Born on April 1, 1938, the black-bay colt WITEZ II was not even two when Hilter's troops invaded Poland, forcing his handlers to flee with their charges to the east. While in route, WITEZ survived an attack by German bombers, and his handler later disguised him from the enemy by smearing his coat with a thick layer of mud. WITEZ spent time in hiding in occupied Janow, but a shortage of food eventually forced his handler to surrender him to the Germans. WITEZ II was sent to a stud in Germany as a part of the Nazi program to breed a "super horse" to carry Hilter's army of "super men." Fortunately for WITEZ and his fellow captives, the Germans at the breeding stud soon became fearful for their charges and agreed to surrender them to American troops. The enemy did not give up the horses peacefully, however, and the American soldiers charged with their retrieval eventually had to invade in order to "liberate" the horses as prisoners of war.
WITEZ was eventually imported to the US, where he was purchased by Earle Hurlbutt in 1949. During his time in the United States, WITEZ II sired 215 foals. By 1964, there were more than 30 halter champions among his get, with four Pacific Coast Champions and four Reserves Champions, 16 U.S. and Canadian National Top Ten awards and two Reserve National Championships. Since his death in 1966, WITEZ II has been featured in the Los Angeles Times and was the subject of two books. His likeness has appeared on a Polish postage stamp.
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