Friday, June 14, 2019

6/15/19 W. Clyde McCoy's Dispersal Sale

The largest of the "complete" dispersal sale catalogs done by Arthur Roberts was for Mr & Mrs. W. Clyde McCoy in October of 1975. Stallions, broodmares and prospects were all put on the auction block, and Mr. McCoy had some wonderful horses.  Over 200 horses were listed, and Mr. McCoy cited other business interests as his reason for the dispersal.  Evidently the pull of the American Saddlebred was just too great, because within a couple of years. he was back in the Saddlebred business.  He later owned the likes of Attache, High Rise Spirit, Sultan's Contract and Sultan's Matchmaker.  But for now, let's look at the horses he parted with in 1975. 

There were seven stallions owned by Mr. McCoy and one reference sire listed.  Several were pictured in the catalog using beautiful drawings done by equine artist Jim Walls.
The catalog cover featured breeding stallion Starheart Victory

Clyde & Vida McCoy dispersed all but one of their horses.....
at least for a little while

The trainer for the McCoy Stables was John T. Jones. 
* * * *
 Here are the stallions, some of their famous get, and a little bit about them. 

Bourbon Genius King
Genius Bourbon King X Anacacho Trail by Edna May's King
Foaled in 1963, this well bred young stallion produced his last foal in 1976.
According to ASHA records, he was never transferred out of Clyde McCoy's name.
There was a stallion ad for him in the November 1975 Saddle & Bridle, but for
whatever reason, he never sired another colt after the sale.

CH The Wind Song was sired by Genius Bourbon King
and out of Saucy Eve, who also went through the dispersal sale.
The Wind Song was bred by Mrs. Judson Large, who had owned
both her sire and dam before selling them. Genius Bourbon King
was sold by Mrs. Large directly to Clyde McCoy in June 1975.  Saucy Eve
was sold by Mrs. Large in 1969 while pregnant with The Wind Song, and changed
 hands several times before being sold to Clyde McCoy in 1974. 

Copper Commander
f. 1965  Wing Commander X Crebilly's Hazel's Fortune by Beau Fortune
Bred by Frank Bradshaw, Copper Commander was one of two stallions
by Wing Commander that sold in the dispersal.  Although not
actually owned by Mr. McCoy, he sired four colts for him , sold at his sale,
and continued siring colts until 1982.

Danish Commander
f.  1958  Wing Commander X Denmark's Daffodil by Ridgefield's Denmark
This handsome son of Wing Commander was owned by Mr. McCoy
for 4 years before being sold in his dispersal.  One of his
offspring that also sold in the sale was 2 year old Mac's Danish Della.
He continued siring colts until 1984.
CH Suzanne's Danish Doll
f.  1973  Danish Commander X Della's Ann
Originally named Mac's Danish Della, this mare
sold as a 2 year old, along with both her sire & dam in the auction.

Fountain of Youth
f. 1972  Yorktown X Eternal Spring by Denmark's Bourbon Genius
Although never owned by Mr. McCoy, he was listed in the catalog
as a reference sire and had several weanlings selling in the sale.
He was sold several months before the dispersal sale to Ellen Scripps Davis
and went on to sire the fabulous Chubasco.

Star Recruit
f.  1964  Starheart Stonewall X Ace's Patrician Lady by American Ace
Yet another well bred stallion owned by Clyde McCoy and sold during the auction.
Perhaps his best known offspring was the Hall of Fame Broodmare,
Sixpence Star Princess, who was the dam of Callaway's Ghost Writer.
Star Recruit continued siring colts until 1983.
Callaway's Ghost Writer
He was a grandson of Star Recruit
Man O"Dare
Another nice son of Star Recruit out of Vanity's Belle.





*note, this was his picture in the catalog, but this isn't Starheart Victory**
Starheart Victory
f. 1962  Victory Ace X High Point Flame BHF by Starheart Stonewall
Purchased by Clyde McCoy less than a year before the dispersal sale,
this well bred sire was on the cover of the auction catalog and
may well have been the sale topper.  He sold to Allen Blessman of Illinois
where he continued to sire fine futurity colts until 1987. 
Starheart Victory was the sire of many CHampion show horses.
CH Heart to Heart
was sired by Starheart Victory

RWC Starheart Love
was a beautiful 3 gaited mare sired by Starheart Victory.








CH The Connoisseur
was a stunning grey gelding by Starheart Victory
Admiral's Command
f.  1967 Wing's Fleet Admiral X Dream Ship by Clarma
Admira'ls Command was listed as a show horse in the catalog,
but after the sale went on to become a breeding sire as well.
He sired the enduring show horse CH Admiral's Fleet, and
continued siring colts until 1995.

The final stallion list in the sale was Cacho's Confederate, foaled in 1957 and a son
of Anacacho Denmark, out of a mare by Wild Genius, 2nd dam by King Barrymore. 
He sold thru the auction and also continued siring colts until 1979. 
* * * * *





Clyde McCoy owned around a hundred broodmares, and most were by top stallions.  Many were former show horses, and were top producers.  One thing of interest was the large number of mares that were bred in late July and August.  Not optimal times to be breeding mares, but it almost seems like the choice to disperse was made, and then, come on, lets get those mares bred.  As usual, there aren't many broodmare pictures to be found, but if they didn't have a picture, perhaps there was a picture of an offspring, or some other representative of its pedigree.


Broodmare sires included Americus Denmark, Anacacho Shamrock, Beau Fortune,
Beau Gallant, Bourbon Genius King, Buck and Wing, Clarma, Command Decision,
Courageous Peavine, Denmark's Bourbon Genius, Firefly Supreme, Genius Bourbon King,
Golden Thunderbolt, Indiana Peavine, Kalarama Colonel, King of Harmony, Night of Folly,
Oman's Anacacho Rhythm, Private Contract, Rhythm, Command, Ridgefield's Denmark,
Ridgefield's Genius, Secret Society, Society Rex, Sovereign Path, Starheart Stonewall,
Starheatt Peavine, Stonewall Premier, Stonewall Supreme,  Stonewall's Beau Peavine,
Stonewall's Golden Dream, Superior Odds, Valley View Supreme, Vanity's Sensation,
Wing Commander, Wing's Fleet Admiral, and Yekchos.










Saucy Eve (Kalarama Colonel X Sister Belle by Beau Peavine)
went through the auction as a broodmare, 
She was the dam of The Wind Song, pictured with her sire Bourbon Genius King, 
however, she's best known as the 2nd dam of WGC CH Sky Watch.
Pictured here is the dam of Sky Watch and daughter of Saucy Eve,
Arie's Golden Gift  BHF.  Another daughter of Saucy Eve, named
Adam's Eve, was sold at the auction.  Saucy Eve never produced
more colts after 1974, but Adam's Eve and The Wind Song did.

Supreme Jewel (Stonewall Supreme X Mardi Gras Princess by Wing Commander
sold in the dispersal sale.  She produced 8 more foals.  Pictured here is
her son, Chief Kenyatta.

The show mare, CH Sweetheart of Devon, pictured here, was sired by
Sensation Rex out of Sweet Emma BHF by Jean Valentino.
Her full sister, Crebilly's Sweet Surprise was the dam of
Commander's Surprise by Wing Commander that went thru the sale.
Commander's Surprise only had one registered foal.

This is the beautiful WGC CH Denmark's Daydream.
Her full sister, Anacacho Cinderella, produced a
daughter named Rhythm's Attraction by Rhythm Command that sold in the sale.
She produced 5 more babies after she sold.

Good Spirits, pictured here, was sired by Wing Commander out of Spirit Divine.
His full sister Four S Divine Command sold at the auction and produced 9 more foals.

This is the stallion, Grand View's Matinee Idol.
His full sister, Thunderbolt's Genius Lady went through the sale.
They were by Golden Thunderbolt X Maid of Orleans by King's Genius.
She had two more foals after the sale.

WGC CH Kate Shriver BHF
Anacacho Denmark X Reverie's Desdemona by King's Genius
This great show mare also had many full siblings including
Oman's Desdemona Denmark, Golden Thunderbolt, Clarma
and Ridgefield's Denmark.  Her full sister, Reverie's Camelia was dam
of Starheart Romance, a broodmare that sold in this auction.



WGC Moreland Maid BHF was a full sister to Make Way for a Lady.
Make Way for a Lady was dam of Make Way For The Lady who went through the McCoy sale.
  She produced a late foal in 1976.


Noble's Wonder Girl, pictured here, was the 2nd dam of Rhonda Fleming.
Rhonda Fleming was sired by Reverie's Bourbon Gale and
was sold to North Ridge Farm where she produced WC The Speculator.

Pedro's Dream
f. 1964   Genius Bourbon King X Garastanna Dream BHF by San Pedro
This lovely broodmare, a former World's Champion, changed hands 8 times,
and produced 7 more colts after the auction.

This is WGC CH Plainview's Julia BHF
Her dam, Sweetheart of Plainview, was 2nd dam of Happy Hiawatha,
who sold at auction.  Happy Hiawatha raised 5 more foals after the sale.

CH Plum Duff
f. 1960  Genius Bourbon King X Meimohala Born by Cameo Kirby
This nice mare had 5 more foals after she sold.


The breeding stallion Santana Hosanna's pedigree
includes his 2nd dam Wing's Charmer who went through the sale.
Wing's Charmer went on to produce 8 more foals after the sale,
including RWC Pocket Charm, the dam of Santana Hosanna.

This is CH Spellcaster, who was by Indiana Peavine X Kathryn Manion.
His 3/4 sister, Peavine's Mary Louise, also by Indiana Peavine,
but Kathryn Manion was her 2nd dam, went thru the sale. 
She produced 4 more foals after the McCoy dispersal.

Sunkist Lady Jane
f. 1961 Sunkist's Sparkling Commander X Beau's Hazel jane by Beau Gallant
This former parade horse sold through the auction
and produced 5 more foals, including a golden.

WGC CH Tashi Ling
F. 1959  Wing Commander X Emeral Future BHF by Anderson Rex
She sold through the dispersal sale at age 16 and produced 3 more daughters.
This picture is of CH Miss America BHF,
who was the 2nd dam of Denmark's Miss Society.
Denmark's Miss Society, foaled in 1957 and went thru the sale.

Vesta Dare on the left, and Mary Dall on the right,
were 3rd and 4th dams of Denmark's Miss Society.
Denmark's Miss Society produced her last foal in 1973.

WGC Home Town Hero was out of the mare Barham's Reality BHF.
Her full sister, Eternal Spring went through the McCoy Dispersal Sale.
Both these mares were by Denmark's Bourbon Genius out of Stonewall Symponette.
Eternal Spring had 8 more owners, and produced 4 more foals.

Here is Wild Wind BHF.
She was the 2nd dam of Joanie's Rebel
Although Joanie's Rebel never produced more foals,
her 1975 weanling also sold in the dispersal
and that begins another tale. 
* * * * *
Here is a tale about two weanling fillies that sold through the
Clyde McCoy Dispersal sale in 1975.  They were sold to different owners, 
and went in different directions.  It wasn't until 10 years later that one sold
again and met up with her weanling pasture mate.  This time,
their home was in Ohio, not Kentucky. 
Hip #95 was an unnamed weanling filly by Danish Commander and
out of Joanie's Rebel. She was purchased by Five Point Farm in Ohio.  
She was registered as Five Point Danish Rebel and produced two stallions
for Five Point Farm.  One was Five Point Challenger, who in turn sired
Challenger's Ghostly Dream.  His son, The Handsome Ghost, is still
siring colts in Howard, Ohio. 
Five Point Danish Rebel's other son was Five Point American Rebel.  When he
was of breeding age, he sired a number of colts, including two full brothers,
Five Point Demon Rebel and Five Point Tall Dark and Handsome.
Their dam was Mac's Rosanna McCoy, Hip # 158, one of many weanling fillies that
went through the dispersal sale.  Sired by Bourbon Genius King, she had sold to Grandview Farm, then Garland Bradshaw and Mitchell Clark, before finally selling to Five Point Farm. 
While there aren't any pictures of these weanlings turned broodmares, some of their
get are pictured below. 
Challenger's Ghostly Dream
he was sired by Five Point Challenger,
who was out of Five Point Danish Rebel, 2nd dam Joanie's Rebel
The Handsome Ghost was sired by Challenger's Ghostly Dream
Here is the other son of Five Point Danish Rebel.
This is Five Point American Rebel who was out of Five Point Danish Rebel,
 2nd dam Joanie's Rebel. His dam and 2nd dam both sold at the McCoy sale,
and he was later bred to another mare who sold at the sale as a weanling.
She was Mac's Rosanna McCoy, so both grand dams of the next
three horses sold at the Clyde McCoy Dispersal sale.
Five Point Demon Rebel
Five Point American Rebel X Mac's Rosanna MeCoy
Five Point Tall Dark and Handsome
Five Point American Rebel X Mac's Rosanna MeCoy
Five Point Red Rebel Rose
Five Point American Rebel X Mac's Rosanna MeCoy
I am Johnny Be Good
is out of Five Point Red Rebel Rose


* * * * * *  

So continuing with the sale catalog, all the weanlings, and many yearling and 2 year old prospects sold.  There were some pictures in the catalog, but none seemed to go one and make a huge splash in Saddlebred history.  Many of the older show horses had been purchased earlier by Clyde McCoy as prospects.

Bartlett's Victory
f.  1972 Starheart Victory X Bartlett's Dorothy Louise
Purchased less than a year before the sale, he was sold in Oct, 1975.

Hide A Way's Wall Street
f.  1973  Ridgefield's Denmark X Hide A Way's Curtain Call
Wall Street went on to sire 15 colts for his new owners. 

Hide A Way's Plumb Wild
f.  1973  Hide A Way's Wild Country X Crebilly's Plumb Beautiful BHF
His dam was in the Broodmare Hall of Fame, but not due to help from this handsome fellow.

Mac Beau Peavine
f. 1972  Stonewall's Beau Peavine X Evan's Royal Secret
His full brother was CH Evan's Stonewall Peavine

Mac Danish Honey
f.  1973  Danish Commander X Hi Honey
After her futurity days were over, she went on
to become a 5 gaited show horse.



Bomb's Echo
a fabulous road horse!

Desdemona's Happy Denmark
f.  1969  Oman's Desdemona Denmark X Freak of Nature
This gelding had  full brothers, RWC 20th Century Limited
and CH Denmark's Aquarius who were very successful show horses.

Moon Challenger
f. 1970 Starheart's Challenger X San Marino's Miss Prissy


Ruby's Jewell
f.  1969  Pinelake's Colonel X Pinelake's Ruby
Another how horse with no further show or production record.

And that's it for my collection of dispersal sale catalogs handled by Art Roberts.


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Saturday, May 11, 2019

5/12/19 The Curse of the Four S Farm

Several  months ago I was contacted by a reader asking for some ads about Winganeek Farm, Lexington Kentucky..  These ads were from  the 1930's and 1940's when it was managed by Art Roberts.  After Winganeek closed, Mr. Roberts went on to become an auctioneer, one who specialized in dispersal sales.  With his decades spent managing the stallions at Winganeek, he was a whiz on bloodlines and knew how to write up interesting statements on the sale horses.

I am lucky enough to have 4 old sale catalogs produced by Mr. Roberts from the 1970's.  The last post looked at Garland Bradshaw's sale, which followed a lifetime in the Saddlebred industry and showed the many successes he achieved.  The catalog highlighted in this post shows the other end of the spectrum.  Although the horses came from top notch bloodlines, for the most part the results were bitterly disappointing.  Four S Farms got into the Saddlebred business in a big way in the late 1960's, but by 1973 they were calling it quits.  Just what went wrong is hard to say.  They experienced a devastating fire, which appeared to be the last straw, but as we know, many great horseman, including Garland Bradshaw have dealt with this same tragedy.

Four S Farms had nearly forty broodmares and four stallions at the time they dispersed.  Although many mares were relatively young, only seven of them continued producing into the 1980's.  Six mares sold through the sale never produced another colt, and ten never produced past 1974.  These were not very good statistics.  The stallions didn't fare much better, with Special Commander, the featured sale horse, only siring 3 foals in 1974 and nothing   beyond that.  Was he gelded?  Did he die? Four S Farms also liked to change the names of horses they purchased by adding the Four S prefix.  It didn't guarantee success, more likely it was a bit of a curse.

Sale catalogs are fascinating, so here's a look at some of the horses that went through the Four S Dispersal sale.  Pictures of mares are pretty rare, so in many instances their get will be pictured instead, or horses from their pedigrees will be listed.



Commander's Best
f. 1965   Wing Commander X Daunsay by Prince of Genius
This stallion was purchased by Four S farm in February of 1973, just a few months prior to the dispersal.  He sold for $9500 and continued siring colts until 1983.  He was sold multiple times, but was always owned by some of the best names in the Saddlebred industry.  
Special Commander
f.  1968  Wing Commander X Chocolate Kiss by Royal Kalarama
Bred by Castleton Farm, he was purchased for Four S Farm as a yearling. 
He sold through the auction for $5200.  He had bred several mares and sired 3 colts in 1974, but nothing after that.  His dam Chocolate Kiss also produced CH Sweet Commander, Wing's Charmer and Our Grey Dawn.  
Our Grey Dawn was also out of Chocolate Kiss
Meadow Romeo
f. 1968  Vanity's Sensation X Meadow Blossom by Anacacho Shamrock.  
Here is another stallion bred by Castleton Farm.  He was a full sister to RWC Meadow Glitter. 
Meadow Romeo continued siring colts until 1988.
Meadow Glitter, full sister to Meadow Romeo, also sold through the auction.
She sold for $16,000.  Another horse bred by Castleton Farm, she was a Reserve World Champion
before she was owned by Four S Farm.  Kathy Stansbury of Four S Farm also showed her to 
a RWC title in 1972 in the Ladies 3 Gaited division.  
* * * * *
Bold Society
f.  1956  Society Rex X Happy Surprise by Heart of Glory
Bold Society was not listed in the sale catalog, but had sired several of the colts being sold.
Four S Farms is listed as his current owner, so perhaps he never sold.  The last colt sired by him was born in 1975 and listed Jim B. Robertson as the breeder. 
.  
CH Razor Sharp was sired by Bold Society, foaled in 1975 
and Jim B Robertson was listed as the breeder.  
* * * * *
Now for some of the Four S broodmares

Listed 2nd in the catalog was Contract's Virginia Dare
f. 1957  Private Contract X a daughter of Madison Denmark.
She sold for $15,100, which seems like a lot for a 16 year old mare, however, she was the dam of the current WGC 5 Gaited horse, Vale Dale's Sure Fire.  She never produced another foal.
Val Dale's Sure Fire was out of Contract's Virginia Dare.
He was registered as being by Denmark's Golden Sun, however, many people feel he was really sired by Night of Folly.  A black mare, sired by Night of Folly and out of Contract's Virginia Dare sold through the dispersal sale, so Four S Fire Away was possibly a full sister to Sure Fire.  She sold for $12,000, and while she doesn't have a show record listed, she did produce a lot of colts. 
* * * * * 
CH Four S Earth Angel
f. 1955  Bobby Sea's Bambino by Bobby Sea X Highland Heart BHF by Heart of Glory
Her show career was long over, and she had produced many colts by the time she was purchased in 1969 by Four S Farm.  Her daughter Four S Vanity's Angel, sired by Vanity's Sensation, sold in the sale for $10,000 and later produced many colts of her own.  Four S Earth Angel sold and produced her last colt in 1976.  

* * * * *
WC Dainty Breeze 
f. 1951    Ridgefield's Denmark X Hide a Way's Laura Belle by Indiana Ace
She was the oldest mare going through the sale, and was a former World's Champion.   She was another broodmare purchased by Four S Farms in 1969.  Her gelded son, Four S Rail Splitter also sold through the dispersal sale for $12,500.  No price was listed for Dainty Breeze, however, she did continue producing colts, her last one in 1975.  

* * * * *
Highland Debutante
f.  1956   Stonewall Supreme X Emily's Daughter BHF
This mare was purchased in September of 1973, just one month before the sale.  
She had already produced the good horse CH Highland's Plain and Fancy, and was in foal when she was purchased.  She continued producing foals until 1978 and came from a very strong maternal line. 
CH Dream Hill's Ann Thompson was out of Emily's Daughter BHF, making her a half sister to Highland Debutante.  
Starheart's Daughter was also out of Emily's Daughter BHF.

* * * * *
Proud Eugenia
f.  1952   Genius of Stonyridge X Milady Betty by Pure Denmark
Proud Eugenia's last foal was born in 1973.  He was sired by the Four S Farms stallion Bold Society, and went on to become a Reserve World's Champion.  His name was Forever Came Today and he also sold through the dispersal sale.  Proud Eugenia was another mare with a strong maternal line.  Her first dam Milady Betty was a show mare, as was her 2nd dam Milady Minton BHF
Hayfield's Kentucky Lady was out of Proud Eugenia
Milady Betty was the dam of Proud Eugenia
Milady Minton BHF was 2nd dam of Proud Eugenia
She was owned by Minton Hickory Farm and was also the dam of
Lady Chatterbox BHF, the dam of WGC CH The Lemon Drop Kid.

* * * * *

 Gigi's Secret
f.  1962   Secret Society by Society Rex X Guilford's Gigi by Veiled Prophet
This mare had the misfortune of losing 2 of her colts in the Four S Farms' fire, and having another badly burned.  However, she continued producing foals until 1985.  

****
The next dispersal catalog will look at a large and very successful farm.

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