"The Stallion and His Peculiar Boy" is a historical fiction novel for young adults and adults combining the true story of the life of Witez II with a fictional character who becomes his groom. The twelve-year-old boy lives in the little village of Hostau, Czechoslovakia, where Witez was taken by the Nazis after he was stollen out of Poland. The young boy suffers from Autism at a time when little was known about the condition. As the story unfolds, the boy learns to interact with the world as he learns to work with the horse. The book has been the winner of seven literary awards: The Purple Dragonfly Award, Readers' Favorite Award, The FAPA President's Award, The CIPA Evvy Award, The Global Book Award, The Wishing Shelf Book Award, The Maincrest Media Award, as well as being the #1 Best Seller on Amazon.  

I want to share some of the information I learned about Witez and the Polish Arabian blood lines: 

Witez II, the famed Polish Arabian stallion, left an indelible mark on the world of Arabian horse breeding and garnered international acclaim for his exceptional beauty, conformation, and athletic prowess. Born in 1938 at the Antoniny Stud in Poland, Witez II descended from a long line of esteemed Arabian horses known for their grace and endurance. His sire was the legendary Skowronek, and his dam, Ofirka, contributed to his impressive bloodline.

Witez II's reputation as a superior breeding stallion was solidified during his time at the Janów Podlaski State Stud, where he became an influential sire. His descendants went on to make significant contributions to Arabian horse breeding programs worldwide, enhancing the breed's quality and preserving its unique characteristics. Witez II's offspring were not only successful in the show ring but also excelled in diverse equestrian disciplines, showcasing the versatility that the Arabian breed is known for.

Beyond his influential role as a sire, Witez II achieved recognition for his own show career. Renowned for his stunning presence, he captured the attention of enthusiasts on both sides of the Atlantic. His accolades include championships at prestigious shows, such as the Salon du Cheval in Paris and the National Arabian Horse Show in the United States. Witez II's impact was not limited to the realm of horse shows; he became a symbol of the enduring beauty and grace associated with the Arabian horse.

Witez II's story is intertwined with the broader narrative of Polish Arabian horse breeding, which has consistently produced horses of exceptional quality and distinction. His legacy endures through his descendants, who continue to impress in various equestrian endeavors, carrying forward the tradition of excellence that Witez II epitomized. Today, the Polish Arabian horse community and enthusiasts worldwide celebrate Witez II as an iconic stallion whose contributions have left an enduring imprint on the history and heritage of Arabian horse breeding.

Get your own copy of "The Stallion and His Peculiar Boy" wherever books are sold. Autographed copies are available from the website: www.dancinghorsepress.com

THE STALLION AND HIS PECULIAR BOY

 

My new book "The Stallion and His Peculiar Boy" will be out in the spring! It is a Historical Fiction based on the life of the famous Arabian Stallion, Witez II. The professional reviews of starting to come in. Here is one from Readers' Favorite:

Review Rating:

5 Stars - Congratulations on your 5-star review! 

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Reviewed by Kimberlee J Benart for Readers’ Favorite

The Stallion and His Peculiar Boy: Based On the Life of the Famous Arabian Horse Witez II

is a work of historical fiction by M.J. Evans set in the period 1943 - 1965. Teodor is a 

non-communicative autistic boy living in Hostau, Czechoslovakia, where the finest 

captured horses from all over Europe are sent to a Nazi breeding farm. Teodor meets 

Witez, the two bond immediately, and he becomes a worker at the farm where he trains as 

Witez’s groom. Later, as the war ends and the horses come under the threat of being 

slaughtered for food by the advancing Russian Army, some German officers ask the United 

States Army to rescue the animals and take them out of Czechoslovakia. Soon, Teodor 

accompanies Witez to America in the adventure of a lifetime.

In The Stallion and His Peculiar Boy, M.J. Evans gives us an entertaining and informative 

account of the Polish horse who became a premier stallion in the pedigree of the Arabian 

breed in the United States. Told in part through the fictional character of Teodor and 

sensitive to his therapeutic and devoted bond with Witez over the years, it blends the 

suspense of a World War II military rescue operation with the subsequent challenges of 

resettlement in a new land with new owners. The narrative is engaging and moves at a 

good pace. The choice of an autistic protagonist adds a special dimension, and Teodor 

is both relatable and believable. Suitable for young adult and adult readers, this story 

is sure to please anyone who enjoys good historical fiction.

THUNDER AT THE SUPER BOWL

Thunder at Super Bowl 50

I am not a professional sports enthusiast (unless, of course, it is equestrian sports we are talking about!) but I did watch the Super Bowl on February 7 because you really can't live in Denver and say you didn't watch it. Besides, MVP Von Miller lives right across the street from me so I have to support the neighbors.

However, I must say I was really disappointed about two things regarding the television coverage. 1) the cameras didn't focus on Thunder, the Bronco's beautiful mascot, and 2) the Budweiser commercial wasn't about the Clydesdales!

So, I decided to make up for that by writing this blog post about Thunder.

Thunder is the stage name for the gray pure-bred Arabian gelding that is the mascot for the Denver Bronco's football team. The beautiful horse leads the team onto the field at each home game and gallops the field after a touchdown. There have actually been three horses that have been the mascot over the years since the first one made his appearance in 1993. All three have been owned by Sharon Magness-Blake, the rags to riches girl from Philadelphia who married the cable magnet and can now afford all the horses she wants.

The first Thunder was a gray stallion and was the mascot at the games from 1993 to 2004. After that he still made public appearances until his death in 2009. Thunder II and the present mascot, Thunder III have been gray geldings. The latter two have been trained by Ann Judge-Wegener who is also his rider at the games.

As the owner of three spirited horses and the past owner of an Arabian, my hat goes off to Ann. She must be an incredible trainer to get her horses to put up with everything going on at a football game! Think of the loud music and cheering crowds, the cheerleaders shaking pom-poms, the jets flying overhead, on and on. Talk about serious de-spooking! I have one horse that spooks if the neighbor's car has changed parking spots! I rode one of my horses in our community parade and it wasn't fun!

Anyway, Thunder is amazing. Thunder III has been to two Super Bowls, 2014 and now 2016. This year, shipping him to Santa Clara from Denver presented some challenges. In 2014, Thunder was flown by Fed Ex to New Jersey. Flying is not an easy thing for horses, as you might guess, so it was decided to trailer Thunder to Super Bowl 2016. However, we had a big snow storm and what should have been a 44 hour drive with a horse trailer ended up taking 4 DAYS when I-80 was closed for a day! The poor horse!

If any of you are non-horse people, you may be wondering why I describe the three Thunders as "gray." You see, there are actually very few truly white horses. A horse who appears white actually has some black hairs on him, making him technically gray. However, as the gray horses age, they actually become lighter and lighter.

SO: HATS OFF TO THE DENVER BRONCOS AND HATS OFF TO THUNDER!

LAURETTA, Queen of Horses

On March 2nd, 2011, I wrote a post about Jim Key...the smartest horse ever! I made a brief mention about his mother, the Arabian Mare, Lauretta. Her story is quite fascinating. The legend has it that a fast-talking, slick and handsome Englishman wormed his way into a friendship with an Arab sheik in the 1870's. The sheik was charmed by this young foreigner named Jack Randall and threw a lavish feast for him in his tent city in the desert. During the last of many feasts, Sheik Ahemid bragged about his fabulous, priceless horses that he called the Kingly Four. He said that they were the four remaining descendants of horses who belonged to the Pharaohs. He owned three stallions, named Philis, Ectes and Ranus, and one mare named Lauretta. The beautiful grey mare was his prized possession.

Jack Randall said he worked for a great sheik in far-off England whose name was P.T. Barnum. He promised that his boss would pay her weight in gold plus one thousand horses to acquire Lauretta. This was tremendously insulting to the Sheik and, in a fit of rage, ended the feast and sent the audacious Englishman back to his tent.

That night, under the light of the desert stars, Jack Randall creeped past the sleeping guards and into the tent of the Kingly Four. He bridled Lauretta, leaped on her back and galloped her across the wind-swept desert sands. Grief and anger filled Persia. P.T. Barnum paid a reported $50,000 for the kidnapped horse and her history added to her popularity as P.T. Barnum took her around Europe with his circus.

Once the notoriety died down, Lauretta was sold to a smaller circus and then to yet another. Cruel treatment resulted in poor health and appearance and her loss of value as a circus performer. Somewhere along the line, she ended up in a small circus in America where she was found by Doc Key, the well known horse trainer. Through much time, love, patience, kindness and his own home remedies, Dr. Key was able to bring her back to her original beauty though not strength.

As you might expect, Lauretta became very attached to Doc Key and he couldn't bare to leave home without her. She soon began performing her circus tricks just to show off...not out of fear of the whip or pin-pricks.

She was later bred to a Hambletonian and produced the famous horse: Jim Key that you can read about on the Mar. 2 post. You can read about Hambletonian, the grandfather of the American Trotters and Paces on the December 15, 2010 post.

I got this information from excerpts from the book: "Beautiful Jim Key: The Lost History of the World's Smartest Horse" by Mim Eichler Rivas.

Send me the story of your Noble and Great horse:

email:

http://mjevansbtm@gmail.com

Or visit the Behind the Mist Facebook Page!

DARKER N BEY - A story of love and perserverance

Here is another story from Jan Sharp, the owner of Black Tie Affair that I wrote about in the last post.


Since I have shown Arabian horses for nearly 40 years and am a trick horse trainer, when Darken was born, I expected him to become a champion show horse and a trick horse super star. He would be my star pupil who would reflect my years of horse training skills. A champion in the making for sure.

What I got was a crooked-legged, scaredy cat colt who was afraid of his own shadow. He over reacted to everything he saw and heard for no reason. Sudden movements practically knocked him off his feet. Standing a bit like a duck, it would seem he didn't have much future as a show horse and hope of him becoming a trick horse dissolved when he refused to learn any tricks.

I gave up trying to teach him tricks and went to work trying to get him to just behave like a normal horse. He had no intention of being normal. As a two year old, he fractured his skull somehow in his stall and needed surgery to repair the broken bones in his forehead. More surgery came later when he developed a massive infection after being gelded. After he recovered, he proved to not take to be ridden either. He'd spook and bolt at the slightest noises.


Then, one day, all that changed. He walked out of his stall and started to perform tricks on his own. He bowed, he lay down, he sat - all things I never taught him. The horse I thought might never fulfill the dreams I had for him had taught himself tricks. Apparently, his ablibly to teach himself tricks and quickly learn new ones I taught him gave him a new focus in life and there was no stopping him.

Despite standing crooked in the front at times, he went on to become a reserve world champion in halter. And, dispite being difficult to ride, he went on to earn the high score Arabian award at his first big rated open dressage show and qualified for the sport horse nationals.

By sharing his story with hundreds of kids, he teaches them to never give up because of any obstacles in their life. His example of perseverance gives hope to those who perhaps find their own life challenged in some way. Many kids can relate to the roadblocks he faced in his early life. His mother died when he was young, he suffered several medical emergencies and surgeries, he was very timid and shy, and it seemed as if he had no real talent in anything, Yet, he stuck with it and kept going.

Darken did became a trick horse star and he's been an inspiration to hundreds of people. He continues to share his story with kids and performs his tricks at horse shows, schools, Pony Club, nursing homes, special needs homes, horse shows, camps, benefits, and charity events as well as pursuing his career in the show ring.

Darken, the little horse who not only could, but did.

Jan Sharp
Ashtabula, Ohio


P.S. I have written a book about my trials and adventures with Darken ( the true story of his first 5 years ) and am working on getting it published. If you have any connections in the publishing business, just let me know!

OKAY READERS...ANYBODY HAVE CONNECTIONS WITH A PUBLISHER THAT WOULD BE INTERESTED IN THIS STORY?