CASEMENT HORSES

Dan Casement rides Concho Colonel at the Unaweep Ranch in Mesa County, Colorado, in about 1910. Unfortunately, no conformation photo of Concho Colonel is available, but this image suggests that he took after the Thoroughbred-like Jim Ned. This horse was foaled in 1904, before Ashmoor’s arrival, and based on his conformation I would agree that he has no draft ancestry. Note the fine, shapely neck and long, angular and only moderately sloping hindquarters.

The Concho Colonel son Balleymooney (1914) is tacked up for polo. Balleymooney’s dam was Little Judge by Little Steve by Pony Pete, Billy-Rondo-breds who were quarter-running horses, but the rest of the distaff pedigree is—officially—blank. Did Balleymooney carry a fraction of draft blood? Note the steep, rounded hindquarters and large head. My guess is that his granddam was a CS Ranch mare tracing through Old Joe back to one of Anson’s Suffolk mares. Figured this way, Balleymooney’s draft ancestry amounts to less than 1/64th.

Here are Dan Casement and the Balleymooney son Red Dog about 1935. Red Dog was out of Cinnabar by Old Joe and she out of an Old Joe mare. By my calculation, Cinnabar would carry 1/32nd draft ancestry. Red Dog himself might thus have had as much as 3/32nds draft—just enough to maintain the size and weight required in a good roper of the modern type.

Dan Casement rides the stallion Buckshot, about 1943. Another Balleymooney son, Buckshot has breeding similar to Red Dog’s. Of the two, this stallion is the better individual, with the base of the neck set on higher. Note the big head, excellent feet, substantial “bone” and steep, rounded croup.

Of all the Balleymooney colts, Billy Byrne is the most balanced and harmonious in my view. His dam was Natalie, she by Little Joe Springer by Old Joe, and out of “a C.S. mare,” meaning one probably descending from Anson stock. Billy Byrne thus might have inherited draft ancestry through all four lines, but he also traces to Thoroughbred through Uhlan II, Jim Ned and Peter McCue.

Dan Casement on The Deuce about 1952, his favorite of all the Balleymooney colts, whom he referred to as “wise and beautiful.” The Deuce has ideal roper conformation and is overall an excellent blend of all that went into the Anson horses: Thoroughbred, Mountain Horse and Billy-Rondo with, I surmise, a dash of draft.