MY STORY
It all started in 1993. I lived in North Devon then and my friend said she was looking for an Arab. One day, this rather poor filly yearling arrived. She had come off the moors and hadn't really been handled much. My friend said she was Crabbet and 100% OE. The thought in my head was how can an Arab be English? Her name was Silver Shareen aka 'Misty' (Gerizm 1977 x The New Dawn 1974). Check out her fabulous pedigree on the link.
The plan was to race her and my friend wanted to take her jockey licence. She was backed and ridden on and I had the priveledge of riding her. A lovely floaty trot, light as a feather and good manners....I fell in love with her.
Misty was raced at Larkhill and Wolverhampton where I led her around the parade paddock. She came a very respectful 4th. Her owner did race her, but soon after Misty was retired from racing. By this time she was a gorgeous rose grey and a good 15.1hh.
Misty was sold around 1999 and I never saw her again. She had become my inspiration.
In September 2012 I put a thread up on an Arab forum to try and trace her. Sadly, two months later I lost my 2 1/2 year OE Crabbet, Crystal Flash. I forgot about tracing Misty. I had a project Crabbet to take on, Flashs' 3/4 brother, Crystal Heartbeat. He was 17 months old and had been mistreated...I had work to do.
In March 2013, I got a reply on the forum who knew where Misty was....I had found her! E-mails were exchanged and photos. I was told that Misty had had several foals and now was called La La.
The twist in the story is that I hadn't seen the link to the Romac Stud at that point. I put up a photo on FB of Marino Mirini (Mikeno 1949 x Roshara 1944) one of Daphne's stallions and La La's first owner 'liked' the photo. I was curious why about this particular stallion. La La's present owner commented that Marino Marini was her GS. (Daphne remembers the covering with 'Merrie'.....Marino Marini).
So I had come full circle. All those years ago, one gorgeous OE Crabbet mare in the beautiful Devon countryside, had such an impact on my life. Fate is strange isn't it? ;-)