60-654: The Crabbet Arabian Stud , also known as the Crabbet Park Stud , was an English horse breeding farm that ran from 1878 to 1972. Its founder owners, husband and wife team Wilfrid Scawen Blunt and Lady Anne Blunt , decided while travelling in the Middle East to import some of the best Arabian horses to England and breed them there. They maintained the Sheykh Obeyd estate near Cairo to facilitate this. Their daughter Judith Blunt-Lytton, 16th Baroness Wentworth carried on
120-402: A dog judge. In 1911 her authoritative work on the ancestors of several of the toy breeds was published. Lady Wentworth's former husband had inherited his brother's Lytton earldom in 1947, and on his own death in 1951, it passed to their only son, Noel. Lady Wentworth had become estranged from her children since the divorce and saw Noel for the first time in 30 years on her deathbed in 1957. At
180-546: A female ancestor, the Gale family), of whom Wilfred was the primogeniture heir, inherited and enjoyed the manor and forests of worth including Crabbet Park House they erected in Queen Anne Style, since the year 1698. As important to Crabbet as the desert Arabians were, the collection of Egyptian leader Abbas Pasha proved an equally valuable source. This Governor of Egypt acquired horses from Arabia and Syria ; his stock formed
240-538: A few weeks of Lady Wentworth in 1957. The deaths of these two only children, at a time of high post-war inheritance tax , meant that in 1957 a substantial number of British-bred Arabian horses left the country, improving the breed's bloodlines elsewhere. About a dozen from each stud went to Bazy Tankersley 's Al-Marah Arabians in the United States. Lady Wentworth's will stipulated that Crabbet be left to her stud manager and real tennis marker Fred Covey , but he had died
300-460: A largely intervening wood, much reduced, including by motorway, is a residential development which makes up part of the Pound Hill neighbourhood of Crawley, (or more traditionally still considered Worth), West Sussex. Most of the roads have equestrianism names, or Wentworth, Blunt and albeit much more recently relevant Lytton and similar reflecting the centuries-old family that used to have ownership of
360-597: A long relationship of buying and leasing horses; sometimes the studs were adversaries and sometimes partners. A third stud, Courtlands, was also held up to be of the same level, and the three competed against each other at annual shows such as the one at the Roehampton Club . In 1926, she again received a significant infusion of much-needed cash when the famed Kellogg Arabian Ranch in California, owned by breakfast cereal magnate W. K. Kellogg , spent over $ 80,000 to purchase
420-467: A number of Crabbet horses. Lady Wentworth rejected Wilfred's "desert conditions" theory as well as a prevailing conviction that Arabians were naturally the size of large ponies (that is, under 14.2 hands (58 inches, 147 cm)). She first proved that Arabians could produce taller horses from the progeny of Rijm, a grandson of Rodania, who reached 16.1 hands (65 inches, 165 cm). Her great contribution to Arabian breeding, however,
480-402: A part-time or contractual arrangement or their duties as stud manager may be incorporated with those of the overall farm or stable manager. Judith Blunt-Lytton, 16th Baroness Wentworth Judith Anne Dorothea Blunt-Lytton, 16th Baroness Wentworth (6 February 1873 – 8 August 1957), also known as Lady Wentworth , was a British peeress , Arabian horse breeder and real tennis player. As
540-711: A principal centre of Arabian horse breeding in England. However, there were many problems along the way. The Blunts spent much of their time travelling in Arabia and did not know what was going on in their absence. The pastures were ill-tended, the stables and paddocks not cleaned, stallions were shut up without exercise for weeks at a time. The Sheykh Obeyd stud fared little better while the Blunts were in England. Horses in Egypt were cared for by inattentive grooms and alcoholic managers, left tethered in
600-596: A problem for Lady Wentworth and the Crabbet Stud. In the war years, even though Lady Wentworth cut back her herd due to shortages and the necessity for the Stud to be completely self-supporting in horse feedstuffs, horses such as Grey Royal, Silver Gilt, Indian Magic, Silfina, and Serafina were produced. While Crabbet was bombed during the war, with over 32 incendiaries dropped, all landed on farmland and no humans or horses were injured. A Canadian Army Supply Unit took over part of
660-408: A small herd of her own. Wilfrid then attempted to seize the horses and land, making a nighttime raid on Crabbet and initially taking all of the horses, including those already legally owned by his daughter. The mare Bukra, too near foaling to travel, was shot on Wilfred's orders. Bitter and anxious to pay off his creditors, Wilfrid sold 37 horses, exporting several to W.R. Brown's Maynesboro stud in
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#1733085799109720-463: A theatrical tendency to thunder and lightning stage effects which verged on melodrama...and his temper was not improved by hashish and morphia..." Lady Anne died in 1917, passing on her titles to her only child, Judith , who became known as Lady Wentworth . The Crabbet estate went to Lady Anne's granddaughters, as did what horses she still owned in England. Judith had already purchased back some animals that Wilfred had sold to third parties and thus had
780-498: Is one of the few that can be passed through the female line.) By the time she took over the Stud, Crabbet Park had been leased. The Stud itself retained only eight horse boxes, some cowsheds and a few weed-choked pastures. The horses had been sorely neglected, some had starved to death, and others took years to recover. Lady Wentworth spent many years carefully rebuilding her stock and refining her breeding practices. To raise funds, she sold some bloodstock back to Egypt in 1920, including
840-840: The State Stud of Celle , the Rhinelander and Westphalian with the State Stud of Warendorf , the Brandenburger with the Principal Stud of Neustadt an der Dosse, and so on. Other European state studs include: The German city of " Stuttgart " gets its name from stud farms. Around the world, private individuals have breeding farms of various sizes that are dedicated to animal breeding, usually of purebred livestock. Some may have originally been founded with government assistance or sponsorship, or owned by political leaders, while others are solely
900-463: The foundation for the stud of Ali Pasha Sherif . The Blunts made their initial visit to Ali Pasha Sherif in 1880 and purchased the stallion Mesaoud , in 1889. Lady Anne wrote of the stallion : "He is four white legged and high up to the knee but surprisingly handsome." As he aged, Ali Pasha Sherif's health failed and he encountered financial and political problems, leading to the ruin of his stud. In 1896 and 1897 Lady Anne inspected what she called
960-626: The private enterprise of those who own them. Some of the largest and most impressive are those dedicated to Thoroughbred horse breeding, such as the historic Claiborne Farm in Kentucky or the Darley Stud , owned by Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum , which stands over fifty stallions at stud in facilities located in seven countries. Many stud farms make male animals available for breeding to outside female animals that are not owned by
1020-441: The "sad remnants" before they were sold at auction, and was able to procure several of the best horses that remained. Some of these horses remained in Egypt, at a stud farm owned by the Blunts called Sheykh Obeyd . Thus, according to breed expert Rosemary Archer, some of today's horses of Crabbet breeding carry a higher proportion of Abbas Pasha blood than many present-day Egyptian Arabians. Thanks to these purchases, Crabbet became
1080-577: The 80% inheritance tax owed on Lady Wentworth's estate and keep the Stud going. What followed was the largest single consignment of Arabians ever made from England, to Bazy Tankersley 's Al Marah Stud in the USA. In 1961 Covey also sold the stallion Sindh to Dora Maclean of Fenwick Stud in Australia, where he became one of Australia's most important Arabian sires. For twelve years the stud ran smoothly under Covey, with twenty to thirty horses plus visiting mares; for
1140-657: The Arabian-dominated field of endurance riding , highlighted by 100-mile competitions such as the Tevis Cup in the USA and the Australian Quilty 100-Mile Endurance Ride. Crabbet breeding is also popular in the "Sport Horse" disciplines such as Dressage and show jumping , for which the Arabian Horse Association now sponsors a National Championship. Thus, the modern Arabian of Crabbet ancestry can be seen in
1200-663: The Blunts agreed to a formal separation. The Stud was divided. Lady Anne signed a deed of partition drawn up by Wilfrid. Under its terms, she kept Crabbet Park and half the horses, while he took Caxtons Farm, also known as Newbuildings, and the rest of the stock. Soon thereafter, Lady Anne retired to Sheykh Obeyd in Cairo, where she lived for most of the remainder of her life. Wilfrid frequently had to sell horses to pay his debts. Lady Wentworth wrote of her husband, "His tyranny and spirit of discord eventually alienated him from his family, from most of his friends, and from several countries...He had
1260-565: The Crabbet property to her; she changed her surname to Blunt-Lytton that year. Two years later, her estranged parents divided the estate, Wilfrid living close by at Newbuildings Place , while Lady Anne remained in Egypt, managing the Sheykh Obeyd Stud as a breeding centre for Arabian horses . In 1917, Judith inherited her mother's barony of Wentworth . Due primarily to the maneuvering of Wilfrid in an attempt to disinherit Judith and obtain
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#17330857991091320-644: The Crabbet stud. An even smaller group of breeders maintain preservation bloodlines tracing strictly to the horses imported or bred by the Blunts. For the average Arabian horse owner, horses with Crabbet ancestry are noted for athletic ability, attractive appearance, and good dispositions. They are popular in under saddle classes and seen in many equestrian disciplines, both those limited to Arabians and those open to all breeds. The particular virtues of Crabbet horses - sound, athletic conformation, good movement, solid temperament and performance ability - show up especially well in under saddle competition, and particularly in
1380-687: The General Stud Book, however, Skowronek's pedigree ends with three grandparents. This has led some Arabian enthusiasts to question if Skowronek was in fact a purebred. His sire, Ibrahim, was desert-bred and imported to Poland . His dam Jaskoulka (variously known as Yascolka or Yaskolka) was a Polish-bred Arabian. However, while the Poles had bred Arabians for centuries and kept careful pedigree records, they also crossed Arabian stallions on Thoroughbred and other non-Arabian mares. In addition, some breeders used different terminology to distinguish horses bred in
1440-544: The Kellogg Ranch. In this period, Lady Wentworth also sold horses to Australia, Brazil, Holland and Portugal. Nonetheless, the Depression years resulted in the birth of many fine horses, including Sharima, Indian Gold, Indian Crown, and Sharfina. During World War II , Lady Wentworth's aunt, Mary Lovelace, died, leaving a large fortune. This inheritance was much needed and marked the end of the financial problems which had been
1500-464: The Sheykh of Gomussa and his cousin in the summer of 1878; and a chestnut mare named Rodania. All three have left many descendants. Through their connections among the tribes, the Blunts also heard of a celebrated grey stallion. They sent a trusted friend, Zeyd Saad el Muteyri, to buy him; the horse was named Azrek, and became an influential sire. The Blunt family (and to include one generation prior, that of
1560-414: The Stud to its manager, Geoffrey Covey, but as he predeceased her by a few days it passed to his son Cecil. (The Queen Anne house itself passed to Lady Wentworth's daughter Lady Winifred Tryon, who sold it; today, it is an office block and its royal tennis court has been restored.) Fortunately, Cecil Covey had inherited some other land. Only by selling land and nearly half of the 75 horses was he able to pay
1620-407: The United States. Between thefts and sales of horses at Newbuildings, many horses of the original Blunt breeding program were lost to Crabbet. In turn, Judith and her children forcibly took her favorite mare, Riyala, from Wilfrid's stable, and purchased back many horses from their new owners. A protracted lawsuit ensued between Wilfred and both his granddaughters' trustee and his daughter. Eventually
1680-466: The backyard of the single horse owner, on rugged wilderness terrain, or at the highest levels of national performance competition. Stud farm A stud farm or stud in animal husbandry is an establishment for selective breeding of livestock . The word " stud " comes from the Old English stod meaning "herd of horses, place where horses are kept for breeding". Historically, documentation of
1740-440: The breedings that occur on a stud farm leads to the development of a stud book . Male animals made available for breeding to outside female animals are said to be "standing at stud", or at "stud service", referencing the relatively high probability that they are kept at a stud farm. The word stud is often restricted to larger domesticated (especially farm) animals, such as cattle and horses . A specialized vocabulary exists for
1800-514: The camps of Faris, a prince of the Anazzah tribe; Ferhan and other Bedouin leaders. Wilfrid became the blood brother of Faris. On a subsequent trip in 1881 the couple reached the heart of the Najd in what is now Saudi Arabia. Among the horses the Blunts acquired on these journeys were the bay filly Dajania, purchased on Christmas Day in 1877; a dark bay mare eventually named Queen of Sheba , purchased from
1860-414: The courts ruled against him. At one point, after Wilfred had shot seven more horses, the trustee obtained an injunction to prevent the sale or destruction of any more animals. In 1921, the court declared that Wilfrid's seizure of horses was illegal, and that even the deed of partition was invalid, having been signed by Lady Anne "under duress". Judith was able to buy out her daughters' share in the estate from
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1920-678: The desert and imported to Poland from the descendants of those horses bred in Poland, with translation issues leading some English language researchers to argue that second and third generation Polish-bred purebred Arabians were not actually purebred. For these reasons, some people argued that his dam was not asil . However, research of Jaskoulka's pedigree shows that her sire Rymnik and her dam Epopeja (also spelled Epopeia or Epopya) both traced to Abbas Pasha horses. Nonetheless, due to this controversy, some private breeders' organizations, such as Al Khamsa , exclude descendants of Skowronek. Crabbet's peak year
1980-551: The entire Crabbet property, Judith and her mother were estranged at the time and thus Lady Anne's share of the Crabbet Stud passed to Judith's daughters, under the oversight of an independent trustee. This angered Wilfrid and a lawsuit soon followed. Ownership of the Arabian horses went back and forth between the estates of father and daughter in the following years. Wilfrid sold a number of horses in his control, mostly to pay off debts. Some animals were later repurchased by Judith, though she
2040-458: The evolution of local horses. Stud farms which kept a herd of mares in addition to stallions were dubbed "Principal" Studs. State-owned stallions were made accessible with low or no stud fees . Germany is most famous for its Principal and State Studs, which have been instrumental in the shaping of the German riding horses and several breeds of German cold bloods. The Hanoverian is associated with
2100-491: The female animal, thus reducing or eliminating the need for animals to travel. A stud manager or "stud master" is an individual responsible for an employer's breeding stock. The term is usually used for individuals working with dogs or horses . It is usually applied regardless of gender. The stud manager typically suggests desired matings to the owner, and arranges for the same, whether in-house or by contract with animals standing at stud, approves and arranges matings to
2160-486: The first time, the Crabbet sires were open to outside breeders. In early 1970, however, Covey learned that the government planned to build the M23 motorway connecting South London with Gatwick Airport and Brighton. The motorway eventually bisected Crabbet Park, and, having lost most of the horse pastures to development, in 1972 Covey reluctantly sold off the last of the Stud. Today the western half of Crabbet Park and Burleys Wood,
2220-444: The hot sun without shade or water, and many died. Further, Wilfrid Blunt had no experience of horse breeding and believed that Arabians should live in "desert conditions" - that is, with little food or shelter provided. Lady Anne disagreed, but she was not able to demonstrate the superiority of her methods of horse management until the Blunts separated in 1906. In that year, Wilfrid's mistress, Dorothy Carleton, moved in with him, and
2280-464: The land. At least 90% of all Arabian horses alive today trace their pedigrees in one or more lines to Crabbet horses such as Mesaoud and Skowronek . Many major Arabian sires worldwide show a strong Crabbet influence in their bloodlines. Polish and Russian bloodlines have a Crabbet influence through the Skowronek son and Mesaoud grandson Naseem , and his son Negatiw (or Negativ). Mesaoud himself
2340-427: The last minute, the export was cancelled and Lady Wentworth suddenly was the owner of Skowronek. Clark was a rival Arabian breeder, and Lady Wentworth may have used the agent as a front; concerned that if Clark had known she was interested, he might have increased the price - or refused to sell the horse at all. Clark was not happy with the result, and the two breeders had a somewhat cool relationship after she purchased
2400-615: The original Rottaler horse. The oldest stud farm in Europe still in existence today is the Mews of Einsiedeln Abbey (1064) in Switzerland where Einsiedler horses are bred. A state stud farm ( German : Landgestüt , French : Haras ) is one owned by the government. The first state studs were ordered by Louis XIV of France in 1665. The purpose of the state studs was to make high-quality horses available to local breeders and farmers to accelerate
2460-468: The owner of the Crabbet Arabian Stud from 1917 to 1957, her influence on Arabian horse breeding was profound, with over 90 per cent of all Arabian horses in the world today carrying lines to Crabbet bloodstock in their pedigrees. Judith was the only surviving child of the poet Wilfrid Scawen Blunt and his wife, Lady Anne , a daughter of William King-Noel, 1st Earl of Lovelace , and his wife,
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2520-410: The owner of the female brings the animal to the stud farm for breeding, sometimes leaving her there for over a month to be sure that pregnancy has occurred. However, with the invention of artificial insemination and the ability to ship semen, combined with the availability of DNA testing for parentage verification, many breed registries allow semen to be shipped from the stud farm to the location of
2580-483: The owner's animals at stud requested by outsiders, and keeps all records, including notifying the appropriate animal registries . In a European large or formal household the "Stud Master" or manager may be a permanent title and position; in this case this individual is often responsible for overseeing the maintenance of the stables and kennels as well. Most large stud farms have a full-time individual assigned to stallion management, but many stud managers have either
2640-598: The renowned mathematician Ada Lovelace . Therefore, she was also the great-granddaughter of Lord Byron . Judith spent most of her childhood in Egypt and other parts of the Middle East while her parents travelled to purchase Arabian horses for their Crabbet Arabian Stud back in England and their Sheykh Obeyd stud in Cairo. Thus, the family was familiar with middle eastern culture and spoke fluent Arabic and Turkish . On 2 February 1899, Judith married Neville Stephen Lytton ,
2700-427: The stallion and used him as a model for several bronzes, then sold him to Webb Wares, who used him as a hack , and eventually sold him to H. V. Musgrave Clark, where he was shown and used at stud for the first time, coming to the attention of Lady Wentworth. Lady Wentworth bought Skowronek under circumstances that remain a bit confusing even today. Clark believed he was selling the horse to an American exporter, but at
2760-585: The stallion. While Count Potocki apparently found Skowronek unimpressive as a colt, having sold him to Winans for 150 pounds, the gray became a spectacular stallion and was named "Horse of the Century". Lady Wentworth later turned down an offer of $ 250,000 from the Tersk Stud , and bragged that she once received a cable "from the Antipodes" addressed to "Skowronek, England." The outcross of the Crabbet stock with Skowronek
2820-513: The stallions Kasmeyn, Sotamm, and Hamran, as well as the mares Bint Riyala and Bint Rissala. She also sold a number of horses to Spain's Duke of Veragua , including five Skowronek daughters. In 1925 the Crabbet Stud was visited by Annie Henrietta Yule (1874-1950) and her only child Gladys Meryl Yule (1903-1957). They were extremely wealthy women from an Anglo-Indian merchant family, and on settling in England had decided to turn their home at Hanstead Park into an Arabian stud farm. This visit began
2880-448: The stud farm. Doing so provides an outside source of revenue to a stud farm via the stud fees paid to obtain the services of the stud animal as well as contributing to the overall genetic diversity of the animal's offspring. At state stud farms, stud service is not only a source of income, but due to the high standards set for breeding animals, has an overall effect of improving the quality of animals throughout an area. In most cases,
2940-552: The stud until her death. The stud was sold up in 1971, but its bloodlines continue to influence the breed worldwide in the 21st century. The Blunts' Arabian journeys are described in Lady Anne's books Bedouin Tribes of the Euphrates and A Pilgrimage to Nejd , based on her journals, though heavily edited by Wilfrid. In the winter of 1877/1878 they left Aleppo for what is now Iraq and reached
3000-433: The stud, with soldiers billeted in the house and even in some of the horse boxes. After the war, she purchased the stallions Raktha and Oran, and produced other significant breeding stock including Sharima, Silver Fire, Indian Gold, and Nisreen. By the time of her death in 1957 at the age of 84, she owned 75 horses, noted for their height, excellent movement and regal carriage. Lady Wentworth died on 8 August 1957. She left
3060-660: The studs of other animals, such as kennel (dog), cattery (cat) and aviary (birds). During the Middle Ages , stud farms were often managed as part of a monastery . At the time, few people apart from monks could read and write, and so they were charged with the responsibility of recording pedigrees . The Carthusian monks are famous for their role in breeding the Andalusian horse in Spain , while monasteries in Bavaria were responsible for
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#17330857991093120-511: The time of her death, the Wentworth title also passed to him. Her daughter, Lady Anne Lytton, later provided valuable historical recollections of the horses and practices of the Crabbet Stud . One of Britain's other important collections of Arab horses was Hanstead Stud , also run by a mother and daughter, Annie Henrietta Yule and Gladys Meryl Yule. The former died in 1950 and the latter within
3180-410: The trustee, who was anxious to liquidate the assets. Upon Wilfrid's death in 1922, Judith bought Caxtons Farm from her father's executors and finally reunited the entire stud. Lady Wentworth had an unhappy marriage, divorcing in 1923. Upon the death of Lady Anne Blunt in 1917, she obtained her mother's title, and became the 16th Baroness Wentworth. (The Wentworth title, one of the oldest in England,
3240-686: The youngest son of the Earl of Lytton . The marriage took place in Cairo; when they returned to England, they moved into a house in the grounds of her parents' estate, Crabbet Park , near Crawley , filled with relics of Judith's great-grandfather, Lord Byron . The couple had three children: Noel Anthony Scawen (1900–1985), Anne (later known as Lady Anne Lytton) (1901–1979) and Winifred (later known as Lady Winifrid Tryon) (1904–1985). The couple became estranged, and divorced in 1923. Neville soon remarried, but Lady Wentworth never did, focusing on managing Crabbet Park until her death. In 1904, Judith's father turned over
3300-583: Was 1929, when over 30 mares were bred. But as the Great Depression deepened, it affected Crabbet Park, with Lady Wentworth only breeding 8 foals in 1932, and 2 foals in 1933. To reduce the size of the herd, she made major sales in 1936 to the Tersk Stud of the Soviet Union , selling 25 horses, including the beautiful Skowronek son Naseem. The stud's financial picture also improved by selling 3 more horses to
3360-474: Was Rafyk, who was imported, along with two Crabbet mares , in 1891. Today, Australia now has a significant number of "pure" Crabbet lines, undiluted by infusions from other sources, with possibly the highest percentage of straight-and high-percentage Crabbet blood in the world. A small number of Arabian horse breeders continue to produce preservation or "straight" Crabbet bloodlines, with all animals produced descending in every line from horses bred or purchased by
3420-488: Was extremely successful, and the resulting animals not only sold throughout England but were exported to Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Israel, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, Poland, South Africa, Spain, Russia and the USA. Lady Wentworth herself was satisfied that Skowronek was a purebred (or asil ) Arabian, tracing his pedigree and strain to several reliable desert sources. In
3480-550: Was her outcross of the Blunt bloodstock to Skowronek . Lady Wentworth knew that she needed additional horses to outcross on descendants of her parents' original bloodstock. Therefore, she added the chestnut stallion Dargee, and her most famous purchase, the gray stallion Skowronek . The English painter Walter Winans bought Skowronek from Count Josef Potocki's Antoniny Stud in Poland , where he had been foaled in 1909. Winans rode
3540-424: Was sold to Russia in 1903. Spanish bloodlines have a Crabbet influence through the stallion Nana Sahib and others. Even major historic "Egyptian-bred" sires such as Nazeer trace to Mesaoud through his Crabbet-bred grandson, Sotamm. The Crabbet-owned stallion Raktha, sire of Serafix , was exported to South Africa in 1951, along with several other Crabbet horses. The first Crabbet stallion imported to Australia
3600-567: Was unable to recover others, especially those exported to the United States. The lawsuit was eventually settled in favour of the granddaughters and Judith. Between her own pre-existing ownership and the shares of the estate she purchased from the trustee for her daughters, Judith retained control of the Stud, though she had to overcome considerable financial difficulties. Judith was also a well known and respected breeder of English Toy Spaniels (or King Charles Spaniels as they were known in England), and
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