On the Cover: Windella Silver Sensation

Continuing our look back at previous cover stars with The Arabian Magazine, we share Windella Silver Sensation who was graced the front of the magazine in September 2006 as part of our coverage of the British National Championships. As such, this amazing mare did not have her own story in this issue but I have shared below something written by her owner, Heather Brown, for the magazine in October 2006. Windella Silver Sensation is from the Silver Fire line, which features in depth in the spring 2021 edition of The Arabian Breeders’ Magazine – you can buy a copy over on The Arabian Magazine Shop.  

Silver Fire was sired by Naseem, a most famous and influential son of Skowronek and was out of Somra, grand­daughter of orig­inal import Sobha. Silver Fire was of exquisite type and was said to be Lady Wentworth’s pers­onal favourite. She founded a dynasty in her own right, the ‘Silver’ line, though she was 17-years old before the birth of her most outstanding daughter, Silver Gilt, dam to five British National Champions including Silver Vanity – said by many to be the most beautiful stallion bred at Crabbet, exported to Al Marah, USA – and Silver Grey, who herself was three times British National Champion, Princess Muna Winner and dam to the incomparable Silver Sheen. The Crabbet era was drawing to a close, Iona Bowring acquired Silver Sheen and ensured the future of this line. Silver Shimmer, prob­ably Silver Sheen’s best daughter, was bought by Sheila Stump of Australia and exported in foal to the young El Shaklan The result was a beautiful filly, Silver Glint, she was to be a dam of champions.

Windella Silver Sensation

‘Like minds think alike’, and Peter Hall of Fairview Arabians, Australia, had also noticed the young El Shaklan and set about buying himself a mare specifically to breed to him. He found Sascha, at the state stud of Marbach, Germany. A beautiful mare with huge eyes and of mainly Egyptian and Polish bloodlines, she was sent to Lodge Farm to be bred in early 1978. At the International Show at Ascot, it was discovered that not only was Sascha not in foal but was also in season. She was infamously covered by the new International Champion whilst still wearing his champion­ship ribbons. The result was a pretty chestnut colt with huge eyes, Amir El Shaklan. Amir matured into a gorgeous short coupled and sweet natured stallion, the epitome of real type and quality, taking 23 supreme championships before, at the age of five, he broke his tail and was unable to be shown again. The gauntlet was passed onto his children and they certainly succeeded. Siring 14  Australian National Champions, eight Reserves and over 240 ‘A’ class show winners, he has become a living legend.

Windella Silver Sensation on her way to the British National Championship title

Silver Glint and Amir were bred a few years later, the result was Windella Silver Fascination, acclaimed by many breeders and judges world-wide to be one of the best mares in the world, and of course is a National Champion. The next challenge was to find a suitable outcross. After much consideration SK Shakla Khan was purchased from the USA. A chestnut stallion by Sanadik El Shaklan, with a  beautiful head and neck, and a great topline, he was a perfect complement to the exquisite Amir daughters.

The pedigree of Shakla Khan’s dam, Sun King Raindrop, is like a Who’s Who of the very best Crabbet exports to the US, being mainly of Kellogg/Selby (Raffles) blood lines with a bit of Davenport thrown in for good measure. Shakla Khan is two times Australian National Champion – Reserve and has sired to eight Australian National Champions and five Reserves. Windella Silver Fascination was bred to Shakla Khan and in 1993 her first and finest foal to date was born, a stunning filly called Windella Silver Sensation.

Windella Silver Sensation

Windella Silver Sensation is 38% Crabbet with 34 crosses to Skowronek, she has 3 crosses to El Shaklan and 6 crosses to Nazeer. Her pedigree is impeccable and her female tail line is incredible. Silver Sensation is one of only two mares in Australia to win both the coveted titles of Australian National Champion Filly and Australian National Champion Mare, the other is her ¾ sister Shakla’s Silver Dream. Sensation was also East Coast Champion twice and remains unbeaten in Australia. Sensation is not a mare of extremes other than of extreme balance. She combines timeless beauty with correctness, an extremely sweet nature with free flowing movement, is beyond fashion and fads, and quite simply represents true classical type.

We are extremely privileged to have acquired such a mare for our breeding program. We hope that along with our International Champion stallion, Psyche’s Spirit (by Padron’s Psyche), they will begin a dynasty of their own in the UK.

This image of Windella Silver Sensation made the front cover

All photography www.sweetphotography.com

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