It was on December 22, 1978 that Ga'Zi passed away. Since that time a great many new people have begun to breed Arabian horses, so it's not surprising that the name Ga'Zi is not in their vocabulary. It's a shame, as Ga'Zi is a name that should be remembered when talking of the very best Arabians.

 The story of Ga'Zi began in California where he was foaled on Feb.8, 1949 on the Leland Mekeel Ranch. His dam was Ghazna, a mare of exquisite quality and dam of eleven class A champions. Ga'Zi's sire was Abu Farwa, a copper chestnut stallion of magnificent presence and classic beauty. Abu Farwa's clean-chiseled head, fine throat latch and long arched neck were among his outstanding points. His high, airy trot was inherited from both sides of his pedigree, with two crosses to *Berk. Abu Farwa was foaled on the famous Kellogg Ranch in Pomona, California and was one of the most popular sires of his time.

 Ghezala, full sister to Ga'Zi, won 35 halter championships and was retained by the Mekeel Ranch where she in turn produced champions.

     In the early 1950's, Ga'Zi was seen by Dr. Eugene LaCroix of Mount Lake Terrace, Washington. Dr.LaCroix was completely taken by the young stallion. Woody Madsen and Dr.LaCroix decided to buy him together and form a partnership, thus "Lasma" became and entity. The La for LaCroix, sm for Pete Smith (Dr. LaCroix's stepfather), and the ma for Madsen.

At home in Mount Lake Terrace, it was decided that Ga'Zi would be stabled at the Madsen's home. Woody trained Ga'Zi through the winter of 1953-1954. Their first show was the 1954 Oregon All-Arabian show where Ga'Zi was named Champion stallion. The same year they went to San Francisco where Ga'Zi was named Pacific Coast Reserve Champion Stallion. 1955 found Woody and Ga'Zi winning the western pleasure and trail horse classes in open as well as All-Arabian shows. One of their wins was at the Scottsdale show in western pleasure. At the Washington All-Arabian show and also at Scottsdale, they placed in the three-gaited classes. All totaled Woody and Ga'Zi won 18 Class A championships.

Ga'Zi had an exceptionally good disposition. The Madsen children loved to have him do his tricks for visitors. While running free in a ring, without a halter, Ga'Zi would stop, come, march backwards, stay until called, bow, kneel, retrieve a hat, run at full speed and slide to a stop. All on voice command!

It wasn't long before Ga'Zi began winning the Get of Sire classes and his offspring began taking home the championships.

One of his first foals was the beautiful Feyn daughter, Ga'Nissa who went on to become the 1959 U.S. National Reserve Champion mare. She won a total of 22 championships. It wasn't long before Ga'Zi was in demand as a sire.

It was about this time that Dr.LaCroix and his family moved to Scottsdale, Arizona, and soon after that he purchased *Bask. *Bask went on to many championships and later became the leading sire of national champions. After Dr.LaCroix became involved with *Bask and the Polish Arabians, he very graciously left Ga'Zi with the Madsen's permanently because of the bond that Woody had with Ga'Zi and, as Woody says, "The word just got around that Ga'Zi and Woody just went together. "So, he was very kind, and I'll always be grateful to him," Woody adds.

~Below is a partial list of the offspring of Ga'Zi~

Ga'Zi sired winners of 22 U.S. National Championships, Reserves, or Top Tens; 30 Canadian National Champions, Reserves or Top Tens; 22 Regional Champions or Top Fives; 11 Pacific Northwest Champions, Reserves or Top Fives; 14 Pacific Slope Champions, Reserves or Top Fives; 91 Class A Halter Championships or Reserves; and 154 Class A Performance Championships. The last statistics on Ga'Zi get were done through 1977. At that time his offspring had won a total of 385 Championships, 5 Futurities and 13 Legion of Merits. Ga'Zi sired a total of 266 foals. Many more have won championships since the statistics were last done and now his grand get are winning in the show ring.

In 1970 Ga'Zi was chosen by the International Arabian Horse Association as a "Living Legend" and was invited to appear at the U.S. Nationals in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. At 21 years old, Ga'Zi made the trip with Woody and tribute was made to him as one of the best sires in the United States and Canada.

In the fall of 1973, the IAHA Convention was held in Seattle, and as part of the entertainment for the convention delegates, about 40 local horses of renown were presented. Ga'Zi was the last horse to be presented, and he and Woody completely stole the show, receiving a standing ovation just as they entered the ring. Ga'Zi performed at liberty, doing his by-now famous "play" routine with Woody.

Two honors came to Ga'Zi in 1976. He was selected as Supreme Sire for the Arabian Research Jubilee at Santa Barbara. Soon after announcement of this honor, Ga'Zi was invited to come to an all-Arabian show at Olympia to receive a custom-made blanket. The red, white and blue satin blanket has "Ga'Zi--Living Legend" on one side and "Ga'Zi--Supreme Sire" on the other. Ga'Zi was presented by Todd Madsen, age 16. The show was Ga'Zi's last public appearance.

All through their years together, Ga'Zi and Woody enjoyed a play session each morning in Ga'Zi's paddock. By the mid-1970's Ga'Zi had developed arthritis, and occasionally would injure himself as he came down from one of his exuberant leaps into the air. Woody put plastic shoes on Ga'Zi to keep the cold from going into his feet and tried to avoid giving him an excuse to play. Woody recalls Ga'Zi's last play session:

     "Mark was coming back into the house from the stables and as he walked away, Ga'Zi hollered at him. Mark didn't pay much attention, just kept on walking and Ga'Zi hollered again. He was standing at his gate, looking at Mark, and whinnied at Mark when he looked back. Mark just turned away from him, and old 'Pops' just let go and hollered and shook his head and jumped up and down. So Mark walked back to the gate, and Ga'Zi went up in the air and spun around. All he was trying to say was that he wanted to play. So Mark went in with him and just let him play. That was the last time anyone ever had the big play with him. After that we just said no more, no matter what. We had to be careful not to let him think we wanted him to play."

A few days before Christmas 1978, Woody walked into Ga'Zi's stall one morning to find him in great distress. Within minutes he expired. The Madsen's had decided some time before that Ga'Zi would be buried in their front lawn, just a few feet from the house. The Madsen's oldest son Hal and his friends carried Ga'Zi to his grave on a wooden platform that Woody built; Woody directed that his body should not touch the ground. 

That was the end of one of the breeds most durable horse-human relationships. Woody very succinctly describes that relationship: "He was my friend. Yeah, we liked each other." Woody says, "No other horse was ever put in Ga'Zi's paddock while Ga'Zi was alive, and not until three years after his leaving. His stall in the barn is forever closed. Only his blanket hangs on its door. Yes, I sometimes go in there for a moment or two."

Ga'Zi not only left a tangible legacy of champion offspring who sire and produce more champions. Those who saw Ga'Zi in show competition and in his several special presentations are not likely to forget the intangibles: his joie de vivre, his extreme beauty and type, his splendid way of moving, his playfulness, and his kinship with Woody Madsen.

Ga'Zi at his 25th Birthday Celebration

Woody & GaZi At The Daffodil Show

Excerpts Used From The Arabian Horse World 1984 Issue written by Mary Jane Parkinson &
The Crabbet Influence Collectors Volume III 1996 article written by Sharon Sue Marvin