Hancock Horse Breeders Group
Articles; History;
Old Photos
Joe Hancock
(horse & owner)
Joe Hancock
AQHA.com
During the formative years of AQHA, Joe Hancock
caused a lot of controversy. Some swore by the stallion’s
abilities and others cussed his breeding. Few horsemen could
say what a Quarter Horse was, but they knew “it dang sure
wasn’t a Percheron.” Joe Hancock was foaled in 1923 and was
by John Wilkins, by Peter
McCue, and out of a half-Percheron mare. Joe Hancock’s
breeder, John Jackson Hancock, lived in the Canadian breaks
of the Texas Panhandle. The rancher kept a band of 35 to 40
mares, and periodically bred five or six mares to a small
Percheron stallion.
As a long yearling, the brown colt was
moved to Nocona, Texas, where John’s son, Joe lived. Joe ran
a few ranch horses and did not need a stallion. The vet was
called and the stallion was hobbled so he could be castrated.
The vet, Jim Kingensmith, looked at the colt and said, “Joe,
I’ve cut a lot of horses, and I’m fixing to cut another one.
But damn, this is a helluva horse.” Joe looked at the brown
colt, thought a minute, and said, “Let’s take those hobbles
off.”
After using Joe Hancock on cattle, the
rancher thought the horse might have some speed. The stallion
was sent to Bird Ogles in Oklahoma to race. Ogles took the
stallion to a county fair, and the racing secretary asked
for the colt’s name, Ogles said, “He doesn’t have one, but
he belongs to a man named Hancock. Just call him Joe Hancock.”
After scores of races, the stallion was
sold to Bird Ogles’ son, George, for $1,000, an exorbitant
amount during the Depression. The new owner turned around
and sold the stallion to Tom Burnett, owner of the Burnett/Triangle
Ranch for $2,000.
Joe Hancock began his career as a senior
stallion for the Burnett Ranches. Horses such as Red Man,
Little Joe The Wrangler, Joe Tom, Roan Hancock and Brown Joe
are remembered for their powerful builds and level-heads.
Horsemen remember half brothers Popcorn and Peanut, sired
by Roan Hancock, who won the hearts of ropers Shoat Webster
and Everett Shaw.
Joe Hancock died in 1943 at 20, and was inducted into the
American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame in 1992.
The
American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame and Museum tribute to Joe
Hancock as posted on Facebook in May 2003. Joe Hancock
was inducted into the AQHA Hall of Fame in 1992. The AQHA photo
and essay tribute is recorded and preserved here as well for the
convenience all Hancock Horse enthusiasts who may not have access
to "Facebook." We have also included a closer look at
that controversial "Percheron influence."
The
Story of Joe Hancock.
March 30, 2012, America's Horse (from Quarter Horse Magazine)
One of the greatest quarter-mile horses in all history had a typically
American “rags to riches” career.
The
Hancocks. Featured in "The Remuda" section
of the 1960 Quarter Horse Digest, written by Charles Waite of
Broadus Montana.
Joe
Hancock. By Phil Livingston. "The Working Horse Magazine"
April 2003. Thanks to Hayden Dunsworth & his father for submitting
this good article.
Franklin
Reynolds Tells… The Story of Joe Hancock;
What a project! This is the complete original article (very long
- 12 whole typewritten pages of text) that appeared in the 1957
Quarter Horse Journal. Plan to spend some time here! Frank Reynolds
not only thoroughly discusses Joe Hancock and his lineage, he
also discusses the early colonial American Quarter Horse, and
why the Quarter Horse is not only the last American breed, but
was also once the FIRST American breed of horse that all other
American breeds were descended from. Also this article discusses
how American Thoroughbreds are an original American breed, not
the English breed. Fascinating stuff. Includes photos of John
Jackson Hancock, Joe Hancock the man, Walter Hancock, several
photos of Joe Hancock the horse, a racing photo of Joe Hancock,
John Wilkens (Joe Hancock's sire) and Lindy (a brother). Thanks
to Lee Jones for scanning & submitting this entire article,
and to Michelle for typing it up!
Those
Hancock Horses; old article written by Chuck King, taken
from the November 1982 Western Horseman Magazine. Big thanks to
Lou & Janet Wood, Woodland Acres Ranch, Flippin AR for generously
submitting this article and to Valene Hackney for typing it up
for us.
What
Makes the Hancocks Handy?; old article By Mark Herra submitted
by John L Moore from April 1951 copy of The Quarter Horse Journal.
The last page was missing, subsequently provided by Lee Jones.
Thanks, guys!
Joe
Hancock; a poem, written & submitted by cowboy poet
and long time Hancock breeder, Lee Jones, C-J Ranch, Randlett
OK.
Who
was Peter McCue?old photos & poem about Joe Hancock's
grandsire; by J.A. Estes. Plus: How Peter McCue Got His Name
by Otto Dover; The Quarter Horse Journal, April 1953.
Peter
McCue. Jockey Milo Burlingame rode Peter McCue during
a meet in St. Louis. In an interview years later, Burlingame said,
“I never saw him raced with horses that could make him straighten
his neck out.”
Joe
Hancock Sons & Daughters; photos of Joe Hancock sons.
Dun Hancock, Burnett Hancock (and son Hancock Rainy) also Joe
Champ, Sonny Joe Hancock, Jo Jo Hancock, (Mr Hancock x Jo Jo Hancock),
Panzarita Daugherty (by Little Joe the Wrangler), Little Joe the
Wrangler (and Zella Hep, a granddaughter), Anne Joe, and Joan,
2 daughters of Joe Hancock.
Joe
Hancock Sons page 2; photos of Joe Hancock sons. Joe Tom
and Buck Hancock (who were selected to carry on the Hancock bloodline
on the Burnett Ranch), Texas Tom F (by Joe Tom), George Hancock
(by Joe Tom), Joe Hancocks Steeldust.
Red
Man: son of Joe Hancock; 2 old photos of Red Man. Son
of Joe Hancock, and sire of Blue Valentine. Also descendents:
Redwood Jake, Cibecue Roan, Tio Red, John Red, Mr. Juniper Bar.
Red
Man: Roan Powerhouse; 3rd old photo of Red Man. A Chapter
from Nelson Nye's Book "Great Moments in Quarter Racing History"
Submitted by Lee Jones.
Roan
Hancock: son of Joe Hancock; old photos of Roan Hancock
and descendents, including Dusty Hancock, Lowry Hancock, Popcorn,
Roper, Lowry Boy 2 Lowry Girl 114, Darning Needle, Lady Hancock.
Brown
Joe Hancock A chapter about this son of Joe Hancock,
from the rare out-of-print book "Shoat, a Champion Roper" by R.D.
Carroll. (The story of Shoat Webster.) Sent to us by Lee Jones,
C-J Ranch.
Little
Black Joe: the Forgotten Hancock; By Norman E. Seargeant.
Another son of Joe Hancock. This article was submitted by Sally
Tvedt, a dedicated Hancock breeder along with her husband George.
Thank you. Now added to our original webpage of old photos of
Little Black Joe, Tarbaby, Schoolboy H, Wredes Classy Bay. More
old photos added.
John
Red. Son of Red Man. Reprinted from the *Quarter Horse
News* June 1, 2003, Foundation and Ranch Horse Section, by Christie
Miller. He set the pace for generations of South Dakota runners
and ranch horses.
More
old Photos of Hancock Horses; Collection of photos - various
Hancock Horses from old books and magazines. (Quarter Hancock,
Steel Bars, the great mare Flit, Osage Roan, Pelican, Plenty Coup,
Copper Hancock, etc) PLUS we have included on this page additional
excerpts about Joe Hancock gathered from old books & misc.
sources - interspersed between the photos.
The
Rodeo Kind; this is a 6-page article from the Nov
1980 AQHA Journal, with no page numbers and no author listed,
about Hyde Merrit & family, and the kind of horses they raised;
submitted before his death by Fred G. Gist of the Wagon Wheel
Ranch Quarter Horses, and his son John.
Lady
Lou Hancock; an article about a special Hancock bred roping
mare - appearing originally in Western Horseman Magazine, written
by cowboy author, roper & long time Hancock breeder, Jim Overstreet.
Ranch
Horse Legacy ... The Blue Valentine Story, by Baru Spiller.
Here it is, the article that appeared in the June 2004 Ranch Horse
issue of the AQHA Journal, and again in the May 2005 Reining &
Foundation issue of the Pacific Coast Journal, official publication
of the Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Association, and again in the
May 2006 issue of the Horseman's News in CA. This article helped
spark a recent renewed surge of interest in this renowned bloodline.
Hancock Horse Breeders Group
Hancock Horses ~ History
in the Making
Tom Hancock
was on RFD-TV January 20, 2010.
He was on Red Steagall's Bunkhouse show.
They talked about Joe Hancock and Red called him the most dominant
stud of all time.
It was a great interview. Lee Jones worked hard to get us this
interview on DVD
so I could upload it on YouTube for all of us to enjoy.
Permission
to post this photo granted by Tom Hancock to Lee Jones.
Click on photo to see the full-size version.
Tom passed away in February 2011. Here is his Obituary
(.pdf)
Provided by Lee Jones, who added,
"Wasn't
it a fitting ending for a great old cowboy. If you look at
the Red Steagal interview, Tom had his spurs on there also.
I saw him a couple years ago at the Texas ranch roundup trade
show and Tom was looking at some cowboy caskets. They are
really a pine box lined with a Navajo blanket. I told him
they were too hard for me to lay on throughout eternity, I
wanted one with some padding. He just laughed and told me
I wasn't tuff enough. I didn't get to go to the funeral, I
just wonder if he got the cowboy model. With his passing it's
really the end of a era. I'm going to miss the old rascal."
Hancock
Super Stars; a Directory of today's "hot
Hancocks!" A tribute to modern day Hancock horses who
are carrying on the tradition of excellence in performace
areas. Many Hancock horses of today are hard at work on ranches
and feedlots, but, these featured horses demonstrate that
Hancocks can hold their own with any QH performance bloodline.
Leo
Hancock Hayes Leo Hancock Hayes dies at age 27. Summer
2007. Photos & article by Baru Forell Spiller.
Cowhorse
Confluence, by author John Moore, a partnership of
linebred Peter McCue / Hancock horses in Montana - a breeder
profile that outlines history being continued into the present
day. Read John's tribute to Lynne Taylor (of Shepherd, MT,
shown below on his stallion, Roanys Tomcat), who passed March
2008.
King
Hickory Star AQHA #3995647; article submitted by Karleen
Hubley, Free Union, VA, whose big bay Hancock gelding shows
how versatile these horses can be!
River
Lightning Bug 2007 AQHA Steer Roping Horse of
the Year (as voted by top PRCA cowboys)
List of 100% Roan-Producing
Stallions; (homozygous roans) past and present. A
long-time pet project of HancockHorses.com, which eventually
led to proving roans can be homozygous. We do know of a couple
non-Hancock bloodline AQHA stallions that are also 100% roan
producing, but for our purposes have limited this listing
to just Hancock stallions. Have we missed any? If so let us
know. (Email Donna)
What
Makes a Horse, "Hancock Bred?", by Michelle Thompson.
Is your horse Hancock "bred" or Hancock "influenced?" This
article covers guidelines for membership qualification. Your
Hancock breeding horse(s) should have a minimum of 10% Joe
Hancock blood.
Well, since this is the articles page, we may as well
include the article about us, HancockHorses.com -- featured
in April 2008 AQHA members' America's Horse Magazine (distribution:
over 311,000 to all 50 states, Canada and 70 countries). The article
was written and submitted to AQHA by author John Moore of Miles
City MT.
John Moore, Brett Badgett and Wally Badgett from the DVD "Houlihan,"
released May 2008 by J&S Productions. "Houlihan" is the
fourth in a series of documentaries on cowboys and horsemanship.
The first three were "Tapadero," "Remuda" and "Hola Paniolo."
"The 'Houlihan' production was filmed in northern Wyoming
and much of Montana the past couple years. Locally it is available
at Miles City Saddlery. You will have to check in your area
or order through their website
or by phone. I think this is a pretty good film," says John.
John is the author of the April article about HancockHorses.com
in the AQHA membership magazine, Americas Horse. John is the
author of a couple thousand articles and eight books including
the award-winning novel The Breaking of Ezra Riley. Brett's
artwork is displayed in fine galleries and his bronze, "Laying
the Trip," is featured on the grounds of the ProRodeo Hall
of Fame. Wally, a former NFR bullrider, is the creator of
the cowboy cartoon "Earl."
"Thank you John, for such a super job with the outstanding
article in America's Horse about HancockHorses.com! And thanks
for all the emails & letters we have received from Americas
Horse and HancockHorses.com readers! Please keep them coming,
write us any time, we love to hear from you!" ~ Michelle
Thompson & Donna G Vickery.
Hyde Merritt & Shoat Webster in an old WHM photo; August 1953
(submitted by Lee Jones)
Hancock Horse Breeders
Group
many thanks to our
Featured Breeders
We like to take time out and feature Hancock
Horse breeders individually, to hear their personal experiences
w/ Hancock Horses, and document why Hancocks are the bloodline
of choice for so many practical working folks in the ranching
and rodeo industry of today. It's also just plain fun for us
all, to get to know one another in this business.
We have slowed down a lot on this in recent
years, but will still feature a new breeder article on occasion.
If you or someone you know want to apply
to be a featured breeder for the future, please give us a holler.
We are always looking for fresh new material and photos (especially
those not already on your website). Information about bloodlines,
and interesting stories are well received by our readers. It
doesn't have to be long. It doesn't have to be short.
To own a Hancock Horse, or to breed them,
is to automatically be on a soapbox, but, we do try to keep
our breeder features as informative and entertaining as possible,
and not just blatant ads. Still, you will need to answer the
question, why do you own or breed Hancock Horses? So don't be
afraid to brag just a little, we all understand that there won't
be much way around that.
Mar-July
2005 - C-J Ranch
- Breeding Fine Hancock Horses "We Raise the Kind Cowboys
Ride" - Lee & Jackie Jones, Randlett OK. (Lee
Jones contributed LOTS of the photographs of old Hancock
Horses and a poem - featured on this website.)
Sept 2005
- Merrill Ranch,
raising Performance Blue Valentine, Hancock Horses, Shawn
& Leslie Merrill, in the heart of the Badlands, South
Dakota.
Oct 2005
- Cowhorse Confluence,
a partnership of linebred Peter McCue / Hancock horses in
Montana. Read John's tribute to Lynne Taylor, who passed
March 2008. (This article is
so important in bloodline & history documentation that
it also warranted inclusion in the permanent article lineup
above.)
Mar 2007
- 6 Shoe Quarter
Horses, owned by Lee & Mary Scruggs, near Sturgis,
Mississippi. Raising Hancock and Blue Valentine-bred using-type
quarter horses with family-type personalities. Retirement
home for Blues Kingfisher, 1977 own son of Blue Valentine,
bred by Hyde Merritt, WY, owned by Charley Mahler, 7326
Hwy 9, Allen, Nebraska 68710 cmmahler@nntc.net
402-945-2951.
"Love your webpage on Blue Valentine. He
is a legend and I love the mind set of his get. I own an
8 yr old sooty buckskin by Ruano Red Ike, from sire Ruano
Rojo. This photo was taken at the 2005 San Bernadino Sheriffs
PRCA Rodeo in Devore, California. I am riding with my rodeo
drill team, The American Cowgirls on my Blue Valentine great
grandson, Mac Double Ike. I have the ropers drooling over
him, but I always tell them that he is not for sale. This
buckskin is a dream. He runs rodeo drill, trails and camps
like a pro and is always in a "let's get down to business"
frame of mind. Strong, honest, consistent, handy... he is
one of my favorites!" Sue Segal (Robert L. Fletcher
Photo)
HancockHorses.com occasionally posts information from internet public
domain areas.
The intention is to network, be helpful and productive, and perhaps
increase traffic
to your site too - not to overstep any bounds. If we have neglected
to give the proper credit,
or if you want something of yours posted on these pages to
be removed, just let us know.
Hancock Horse Breeders reserves the right to edit copy for brevity
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are not responsible for any misrepresentation, etc. and do
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Articles; History
