Arabian Foundation Horse

NIGA: PEDIGREE MAGIC
What do US and Canadian National Champion Mare JBK MYSTIC FAWN, US Reserve National Champion Mare and US and Canadian National Champion Futurity Filly MAGNIFICOOS JEWEL, leading broodmare HAL ANE VERSARE (dam of 5 National winners from 6 foals), US Reserve National Champion Sweepstakes Colt SOLID GOLD VF, seven-time National winner in performance PATRIOTS IMAGE and Canadian National Champion Futurity Colt and National Champion sire MIZAN TAJ HALIM all have in common? They are all linebred to the great stallion NIGA.

NIGA's influence on the breed is all the more remarkable considering he sired just 99 registered lifetime foals in his 26 year lifespan. Many stallions with hundreds of get have had far less overall importance than he. What is the secret of his success? NIGA, like many of the breed's greats, was bred by a master breeder who understood both conformation and genetics. Dan Gainey has been recognized for the horses he bred who have been National Champions in both halter and performance. The "Gainey look" is recognized worldwide, and NIGA is a proud standard bearer for it, though his heritage is somewhat different than that of the FERZON/AZRAFF cross horses whose snowy white beauty has inspired so many people for many years.

NIGA is 3/4 Crabbet and 1/4 Polish. Like the other Gainey horses, he is linebred to the great Polish sire SKOWRONEK. His sire , the coal black halter champion NITEZ is out of the SKOWRONEK granddaughter NAFA. NITEZ was owned for some years by Gainey and even beat FERZON in the show ring when both competed at the same show in stallion halter. He sired 6 National winners in halter and performance. NITEZ was sired by the phenomenal * WITEZ II, one of the most influential stallions ever imported from Poland. * WITEZ II nicked exceptionally well with NITEZ's dam NAFA and with her daughter NAFALLA (who produced 4 National winners by him). NITEZ is a 3/4 brother to US Reserve National Champion Stallion BOLERO ++ (sire of US National Champion Stallion ZARABO ++ and of US National Champion Open Cutting XENOPHONN, the all time leading sire of Arabian cutting horses). NITEZ is also a 3/4 brother to US Top Ten Stallion NATEZ, sire of National winners in halter and cutting including US National Champion Mare INDIAN GENII. NITEZ's dam NAFA is out of NARASA, a full sister to the noted stock horse FARANA, also a famed broodmare sire whose daughters include National Champion producer YATANA and BINT SAHARA, for many years the breed's leading producer of champions.

NIGA's dam GALENA is pure Crabbet breeding. She had just three registered offspring, and NIGA is her only son. Her daughters were champion producers and have had considerable influence of their own (US National Champion Stallion ETERNETY, a sire of National Champions in halter and performance, is descended in tail female from the GALENA daughter GAYGAL). GALENA is linebred to SKOWRONEK. Her sire, the National winner sire PHANTOM, is an incest bred son of the SKOWRONEK daughter * RIFALA sired by her own son IMAGE (himself a National Champion sire). * RIFALA's son * RAFFLES sired 45 producers of National winners and all of her registered foals have National winners tracing to them. GALENA's dam BALENA also produced US Top Ten Mare AL-MARAH WALTZING MATILDA and GARENE, sire of US National Champion Stallion PETIT JEAN. Like NAFA, BALENA was sired by the great SKOWRONEK son * RASEYN, sire of US Top Ten Mare ANGYL (herself dam of US National Champion Stallion BAY ABI ++ ) and of 21 producers of National winners including National Champion sires FERSEYN (the double grandsire of FERZON ) and SUREYN (whose 19 National winning get include the first US National Champion Stallion and Mare)

NIGA was a superlative individual who embodied all the best traits of his heritage. He had a very typey head with wide jowls and huge eyes set on a beautifully shaped neck of good length. His neck was set properly on his well-angled shoulders. His legs were straight, with good bone and large feet. NIGA was very short backed and had a comparatively level topline with a very high tail set and carried his tail in a plume even when at rest. Because NIGA was linebred to SKOWRONEK, one of the typiest stallions in breed history, he was very successful at passing on that type to his descendants. SKOWRONEK was a stallion who tolerated inbreeding very well, as has his descendant NIGA. NIGA also inherited his super correct structure and black color from * WITEZ II. NIGA has also passed on this black gene, as 11 of his 99 get were registered as black. In NIGA's case, the black color often associated with him is a bonus added to the beautiful Arabians from his line. NIGA horses are quality Arabians first and foremost, their color is just another reason to want one!

NIGA's 99 registered get include National winners in halter, english pleasure AOTR and native costume, as well as regional winners in western pleasure, cutting, and other performance divisions. One son, COUNT NIGA +, earned his IAHA Legion of Honor in 1987 with all points achieved from endurance rides. His get are beautiful athletes and pass on their own best attributes consistently. Twelve of his 99 offspring have produced National winners of their own, in halter, english pleasure, english sidesaddle, hunt pleasure, trail, cuttiung, reining, and native costume. NIGA sired 6 sons out of FERZON daughters who sired National winners, including the noted broodmare sires GARIS (who has 11 daughters who produced National winners), and GAMAAR (sire of 15 mares who produced National winners including CHANTILLY ROSE, dam of 6 National winners). GAMAAR grandget also produced U.S. National Champion Stallions FAME VF + and ECHO MAGNIFFICOO. NIGA's influence is far reaching and often a number of winners in a given class at a National show will trace to him--for example, 5 of the ten 2000 Canadian Futurity Colt winners have at least one line to NIGA!

This article was contributed by Arlene Magid. We really appreciate her kind permission to use her work! If you would like similar research done on a horse for you, here's her contact information:

Arlene Magid
(also known as Mrs. David Williams)
127 Milburn Rd
Ashington
Northumberland
NE63 0NA
England
phone from US or other countries: 011-44-1670-816623
phone within England: 01670-816623
email: arabbits@aol.com
http://members.aol.com/arabbits/arlene.htm