Re: Part draft horses in endurance

[BMcCrary27 <BMcCrary27@aol.com>]

Hi Suzanne, 

By all means, do forward the information about Grey to AMHA. And yes, we do
know the name of the sire - Don Querido, AMHR #1220. Grey's breeder, Lonny
Schadler of Adel, OR told me the sire was a 14 hand, 1050#  bay.

Lonny gave us some information about Grey's sire and dam, as follows: "(the
dam) is gray also as was her dad. He was a registered Percheron and weighed
about 16-1800#, the mare (dam) weighs about 1400-1500#. Her mother was just a
common work mare. His (Grey's) dad was a registered Morgan, Don Querido, born
about 1958 and we sold him 1978.He was raised in Washington and was 2nd in
halter class at PI the year we bought him."

Suzanne, for many years, as my husband rode Grey in endurance, most people,
including vets, said Grey HAD to be part Arab, as no horse without Arab blood
could be that good in endurance. Most people speculated Grey was Arab-QH
cross, and indeed he has a slightly dished face and small muzzle (in
comparison to head size). But I watched him for years, watched the faraway
look in his eyes that spoke," I know things you will never guess". That look
finally said to me - "draft breed". Grey has always had tremendous dignity and
nobility.

He was reputed to have come from Paisley, OR, so one time when we were in
Oregon, on the west coast, we detoured 'way inland through Paisley and stayed
the night in its only motel. Speaking to the manager, we discovered he also
worked for a huge cattle ranch in the area. We asked him if he knew of our
Grey, and he said no, but the local brand inspecor lived up the road apiece.
So we called the brand inspector, made an appointment to see him the next
morning (Sunday) and went to visit. He very helpfully gave us some leads.
Grey's brand was lightly botched, so we had not interpreted it correctly. It
is a bar-HS, but the bar looked more like an ox yoke. Anyway, the Schadlers'
name was the first on the short list of possibilities we brought home and
pinned to the bulletin board. The list sat there for 3 and 1/2 years. Then one
day I looked at it and said to myself, "enough procrastination, write a letter
to the first name on the list." I waited for an answer and was sure there
would be none. But at the end of a month a letter came, and I had hit the
jackpot on the first try.

So, ever since April 1981, we have had our mystery horse identified. I HATE
unknowns! It's like an adopted child searching for its birth parents. And Grey
remains what a friend, one of Grey's earlier pupils, calls "the world's only
living legend".

Barbara McCrary