3/8/14 American Born

This week’s topic pretty much chose itself.  I have received quite a few really old magazines off Ebay in the last couple of weeks.  They range from the late 30’s to the mid 50’s, so lots of great old horses are featured.  On the cover of the March 1940 American Horseman was American Born.  His owner, William M. M. Robinson of Nawbeek Farm in Paoli PA extolled his virtues in an ad from April’s American Horseman.  American Born is “the most outstanding sire, living or dead, the breed has ever produced.”  He went on to state that American Born’s “get had won in excess of 26% of all ribbons in the twelve years showing of the American Saddle horse Breeders Futurity at Louisville.”  Pretty impressive numbers in any era.  At age 19, and as a #1 sire, Robinson felt he had earned the right to stand him to his broodmares alone, but he felt an obligation to share American Born with others, so he continued to stand him to the public. 

The ad listed American Born’s  champions: Moreland Maid, Belle Le Rose, Etta Kett, Miss America, Ina Walker, Flashing American, American Wonderman, American Maytime, Gay Bandit, American Queen Mary, American Model, American Fairy, Abie’s Irish Rose and dozens more.  Looking at the list, it made me wonder.  Where are all the guys?  This was mostly a collection of show mares.  Could this be why the American Born sire line is practically non-existent today?  Inquiry minds want to know.  Well, at least I wanted to know, so American Born became my focus this week.

American Born was a Denmark bred stallion

American Born 1921 - 1944

pictured here at Nawbeek Farm in Paoli, PA

American Born BAY S 1921	Guided By Love	King Lee Rose	Montrose
			By Mambrino Le Grand Jr.
		Maud Cullen	My Own (Kirby’s)
			By Dave Akin
	Lena Jemison (BHF)	Highland Denmark	Black Squirrel
			Miss Graves
		Daisy Jemison	Chester Dare
			By Coleman’s Eureka

Here are his best known stallion sons

American Ace, out of Kathryn Haines (BHF) by Rex Monroe

Bred by I.H. Thurman of Kalarama Farms, he was owned for many years & stood at J. Truman Ward's Maryland Farm in Tennessee. He sired:

Ace's Dianna Dee, 3rd dam of Designed

CH Edith Fable, 2 times 3Gaited World's Grand Champion (WGC)

Gilded Gal O'Goshen, dam of WC Gallant GuyO'Goshen

Indiana Ace, imported to South Africa, sire of Indiana Peavine

Lucy Kilmer, Ace's Beauty Box, Ace's Refreshing Moment & Ace's Dark Jewel, all BHF's

Pennypack's Pride, also Broodmare Hall of Fame and 2nd dam of Yorktown

Victory Ace, sire of Starheart Victory who sired Telemark, the grandsire of The Last Don

American Bourbon, out of Marjorie Ann by Bourbon King

Not well known, but he stood in Michigan and was pretty handsome.

The Yankee, out of Ella Peavine by a son of Rex Peavine

His daughter The Caravan produced Commander's Elegance who

was the dam of Champagne Fizz & Concubine (BHF)

American Dictator, out of Kate Peavine (BHF) by Rex Peavine

He was owned for a few years by Castleton Farms and he sired

CH Local Talent and Flight Dictator.

American Masterpiece, out of Edna May's Delight (BHF) by Edna May's King

He sired two BHF's Whyworry Mountain Mahogany and The American Model 

and was owned by George Gwinn..

He was a full brother to show horses American Buntee and Checkerhall.

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Here are some of American Born's show stars

American Jane, mare out of Flashing Peavine BHF

Helen Hart, another 3-gaited mare out of Flashing Peavine BHF

Flashing American, gelding out of Flashing Peavine (BHF)

American Maytime, mare out of Kate Peavine (BHF)

CH Sweet Lavender, mare, also out of Kate Peavine BHF

Charming Camelia was also a full sister, and 

American Dictator was a full brother out of Kate Peavine.

Etta Kett out of Etta Marie by Rex Peavine

She was 3 gaited World's Champion under 15.2

 

Miss America (BHF), out of Mary Dall by Rex Monroe

She was a 3 gaited World's Champion under 15.2

Moreland Maid (BHF) out of Youth's Charm by Ben Sory

She was 3-gaited WGC in 1937 and

she was 2nd dam of Buddy's sire. 

CH Belle Le Rose (BHF), out of Anita Auburn by Auburn Rose by King Lee Rose

She was a two time 5 gaited WGC.  See the post on Double Duty mares

American Born also had successful broodmare daughters besides the show mares listed above.

Abie's Irish Rose (BHF) out of Kathryn Haines BHF by Rex Monroe

She was a full sister to American Ace

  Other good broodmares are:
American Honeysuckle BHF, dam of CH Delightful Society, 2 time 3gaited WGC.
Sadie Lea, 2nd dam of Duke of Daylight, WGC in Fine Harness
Clear Creek Lady, dam of Anderson Aire
Ina Walker BHF, dam of CH The Replica and CH The Encore and 2nd dam of CH Superior Odds.

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So with show horses like that, it is no wonder American Born was a successful sire.  But who is left?

Five Point Demon Rebel out of Mac's Rosanna Mccoy by Bourbon Genius King

He stood in Michigan for a few years, but only sired a few colts.

He came down from American Dictator on the sire line.  He foaled in 1991.

(SA) ZOVOORBIJ COMMANDER IN CHIEF

out of a Cameo's Farewell daughter, he was WGC 5 gaited champion in 1997.

He also sired CH League of Nations and Michigan's Cloverleaf Taho Taho.

Thanks to the South African breeding program, American Born lives on in this sire

through the Indiana Ace - American Ace line.  Although he is deceased, he has two

sons standing in the US, Commander in Chief.com and Commander's Stud Muffin.

Special thanks to my friend Cheri who loaned me the bound volume of American Horseman from 1940.

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Thanks to a friend, I've located yet another current stallion descendant of American Born through the American Dictator line.  American Dictator's son American Maple was owned by Five Point Farm in Ohio.  His great grandson, The Handsome Ghost is standing in Ohio.  He may not be bay, like so many of the American Born's, but he certainly is appropriately named.  Handsome indeed!

The Handsome Ghost