3/30/13 F horses

3/30/13  Time to get back on track and post a few saddlebred pictures using the alphabet method again.  However, I’m skipping the E’s for now and moving to the letter F. 

CH Fancy Brass

Faustiana’s Top Brass x American Fancy by American Masterpiece

 He was a nice 5-gaited stallion that showed mainly on the west coast.  His sire is pictured below.

Faustiana’s Top Brass

Ace O’Goshen x Princes May Blossom by CH King’s Genius

There are a lot of Faustiana horses and it appears that they were bred during the 1950's thru 1970's at Faustiana Farm in Maryville, MO.  

 

Flight Time

Wing Commander X The New Moon by Sparkling Waters

 100% Dodge Stables’ classic breeding.  Dodge Stables owned all four of his grandparents and bred both his sire and dam.  When Dodge Stables held its dispersal sale in 1975, he was purchased by two sons of Dodge Stables longtime trainer, Earl Teater.   He sired a ton of colts, so it makes sense that he had some good ones.  Five of his colts earned the CH status, all of those were five-gaited including two World’s Grand Champion 5-gaited horses, CH Cora’s Time and CH Sky Watch. 

 

Fox Creek

Grape Tree’s Fox x Gold Star’s Ballerina by Stonewall’s Main Event

 Fox Creek’s mother produced three really good stallions including Fox Creek.  His two half-brothers were Star Material and Nureyev.  Fox Creek sired CH To Die For whose picture I posted on 2/9/13 and also CH Hayden Fox.  He was also the grandsire of my daughter’s mare. 

3/26/13 September 1933 issue of The Kentucky Horseman

3/26/13   The September 1933 issue of The Kentucky Horseman is my oldest magazine.  It is labeled Volume 1, issue 3 indicating this was the first year it was published.  The magazine no longer exists, so I’m not sure if it folded due to the Depression or perhaps it changed its name.   There weren't a lot of photos, but I’m including two in this post.  The cover photo was King’s Sport and I've already posted that picture.  The main reason I bought the magazine off Ebay was for a picture of Sensation Firefly.  She was the 4^th dam of a mare I owned for 16 years, so more about her later.  The two pictures I am including were for a couple of 3-gaited mares and their junior exhibitor riders.  I’m also giving the write-ups verbatim since I could never come up with anything quite so flowery!

 

Senorita Bonita and Miss Elsie Caldwell

“Senorita Bonita, champion mare, is owned and successfully shown by Miss Elsie Caldwell, of Nashville, Tenn.  Miss Caldwell has won many prizes for horsemanship.  She formerly owned Gladys Lee Rose and other good ones and is very young to have had the outstanding success with real horses that she has.”

According to the ASHA info on Senorita Bonita, she was only a two year when this photo was published.  She was by Mercer Rex and out of a Jean Val Jean mare, and both of these stallions were by Rex Peavine.   Later in her career she showed at Louisville with a different Jr. Exhibitor.

 

Jimmie Weber and Helen Hart

“ Jimmie is one of the most popular junior riders in Kentucky.  He is the young son of Mr.  & Mrs.  James K. Weber of Cherokee Road, Louisville, and the grandson of Mr. & Mrs. Franklin P Weber also of Louisville.  He is shown here with his beautiful three-gaited under 15.2 mare, Helen Hart by American Born, and whenever Jimmie and Helen Hart appear in the ring, they are greeted with swirls of applause.  The most wonderful thing about Jimmie is that he is as entirely unspoiled by his popularity as is his beautiful mare, both participating earnestly and capably in their classes-the mare in the three-gaited classes and Jimmie in horsemanship classes, one desire only seemingly being manifested by each and the desire being to do their very best, leaving without concern the decision with the judges and accepting what the judges give with a smile.  His modest pleasure and dignified mien make it a pleasure to see him win, which he most consistently does.”

So how’s that for a run-on sentence?!

The ASHA website did have another photo of Helen Hart with a different rider which I've also included.  I wasn't able to make out the year on the photo.

 Helen Hart

 I've been to Louisville a few times, but haven't driven around the city very much like I do when I go to Lexington.  However, I have heard of Cherokee Park, which is on Cherokee Road, where little Jimmie Weber lived back in the 1930's.  There is a statue of General John B. Castleman in Cherokee Park riding his American Saddlebred mare, Carolina.  He helped found the American Saddle-Horse Breeders’ Association in 1891 and served as its first President.  The ASHBA later changed its name to ASHA, the American Saddlebred Horse Association.

3/23/13 My 1st ASB Starheart Secret

3/23/13  This week I'm going to post about my very first saddlebred mare.  As I mentioned in one of my very early posts, several girls from my neighborhood started leasing a horse when we were in high school.  We had been taking hunt seat lessons for a year or so, and an ad appeared in The Toledo Blade to lease a horse.  As it turned out, a retired gentleman from just over the state line in Michigan had a farm and a bunch of horses.  He raised American Saddlebreds and that was our introduction to the breed.  I don't remember the process of how we got to pick which horse we actually leased, but I ended up with Secret.  At the time, in the summer of 1971, she was a 6 year old mare and already the mother of a two year old.  She was in foal again for a colt  for a spring colt the following year.  These were dual purpose horses and she did everything all the other horses did including going to shows, trail riding and just enjoying being a horse.  She was a sweet tempered girl with ears like a mule, but I loved her anyway. 

Starheart Secret 

Prince Starheart x Secret Sea by Lucky Kalarama 

Homer gave us a copy of our horse's registration papers, so that's when I began to learn the names of some of the foundation horses in our breed and some of the important stallions from more recent times.  Some of the horses I never heard of, and back then, you couldn't get on the American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA) website.  So I read magazines, books, and whatever else I could get my hands on. 

Secret was purchased from Tattersall's as a two year old.  I'm sure her ears prevented her from ever being considered as any type of show horse, and her breeder, Mrs. Isabel Robson, loved to raise and show horses.  Secret was surprisingly well bred, but I'm sure no one has ever heard of her sire. 

Prince Starheart

Starheart Stonewall X Chocolate Parfait (BHF) by Anacacho Shamrock

Prince Starheart was by Starheart Stonewall and out of a Broodmare Hall of Fame dam.  He only produced nine colts in all.  Evidently he died as a five year old, and I'm not sure if it was by an accident or illness.  Many years later I bought a random old Saddle & Bridle magazine off Ebay.  It was from 1964 and as I paged through it, I found myself looking at an ad for none other than Prince Starheart.  He was quite the handsome guy.  His record on ASHA shows that he produced colts in 1964 and 1965, so something happened to him before the 1965 breeding season.

CH Christmas Carol

Sired by Prince Starheart and shown here with Mrs. Robson.

They won the 3-gaited Amateur under 15.2 stake in Louisville in 1975,

so out of only 9 colts, Prince Starheart sired a World's Champion.

Secret's grandsire

Anacacho Shamrock

sire of Chocolate Parfait

Edna May's King

sire of Anacacho Shamrock

Secret's dam's side was pretty good too.  She was sired by Lucky Kalarama who in turn sired Ace's Refreshment Time and Mrs. Robson's mare CH Alluring Lady.  Lucky Kalarama was sired by Kalarama Rex.  

Kalarama Rex was the sire of Lucky Kalarama

 Rex Peavine sired Kalarama Rex

King's Genius

was Secret's second dam's sire

Bourbon King appeared twice on Secret's registration papers. 

After I bought Buddy, I still kept tabs on Secret.  Homer sold her to a woman in our area who raised a few more colts from her.  When Secret was 15 years old, she again sold through Tattersalls.  This time she went to a breeder in the Chicago area who owned Paradise Farms.  She produced a couple more colts for him, including one by CH Greenway Commander who I think was a stunning stallion. 

 CH Greenway Commander, sire of Secret's last foal

 

 

As a footnote, I wondered just how many colts Mrs. Robson bred that earned their CH champion status.  She bred seven champions, and also a BHF Hall of Fame Broodmare.  Secret's half sister, CH Christmas Carol, was Mrs. Robson's first CH status horse.  One of her later champions, CH Albelarm Supremacy, is sire to my old broodmare Loretta.  

3/16/13 1936 issue of Saddle & Bridle Magazine

3/16/13  While looking for inspiration since I don’t have very many horses starting with an “E” to write about, I pulled out one of my vintage Saddle & Bridle magazines.  This one was from 1936, so it’s definitely one of the oldest in my collection.  It will be fun to share the photos, the gossip and the ads. 

On the cover is one of my favorite stallions, King’s Genius, portrayed in a painting by artist George Ford Morris.  Since I can’t draw a stick horse, much less something like this, I really admire his work.  If you ever get a chance to stop by the American Saddlebred Museum located at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington Kentucky, be sure to stop in and see some of his artwork in person.  They have a great collection of his works. 

On the inside front page, an ad for the “Sale of the Season” listed five gaited gelding Flamme Rouge as one of the outstanding consignments.  He should be good, considering he was a full brother to Anacacho  Denmark and Cameo Kirby. 

Speaking of Anacacho Denmark, he showed up in the magazine too.  However he was under his other name, Ivan The Terrible.  He was originally named Anacacho Denmark, then someone had the awful idea of renaming him Ivan the Terrible.  What a Terrible idea!  Thankfully, his name got switched back to Anacacho Denmark when he changed ownership. 

There were numerous stallion ads in this April issue, and one lists Green Valley Fox’s stud fee at $75.  Halleluia Mc’s fee was $50.  Both stallions were owned by Minton Hickory Farm of Barbourville, Kentucky.

Rex Lee Bourbon was touted as “The Greatest living breeding son of Bourbon King”.  Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but since King’s Genius was living at the time, I think Rex’ owner was a little off track. 

Belle Sarita is shown under saddle, but when I checked her record on the ASHA website, it turns out she was the original iron horse.  In 1935 she won the Jr. five gaited class and was reserve in the fine harness championship class at the Kentucky State Fair.  The next year at Louisville, she did it again, placing 7^th in the five gaited mare stake and third in the Fine Harness Championship.  Name me any modern horse that could or would show in two divisions at Louisville in the same year.  Wow.

Whyworry Me was a pretty 3 gaited horse bred by Mrs.  W P Roth of California. 

Another 3 gaited horse pictured in the magazine was Easter Dawn.  Check out that fashionable tail! This was back in the day of showing under an assumed name, because the breeding listed for this horse didn't match up with the name on ASHA’s website. 

My Golden Dawn would place 3^rd in the mare stake and 4^th in the 5 gaited champion class at Louisville later in 1936.  She went on to be a Broodmare Hall of Fame mare.  Her great great granddaughter, CH Our Golden Duchess went on to win the World’s 5 gaited grand champion in 1987. 

The ads were pretty amusing too, from fashion, to books, to tailsets that looked like medieval devices of warfare.  Here is a show wagon, the cost brand new with covers and all is $375.  A fur company advertised a lovely fur choker.  Jars of salve for cuts and scrapes cost 60 cents for a can. 

Stables wrote about their latest gossip, new training positions were announced, and important sales were noted.  Horse show dates and information were also listed, including the 1936 Detroit Michigan horse show which was managed by J.B. Johnson Jr, who was married to Frances Dodge at that time.   

3/12/13 More Callaway Hills

3/12/13  Look what I came across looking through some old magazines!  From 1980, here is a photo of Will Shriver and two of his 2 year old sons, Caramac and Show Me Too.  All three were owned for their entire lives by Callaway Hills and all three were used as breeding stallions.  Obviously, Mrs. Weldon saw something special in these two early on.  Caramac is on the left, Will Shriver in the middle, and Show Me Too on the right.  What a cool photo!

Caramac being shown by Tom Moore

Of course I'm partial to Caramac and Will Shriver

since they are the grandsire & great grandsire of my filly.

Caramac has made a significant impact on the American Saddlebred

breed through his many, many progeny.  Two of his

daughters are in the Broodmare Hall of Fame.

Callaway's Carousel (BHF) is the dam of Callaway's Bluesman who

is by Callaway's Blue Norther and is a next generation Callaway's stud.

Caramac's daughter Callaway's Zerelda (BHF) is the dam of Callaway's Twice the Spice (BHF),

so Caramac even has a granddaughter in the Hall of Fame.

His sons Undulata's Nutcracker and Designed ranked first and second

on the 2013 Saddle & Bridle Stallion rating. 

Will Shriver being shown by Redd Crabtree

Just look at all the stallions tracing back to Will on their top line. 

And how many Louisville champions have Will in their pedigree?

He's awewome.  No wonder Mrs. Weldon adored him so much.

Show Me Too just looking gorgeous

3/10/13 Dixie Duchess

3/10/13  Since we just touched on Dixie Duchess, I thought I’d give some further details.  She was in the Broodmare Hall of Fame, and produced a number of good show horses and also some breeding stallions.  Unlike Flirtation Walk, she was bred to one other stallion, but unquestionably, her best cross was to Oman’s Desdemona Denmark.  He was the product of yet another golden cross, but I don’t want to digress too far since we’re talking about Dixie Duchess. 

Dixie Duchess (BHF)

Stonewall Supreme X Dixie Sure Enough

Here is her production record:

1963  Beallgroves Dixie by Captain Benny

All the rest were by Oman’s Desdemona Denmark

1964  CH Glenview Radiance  (renamed from Reata’s Radiation)

CH Glenview Radiance shown in Fine Harness by Katherine Sinclair

1966  Valley’s Desdemona Denmark  (renamed from Reata’s Patient Prince, then Ledgeview’s Desdemona Denmark)

I bought this magazine from the ASB Museum gift shop set up at Louisville

one year while attending the Kentucky State Fair.  After I bought it, I noticed that

this magazine had belonged to Lynn Weatherman.  He had been the editor of 

Saddle & Bridle for many years, and later was the editor for ASHA's bimonthly magazine 

(back when they did one).  He wrote fantastic historical articles. 

1968  CH Belle Elegant (renamed from Radiant Dixie, then Peppermint Valley Elegance)

WGC CH Belle Elegant

She was World's 5-gaited Grand Champion in 1975 & 1977

and Reserve WGC in 1976 & 1978

Evidently, she was extremely tempermental. as was

her full brother, Valley's Desdemona Denmark.

1970  CH Summer Melody (renamed from Peppermint Valley’s Melody)

Summer Melody and Randi Stuart Wightman

She was another gaited World's Champion from this cross.

1971  All Hail Columbia
I looked high & low for his picture, but couldn't find one.  He was used as a breeding stallion and was owned his entire life by his breeder.  She had also owned his sire, Oman's Desdemona Denmark for many years.  

12/28/13  Note: finally found All Hail Columbia

1972  CH Denmark’s Grand Duchess

Yet another World's Champion 5-gaited horse from this cross.

1974  Denmark 74

The sire of most of Dixie Duchess' colts was Oman's Desdemona Denmark.

This was his obituary from the February 1979 issue of Saddle & Bridle. 

 

3/4/13 So it's on to the D's

So it’s on to the “D” horses.  No, that’s not their grade, just the first letter of their names.  I don’t have a lot of them, and I’ve already talked about one and there is another I’m going to feature in another broodmare segment.  Here we go.

Dazzling McDonald

Red McDonald out of a Bourbon Chief granddaughter. 

Never heard of him?   He was another Michigan stallion.  Born and bred in Kentucky, then sold to Charles Doll from Mt. Clemens Michigan, a suburb of Detroit.   One of his daughters, Ottawa’s Empress, was owned by my neighbor, Dr. Elrod.  Again, you’ve probably never heard of her, but when I asked Dr. Elrod’s son who his favorite horse from their farm was, he said Ottawa’s Empress.  They didn’t breed her, but eventually bought her dam and tried to produce another one like her.  I came across her in the 1951 February issue of Saddle & Bridle.  She was the 10^th highest point scoring horse for 1950, behind Meadow Princess & Wing Commander of Dodge Stables, Emerald Future, and The Replica,  so she must have been a decent horse. 

Dr. McChord

McDonald Peavine out of a Red Rex mare

This is a pretty awful picture, but I know he stood in Michigan and sired a few horses at Ottawa Creek Farm.

Dance Awhile

CH Star Waltz out of a Truly Stonewall mare

Such a cute baby picture.  She is a big, tall girl now and still has that big long neck.

Diana Gay (BHF)

The Genius out of a Kalarama Rex mare

Her sire, The Genius, was a full brother to Bourbon Genius.  More about his famous siblings later.  Diana Gay was in the Broodmare Hall of Fame for producing CH Scarlett Flame and CH Valley View Supreme. 

Dixie Duchess (BHF)

Stonewall Supreme X Dixie Sure Enough by Mountain Peavine

I will talk more about her in another broodmare feature, but she is one of 6 daughters of Stonewall Supreme to make the BHF. 

CH Dream Waltz BHF

See my last post for her picture.  She is the dam of stallions Waltz King and Supreme Spirit.  She is also the dam of a nice mare, Dream Awhile, who was the dam of CH Star Waltz.  This makes her  great grand dam of Dance Awhile picture above.