Aurora Stud features in Crabbet Arabian World's inaugural issue (2011)
Volume 1, issue 1, from 2011
The first edition of the quarterly online magazine Crabbet Arabian World focusing on Crabbet breeding worldwide featured a profile and pictures of the Aurora horses.
Stud Profile:
Lyn Marshall has been breeding Arabian horses in New Zealand since the early 1970s, when the focus was on producing good all-round horses who could perform in a variety of disciplines and she still adheres to this philosophy.
Aurora Stud’s first stallion was the chestnut son of Lysander [*Au], Dellmount Phaeton. He was bought as a weanling in 1974 from the late Brian Ross and was bred on Crabbet and colonial lines - he was out of the Sala mare Adrastea [*Au]. He did it all - competitive trail, gymkhanas, races, cattle work, and trekking and camping, and there was also an occasional hunt and endurance ride - he was a real friend and we lost him at only 19 from liver failure.
There are sadly no purebred descendants of Phaeton remaining at the stud, and none from the first purebred mare, Odette [Waimeha Marendo/Odoweni].
We are still focused on quality riding horses and the purchase of principal stallion, the pure Crabbet Somerled son Silver Omen [*Au], in 2006 has proven to be a masterstroke. Omen was used only lightly in Australia, and few breeders would have been aware of the quality of his progeny and their fabulous movement.
His oldest progeny in New Zealand are three-year-olds. These four - comprising a gelding and three fillies - who will be quietly started this season. They include Aurora Raffeah, the pure Crabbet daughter of Fenwick Regenta [*Au, by Fenwick Phantom], who is the elder sister of the two-year-old Reniah and the stud’s new arrival, Rain Man. Named for the wet weather on the day he was born, Rain Man is a bright and inquisitive young colt, full of beans and very friendly.
Our two-year-olds this season include another pure Crabbet filly, Clouded Moon [iiu Au, by Boomori Finale]. We are eagerly awaiting the arrival of a pure Crabbet half-sibling, by Silver Omen and out of the beautiful Silver Crescent [*Au, by Overdale Farm Magic Silver]. We’re expecting this baby to be a moving machine as Cressie moves like a dream and Omen’s stock have thrilled us with their quality in this area. The temperaments are also wonderful - just like dad’s. Silver Crescent’s grandsire Somer’s Magic was a full brother to Silver Omen.
In the past couple of years the stud has gradually downsized its mare band to include only the two pure Crabbet mares and two warmblood mares. Our pure holsteiner mare produced a colt by Omen just before Christmas. See a picture in the foal galleries
We are eagerly awaiting the first of Omen’s progeny to go under saddle and go onto ridden careers.
The stud is also looking to the future and is looking to source another sire who will cross well with the stud’s fillies.
And the winner is
Arabian colt’s arrival a winner for reader.
(article first published on Horsetalk.co.nz on November 5, 2010)
One of the most anticipated foals of the season has been born at Southland’s Aurora Stud, which breeds pure Crabbet Arabian horses.
The foal’s arrival was the subject of Horsetalk.co.nz’s “Guess the foaling date” competition, in which readers were invited to predict when pure Crabbet mare Fenwick Regenta would foal. The prize was a Wee-Foal-Checker, kindly donated by Dr Keith Henderson at ImmunoResearch.
Regenta produced a colt foal by Silver Omen at 4.18am on the morning of November 5, winning the competition for Auckland reader Sue Paterson, who posted her entry on Facebook. She predicted on October 21 that Reggie would foal on November 5, at 4.03am.
Thirteen contestants chose the correct day, but Sue’s guess was the closest.
Studmaster Lyn Marshall reports that mum and foal are doing well. The colt has been named “Rain Man” because of the drizzly conditions in which he greeted the world. “This is the first rain in quite a few days - I thought she would have to wait for the cooler weather,” Lyn said early this morning.
“Reggie is the perfect broodmare, she is a great mum and foals easily.” She said Rain Man is bay in colour, with two socks and a stocking. “He has an unusual blaze, which comes from his sire, Silver Omen. We’ve had similar blazes in other progeny.”
Competition winner Sue Paterson said: “I never thought I stood a chance when I entered and it was a very lucky guess!”
Sue, a List 4 dressage judge, has “two very spoilt equines”. She competes in dressage with her grey NZ Sport Horse mare, and enjoys hacking and some low-level jumping “to keep us both sane”. Her other horse is a 31-year-old who has been in the family for 16 years.
“I have not bred any horses myself so far but would like to breed from Connie one day. Her conformation is very good and she has the most fantastic temperament,” Sue says.
Rain Man is the first pure Crabbet colt to be born at the stud, and is thought to be the first to be born in New Zealand since the 1980s. Three other pure Crabbets have been born at Aurora in the past three years, with two being full sisters to Rain Man. His birth brings the total of pure Crabbets at the stud to seven.
Pages from the inaugural issue of Crabbet Arabian World.