The Pelton Equestrian Experience

10/27/2022

The US Army bought Comanche in St. Louis, Missouri in 1868 when the horse caught the attention of Captain Myles Keogh of the 7th Cavalry. He therefore bought it as his personal mount. In September 1868, when the Army fought with the Natives on the plains of Kansas, Comanche was wounded. His wounds were found only after returning to camp. Keogh admired the horse’s courage, and after that, he gave him the name Comanche.

In June 1876, all but Comanche were killed in the battle of Little Big Horn. The horse received seven bullet wounds, had arrows sticking out of him, and lost a lot of blood, but survived. Comanche died in 1891 and was given a military burial.

10/14/2022

In an effort to continue protecting the welfare of the American Quarter Horse, the American Quarter Horse Association is enhancing an industry-leading performance alteration testing program at the 2022 Farnam AQHA and Adequan® Select World Championship Show. Read more here ➡ www.aqha.com/-/performance-alteration-testing-procedures

10/09/2022

RIP. Cool stud.

It is with a heavy heart that we announce that our senior sire WR This Cats Smart, has died due to complications of colic. This horse has been a blessing to our family and it has been a true privilege to be part of his story. There are many people that have been involved with his success, including Tim Smith, Dustin Ewing, Glenn Blodgett, 6666 Ranch team and many others. As we reflect on his life, we find it a real compliment that breeders shared our faith in his ability as a sire and bred some of the best mares in the industry. We are sure the impact he has made in the industry will be felt for years to come. ─ Arthur and Catherine Nicholas.

For a complete press release, please visit https://tinyurl.com/yuptx7ek

07/25/2022

Legendary.

Every year on my mother's birthday I post this photo of her jumping a jeep at New Canaan Mounted Troop, New Canaan CT. She would have been 94 today.

My mother was Shirley Self Brotherhood.
Her mother was Margaret Cabell Self.
Mindful Horsewoman is Logan Darrow, still riding at 71 but not anything like this!

Taken in 1951 BCR (before crest release).

07/10/2022

Late star actor James Caan was former PRCA competitor. Read more here>>> https://bit.ly/3AziTms

06/15/2022

Ben Johnson was a ranch hand and rodeo performer when, in 1940, Howard Hughes hired him to take a load of horses to California.

"I'd been making a dollar a day as a cowboy, and my first check in Hollywood was for $300. After that, you couldn't have driven me back to Oklahoma with a club."

He decided to stick around (the pay was good), and for some years was a stunt man, horse wrangler, and double for such stars as John Wayne, Gary Cooper and James Stewart. He left Hollywood in 1953 to return to rodeo, where he won a world roping championship, but at the end of the year he had barely cleared expenses. The movies paid better, and were less risky, so he returned to the west coast and a career that saw him in over 300 movies.

During the making of "Rio Grande" (1949), Johnson and Ford had a brief verbal argument. All seemed well afterward, and nothing further was said of it, so Ben assumed it was completely blown over. However, Ford didn't use Johnson again in another picture for 14 years, when Ben played a small role in "Cheyenne Autumn" (1964). Johnson's lifelong friend Harry Carey Jr. said he believed the reason was that when Ford was casting "The Sun Shines Bright" (1953), Johnson's agent heard that Ford wanted him for the role, called Ford--without Johnson's knowledge--and demanded a hefty salary. Outraged at having been squeezed like that, Ford held it against Johnson, and used that and the argument they had during "Rio Grande" as an excuse not to use him again. They did manage to maintain a friendly relationship nonetheless.

Johnson initially turned down the role of Sam the Lion in "The Last Picture Show" (1971) when it was first offered to him by Peter Bogdanovich because he thought the script was "dirty," and he did not approve of swearing and nudity in motion pictures. Bogdanovich appealed to Ford, who got Johnson to change his mind as a favor to him. With the permission of Bogdanovich, Johnson rewrote his role with the offensive words removed. Johnson went on to win a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for playing the role.

From his Oscar speech: "What I'm about to say probably will stir up a lot of conversation around over the country. There's something I'd like to leave in everyone's mind throughout the world: This couldn't have happened to a nicer feller. Thank you." (IMDb/Oscars.org)

Happy Birthday, Ben Johnson!

06/07/2022

Meet Joan Sinclair. She is one of the best horse and cattlewomen in the High Country and at the age of 83, she is still at it. She has lived on the same ranch since she was six weeks old! She says riding horses is better than walking and we agree! http://www.facebook.com/ABCRural/videos/156388118364...