Your Quest: Page I

Your Quest

a catalog of horses at Craver Farms

used by permission of Charles & Jeanne Craver

Charles & Jeanne Craver

Rt 2 Box 262

Winchester Il 62694

(217) 742-3415

email

Page 1

DAVENPORT ARABIAN HORSES

Davenport Arabian horses started in 1906 when an American, Homer Davenport, imported Arabian horses directly from Arabia to add to his colection of such horses derived from the Hamidie Hippodrome Society importation. He personally went to Árabia to get the horses. His trip was jointly sponsored by the President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, and the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Abdul Hamid II. Thanks to this extraordinary backing, Davenport was able to get 27 Bedouin-bed horses.

According to usage among American Arabian horse breeders dating at least to the 1920's, horses which are registered by the Arabian Horse Club Registry of America as imported by Homer Davenport in 1906 and those of their descendants which do not trace to any other source are called "Davenport Arabians."

Since 1906, Davenport Arabians have continued to exist as a specialized group without elements of outside breeding. Their primary value is in the physical kind of Arabian horses their pedigrees cause them to be. These horses are still much like the desert -bon animals from which they descend: modeate-sized, fine-skinned, athletic, friendly horses which look like the Arabians they are. They are successful in almost all of the usages of Arabian horses in our society: for personal pleasure, dressage, jumping, western riding, endurance, showing or as companions. They are able to reproduce their own types when bred to each other. They have special value for crossing with other good bloodlines.

For people who are fascinated by the history of Arabian breeding. Davenport Arabians trace wtih unique closeness to asil stock of the Arabian peninsula of the time when Bedouin riders used such horses as a part of normal life.

In essentials, Davenport horses are a uniform type of Arabian horse, but within the parameters of their uniformity, there are important differences between them. These diffeences have their origins in differrences which existed in the foundation horses with which the bloodline began, reflecting variations acccording to the individuality of Bedouin Arabian horses. At Craver Farms we prize these continuing variations as examples of the richness of the desert heritage transmitted through our horses.

Pedigrees in this catalog accord with the studbooks of the Arabian Horse Registry of America. At present, research on horse breeding by newly developing DNA techniques is in process. It is not known how this will impinge upon Davenport bloodlines, but it is possible that many aspects of Arabian beeding, including the Davenports, will be affected. Any major change in how the horses are bred or registered is unlikely.

CATALOG LISTINGS

This catalog lists 124 Davenport horses at Craver Farms. This is the largest collection of Davenport Arabians anywhere. It contains the major breeding groups of the bloodline, and presents individuals which are as fine as the bloodline is able to produce.

Craver Farms horses are bred according to generally accepted principles of Arabian horse breeding as to selection and pedigree study. To this is added attention to strain breeding practices which are uniquely useful with the Davenport bloodlines. In addition, breeding of horses is guided by constant experience in their use under saddle. We are greatly helped in breeding and handling these horses by over forty years of experience with the bloodlines. The person who wants a desert-type Arabian which looks like an Arabian is supposed to look will probably find it in this catalog.

We always have Davenport horses for sale. Horses are offered on an "as is' basis with no warrantees unstated in their sales contracts. We reserve the right to change our offering of horses for sale at any time, to alter prices prior to sale, or to decline sale to any person at our discretion. Usually we are able to provide time-sale privileges. Additionally, part of our function is to furnish service for Davenport owners, whether they purchase from us or elsewhere. We find that practically every sale requires some level of follow-up assistance to the new owner.