BLUE BULLS AND MORSES
These horses are largely Morgan and look it. They were fashionable and competitive for about 20 years before 1880.
Prompter (1875). This handsome bay stallion by Blue Bull is out of Prairie Bird, a great-granddaughter of Old Pacing Pilot. Her tail female goes to Woodbury Morgan and Thoroughbred. Prompter sired three trotters and two pacers under 2:30.
Blackwood Jr. (1871) is a great-grandson of the Morse horse, of whom we have very little other record. His sire is Blackwood, a blend of Morgan, Mambrino Chief, and Messenger. He is out of Belle Sheridan, a granddaughter of Black Hawk 1833 and Moreland’s Highlander, a foundational American Saddlebred. Blackwood Jr. was famous in his day, the winner of some 15 trotting races; he sired five trotters and one pacer under 2:30.
Blue Bull (1858) Also known as Little Sam, Blue Bull was high-headed, muscular and compact, with a thick wavy mane and tail. Standing 15:2 hands he was also big and powerful. Known as “the pacer who sired trotters,” Blue Bull was the first horse in America to sire 75 trotters with records of 2:30 or better. That so many of them trotted was likely due to the prejudice against the pace gait at the time, for many of his get who set trotting records were, like their sire, natural pacers who had been trained by hoppling to use the trotting gait. Breed historian Groves demonstrates that Blue Bull’s siring record is impressive, equaling or bettering that of RH, despite the fact that Blue Bull covered far fewer mares. Blue Bull blood continues even today to be carried forward in the deep pedigrees of good Standardbred broodmares.
Lula (1864) was owned by Leland Stanford. She was a good-sized mare standing above 15 hands, who posted a trotting record of 2:14 ¾. By Norman by the Morse horse, she is out of Kate Crockett, a half-Thoroughbred tracing in sire line to *Selim. Her tail female traces in part to “a Saddlebred from Texas” and Whip 1794, an Eclipseline Thoroughbred. In this old print Lula is driven by the redoubtable Budd Doble.