has been four or five years in the planning and "Australia’s Crabbet Arabian Annual" is proud to say that our magazines and publications were used as references to the available blood lines during the planning stages.  The vision was that a small group of breeders would get together, pool their financial resources and import say, three broodmares in foal, to be shared among the group.  These horses would be used to expand the existing North American gene pool. In order to re-infuse American stock with Crabbet bloodlines that have a common source and shared ancestors, but which have been bred in dependently in Australia for many years.  In time perhaps Australian breeders would be interested in using American lines such as Silver Blue, Electric Storm, Magic Domino, Serafix, et al.

      Last year, the plan took shape, a list of Studs and possible horses was drawn up, and September/October was nominated as an ideal time to visit Australia.  There was general agreement about the sorts of horses that were required:

1.    They needed to have good hips, as rough coupling is seen as a real problem in the U.S.

2.    The bay gene in North American Crabbet horses is almost non-existant, so the group was anxious to bring in some more bay.

3.    Movement and disposition were very important as well as good feet and good straight legs.

All this within a budget that had to include Stud Fees, trucking fees, insurance, Vet fees, transfers and SCID testing.  Such a lot to consider, but SUCH a wonderful adventure!

      The person entrusted with the decision-making, and therefore with carrying the hopes and aspirations of the group around on his shoulders, was a tall Canadian Joe Toner, who works for Jocelyn Pearce of Griffin Arabians at Smithers in British Columbia.  If you look at an atlas, Smithers looks about as far north as one can get without being in Alaska or the Yukon, some of those wild white frontier places one sees in the movies!  Jocelyn is a long-time subscriber to our magazine.  She and Joe had noted the quality and variety of Crabbet bloodlines available in Australia. Jocelyn owns the Crabbet stallion SENECIO* [Silver Blue/Silver Fawn by Darjeel] and a Ralvon Pilgrim daughter Nazeera* both of which originated in England.

      Joe arrived in Brisbane in late September, hired a car and started his Australian odyssey with visits to North Coast, Brisbane Valley and Darling Downs Studs.  He bought his first mare at one of the first Studs he visited, then set off with a road atlas and his list of "possibles".  If necessary he was prepared to drive all the way to South Australia - for the first time an overseas visitor who was not afraid of distances!  Many of you met and entertained Joe during his travels, and every one of us would have enjoyed being along for the ride, to see all the Pure Crabbet horses he saw within the space of a month! 

THE HORSES 

      Finally the difficult choices have been made, and mares matched with suitable stallions.  Three Pure Crabbet horses were selected.  Two mares and one stallion.  All bay!   

      The stallion is DANDALOO KADET, a 13-year-old by Chip Chase Kaiwanna from Dandaloo Baylanie by Boyar.  He was bred and owned by Kerrie Plum of Dandaloo Stud at Tarcutta.  He was quietly breeding Anglos and performance horses for Kerry and her daughter Andrea when two events concurred late last year.  The first was the offer, for Andrea, of work as a riding instructor at the luxurious Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club.  It was a wonderful opportunity although she had to prepare and leave with in one week.   The second was the unexpected arrival of Joe Toner at the stud.  Kadet was definitely not for sale at the time Joe arrived, but Kerry reasoned that she had two elegant Anglo daughters to go on with.  She also made plans to collect semen from Kadet before he left, and to cover some more Pure Crabbet mares for the future.  Most of Kadet’s youngstock had been broken-in and sold on.  His eldest Anglo son DANDALOO CARADON, was retained for Kerry and Andrea to compete with themselves.  Their program centered around dressage and endurance.  Caradon placed at his first dressage outing, went clear in his first cross-country, and then turned to endurance, being fully qualified by the end of 2OO1.  In 2OO2 he was Best-Conditioned at Canberra, and competing in the Light weight Division was 4th at Canberra, 1st at Brungle and 2nd at Stanley.  Two of Kadet’s daughters, DANDALOO SERENADE and DANDALOO NAZIKA, had been sold to the Weise family in Queensland, and have been quietly working their way through the novice rides.  Serenade finished the season with a Lightweight win and Best-Conditioned at Crows Nest Ride.  Dandaloo Kadet is a grandson of Dandaloo’s foundation sire Boyar [a full-brother to Banderol].  He had two full-brothers, Dandaloo Khaalid [deceased] and Boomori Kahlua, and a sister Boomori Kismet.  Kadet will be standing at Stud in Virginia, on the East Coast of the United States.

       The first mare is ROTHLYNNE PURE DELIGHT, an 11-year-old by Magic Myth from Fasoura, bred by Lyn Matthews of Rothlynne Stud, Victoria and owned by Robyn Pembroke of Mt Eerwah Arabians at Eumundi in Queensland who is a prominent endurance rider.  Pure Delight has been covered by BOOMORI KAHLUA, a bay stallion bred by Dawn Suter and Lynn Steven in South Australia and owned in Queensland by Lorraine Currie of Annandale Stud.  He is a full-brother to Dandaloo Kadet.  Rothlynne Pure Delight had a full-sister and brother, and has an interesting pedigree with the big-moving Magic Carpet and Moon Fashion as grandsires, supplemented by the blood of Shafreyn* and Samiri.  She has produced five foals to date, the first being a 16 hand Anglo gelding named SONATA TINY TIM which has been exported to the UAE for endurance.  Then for Robyn, the gorgeous and brightly-coloured MT EERWAH CHANTILLY LACE [1997] by the imported English stallion Prince Rasheyd*, and a dark bay full-sister MT EERWAH ANASTAZIA [2OOO] who was recently Grand Champion Pure Crabbet Exhibit at the Queensland Crabbet Group’s 2OO3 Summer Show.  There is also a grey son, MT EERWAH SILVERADO [1998] by Robyn’s own Pure Crabbet stallion Silver Conquest [a full-brother to Silver Somerio, both by Somerled from a Silver Moonlight* mare] who has covered his first mares this season prior to starting his endurance career.  Her final foal for Robyn was a filly MT EERWAH SILVER KARISMA by Silver Conquest who unfortunately had to be put down after an accident.  Rothlynne Pure Delight, with her exceptional temperament and proven breeding ability, will be missed at Mt Eerwah but her son and two daughters will continue her lines.

       The second mare is INSHALLAH RENDEVOUS, a 4-year-old by the Banderol stallion Tommie, from the Crenel mare Royal Desire who was bred by Wendy and Neville Westerside. She was bred and owned by Larry and Marilyn O’Dea of Inshallah Stud, West Hoxton, NSW and has now been covered by ARFAJA DANYON a grey stallion by Silver Somerio from Wellworth Leilani, bred by Arfaja Stud, leased and produced so success fully by Jennie Stewart.  Larry and Marilyn had ear-marked Rendevous as a replacement for Marilyn’s previous riding mare Inshallah Silver Elysium who has now retired and is in foal to Dandaloo Kadet!  They had just started groundwork when Joe Toner turned up.  He thought Rendevous would be ideal for the Group’s purpose, so, although they did not wish to part with such a lovely mare, the O’Deas felt that since the Group in America was so dedicated, they would play their part and help them to achieve their goals. Hopefully, although Tommie is now very elderly, there might yet be another full-brother or sister.  Rendevous’ full-brother, INSHALLAH REALITY, owned by Jan Grove, was Supreme Ridden Champion at the Crabbet All-Arabian Show, and Reserve Champion Ridden Gelding at the State Titles, the Saddle Council Show and the Nationals.   The breeding to Arfaja Danyon brings in the blood of Somerled and Morocco as well as Electric Silver*, Silver Moonlight* and  Rossfennick*.  Rendevous will be heading to British Columbia where the temperature can drop to 2O degrees below zero, but she will arrive in the northern Spring and hopefully will grow a furry coat before she experiences her first snow!  Or meets her first moose!

      The North American Group [US and Canada] is named ACABONA - Australian Crabbet Arabian Breeders of North America.  It will be exciting for Australian Crabbet breeders to watch how the North American breeders use these new/old bloodlines.  I know we all wish them every success in this first international Crabbet exchange for many years.

CAPTIONS FOR PHOTOS BELOW

     Joe Toner meets Arfaja Haluj at Paul and Judy Ward’s Bellmere Stud. Photo: C Gordon

     Rothlynne Pure Delight (Magic Myth/Fasoura) - going to Jeri & Martin Kirkbuff’s Desert Thunder Arabians, Arizona.

     Dandaloo Kadet (Chip Chase Kaiwanna/Dandaloo Baylanie) - standing at Michael & Joanna Garofalo’s SunSet Arabians, Virginia

Inshallah Rendevous (Tommie/Royal Desire)- going to Jocelyn Pearce & Joe Toner at Griffin Arabians in British Columbia

     Arfaja Danyon (Silver Somerio/Wellworth Leilani)

Photo: Nicole Emanuel.