The giant, Spanish moss-coverd trees lining the approach to Live Oak Arabians impart a sense of permanence and stability, for this place has been here a very long time. The trees are live oaks, and they are nearly a century old. Some of the trees here are five centuries old. This is Louisiana, land of languor, romance and legend. Golden sunlight dapples the shadows cast by the ancient trees, frogs in the old bayou behind the plantation peep, horses nicker softly, and the ceaseless, monotonous whir of cicadas fills the heavy, fragrant air. This old plantation has seen more than it's share of history, but these days, it is Live Oak's Arabians Half-Arabians and National Show Horses who are making the history.

Steeped in tradition, the property known as Cedar Lodge Plantation, on which Live Oak Arabians is located, has been in Phil C. Witter's family for four generations. Just as Phil represents the forth generation of his family here, many of the horses represent the second, third or forth generation bred and raised at Live Oak Each is a star in his or her own right.

The Live Oak herd is heavily Bask-bred, with sons, daughters and grand get in starring roles. Live Oak's Arabian stallions include: *Galbor (Nabor x Galopada), *Werbor (Nabor x *Antwerpia), The Maestro (*Bask x Miroluba, by Faher), Winnchester (Galbor x Carmina NA, by *Elkin), Krewe (Hucklebery Bey x Masquerade, by *Bask), Meistermind (Huckleberry Bey x Bask Memory, by *Bask), and Musik Man (Huckleberry Bey x Country Music, by *Bask). Note that all three Huckleberry Bey Sons are out of *Bask daughters. The *Bask son Toi Soldier (x Toi, by Troy) was added in 1992 to help further the farm's Half-Arabian and National Show Horse program. Unshown due to an injury, this wonderful stallion's many national champion offspring have proven his worth as a sire. Some of his national champions include Toi Primero, Toi Celebrity, Peaches-N-Cream, Love Toi and Martinique LOA.

Also a son of the immortal *Bask, The Maestro has won numerous championships in English pleasure and pleasure driving. He has sired a number of exceptionally nice purebred English horses. The pure Polish Winnchester by (*Galbor x Carmina NA) has also sired a number of high-quality English performers, including Half-Arabian Winnterday, a 1996 and 1997 NSH Finals National Champion.

The combination of Huckleberry Bey crossed on the daughters of *Bask has proved to be a potent one. Live Oak's stallion, Krewe, has already been three times a national champion, once in English pleasure junior horse, and twice-in park. His first foal crop included National Champion Filly Krewella. Meistermind, unable to show due to an injury, has also had a national halter champion in his first foal crop: Bay Watch Babe, Mestermind has some exceptional foals that will soon be ready to show. Musik Man, Live Oak's third Huckleberry Bey son, has his show career ahead of him. His oldest foals have not yet been shown, but look extremely promising says Phil.

Complementing Live Oak's collection of headliner stallions is its herd of purebred Arabian mares. Seven *Bask daughters; three daughters of the Comet son *Flis; daughter of U.S. National Champion Stallions *Aladdinn, *Elkin and Bay-Abi; and daughters of highly regarded stallions *Galbor, Mieczych, Wisdom and Ariston have produced a great many national performance and halter winners whose names carry the LOA designation.

Although renowned for its Half-Arabian stars, Live Oak's breeding program has produced many purebred national champions and national champion sires. *Bask daughters Country Music and Flammable began the trend of winning purebreds bred by Live Oak. They were followed by Canadian National Reserve Champion Western mare Bint Bay Kinra; National Champion Western gelding Madison; *Bask son The Renegade; and most recently, Krewe and U.S. and Canadian National Park Champion Cracker Jacque (Aristion x Meczeska). English Leather (Barbary x Allegra NA, bye Elkin), Siring National Champions Crown jewels, Angel Fire and other well-known contenders during his lifetime, Leather proved himself an integral part of Live Oak Arabians.

Live Oak added to the program the American Saddlebred stallion Standing Room Only (Stonewall's Magnificent Genius x Georgia Supreme, by Supreme Sultan), twice a World's Champion in hand. As well bred as he is beautiful, Standing Room Only has multiple crosses to legendary Saddlebred patriarchs Stonewall King, Edna May's King, King's Genius, and the king of them all, CH Wing Commander. He has sired several world's champion purebred Saddlebreds, as well as Scottsdale and national Champion Half-Arabians Stage Door Johnni and Opening Night LOA.

"We are also very proud of the numerous other Half-Arabian and NSH stars bred by Live Oak. These include the beautiful Toi Soldier offspring Mi Toi LOA, The Toi Maker and Toi Primero; Crown Jewels; Martinique LOA; and Winnterday, to name a few. "The success of the Live Oak breeding program has always been based upon quality mares bred to quality stallions. This theory has carried over to the breeding of Half-Arabians and National Show Horses. You cannot simply select a purebred Arabian stallion and breed him to just any purebred Saddlebred mare. Each of our mares has been hand-selected for her performance ability as well as her pedigree. Mating a well-bred mare to a top sire is the surest way to success."

Live Oak's collection of American Saddlebred mares is highly distinguished, and eminently productive. First to come to the ancient plantation was the King Dell daughter Magic Dell, who produced Houdinni, a multiple national and reserve national champion and NSH champion, and National Champion NDL Evergreen. The Saddlebred mare Supreme Inspiration is a daughter of Mark Hall Supreme (CH Valley View Supreme x Linda Sea, by Bobby Sea). She has produced many-time National Champion Rising Star LOA, as well as multiple National Champion Half-Arabian Mare Dancing Flame, the gorgeous Mi Toi LOA, and National Champion Barbary's Celebrity.

Other choice Saddlebred mares at Live Oak are producing similarly well. Spring Premier (Mountjoy's Starheart x Wisp of Spring, by Truly Genius) is the dam of 1997 Canadian National Reserve Champion Toi Primero. The Lucky Commander daughter Marietta has produced top Half-Arabians Marquesa, a 1996 U.S. National Top Ten Half-Arabian Mare, and Martinique LOA, a winner at Scottsdale who was then Champion Futurity Filly at the NSH Finals. Devine Heir, herself a Reserve World's Champion in hand, is the dam of Half-Arabian stars Devine Presence and English Heir. Kelly Le Brock, Champion Yearling Filly and Champion 2-and-Under Filly at the NSH Finals. Jewel's Lemen Scent has produced World's Fine Harness Champion Nahema (ASB and the Supreme Sultan daughter Supltan's Daydream is the dam of World's Champion Magnum Forse (ASB). Other Supreme Sultan daughters at Live Oak are Sultan's Final Dawn and Greencroft's Wild Bouquet. Son of Success (My Genious King x Ridgefield's Emmy, by Ridgefield's Genius) was a successful show mare.

"Our Saddlebred mare In The Lite was Standing Room Only's first foal. She is the dam of the Half-Arabian Winnterday, who was 1996 and 1997 NSH Finals Halter Champion. Now under saddle, he will probably be the best English horse we have ever raised! These horses represent the quality and athletic ability of the horses available for purchase at Live Oak"