Sweet Silk V

Desperado V x Sweet Shalimar V

1999 Black Mare

A 1999 black mare, SWEET SILK V would be considered a beautiful Arabian mare by almost any horseman’s standards, and the deep black color on her somewhat petite frame is trimmed neatly with a narrow blaze and four short socks.  No accidental or haphazard breeding, SWEET SILK V is the fourth of five full siblings produced from the mating of the Ali Jamaal daughter, Sweet Shalimar V (x Sweetinspiration V by Huckleberry Bey V++) to the legendary performance horse sire, Desperado V (Huckleberry Bey V x Daraska by *Dar).  The pedigree is pure and premier Sheila Varian breeding.

SWEET SILK V’s sire, Desperado V, is well known as a progenitor of very pretty performance horses who have been successful in many different disciplines.  Some of his most illustrious offspring are the grey stallion Mirage V++++// , notable as a multi-national champion in a multitude of different disciplines;  the black stallion Klint Black +++// also a multi-National Champion in several divisions;  the Ambush++, a blue ribbon winner in Breeding, Country English Pleasure, Ladies Sidesaddle, Show Hack, and Hunter Pleasure divisions as well as national top ten or better In many of the same divisions; the incredibly talented black mare Bandana V++//, a blue ribbon winner in Hunter Pleasure, English Show Hack, Ladies Sidesaddle, Sport Horse in-Hand, as well as regional dressage champion all the way up to Dressage Prix St George level, with 2 national top tens in Fourth Level Dressage, and a National Reserve Championship in Third Level Dressage thrown in for good measure;  the bay gelding Beacon Hill +//, a Canadian National Champion in Western Trail, multi regional champion Reining, Western Pleasure and Hunter Pleasure Horse; the bay gelding, Liberty Valance V++//, a multi-regional and national hunter pleasure champion; many, many more, and, of course, there are his children out of Sweet Shalimar V.  In addition, Desperado V’s sons and daughters have turned out to be very valuable breeding horses beyond their show ring careers.

SWEET SILK V herself is the seventh generation of the stellar *Bachantka (WielkiSzlem x Balalajka by Witraz) mare family, the sixth generation of Sheila’s breeding from that family, and what an incredible mare line this has been for Varian Arabians and the Arabian horse world in general.  *Bachantka was one of three pure Polish mares famed British horse breeder Patricia Lindsay purchased for Sheila Varian in Poland in the early 1960s.  By the significant Polish sire Wielki Szlem and out of Balalajka – who was also the dam of the full siblings*Bask++  andBandola, *Bachantka was a beautiful, athletic mare who enjoyed a short, but successful show career once she arrived in the States.  She was Balalajka’s only foal by WielkiSzlem.  More importantly, *Bachantka went on to found a dynasty of successful mare families for Varian Arabians.

The direct female lineage backwards from SWEET SILK V includes the mares Sweet Shalimar V, SweetinspirationV, Spinning Song, Moska, Baychatka++, and *Bachantka – every single one of them good fertile mares – all of them produced many foals, and all except SWEET SILK V and her dam, Sweet Shalimar V, were extremely successful show horses.  All of them produced at least one very significant offspring, each with a daughter that perpetuated the successful mare line.  The dam line is truly exceptional, and an entire book would be necessary to detail the show ring wins, champion producers and champions produced coming from that one *Bachantka mare line.  Sweet Shalimar V introduces a second line to Huckleberry Bey++ along with an outcross line to the beautiful typeyAli Jamaal to SWEET SILK V’s pedigree.

SWEET SILK V’s dam Sweet Shalimar V may not have a show record, but she hit a home run on the first pitch as a broodmare.  Bred at age 4 to Desperado V, Sweet Shalimar V’s very first foal was the black performance champion sire (and SWEET SILK Vs full brother), the black stallion Sundance Kid V.  His champion sons,Zefyr, Onyx A, Diesel Smoke CBA, and Baywatch V++, among others, have put him on the map.  He’s sired horses like EF Kid Curry, with titles in halter, wp, and hunter pleasure.  His daughters are no slouches either.  Mares like Adelaida V+// – with 19 national titles in both hunter pleasure and western pleasure, Felenah+++// – with 20 national titles in hunter pleasure, ladies side saddle, western pleasure, and sport horse in-hand, and Agracie Girl V++++// – with 28 national titles in English and Western Trail, Ranch Riding, and  Sport Horse Mares In-Hand Dressage Type have helped cement Sundance Kid V’s reputation as a premier sire of beautiful, talented athletes.

Along with SWEET SILK V,  one of Sweet Shalimar V‘s most prolific producing daughter to date, Sweet Klassique V, was by U.S. National Champion Fairview Klassique. Never shown, Sweet Klassique V‘s record as a producer is nothing short of amazing. Four of her offspring by Jullyen El Jamaal boast impressive show records: San Souci V (U.S. National Top Tens in Western Pleasure, Hunter Pleasure, and Gelding In-Hand); San Jacinto Jullyen V (U.S. National Top Ten Western Pleasure Futurity); San Saba Jullyen++ (2-time regional champion western pleasure; 2-time regional champion gelding in-hand; multiple Scottsdale western pleasure wins); and San Simeon V (regional top 4 western pleasure AAOTR, 3-time Scottsdale Top 5 Western Pleasure).  Another champion-producing Sweet Shalimar V daughter, Sweet Caroline V, byBesson Carol, is the dam of San Carlos Jullyen V – U.S. National Champion Hunter Pleasure Futurity, U.S. National Reserve Champion HP (3x), U.S. National Top Ten HP (3x) and regional champion HP (12x); and Santa Cruz Jullyen V – U.S. National Top Ten WP Futurity.  Sweet Shalimar V’s last daughter, Santa Barbara Juell V born in 2009 by Jullyen El Jamaal, seems destined to continue the family legacy,  and has so far produced nothing but fillies. Santa Barbara Juell V‘s youngest daughter, Sierra Juell MRF, a tall, stretchy bay by the Straight Egyptian stallion Baha AA, was named 2019 Scottsdale Egyptian Heritage Junior Champion Filly.

The cross that created SWEET SILK V – that of Sweet Shalimar V to Desperado V, was obviously highly valued by Sheila Varian, as she repeated it FIVE times. As noted, the first offspring from this cross, Sundance Kid V, is probably the best known; however the black mare Sweet Sasparila V was even more impressive than her full brother in the show ring, earning many western pleasure titles, including U.S. National Reserve Champion Western Pleasure Futurity honors in a field of 40 horses and following that up with a U.S. Top Ten in Western Pleasure Jr. Horse. Unfortunately, Sweet Sasparila V passed away a few months after that last U.S. Top Ten and before she could reproduce.  Another product of the Desperado V / Sweet Shalimar V cross, Sweet Saphire V is the dam of Sport Horse National Champion Dressage horse, PA Sassporillo++/; Multi-National winning and National Reserve Champion Hunter Pleasure horse, PA Seaser Always; 2-time Regional Reserve Champion Western Pleasure horse, PA Sanntana; Regional Top 10 ABS Colt, ASA Scandalous Affair, and 7-time National Champion Sport Horse and multi-National winner (4 Youth National TTs in Hunter, Hunter Hack and Sport Horse;  8 Canadian National TTs in Hunter, Hunter Hack and Sport Horse, and 2 Canadian Reserve Championships in Working Hunter), PA San Antonio+++//; as well as several regional and national winning grandchildren. Desperado V on Sweet Shalimar V was a very successful cross, and one that produced a dynasty of top shelf show and breeding horses for Varian Arabians. Interestingly enough, three of the five offspring from this mating of two bay horses were the coveted black color.  Sweet Shalimar V, four of her daughters, and one granddaughter are listed in the Varian Arabians’ Broodmare Hall of Fame.

SWEET SILK V continues the tradition of mare excellence with her foals, though, unlike the majority of the *Bachantka dam line, SWEET SILK V’s best children have so far been her sons .  Her first foal, the typey black HC Obsidian Silk, by TF Psymreekhe, earned U.S. National Top Tens in both Western Pleasure Futurity and Hunter Pleasure among his many titles. SWEET SILK V’s 2011 Audacious PS son, Sheer Audacity V, has earned two regional championships, four regional reserve championships, and three U.S. National Top Tens – all in Western Pleasure – and in 2017, Sheer Audacity V became SWEET SILK V’s first National Champion, taking the championship in Arabian Western Pleasure JTR Select 14 – 18 at Youth Nationals.

SWEET SILK V’s daughters have not, as yet,  gained the accolades earned by her sons.  Her daughter, Shimmering Star V by Jullyen El Jamaal, began what appeared to be a promising career in both halter and western pleasure, but after 4 fairly successful shows, she has not been shown since 2011.  Two SWEET SILK V daughters have produced offspring that are young and at this time, unshown.  As of March 2019, SWEET SILK V is the dam of 8 sons and 5 daughters with a foal by National Champion Pyro Thyme SA expected in early 2020.

REFERENCES: 
AHA Arabdatasource
www.arabianresults.com
www.varianarabians.com
“The Moska Legacy” by Ginny (Fagerlin) Baldwin
“A Lifetime With Horses” by Sheila Varian

Retired.