The American Saddlebred: 2/1/15 February 1955 stallion report

2/1/15 February 1955. Of course, February is sire rating time, so it was just a matter of deciding what year or decade to profile. In flipping through my stash of old magazines, I found two specimens for 1955. On the cover of the February 1955 Saddle & Bridle was Ridgefield's Denmark. Horse World featured Colonel Sport. Since Ridgefield's Denmark was a full brother to Golden Thunderbolt, grandsire to my Best Ever Saddlebred Buddy, and Colonel Sport was a full brother to Easter Promenade, Buddy's 2nd dam, I took it as an omen that here was my topic of the week. Besides, February of 1955 was a great time for many reasons.

Sixty years later, both magazines are a bit dog-eared. Horse World was a mere 32 pages. It contained seven ads for horse show organists, which nearly matched the rather anemic quantity of stallions ads. Big news was that Colonel Sport, sire of defending WC 5 gaited gelding CH Garrymore, was now standing at Welch Greenwells' Broadacres Farm in Shelbina, MO. While owned by George Huss of Pennsylvania, he had cut back on his broodmare band and decided to send Colonel Sport to the Midwest. Horse World had also relocated its headquarters from one building to another in Des Moines, Iowa. Stan Morrison, age 38, was named as the new trainer for Mrs. Wm P. Roth of Why Worry Farm in Woodside California. I'm not positive, but it seems like he stayed at this location for at least three decades. There were results listed for the Denver Horse Show held in January, and that was about it for the magazine.

In contrast, Saddle & Bridle contained 120 pages, chock full of stallion ads, sire rating results, farm ads, American Horse Shows Association convention results, as well as Morgan, Tennessee Walking Horse and Hackney pony news. It was announced that 6 time WGC CH Wing Commander would be standing to the public for the first time in 1955. AHSA high scoring 3 gaited horse was Meadow Princess, with second to Ottawa's Realization. High scoring 5 gaited horse was Socko, who beat out his stablemates Wing Commander and Lover's Lane. Regal Aire was the fine harness high point champion, with firth place going to Ottawa's Empress. I always have to give a plug to those Ottawa Creek Farm horses. Ridgefield's Denmark lead the futurity sire rating division.

The top 10 rated sires were: