Phara Farm Arabians are the legacy of Lewisfield Sun God.

HISTORY ~ Lewisfield Sun God

Aaraf x Aarafa
1962 Chestnut Stallion

Lewisfield Sun God was born in 1962 at the farm of James F. Lewis Jr. in Charlottesville, Virginia. Lewisfield Arabians, formally established in 1960 (though the Lewis's had owned Arabians since 1946) was clear in their breeding goal - their desire was to breed an elegant horse of good height with a beautiful Arabian head, straight legs, and good action at the trot and all other gaits - a description they modeled after the horses of the Crabbet Arabian Stud (namely, Indian Magic). Modern Crabbet breeding at its best, termed by the Lewis's as the "Lewisfield look."

The Lewis's purchased their first group of horses for their program from the famed Ben Hur stud (owned by Blanche M. and Herbert V. Tormohlen) in Portland, Indiana. Included in this first group purchase were the full brother and sister, Aaraf and Aarafa, both champions, sired by *Raffles and out of Aarah. The Lewis's bred Aarafa to her full brother in 1961, and on April 27, 1962, a magnificent colt was born, a colt whose impact could not yet be known. This colt was Lewisfield Sun God, an exquisite individual in every way and for many represented the epitome of Arabian type. Sun God had a brilliant show career, winning show after show in halter and becoming known as "the unbeatable Lewisfield Sun God." He would have undoubtedly gone on to become National Champion Stallion had tragedy not struck. In 1965 at only three years of age Sun God foundered, thus ending his brilliant show career. Lewisfield Sun God sired only 24 foals before having to be euthanized in 1969 as a result of founder.

But the story of Lewisfield Sun God does not end with his death. In fact, an entirely new chapter began when Lewisfield Sun God was just a yearling . . . .

Annette Patti had, from her earliest memory, been mesmerized by artistic renditions of Arabian horses. She knew what she wanted in an Arabian but was not to find that mesmerizing quality in life form until 1963. In 1962, Annette had been showing her stallion Selmajor (Umar Al-Khayyam x Selmiana), who had proven himself unbeatable in halter. Selmajor was a beautifully conformed stallion with an impressive high tail carriage - Annette could fault him only in that his head was somewhat plain. That year he won 16 Championships including Grand Champion Stallion of the Illinois All-Arabian show, which qualified him to show at the 1963 Nationals in Dallas, Texas. It was at this show that Annette's future with Arabian horses would forever be changed.

Watching the yearling colt class at the Nationals in 1963 the Patti's noticed a small chestnut colt. He did not fit in with the growthy, showy yearlings in his class, but he was so breathtakingly beautiful they could not take their eyes off him. His handler had stood the colt in a spot in the coliseum where the sun streamed in from a skylight illuminating his golden chestnut coat while clearly defining the intricately sculptured head and smooth, extra refined conformation. The colt appeared unconcerned with the excitement around him - he had a serene, regal air. Knowing that you can never go only by what you see of a horse in the ring the Patti's later went to see the colt at the Lewisfield stalls.

Always before when impressed with a horse in the ring and later seeing them relaxed in their stall the Patti's had been disappointed; invariably the beauty of the horses in the show ring disappeared when they stood relaxed in their stalls. Not so with Lewisfield Sun God, for he was in fact more beautiful standing quietly in his stall than he was in the show ring. It was at this moment that Annette knew she had found the horse of her childhood dreams - a horse that in life form was as mesmerizing as the most beautiful artistic rendition she had admired.

The Patti's made an attempt to purchase Lewisfield Sun God, but soon learned that he was a favorite at Lewisfield and that there was no possibility whatsoever of him being sold. So, coupled with the joy of finally finding what they were looking for came the disheartenment of knowing they could never own him. Fortunately, however, since the colt was the product of inbreeding, the direction was quite clear. They would search for horses of *Raffles/Aarah breeding with the most classical qualities they could find, and would try to duplicate this Lewisfield Sun God.

View pedigree for Lewisfield Sun God

Continue to HISTORY PART 2 ~~ Golden Pharao

Lewsifield Sun God article by our own PHS member,
Gaye Schaufus-Myers of Sunh Kyst Arabians!

View complete PROGENY LIST for Lewisfield Sun God