Bessia’s Bells

2001 Mare

Sire: Sharthunder, 1985 Black

As noted previously, the dam of Wyoming Flyhawk, Lily Black, was by Warhawk. Her dam was by the Jubilee King son Glider. Thus Wyoming Flyhawk has an impressive amount of the old Brunk breeding behind him. Most of the horses behind Wyoming Flyhawk were bred to be true using horses, either by J C Brunk or by various western ranchers. Lily Black and her dam and the second dam were all from George Cross & Son of Wyoming who were breeding for working cattle ranch horses. Midnight and her dam were from the L U Sheep Co. of Wyoming, who was breeding for working horses also.

In looks, Domino Joe had more of the looks of his bottom mare line which went back to the LU Sheep Co. mares coming from the son of Dan Patch (ATR). Some of his get also had this look while others had the baroque Brunk look of the rest of his pedigree. However, all of this line are known for their wonderfully kind and sensible temperaments. Wyoming Flyhawk also had less of the old baroque Morgan look and has been a popular sports horse sire with many get fitting the image desired in the open sports horse world. Wyoming Flyhawk was mostly of the old Brunk breeding with the same horses being repeated over and over. It is this level of careful close breeding  that set the traits for solid using horses.

The dam of Sharthunder is also from ranch breeding. She is Triple S Ebonella a black 1977 mare from the Triple S program in northwest Nebraska. Her sire was the grand Blackwood Correll and her maternal grandsire was also Blackwood Correll, making her inbred to him. Her dam was Triple S Red Carmen, by Blackwood Correll, and out of Lita, a 1950 mare from the Jackson Ranch of Montana. Lita was by the Brunk horse Ken Carmen who was sired by Jubilee King and out of a mare sired by a full brother to Jubilee King’s sire. This is once again an example of J C Brunk’s careful closebreeding and another example of how well it worked. Ken Carmen was close to 16 hands, baroque and correct, siring many excellent Morgans. The dam of Lita was the 1940 mare, Cressy, another Jackson ranch mare. Her sire was Found-At-Last (1920, bred in Minnesota), by Glen de Jarnette (1918, Minnesota), by De Jarnette Jr., by Jupiter by Jubilee de Jarnette. The dam of Glen De Jarnette was inbred to Jubilee de Jarnette and also had Chetco as an ancestor. Chetco, a good stallion and sire, was by Benjamin Franklin by Daniel Lambert, who is also behind Jubilee de Jarnette and is found numerous times behind all the Brunk horses. The dam of Found-At-Last was by Sangamo (1909), another Brunk bred. His sire was a son of Charles Reade, that rugged, good sized sire whom Brunk used for trotting speed as well as correct Morgan attributes. Charles Reade was by Woodward’s Ethan Allen 1573 (full brother to Daniel Lambert), and out of Princess Dagmar by Daniel Lambert.  Senata was the dam of Sangamo and she is also the dam of many of Brunk’s foundation mares. The dam of Cressy was Chief Bugler (1913, C. X. Larrabee, MT), that lovely and baroque stallion who had multiple crosses to Daniel Lambert. His pedigree is interesting for its level of close breeding. His parents were both by Jubilee de Jarnette. Both his parents were out of mares sired by Lambert Boy. Both granddams had dams who were Black Hawk blood, plus the bottom mare line also had yet another cross back to Daniel Lambert. Thus Cressy with her multitude of Daniel Lambert crosses was a perfect match to Ken Carmen.

Blackwood Correll, foaled in 1965 & bred by Wallace Mills of northwest Nebraska, was a tall, solid and handsome horse, but not as typey as some, and was sired by the great Red Correll (1940, Nebraska), an upstanding correct stallion sired by Will Rogers (1935, Iowa) who was pure linebred Old Midwest blood with many crosses to Black Hawk. This family came from Morgans who went to the Midwest, especially Iowa, very early in Morgan history where they founded a family of large, often black, and very tough working horses. Will Rogers is inbred to the wonderfully baroque, handsome, correct Winterset as his sire is a double grandson of Winterset and Will Roger’s dam is a daughter thereof. The dam of Red Correll was Kate Smith (1936), another bred by Elmer Brown of Kansas and in his typical fashion, being by Romanesque and out of a Linsley daughter. Kate Smith’s second dam is Lemax, who has more of the Old Midwest family as well as some Brunk and a cross to Headlight Morgan. Romanesque is out of a Headlight Morgan daughter who also brings in more Daniel Lambert through The Admiral, a son of Jubilee de Jarnette.

Lady Rockwood (1951, Wallace Mills) is the dam of Blackwood Correll. She was by Shenandoah Red by Red Correll. Shenandoah Red was out of Shenandoah Queen who was out of Rarette, a daughter of Jubilee King and Nella. Nella was out of the mare Liza Jane, a true Blue Hen mare who produced many excellent breeding horses, both sons and daughters alike. Nella herself was also a Blue Hen mare and was by Allen King, full brother to Penrod, the sire of Jubilee King. Again, this is another example of how J C Brunk danced the intricate dance of closebreeding so very well.

Shenandoah Queen (1939, Illinois) was sired by King Shenandoah, he by the Government Farm bred Shenandoah (Bennington x Ruby—old Vermont line mare). King Shenandoah (1934, Illinois) was by Violet King (1917, Iowa), another of the Old Midwest Family mares with similar blood as behind Will Rogers.

Lady Rockwood was out of May Rockwood, another Elmer Brown mare, but she was by the Government Remount stallion Rockwood, whom Brown had later in his career. Rockwood was by Bennington and out of another of the Old Vermont line mares that gave the Government Farm the quality, type and true Morgan attributes that came from that farm. May Rockwood was out of May Hudson, by Dude Hudson, another correct and typey member of the Old Midwest Family. May Hudson’s dam was Hazel S, a Headlight Morgan daughter.

The central states have a long history of breeding good using Morgans. Many Morgans were bred in Kansas and Nebraska starting in the late 1800’s, later in the early 1900’s, that breeding also spread into the Dakotas. By the 1940’s, Morgans were well established in northwest Nebraska and over into central South Dakota. In the Dakotas, much of the breeding was done at the Indian Reservation Schools. Horses in these states were not coddled barn babies and showring high steppers but using, working horses selected for toughness, ability to survive on the open range, sound temperament and sound minds. This surely was the heritage of Triple S Ebonella.

Dam—Bessia’s Jubalea

The sire of Bessia’s Jubalea was Teton Royal Raven who was by Wyoming Flyhawk and out of Tetonia Royalty by Easter Vermont (Red Vermont x Nona). Red Vermont was an upstanding, handsome, correct baroque horse of pure Brunk breeding. Nona was excellent Western Working Family with much of the old Morrill lines. Easter Vermont was handsome, correct, and sweet tempered and an excellent sire. Royalty was out of Tetonia Royal Ann by Hylee’s Heir. A photo of Hylee’s Heir showed him standing freely and unconcerned with Myrtle Neeley’ husband sitting underneath the horse. Heir had an excellent temperament and stylish old Morgan looks. Hylee’s Heir was by Torchfire by Senator Graham (Senator Knox x Fanita). Torchfire was out of that excellent producing mare Jubilee Joy (Flyhawk x Sentola). Hylee’s Heir was out of Illawana Marie by Cherokee Gilmore by Highview King by King De Jarnette. Cherokee Gilmore was out of the LU Sheep mare, Mallow. Illawana Marie was out of Illawana Lady by Captain Red by Juban (Jubilee King x Jeanne). Captain Red, a handsome and well tempered horse who had been taught many tricks, was out of Gizea (Go Hawk x Liza Jane). Illawana Lady was out of Illawana Ruby by Hiro (Tiffany x Deura) and out of Nala (Go Hawk x Penala). Notice how the same horses continue to repeat over and over again.

The dam of Tetonia Royal Ann was Sandy Lake sired by Stetson, also sire of Domino Joe. Sandy Lake was out of Miss Lightfoot by Jubilee’s Quicksilver, also seen elsewhere in the pedigree of Silver Smoke. Miss Lightfoot was out of Glogold by Prince Dandy (King De Jarnette x Plains King dau.). Glogold was out of Ann Royal by Raragraph (Jubilee King x Nella—Allen King x Liza Jane). Ann Royal was out of Sentola. Yet again, this is another place in Silver Smoke’s pedigree with intense Brunk breeding.

            The dam of Bessia’s Jubalea was Tetonia Rosa JJ (1972, Myrtle Neeley) sired by Jubilee Jazz (1967). Jubilee Jazz was bred by Joanne Curtis, and was a typical product of her program—baroque, upstanding, correct, handsome, good tempered and beautiful. His sire was the same sort—solid, correct, typey and handsome. Eco Jubilo (1960) was by Eco Lujo by Jordon (1945, Robert Tynan, Jr. of Nebraska) by Agazizz. Agazizz was pure old Brunk being by Juzan by Jubilee King. Agazizz was out of Gizea by Go Hawk and out of Liza Jane. Jordan was out of Bertha C A (1939, Elmer Brown) by Tehachapi Allen (1934, Roland Hill, CA. and no doubt named for the Tehachapi Mtns. of Calif. which mark the southern end of the great Central Valley) and out of Flying Cloud, another Elmer Brown mare although bred by one of the Hiebert Bros., by Romanesque and out of a Linsley daughter, this one being out of the great mare Donbelle, who was pure old Vermont and a founding mare for Elmer Brown. Tehachapi Allen was bred in California, went to Kansas as a Remount stud, then on to Colorado, leaving many good get. His sire was Querido and his dam was Tab, a Sellman mare with a sire linebred to the Morrill family of Bulrush descent. Eco Lujo was out of Starlight Lu by Sparbeau who was by Linsley and out of the Donbelle daughter, Sparbelle. Starlight Lu was out of the Roland Hill mare Lula Lee by Querido and out of Red Oak Lu, a Sellman mare. Thus Eco Lujo brought together a strong Brunk sire line, a good Sellman tail mare line with Elmer Brown in the middle making for a strong breeding heritage of good using horses.

Belle of Vermont (1945) was the mare bred to Eco Lujo to get Eco Jubilo. She was by the very good Red Vermont, solid Brunk breeding and a very handsome, upstanding, correct sire of many very good Morgans. Red Vermont was by Jubilee King and out of Daisy Knox by the lovely and correct Knox Morgan. The dam of Belle was an L U Sheep Co. mare, Dawnglo by Night Tide by Tiffany. Night Tide was bred by Brunk but was by the Government stallion Tiffany (by Mansfield). The dam of Night Tide, who gave him his quality, was Glenalla, by Allen King and out of Ruby Reade by Charles Reade. Dawnglo was out of a Linspar daughter. Linspar was by Linsley and out of Sparbelle.

The dam of Jubilee Jazz was the lovely mare Bonnie Heather (1958) also by Red Vermont, making Jubilee Jazz a result of inbreeding in the classic manner—the child of a good stallion bred to the grandchild of that same good stallion. The dam of Bonnie Heather was Heather Angel Field, a Roland Hill mare by Sonfield and out of a mare by Querido and out of a Sellman mare.

The dam of Tetonia Rosa JJ (bred by Myrtle Neeley of Idaho, foaled 1972) was Shawna Dawn (Neeley, 1961) by Sireson (Neeley 1947) by Red Vermont, thus bringing in more of that grand blood. Sireson was out of Birdie Kellogg CK (foaled 1943 in Nebraska) who was pure Sellman breeding. She was the result of breeding Captain Kellogg (1928 Nebraska) to his daughter Gwenallan. Both of Captain Kellogg’s granddams were by Headlight Morgan. His sire was by Red Oak and his dam was a Red Oak granddaughter. Red Oak, foaled 1906, was bred by the Government Farm, but it was the older breeding before Bennington and from a mare line of some different old Vermont blood. Red Oak was a solid, typey and handsome horse who matched very well with Sellman’s mares who were daughters of Headlight Morgan for the most part. The dam of Gwenallan brings in two more crosses to Headlight Morgan and her bottom mare line is a mare of the Morrill family.

Shawna Dawn was out of Princess Jet (1948, Jackson Ranch, MT) by Black Magic (1943 Jackson Ranch) and out of Princess F (1941 Jackson Ranch) by Found-At-Last, discussed earlier. Black Magic’s sire was by Chief Bugler and was out of a daughter of Chief Bugler. The dam of Black Magic was out of a mare with multiple crosses back to Daniel Lambert although her sire was Hal Mercury Jr. who, in all likelihood, had little Morgan blood.

Bessia’s Bells is the result of generation after generation of knowledgeable breeders who were breeding for true working Morgans. Her heritage is mostly that of the three greatest breeders of this breed: J C Brunk, Richard Sellman and Elmer Brown. There is also a good dose of that valuable Old Midwest Family, also bred to be correct Morgan working horses. There is excellent Foundation breeding here, and in each generation there is careful close breeding done by knowledgeable horsemen who were excellent breeders.