Jean Peck's interest in Arabians started in the late 70's, when she was living in the San Francisco Bay area. Feeling homesick for England's green countryside and disillusioned with rental horses, she answered an ad for an 'English' style rider to exercise an Anglo Arab gelding.  Soon Jean and the owner, who had Polish/Crabbet bloodlines, became great friends, and it was there that she learnt the magical attributes of the Arabian horse.
Reluctantly returning to live in the UK in 1984, Jean was 'bribed' to return with the promise of a country house and a purebred Arab!! After much research and many shopping trips, she found the perfect horse. It was a beautiful, grey pure Crabbet gelding, Grey Warrior (Silvadoris x Magic Domina), bought from Pauline Hitchings. Known as Benji, he had a wonderful personality and was a fabulous riding horse. In 1987 much to Jean's delight as an amateur, he became a British National Champion in hand gelding. 'Arabitis' had struck !
The country house near Chelmsford Essex, originally set in a thousand acres and noted in the Domesday Book, was Paslow Hall.  With great potential stabling and room for an indoor arena, this stud was about to become established. David and Jean decided to concentrate on breeding Crabbet/Old English bloodlines, particularly the lovely 'Silver' lines.
They purchased the yearling colt Silvern Sceptre (Silvern Idyll x Silver Circlet), who garnered several championships, from the Duchess of Rutland. The search for suitable 'wives' was the next project. They were lucky enough to lease two lovely mares from Geoffrey Plaister, owner of the famous Hanif. These were Magic Heart, in foal to Achim's Silver Magic, who produced the filly PHA Silver Heart the following spring, and Niffah. Both mares were bred to Sceptre and produced gorgeous foals the following spring.
In 1991 the Pecks saw an advert for the beautiful mare, Crystal Sheen. Her breeder and owner, Iona Bowring of Chedglow Arabians, was dispersing her remaining Silver Sheen descendants. Following visits and an ensuing close friendship, it was decided they would go into a partnership and keep the horses together at Paslow Hall.
"We will always be indebted to Iona and her beloved husband," Jean says, "for entrusting us with such renowned mares, and for advising, encouraging and supporting us with their many years of knowledge."
So, the Champion daughters of Silver Sheen, Crystal Sheen by Crystal Magician, Silver Aura by Ben Rabba, and grandchildren Crystal Nazeera by Zircon Nazeer and the Champion colt Crystal Silver by M.A. Alishah,the imported US Egyptian stallion, graced the paddocks of Paslow Hall. In turn the mares produced wonderful babies by Silvern Sceptre, winning at many shows with Jean. The stud also acquired Getana and Silver Sylph from the Painswick Stud and leased Rislina (St. John x Palmyra) who produced the Champion Ridden stallion, PHA Silvern Risalm.
By this time, there was no room to fit in enough attention for Grey Warrior, so he was sold to Jean's friend and neighbour Krysia Lake, where he acted as school master to her young family. The Lake family subsequently bought Crystal Nazeera /Sceptre's baby, Silver n Enchanter, who was Reserve British National Champion as a yearling and was eventually Ridden Arabian Champion at the Horse of the Year Show at Wembley in October 2001.
For business reasons, the Pecks had to return to California in 1996. They managed to keep their wonderful 'Silver' herd together by leasing them to Anne Brown of Gadebrook Stud, who bred and exported Magic Domino to the US. Recently Crystal Nazeera and her half brother Crystal Silver have been leased to Louise Maryon in Wales, where they are crossing beautifully with her Egyptian lines. "It is fabulous to know the  horses are all in wonderful hands and that we are able to keep in touch 'across the pond',"says Jean.
Soon after they returned to the US, they purchased the fabulous colt, Rohara Ambassador (JK Amadeus x Muscats Pride), from Roxanne Hart in Florida. This flashy colt won many Championships, he has since been gelded and become a stunning Western Pleasure horse. Then came Dervatiw Gwyddion+++// (AJ Ibn Negatiw x Dervona).
Written by Liz Salmon
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