BLOOD LINES
The American Quarter Horse industry cruised in the early years aboard the stout shoulders of a few hardy bloodlines: Hancock, Two Eyed Jack, Driftwood, Sun Frost and Peppy San Badger. Their descendants still make premier head and heel horses. Plus, you can rope both ends on most of them, do multiple events and ranch. But a few of those lines have been plagued by rumors over the years. Do they buck? Are they stubborn? Are they rough-riding? In the past, the Team Roping Journal has examined running-bred head horses and cutting-bred heel horses. Now, here’s the 4-1-1 on a handful of the more versatile equine athletes–and whether any old stereotypes are warranted.
ROAN RENEGADES?
Few bloodlines inspire as much admiration or as many snorts of derision as the line of horses descended from Joe Hancock. There seem to be two camps: Hancocks are either the best, soundest working horses in the world, or are a bunch of big, coarse broncs.
The truth? Joe Hancock’s get were stout but had quick speed. His half-Percheron dam provided the line’s reputation for toughness and soundness. But Idaho’s Shannon Pearce, who’s been riding and raising Hancock-bred horses for 50 years (colt45ranch.com), said there’s more to the story.
“Walt Lamar always swore that mare only weighed 1,100 pounds because she was a ‘coach Percheron,’” he recounted. “Those were smaller than draft horses and bred to haul stagecoaches great distances in a hurry, so they were fast-footed.”
It’s that quickness that made Joe Hancock one of the greatest quarter-mile racers in history. He was only beat one time
