A Song of Carmagnole

*Carmagnole(*Camargue x Sa'lilah) 

Someone recently posted this photo online, of the stallion, *Carmagnole, a *Camargue son out of the Crabbet mare, Sa'lilah. Instantly, I felt the pain of an old wound re-open. My dear friend Gari, how much do I miss you. I don't remember when I first met the late Gari Dill-Marlow, because in her company, it really felt like I had known her forever. She was familiar, in the same way that a beloved relative is familiar and cherished for it. I think I remember reading messages that she had written in a public internet forum, under the moniker, "Deputy Horse". That was classic Gari and a small example of her delightful sense of humor. Her knowledge of the breed and its history, on the other hand, was vast and so deeply thorough, encompassing all bloodlines. I just had to meet this mysterious "equine deputy". In her company, whether in person, by phone or via email, we could always pick up on our last conversation, no matter how much time had passed.  I really miss her, and as the years pass by, I only feel her absence more strongly. 

Rosemary Archer with Sa'lilah (Silver Flame x Sunset)

Gari had leased Rosemary Archer's Sa'lilah (Silver Flame x Sunset) for breeding and bred her to the stallion, *Carmargue, hoping for a filly.  Sa'lilah, foaled in 1977, was an elite broodmare, having already produced the stallions, Sa'ika and Seffer plus the mare Sema [all 3 by Prince Saraph (Samson x Princess Alia)]. Bred to Silver Scimitar (Bright Shadow x Silver Grey) she produced Seyad; while bred to Silver Blue (Azrak x Silver Sheen), she produced Shail. The opportunity to breed Sa'lilah and to incorporate her blood within her program was super important to Gari.  The stallion, Silver Flame, Sa'lilah's sire, was a  maternal grandson of Silver Vanity, a Silver Gilt son.  Sa'lilah's dam, Sunset, was a Silver Gilt daughter. That's double Silver Gilt and that of her dam, Silver Fire (Naseem x Somra), one of the most beautiful mares ever bred by Crabbet and foundress of the celebrated  Silver line. There's also 2 crosses to Naziri, the 1925 Skowronek son out of Nasra, whom Gari was especially fond of. She considered Naziri to be Skowronek's most important son, more so than his full brother, Naseem. To intensify the concentration of Naziri, there are 7 additional lines to Nasra (Daoud x Nefisa), Naziri's dam. That's what I mean about Gari, she just had that ability to make you see and understand things so differently than you had previously believed. 

Had Sa'lilah foaled a filly, Gari had every intention of eventually breeding her to the Dutchess of Rutland's stallion, Silvern Idyll (Masjid x Silvern Dream).

*Carmagnole (*Camargue x Sa'lilah)

Instead, a tall, leggy and magnificent bay colt was born, whom she named *Carmagnole (pronounced as carmen-yule). Although *Carmagnole sired a daughter, Caelilly Rose (x WN Sharazada), *Carmagnole had very poor semen, approximately 10% motility. At the time, Gari was boarding *Carmagnole and because she had recently purchased *Rushan, she was trying to reduce her monthly horse expenses, in favor of *Rushan. *Carmagnole had been raced in England and had been shown at the British Nationals. Gari knew of my love for dressage and believed in *Carmagnole's ability to be the kind of partner I needed for the discipline. Gari offered *Carmagnole to me, on one condition, that I geld him and show him. 

He was a huge horse, 16 hands and possessing a spectacular temperament (he loved to lick people, it was his favorite thing to do). At the time, with three small children, a sales career that involved commuting to NYC, I was afraid to take on such a responsibility but *Carmagnole could be the perfect Arabian horse to help me realize my USDF dreams. Tentatively, I accepted Gari's offer and started to contact shipping companies for the transport of *Carmagnole to New Jersey from California. However, about a week or so later, Gari called me with the tragic news. *Carmagnole had colicked and tragically, died.  I grieved over the loss of all that Gari had told me about him but I felt worse for Gari. Despite her unflappable spirit, it was a setback for her that she could not save him.  She was that kind of person. Whatever she set out to do, she was victorious in her ability to carry it out. Gari loved *Carmagnole and there was no doubt in my mind that she would not offer such a wonderful horse to just anybody. I am honored to have shared a friendship with Gari and that she chose to trust me with such an incredible horse as *Carmagnole. I can't even come close to capturing with words, the gratitude that I feel, all because of "Arabdom's" finest lady.