This article was published in the September 1994 Favorite Gait Magazine. The Mountain Pleasure Horse Association makes no claims or offers any conclusions concerning the article. The photo's contained in the original article have been removed for space reasons. 

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From These Hills

In 1891 a group of people got together in the offices of the Farmers' Home Journal, and formed the National Saddle Horse Breeders Association, (now called the American Saddlebred Horse Association by resolution in 1899). In 1935, a group of people in Middle Tennessee got together and formed a breed association called the Tennessee Exhibitors Association. And, in 1948, another group got together to form the Missouri Fox Trot Horse Breed Association

Did they overlook something?

Rewriting History...

PLEASURE HORSES

The process is much like you'd imagine - locating a horse that fits the type, i.e. gait, temperament, appearance - then asking who the sire and dam were (nowadays, they then blood-type the horse in question and, if possible, blood-type the parents.) Then they look over the records, and the sire that appeared most often - who was responsible for SIRING more off spring exhibiting that which the particular registry preferred, becomes F-1 (F = Foundation) - and he becomes the "cornerstone" of the breed. And so on, until all of the "old timers" that have made a contribution worthy of noting have been listed and numbered. (F-2, F-3, etc.)

It's a time consuming process, requiring lots and lots of people. Whenever this is done, a lot of faith in someone’s word is mandatory. Previous to blood typing, all anyone had was someone's word who the parents of a particular horse were - assuming the owner even remembered. When an association is forming, there can be a lot of error - some honest, some not so honest. All that is known for certain is that they are looking at a horse that qualifies. They can only hope the parents will be correctly given, In future times, mistakes get erased - or become fact by virtue of longevity or public acceptance.

According to the American Saddlebred Horse Association records, Denmark, a Thoroughbred, is considered the Foundation Sire. However, being of Oriental extraction, imparted nothing of the gaiting tendencies to the breed he is credited with founding " (quoted from Cavalcade of American Horses, Pers Crowell, Bonanza Books - copyright 1951 ) "Indeed", he continues, "there were American saddle horses standing at the hitching racks of English Colonists long before Imported Hedgeford, the English Thoroughbred, set a hoof on American soil in 1832, and before his illustrious son, Denmark, was foaled."

Further, "Today, many people think of him (the saddle horse) as strictly a show animal. Actually his development came about in an entirely different way. Early saddle horses were a necessity in an entirely different economic regime. These horses were used to draw wagons, pull the plow, haul logs and, at other times, to transport their owners when travel became necessary."

"Later, as roads were constructed, the coarser, rougher gaited animals were segregated to perform heavier duties, while the finer, easier-gaited horses were reserved for riding and drawing light vehicles. In these latter animals, owners began to take special pride, and their desire for horses of greater beauty increased.

As the land became more settled, the people began to enjoy an agrarian existence. For instance, In early Kentucky history, county fairs and horse shows became a basic part of their lives, and thus the utility animal became the forerunner of the later show horse."

"Denmark, the Thoroughbred stallion, was bred to a Colonial Saddler, known as the "Stevenson mare" and the product of this union was Gaines Denmark.. "

"The four famous sons of Gaines Denmark - Washington Denmark, Diamond Denmark, Star Denmark and Sumpter Denmark flashed brilliantly into the horse world. Cable's Denmark, who traced to the Tom Hal family on his dam's side was foaled in 1863. Harrison Chief, the founder of the great Chief line of horses, was foaled in 1872. Black Squirrel -sire preeminent - was foaled in 1876. In 1891, Annie C., dam of the famous trio of sons - Montgomery Chief, Bourbon King, and Marvel King - was foaled."

Pers Crowell continues, "Montrose, Black Squirrel, Bourbon Chief, Cable's Lexington are only a few of the champions whose stories time does not dim."

"Rex McDonald was one of the greatest of them all. The interesting chain of circumstances which led up to producing Rex McDonald involved two other famous horses. One was Rex Denmark his sire, the other was Black Squirrel, sire of his dam."

"Rex Denmark was purchased by the Harrison Brothers in Kentucky. Black Squirrel, bred in 1877 by J.C. Graves of Kentucky, was brought to Mexico, Missouri as a 3 yr. old by L. B. Morris, and turned over to Joe McDonald for training."

"Mr. Joe McDonald bred his Star Davis mare to Black Squirrel, producing Lucy Mack. He then bred Lucy Mack to Rex Denmark producing Rex McDonald, who, because of the failure of Mr. McDonald's health, was sold as a weanling to R. T. Freeman, of Mexico, Missouri for the price of $105. Rex McDonald went on to become such an outstanding show horse that he suffered only 6 defeats in his entire career and was so popular that Tom Bass, the famous trainer who rode horses that did defeat Rex McDonald, said that he wished to believe that he had defeated the rider - and not the immortal Rex."

Allan F-1 was a black trotting-bred pacer, bred by E. D. Herr, Lexington, KY. This stallion, which was foaled in 1886 and died in 1910, was by Allenclorf, by Onward, by George Wilkes; Onward's dam, Dolly, was by Mambrino Chief; Dolly's dam, by Potomac; Allandorf's dam - Alma Mater' by Mambrino Patchen, by Mambrino Chief; Mambrino Chief's dam, Lady Thome; Alma Mater's dam, Estella, by imported Australian.

Allan's dam, Maggie Marshall,was by Bradford's Telegraph, by Black Hawk, by Sherman Morgan, by Justin Morgan (Figure).

The Lexington Morning Transcript of February 12, 1891 listed Bransfield & Company's Public Sale of Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds for that day. Among the sales was listed Allan (Black) 5, by Allendorf, dam, Maggie Marshall, sold to John P. Mankin, Murfreesboro, TN for $355

In 1903 Allan was sold to James R. Brantley for $110 - and bred to his mare Gertrude - the results were Roan Allan F-38, foaled in May 1904

Mr. Albert Dement, a friend of Mr. Brantley, had become extremely interested in the stallion as a producer of fine saddle horses. It was the union of Allan to the celebrated Dement mare Nell which produced the grand champion mare Merry Legs F-4, the only daughter of Allan to appear on the foundation list of TWH (Volume 1).

The most famous sons of old Allan were Roan Allen F-38 (According to Pers Crowell in Cavalcade of American Horses, "No one is able to explain  the difference in spelling, though it is understandable that the change could have been made through misunderstanding of the original spelling oT "Allan",), Hunter's Allen F-1 0, Red Allen F-33, King Allen F-34. His noted daughters, among others, included Merry Legs F-4, Birdie Messick, Bedford Dutch, and Hiles Minnie."

"Gertrude F-84 (dam of Roan Allan ) was richly steeped in plantation horse quality, and was added to the Recognized Deceased Sires and Dams in Volume VI of the Registry, She was a red dun, four stockings, bald face, 15 2 hands weighing app. 1,100, by Royal Denmark, by Artist, by Great King William, by Washington Denmark. Her dam was Ball 11, by Bullet, Jr., by Tolbert Fanning's Vermont, by Gifford Morgan; second dam Ball, by Earnheart's Brooks F-25. It will be noticed that Gertrude was strongly infused with American Saddle Blood on her sire's side, and predominantly Morgan, plus Canadian Pacer through her dam

According to Crowell in Cavalcade of American Horses "Few horses have lived which could lay claim to his versatility in the show ring. Eyewitnesses say he was capable of performing the flat walk, running walk, canter, a perfect square trot, fox trot, pace and rack, thus making him one of the few 7 gaited horses the world has known. Among his most noted sons were Wilson's Allen, Mitch F-5, Merry Boy, Brantley's Roan Allen, Jr., Major Bowes, Curlee's Spotted Allen, Hall Allen, and Wilson's Bullet F-65.11

"Hunter's Allen - F-1 0 -the only other son of Allan F-1 to show male progeny in the TWH Register, was foaled in 1906, died January 15, 1932, bred by J. W. Black of Wartrace, he was known in Marshall County as Little Allen. Color was a golden hue chestnut, off white hind stocking, star and snip. 15.2 weighing about 1,100. His dam was Allis, by Pat, son of Cunningham's Copperbottom, by Imported Copperbottom. Second dam was Nell, by.Mountain Slasher F-59, by Morril's Copperbottom by Imported Copperbottom. Mountain Slasher's dam was by a son of Timoleon; his second dam was a daughter of Julius Caesar. Thus it will be seen that Hunter's Allen was a blending of the more recent Allan strain with taproot stock containing Copperbottom blood."

"It is said of Hunter's Allen that in his advanced years, after traveling thousands of miles, he had neither a blemish nor unsoundness of limb. At 20, he was as supple and had as good wind as most horses of 5. First shown at the TN State Fair in 1912. He last showed in 1924 at the Bedford County Fair in Shelbyville - when he was 20. He was up against his own famous son - Brown Allen; also Bud Allen - one of the best." He won."

"Brown Allen was one of the most outstanding sons of Hunter's Allen. Other famous progeny were the show mare Mary Allen, Old Hunter, Springtime & Lady Turner - the first mare ever to defeat Merry Legs."

"One of the greatest TN stallions ever produced was Last Chance, by Hunter's Allen out of Merry Legs. Another famous descendant was Midnight Sun, a great grandson through his dam, by Dement's Allen, by Hunter's Allen." From the late).]. Murray, eminent sponsor of the TWH, in the magazine The Tennessee Walking Horse:

"At this meeting Allan was offered as Foundation Sire Number One. This was a natural consequence because most of the splendid gentlemen assembled owned Allan blood. It has successfully blended with the older sires which built the backlog for his blood to successfully and accurately nick in reproducing the running walk.

"Had the McCrarys, McAdams, Woods, Gills, Lunas, Boones, Painters, Websters, Orrs, Frys, Overtons, Moores, Gears, Neils and Bufords been present, wouldn't it have been natural for this group to have named Tom Hal the Number One Foundation Sire, instead of Number 20? As great as the blood of Allan F-1 has proven, there is no history, data, or sly approach that can possibly verify Allan F- 1 as the founder of the TWH, when other sires, long before his day, were producing just as well then, as now."

"The writer recalls seeing in 1887, a walking horse class at the Marshall County Fair, with 57 entries. The judge was May Overton, of Nashville, who thirty years later, stated many times in discussing Pacers and the Walking Horse of Middle Tennessee, that on the occasion stated above, he saw more great walking horses than he had ever seen in one contest."

"TWH's we repeat, are well and firmly established in tradition, and accurate history for a period of 100 years or more, and to brush away all the great sires and dams that made the backlog to nick with the blood of Allan F-1 is approaching a supercilious attitude. We shall endeavor with this publication at least to keep in harmony with the actual history of the blood."

However, long before any of this was happening, a particular type of horse was being bred on the steep hillsides of Eastern Kentucky, to work the fields and "ride the best". The following evidence indicates that this horse - substantially influenced the other gaited breeds from the beginning, but were never credited as such.

"We'ben breeding and using the Mountain Pleasure Horse in my family clear back to Grandpa J. C. Stamper. I'm guessing now, but I believe he was born about 1815," says Marion Stamper, himself  81 - born in 1903, the son of Tom Stamper - born 1881, and grandson of Lewis Green Stamper - born 1848. (Marion was mistaken - the date on the tombstone in the Stamper Family Cemetery shows J.C. Stamper to be born in 1812.)

But he wasn't wrong about himself, his Daddy, his Daddy before him, and his Daddy before him breeding and trading the Mountain Pleasure Horse.

"We just called him the Mountain Horse back then. That "Pleasure" part is new. We didn't have much time for "pleasure" - except maybe on Sundays" he remarks. "Horses up here had to work for a living -they still do, for that matter. No one could afford a horse that only rode good -but wouldn't work. People up here had families to feed. There weren't stores in those days. You ate what you grew. We all had big families that had to eat come winter," describes Marion. "I learned what I know from my Daddy, and he got it from his Daddy. We've always been in the horse tradin' business - and farming, too, of course. That's all we ever knew to do."

Marion then stated that the family land in Stamper Branch (an area near Hazel Green, in Wolfe County, KY) has been in the family "ever since Homestead. Never has been sold."

From Alfred Prewitt, a resident of Mt. Sterling, KY (Montgomery County) and Fayetteville, N.C.: "My family has been raising these horses since way before the Civil War. Here's a photo of Vergeland, as it looked in 1841 when the barn was completed. it was a two story barn. The carriage house was at ground level, and the stabling area was underground, carved out of the limestone."

"There's a family story about a great great grandmother of ours Anne Kenney. They say she saw a horseman trotting real fast up the road towards her. 'Where are you going in such a hurry, she asked the rider. 'Mr. Lincoln's dead. Mr. Lincoln's dead" They say she said "Well, you will be down to the barn and get yourself a good one. just leave yours there.' A month later he brought the horse back - and asked to buy it!

Great great grandfather Caswell Prewitt built that house for his 12 children, and the barn for his Mountain Horses. The barn was completed in 1841," concluded Al Prewitt. "He had his horses even earlier than that. And we have had them ever since, too. I know that they're my family's "Living History".

The terrain of Eastern Kentucky is mountainous -Appalachian style. Coal mining is still a major industry in these parts. Between the steep hills run crevices or "hollows", usually containing a running creek or small river. in these hollows (sometimes called "creeks" or "branches"), the early Kentucky settlers made their homes -hunting and farming up the steep hillsides. Harsh and inaccessible, the terrain provided the early Kentuckians the privacy they sought.

"The original settlers of these hills came here from the other colonies. This was frontier country in those days. They were independent kinds of folks. They had their own ideas, and they kept to themselves. They didn't like to fool much with people," says Dr. Gordon Layton, a well-known equine veterinarian, of Paris, Kentucky, and one of the founders of the Mountain Pleasure Horse Association.

"They could do just about anything. They made what they needed, If they couldn't make it, they did without it. Some people might call them backward in some ways, but they still don't need civilization to be productive. They made these harsh mountains and climate provide for them and their families, and they wouldn't have it any other way. Modern conveniences are nice to have, and they do have them. The important thing to remember about the mountain people is that they don't NEED them."

"You might not want to live that way but you have to respect it", Layton adds.

"Only a few people ever bothered keeping track of the bloodlines since it was really a "community" thing. Someone along the creek had a good stallion - the kind whose colts Worked good and rode the best. Mare owners along the creek bred to him. Everyone mostly stayed around their own branch." says Paul Stamper, son of Marion.

Because the Eastern Kentucky horsemen lived pretty well within their "hollows" and creek, many horses had the same name, i.e. "Rex", "Buck", "Star", "Major" "Silver", "Ginger". They became known outside their hollows by the family name that owned them: "Brewer's Pearl", "Chaney's Palomino Mare", "Oldfield's Silver Mare", "Little's Silver", "Cable's Rex", "Coffey's Major" -even "a Stamper stallion" (often palomino for that was a local/family specialty) and "Ebb Montgomery stock".

Further confusing the issue, it seems "Oldfield's Silver" was, in fact, by Little’s Silver. Horses were often named for their color, such as "Copper", "Ginger". Sometimes they weren't named at all - just identified by the mountain horsemen as "Cable's Good Yellow Mare". These horsemen knew, of course' WHICH mare they meant - and that she was different from Cable's other good yellow mares.

The most unique name of all was "Big'un Goodpasture's Horse". (This particular horse - a black - is said to be of the Black Squirrel line that was so much a part of the beginnings of the American Saddlebred registry.)

Walk these hills, (or lock in your 4wheel hubs and DRIVE these hills) and talk to these folks. Everyone has glowing tales of getting a wonderful colt, or knowing of a wonderful colt sired by "The Goodpasture Horse", or "Big Good" as they'll also refer to him.

Tracing these bloodlines would be completely impossible for an outsider. But to these mountain horsemen, however, they are as clearly distinct as if they each had their own color. Listening as they proudly talk of the almost unbelievable feats these animals performed with regularity (and which, by survival needs, were a requirement!), you'll hear certain names repeated - "Rex", "Buck"' - but, without a guide", you'll never know that the horse being discussed is jasper Jones' Bucky, or Cable's Rex, for there are countless Rex and Bucky horses - totally unrelated.

Who was this "Hub Spencer" and what part did he play? "

"Hub Spencer was a horse trader. That's what he did - and he did it well", states Ed Adams, 78, of Winchester, KY. "In fact, aside from his bird dogs and his trap shooting, that's ALL Hub did – horse trading.

He used to shoot with former Governor A. B. "Happy" Chandler all the time. I never was into horses like my wife, Reba (Reba Tuttle Adams), and daughter, Karen, (Karen Adams Cockrell) but I was his financial partner in lots of horse deals. Hub got most, if not all, of his horses out of the mountains. Old White Cloud, Reba's horse, he got that one from a man named Marion Stamper. I know where he got them, because I went with him most of the time. Later, I did all the driving for him when he went "horse hunting". It was always up in the mountains around Wolfe County - that's near Ezel and Hazel Green, Morgan County - around West Liberty, Magoffin County, and Breathitt County - that's WAY up."

From Karen Adams Cockrell, Jeffersonville, KY - "I have a 34 year old gelding - still living, too - that I renamed Midnight's King Bee. We got him from Hub. My mother rode and showed for Hub a lot."

"Why did I change the horse's name from Lady's Masterpiece to Midnight’s King Bee? Well, Midnight Sun was a real popular then, and I just liked it. Papers? No one cared about them then. It wasn't the big deal it is today, This was 33 years ago! Hub could handle papers - but no one ever needed them. Hub got him from the mountains for me. That's where he got lots of horses."

From H. B. "Hub" Spencer, Jr.: "They're right. That's what my father did for a living. In fact, that's what my grandfather - John Spencer - also did. Rode those mountains and bought horses. Up here, we didn't call them walking horses back then. They were called plantation horses or saddle horses.'

"I delivered two or three perfectly  matched palomino horses up in Pennsylvania to a horse broker named Fisher. They were sold to Roy Rogers. I know what another breed says, but I am the one who personally delivered the horses. They were definitely mountain horses. I know because I was there." (A phone call to the Roy Rogers Museum confirmed that Trigger, Jr. DID come out of Pennsylvania! They also said Trigger, JR. was a Tennessee Walking Horse - but that he DID come from Pennsylvania!)

"There was a rail siding in Winchester, KY, that Daddy (Hub Spencer) had. He used to ship rail cars full of the mountain horses - maybe 75 or 100 per car - I hated it because they were so crowded - to some men who picked them up in Nashville. The name? Well, there were two of them - brothers - Paschal was the name. Sam and Don Paschal. Daddy shipped several carloads down to Nashville. The Paschals would come up here, live with us in our home for maybe a week at a time, and get horses with Daddy. But then they got into a financial dispute, and so Daddy stopped shipping."

From Robert "Junior" Robinson of Irvine, KY, President of the Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse Association: "Oh yes. I remember about the trainloads of Mountain Horses going to Tennessee. Don't forget, I've been raising these horses all my life. That's a true story. There weren't any registries back then."

A quick check of the Celebration Book of Champions shows that Setting Sun - 1958, Sun's Delight D -1963., and Go Boy's Royal Heir- 1968 were all trained and shown to their World Grand Championships by the Paschal brothers - Sam and Don. (This statement is NOT meant to infer that perhaps any of these particular horses were other than their papers show, but only to indicate how long and to what degree the Paschal brothers were involved with the Tennessee Walking Horse).

Hubbard B. "Hub" Spencer was born in 1892 and was 92 when he died in 1984. He lived his entire life in Winchester, KY.

The University of Kentucky's Pathology Department houses the offices of Dr. E. Gus Cothran. Dr. Cothran is the geneticist in charge of blood typing - parentage verification. UK R Dr. Cothran's blood typing services are used by all the Jockey Clubs worldwide. The Jockey Club is the name of the registry for Thoroughbreds.)

"If I gave you a vial of blood, could you tell me whether it was a Thoroughbred, or a gaited horse?", I asked.

"I can do better than that. I can tell you which breed it came from," was Dr. Cothran's reply.

Apparently, there are 18 different genetic "markers" carried in equine blood, which, along with variations total 125 specific items, indicate to the researcher EXACTLY the type of horse and which type of parents it had.

Says Martha lanzen of the Electrophoresis Lab. "We have two electrophoresis labs, and a serology lab that each blood sample goes through for different types of tests. Further, to insure accuracy, every test is read by two different people. Anything that differs is redone. A lot is riding on these tests. We take every precaution to guarantee there are no mistakes due to human error."

Here is a chart developed by Dr. Cothran, clearly showing the linkage between all our gaited horse breeds. The full chart (not shown) traces all the way to the Przewalski horse -which is the control horse, (discovered in 1881, and considered to be the descendant of Equus Caballus, and the "only begetter of domestic horses" as per Ehcyclopedia of the forse, Elwyn H. Edwards.) Additional information, generated by worldwide testing, has outdated this particular chart for some breeds.

"No, gaited horses haven't changed. The chart shows the way their blood samples have consistently tested", stated Dr. Cothran.

Using only the Stamper Family records (from among dozens of possible families), the Mountain Pleasure Horse is traced back previous to 1832 - the year the sire of Denmark ("F-1 " of the American Saddlebreds) arrived in the U.S. Black Allan (Allen F-1) TWH - is pre-dated by 50 plus years.

Denmark was bred to "the Stevenson mare" (a "Colonial Saddler"), Here we have the name patterns consistent with the Mountain Horses of Eastern Kentucky.

The sire of Black Squirrel "preeminent" (unknown) Black Squirrel was sent to Mexico, Missouri for training to Joe McDonald.

Hub Spencer sold railroad "carloads" of Mountain horses to the Paschals from Tennessee.

JUDGE FOR YOURSELF