Our Horses & Bloodlines

*Serafix was an imported Arabian Stallion from the Crabbet Stud of England and hailed from an impressive pedigree.  His sire was Raktha, a British Champion in 1948 and sire of numerous champions and National winner producers.  *Serafix’s dam was *Serafina, a highly regarded mare of the Crabbet Stud farm of the post-World War II era.

*Serafix was bought by John Rogers and brought to Walnut Creek, California, in 1954.  The young stallion, homesick for his groom in England, went off feed.  Mr. Rogers resorted to nearly living in the stallion’s stall.  Rogers would feed, groom and feed *Serafix and sleep in his stall between work hours and family commitments to gain his trust.  Time would bond the two together.  From this effort, *Serafix and Mr. Rogers would develop a lifetime friendship.  When Mr. Rogers had to be away on business for weeks at a time, *Serafix would greet him with nickers of joy upon his return.

*Serafix was shown in 1954 at the Cow Palace and at Pomona, California, winning Reserve Champion at both shows.  In 1955, shown by Bob Smith of the Kellogg breeding farm, *Serafix earned Grand Champion and Champion Stallion at Pomona.  In 1957 and 1958 *Serafix was only shown once each year and was pinned Champion Stallion each time.  He was never shown again. *Serafix became best known through his progeny.  Mr. Rogers bred and showed most of his own horses and he states that his biggest and best year of *Serafix’s career was in 1962.  That was the year four of *Serafix’s mares and one of his sons each won a Top Ten Ribbon.  These winnings comprised 1/4th of the 20 Top Ten ribbons of the Estes Park Show.  Of those winnings, there were: Chloette—National Champion Mare; Fixette—Reserve National Champion Mare; Silver Dawn and Starfire were Top Ten Mares; and Royal Magic was a Top Ten Stallion.  Later on, Starfire was lost to hepatitis, but Silver Dawn went on to be twice Reserve Champion Mare, then National Champion Mare.  There were other mares such as, El Malika, SX Genii’s Pride, and Gioia that also showed well.  John Rogers may be the only person who still holds the longest winning record of horses shown at the National level.  He states, “One statistic I kept in mind always, from the first National classes held in 1958 through the Nationals in 1974, was this: a horse of my breeding or ownership, (most of whom were by *Serafix) placed in the Top Ten ribbons at halter in each year.  Only one Top Ten mare in 1975, Overlook Seratifa, was not owned by Mr. Rogers, but was of the Overlook Arabians of Nevada.” (The Arabian Horse, September 1976.)

Raktha was foaled in 1934 at the Hanstead Stud and was purchased by Lady Wentworth in 1939.  Raktha and Indian Gold (sire of *Serafix’s dam *Serafina) were regarded as two of the most important stallions at the Cabbet stud during World War II.  Raktha traces back to Naseem and Skowronek and was an extremely beautiful dark dapple grey, slightly heavy in body but still deserving of the British Champion Stallion Title at age 14 in 1948.  Raktha was regarded as being very different in temperament from his sire Naseem.  Raktha was quiet and easy, a type of horse that was good to take to a show.  This stallion was regarded as one of the very few perfect types of Arabian stallion.  (The Cabbet Arabian Stud, Its History & Influence by Rosemary Archer, Colin Pearson, Cecil Covey).

Raktha is also known for his progeny besides *Serafix, such as his famous sons General Grant out of Lady Yules’ Samsie, and Indian Magic out of Indian Crown.  Famous daughters were Silverlet (out of Silver Gilt) who went to South Africa along with Bint Razeena.  Another daughter, *Silwa, is an American Halter Champion and dam of four champions.  *Silwa produced *Silwara, a dam of four National winners including the Canadian National Champion Stallion Tornado.  Other famous sons include *Silver Drift (full brother to *Serafix) and Indian Magic, a British National Champion Stallion.

*Serafina was foaled in 1945 and was considered one of the great mares that led to the resurgance of the Crabbet Stud after the war. *Serafina’s sire, Indian Gold, was one of Crabbet’s premier stallions.  Lady Wentworth’s breeding program was rooted on the crossing of the Mesaoud and Skowrenek bloodlines whenever possible.  Not all of Lady Wentworth’s stallions were shown to gain notoriety.  Travel was largely by rail and to risk valuable bloodlines to injury or worse was not worth it.  One of those stallions that was not shown was Indian Gold, being a tail male descendent of Skowrenek through *Raswan and Ferhan, this stallion gained his value as a sire through his offspring and particularly through his daughters.  *Serafix was *Serafina’s first foal and *Silver Drift was a full brother, both were sired by Raktha and imported to the United States.  *Serafina was over 15 hands which was felt to be due to several crosses to *Nureddin.  She was a brilliant, iridescent chestnut which she bequeathed to *Serafix.  She had very little white.  A quote out of The Arabian Horse, September 1976, an article by Dick Warner, comments on *Serafina: “She is exceptionally good up front with a very long neck, well joined on; good withers and a typy head.  She is elegant.  She has a deep hip and good legs and a splendid top line.  In short, she is an excellent Arabian mare, with few obvious faults of conformation or type.”

*Serafina was sold in 1960 to Mr. S. G. Bennett of Georgetown, Ontario and foaled *Bright Gold in 1961. Mr. Bennett continued breeding *Serafina on his Arabian farm and she was later purchased by Mr. Paul Brown in 1970.  *Serafina had her last foal in 1972, she lived to be 31 years old and died July 12, 1976.