The Cameo Stud


¤ News ¤ History ¤ Pedigrees ¤ Sale List ¤ Stallions ¤ Pure Crabbet Horses ¤ Foundation Mares ¤ Contact	Quality Crabbet Arabian Horses The Cameo Stud History 1973 - 2OO3: The First 3O Years! Today our approximately 5O Arabian horses [and one Thoroughbred] are strip-grazed together in large groups of all ages on irrigated pasture we have planted for them, and on stubble from our crops. On our Darling Downs farm which chiefly produces cotton and lucerne in summer, and grain in winter, this is the most sensible way of managing them, and it contributes greatly to their herd manners, growth, temperament and common sense. They have room to move and run, and nothing much is demanded of them until they are brought in to be broken-in in their fourth year, although we systematically have the young ones in the yards in small groups being taught the "basics" such as leading, tying-up, loading on floats and being in a stable. Worming and hoof-trimming starts when they are babies of course. The horses are treated as an integral part of the farm [albeit a part which is filled with individuals we love and treasure!] turning off strong, 15 hand or thereabouts mares and geldings which Ken breaks to saddle in preparation for endurance or show performance careers. As well, a small proportion of young fillies which are not needed to keep our "families" going in the breeding programme, are sold to show and breeding homes. We have many visitors to the Stud annually. Our chief attraction is our fine collection of representatives of the Crabbet Silver family. Basically our horses carry Dargee and Skowronek blood in their male lines, and Silver Fire blood in their female lines. We have adopted a disciplined approach to our breeding, in order to produce consistency, and have kept the female base fairly narrow, while adding some very interesting males to the mix, mostly capturing some of the precious Skowronek blood that was available to us in this country, while the chief proponents of it were still alive! We have to thank such wonderful old stallions such as TAFADIN [Ramadan/Tafileh], his son TRISTRAM MANBALOU [Tafadin/Abelya] and SAMIRI [Stefan/Tamarisk], who all spent time with us in the early days, for the beautiful group of broodmares we have today. We also had the great athlete and character MUSTAFA [Hadban Enzahi/Masarrah] for almost two seasons on lease from the late David Kemp, and still have his daughter CAMEO FAIRYTALE. The Beginning The Cameo Stud officially began when Ken and I married in 1973. I had loved Arabians since my teens, when I was a great fan of the Bostocks stallions Count Manilla* and Crystal Fire* and the QAC stallions Silver Moonlight, Spindrift, Grand Royal* and Mahif. I also loved Argent [Silwan/Silver Magic] and his dam, Silver Moonlight´s full-sister SILVER MAGIC. Ken came from a long line of horsemen, including his father and grandfather, and he is an excellent rider who instils boldness and confidence in our young horses. The first foal to wear a "Cameo" prefix, a Partbred colt CAMEO SKYE by Spindrift was foaled that same year, and our first Purebred foal, a colt named TAMARIND [Royal Domino/Ashal] arrived in 1974. His dam ASHAL [Rikash/Tiffal by Crystal Fire] was a big-striding, wonderful broodmare which my friend Marion Sharman sold me on time-payment so that I could begin my dream of having an Arabian Stud. In those days [197O] there were far fewer Purebred Arabians around than there are today, so starting off with the sort of quality and bloodlines I wanted was not easy. Ashal proved to be an exceptional and trouble-free broodmare with 11 foals for us, and then she went on to help start another Stud. We still have an interest in her daughter CAMEO SOMERSET [by Somerled] who will foal this year to Cedardell Zanzibar. However our ideas had started to crystallize around the idea of the Skowronek and Silver Fire lines. This was only re-inforced when, in 1978 we were able to see some of the great Studs of Europe for ourselves, and to drool over the likes of Bandos and the beautiful Negatiw mares in Poland, Jacio and Uzacur in Spain, and the Naborr son Argos in England. We also found in England more than enough excellent Crabbet horses to inspire us in our aim of having a top Crabbet stud in Australia. We needed to acquire mares with the bloodlines we wanted close-up in their pedigrees - Silwan, Silver Moonlight, Stefan, Silver Magic, Argent and Morocco for instance - which meant we had to take a chance on some very old mares [Coralie´s Geriatrics!] We drew up a "wish list" in 1974 and it is interesting to look back at it now and see what we managed to put together when you consider that most of the mares on the list were really not available for sale! Amazingly though, in time we owned HAMOONETTE [Silver Moonlight/Hammamet], ELECTRA MOON [Silver Moonlight/Electrimel], DEIRDRE [Grand Royal/Silver Magic], LEONORA* [Iridos/Leonie], MOROCCAN MOON [Morocco/Moonsprite], and DONNETTA [Argent/Madonna]. We later leased JADARA [Argent/Miraya], BELBOWRIE STEFANILLA [Stefan/Minilla] and TROPIC FIONA [Silwan/Tropic Jewel]. The touch of Argos blood did not come until much later, but it too was eventually laid in place as our "little bit of Polish" in an otherwise Crabbet breeding programme. The Very Best Start Silwan* [Dargee/Silwa] himself once spent 24 hours on our farm when he had been purchased in Rockhampton by Pam and John Roydhouse and was en route to his new home at "Chip Chase Park". He was the epitome of all that we loved with his short strong body, strong hindquarter, well-shaped neck and beautiful short head with its large eyes. His pedigree with its Skowronek/Dargee mix was perfect. By that time we already owned the stallion which would put the "floor" in our stud, Silwan´s* grandson CHIP CHASE DESERT WIND [Cherokee Mecca/Chip Chase Desert Joul]. I saw him at a sale in 1976 and just HAD to have him. In both phenotype and genotype he was exactly what we wanted in a stallion. I was lucky and we "got him for a song" [which Pam has never let us forget!] because she had bred a stack of colts that year, but his arrival and subsequent huge success as a breeding horse meant that we started at the top in breeding terms, as well as having the perfect young sire for our elderly mares, which were never easy to get in foal. Hamoonette, Deirdre, Electra Moon and Leonora were all paddocked with him at various stages and taught him his manners really well! Daughters like THE CAMEO MAGNOLIAA, CAMEO NEW MOON and CAMEO ALLEGRA were the result. We could not have bought better-quality broodmares to begin with, and we are now working with THEIR daughters and grand-daughters. We bought Chip Chase Desert Wind ["Windy"] when he was 11 months of age, and he is now in his 29th year! He was shown extensively for 8 years from 1976 to 1983, started off under saddle for us by Erica and RM Williams´ daughter Mary, and then ridden almost exclusively by Tom and Marion Sharman´s daughter Kathy who had some great wins with him. He took blue ribbons and Championships at all the major Shows of his day - Brisbane Royal, the Challenge, Toowoomba Royal, Beenleigh Five-Breeds, the National Stud Horse and Pony Show - and was Supreme Exhibit at the Arabian Valley Show in 198O. Under Kathy´s guidance, and with a lot of help from Felicity Mitchell-Barnes and Trevor Bonney, "Windy" also won his Snaffle Bit Maturity and had numerous wins in Stallion Under Saddle, Side-saddle, Costume and Western Classes. He won the first Costume Class at Brisbane Royal in the days when Arabians were really "big" at the Royal. He was retired from showing after the 1983 Australian Arabian Championships at Ipswich where he was Reserve Champion in Side-saddle and Costume, and Top Ten in Stallion Saddle and Western. By that time his handsome bay son SHERWIN WINDFRO [from Fairway Operetta] who won the first of his Australian Top Tens in Stallion Halter at that Show, and his pretty grey daughter CAMEO WINDSPRITE [from Hamoonette´s daughter Kalila] who went Top Ten Mare at that Show, were big winners for him so there was no need for him to continue. Instead he was very popular at Stud with over 2O visiting mares some years, and he has sired well over 2OO foals. There have been so many successful progeny of "Windy" that it´s hard to know where to start. Sherwin Windfro took another Top Ten in Halter Stallions at the 1984 Australian Championships in Sydney, and then gelded and with a new owner, he took another Australian Top Ten as a Gelding. At the same time he was having a successful new challenge as a dressage horse. He is still owned by the same person who bought him from us and is now over 2O years of age! We bred 15 foals by him. The best-known is probably the big grey gelding BAIAAME [from Ronina] a multi Australian Champion and Baskhan Sash winner. Others were Australian Champion Western Horse and Australian Stockhorse CAMEO CROWN PRINCE [from Kalila] and handsome chestnut stallion [sire of top endurance horses] ROBALI MEDALLION [from Jadara]. We retained a daughter CAMEO WINDCHYME [from Kalila]. Cameo Windsprite was a huge winner both in halter and performance. Kathy Sharman rode her to many of her wins as did Judy Robertson, and she was a lovely harness horse too. She unfortunately foundered after breeding just a few foals for Barry and Lorraine Beattie, but we did lease back "Spritie´s" full-sister CAMEO BEWITCHING from her owner Ruth Porter, and her tall, handsome grey son CAMEO WARLOCK [by Cedardell Zanzibar] is owned by Gheerulla Stables. Apart from Sherwin Windfro, the big bay Pure Crabbet mare FAIRWAY OPERETTA [Sindh/Rosileta] has six foals for us by "Windy". Among them were the mare WINDSSTAR who went on to be an Australian Champion in Performance for Sue Burgess, CAMEO WINDPIPER who became New Zealand National Champion Mare for Jacquie Webby, and the stallion CAMEO OLYMPIADE who was also a big winner for Jacquie and sire of memorable Anglos before being gelded and sold to a loving saddle home in New Zealand. CAMEO WINDERMERE was exported to the United Arab Emirates for an endurance and breeding career, while the gelding CAMEO WINDFAERER came late to endurance with a novice rider and recently completed the Windorah Desert Challenge. We retained the dark bary full-sister CAMEO WISHING WIND and also Operetta´s last precious Pure Crabbet filly CAMEO TOSCA [by Royalund Sparkling Silver] who is in foal to Arfaja Haluj [Rasham/Persareh]. At one stage we were showing Sherwin Windfro and a beautiful bay filly with four flashing white stockings, NIGHTSHADE [CCDW/Oxford Gay], for her owner Peter Wright. The two were virtually unbeatable at the big Shows. Nightshade went on to be the dam of the multi-Champion stallion SHADOWY NIGHT. Tom and Esme Davis were also breeding their old mare ARABELLA [Argent/Tarney] to "Windy". She had 1O foals to this mating, one of them the chocolate bay FAIRYMOUNT DESERTBELLE who was judged Supreme at one of the "A" Class Shows here and then exported to the United States by the judge, Paul Husband. There she was bred many times to his parents´ horse, the great Khemosabi. [In 1984, when they were in Australia for the WAHO Conference, Paul´s mother Ruth Husband had told us that our bay CCDW progeny were very similar to that of their stallion Khemosabi. Naturally we were thrilled to hear this!] We have retained one [chestnut] daughter of Arabella, FAIRYMOUNT DESERT GOLD who is breeding beautifully to Cedardell Zanzibar. Some of "Windy´s" other stars were beautiful bay EJAY NGAIRE [from the Ruberto mare Santarabia Asfur] another Australian Top Ten Mare and dam of the stallion NAMATJIRA, as well as her two full-sisters EJAY NGAIO and EJAY NGARLA [now in New Zealand]. Then there was the striking golden-maned chestnut multi-Champion Colt CHARMARIAN RAISULI [from Ruberto mare Santarabia Nafis] who tragically died young, a top performance gelding WINDJAMMER, a "Nationals" Champion Gelding TRYSTAN FIREWIND, the look-alike bay stallion WANAMARA TASANNUM, Jill McCartney´s DRUMLIN WINDCHESTER [now our much-loved family gelding], and many, many more. We kept many daughters, but only one colt, ROBALI DARGEELING [CCDW/Jadara] with his brilliant Bostocks female lines, which we leased to our friends Max and Anne Denney in Tasmania. We then made the difficult decision to sell DJ to Jane Lovell who loves him dearly and wanted to do Level 3 Parelli work with him. Occasionally he goes out to a Show and has done exceptionally well at halter. We retained services to him. "Windy" is still breeding for us so we have a full spectrum from weanlings to 2O-year-olds by him. Among the 2OO2 babies were the "keepers" - Cameo Ezmerelda´s gorgeous daughter CAMEO ELVIRA, and a stunning bay Anglo colt CAMEO PROSPERO [a full-brother to GINGER BLOSSOM, THE WIZARD OF CANTERBURY, SOPHISTICATED LADY, THE SALAMANDER [NZ] and AURORA AUSTRALIS [NZ]. We have always bred a few Anglos and have had an Australian Champion Gelding, EYE OF THE WIND. "Windy" has also sired quite a few beautiful winning Arabian Ponies, like Bob Burgess´ BRACKNELL BABY DOLL and BRACKNELL DESERT CHARM. The Mares HAMOONETTE was a mare we coveted from the time we first saw her at Santarabia Stud in the 197O´s. She came here from Bill Riley´s stud in 1982 but sadly she didn´t ever breed for us, despite our best efforts. Ironically her family is now the largest in the Stud, courtesy of her two daughters KALILA and MALIKA II [both by Santarabia Karim who was a son of the mgnificent Santarabia Alusuf] whom we bought from Bill Riley. We owned Kalila, and loved her dearly for 14 years, during which she had 13 foals! We still have three daughters of Kalila - CAMEO WITCHERY [by Tafadin], CAMEO FAIRYTALE [by Mustafa] and CAMEO WINDCHYME [by Sherwin Windfro] and they are the most superb and consistent broodmares one could wish for. Among Kalila´s other foals were Australian Champion Western Horse CAMEO CROWN PRINCE [by Sherwin Windfro], Australian Top Ten Mare CAMEO WINDSPRITE [by "Windy"], and a great sire for Sahala Arabians CAMEO THE WIZARD [by Tafadin]. Malika II was not so prolific with 8 foals, but we retained her most exquisite daughter THE CAMEO FAWN [by Samiri]. She has two daughters here - CAMEO FREYA [by "Windy"] and CAMEO LOUIZIANNA [by Cedardell Zanzibar]. DEIRDRE, tall, reachy, athletic and a real aristocrat, came to us in 1978 from the deceased estate of Mrs Marjorie Allen [who bred the famous BOOMERANG MUSKATEER and his brothers from her]. She was by then a difficult breeder but we eventually had two fillies from her in successive years - the Pure Crabbet THE CAMEO ROSE by Samiri and our top broodmare THE CAMEO MAGNOLIAA [by "Windy"] in 1981. "Rosie" was owned by Joan Flynn and then by Peter Butler of Cairns, while the gorgeous Magnoliaa, our favourite mare of all, was a brilliant show filly and has bred up a storm for us, sending some great young horses into the endurance field. CAMEO LIONHEART [by Cedardell Zanzibar] was exported to the UAE where he has been successful both there and in Europe. CAMEO VIRGINIAA [by Cameo The Wizard] owned by Gheerulla Stables, CAMEO CRUISE [by Royalund Sparkling Silver] owned by Donna Renaud, and CAMEO ZINNIAA [by Cedardell Zanzibar] managed by Bob Sample, are all seasoned endurance horses. CAMEO APASSIONATAA [by Cedardell Zanzibar] is owned by endurance rider Jo Hamilton-Branigan. CAMEO AZALEAA [by Zanzibar, and half-owned by Tanya and Jeff Trevarthen] completed the Canowindra Quilty this year. She has since been sold to Toft Endurance for their own team. CAMEO PRIMULAA [by Hanorr] has been retained by us as a broodmare, while a 2OO2 filly CAMEO FELICIAA will no doubt do us all proud when her turn comes. The Zanzibar ones have the two most strong-willed grand-dams in the business, Deirdre and Zaria, so it´s no wonder they are tough competitors! Wonderful old ELECTRA MOON, one of the founding mares of Bob Pilgrim´s Stud, came to us when she was 23 years old. She produced her one precious filly for us, CAMEO NEW MOON [by "Windy"] in 1985. "Mouse" as she was known [it referred to her colour, not her spirit!], bred a string of colts but they included the exceptional gelding CAMEO ZAIRE [by Zanzibar] sold to the UAE where he was Best-Conditioned Horse in the 1998 World Equestrian Games Endurance Ride. A full-brother CAMEO MOONLIGHTING also went to the Emirates, while a half-brother CAMEO SUMATRA [by Royalund Sparkling Silver] was sold to a Sydney endurance rider. We have retained a really stunning daughter CAMEO MOONSYLPH [by Royalund Sparkling Silver] as a broodmare, as well as a lovely Zanzibar daughter CAMEO MARITZKA. The Pure Crabbet FAIRWAY OPERETTA, statuesque, bay, and I believe the second-finest Sindh mare after Perfection, was a great stalwart of the Stud, with all her bay beauties by "Windy". We have retained one of these - CAMEO WISHING WIND - as well as a Pure Crabbet daughter by Royalund Sparkling Silver - CAMEO TOSCA - and the granddaughter CAMEO WINDCHYME. Beryl Landsberg of Rockhampton had bred her Pure Crabbet mare Tropic Jewel [who is by one of Grey Coronet´s precious few sons Grey Mist] to Silwan for 4 fillies in all while he was at Cherokee Stud. We were lucky enough to lease the youngest, TROPIC FIONA for most of her adult life. She was probably the tallest Silwan* mare ever, and was a real lady, an excellent broodmare and really lovely mare. We bred a Pure Crabbet daughter CAMEO SILVER SKY [by Somerled] and the very classy CAMEO FIFINELLA [by Coolmunda Toccara, a Bremervale Destiny son]. We retained both of these, and now have a promising bay son of Fifinella, CAMEO ZHIVAGO[by Cedardell Zanzibar] with his first foals due in 2OO3. When Rokeby Stud was dispersing, Mrs Nancy Wyatt gave me a grand old imported mare LEONORA* [Iridos by Irex/Leonie] whom I´d admired for years. She quickly gave us three fillies by "Windy" from which we picked the exceptional CAMEO ALLEGRA to keep. A free spirit like her dam, she is breeding equally well with Cedardell Zanzibar and Royalund Sparkling Silver. Her spectacular chestnut colt CAMEO MARSELLAIZE was sold to Philip and Michelle Ross. MOROCCAN MOON, a very great lady, came to us in her old age from Mary Ferrari in Victoria. She was very beautiful with huge eyes and exceptional movement. She bred three lovely daughters - CAMEO MOONMINX [by "Windy"] who went to Jill McCartney, CAMEO MERRIE MOON [by Royalund Sparkling Silver] owned by Judy Ward, and our own CAMEO EZMERELDA [by Cedardell Zanzibar] over 15 hands, bold by nature, and quite beautiful in type, who has bred a very good filly CAMEO ELVIRA [by "Windy"] and is about to have her first endurance ride with Ken. All our foundation mares have left us now, most in their very late 2O´s. They all had good straight legs with large, strong joints and good-sized hooves. Most had very long forearms and very short cannons - characteristics very dear to our hearts. Their daughters therefore tend to have all these traits AND beautiful short dished heads with large eyes as well! "As ye sow so shall ye reap." Newer Families I first met Joan Flynn more than 15 years ago, when she rang me to see whether her father´s stallion SOMERLED who was by Baz from Silver Radiance, would be of any interest to Arabian breeders? After I had picked myself up off the floor we started talking, the long-term result being a very close friendship with the bonus of the mutual admiration of a wonderful breeding stallion who very nearly might have been passed over. We have shared mares back and forth between our two studs, till we now have a breeding group of four exceptional Somerled mares - CAMEO SILVER SKY, CAMEO SOMERTYME, CAMEO SOMERSET and CEDARDELL ZANARRA [Zanzibar´s full-sister]. Until recently we also leased the Pure Crabbet mares PURE SILVER and SIMPLY SILVER. Part of this story belongs to our [now] senior stallion CEDARDELL ZANZIBAR [by Somerled]. His dam Zaria* [Argos/Zahri by Dargee] is one of the most exciting mares ever imported to Australia - tall, elegant and feisty with the quality to breed a top colt. We first owned her son CEDARDELL ZARWAN by Silwan, but fell in love with Zanzibar as a foal, and swapped Zarwan back for Zanzibar with their breeder Arthur Ross. Ken showed Zaria when she went Australian Top Ten at the age of 17 years in 1983. She was giving away 1O years to all the others but she had been an exceptional show mare in England too before her importation. Zanzibar is 15´2 hands tall, a great moving horse with a beautiful neck and head, and plenty of hindquarter. His offspring have been "discovered" in recent years by the endurance riders, particularly those looking for a combination of the tall, the bold and the athletic. This has taken the stud off in a different and interesting direction as we were rather jaded with showing after twenty years of it. Zanzibar´s pedigree is saturated with Skowronek blood, close-up Dargee and Electric Silver, and he is just a superb breeding horse. His foals are bold and free-moving, and they definitely have an opinion! We are breeding with his eldest daughters now, and have retained his son CAMEO ZHIVAGO [from Cameo Fifinella]. His best endurance horses have been from the "Windy" daughters, with that Cherokee Mecca blood kicking in there as well. Some years ago when we felt we should look around for another source of Skowronek and Silver Fire blood that we hadn´t yet tapped, we found a Greylight grandson ROYALUND SPARKLING SILVER [Al Borg Jarim/Fenwick Silver Serenade]. He has the most magnificent head and throatline, like the Skowronek bronze by Miss Stevens, a very short body and long, floating trot. He also has an amazing standing heartrate and recovery, and is a most laid-back character. We share him with Peter Butler of Cairns. He spends a year-about with each of us. His eldest son CAMEO CRUISE [from The Cameo Magnoliaa] is a very consistent endurance completer for Donna Renaud who also owns another "Sparky" endurance gelding WILDHAVEN SHADOW WEAVER. "Sparky´s" eldest daughter CAMEO TOSCA is in foal to the Rasham son Arfaja Haluj, a vivid chestnut stallion we love and plan to incorporate into our breeding program. Our home-bred Pure Crabbet stallion HALLELUJAH [Arfaja Haluj/Fenwick Ramara] is owned with Joan Flynn. His first foal for us CAMEO SILVER HALO [from Pure Silver] is quite outstanding. Our Stud, 3O years along, is consolidating in a very satisfying way. As we achieve some of our earlier goals, we raise the bar again and try harder. We are now committed to breeding some of our own future stallions, and have made a start with HALLELUJAH, CAMEO ZHIVAGO and our promising bay/brown Anglo CAMEO PROSPERO. We haven´t entirely turned our backs on the showring, but we are enjoying our connection with the sport of endurance, even if we haven´t the time to do more than start our young prospects along their way, and then cheer them on. The "Gordon Greys" ["the best horses in the world are grey"], are getting harder and harder to tell apart, which means we have a consistent group, one of the benefits of close breeding. We plan to put a little more Crystal Fire* blood into the mix now, and to keep our minds open to innovation in our breeding programme, as long as it does not compromise our goal of breeding beautiful athletes with true Arabian type. We remain committed to our magnificent Crabbet horses, our Pure Crabbet breeding programme being a complementary and parallel band within our larger predominantly Crabbet Stud. CORALIE GORDON 2OO3. < < < Back
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Quality Crabbet Arabian Horses

The Cameo Stud History

1973 - 2OO3: The First 3O Years!

Today our approximately 5O Arabian horses [and one Thoroughbred] are strip-grazed together in large groups of all ages on irrigated pasture we have planted for them, and on stubble from our crops. On our Darling Downs farm which chiefly produces cotton and lucerne in summer, and grain in winter, this is the most sensible way of managing them, and it contributes greatly to their herd manners, growth, temperament and common sense. They have room to move and run, and nothing much is demanded of them until they are brought in to be broken-in in their fourth year, although we systematically have the young ones in the yards in small groups being taught the "basics" such as leading, tying-up, loading on floats and being in a stable. Worming and hoof-trimming starts when they are babies of course.

The horses are treated as an integral part of the farm [albeit a part which is filled with individuals we love and treasure!] turning off strong, 15 hand or thereabouts mares and geldings which Ken breaks to saddle in preparation for endurance or show performance careers. As well, a small proportion of young fillies which are not needed to keep our "families" going in the breeding programme, are sold to show and breeding homes.

We have many visitors to the Stud annually. Our chief attraction is our fine collection of representatives of the Crabbet Silver family. Basically our horses carry Dargee and Skowronek blood in their male lines, and Silver Fire blood in their female lines. We have adopted a disciplined approach to our breeding, in order to produce consistency, and have kept the female base fairly narrow, while adding some very interesting males to the mix, mostly capturing some of the precious Skowronek blood that was available to us in this country, while the chief proponents of it were still alive! We have to thank such wonderful old stallions such as TAFADIN [Ramadan/Tafileh], his son TRISTRAM MANBALOU [Tafadin/Abelya] and SAMIRI [Stefan*/Tamarisk], who all spent time with us in the early days, for the beautiful group of broodmares we have today. We also had the great athlete and character MUSTAFA* [Hadban Enzahi/Masarrah] for almost two seasons on lease from the late David Kemp, and still have his daughter CAMEO FAIRYTALE.

The Beginning

The Cameo Stud officially began when Ken and I married in 1973. I had loved Arabians since my teens, when I was a great fan of the Bostocks stallions Count Manilla* and Crystal Fire* and the QAC stallions Silver Moonlight*, Spindrift*, Grand Royal* and Mahif*. I also loved Argent [Silwan*/Silver Magic*] and his dam, Silver Moonlight´s* full-sister SILVER MAGIC*. Ken came from a long line of horsemen, including his father and grandfather, and he is an excellent rider who instils boldness and confidence in our young horses.

The first foal to wear a "Cameo" prefix, a Partbred colt CAMEO SKYE by Spindrift* was foaled that same year, and our first Purebred foal, a colt named TAMARIND [Royal Domino*/Ashal] arrived in 1974. His dam ASHAL [Rikash/Tiffal by Crystal Fire*] was a big-striding, wonderful broodmare which my friend Marion Sharman sold me on time-payment so that I could begin my dream of having an Arabian Stud. In those days [197O] there were far fewer Purebred Arabians around than there are today, so starting off with the sort of quality and bloodlines I wanted was not easy. Ashal proved to be an exceptional and trouble-free broodmare with 11 foals for us, and then she went on to help start another Stud. We still have an interest in her daughter CAMEO SOMERSET [by Somerled] who will foal this year to Cedardell Zanzibar.

However our ideas had started to crystallize around the idea of the Skowronek and Silver Fire lines. This was only re-inforced when, in 1978 we were able to see some of the great Studs of Europe for ourselves, and to drool over the likes of Bandos and the beautiful Negatiw mares in Poland, Jacio and Uzacur in Spain, and the Naborr son Argos in England. We also found in England more than enough excellent Crabbet horses to inspire us in our aim of having a top Crabbet stud in Australia. We needed to acquire mares with the bloodlines we wanted close-up in their pedigrees - Silwan*, Silver Moonlight*, Stefan*, Silver Magic*, Argent and Morocco for instance - which meant we had to take a chance on some very old mares [Coralie´s Geriatrics!] We drew up a "wish list" in 1974 and it is interesting to look back at it now and see what we managed to put together when you consider that most of the mares on the list were really not available for sale!

Amazingly though, in time we owned HAMOONETTE [Silver Moonlight*/Hammamet], ELECTRA MOON [Silver Moonlight*/Electrimel], DEIRDRE [Grand Royal*/Silver Magic*], LEONORA* [Iridos/Leonie], MOROCCAN MOON [Morocco/Moonsprite], and DONNETTA [Argent/Madonna]. We later leased JADARA [Argent/Miraya], BELBOWRIE STEFANILLA [Stefan*/Minilla] and TROPIC FIONA [Silwan*/Tropic Jewel]. The touch of Argos blood did not come until much later, but it too was eventually laid in place as our "little bit of Polish" in an otherwise Crabbet breeding programme.

The Very Best Start

Silwan* [Dargee/Silwa] himself once spent 24 hours on our farm when he had been purchased in Rockhampton by Pam and John Roydhouse and was en route to his new home at "Chip Chase Park". He was the epitome of all that we loved with his short strong body, strong hindquarter, well-shaped neck and beautiful short head with its large eyes. His pedigree with its Skowronek/Dargee mix was perfect. By that time we already owned the stallion which would put the "floor" in our stud, Silwan´s* grandson CHIP CHASE DESERT WIND [Cherokee Mecca/Chip Chase Desert Joul]. I saw him at a sale in 1976 and just HAD to have him. In both phenotype and genotype he was exactly what we wanted in a stallion. I was lucky and we "got him for a song" [which Pam has never let us forget!] because she had bred a stack of colts that year, but his arrival and subsequent huge success as a breeding horse meant that we started at the top in breeding terms, as well as having the perfect young sire for our elderly mares, which were never easy to get in foal. Hamoonette, Deirdre, Electra Moon and Leonora were all paddocked with him at various stages and taught him his manners really well! Daughters like THE CAMEO MAGNOLIAA, CAMEO NEW MOON and CAMEO ALLEGRA were the result. We could not have bought better-quality broodmares to begin with, and we are now working with THEIR daughters and grand-daughters.

We bought Chip Chase Desert Wind ["Windy"] when he was 11 months of age, and he is now in his 29th year! He was shown extensively for 8 years from 1976 to 1983, started off under saddle for us by Erica and RM Williams´ daughter Mary, and then ridden almost exclusively by Tom and Marion Sharman´s daughter Kathy who had some great wins with him. He took blue ribbons and Championships at all the major Shows of his day - Brisbane Royal, the Challenge, Toowoomba Royal, Beenleigh Five-Breeds, the National Stud Horse and Pony Show - and was Supreme Exhibit at the Arabian Valley Show in 198O. Under Kathy´s guidance, and with a lot of help from Felicity Mitchell-Barnes and Trevor Bonney, "Windy" also won his Snaffle Bit Maturity and had numerous wins in Stallion Under Saddle, Side-saddle, Costume and Western Classes. He won the first Costume Class at Brisbane Royal in the days when Arabians were really "big" at the Royal. He was retired from showing after the 1983 Australian Arabian Championships at Ipswich where he was Reserve Champion in Side-saddle and Costume, and Top Ten in Stallion Saddle and Western. By that time his handsome bay son SHERWIN WINDFRO [from Fairway Operetta] who won the first of his Australian Top Tens in Stallion Halter at that Show, and his pretty grey daughter CAMEO WINDSPRITE [from Hamoonette´s daughter Kalila] who went Top Ten Mare at that Show, were big winners for him so there was no need for him to continue. Instead he was very popular at Stud with over 2O visiting mares some years, and he has sired well over 2OO foals.

There have been so many successful progeny of "Windy" that it´s hard to know where to start. Sherwin Windfro took another Top Ten in Halter Stallions at the 1984 Australian Championships in Sydney, and then gelded and with a new owner, he took another Australian Top Ten as a Gelding. At the same time he was having a successful new challenge as a dressage horse. He is still owned by the same person who bought him from us and is now over 2O years of age! We bred 15 foals by him. The best-known is probably the big grey gelding BAIAAME [from Ronina] a multi Australian Champion and Baskhan Sash winner. Others were Australian Champion Western Horse and Australian Stockhorse CAMEO CROWN PRINCE [from Kalila] and handsome chestnut stallion [sire of top endurance horses] ROBALI MEDALLION [from Jadara]. We retained a daughter CAMEO WINDCHYME [from Kalila].

Cameo Windsprite was a huge winner both in halter and performance. Kathy Sharman rode her to many of her wins as did Judy Robertson, and she was a lovely harness horse too. She unfortunately foundered after breeding just a few foals for Barry and Lorraine Beattie, but we did lease back "Spritie´s" full-sister CAMEO BEWITCHING from her owner Ruth Porter, and her tall, handsome grey son CAMEO WARLOCK [by Cedardell Zanzibar] is owned by Gheerulla Stables.

Apart from Sherwin Windfro, the big bay Pure Crabbet mare FAIRWAY OPERETTA [Sindh*/Rosileta] has six foals for us by "Windy". Among them were the mare WINDSSTAR who went on to be an Australian Champion in Performance for Sue Burgess, CAMEO WINDPIPER who became New Zealand National Champion Mare for Jacquie Webby, and the stallion CAMEO OLYMPIADE who was also a big winner for Jacquie and sire of memorable Anglos before being gelded and sold to a loving saddle home in New Zealand. CAMEO WINDERMERE was exported to the United Arab Emirates for an endurance and breeding career, while the gelding CAMEO WINDFAERER came late to endurance with a novice rider and recently completed the Windorah Desert Challenge. We retained the dark bary full-sister CAMEO WISHING WIND and also Operetta´s last precious Pure Crabbet filly CAMEO TOSCA [by Royalund Sparkling Silver] who is in foal to Arfaja Haluj [Rasham/Persareh].

At one stage we were showing Sherwin Windfro and a beautiful bay filly with four flashing white stockings, NIGHTSHADE [CCDW/Oxford Gay], for her owner Peter Wright. The two were virtually unbeatable at the big Shows. Nightshade went on to be the dam of the multi-Champion stallion SHADOWY NIGHT. Tom and Esme Davis were also breeding their old mare ARABELLA [Argent/Tarney] to "Windy". She had 1O foals to this mating, one of them the chocolate bay FAIRYMOUNT DESERTBELLE who was judged Supreme at one of the "A" Class Shows here and then exported to the United States by the judge, Paul Husband. There she was bred many times to his parents´ horse, the great Khemosabi. [In 1984, when they were in Australia for the WAHO Conference, Paul´s mother Ruth Husband had told us that our bay CCDW progeny were very similar to that of their stallion Khemosabi. Naturally we were thrilled to hear this!] We have retained one [chestnut] daughter of Arabella, FAIRYMOUNT DESERT GOLD who is breeding beautifully to Cedardell Zanzibar.

Some of "Windy´s" other stars were beautiful bay EJAY NGAIRE [from the Ruberto mare Santarabia Asfur] another Australian Top Ten Mare and dam of the stallion NAMATJIRA, as well as her two full-sisters EJAY NGAIO and EJAY NGARLA [now in New Zealand]. Then there was the striking golden-maned chestnut multi-Champion Colt CHARMARIAN RAISULI [from Ruberto mare Santarabia Nafis] who tragically died young, a top performance gelding WINDJAMMER, a "Nationals" Champion Gelding TRYSTAN FIREWIND, the look-alike bay stallion WANAMARA TASANNUM, Jill McCartney´s DRUMLIN WINDCHESTER [now our much-loved family gelding], and many, many more. We kept many daughters, but only one colt, ROBALI DARGEELING [CCDW/Jadara] with his brilliant Bostocks female lines, which we leased to our friends Max and Anne Denney in Tasmania. We then made the difficult decision to sell DJ to Jane Lovell who loves him dearly and wanted to do Level 3 Parelli work with him. Occasionally he goes out to a Show and has done exceptionally well at halter. We retained services to him.

"Windy" is still breeding for us so we have a full spectrum from weanlings to 2O-year-olds by him. Among the 2OO2 babies were the "keepers" - Cameo Ezmerelda´s gorgeous daughter CAMEO ELVIRA, and a stunning bay Anglo colt CAMEO PROSPERO [a full-brother to GINGER BLOSSOM, THE WIZARD OF CANTERBURY, SOPHISTICATED LADY, THE SALAMANDER [NZ] and AURORA AUSTRALIS [NZ]. We have always bred a few Anglos and have had an Australian Champion Gelding, EYE OF THE WIND. "Windy" has also sired quite a few beautiful winning Arabian Ponies, like Bob Burgess´ BRACKNELL BABY DOLL and BRACKNELL DESERT CHARM.

The Mares

HAMOONETTE was a mare we coveted from the time we first saw her at Santarabia Stud in the 197O´s. She came here from Bill Riley´s stud in 1982 but sadly she didn´t ever breed for us, despite our best efforts. Ironically her family is now the largest in the Stud, courtesy of her two daughters KALILA and MALIKA II [both by Santarabia Karim who was a son of the mgnificent Santarabia Alusuf] whom we bought from Bill Riley. We owned Kalila, and loved her dearly for 14 years, during which she had 13 foals! We still have three daughters of Kalila - CAMEO WITCHERY [by Tafadin], CAMEO FAIRYTALE [by Mustafa*] and CAMEO WINDCHYME [by Sherwin Windfro] and they are the most superb and consistent broodmares one could wish for. Among Kalila´s other foals were Australian Champion Western Horse CAMEO CROWN PRINCE [by Sherwin Windfro], Australian Top Ten Mare CAMEO WINDSPRITE [by "Windy"], and a great sire for Sahala Arabians CAMEO THE WIZARD [by Tafadin]. Malika II was not so prolific with 8 foals, but we retained her most exquisite daughter THE CAMEO FAWN [by Samiri]. She has two daughters here - CAMEO FREYA [by "Windy"] and CAMEO LOUIZIANNA [by Cedardell Zanzibar].

DEIRDRE, tall, reachy, athletic and a real aristocrat, came to us in 1978 from the deceased estate of Mrs Marjorie Allen [who bred the famous BOOMERANG MUSKATEER and his brothers from her]. She was by then a difficult breeder but we eventually had two fillies from her in successive years - the Pure Crabbet THE CAMEO ROSE by Samiri and our top broodmare THE CAMEO MAGNOLIAA [by "Windy"] in 1981. "Rosie" was owned by Joan Flynn and then by Peter Butler of Cairns, while the gorgeous Magnoliaa, our favourite mare of all, was a brilliant show filly and has bred up a storm for us, sending some great young horses into the endurance field. CAMEO LIONHEART [by Cedardell Zanzibar] was exported to the UAE where he has been successful both there and in Europe. CAMEO VIRGINIAA [by Cameo The Wizard] owned by Gheerulla Stables, CAMEO CRUISE [by Royalund Sparkling Silver] owned by Donna Renaud, and CAMEO ZINNIAA [by Cedardell Zanzibar] managed by Bob Sample, are all seasoned endurance horses. CAMEO APASSIONATAA [by Cedardell Zanzibar] is owned by endurance rider Jo Hamilton-Branigan. CAMEO AZALEAA [by Zanzibar, and half-owned by Tanya and Jeff Trevarthen] completed the Canowindra Quilty this year. She has since been sold to Toft Endurance for their own team. CAMEO PRIMULAA [by Hanorr] has been retained by us as a broodmare, while a 2OO2 filly CAMEO FELICIAA will no doubt do us all proud when her turn comes. The Zanzibar ones have the two most strong-willed grand-dams in the business, Deirdre and Zaria*, so it´s no wonder they are tough competitors!

Wonderful old ELECTRA MOON, one of the founding mares of Bob Pilgrim´s Stud, came to us when she was 23 years old. She produced her one precious filly for us, CAMEO NEW MOON [by "Windy"] in 1985. "Mouse" as she was known [it referred to her colour, not her spirit!], bred a string of colts but they included the exceptional gelding CAMEO ZAIRE [by Zanzibar] sold to the UAE where he was Best-Conditioned Horse in the 1998 World Equestrian Games Endurance Ride. A full-brother CAMEO MOONLIGHTING also went to the Emirates, while a half-brother CAMEO SUMATRA [by Royalund Sparkling Silver] was sold to a Sydney endurance rider. We have retained a really stunning daughter CAMEO MOONSYLPH [by Royalund Sparkling Silver] as a broodmare, as well as a lovely Zanzibar daughter CAMEO MARITZKA.

The Pure Crabbet FAIRWAY OPERETTA, statuesque, bay, and I believe the second-finest Sindh* mare after Perfection, was a great stalwart of the Stud, with all her bay beauties by "Windy". We have retained one of these - CAMEO WISHING WIND - as well as a Pure Crabbet daughter by Royalund Sparkling Silver - CAMEO TOSCA - and the granddaughter CAMEO WINDCHYME.

Beryl Landsberg of Rockhampton had bred her Pure Crabbet mare Tropic Jewel [who is by one of Grey Coronet*´s precious few sons Grey Mist] to Silwan* for 4 fillies in all while he was at Cherokee Stud. We were lucky enough to lease the youngest, TROPIC FIONA for most of her adult life. She was probably the tallest Silwan* mare ever, and was a real lady, an excellent broodmare and really lovely mare. We bred a Pure Crabbet daughter CAMEO SILVER SKY [by Somerled] and the very classy CAMEO FIFINELLA [by Coolmunda Toccara, a Bremervale Destiny son]. We retained both of these, and now have a promising bay son of Fifinella, CAMEO ZHIVAGO[by Cedardell Zanzibar] with his first foals due in 2OO3.

When Rokeby Stud was dispersing, Mrs Nancy Wyatt gave me a grand old imported mare LEONORA* [Iridos by Irex/Leonie] whom I´d admired for years. She quickly gave us three fillies by "Windy" from which we picked the exceptional CAMEO ALLEGRA to keep. A free spirit like her dam, she is breeding equally well with Cedardell Zanzibar and Royalund Sparkling Silver. Her spectacular chestnut colt CAMEO MARSELLAIZE was sold to Philip and Michelle Ross.

MOROCCAN MOON, a very great lady, came to us in her old age from Mary Ferrari in Victoria. She was very beautiful with huge eyes and exceptional movement. She bred three lovely daughters - CAMEO MOONMINX [by "Windy"] who went to Jill McCartney, CAMEO MERRIE MOON [by Royalund Sparkling Silver] owned by Judy Ward, and our own CAMEO EZMERELDA [by Cedardell Zanzibar] over 15 hands, bold by nature, and quite beautiful in type, who has bred a very good filly CAMEO ELVIRA [by "Windy"] and is about to have her first endurance ride with Ken.

All our foundation mares have left us now, most in their very late 2O´s. They all had good straight legs with large, strong joints and good-sized hooves. Most had very long forearms and very short cannons - characteristics very dear to our hearts. Their daughters therefore tend to have all these traits AND beautiful short dished heads with large eyes as well! "As ye sow so shall ye reap."

Newer Families

I first met Joan Flynn more than 15 years ago, when she rang me to see whether her father´s stallion SOMERLED who was by Baz from Silver Radiance, would be of any interest to Arabian breeders? After I had picked myself up off the floor we started talking, the long-term result being a very close friendship with the bonus of the mutual admiration of a wonderful breeding stallion who very nearly might have been passed over. We have shared mares back and forth between our two studs, till we now have a breeding group of four exceptional Somerled mares - CAMEO SILVER SKY, CAMEO SOMERTYME, CAMEO SOMERSET and CEDARDELL ZANARRA [Zanzibar´s full-sister]. Until recently we also leased the Pure Crabbet mares PURE SILVER and SIMPLY SILVER.

Part of this story belongs to our [now] senior stallion CEDARDELL ZANZIBAR [by Somerled]. His dam Zaria* [Argos/Zahri by Dargee] is one of the most exciting mares ever imported to Australia - tall, elegant and feisty with the quality to breed a top colt. We first owned her son CEDARDELL ZARWAN by Silwan*, but fell in love with Zanzibar as a foal, and swapped Zarwan back for Zanzibar with their breeder Arthur Ross. Ken showed Zaria* when she went Australian Top Ten at the age of 17 years in 1983. She was giving away 1O years to all the others but she had been an exceptional show mare in England too before her importation. Zanzibar is 15´2 hands tall, a great moving horse with a beautiful neck and head, and plenty of hindquarter. His offspring have been "discovered" in recent years by the endurance riders, particularly those looking for a combination of the tall, the bold and the athletic. This has taken the stud off in a different and interesting direction as we were rather jaded with showing after twenty years of it.

Zanzibar´s pedigree is saturated with Skowronek blood, close-up Dargee and Electric Silver*, and he is just a superb breeding horse. His foals are bold and free-moving, and they definitely have an opinion! We are breeding with his eldest daughters now, and have retained his son CAMEO ZHIVAGO [from Cameo Fifinella]. His best endurance horses have been from the "Windy" daughters, with that Cherokee Mecca blood kicking in there as well.

Some years ago when we felt we should look around for another source of Skowronek and Silver Fire blood that we hadn´t yet tapped, we found a Greylight* grandson ROYALUND SPARKLING SILVER [Al Borg Jarim/Fenwick Silver Serenade]. He has the most magnificent head and throatline, like the Skowronek bronze by Miss Stevens, a very short body and long, floating trot. He also has an amazing standing heartrate and recovery, and is a most laid-back character. We share him with Peter Butler of Cairns. He spends a year-about with each of us. His eldest son CAMEO CRUISE [from The Cameo Magnoliaa] is a very consistent endurance completer for Donna Renaud who also owns another "Sparky" endurance gelding WILDHAVEN SHADOW WEAVER. "Sparky´s" eldest daughter CAMEO TOSCA is in foal to the Rasham son Arfaja Haluj, a vivid chestnut stallion we love and plan to incorporate into our breeding program. Our home-bred Pure Crabbet stallion HALLELUJAH [Arfaja Haluj/Fenwick Ramara] is owned with Joan Flynn. His first foal for us CAMEO SILVER HALO [from Pure Silver] is quite outstanding.

Our Stud, 3O years along, is consolidating in a very satisfying way. As we achieve some of our earlier goals, we raise the bar again and try harder. We are now committed to breeding some of our own future stallions, and have made a start with HALLELUJAH, CAMEO ZHIVAGO and our promising bay/brown Anglo CAMEO PROSPERO. We haven´t entirely turned our backs on the showring, but we are enjoying our connection with the sport of endurance, even if we haven´t the time to do more than start our young prospects along their way, and then cheer them on.

The "Gordon Greys" ["the best horses in the world are grey"], are getting harder and harder to tell apart, which means we have a consistent group, one of the benefits of close breeding. We plan to put a little more Crystal Fire* blood into the mix now, and to keep our minds open to innovation in our breeding programme, as long as it does not compromise our goal of breeding beautiful athletes with true Arabian type. We remain committed to our magnificent Crabbet horses, our Pure Crabbet breeding programme being a complementary and parallel band within our larger predominantly Crabbet Stud.

CORALIE GORDON 2OO3.

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