WORKING LINESMARTHA JOSEY & HER AMAZIN’
EIGHT PART I
By Larry Thornton | All photos courtesy Martha Josey
Martha Josey has cemented her name in barrel racing history with countless titles and honors, including multiple World Championships to go with a Gold Medal in the Calgary Winter Olympics. Plus, she has been inducted into several Hall of Fames. Even with all these great titles, she may have an even greater legacy with her highly successful barrel racing clinics. The clinics she started in 1967, with her husband, the late R. E. Josey, a trainer of multiple AQHA World Champion roping horses, have instructed thousands of barrel racers and ropers over the years. Her clinics are as popular today as they were in the beginning.
When you look at the career of Martha Josey, you see that she earned her titles with great horses. When you survey the pedigrees of horses, she rode you see they are influenced by the racing American Quarter Horse and the Thoroughbred. They also carry some great foundation quarter horse breeding. So, let’s look at what has become known as Martha Josey’s Amazin’ Eight.
Martha explains how she got her start, “My dad, Henry Arthur, was one of the first directors of the National Quarter Horse Breeders Association. He was one of the first to bring quarter horses into East Texas in the early forties. They had quarter racing in Gladewater back in the early forties, and my dad actually started that. He would race a horse for a quarter mile against a car, and of course, the horse would always win.” Henry Arthur was born in West Texas but served in the oil fields of Texas and Oklahoma with his father before settling in Marshall, Texas, raising cattle and American Quarter Horses. Here are some comments he made in an article titled “Meet Our Directors” in the December 1946 magazine THE QUARTER HORSE, the official publication of the National Quarter Horse Breeders Association: “I am only interested in quarter horses, and I live quarter horses. I like all quarter horses, but I prefer the cow horse type quarter horse, one that can go out and get the job done and still show in a show.”
He went on, “The quarter horse is coming fast in this part of Texas, and before long, I think we will rate with the rest of the southwest. All you can hear around East Texas rodeos is ‘quarter horse’ and I like that.” The article goes on to say that Mr. Arthur was in the process of rebuilding his broodmare band.
The magazine article on Mr. Arthur showed a picture of him on the stallion Thumper. Thumper was sired by Golondrino, by
CEBE REED AND MARTHA RUNNING THE BARRELS.
Paul El, a son of Hickory Bill. The dam of Paul El was Baby Ruth by Sykes Rondo, and she was out of May Mangum. This makes Baby Ruth a full sister to Jenny, the dam of Little Joe, the paternal grandsire of King P-234. The dam of Golondrino was a Pal O Mine Mare by Pal O Mine. Pal O Mine was a full brother to Rialto P-2, the second stallion to be listed in the AQHA Stud Book as a foundation sire. The dam of Thumper was Sally Poore by a horse known as Will Wright by Little Joe. Little Joe was sired by Traveler and out of Jenny, the full sister to Baby Ruth. The dam of the Will Wright horse was a daughter of Hickory Bill. Thumper developed colic and died before his full impact could be felt. Then, sadly, Mr. Arthur passed away when Martha was about 10. He was 43 years old.
Martha continued about her entry into barrel racing, “Dad had 36 mares and this stallion Jim Bo when he passed away. He passed away from a heart attack. So, my mother sold all the horses and kept one horse, and that was Jim Bo. I believe he was a Joe Reed.”
She then told the following, “My mother kept Jim Bo, and I went through school doing other things like sports and everything else. When I was a senior in high school, I went to a rodeo, and when I came home from that rodeo mother had that one horse. He had not been used for probably eight years, and I took my dad’s roping saddle and made a barrel horse out of him. That was my first barrel horse.”
We saw with Thumper that he was a foundation-bred horse, and Jim Bo, who was registered only in the NQHBA, was a combination of foundation quarter horse bloodlines and Thoroughbred bloodlines. Jim Bo was sired by a horse named Joe Sunday Joy in the NQHBA Stud Book. When you get an online pedigree of Jim Bo from the AQHA through his NQHBA number, it shows that his sire was Joe Sunday. When you look up Jim Bo in the NQHBA Stud Book, you see that his sire was Joe Sunday Joy, bred by E. C. Puryear, and he owned him. When
we look up the AQHA registered Joe Sunday, we see that he was bred by J. J. Slankard, the last owner of Joe Reed P-3. He was also owned by E. C. Puryear. The dam of Joe Sunday Joy was Bay Lady by Joy. The dam of Joe Sunday was Lady Cause by Joy. They were both born in 1941 and owned by the same man at that point. This is interesting, but may indicate that Joe Sunday Joy and Joe Sunday were the same horse, or they were ¾ brothers owned by the same man.
The dam of Jim Bo was a mare named Molly Marie by Red Hot, a Thoroughbred by Under Fire. Under Fire is best known as the sire of Peace Pipe, who was the broodmare sire of Moon Deck, the sire of such great horses as the prominent stallions Jet Deck and Top Moon. The dam of Red Hot was Vision by Helmet by Disguise by Domino, the great source of speed. The dam of Vision is Dream Girl by
Voter. Voter is the paternal great-great-grandsire of Three Bars in the sire line. Voter and Disguise are in the pedigree of the legendary Three Bars. CEBE REED (CEBE) Cebe Reed is the horse that made Martha Josey a full-time barrel racer and the first of the Amazin’ Eight. She tells the story of how she got Cebe Reed, “Out of all those mares my mother sold, one went to a man named C. B. Reynolds of Longview, and her name was Bay Canary, and he bred her to Frank’s Pal, who was all Thoroughbred. That was how Cebe Reed came along.”
THUMPER
She continued, “Throughout my high school years, I hadn’t ridden at all. C. B. Reynolds called me, and he said you are Henry Arthur’s daughter. I said, ‘Yes,’ and he said, ‘Well, I know you can ride a horse.’ I told him I really haven’t done that much riding.”
WISE COUNSELLOR MENTOR BLACKSTOCK b 1899 ch 1921 ch 1906 META ch 1886 PORT AU PRINCE THOROUGHBRED RUSTLE RUSSELL b 1888 ch 1932 (USA) ch 1905 LADY LOUISE b 1894
THOROUGHBRED HAUTON HIGH TIME ULTIMUS ch 15.3 1906 (USA) br 1925 ch 1916 NOONDAY ch 1898
FRANK'S PAL THOROUGHBRED DORA W HONEYWOOD br 1911 ch 1944 (USA) br 1918 DORA I. b 1899
THOROUGHBRED BUNTING PENNANT PETER PAN b 1904 (USA) b 1919 ch 1910 ROYAL ROSE b 1894
LADY LE COMTE THOROUGHBRED FRILLERY BROOMSTICK b 15.2 1901 ch 1925 (USA) b 1913 PETTICOAT b 1906 THOROUGHBRED SCRUB LADY BROOMSTICK BEN BRUSH b 1893 (USA) b 1916 b 15.2 1901 ELF b 1893
CEBE REED THOROUGHBRED ROXANE PERBLAZE 1889 b 1957 ch 1897 ONDINA 1891
QUARTER HORSE TOP FLIGHT GOLDEN CHIEF THE YELLOW STUD dun sor 1938 rd dun 1918 QUARTER MARE RED DAN QUARTER HORSE MISS WAGGONER BUCK THOMAS sor 1921 sor 1942 #0001097 b 1933 MARE BY MIDNIGHT gr
QUARTER HORSE MARE BY JOE REED JOE REED JOE BLAIR b 1911 #0008060 ch 1921 DELLA MOORE 1 ch 1909
BAY CANARY QUARTER HORSE b 1947 U0074851
QUARTER HORSE JOE REED II JOE REED JOE BLAIR b 1911 #0024859 ch 1936 ch 1921 DELLA MOORE 1 ch 1909
SUDIE B QUARTER HORSE NELLENE FLEETING TIME ch 1923 b 1942 #0000985 sor 1931 LITTLE RED NELL sor 1920
QUARTER HORSE DUTCH 1 DODGER HARMON BAKER br 1907 #0014185 br 1936 dk ch 1924 FROGGIE 1 ch 1911
QUARTER HORSE MARE BY OLD JIM OLD JIM ch 1922 AQHA # U0229547
That statement didn’t seem to stop him. She continued her story, “He told me I have a horse named Cebe Reed, and you need to come and try him, and I did. Since my dad was in the quarter horse association, I went mostly with the quarter horses shows and won everything. I went to my first National Finals on that horse. That was in ‘68.” A backstory on the purchase of Cebe Reed: Martha’s mother had leased her land for $2,500, and she gave the money to Martha to buy the horse.
Cebe Reed and Martha would earn 89 AQHA performance points with an ROM earning a Superior in barrel racing. They would enter 34 AQHA barrel races and win 30 of them.
They went on to be the Texas Barrel Racing Association
Champions from 1964 to 1967. At one time, they won 52-barrel races in a row. They won seven horse trailers. He would carry Martha to her first National Finals Rodeo in 1968, and they would go back in 1969.
He was also a West Texas Barrel Racing Association Champion.
Cebe Reed was inducted into the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2019.
When I asked what set him apart? She replied, “It was his stop. He could run as hard as he could to a barrel and sit down on his rear end and pivot around a barrel real easy using his rear end. He turned in his rib cage, but he wasn’t a head giving horse; he just locked down and turned around, never hit barrels, even though he was stiff turning horse, but he was quick. He would run and do things. The cowboys would come to the fence to watch me run because he was so outstanding.”
and one stakes winner. His stakes winner is Tuna Pal, winner of the River Downs Hurdle Handicap, and he was second in the Arlington Downs Hurdle Handicap. His daughter, Frank’s Flower, was third in the Arlington Lassie Stakes. He sired 19 foals that are listed in the AQHA records, with 14 of them Thoroughbreds and five quarter horses. In addition to Cebe Reed, he sired Sorlis, with five AQHA performance points with an ROM, and Bad Booger, with 13 AQHA points with an ROM. The pedigree of Frank’s Pal makes him interesting, and his Thoroughbred ties to the racing American Quarter Horse. His sire, Port Au Prince, was an unraced son of Wise Counsellor. Wise Counsellor was sired by Mentor, by Blackstock, by Hanover. Blackstock was out of Mannie Himyar, a full sister to Domino.
Wise Counsellor was the 1923 Champion TwoYear-Old Colt. He set a track record at Empire City, going six furlongs in 1:07 4/5. He won nine stakes in 22 starts, with 10 wins overall, with earnings of $115,570. The foals of Wise Counsellor won $2,288,012 with 250 starters, with 212 winners, and 28 stakes horses. One of his runners was Ogham, winner of $73,815 with 198 starts, winning 44, placing second 24 times, and third 28 times. He won such stakes as the Lafayette Stakes, the Old Stone Mill Handicap, and the Bristol Purse.
Her other foals by Top Deck include Miss Mackay, winner of the 1954 Ruidoso Futurity, now a grade one, and Mr Mackay, a multiple stakes qualifier with a second in the Pacific Coast QHRA Derby and a third in the New Mexico Breeder’s Derby. The dam of Port Au Prince was Hauton, a mare by High Time, who was inbred to Domino. His sire was Ultimus, and he was by Commando by Domino and out of Running Stream by Domino.
The dam of High Time was Noonday by Domino. This gives High Time a breeding pattern of 3 x 3 x 2 to Domino. Three Bars was out of Myrtle Dee by Like McLuke, a son of Ultimus.
The dam of Frank’s Pal was Lady Le Comte, by Bunting, by Pennant, by Peter Pan, by Commando, by Domino. Pennant was the sire of Equipoise, the sire of Equestrian, and the sire of Top Deck. The dam of Bunting was Frillery, by Broomstick. The dam of Equestrian was Frillette, who was out of Frillery. The dam of Lady Le Comte was Scrub Lady by Broomstick. Broomstick was sired by Ben Brush and out of Elf by Galliard. This second cross to Broomstick gives Lady Le Comte a breeding pattern of 3 x 2 to Broomstick. Top Deck had a breeding pattern of 4 x 4 x 5 x 5 to Broomstick.
Bay Canary was sired by Red Dan by Top Flight by Golden Chief. Top Flight was bred by R. L Underwood, the third President of the AQHA. Golden Chief was sired by a horse named The Yellow Stud that traced to Copperbottom in his sire line. Copperbottom was the foundation sire of the second-oldest family of quarter horses in the modern era. The dam of Top Flight was Miss Waggoner by Buck Thomas and out of a mare by Midnight. The dam of Red Dan was a mare by Joe Reed P-3. The dam of Bay Canary was Sudie B by Joe Reed II, an early AQHA Racing Champion Stallion. He was sired by Joe Reed P-3, who was sired by Joe Blair and out of Della Moore by Old DJ. Nellene, the dam of Joe Reed II, was sired by Fleeting Time by High Time, the inbred Domino stallion. This gives Bay Canary a breeding pattern of 3 x 3 to Joe Reed P-3.
and an AQHA World Championship in barrel racing in the same year.”
She continued, “I got him in 1978 at the clinic in March, and I made the finals on him that year. I made the finals on him in the NFR for four years from 1978 to 1981. He was so consistent. He could run, but was too consistent to not hit barrels. Martha has reported that Sonny Bit O Both “was such a balanced horse that gave his head and could bend and be flexible. He hardly ever hit or ran past a barrel.”
Martha further explained the running style of Sonny Bit O Both. “He ran off leg pressure and voice commands. He was fun to ride because you could hustle him to the first barrel, say ‘whoa’, and get ready because he was going to turn! Sonny loved the road and never failed when it was time for the barrel race. The more miles you hauled him, the better his performance. I felt like he gave me his all.”
AMAZIN’ EIGHT
Martha and Sonny Bit O’Both earned 63 AQHA points with an ROM and a Superior in the open barrels. He was the 1980 AQHA World Champion in Senior Barrel Horse. As we noted, they qualified for the NFR from 1978 to 1981, with 1980 being the most rewarding year. They not only won the 1980 WPRA World Championship in barrel racing, but he was also voted the “Horse with the Most Heart,” and Martha was voted the Best Dressed for that year. Sonny Bit O Both was sired by a horse named Bit O’Both, and he was a quarter running horse with a AAA rating that shows today as a 95-speed index. He had 12 starts with two wins, one second, and one third. He was shown twice in barrel racing, winning both classes, earning three AQHA performance points. His sire record shows that he sired just 40 foals, with 12 performers earning 115.5 points. His other performers include My Petite Jet, with 38.5 AQHA performance points, and as a finalist in the 1985 Youth World Championships with an eighth place in pole bending.
Frank’s Pal, the sire of Cebe Reed, reportedly started 52 races with seven wins, six seconds, and four thirds, earning $11,805. He sired 53 Thoroughbred foals with 36 starters, 25 winners,
One of Wise Counsellor’s sons was Very Wise, a modest winner of $1,800. Very Wise was the sire of a mare named Lightfoot Sis, a famous Cajun-Bred Running Horse. She was purchased out of Louisiana by J. B. Ferguson of Wharton, Texas, and she was bred to Top Deck. She would produce Go Man Go, the three-time AQHA Racing World Champion and leading sire.
Martha added this, showing her respect for this great horse, “He was half cow horse and half racehorse. He was probably one of the best barrel horses of all time.”
SONNY BIT O’BOTH (SONNY)
The second gelding from the Amazin’ Eight was Sonny Bit O Both. Here is how Martha came to get this horse: “My next great horse was Sonny Bit O Both, and I actually found him at a clinic, and he was really young. He was by a horse named Bit O Both, and to this day in history, he is the only horse to win both the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association World Championship
The sire of Bit O’Both was Lazy Johnny, an AA-rated runner that was stakes-placed in the 1955 Nebraska Championship. He had nine starts with three wins and three seconds. He sired just 25 foals, with 12 starters, with three ROM. His leading money winner was Free Air, a stakes-placed runner with fifths in the 1962 Arizona Derby and the Nick Hall Cup Stakes.
The sire of Lazy Johnny was Johnny Barnes, an unraced horse that was the sire of 25 starters with 12 racing ROM and three stakes-placed runners. His stakes-placed runners include Jimmie Dee Garrett with a third in the 1949 Oklahoma Futurity and Miss Duchess Belle, who was third in the 1952 Kansas Futurity.
JIM BO MARTHA’S FIRST BARREL HORSE.
CEBE REED AND SONNY THE START OF THE
Johnny Barnes has an interesting pedigree and is associated with a famous foundation quarter horse bloodline and quarter racing. His sire is Charlie McCue by Billy McCue. Billy McCue was sired by Jack McCue, a racing and siring son of Peter McCue. Peter McCue was a widely raced son of Dan Tucker, who was by Barney Owens, by Martin’s Cold Deck by Old Billy, the foundation sire of the Old Billy line in South Texas. Old Billy was sired by Shiloh and out of Ram Cat by Steel Dust.
The Billy McCue name may be familiar to some as he is found in the pedigree of great producer FL Lady Bug, dam of several top racehorses, including Lady Bug’s Moon. FL Lady Bug was sired by Sergeant by Billy McCue and out of Yeager’s Lady JA by Will Stead by Billy McCue.
SONNY AND MARTHA RUNNING THE BARRELS
The dam of Bit O’Both was V’s Louise, an unraced mare that had four starters with two ROM, and one stakes winner. The stakes winner was Louise Barnes, winning the Nebraska Derby in 1955. Her sire was Mortgage Barnes by Johnny Barnes, making her a ¾ sister to Bit O’Both. The sire of V’s Louise was Star McCue by Starway by Oklahoma Star P-6, another AQHA Stud Book foundation sire that was a noted racehorse. Oklahoma Star P-6 was sired by Dennis Reed and out of the great Oklahoma race mare
SONNY AND MARTH WON THE AQHA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP AND THE WPRA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IN 1980.
Cutthroat by Bonnie Joe. Starway was out of Quarter Lady by Quarter Deck by Man O’War. V’s Lucy was the dam of V’s Louise, and she was sired by Little Jodie by Little Joe Springer by Old Joe by Harmon Baker and out of Old English, a Thoroughbred mare by Ute Chief. Old English was the foundation of the C S Ranch. Her sire, Ute Chief, was sired by Maximillian, and she was out of a brown Thoroughbred mare by Ulan II by Uhlan. The dam of Sonny Bit O’Both was My Vorina, by Sunny Chief by Sundown, by Red Buck, by Buck Thomas, and Sundown was out of Flapper Gal, by Buck Thomas. Buck Thomas was sired by Peter McCue. The dam of My Vorina was Bay Maud by Colonel P-8, another AQHA Stud Book foundation sire. Colonel P-8 was sired by Little Joe Springer by Old Joe and out of a mare by Old Joe. Old Joe, a son of Harmon Baker by Peter McCue, was used by Billy Anson, the man that Bob Denhardt relied on to start the formation of the American Quarter Horse Association. Harmon Baker was used as a racehorse when he wasn’t being used as a sire. History tells us that he was virtually unbeatable. Next time, The Working Lines will follow up with Part 2 of Martha Josey and the Amagzin’ Eight.
STAN WEAVER OF WEAVER QH
UF RESEARCHERS RECRUITING
HORSES FOR ARTHRITIS PAIN STUDY
By Meredith Bauer, UF Senior Public Relations Specialist
University of Florida researchers are looking to collaborate with horse owners on a study about arthritis pain.
UF/IFAS, the UF College of Veterinary Medicine, the UF College of Dentistry and the UF biomedical engineering department are searching for horses that can participate in a field study focused on osteoarthritis, a key cause of swelling, heat and pain in joints. Just like in people, arthritis in horses commonly results from frequent, repetitive high-impact stress on the joint, such as from activities like racing and jumping – and early intervention is critical.
The researchers have designed a non-invasive screening process for horses to create a more comprehensive, objective method to measure joint pain, said
Samantha Brooks, UF/IFAS associate professor of equine physiology and genetics.
If a method can be developed for horses – patients who inherently cannot talk about their pain – then a similar approach will hopefully work for people who have joint pain, rather than relying on the current, subjective pain scales, she said.
“We tend to treat symptomatically when horses show obvious clinical signs of pain, but if we can get a detect subtle joint pain sooner, we might be able to start pain treatments in time to better preserve joint function, and tailor that treatment for each horse,” Brooks said. “And our horses undergo a lot of the same joint diseases that we have. Any tools that we can build to better understand the discomfort caused by arthritis in horses gives us a better understanding of arthritis pain in people.”
The researchers are looking to work with horse owners whose horses are in Central Florida and have already been diagnosed with osteoarthritis, especially if it affects the fetlock joint. The horses will receive an initial screening visit with a lameness exam, free radiographs of fetlocks and a blood draw. The lameness exam is a simple series of movement tests, such as walking and trotting in a straight line.
The UF research team would visit the horses a couple days a year for a period of up to two years to observe them in their everyday routine and use new approaches to document their movements and behavior – no change in the horse’s usual routine would be expected, Brooks said.
Kaylee Young, a UF/IFAS animal science research coordinator, said community participation is essential to one day have a better understanding of osteoarthritis pain.
“Participating in this study could lead to better pain management and care for not only our horse companions but for people,” she said. “This research could be something that could be life changing not only for horses but for humans.”
ABOUT UF/IFAS
The mission of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is to develop knowledge relevant to agricultural, human and natural resources and to make that knowledge available to sustain and enhance the quality of human life. With more than a dozen research facilities, 67 county Extension offices, and award-winning students and faculty in the UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, UF/IFAS brings science-based solutions to the state’s agricultural and natural resources industries, and all Florida residents. ifas.ufl.edu
@UF_IFAS
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October
MARES WITH MOREA MARE NAMED DUMPY
By Larry Thornton | photo courtesy to The AQHA Hall of Fame and Museum and Author Files
When the late Dr. Glenn Blodgett, the longtime manager of the Burnett Ranches horse program, asked me to delve into the history of the Burnett Ranches mares, it was a dream come true. I was going to be able to delve deeper into the famous mares for this great Ranch. It allowed me to find some of the unknowns that surrounded these mares. When the task was done, he asked me to find out more about a mare named Dumpy and her daughter Conformation. They were a mystery to him, and he wanted to know the background of Conformation, as she was owned at one time by the Burnett Ranches. Her dam was Dumpy, and so this is her story for our Mares With More. Dumpy was foaled in September 1928. She was bred by Preston Johnson of Rosanky, Texas. Johnson is the man who signed her registration application in December 1946. She was transferred to W. V. Booth’s ownership in April 1946. Booth was from Center, Texas.
The pedigree of Dumpy is a limited one. She is listed as sired by a horse named Shorty. Some pedigrees will show that he was known as the Johnson Horse. Shorty was sired by a horse called Red Devil. The registration application for Dumpy indicates that Red Devil was sired by a thoroughbred. The pedigree for Shorty ends there.
The dam of Dumpy was called Oklahoma Beauty on Dumpy’s registration application. Nelson Nye, in his book OUTSTANDING MODERN QUARTER HORSE SIRES, tells us in his biography of Little Joe Jr, a son of Dumpy, that the mother of Dumpy was Johnson’s Old Roping Mare. He goes on to tell us that he (Preston Johnson) got her in a “bunch of Q Horses that came from around Brownwood, Texas.” This is also a notation on the registration of Dumpy that she came from Brownwood, Texas. This document also indicates that the Johnson Roping Mare, aka Oklahoma Beauty, was supposedly originally from Oklahoma. Nye also described Dumpy in this biography as a “chunky chestnut-roping mare.” Nye also described Dumpy as a “1000 lb mare just under 15 hands.” She was a roping mare like her dam.
So far, we have learned that Dumpy was a roping mare. She has a limited pedigree, and she became a broodmare for Preston Johnson. The first foal of Dumpy we will talk about is Billi Jo, a horse that was never registered in the AQHA but listed on her official produce record. This horse was sired by Joe Bailey P-4.
Nelson Nye in the Appendix in his book CHAMPIONS OF THE QUARTER TRACK tells us that Billi Jo was a chestnut colt foaled in 1946. This makes Billi Jo an ROM racehorse in the old American Quarter Racing Association. The official AQHA race record for Billi Jo indicates that he ran ten official races with two wins and three seconds. Billi Jo earned his racing ROM. He got his ROM in 1948 and last raced in 1950. Nye shows the spelling to be Billi-Jo. But computer records did away with most punctuation marks in the computerized studbook.
The next foal out of Dumpy we will talk about is Streak 6, who was sired by a horse named Bill Fleming. The AQHA records show that Streak 6 was a stallion. But that is about all the record shows. He has no race or show record, and we don’t know when he was foaled. Bob Denhardt, in his book FOUNDATION SIRES OF THE AMERICAN QUARTER HORSE, lists only one Bill Fleming. He was foaled in 1930. But we don’t know if this is the horse that sired Streak 6. This Bill Fleming was also known as Bouldin’s Bill Fleming. He was sired by a Paint Stud by Jimmy Elder, and he was out of a mare by Doc Odem. The dam of this horse was Patsie by Billy Dribbrel, also spelled Billy Dribble, and he was sired by Anthony by Old Billy and out of Paisana.
The next four foals registered for Dumpy were Little Joe Jr, Conformation, Sleepy Red, and Little Josie. All four of these horses were sired by Joe Bailey P-4. Little Josie was foaled in 1944. She has no show or race record. She is the dam of the ROM racehorse Bold Charge. This horse was sired by Depth Charge, a thoroughbred. Sleepy Red was a 1941 sorrel stallion. He has no show or race record.
Little Joe Jr was foaled in 1937. He was bred by Preston Johnson. He was sold to Larry Baumer of Utopia, Texas, and W. E. Richardson of Crystal, Texas, as a 10-month-old weanling. Richardson reported to Nelson Nye in his book OUTSTANDING MODERN QUARTER HORSE SIRES, that they gave him the name Little Joe Jr in honor of Old Joe Bailey P-4. Also known as Gonzales Joe Bailey. He was one of the original AQHA Stud Book Foundation Sires, receiving the P-4
number. Joe Bailey P-4 was bred by Dr J. W. Nixon of Gonzales, Texas. One of the famous politicians in Texas was Joe Bailey, a colorful statesman who was a United States Senator and, before that, a member of the United States House of Representatives. His popularity in Texas meant that there were a lot of horses named Joe Bailey.
Joe Bailey P-4 was sired by Little King, and he was sired by Possum (King). Possum (King) was bred in Texas, and he was sired by Traveler and out of Jenny by Sykes Rondo. Making him a full brother to Little Joe, the sire of Zantanon, the sire of King P-234. Possum was known in Texas as King. He was a racehorse that appears in the records as unbeatable. His most famous race was with Yellow Jacket, in which he won the race. He eventually went to Arizona, where he became Possum.
The dam of Little King has some controversy in that it has been reported that his dam, Nellie, was sired by Old Joe, who was sired by Whalebone by Old Billy and out of Paisana. Another report tells us that she was sired by a horse called W. A. Thompson Stud, whose pedigree is unknown. Her dam in this version was Patty, a Thompson Mare whose pedigree is unknown.
The dam of Joe Bailey P-4 was Brown Nixon Mare, and her sire was Nixon’s Joe Bailey, a son of Diamond Deck. The sire of Diamond Deck was a Cold Deck, and I believe this is Old Cold Deck by a son of Steel Dust, or he was by Steel Dust. His dam is unknown. One of the reasons for believing that this is the Old Cold Deck is the dam of Nixon’s Joe Bailey. She was out of a mare by Missouri Mike by Printer II by Cold Deck. This is all breeding found in Southwest Missouri, Northeast Oklahoma, and Northwest Arkansas, where we find to be the
origin of the Old Cold Deck horses bred by S. Coke Blake. The dam of the Brown Nixon mare was Fanny by Billy Dribble by Anthony by Old Billy and out of Paisana. Her dam was a Nixon Mare whose pedigree is unknown.
Little Joe Jr shows the versatility of the American Quarter Horse. He was successful on the racetrack, at the Ranch, in the arena, and as a halter horse. The official race record for Little Joe Jr shows no starts. But he was ROM through the old AQRA. Richardson kept a record of starts for the horse while he owned him. He started 12 times with 8 wins, 3 seconds, and 1 fourth. He raced with the likes of Clabber, War Chief, Balmy L, and Anniversary. Clabber reportedly beat him twice in this record. His fourth place came in Eagle Pass when the gate failed to open. He skinned his face and came in fourth out of four. Clabber won the race. Clabber was the 1940-41 AQHA World Champion Quarter Running Horse and World Champion Quarter Running Stallion.
Little Joe Jr was a two-time winner of the Grand Champion title at the Tucson Livestock Show. If you have ever seen the AQHA film IN THE BEGINNING, you have seen Little Joe Jr win one of those Tucson titles. This film includes clips of early movies of some great horses made by Goodwin Hall. The beaten field at this show was King P-234. Little Joe Jr was the get of sire winner in this show in 1946 and 1947. The performance wins for Little Joe Jr include a show at San Antonio. He was first in the handling class at this show.
Little Joe Jr was sold to the Diamond 2 Cattle Company of Kirkland, Arizona, in August of 1943. Little Joe Jr stood at the Rincon Stock Farm for several years. He was later transferred to the Diamond 2 Ranch in 1960. He died in July 1962.
POSSUM TRAVELER ch 1905 sor 15.1 ~1885
LITTLE KING 1 QUARTER HORSE JENNY SYKES RONDO dk ch 1887 U0073234 br 1891 MAY MANGUM 1 br 1882
QUARTER HORSE NELLIE U0073982
JOE BAILEY QUARTER HORSE ch 1919 U0250534
QUARTER HORSE NIXONS JOE BAILEY DIAMOND DECK COLD
#0000004 dk ch 15.1 1902 ~1881 QUARTER MARE BROWN NIXON MARE QUARTER HORSE MISSOURI MIKE MARE MISSOURI MIKE sor 1876 br 1915 U0074800 QUARTER MARE
QUARTER HORSE FANNY BILLY DIBRELL ANTHONY br 1867 U0068868 blk DRIBBELL MARE
LITTLE JOE JR QUARTER HORSE NIXON MARE BILLY DIBRELL blk sor 1937 U0137995
QUARTER HORSE #0000430
SHORTY BY RED DEVIL sor 1925
QUARTER HORSE U0124000
DUMPY ch 1928
QUARTER HORSE #0002817
OKLAHOMA BEAUTY ch 1924
QUARTER HORSE U0077238
DUMPY SHOWING HER QUALITY
Little Joe Jr sired some very good horses. His runners include Little Nip, an ROM runner with an AAA rating on the track. This is equivalent to a speed index in the 90s. She set a track record at Tucson, going 300 yards in a time of 15.900. Some of his other ROM runners were Miss Blue Zephyr, Liberty Girl, Johanna Parr, and Blueberry Hill II. Blueberry Hill II was stakes placed in the Arizona Championship with a third. Little Joe Jr sired 24 ROM racehorses. Little Joe Jr sired four ROM arena performers. They include Joe Handy Shot, Diamond Dazzler, Dooley M, and Diamond Babe. Dooley M was an AQHA Superior Cutting Horse.
The sons of Little Joe Jr included the stallions Joe Jimmy and Double Joe H. Joe Jimmy was an ROM runner with an A rating. The A and AA ratings on the horses during this time were probably the top ratings given during that time. This is shown as a 75 speed index in modern records. He won three of his eight official starts. He was the sire of several ROM, including Joe Jimmy’s Bar, Jimmy Lator, Mountain Boy C, Sweet Dick, and Tom Neal. Joe Jimmy’s Bar was an AAArated stakes winner.
Easy Jet. Easy Six earned over $198,740. Easy Six, in turn, was the sire of Streakin Six, winner of $473,937. Streakin Six went on to be one of the all-time leading racehorse sires. He is also the sire of a gelding named Sixth Vision. Sixth Vision was the 2007 AQHA/PRCA Barrel Racing Horse of the year.
Utopia Joe is a stallion sired by Little Joe Jr that has no show record. He was born in 1943, long before records were kept. This stallion has an interesting tie to Zans Diamond Shine. Zans Diamond Shine is the 2007 AQHA World Champion Senior Tie-Down Roping Horse and the 2007 AQHA World Champion Senior Heeling Horse. The dam of this stallion is Zans Diamond Ring. This mare is out of Commander’s Tilt. Commander’s Tilt is out of High Tide Leo, a daughter of Josie Fish. Utopia Joe by Little Joe Jr sired Josie Fish.
Double Joe H was an A rated ROM runner that won 4 of his 16 starts. He was the sire of the AQHA Champion Double Joe Sykes. He sired the ROM arena horses Coka Little Jo, Double Joe Sykes, and Mia Double Joe. Double Joe H was the sire of the mare Prescott Peggy Joe. Prescott Peggy Joe was the dam of Peggy Toro, a mare that had a Speed Index of 100. Peggy Toro was the dam of the great stallion Easy Six by
Little Joe Jr proved to be a good sire with his sons and daughters showing the way. But it was through his daughters that the true legacy of this stallion and his dam are having their lasting influence on the breed. Ariel Lady was one of those mares. She was a stakes-placed runner with her ROM and an AA rating. She was second in the 1950 Speed Stakes at Rillito Racetrack. She won or placed second or third in 15 of her 19 official starts. She won seven of her races. Her dam was a thoroughbred mare named Lady Albert G. Lady Albert G was a daughter of Ariel, a Domino bred thoroughbred.
Ariel Lady proved to be an outstanding race mare. But it was as a mother that she excelled. She was the dam of 12 race
starters with nine of her foals earning the Register Of Merit. Five of her foals were stakes horses that either won or placed in at least one stakes race. Her foals include Spotted Lady, winner of the Southwestern Futurity and the Baby Stakes; Raza, winner of the Southwestern Futurity; Silent Lady, winner of the Rocky Mountain QHA Derby, Magic Empire Derby, Miss Princess Invitational Handicap, Barbara B Handicap and the Colorado Wonderland Handicap; Light Bar, second in the Los Ninos Handicap and the Kindergarten Futurity with a third in the San Mateo Invitational Handicap and Ariel Bar was third in the Bay Shore Juvenile Stakes. Light Bar was the 1960 AQHA Quarter Running Champion Three-Year-Old Colt. Raza was the dam of Mary Poppins, dam of Bully Bullion, the 1988 AQHA Racing Champion Aged Stallion.
Jady was a full sister to Ariel Lady. She was an ROM runner with an AAA rating. She was stakes placed in the Nick Hall Stakes in both 1952 and 1953. The Nick Hall Stakes was run at 550 yards. She also set a track record at Centennial Racetrack for 400 yards in a time of 20.600. Jady was like her sister. She was a successful producer with four of her foals earning ROM on the racetrack. Her leading runner was Mark Me Good, a stakes winner in the AQRA Lassie Stakes. She has a modern speed index of 103.
Diamond Tiara was an AA race mare sired by Little Joe Jr. This mare was stakes placed with a second in the Central Bar And Grill Futurity at Ruidoso. She was the dam of several ROM. She was the dam of Diamond 2 Bar, an AAA-rated son of Three Bars. This horse was a stakes winner in the Inaugural Handicap. Diamond 2 Bar was a successful sire of racing ROM and arena ROM. He was the sire of the AQHA Supreme Champion Backstretch.
of them are NCHA money earners. The leading money earner from this group is Poco Josie by Poco Chub. This mare earned $12,750 and an AQHA Superior in cutting with 148.5 AQHA points. The dam of Moss’ Josie Handy Shot was Panchita. Panchita was the dam of Leo Pan. Leo Pan was the greatgranddaughter of Leo, who was the dam of Jewel’s Leo Bar, the sire of such great horses as Freckles Playboy and Colonel Freckles. Joe Handy Shot was one of the four ROM arena horses sired by Little Joe Jr. This gelding was out of Panchita. One of the great palomino sires of all time is Buzzie Bars. This PHBA Champion earned 55 halter points and 21 performance points. He was the Grand Champion Stallion in 50 shows. Buzzie Bars went on to become the all-time leading sire of Palomino Horse Breeders of America point earners, with 96 of his foals earning 7,383 points. Some of his leading performers were Paul F Bars, Fast Break, Jump Bid, Maple Honey Bars, and The Hot Canary. This great stallion was out of Becky Lee, who was out of Josie Mark, a daughter of Little Joe Jr. Josie Mark is the dam of several show and racehorses. She is the dam of Sugar Mark Bars, an ROM racehorse rated AAA. Her son Little Skipper Joe has six AQHA performance points and 10 AQHA halter points.
The second AAA-rated son of Diamond Tiara was Boy’s Ranch. Three Bars was his sire. His race record shows that he was the winner of the Southwestern Futurity in 1961. He earned one AQHA halter point. Boy’s Ranch was the sire of ROM arena and racehorses, including Mr Easter Boy. Mr Easter Boy was ROM on the racetrack and in the arena. He was an AQHA Champion. The third stakes winner out of Diamond Tiara was Come Across. Jet Deck sired this mare, and she was the winner of the 1969 Blue Ribbon Derby. She finished second in several stakes races, including the 1968 Blue Ribbon Futurity. The daughters of Little Joe Jr show us that he was not only a source of speed, but of performance ability and the versatility he displayed in his show and race career. His daughter, Moss’ Josie Handy Shot, is the dam of six performers, and all six
One Time Pepto is the 2006 NCHA Super Stakes Champion with earnings of $331,097. He is the sire of horses that have earned over $23 million, including One Time Royalty, winner of the NCHA Open Futurity. The dam of One Time Pepto is One Time Soon, who is the dam of horses that have earned over $1.3 million. Her foals include Highbrow Time, winner of $261,472, and Faith N Risk, winner of $211,645. One time Soon is a daughter of Smart Little Lena, NCHA Triple Crown Champion, and the NCHA Open Futurity Champion Uno Princess. She was Superior in cutting. The dam of Uno Princess was Hanna’s Princess. This mare was the dam of several other performers. They would include King Koy, an NCHA winner of $3,260 and 48 AQHA performance points.
Polka Doc started another line of this family. She was a daughter of Hanna’s Princess, who is sired by Dry Doc. Polka Doc was an NCHA money winner and earner of 5 AQHA performance points. Her produce record includes Dry San Princess, 1985 NCHA Non-Pro Derby Reserve Champion, and Peppy Polka Doc, 1985 Tropicana 5-Year-Old Open Champion. Dry San Princess is the dam of Dry Play. This gelding has won $39,340 in competition. Peppy Polk Doc is the dam of Acres Of Peppy, which has won $67,594 in competition, and Peppy Chic Olena, a winner of $61,693. Peppy Chic Olena is
DIAMOND 2 BAR
JOE BAILEY P-4
the sire of A Bright Chic, a winner of $119,739 and a third-place finish in the 2007 AQHA World Show Amateur Reining.
The dam of Hanna’s Princess is Miss Freckles. Miss Freckles is a daughter of Little Joe Jr.
Miss Freckles was the dam of Hanna’s Bando Joe, an AQHA Champion, and Miss Mother’s Day, an ROM racehorse with an AAA rating on the track. This shows the versatility of the Little Joe Jr line of horses.
Conformation the full sister to Little Joe Jr, was foaled in 1939. This mare has an interesting history. She was registered as bred by Preston Johnson but was registered as owned by the Hepler Brothers of Carlsbad, New Mexico.
The Hepler Brothers were famous breeders of good quarter horses. They are probably best known as the owners of Shue Fly, one of the all-time great quarter running horses and a multiple AQHA Racing World Champion.
Conformation was registered in 1941, and Charlie Hepler signed the registration application.
In February of 1942, Conformation was transferred to the ownership of the Hepler Brothers and the Tom L. Burnett Estate. This is the Tom Burnett who was the son of Samuel “Burk” Burnett, the founder of the great Four Sixes Ranch of Guthrie, Texas. Tom L. Burnett had his own famous Ranch in the Triangle Ranches of Paducah, Texas, and he owned Joe Hancock. This is an interesting
CONFORMATION AND LITTEL JOE JR
CONFORMATION
move for this mare, as the Hepler Brothers were great lovers of good quarter running horses, and it is widely known that they thought a lot of Joe Hancock. The Heplers were the breeders and owners of the great Little Joe The Wrangler, a son of Joe Hancock.
It is at this point that the produce record of Conformation gets interesting. Her first foal was Trixey C. This 1944 mare was sired by the Burnett Ranch stallion Buck Hancock, a son of Joe Hancock. Trixey C is listed as bred by the Tom L. Burnett Estate.
Trixey C was incorporated into the Triangle Ranches broodmare band. She was given number 72 as her ranch mare number. Her first foal came in 1958. That mare was Lady Black by Guthrie Chief, a Burnett Ranch bred stallion. The foals of Lady Black include Brown Rock, a stallion by Blue Rock. Blue Rock and Brown Rock were stallions used on the Burnett Ranches. Brown Rock was the sire of ROM arena horse Jethro. His daughters include Chinky Rock 4, dam of the AQHA Champion Holly 4 Jinx. Miss Hot Rock was another producing daughter of Brown Rock. This mare was the dam of the ROM racehorse Mr Hot Note.
Miss Blue Rock was foaled in 1951 out of Trixey C. She was sired by Blue Rock. This mare was the dam of Calera, the dam of the racing ROM runner Windjammer Baby, by Big
Reward. Badger Sally was out of Miss Blue Rock. Badger Sally was the dam of Ronda Hancock 72, an ROM show horse with 15 AQHA open points. Ronda Hancock, 72, was sired by Breaker Hancock.
Blob’s Miss Rock was the 1962 daughter of Miss Blue Rock, and the stallion Blob Jr. Blob’s Miss Rock was an ROM racehorse. She was the dam of the ROM racehorses Windi Again and Calm. Both of these horses were sired by Eight Again, a thoroughbred that stood on the Four Sixes Ranch. Blob’s Miss Rock was the dam of the stallion Two Rocks. This horse was sired by Double Devil, a stallion used on the Burnett Ranches. Two Rocks was the sire of Two Rocks Lil. Two Rocks Lil is the dam of Colonel Lil, the 1981 NCHA Open Futurity Champion, sired by Colonel Freckles.
Bill Hancock was the 1952 son of Trixey C. This stallion was sired by Blue Rock. He was the earner of six AQHA halter points. Lady Badger 72 was the 1953 daughter of Grey Badger III. This mare was the dam of Cee Bars Lady 72. This mare was the dam of the ROM show horse Georgie Bars and the ROM racehorses Kelly Noholme Bar and Ms Demon Bar.
Trixey C lived on the Burnett Ranches until 1963, when she was sold to Pete Martin. Martin sold her in December of 1963 to Otis Gafford. Gafford sold the mare to James L. Stalls in September of 1964. She was then sold to L. O. Griffth in Kimball, Nebraska, in March of 1963. He owned her until she died in 1970.
Conformation were listed as bred by Charlie Hepler. The first of these foals was Southern Belle, a daughter of Joe Reed P-3. The next foal out of Conformation was Miss Formation. This mare was sired by Little Joe Hep, a full brother to Little Joe the Wrangler. Miss Formation was the dam of the show horse Taber’s Miss Bar. This mare was an AQHA Champion and Superior Halter Horse. Her sire was Gypsy Bar. Con Coy and Power Lift were both out of Conformation and sired by Tough Company. Power Lift was an ROM racehorse. Miss Veto was the 1951 foal out of Conformation. This mare was the earner of 15 AQHA halter points. She was sired by Veto Hep, a Hepler bred son of Joe Reed P-3.
Miss Veto was the last foal bred by Charlie Hepler. Conformation went to join the broodmare band at Ed Honnen’s great Ranch in Denver. She produced two foals for Honnen. They were Quincy Cat by G-Fern Dashing Cat and Brandy Girl by Firebrand Reed, a full brother to Leo. Brandy Girl was the dam of the ROM racehorses Bolero Bo and Jimmy Brand. Jimmy Brand was a stakes winner in the NEKQHA Fall Futurity in 1967. Bolero’s Maggie was a full sister to Bolero Bo. She was the dam of Bold Chick, a multiple stakes winner in such races as the Illinois QHA Championship and the Iowa Owned and Bred Championship, and Chichi Chic, winner of the Timbertown Derby. This mare was the dam of four foals, and all four were ROM on the racetrack.
Trixey C was the only Burnett Ranch bred foal registered out of Conformation. The next five foals registered out of
The legacy of Dumpy has come down through the years, primarily through Little Joe Jr and his sister, Conformation, to make this mare one of our Mares With More.
LITTLE JOE JR
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