from “Legends” by Diane C. Simmons
Leo first carved his niche in the early years of the Quarter Horse industry as a sizzling speed horse. But then he cemented his reputation by becoming one of the all-time great sires. While he is recognized primarily as a leading broodmare sire, both his sons and daughters excelled on the track and in the show ring.
Just a few of his outstanding daughters included Miss Meyers, AAAT and the 1953 World Champion Quarter Running Mare and Horse; Mona Leta, Bobbie Leo, Miss Olene, Lady Bird Leo, and Quincy Leota, all AAAT; Leolita and Leola, AAA and AQHA Champions; South Pacific, Rosa Leo and Garrett’s Miss Pawhuska, all outstanding producers of running horses.
The achievements of Leo’s sons were pretty shiney too. Some of the better known include Palleo Pete, AAAT and 1954 Champion Quarter Running Stallion; Leo Tag, AAA and AQHA Champion; Okie Leo, AQHA Champion; Robin Reed, AAAT; Croton Oil, AA and a leading sire of ROM race colts; Leo San, a leading sire of AQHA Champions; and Holey Sox, AA on the track and also the 1963 NCHA World Champion Cutting Horse.
A look at the titles won by Leo’s offspring shows that he sired athletic ability as well as speed, and these traits were passed down to succeeding generations. Leo San, for example, became a leading sire of AQHA Champions and sired both Peppy San and Mr San Peppy. Peppy San was NCHA World Champion Cutting Horse in 1967, and Mr San Peppy won the same title in 1974 and 1976. Ant both also became outstanding sires of cutting horses. Many of Leo’s daughters also became extraordinary producers.
Leo, himself, had a world of speed, and a look at his pedigree shows why. He was a double-bred Joe Reed P-3, since both his sire and dam were by that remarkable horse. That same cross also made him a double-bred Della Moore, one of the greatest racing mares of her era.
Leo’s dam, Little Fanny, also had a world of speed in her pedigree, especially on her maternal side. She, herself, was raced twice as a 2-year-old at the quarter mile, and won both starts. Her dam, Fannie Ashwell, was a half-thoroughbred out of Fannie Richardson, a tremendous sprinter. And Fannie Richardson’s dam, Sister Fanny, reportedly won 82 of 85 races.
Little Fanny raced only twice, afterward, she became a broodmare, which is where she made her greatest mark. When bred to Joe Reed II, she not only produced Leo, but also Little Sister W, rated AAA, and Firebrand Reed and Fanny’s Finale, both AA. She also produced several other good foals.
Leo was her first foal, and he was bred by John W. House of Cameron, Texas. House, of course, also owned Joe Reed II before selling him to Bert Wood of Tucson. House also sold Little Fanny to Wood, apparently after she produced Leo. In an interview in “The Quarter Horse” (April 1949), published by The National Quarter Horse Breeders Association, House was asked his formula for producing such speed horses as Joe Reed II, Leo, Nellene, and others. His reply:
“Just pick out a proven fast stallion and breed him to a fast mare. Too many of today’s breeders think one or the other can do it all, but to get a really top horse, you have to have speed on both sides. Breed up, not down. Everybody that bred to old Joe (Joe Reed P-3) thought they had a race horse, but the ones that bred no-account mares soon found out different, although all of his colts could run fair. You can take speed out of a bloodline faster than you can put it in, and that’s what a lot of fellows are doing now.”
When Leo was in his 2-year-old year, House sold him to Lester Manning, who ran the sorrel colt at Eagle Pass, Texas, when he was only 18 months old. He ran second against some good competition – and attracted the attention of John W. Tillman of Pawhuska, Oklahoma, who bought the sorrel for a reported $750. While Tillman owned him, Leo won a number of races. Records indicate that at Eagle Pass in 1944, he ran 300 yards in 16.5 seconds, a record at the time. At Pawhuska, also in 1944, he set a track record for 300 yards in 16 flat.
By the time Leo was 3, it was impossible to find anyone to match him against in the Southwest. He also began changing ownership with such rapidity that it is impossible to trace his various sales, and to determine exactly who owned him at the time. It is known, however, that E.M. Salinas of Eagle Pass bought him at one point, and sent him across the border into Mexico for match races. However, a trailer accident resulted in injuries to both of Leo’s front legs, and left him with a left knee that was permanently big and misshapen.
Leo was returned to Oklahoma when owned by W.C. Rowe. But then Rowe, before too long, shipped Leo by train to New Mexico where he was starting a new ranching operation. As the oft-told story goes, the boxcar containing Leo was lost enroute, and when it was found, Leo was in critical physical condition. He was nursed back to health, however, and sold again….this time to Gene Moore of the Rocking M Ranch, Fairfax, Oklahoma.
According to Nelson C. Nye, in his book, “Outstanding Modern Quarter Horse Sires”, Leo ran his last race in Tulsa in the spring of 1947. It was a match race against a horse called Little Joe for a purse of $1,000 – at a distance of 375 yards. Leo lost by a head, but the courageous horse was running on a bad knee.
“He is one of the fastest Quarter Horses ever brought into Osage County. He was the idol of track fans in and around Pawhuska, and was considered practically unbeatable while racing there, a belief well-founded as he lost but 2 of his 22 starts.”
During his travels and changing ownerships, Leo was bred to several mares. One of the first was Swamp Angel, by Grano de Oro and out of the legendary Della Moore. While she was in foal to Leo, Swamp Angel was purchased in 1944 by Bud Warren, who was building a band of broodmares. Warren’s breeding program in Perry, Oklahoma, ultimately became extremely successful, putting him high on the list of leading breeders of Quarter running horses. And he became AQHA’s 15th president in 1965.
In the mid-1940s, however, Warren was buying his first registered mares. Swamp Angel produced a filly, subsequently named Leota W, who became an outstanding racing filly, rated AAA. In fact, she was the 1947 Co-Champion Quarter Running 2-year-old.
Her prowess on the tracks, along with that of other Leo offspring such as Flit, AA, impressed Warren, and he decided he wanted to buy Leo for his breeding program. This he did in 1947, and Leo finally had a permanent home. It also marked the beginning of Leo’s climb to legendary status as a sire, and Bud Warren’s fame as a breeder.
Once he was settled in at Warren’s ranch, Leo began attracting more mares who were better bred than some of the first mares to whom he was bred. He soon proved to be a prolific sire, and his offspring began burning up the tracks. But then, he incurred another serious injury in 1952 while breeding a mare. Warren had no choice but to stop breeding Leo for the remainder of that breeding season.
Reba Warren, Bud’s widow, remembers that Bud bought Leo Tag to finish the breeding season. Bud thought that Leo Tag, AAA, was one of Leo’s best sons. Leo Tag was bred by A.E. Harper of Edmond, Oklahoma, but Bud bought him from R.W. Patterson of Emmett, Idaho.
The fact that Leo was out of commission didn’t stop his offspring from continuing to excel. Miss Meyers, Robin Reed, Oleo and Leo Tag added to the reputation of their sire. Then came My Leo and Bobbie Leo, Leo Bob, Beauty Joleta, and Palleo Pete.
By 1955, when Leo was 15, his sons and daughters were becoming noted sires and producers through such individuals as Vanetta Dee, Vandy’s Flash, and Goetta. He was also the great-grandsire of Tiny’s Gay, who was out of Gay’s Delight, who was out of Miss Ginger Gay by Palleo Pete.
Leo put lightning speed into many of his offspring, but his influence extended beyond the racetrack. His sons and daughters also showed up in halter and cutting competitions. It didn’t take long for him to become recognized as a leading sire of arena horses.
Leo is best remembered as a broodmare sire, however. Space does not permit listing all of his daughters who became outstanding producers, but among the very best was Garrett’s Miss Pawhuska, bred by Bille Rowe, Carlsbad, New Mexico. She was foaled in 1946 and was out of a Jimmie Allred mare named Jenny Dee. When bred to Vandy, Miss Pawhuska produced the likes of Vandy’s Flash, Venetta Dee, and Vannevar, all AAAT. Vandy’s Flash was also the World Champion Quarter Running Gelding in 1958 and 1960, and World Champion Quarter Running Horse in 1960.
Vanetta Dee was the World Champion Quarter Running Mare in 1956, ’57, and ’58. And Vannevar was World Champion Quarter Running Gelding in 1956 and ’57.
Miss Pawhuska also produced Vandy’s Betty, Vansarita Too, and Miss Vanity, all AAA.Breeding this great mare to Vandy was a sure-fire ticket to getting a winner. Incidentally, she was often referred to as Miss Pawhuska, but she was registered as Garrett’s Miss Pawhuska. Her owner was Dee Garrett of Pawhuska, Oklahoma.
Another great Leo daughter was South Pacific, a veritable equine factory. Foaled in 1954, she was out of the mare Randle’s Lady, by Doc Horn (TB). In her lifetime, she produced 19 foals, of whom 10 earned ROMs in racing. Three foals were AA, four were AAA, and three were AAAT – Pacific Bars and Gofar Bar, both by Sugar Bars, and Pacific Jet by Jet Deck.
Then there was Etta Leo, foaled in 1953 and out of the mare Bandette by Band Play. She produced 13 foals, including 3 who were AA, 4 who were AAA and 3 who were AAAT. The latter included Goetta and Goetta 2, both by Go Man Go, and Ettabo, by Deep Sun (TB).
And still another Leo daughter was Flit, who was foaled in 1945 and was out of a Triangle mare. She produced 17 foals, including 2 who were AAA, and several who earned their fame in the arena, such as King’s Pistol and Sugar Leo, both AQHA Champions. King’s Pistol was also the 1957 NCHA World Champion Cutting Horse. Flit’s offspring included 7 who earned 152 AQHA halter points, while 5 earned 77.5 performance points.
Another of Bud Warren’s favorite Leo sons was Croton Oil, a full brother to South Pacific. In the April 1966 issue of “The Quarter Horse Journal”, Garford Wilkinson quoted Warren as saying: “Croton Oil is my personal favorite, possibly because he carries the stamp and style of Leo more than any other horse I’ve ever known.”
Croton Oil sired 13 AQHA Champions and 62 foals who earned ROMs in racing – including Miss Croton Oil and Croton’s Jill, both AAAT.
Leo San was another outstanding son. Out of San Sue Darks, by San Siemon, he was foaled in 1949. In addition to Peppy San and Mr San Peppy, he also sired Wimpy Leo San, 1961 high-point halter horse; and Leo San Van, 1961 high-point halter and cutting gelding, 1962 high-point cutting gelding, and an AQHA Champion.
Leo also sired one Supreme Champion, Leo Maudie, who was also AAA. He was foaled in 1961, and was out of Maudie Williams, by Billy Anson.
However, Leo daughters produced seven Supreme Champions: Sugar Rocket, by Rocket Bar (TB) and out of Sugar Mayday. Jet Threat, AAA, by Jet Deck and out of Rosita Leo. Coldstream Guard, AAA, by Afton Creek (TB) and out of Miss Adelita. Goodbye Sam, AAA, by Fairfax Joe and out of Maudie Leo. Milk River, AAA, by Custus Rastus (TB) and out of Leolib. Kid Meyers, AAA, by Three Bars (TB) and out of Miss Meyers. And, finally, Fairbars, AAA, by Three Bars (TB) and out of Lady Fairfax.
While many of Leo’s get compiled outstanding racing and arena records, a sizeable number of his colts became geldings who excelled under saddle, but achieved no particular fame, or AQHA record.
Bud Warren passed away January 15, 1988, at the age of 77. About a year before his death, however, he talked with this writer (Diane Simmons) about Leo:
“I guess a lot of people thought I was crazy when I bought a crippled stallion, but somehow I knew that that horse would be a sire. He was always a pleasure to be around, and I don’t think any of us will ever realize what he contributed to this industry. He left his mark everywhere. He stamped his offspring in looks and disposition. He put heart and try into them and just like their daddy, most of them didn’t know when to say quit. That was Leo. By the time he was 23, his old knee injury was causing a lot of trouble. It was getting bigger and bigger. We did everything we could, but we couldn’t see to slow down the calcium buildup. It reached a point that it was so bad, he’d get down and couldn’t get up. We’d go out to the barn and help him, put bales of hay around him, anything we could do to help him get a little relief. He’d be on his feet a few days and then go down again. He was healthy in every other way, but the constant struggle with that knee literally wore him out. Then the day came when he got down and couldn’t get up, even with our help. He tried as hard as he could. He knew he wasn’t sick. He knew he didn’t feel bad other than the pain of that knee. He struggled and struggled but it just wouldn’t support him. He gave it everything he had. He tried so hard he was hurting himself. He just kept hitting against the stall, bumping his head, bruising himself. We decided the only remaining kindness we could give him was to put him to sleep. He’s resting on that hill across from the house, with a tombstone. Leo was about as good as they’ll ever come.”
Leo died in 1967. He was 27.
Halter and Performance Record: Racing ROM
Progeny Record:
AQHA Champions: 24
Foal Crops: 24
Foals Registered: 554
Halter Point Earners: 69
Halter Points Earned: 935
Performance Point Earners: 46
Performance Points Earned: 840.5
Performance Registers of Merit: 33
Leading Race Money Earner: Miss Olene ($31,532)
Race Money Earned: $605,882
Race Registers of Merit: 211
Race Starters: 370
Superior Halter Awards: 4
Superior Performance Awards: 2
Superior Race Awards: 8
Supreme Champions: 1
World Champions (Racing): 4