Continued from page 45 horse with a few roan hairs in his flanks and a flaxen mane and tail, about 14-2 and weighed possible 1050 pounds, and had lots of quick speed, a beautiful head with fox ears, and was an outstanding cow horse of that day and time. Am also told that he was very heavily muscled and a great breeder. This is information I believe to be correct.” Michaelis later reports in THE QUARTER HORSE BREEDER, a book by M. H. Lindeman that the Yellow Stud was sired by Buck. She wrote it this way, “Golden Chief’s sire was The Yellow Stud by Buck, a direct descendant of Copperbottom. It is believed that Buck was by Rocket (1879) by Rock by Copperbottom.” Invariably every source of information on this bloodline indicates that Buck was the sire of The Yellow Stud and that Buck traced to Copperbottom through Rocket and Rock. This leads to speculation that Underwood’s letter to Michaelis on May 15, 1942 may have been a typo or an error of some kind. This letter also indicates that Underwood had apparently been sick and unable to “ride his horses” and this could explain the potential for an error. The dam of Golden Chief was listed as “an unnamed range mare of Copperbottom breeding.” Underwood held Golden Chief in high esteem. He was “a copper colored (red dun) quarter horse stallion with a red mane and tail and a brown stripe down his back.” This is a direct quote from the registration application that was filled out by Underwood. He added this in a note on the application, “This great old quarter horse stallion’s foals speak for themselves. He needs no other recommendations. He sired 340 foals on open range and is a well known breeder of good fast cow horses with plenty of speed and action.”
Underwood had set out to develop his family of Copperbottom bred horses through Golden Chief. He also introduced good mares to his breeding program. These mares carried the blood of stallions like Peter McCue and Old Joe Bailey. Another set of mares that were used with Golden Chief were the Zurick Mares. Underwood then started inbreeding and linebreeding to Golden Chief to perpetuate the blood of Copperbottom. The relationship, both personal and business wise, between C. T. Herring and R. L. Underwood is a well-documented part of quarter horse history. But there is another friendship that isn’t as visible to us today as the Underwood Herring friendship. This is a friendship between L. K. Johnson and Underwood. When Herring died in 1931, L. K. Johnson was named President of the Herring National Bank. Three years later Johnson was severely injured in a car wreck and was paralyzed for the rest of his life. Johnson was confined to his bed most of the time in Wichita Falls, Texas. This is where he developed his friendship with R. L. Underwood, who was from Wichita Falls. Johnson would continue in his capacity as the President of the Bank and in the management of the Ranches and on rare occasions he was taken to the ranch. But eventually he was unable to continue in this capacity and his wife Jessie took over the operation of the ranch. Golden Chief reportedly sired over 300 foals but one of the most important horses in the Underwood program was Dexter. Dexter was bred by L. K. Johnson and foaled in 1936 on the Y Ranch.
Burgess reported that Johnson sold a number of horses to Underwood. Dexter and a mare named Little Mother appear to be two of them. A key to identifying the horses that Underwood bought from h ed througto ss a p d n a Johnson shows up in the Ranch ibutors e Triangleof the great contr od. th n o form of a “Y” brand on the rn o bo elf as one . Underw ther was Little Mo ch to establish hers program and R. L left thigh. . ding Ran
A note that accompanies a letter m dated September the Y ch bree nd Museu the Y Ran of Fame a ll Dexter was sired by a H A 9, 1939 tells us that H e AQ urtesy Th Golden Chief and out Golden Chief was Photo Co of Miss Tommie. Miss Tommie was sired more than just a “range by Tom, a stallion that was also known as Scooter. Tom stallion.” “He was retired at the age of 14 years from the (Scooter) was sired by Midnight by Badger by Peter McCue. saddle as one of the great calf roping horses of his day.” This The registration application for Dexter indicates that his dam note was written when Golden Chief was 21 years old. The Miss Tommie was “A light bay quarter mare, range bred, but note described him this way, “He is still in sound breeding extra good conformation.” Continued on page 52 condition. He is 14-2, weighs 1050 pounds and could out run his shadow.” Page 48
THE WORKING HORSE • JANUARY 2010