AQHA Legends: American Quarter Horse Association pays tribute to legendary AQHA horses
Since 1940, the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) has brought together dedicated horsemen and horsewomen to preserve, celebrate and promote the American Quarter Horse breed, and throughout the years, legendary horses have been celebrated by the AQHA.
Offering remarkable bloodlines, these horses continue to inspire and shape the future of horse breeding programs, beginning with the legendary chestnut stallion Wimpy P-1, the first American Quarter Horse to be registered with AQHA in 1941 and inducted into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame in 1989, according to the AQHA website.
“Poco Bueno was one of the most influential sires of the 1940-60s, siring 405 registered foals. Of those, 36 were AQHA champions, and three are in the National Cutting Horse Association’s Hall of Fame, including the famous Poco Lena,” states the AQHA.
Both Quarter Horses were inducted into the hall of fame – Poco Bueno in 1990, and two years later, Poco Lena was inducted as the first mare.
Also inducted in 1992, another influential Quarter Horse, Joe Hancock, a 15.3-hands high, powerful stallion was another one of the AQHA’s founding sires.
According to AQHA, “Joe Hancock was one of the greatest quarter-mile horses of all time. His sire John Wilkens was a great quarter running horse, and his grandsire Peter McCue was the greatest dash horse of all time.”
Legendary bloodlines
Hall of fame inductee Colonel Freckles, a blazed-faced stallion born in 1973 in Midland, Texas, first gained recognition in 1976.
With numerous offspring competing in events organized by the National Cutting Horse Association, the National Reining Horse Association and the National Reined Cow Horse Association (NCHA), his progeny continues to achieve success.
Legendary rodeo horse Driftwood, nicknamed “Speedy,” was known for his easy-going disposition and his abilities in the rodeo arena, earning him a spot among the hall of famers in 2006.
“Born near Silverton, Texas in 1932, this bay colt became a winner at match races, and at the age of nine, he was a bullet out of the box, earning paydays in events including tie-down roping, team tying, steer roping and steer wrestling,” states the AQHA website.
Peppy San Badger, a sorrel stallion, was inducted into the AQHA Hall of Fame in 2008. This cutting legend sired 2,325 AQHA registered foals which earned more than 7,200 points in all divisions and won more than $25 million over 19 seasons.
Infamous Bar bloodline
A key figure in the development of the American Quarter Horse breed is the Three Bars bloodline.
Three Bars, a chestnut Thoroughbred that possessed not only speed but excellent conformation and disposition, stood 23 seasons as stud.
In this time, he sired more than 500 registered foals, and his name has appeared on all leading sire and maternal grandsire listings covering everything from racing to arena performance.
“A legendary sire of almost transcendental genetics, Three Bars sired champions in all facets of the American Quarter Horse breed, with four AQHA supreme champions, 29 AQHA champions, 14 racing champions and 64 racing stakes winners,” the AQHA states.
According to AQHA, at the time of Three Bar’s death, he was the all-time leading sire of racing Register of Merit qualifiers of AAA runners and money earners, earning $2,857,781. He was also inducted into the hall of fame in 1989.
Continuing the all-star bloodline, Lightning Bar a 15.2-hands sorrel stallion sired by Three Bars, achieved great success in a short time and took his place in the AQHA Hall of Fame in 2008.
After his racing career, he went on to become a show horse, then later a breeding stallion before he passed at the age of nine.
A name many won’t forget – Doc Bar, a chestnut stallion sired by Lightning Bar – was bred to run but changed the halter industry with his unique conformation, winning nine grand champion titles and one reserve champion title out of 15 shows.
Over the following years, Doc Bar sired many National Cutting Horse Association Futurity winners, world champions and top-10 horses.
Among his numerous successful progenies was a bay champion cutting horse, Doc O’Lena, foaled in 1967 out of the mare Poco Lena and one of only two horses in the AQHA Hall of Fame with both parents as inductees, notes the website.
Doc Bar entered the AQHA Hall of Fame in 1993, and Doc O’Lena followed suit a few years later in 1997.
Continuing the bloodline
Tanquery Gin, a sorrel stallion born in 1975, was sired by Doc O’Lena and had a short show career hampered by injuries but displayed enough talent to attract mare owners.
The AQHA notes two foals from his first foal crop combined to win more than $450,000 in cutting competition and sired earners of more than $2.3 million, but may be better known as a great broodmare sire, producing 266 performers with earnings of more than $3 million.
Another stunning bloodline of note is Shining Spark, a stunning palomino that was a National Reining Horse Association Derby champion, an AQHA junior reining world champion, the sire of multiple world champions and working cow horse and roping legends and the son of AQHA hall of famer Superhorse Diamonds Sparkle.
The palomino stallion, foaled January 1989, was one of the crown jewels of AQHA Hall of Fame Horsewoman Carol Rose’s breeding program.
Continuing the Bar bloodline is High Brow Cat, the infamous chestnut cutting horse and AQHA all-time leading performance sire with offspring earning in excess of $95 million.
“High Brow Cat is an anomaly,” says AQHA Past President Frank Merrill. “He turned this industry on its ear. We have never had a sire that has dominated its discipline like High Brow Cat.”
The 1995 NCHA Futurity Open Champion Peptoboonsmal, a red roan stallion and a legendary offspring of Peppy San Badger, was one of the most influential cutting horse sires of all time, and his offspring have earned over $28 million in cutting and reined cow horse events, according to the AQHA website.
Over the past three decades, there has been one constant among the fastest horses in rodeo, roping and show arenas – Frenchmans Guy.
Foaled in 1987, this palomino colt is traced top and bottom to hall of famer Lightning Bar and was inducted into the AQHA Hall of Fame in 2024.
Another outstanding stallion sired by the phenomenal leading sire Frenchmans Guy, stamped with his long, free, extended stride, speed, mind and phenomenal heart and try, is Frenchmans Easy Doc.
Frenchmans Guy progeny has proven to be among the elite competitors and best investments in the performance horse industry.
Melissa Anderson is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
