WITEZ BLACK
ARABIANS
1990 Farm History
Written by Reva Orso
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WITEZ BLACK
ARABIANS
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I (Reva) was born and raised in Red Wing, Minnesota. My Grandparents lived in Medford, Minnesota, near Owatonna. They had ponies and draft horses, so I believe I received my love of horses from my grandfather. I never had a regular size riding horse. I was told, if I wanted one, I'd have to buy it and pay for its care myself. My family was financially unable to afford for me to have a horse.
In 1972, after graduating from high school and getting my first full time job; working for the Red Wing Shoe Factory. My first money available went to buy myself a horse. I first started looking at foals; but people discouraged me, saying I wouldn't like waiting the time before I could train and ride.
So I happened upon buying a horse from some people, who also worked at the factory. The horse I ended up buying was a 3/4 Arabian and 1/4 Saddlebred three year old, black/grey gelding. Not knowing at the time he would lighten with age. The gelding was a Niga grandson, it didn't mean anything to me at the time. But it would become interesting and coincidental later on over the years; long after I had sold my gelding, so we could purchase a couple of part-bred Arabian mares.
But in the mean time before I sold my gelding; my gelding and I moved to the Bismarck/Mandan area in North Dakota; after I was married in November of 1973.
Then in 1976 my husband bought me a purebred dark grey colt. A *Lotnik and Imaraff grandson. We decided we wanted to start a business, to raise and sell a few purebred Arabian foals. So in 1977 we decided to sell our partbred mares, and buy purebred mares. One grey, two chestnuts and two bays to have color variety. With our stallion already being grey in color. We had realized different colors attracted different people.
Our first purchase was a 1976 yearling chestnut filly, that a 1972 bay mare, 1977 grey weanling filly and a 1972 chestnut Double R bred mare; who produced the next May our other bay, a filly by Bay Abi son. These mares were mainly of the Crabbet bloodlines, which we still like very much. At the time we were basing our program on the Polish/Crabbet lineage. We bred our Double R mare to Regis, a Ferseyn son, in 1980. Deciding with the birth of that filly the next Spring, we sold all our other mares, to concentrate fully on the Double R program.
I'd always been interested in the black color. So in the summer of 1979, we had purchased a black weanling colt. Now that he was maturing, and we were liking him more and more. We decided to have as our program, Black-Bred Double R. All the foals our Black Stallion sired, would be capable of having the black color and reproducing black foals; and as a plus they'd all be carrying the Double R lineage.
Our Black Stallion is a beautiful nonfading true Black. He's the image of his "Supreme Sire", Niga. Niga sired such outstanding individuals as: G Amigo, Gamaar, Garis and Nigatt. Niga was a grandson of the Polish import, *Witez II, of World War II fame and who was one of the great Ofir's renown "W" sons.
After a while, the only problem was, we weren't having any black foals. So we decided, we'd have to come up with a lot more money to buy top quality black mares.
Liking our Black Niga son, we decided we'd buy Black mares of the same lines. Now that wasn't so easy. There are few true blacks of the *Witez II line, in comparison to the Babson Egyptian lines, of which most of the Black breeders were concentrating on at the time.
But in 1983 we found our first Black mare. Genesis Kohli was at a consignment sale in Iowa. She was listed in the sale book, as a solid black bay four year old; but she was definitely a beautiful true black. It is strange when you find so many horses registered as black, that are really bays; that you also find some people who just can't believe they have actually produced a black, so they'll also register it, as a bay. We then had Kohli bred to Black Magic, a black *Witez II son, that summer; but he died after only one service and she did not settle. Kohli has been a wonderful mare for us. She's a G Amigo granddaughter, her dam is a *Witez II granddaughter. Kohli has four lines to *Witez II. She has produced six lovely foals for us. Four black colts are now at their new homes in Florida, Colorado, Indiana and Oregon; foaled 85, 87, 89 and 90. We have a lovely 1988 black filly that is still here at home; she is reluctantly offered for sale. There is also a 1986 liver mare in Minnesota, who produced a very nice black filly for her owners this year. Kohli is in foal for her seventh, due in May of 1991 by our Black Niga son, who has been the sire of all her foals.
In January 1985 we acquired our second black mare, Lady Briquette, as a three year old. She was right here in North Dakota. A mare of size and substance by El Niga, a Niga son, and out of a Ferneyn and Bamby granddaughter, also carrying a line to *Witez II. This gives Lady two lines to *Witez II. In 1986 she produced a liver filly, who was sold to Ohio; who produced a lovely coal black filly this Spring. A gorgeous black colt was foaled in 1987, but was lost due to a freak accident. Last year Lady underwent a caesarean section, one of the very few mares to survive such an operation. It's a very serious operation for mares, because of blood loss and possible infection. Also because of temperament, some just won't tolerate the healing process. She is now back in foal for April 1991 to our Black Niga son.
Our third black mare, My Hal Amiga, was acquired in February 1988. She's a big beautiful mare, yet very refined. Solid black, except for star and snip. She was far out of our price range, until her owners came down on their asking price. She is by Hal Gibby, whose sire is *Hal Gazal. Hal Gibby is out of a G Amigo daughter. Amiga's dam is also a G Amigo daughter. Amiga has three lines to *Witez II and she's double Niga. Her sire, Hal Gibby, was a US and Canadian Top Ten Halter and Western Pleasure AOTR, and Canadian Reserve National Western Pleasure AOTR Champion. Hal Gibby was exported to Brazil. Our mare is a true image of her sire, having a nice filly last year, but late in the year. She is now bred back for March 1991 to our Black Niga son. We are hoping for a tall black colt.
As of two years ago in 1988, we changed our farm name to better reflect the foals we are producing. We're now WITEZ BLACK ARABIANS: formerly L-R Paradise Arabians. We are striving to produce three foals a year; BLACK LINEBRED NIGA-*WITEZ II, by our nonfading Black Niga son, and out of our Hal Gibby, G Amigo and Niga bred Black mares.
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WITEZ BLACK ARABIANS
LYLE OR REVA
ORSO
3790 HWY 1806
Mandan, ND 58554 USA