6/15/14 Minton - Hickory Farms, Miss Nola and Milady (BHF)

Rarely is there a plan in place when I decide on the topic for a post.  If nothing strikes me, I can always fall back on the alphabet method.  The "T" horses have been waiting patiently, but Thursday night when thumbing through the bound edition of 1940 American Horseman, the "T's" were shoved aside yet again.  On the cover of the June issue was a pretty walk trot mare with the roached mane and tail fashionable in that era.  Her breeding was listed under her name, Pure Denmark X Milady Minton.  The Minton name had to come from the Minton Hickory Farm of Barbourville Kentucky, so once again, the topic was sealed thanks to the picture of Milady Betty. The title for this week's post is a "same name" category from Wheel of Fortune:  Minton Hickory Farms, Miss Nola Minton and Milady Minton (BHF).

Ten horses were registered by the Mintons of Minton Hickory Farm in the first volume of the American Saddle Horse Register way back in 1891.  The Minton's had a daughter named Nola.  Born in 1884, she grew up in the environment of a Saddlebred breeding farm and continued working in the industry for decades.  An expert in bloodlines, she was often called upon to help select breeding stallions from farms including Nawbeek, Crebilly and Carolanne Farms. She ran her breeding and training barn at Minton Hickory Farm for years, and was a sought after horse show judge and breeding consultant.  She registered her last horse in 1967, not long before she died in 1975. 


Minton Hickory Farm was responsible for either breeding, developing, showing or selling horses such as The Feudist, Vendetta, Flashing Glory, Mountain Laurel, Born to Treasure, Born to Delight, Fiery Crags, Born to Love, Wonderland Sensation, Gallant American, Meadow Wisp, American Maytime, Sweet Lavender, Golden Sensation, American Buntee, and Mountain Highland Dawn.

Milady Minton (BHF)

Crouch's Chief by Bourbon's Best X a daughter of Monte Mark by Monte Cristo

Looking at Milady Betty's pedigree a little closer, her dam Milady Minton now has the Broodmare Hall of Farm (BHF) designation.  Here is a summary of Milady Minton's pedigree, the stallions she was bred with, and her offspring.  Milady Minton's sire was not well known, and only sired about 20 colts, but he traced back to Bourbon Chief on his top side.    Milady Minton was one of Miss Nola's three gaited show horses before she became a broodmare.

Milady Minton (BHF) BAY 1918	Crouch’s Chief	Bourbon’s Best	Bourbon Chief
			Judy Oliver
		Helen Gardner	Weissinger’s Chestnut Squirrel
			Hazel Eyes
	Bessie Wetherille	Monte Mark	Monte Cristo
			Minnie Bay
		Nancy	Dandy Washington
			Mag

Milady Minton had some of these horses in her pedigree.

Bourbon Chief
Harrison Chief X Belle by Latham's Denmark
The sire of Bourbon King.

Monte Cristo
Montrose X Fannie Giltner (BHF)

Montrose
Diamond Denmark X Sallie by Hall's Glencoe

After her show days were over, Milady Minton (BHF) was bred with many different stallions.  They were San Juan, CH Chief of Longview, Valencia Don, Pure Denmark, Green Valley Fox and Halleluia Mc.   Her first foal born in 1930 was by Chief of Longview, the reigning World's Champion Five Gaited stallion when she was bred to him.  Next was San Juan, a good sire tracing to Rex McDonald on both his sire & dam's side.  The stallions Green Valley Fox & Halleluia Mc were both owned by Minton Hickory Farms.  Milady Minton also produced successful horses when bred with Pure Denmark.

San Juan
San Vicente by Rex Peavine X Black Belle by Rex McDonald
He sired Hall of Fame broodmares Dona San Juan, 4th dam of Designed
and Lena Juan, 2nd dam of King Dell.

CH Chief of Longview
Independence Chief by McDonald Chief X Myrtle Dickey (BHF) grand daughter of Harrison Chief
He was  owned by Mrs. W.P Roth of California, but two of his daughters Plumieria and Whyworry Chieftess both lived at Ottawa Creek Farm, just a mile down the road from my home.

Green Valley Fox
Guided by Love by King Lee Rose X Mary Yandell Fox by Rex Prince Dare
He sired Born to Love,  Mountain Dawn, Born to Delight (BHF) and Heart of Glory.

Halleluia Mc
McDonald's Majesty X Dapple by Rex Bernard
He sired CH Dictator's Master, Queen of Glory (BHF), and
 Mountain Mistress (BHF) who produced CH Miss Nola.

Pure Denmark
Peavine McDonald by Rex Peavine X Agnes McDonald by Ben Rex
Sire of full sisters Milady Betty and Miss Chatterbox (BHF) as well
as the stallion Denmark's Corsair.


Some of Milady Minton (BHF)'s more famous offspring:

Country Gentleman, Milady Minton's stallion son by San Juan, stood in California and was the sire of Country Flicka, the equine star of the 1943 movie, My Friend Flicka.

Country Flicka

Country Gentleman X Encinas Peavine a grandson of Edna May's King

Milady Betty, daughter of Pure Denmark, was a  World's Champion in the 3 gaited division as a junior horse in 1939.  She was owned by Stonyridge Farm in new Carlisle, Ohio and produced several babies by their stallion, Genius of Stonyridge.

Milady Betty
Pure Denmark X Milady Minton

Genius of Stonyridge
King's Genius X Kate Haines (BHF)
He sired all of Milady Betty's five colts.

Proud Eugenia

Genius of Stonyridge X Milady Betty

Helter Skelter

CH Gallant Guy O'Goshen X Proud Eugenia

Another daughter of Pure Denmark was Miss Chatterbox, who also earned her BHF designation.  When bred to Cameo Kirby, she produced two CHampion horses.  One was the Fine Harness horse Bit O'Chatter.  The other, originally registered as Master Chatter, was renamed as a 3 year old.  He will always be remembered as the iconic CH The Lemon Drop Kid.  He was the only American Saddlebred ever to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine.

CH Bit O'Chatter

Cameo Kirby X Miss Chatterbox (BHF)

He was the WGC Fine Harness horse in 1955

and shown under the name High Button Shoes.

CH The Lemon Drop Kid

Cameo Kirby X Miss Chatterbox (BHF)

He won the WGC Fine Harness stake four times and was arguably the greatest

Fine Harness horse of all time.

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7/27/24  I found this interesting info about Miss Nola today.  It is on a commemorative plaque

on the Nola E. Minton Memorial Bell at Union College in Barboursville, KY.

"The Minton Memorial: The Union College Bell was preceded by five others, the first being installed in the original administration building in 1880. This memorial honors Nola E. Minton, 1884 – 1975, for her contributions to agriculture, livestock, lumbering, and saddle horse breeding, Miss Minton sponsored the first charity horse show in the United States, initiated the use of the white cane for the blind, and served as the first woman on the Kentucky state fair board. In 1968 Miss Minton was named to the Kentucky horse show hall of fame. In 1978 west hall at the state fairgrounds was renamed Nola E. Minton Hall. This memorial is given by the Barbourville Kiwanis Club, family, and Friends."