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*RAFFLES 952
*Raffles 952, foaled in 1926, was imported by Roger Selby in 1932. *Raffles is considered one of the most important stallions ever to come to the United States. His prepotence was due to the fact that he was inbred, a product of his sire, Skowronek put to his own daughter, *Rifala.
Inbreeding often leads to a loss in size, but it also tends to concentrate the best features (and sometimes worse) of an individual. In *Raffles case, he stood 13.3 hands while his dam *Rifala was 13.2. His prepotence to pass on his inbred qualities made him a highly successful sire.
*Rifala was a daughter of Rissla, a chestnut Crabbet broodmare whose success included two sons: the beautiful Irex, and the action sire Rissalix; and her daughter Risslina (granddam of Abu Farwa). Rissla was double Mesaoud and inherited action from her sire *Berk, who was famous for his outstanding trotting ability.
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Skowronek, the sire of *Raffles, was a cornerstone sire of the Arabian breed and considered quite prepotent as a sire. Although Skowronek was bred by Count Jozef Potocki’s Antoniny Stud in Poland, it wasn’t until Lady Wentworth obtained him at age 12 and used him on her Crabbet mares that his breeding reputation was made.
But *Raffles didn't start out as a successful sire, in fact, he was sold from Crabbet Park because he proved sterile. He was still sterile for five years after arriving at Selby’s. It was Mr. Selby's stud manager, Jimmy Dean, who is credited for reviving Raffles fertility at the age of 11, primarily through the use of exercise.
*Raffles sired horses of beauty, particularly in the head, with overall refinement, good movement (some were brilliant movers), and very good dispositions. His get were not usually known for their size, but were many were taller than their sire. Often their one drawback was that they tended to lack defined withers.
*Raffles blood nicked well with many other Arab bloodlines. However in the U.S., there were many breeders who carried on intensely linebreeding *Raffles. Many times *Raffles was put to *Mirage daughters (another Crabbet stallion that was imported by Roger Selby and had enormous influence on the breed), and *Mirage to *Raffles daughters, producing some of the breed’s best quality Arabians.
*Raffles blood is still a very positive influence through pedigrees to this very day. Several well established breeding herds have intense *Raffles bloodlines: Al-Marah Arabians, William Munson’s Shalimar Arabians, Dr. Robert Dryden’s Fable Arabians, and so many more. There is a strong group of Azraff/Ferzon breeders carrying on this cross.
Raffles sired 61 sons and 62 daughters, a total of 123 get. Most of his get had enormous influence themselves in either the show ring or in the breeding barn, and are much too numerous to mention individually. Some of his best known sons are: Geym 2363 (x Rageyma) a very successful son; Indraff 1575 (x *Indaia) the foundation sire for Al-Marah Arabians; Aarief 3717 (x Aarah) a foundation sire for Lasma Arabians; Rasraff 2365 (x *Rasmina) who did well as a stock horse; Sotep 8385 (x Zareyna) a very popular sire; Rapture 3783 (x Rafla); Handeyraff 3940 (x Hanadina); Azraff 5596 (x *Azja IV) one of his best known sons and Tut Ankh Amen 3830 (x *Roda).
Some of his best known daughters are Cassandra 3831 (x Rodetta); My Bonnie Nylon 3832 (x Joharah); Rose Marie 4168 (x Rodetta), Aarafa 2872 (x Aarah), Flaia 3378 (x *Indaia) and Scheraffa 3938 (x Scheherazade).
*Raffles survived a broken leg in 1949 at age 23, and after his recovery, was sold to Alice Payne of Whittier, CA. *Raffles died May 11, 1953 at the age of 27.
I had the privilege of owning the *Raffles granddaughter Mira Raffa, sired by Mraff, a multi-champion park horse son of *Raffles. She was a prolific broodmare, had the bravado bold trot of her sire, and the beautiful white coloring of her grandsire *Raffles. Her disposition was the trademark of many *Raffles horses, sweet, good natured and easy to handle. She was a comfortable ride and produced several wonderful foals for me.
*Raffles, the small inbred son of Skowronek, made a huge contribution to the success of the Arabian breed in this past century.
As you can now see, the Crabbet lines are still very predominant in today’s champions pedigrees, usually in the tail female line. These lines successfully passed qualities of Arabian type and performance. I hope you can now begin to realize the tremendous impact and value of the Crabbet Arabian Stud. These Crabbet Arabians and so many others are the cornerstone of our fine American Arabian heritage.
For further and in-depth history on many of the early Crabbet breeders and influential Crabbet horses, please read back issues of The Crabbet Influence magazine.
Footnotes:1
Archer, Pearson, Covey, The Crabbet Arabian Stud, Its History and Influence (Irthingborough: Alexander Heriot & Co. Ltd, 1994) page 33.
2 Archer, page 33.
3 Carol Mulder, “The W.K. Kellogg Arabians Horse Ranch Part II, Crabbet Background,” The Crabbet Influence in Arabians Today, January-February 1987: page 13.
4 Jim Panek, “Serafix Remembered,” The Crabbet Influence in Arabians Today, March-April 1986.
5 Arlene Magid, “Serafix: Premier Crabbet Broodmare Sire” The Crabbet Influence in Arabians Today, March-April 1986, and, Arlene Magid, “The Sons of Serafix” The Crabbet Influence in Arabians Today, May-June 1986.
6. Archer, page 187
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