THE KING P- 234 GROUP
King P-234 (1932, 14:3 hands) was by Zantanon out of Jabalina, a granddaughter of Yellow Jacket. Jabalina’s dam was a mare by Traveler. King’s registration number is always listed with his name to distinguish him from many other “Kings.” King P-234 is the most famous Quarter Horse ever bred, a winning racehorse and sire of race, roping, cutting, halter and versatility champions, and of course he’s an AQHA Hall of Fame inductee. A compact horse with a huge hindquarter, sloping shoulder, deep chest, big jowl and wedge-shaped head, King P-234 exemplifies the “type” that visually defines the breed. He stands on correctly articulated legs that have just enough “bone” to support his massively muscular body.
Royal King (1943, 14:2 hands) was by King P-238 out of Rocket Laning by Dolph, whose sire line is unknown. Dolph’s dam was Queen by Yellow Jacket. Rocket Laning’s dam was a mare by a stallion called Coldy, whose breeding is also unknown. I use here a “family snapshot” rather than the three-quarters rear view so commonly taken of these horses. The side-on snapshot allows the viewer to get a true idea of the horse’s conformation. Plus this photo with the little kids aboard demonstrates this horse’s kindness and tractability. Royal King was a beautifully made animal, less “extreme” in type than his sire, and himself an AQHA Hall of Fame inductee. He is the sire of multiple champions especially in cutting but also racing and halter competition. In Royal King’s first crop, 12 of 13 foals went on to earn AQHA Register of Merit awards.
Poco Bueno (1944, 15:0 hands) was by King P-234 out of Miss Taylor, she by Old Poco Bueno by Little Joe. Miss Taylor’s dam was a mare by Hickory Bill by Peter McCue. Poco Bueno was good-minded with a tremendous amount of “try” and grit, and he had amazing talent as a cutting horse. He is the sire of numerous champions in this discipline and was the first horse to be insured for $100,000.