Ebjarah Arabians

As soon as I saw this majestic gelding I had to have him. I rode him bare back around the yard just in case I needed to exit quickly! I had reservations about him and the owner after my ride and (unlike me) said, let me have a think overnight. There were so many negatives about this horse, although very green and uneducated to ride, and the owner not wanting to ride him I thought how accommodating he was, apparently he hadn’t been ridden in a few months. He did seem very boisterous and a little intimidating for a gelding, however I think that is what I did like about him.

Needless to say I bought the white Arabian, and within 3 days of him arriving I had come to the realisation I had purchased a newly gelded stallion that had not been ridden since a 4 year old.

Long story cut short, I contacted the breeder of Kizzy who enlightened me, she was horrified that he had been gelded only a few short months of her selling him, and what a shame that breeding was now lost of a Pure Crabbet stallion. I had no idea of what she meant until much later. This chapter has a happy ending, within 12 months he became an adult riding mount, show horse and competed at a few low level ODE's. At 17 I retired him, he was given to a young girl for pony club, where he stayed until his passing in his late 20's.

Wenslydale, Victoria

When asked to write the history behind our stud I thought there would be not much to tell, however if I go back to my first Crabbet horse it is actually 30 years ago when the pure Crabbet gelding Kizmah Koria (Moon Fashion x Priscilla) started my love for Crabbet horses.

A small ad had been placed in a Victorian news paper, “Pure Arabian, white gelding 8 years old 15 hands”. After calling the owners I thought, its only 5 hours drive why not.

Not long after retiring Kizzy I met Ron Ryan of Arfaja Stud, showing me the mares and talking about horses named Silver Moonlight and Moon Fashion, I mentioned to Ron the breeding of my gelding, it was at this time I learnt what a Pure Crabbet Arabian was, finally I understood what the breeder of Kizzy meant all those years ago. From then on I was pretty much hooked on Crabbet horses.

Photo Credit: Mark Tindall

Living 15 minutes from Arfaja stud of course I was there quite often. Going over in the breeding season to help with the mares I learnt a great deal in practice and also about Crabbet pedigrees. Ron’s knowledge in Crabbet pedigrees is amazing. He would have his 7 year breeding plan organised and could pretty much tell you the look and style that it would produce. One of those mating’s was Rasham to Wellworth Leilani it would be a full brother / sister to Robard, Ron was so looking forward to this foal.

November 28th a colt foal was born, in Ron’s words, it is the best that I have bred, although it’s a very unfortunate colour. Ron named the colt Arfaja Harlan, not sure if that was short for Harlequin, probably so, knowing Ron. Tragedy struck 7 days later when Harlan's dam Leilani was found dead for no apparent reason. With the newly born foal at foot, Ron was quite distressed, he was living in town, having no stables or facilities at the farm who would look after an orphan for him…

Eighteen years later we have over 40 foals by the little coloured orphan horse, producing world class Crabbet horses in Australia!