Craver Farms visit

I just went to heaven and back. This past weekend I took the family to Craver Farms for a visit with Charles and Jeanne (shamefully, my first in six years), and the horses. We also saw Alice Martin, Nancy Becker, Kirby Drennan and their horses, who are wonderful. I took some pics, but Kirby took the only non-horse picture (below).

The absolute highlight of the trip, other than seeing my horses and especially the new ones, were the two hours I was able to spend with Charles and Jeanne helping put together the slides projector and watching some video footage of the horses at Craver Farms from 1958 up to 1961. Priceless images, and priceless moments, with Charles and Jeanne commenting on the footage.

I saw a total of 50 minutes of footage of Tripoli and many of the early horses, some of them preceding the Davenport “Second Foundation”: Arabesque (Rouf x Koreish by Alcazar); her fillies Byzantia (by Garaff), Tizzy and Josephine and her son Tristram (impressive), all by Tripoli; the wonderful 100% Blunt mare Ringlet Astralis x Rudeyna by Daoud), who unfortunately did not produce there; and of course the Second Foundation mares Dharebah (breathtaking, a desert-type mare) Dharanah, Tara and Dhalana; Antan and her son Sutan (by Subani); Asara (so powerfully built); and the first Second Foundation offspring Aramis, Oberon, Portia and Alaska (all Tripoli x Dhalana); Prince Hal, Sir, Janan Abinoam (all Tripoli x Dharebah); Fairy Queen (Tripoli x Dharanah);  Culpurnia (Tripoli x Tara), etc.  [Just go to the Al Khamsa Roster and look up all these horses if you want].

The icing on the cake was some original video footage which Charles had taken of Gulastra (Astraled x Gulnare) at 30+ years old at Bazey Tankersley’s in Washington, DC.  My head has been swirling with images of all these horses ever since.

Watch out, lots of photos coming.

10 Replies to “Craver Farms visit”

  1. That Gulastra footage was in California at Howard Marks’ place, I think. The clip of Gulastra at Al-Marah was when he was a bit older, and had been shipped to Maryland for breeding. And that footage had been clipped out of the movie. I have got to find that!

  2. Thanks for posting the photo, like seeing history visual.
    Generations of looks, and remarks. Edouard and his family
    visiting, today’s energy and hopes with the hard works of a family devoted to the Bedouins Horse, the Cravers. Their years of research published, and generations of horses.

    Not really concerned with what the world reflects as to monetary results. Yet aware, of years dedicated to what was and is important to the needs of their interest, the horse of the Bedouin. Listen well, Edouard and Family, what is silent, could fill many.

    May the future you now have reward yet another future.
    You have touched a part of history, awareness is the understanding.

    Thanks for sharing, Jackson

  3. I am dying to see old footage like that. Jeanne, I think you mentioned years ago that they would be available for us all to see. I know Ed Skinner talked about the footage too …

  4. We do have, but it is in storage right now. I will try to remember to look for it and scan something in.

  5. Is there any breeding of these horses still available?
    I have been searching for these bl lines for Timbuktu Ranch s
    mall breeding program
    Thank u Desiree

  6. I do have some movies and stills of Byzantia, but lost track of this request. Apologies!

    I am making a note of this as a reminder. My email is mowarda at gmail.

  7. It has been a while so I thought I would send a reminder for the picture of Byzantia. How did the show go

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