Phoenix's geneology

When I adopted my horses, I wanted to know as much about each individual as possible. Phoenix came with Arabian Horse Association papers, the only registered member of my herd (as far as I know--Jazzy could be registered, I suppose). Sired by Shalimar Caravan out of Rushcreek Gracie, Praire Park Gerri was bred for endurance or ranch work. I love following a pedigree in pictures, so I will do my best to present some of her better-known ancestors.

Shalimar Caravan (Shalimar Caribou x Shalimar Collette)

For anyone familiar with Arabian breeding, the Shalimar program focused on linebred Raffles horses. Raffles was bred by Lady Wentworth at the Crabbet Stud in England and imported to the U.S. by Roger Selby in 1932.

Raffles (Skowronek x Rifala)

Raffles himself was inbred, the product of a father (Skowronek)-daughter (Rifala) mating.

Skowronek (Ibrahim x Jaskolka)

Rifala (Skowronek x Rissla)

Lady Wentworth purchased Skowronek from Poland to introduce fresh blood into her breeding program.

Dr. Bill Munson established Shalimar Farms based on Raffles lines. One of his favorite niche crosses consisted of breeding daughters of Garaff (by Raffles) to Orbit.

Bill Munson and Garaff (Raffles x Woengran)

Orbit was the product of the mating of a Raffles son and a Raffles daughter, each of whom had an additional cross to Raffles on the dam's side of their pedigrees.

Orbit (Rafferty (by Raffles) x Raffleeta (by Raffles))

Another prominent sire in Phoenix's pedigree is the Orbit son Winraff. He was also routinely crossed on Garaff daughters.

Winraff (Orbit x Shalimar Wingida)

One of Bill Munson's favorite horses of all time was the mare Collette. Collette bred to Garaff produced Shalimar Colletta, Phoenix's great granddam on both sides of her sire's pedigree.

Bill Munson and Collette (Rapture (by Raffles) x Cassandra (by Raffles))

Shalimar Colletta was in turn bred to Winraff and the Winraff son Silver-SP-Winefti to produce Phoenix's grandsire and granddam, respectively, on her sire's side.

Unfortunately I don't have a picture of Phoenix's dam, Rushcreek Gracie. She came from a similar breeding program, using primarily Shalimar stock with a touch of Al-Marah bloodlines as well. Arabians were used to work cattle at Rush Creek until employees were allowed to furnish their own horses in 2006. These days Rush Creek hosts endurance competitions and sells the purebred Arabians bred at the ranch.

The beautiful stallion Sandarac Sanraven stood at Rush Creek for many years. He was Phoenix's damsire.

Sandarac Sanraven (Sandarac Sanpiper x Shalimar Bestgida (by Orbit))

Sandarac Sanraven resulted from the cross of Sandarac Sanpiper with the Orbit daughter Shalimar Bestgida (another Garaff granddaughter).

Sandarac Sanpiper (Shalimar Tarde x Shalimar Mitseeah (by Orbit))

Sandarac Sanpiper's sire Shalimar Tarde was high percentage Skowronek bred, tracing back to both Raffles and Raseyn (another Skowronek son) multiple times.

Shalimar Tarde (Rasan x Rose of Raswan (by Raffles))

Now that I've truly lost you by throwing out a gazillion names, I'll come back to the little red mare I used to own. Phoenix has several full siblings somewhere out there. I found pictures of one, Praire Park Gwen.

Praire Park Gwen (Shalimar Caravan x Rushcreek Gracie)

Phoenix also has at least one (most likely many more) 3/4 sister, JH Desert Breeze. Bree shares the same sire and damsire.

JH Desert Breeze (Shalimar Caravan x Praire Park Glenda (?) (by Sandarac Sanraven))

All of these generations of careful selection and concentrated breeding resulted in the birth on March 4, 1999, of the solid red filly with a large star in the center of her forehead. I'll go into the story of her life at a later time :-)

Praire Park Gerri, aka Phoenix