The Crabbet Influence in Europe
Part two - Holland
by Betty Finke
HOLLAND
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Padron is typical of Dutch breeding, since Arabian breeding in the Netherlands actually started with Crabbet horses. The very first pure-bred Arabian in the Netherlands was the stallion Houbaran (Aldebaran x Arusa), 75% Crabbet, imported in 1923 as a foal and still found in pedigrees today.
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Below is a list of Crabbet/OE stallions imported to Holland, the ones marked with an asterisk being those you are most likely to find in modern pedigrees:
The Netherlands breed excellent riding ponies with a high Arabian percentage, and many of the imported Crabbet stallions went into breeding part-bred ponies rather than pure-breds.
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Of the Crabbet mares imported to Holland, all of those listed here have descendants today:
Hadassa 1959 (Rythal x Bashida)
Photo Credit: Betty Finke
Bashida was the dam of the 100% Crabbet mare Hadassa, by Rythal (Shareer x Rythma), bred by Dr Houtappel, who was exported back to the UK where she left some influence through her 100% Crabbet daughter Soumana of Fairfield, by Indian Magic (Raktha x Indian Crown). Hadassa’s last daughter in England was Shiriba, by Crystal King (Indian King x Crystal Clear), who was first sold to Denmark and from there to Germany, where she was a foundation mare for a stud in Northern Germany and has many descendants.
Barwna Ch. 1972 (Iridos x Baraka)
Photo Credit: Unknown
There is not enough room to include all of the Dutch Crabbet families, but special mention must go to the last two mares on the list. Although they were only 75% Crabbet/OE, they were so very influential. Barwna and Baranta were half-sisters, imported in the early 1970s by G L Raymakers. Their maternal grand-dam was Lord Moyne’s Polish mare Biruta (Trypolis x Bika). Barwna and Baranta were very successful broodmares and founded huge dynasties.
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Baranta had three daughters by the Egyptian stallion Hindi (Korayem x Hindia), of which the most important was Warandes Hindia. Foaled in 1974, she is found in numerous pedigrees today, as she is the third dam of Khidar (Ansata Sinan x Elizja) and the fourth dam of Shanghai EA (WH Justice x Salymah EA). And through both these stallions, she appears twice in the pedigree of current show superstar Excalibur EA (Shanghai EA x Essence of Marwan EA).
Warandes Hindia (1974)
Photo Credit: Betty Finke
Barwna had a whole string of full sibling offspring by the Russian stallion Plakat (Aswan x Pchelka), of whom several were very successful. Her 1981 son Warandes Plakat was a World Champion and has descendants in many different countries. His 1984 full sister Saskia RJ is the dam of such well-known horses as Ass-Windi by Gonchar (Menes x Nametka), AS Shahwan by Nadir I (Neman x Neschi), AS Natsir-Apal by Ibn Estasha (Malik x Estasha), and AS Sinans Pasha by Ansata Sinan (Prince Fa Moniet x Ansata Nefara).
Warandes Plakat. 1981 (Plakat x Barwna)
Photo Credit: Betty Finke
The result was the Anglo-Arab stallion Minouche, an Elite stallion of the German AHS and the single most successful living Anglo-Arab stallion in Germany, both in sports and as a sire. He has competed successfully in show jumping and especially excels in cross-country and eventing, and he is the sire of two licensed Anglo stallions and several premium mares.
The pure Crabbet mare Chantal also had several successful foals by Plakat. Her sons Hassan and Khouros were big international winners during the 1980s, and were eventually sold abroad, Hassan to Italy and Khouros to the USA. Their full sister Zarenah was exported to Austria and founded a very successful family there.
Hassan Br. 1977 (Plakat x Chantal)
Photo Credit: Betty Finke
Minouche (Ismael x Hamu), a 1972 mare bred in Holland of entirely Old English lines, also produced several foals by Plakat. Her line and that of Chantal through Khouros come together in the 1986 mare Khouri BB, ex Moncya (Plakat x Minouche). She was sold to Austria and was a major producer of show winners in the 1990s. Through her daughter Kashmir, by Mirok Monpelou (Vatican x Gamila De Monpelou), she is the grand-dam of the 1997 stallion Baikal, by the Russian stallion Balaton (Menes x Panagia). He is the single most successful pure-bred western competitor in Europe at the present time. Baikal, who has competed against Quarter Horses, was the 2013 WAHO Trophy winner in Austria.
Minouche 1972 (Ismael x Hamu)
Photo Credit: Betty Finke
Khouri BB 1986 (Khouros x Moncya)
Photo Credit: Betty Finke
Baikal 1997 (Balaton x Kashmir)
Photo Credit: Betty Finke
Many of the horses mentioned here, including Baikal, are examples of the Russian/Crabbet cross, which pretty much sums up traditional Dutch breeding; Padron being a prime example.
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Another stallion that exemplifies this Russian/Crabbet cross and who was also in England for a time is Amal. Foaled in 1980, Amal is by Abdullah (Patron x Psikhea) and out of Naomi (Darjeel x Zelda), and he came from the breeding programme of Mrs Ruyter Van Eyndthoven, based on Crabbet/OE mares. One of these mares was Zelda (Russlan of Pelere x Raffinda), bred by Harwood Stud. Mrs Van Eyndthoven repeatedly used stallions in Britain for Zelda, resulting in two daughters by El Meluk (Mikeno x Mifaria) and one by Darjeel (Dargee x Rajjela). The latter was Naomi, the dam of Amal.
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Amal was a World Champion in his time and a highly popular sire in Holland. He sired numerous sons, including a few that were exported to Germany. At this point it is worth taking a quick look across the border into Germany at the 1987 stallion Aichal (Amal x Aicha) who died recently at the age of 27. He had some additional Crabbet blood through his dam, by the Polish stallion Little Star (Comet x Latawica) out of an entirely English dam, Basileia (Saoud x Adaja), going back to Nurschida (Nuri Sherif x Razina). He was special in that he was named an Elite stallion of the German Arab Horse Society largely on the basis of siring successful endurance horses.
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One of the more recent Crabbet stallions in Holland, and one still active, is the 1991 Aurilla Gold (Elegant Gold x Silver Auriole). He has successfully competed in dressage, and of his few offspring, one is an endurance horse and one has competed in tandem driving, which is unusual for an Arabian. He is owned by Quest Arabians, where he has bred foals from several Crabbet mares: CAS Sholanda (Shogun x Sharlanda), Zahlina (Masjadi Golden Shadow x Silver Zingara), and the late Naomi Rose (Taqah x Anna Rose), a full sister to Kasadi.
Aurilla Gold 1991 (Elegant Gold x Silver Auriole)
Photo Credit: Betty Finke
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