To fully understand and appreciate the sport of cutting you need to go back in time. Back to a time before Doc's Spinifex, before Doc Bar himself and even before the arrival of the first King Ranch horses into Australia. We even need to go back in time to a time before General Motors, Chrysler and Henry Ford. We need to go back to the American Continent to a time in the early 1500s. At that time the beginnings of the American Quarter Horse was unknowingly taking place. .

When Hernando Cortes conquered Mexico for the Spanish in 1519 his cavalrymen were mounted on the best blooded horses of the world. Stallions known for their endurance, speed, beauty and grace. As the Spaniards settled, they continued to import these fabulous horses into Mexico, this practice continued on for the next 125 years.

In 1565 the Spanish admiral Pedro Mendez de Aviles imported over 100 horses mainly from the Royal Spanish Ranches in Old Spain. He set up an equine breeding farm (fancy words for horse stud) in a place called Spanish Guale (old fancy words for the place they now call Florida). These horses were renowned world wide and were called Orientals and were predominantly Barbs in other words of mainly Arabian blood. This cross was exactly that of THE Godolphin Arabian.

The Chickasaw Indians began trafficking these horses north to trade with the colonists (fancy word for Americans) in Carolina. These horses became known as Chickasaws, They were sensible saddle horses, top cow horses and were extremely fast. They were agile, built like the proverbial, easily recognized and rarely grew to over 14 hands.

The Indians were lovers of horse racing, in particular Chief Mad Dog had a very popular strain of Chickasaws. So the horses which were raced through the streets of towns in the Carolinas and Virginia in the 1600s were not scrub Indian ponies as is commonly suggested, but they were in fact line bred Barbs.

Meanwhile down South things weren't going too well. In 1680 the Mexican tribes revolted against the Spanish destroying everything including those fine Spanish ranches, eating their cattle and pigs and turning the horses loose.

Being expensive and comparatively scarce, practically every horse was breeding stock, hardly any were geldings, they swept northward into America and in the 100 years that followed it is estimated that they multiplied to 1,500,000 head. To an extent they became in-bred, but also tough, hardy creatures gaining a surety of foot and instinct for survival. These Chickasaw ponies became the foundation mares for the famous American Quarter Horse.

In 1752 a little Stallion was imported from England to Virginia for the sole purpose to enrich the blood of distance runners on the colonial tracks. . . . . his name was Janus.

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IN THE BEGINNING ...... THERE WAS JANUS. (inbreeding co efficient 1.7%)

Line Breeding: Royal Mare      14.1% D5:2, D6:3, S6, D7, S7
                          Hautboy            10.9% D4, D5, D6
                          Leeds Arabian  10.9% D4, D5, S6
                          

Janus was foaled in England in 1746. It is commonly said that he was the recorded starting line of the both the American Thoroughbred and American Quarter horse. His sire was the result of crossing one of the best English mares around to a imported Pure Arabian Stallion. His Arabian Grand sire was The Godolphin Arabian who resembled that of a good barb rather than of a pure Arabian. Janus had proven himself as a successful four miler in England but was forced to retire as a racehorse because of a damaged sinew. Apparently after his arrival to the American Continent he manged a few more races , winning at distances up to four miles. These races weren't for the faint hearted as they were dodging rocks,stumps, holes, in fact every imaginable natural obstacle there was.

As a Sire he was generally considered a failure because the majority of his offspring were unable to go the full distance of 4 miles which was the distance the horse racing "noblemen" preferred. Though it is worth noting that his Thoroughbred family line traces to Broomstick who, for a while, was the only filly to win the Kentucky Derby and Exterminator, who won 50 of his 100 starts and only missed a place 16 times. It is generally thought that his failure was a result of not being bred to the right type of mare.

The colonies were full of another type of mare and an already established breed, referred to as the CAQRH or FAQRH (celebrated American Quarter Running Horse, or Famous American Quarter Running Horse). This breed were already noted for their agility and powerful hindquarters which was the main reason for their tremendous burst of speed. Making them the fastest horses in the world over the quarter mile. These horses were being caught wild and were known as the Chickasaw Horse. It was soon discovered that breeding these mares to Janus produced horses with extra refinement that the genes already possessed through common heritage, The Barb.

As is the norm in English colonies it soon became less and less popular to appear "English" so the Quarter Mile Racing became incredibly popular and with that, so did Janus. He became known as the sire of horses with explosive speed and became a legend in his own lifetime with at least 100 sons on written record. He was so popular his daughters were being bred to him and his granddaughters, with some horses having up to six crosses going back to Janus. He was also noted for his beauty and confirmation being considered as the most perfectly formed horse in Virginia.

Like the Quarter Horse breed in general, being a “hot blood” he was able to pass this onto his progeny and even onto third and fourth generations. In 1780 Janus died at the grand old age of 31. But his legacy lives on. Celer was regarded as Janus's best son who in turn sired Randolph's Celer who sired Speckleback the dam of Blackburn's whip. Blackburn's Whip was the foundation sire of the Steeldust and Tiger lines. If you take a close look at the bloodlines of the top ten Leading sires of cutting horses in Australia you will notice they ALL trace back to Janus.
True, because in those days a horse was a work horse first and a race on the week ends, the breed would have come about without him and in fact all credit can't be given to him as being THE founding sire of the quarter horse. Because if you take a closer look at the Top Ten Bloodlines you will also notice that they ALL trace back to a horse named Sir Archy.

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SIR ARCHY (Inbreeding Co-efficient 5.2%)

Line Breeding: 18.8% Herod S3, D4
                          15.6% Godolphin Arabian S5:2, D6:4, D7:4
                          11.5% Crofts Partner S5:2, D6:3, D8:2
                           

Twenty Five years after Janus's death, and the same year as Randolph's Celer's birth, Sir Archy was imported in eutero (although there are conflicting reports on that) to the United States and was foaled on US soil in 1805. His dam had her ears cropped and was going blind, and as legend has it she was not the prettiest of things to look at. Originally named Robert Burns, Sir Archy was a lot taller in stature than Janus at 16 hands, but he still had the very powerful hind quarters that is synonymous with the American Quarter Horse. They also shared a few ancestors like, The Godolphin Arabian , Bartlett's Childers, Leedes Arabian, Betty Leedes, and Darley Arabian to name a few.

His racing career as a three year old was less than impressive, recovering from a bout of distemper with his best performance a fourth place in the Carolina Stakes. But this was enough to tempt Marmaduke Johnson into purchasing him. The remarkable thing about Sir Archy's four year old turf career, of seven starts and four wins, was the impression he made upon those who saw him. Johnson himself said, "I have only to say, that in my opinion Sir Archy is the best horse I ever saw." No one knows how fast Sir Archy could have run four miles; he was never extended. General William R. Davie, among the spectators at Scotland Neck, was so impressed that he purchased Sir Archy for the then stratospheric sum of $5000 and immediately retired him to stud. Sir Archy's influence at stud was unprecedented in North America. Year after year he continued to sire exceptional sons and daughters and when his offspring went to stud they did the same. He earned the nickname "The Godolphin Arabian of America", the Godolphin Arabian having made such a profound impact on English bloodstock that it was noted in the General Stud Book. Hervey said "Before nor since, nothing has been known in America to equal the manner in which the Archy's dominated both turf and stud for over half a century, beginning with the debut of his first crop of foals, in 1814 and culminating with the last of the sixteen seasons of premiership of his inbred great-grandson Lexington in 1878. One of the strengths often attributed to the offspring of Sir Archy, like those of his sire Diomed before him, was the ability to withstand intense inbreeding. Sir Archy was bred to his own daughters and to those of Diomed, and his offspring were bred to each other. Timoleon, who was said to have "won more races, run more miles and traveled farther than any other horse that ever lived"; Bertrand (1821) who was probably Sir Archy's best son next to Sir Charles can be traced to todays modern day Quarter Horses and Cutting Horses. Sir Archy died at Mowfield in June of 1833. Trevathan sums up his impact, "He got more distinguished racers than any horse in America, perhaps in the world, from all sorts of mares, with all kinds of pedigrees, and some with no pedigrees at all". It might be said with truth that he filled a hemisphere with his get.

Sir Archy became indisputably the foundation stallion of the American Quarter Horse and at the end of his reign began the split between the Quarter horse and the American Thoroughbred. After the transition period was completed the Quarter horse fell primarily into the role of being a cowboys mount and secondly his week ends entertainment. Eventually the Quarter Horse became the most versatile horse in the world. Thus Sir Archy stands as the cornerstone of the Quarter Horse as we know it today. Take a look at any top cutting horse sire today and in the past from Highbrow Cat to Poco Beuno, they all trace back to Sir Archy.
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COPPERBOTTOM (1828 – 1860)
Inbreeding Co-efficient 6.3%
Linebreeding:     Herod 17.2% D4, S4, S5, D6
                            Florizel 15.6% S3, D5
                            Sister to Juno 15.6% S3, D5
                            Godolphin Arabian 15.2% D6, S6:2,D7:4, D8:6, S8:4, D9:2

Arguably Copperbottom could be described as the first true working Quarter Horse. Sired by Sir Archy out of a mare who traced back to Janus twice, he was a chestnut horse standing 15hh and weighing 1000lbs. His offspring were sought after as ranch horses, they had a willing intelligence, short burst of speed and were sleek in build. They were finer than most Quarter Horses with fine paterns, sleek necks and symetrically beuatiful heads. The mojority were a copper colour with a dark brown stripe down their backs and a red mane and tail. In these days they would be described as red dun in clouring.

Copperbottom was nowhere as famous as his the legendary Sam Houston. Sam was a texas legend who as a freedom fighter who commanded the army that defeated the Mexican President Antonia Lopez De Santa Ana (serves him right for having a very long name I say). This victory allowed the formation of the Republic of Texas and Sam Houston became President. When Texas became a state of the union he became a US Senator for 13 years and twice served as Governor of Texas. Houston bought Copperbottom in 1939.

There are mixed reports about Copperbottom's ability to sire race horses, but there seems to be evidence that he sired a few good racehorses before being taken to Texas by his new owner. But Texas being Cow Horse country Copperbottom became a household name in the rodeo arena. At one time there were Copperbottom horses from one end of Texas to the other but unfortunately no records were kept of his foals and his family became indistinct as other families grew stronger. In the early 1900s a man by the name of RL Underwood set out to keep the blood of Copperbottom alive and acquired a Stallion by the name of Golden chief #194. Golden Cheif was described as being a true replica of the Copperbottom type, more athletic than other Quarter Horses going around at the time. This stallion in turn sired Dexter who in turn sired Buddy Dexter who was the sire of 1962 World Champion Cutting Horse Cutter Bill. Cutter Bill is Line Bred Golden Chief and is the only cutting bloodline around today to keep the Copperbottom line alive. In 1956 RL Underwood dispersed all his horses including Cutter Bill and that was virtually the end of any efforts to preserve the Copperbottom bloodline.

In 1843, through the combination of Janus and Sir Archy bloodlines the “Bulldog” of all foundation sires was born ..... Steeldust. (To be continued......)

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