RANCH BREDS AND SHOW HORSES
Driftwood (1932, 14:2 hands) was by Miller Boy by the Hobart Horse by John Wilkins (1905) by Peter McCue, out of the Comer Mare by Barlow by Lock’s Rondo. The Comer Mare’s dam was a Thoroughbred from Kentucky. Driftwood was handsome, smoothly and correctly conformed, and fast. Standing 14:2 hands, he was first raced and then was purchased by Ab Nichols of Arizona, who also owned Clabber. Driftwood beat Clabber in a famous match-race, and then Nichols’ son trained him as a rope horse. He could also cut, and his speed helped him to outmaneuver ducking and diving calves. Driftwood became the most famous sire of rodeo arena competitors, both headers and heelers, and his descendants continue to be highly sought-after. Hollywood Gold (1940, 15:0 hands) was by Gold Rush who traces in sire line to Swedish King, a chestnut horse of the Herod family. He is out of Triangle Lady, a dun mare who was part of the remuda on the Triangle Ranch, probably sired either by Yellow Jacket or by Yellow Jacket’s son Yellow Boy. Hollywood Gold sired 263 foals in 23 seasons. Horses by him have been champions in cutting, and he is the great-grandsire of Tim McQuay’s famous mount Hollywood Dun It (1983, 14:1 hands), an all-time champion reining competitor.
Leo (1940, 14:2 hands) was by Joe Reed II who traces in sire line through Joe Reed to Joe Blair, a Thoroughbred of the Leamington branch of the Eclipse family. Leo’s dam was Little Fanny by Joe Reed, while her tailfemale likewise traces to Thoroughbred. Leo’s entire Quarter Horse ancestry comes through only two mares—Della Moore (Joe Reed’s dam), and Joe Reed II’s dam Nellene, whose own dam traces back to Traveler and the 1890 Texas Chief. Despite thus being mostly Thoroughbred, Leo shows good Quarter Horse “type” as well as outstandingly good riding horse conformation. Note particularly the long forearms, deep chest, huge hindquarter and short, strong back. Leo’s influence on the Quarter Horse breed has been huge and lasting, and the AQHA has acknowledged this by placing him in their Hall of Fame. Leo’s champion get won in racing, cutting, reining and halter competition. I personally have handled and trained several Leo-bred horses and can attest to their kindness and intelligence. Leo carries Traveler’s rabicano and sabino genes, and Leo breeding can produce a lot of high white, wide blazes and various amounts of ticking or spotting.