Arabian Horse History - The Crabbet Influence

CRABBET ARABIANSexperimentation at Crabbet Park. Lady Wenthworth
Crabbet Arabian horses are those originating from thehad a broad genetic base with which to work. Buying
Crabbet Park Stud, which was founded by Lord Wilfridback Crabbet Arabian horses enabled her to revive
and Lady Anne Blunt in England in 1878. After 93 yearsfamily lines that had died out at the stud.
of operation and the production of many legendaryIn her journals, Lady Anne Blunt mentioned the first
horses that became the foundation of other greatArabian horse her daughter ever rode, a grey mare
studs worldwide, the Crabbet Park Stud was dissolvednamed Basilisk, when Judith was six years old. At the
and the last of the horses were sold off in 1972 whenstud, the Blunts selected against grey horses because
a roadway was planned that divided the park.a significant customer base for Crabbet Park Arabians
CRABBET'S BEGINNINGSwas government orders for military remounts. Grey
Anne Noel, granddaughter of the poet Lord Byron, fellhorses left visible hair on dark uniforms, as well as
in love with horses at an early age and was anbeing blatant targets on the battlefield. By contrast,
accomplished equestrienne. Her husband, the poetLady Wentworth exhibited a lifelong preference for
Wilfrid Scawen Blunt, had knowledge of middle-easterngrey horses. She was not fond of the bay coloration,
politics. During a trip to the Middle East, Lady Anneand selected against it. Although her parents parted
Blunt decided to embark on a lifelong quest to savewith horses they later regretted selling, Lady
the Arabian horse, whose population amongst theWentworth developed a keen ability to recognize the
Bedouin tribes was dwindling for a variety of reasons,future value of a young horse from her experience of
including modern warfare techniques. Lady Blunt's goalwatching foals mature into horses at Crabbet Park.
was to preserve the pure bloodlines of the desertSKOWRONEK
horse, as the Bedouin had done for centuries. She wasSkowronek was a grey Arabian stallion born at the
fluent in Arabic and an excellent judge of horseflesh.Antoniny Stud in Poland in 1909. As a young horse, he
She and her husband ventured deep into the Nejdwas sold to an English sculptor who used him as the
desert, seeking the Bedouin tribes' prized horses. Inmodel for a number of bronzes. He passed through
1878, the Blunts returned to England with fine Arabianseveral more hands before being spotted by Lady
horses with which to begin their breeding program.Wentworth. She realized his true worth at once and
THE CRABBET QUEST FOR PURITYbought him through an intermediary, to prevent her
The Bedouins had a profound influence on Lady Blunt'scompetition from also realizing the horse's value. He
philosophy of horse breeding. She was an avid studentbecame one of the most important stallions in Crabbet
of their practices, and adopted their obsession ofPark history, and Lady Wentworth would not part with
tracking the background of each horse and onlyhim for any price. He died in 1930 at the ripe old age of
perpetuating those of incontestable purity. Like the22. His loving owner donated his skeleton to London's
Bedouins, she believed that a horse of "asil" (pure) typeBritish Museum. Under Lady Wentworth's
would embody physical characteristics that spokemanagement, very few Crabbet Park horses lacked
eloquently of its ancestry.Skowronek in their pedigrees.
SHEYKH OBEYD STUD OF EGYPTCRABBET PARK INFLUENCE
In 1890, the Blunts bought a 37-acre park near CairoApproximately 90% of Arabian horses alive today
and founded the Sheykh Obeyd stud. It was stockedhave bloodlines that trace back to Crabbet horses,
with what remained of the famous Egyptian breedingparticularly Mesaoud and Skowronek. Crabbet Park
program of Ali Pasha Sherif. Lady Blunt moved thereArabians were exported all over the world. Even the
permanently in 1906, and died there in 1917.Egyptian Agricultural Organization has a large
MESSAOUDpercentage of Crabbet horses originally purchased
In 1891, the Blunts imported Messaoud from the Alifrom the Sheykh Obeyd stud.
Pasha Sherif stud. Messaoud embodied all the traitsWhen Lady Wentworth died, the Crabbet Park stud
the Blunts sought in a purebred Arabian horse. He waswent to Cecil Covey, the son of her stud manager.
strong-boned, of excellent conformation and was aUnder Covey's management, Crabbet Park stallions
handsome chestnut color, with four white stockings.were available at public stud, spreading their influence
Messaoud became one of the most influential Arabianeven farther.
stallions worldwide. His name is present in thousands ofSome modern breeders are intent on preserving the
pedigrees. His most famous son was Astraled, whostraight Crabbet bloodlines, with Australia boasting the
was foaled in 1900. Another son, Seyal, sired Berk, thehighest percentage of pure Crabbet Arabian breeding
stallion whose get were known for their exquisiteoperations. A smaller group of breeders maintain
action. Messaoud was sold to the Russians in 1903preservation bloodlines that are strictly traced to the
and died during the Russian Revolution.horses bred or imported by Lord and Lady Blunt.
LADY WENTWORTH OF CRABBET PARKWHAT DEFINES A CRABBET HORSE?
After some legal wrangling, the Blunt's daughter, LadyIn technical terms, a Crabbet Arabian is a horse that
Wentworth, became the owner of the Crabbet Parktraces in all lines of its pedigree to Arabians owned or
stud. She bought back many of the horses that herbred by the Crabbet Park Stud, whether under the
father had sold, although those that had been shippedmanagement of Lady and Lord Blunt, Lady
off to America could not be reclaimed. The decadeWentworth, or Cecil Covey.
from 1920 to 1930 was a period of expansion and