Raktha Gr. Stallion 1934 (Keheilan Rodan)
Naseem x Razina
bred by Lady Yule and bought by Lady Wentworth
(exported to South Africa in 1951)
Raktha, bred by Lady Yule at Hanstead stud in 1934, was a beautiful grey stallion with a wonderful outlook who had size and substance as well as that ‘look at me’ quality which he also passed on to his offspring. By the pretty Skowronek son Naseem and out of the Rodania line Champion mare Razina, he combined the best characteristics of both lines; strength and beauty. He was described as RAZINA’s best looking foal.
He was second at the royal show in 1936 and carried off all the honours as a 3 year old at the London Show the following year. He won 1st place in the 2-3year old Colts class and the Clark Challenge cup for the best colt in the show. He then one 1st prize in the 15 strong Arab Stallion class, beating former champions SAINFOLN bred by HV Musgrave Clark (Courthouse Stud) and Mr Ruxtons ALGOL. He was also awarded the Championship Gold medal for the best stallion or Colt. Raktha stood at stud at Hanstead from 1937 to Arab mares for a fee of 15 guineas (around £1000) in today’s money.
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Recognising his quality Lady Wentworth bought him in 1939 describing him as "a true type of perfect Arabian". Unusually he was successful in the show ring throughout his life as well as siring many champions, both male and female.
Sire NASEEM Gr.1922 (Skowronek x Nasra)
Dam RAZINA Ch.1922 (Rasim x Riyala)
In his picture book 'Crabbet Arabians', Cecil Covey described Raktha as "a perfect horse of marvellous beauty and conformation. Proved to be a great sire, he measured 14.2 1/2 h.h but was taken by all who saw him to be much bigger".
Probably most well known as the sire of the legendary and impressive Indian Magic, he sired over 50 foals which in itself is not so remarkable but more so is that so many were so successful, either in the show ring or in breeding champions themselves. In 1948 he became British National Champion and in 1949 he won no less than four championships, including one at the Bath and West Show, held that year in Bristol.
Raktha wins Champions medal at the Bath & West 1949
Raktha was exported to Barklay East in South Africa at the age of 17, by Mr A J Botha where he founded the Raktha Stud. Raktha was responsible for quality unsurpassed in that country and was certainly a loss to the British Crabbet gene pool, although he left quite a legacy behind. Through his sons and daughters he had a great influence on Crabbet breeding in not only South Africa but also the USA and Australia.
Raktha was the leading progenitor of the Naseem sire line in England. Raktha’s sons and daughters include Silver Drift, who sired 17 North American national winners (ten of them national champions or reserves), and Serafix, the leading Crabbet sire of all time with 124 champions and 41 national winners.
Raktha’s chestnut son General Grant sired British National Champion Mare Eloia and British Reserve National Champion General Dorsaz whose progeny have also produced British National Champions.
Raktha’s daughters were excellent broodmares. Silwa, an in hand champion in America, produced four American champions including her important daughter, U.S. Top Ten Mare Silwara, dam of four national winners including Canadian National Champion Stallion Tornado and Canadian National Champion Mare Silver Charm.
Another daughter, Grey Royal, produced 1956 British Reserve National Champion Stallion Royal Crystal, 1958 USA East Coast Champion Mare Crown of Destiny, and Royal Diamond (sire of British National Champion Mare Silver Grey and 15 American champions including U.S. National Champion Western Pleasure AOTR Royal Mace). Grey Royal was also the dam of the double Raktha granddaughter Serafire, a 1958 U.S. Top Ten Mare whose only two foals were national winners in America.
Raktha’s powerfully built son Electric Silver was exported to Australia and stood at the Fenwick Stud siring over 40 foals although was never shown himself due to a hock injury. An unlucky horse as he died aged only 12 from a snake bite he certainly fulfilled the mission of Fenwick stud to breed ‘beautiful and functional Arabs’.
Indian Magic Gr. 1944 (Raktha x Indian Crown)
Electric Silver Gr. 1948 (Raktha x Silfina)
Raktha
Raktha was sire of so many notable horses it is hard to single out just one or two but the imposing Serafix has to be high on the list.
He was the that classic ‘gold and silver’ cross that Lady Wentworth favoured and proved to be both powerful and beautiful as well as prepotent, producing over 250 foals in the USA as well as being a multi champion himself on both sides of the Atlantic.
Raktha – the beautiful, powerful ethereal grey stallion lives on in his descendants world wide and will never be forgotten; a truly fairytale horse.