"We acquired our first horse on March 21, 1990 after four years of study of pedigrees and horses (we bought a private collection of old trade magazines and many books and hunted down as many of the horses in pedigrees as we could find to learn what the ancestry was about). We did market research as well, which determined to our satisfaction that the market value of the Egyptian Arabian had remained more level in a distressed market overall. If good bloodlines were selected, the value would still be there. We also attended open houses, seminars, shows, and visited private farms looking for the type and consistency in the Arabian we most enjoyed," explains Dodson. "At each function or farm we visited, we selected the horse that most appealed to us individually. Consistently Bob and I selected the same individual or bloodlines."  

Dodson and Bethke found themselves most attracted to high-percentage Saqlawi horses, whose consistent beauty, refinement and movement were exceptionally appealing. "We also liked many of the Dahman traits and felt that a blending of the two strains would produce our ideal horse each time," says Dodson. "We know of people who do not believe in strain breeding. However, we believe in what we are producing. The bloodlines are close, but the Babson blend is a great outcross for us. The Saqlawi is so strong and selecting just the right Babson breeding has produced exactly what we wanted." Accordingly, the Ritzi foundation stock is of the Saqlawi strain, as well as being Al Khamsa and Blue List.  

The Ritzi horses descend from importations of the master breeders including Henry Babson, Walter Schimanski, the Marshalls of Gleannloch Farm, Richard Pritzlaff, and the Forbises of Ansata Stud. "We breed correct horses with great beauty and animation, with the loving attitude that is a Saqlawi trademark. We also hope for some size along with the beauty, a couple of our mares are 15 hands and one (RA Dahmahnique) is a shade over 15.2 hands," offers Dodson. The first horse acquired was the stallion Dahmahn Sharaara (Ibn Dahmahn x AK Sharaara), a two year old when purchased. "Dahmahn was Bob's true love," recalls Dodson. "They were soul mates from the very beginning. Every plan we made centered around him." When Dahmahn Sharaara turned three, he was brought to a farm whose performance trainer could ready him for local showing.  

Alas, during a session in the round pen, he broke a leg, and complications from re-breaking it led to him being euthanized. "Ultimately, we were responsible. Our eagerness to show him to the world cost him his life. Certainly it changed our feelings about how important a show career is. We would rather have quietly had him to ourselves than lose him. The pain of his death nearly took us out of the Arabian world," says Dodson.

Because of this tragedy, Dodson and Bethke have not emphasized campaigning their horses. As often happens, there was a saving grace to the tragedy. The first mare selected just for Dahmahn Sharaara, Sharafs Monhalima, whose heritage combines the best of the Pritzlaff and Ansata programs, would deliver an exquisite filly, RA Dahmahnique. Dahmahn Sharaara's influence continues at Ritzi through RA Dahmahnique and her exceptional daughter RA Angelyque, now a yearling. At the height of their grief, Sharafs Monhalima's current foal, a two month old filly, gave Dodson and Bethke inner strength and hope for the future. "In true Arabian fashion, she did not ask for attention, but demanded it. She gave all her love and wanted it back. She was our healer, she gave her spirit and brought us back," recalls Dodson.