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Easter King
The
following are excerpts from “King P-234 Cornerstone of an Industry” by Frank
Holmes
In the Midwest, the decade of the ‘60s saw the birth of the movement that
grew into the reining industry of today. One of the first true reining horse
lines to positively influence that movement was headed by a horse named
Easter King. In late 1953 or early 1954, Easter King was acquired by LaRue
Gooch of Abilene, Texas, and Simla, Colorado. A serious horsewoman with an
interest in cutting horses, she had as her primary goal the development of
Easter King as a top-notch arena performer. By all accounts, Easter King
showed considerable promise as a cutter. Elmer Favor (who had ridden such
hallmark cutting horses as
Poco
Bueno and Jessie James) is on record as saying that the young King son
showed more promise as a cutting horse than any horse he’d ridden since
Jessie James. According to AQHA show records, Easter King had only four
official show outings, all as a 3-year-old. On March 5, 1954, in Odessa,
Texas, he placed first in the 1951 stallion class and earned two halter
points. At the big Santa Rosa Roundup, held April 26-May1 in Vernon, Texas,
he placed second in junior cutting and earned two performance points. At the
San Angelo, Texas show held May 1-2, Easter King placed third in 1951
stallions and second in junior cutting. In the latter class, he earned one
performance point. Finally, on May 14, 1954, in Abilene, Texas, he place
third in 1951 stallions and split second and third places in the junior
cutting. Again, he earned one performance point. Easter King was shown at
least one additional time that does not appear on his official record. On
August 24, 1954,at the Colorado State Fair show in Pueblo, he placed first
in the 3-year-old stallion class. (Grand Champion stallion honors at the
show went to Spanish Nick, owned by Hank Wiescamp of Alamosa, Colorado;
reserve champion honors went to Poco Bob, owned by Hilliard Miller of Eagle,
Colorado). At some point in late 1954 or early 1955, Easter King suffered a
training injury and was retired from all show competition. From early 1955
to early 1959, Easter King was the herd sire for LaRue Gooch’s
well-thought-out breeding program. Among the blaze faced sorrel stallion’s
broodmare band were a dozen or more Hollywood Gold mares and own daughters
of Chubby, Rainy Day and Grey Badger II. In Early 1969, Gooch decided to
divest herself of the majority of her horses. Being well versed on the
genetic strengths of LaRue Gooch’s Hollywood Gold mares, John Bowling
immediately added Easter King and 12 Hollywood Gold mares to his already
expansive herd. Shortly after acquiring Easter King, Bowling relocated his
Quarter Horse operation to Sumner, Iowa. Placed at the head of this program,
which included 250-300 mares, Easter King proved that his earlier siring
accomplishments were not flukes. AQHA records show the King son to have
sired 277 registered foals. Of those, 53 were performers that earned on
Youth world championship, three Amateur reserve world championships, one
AQHA championship, two Superior halter awards, 12 Superior performance
awards (six Open, three Amateur and three Youth) and 27 performance ROMs (19
Open, three Amateur and five Youth). In NCHA competition they earned
$22,989, and in NRHA events they earned $6,089. As a maternal grandsire,
Easter King was represented by 123 performers that earned on Youth world
championship, one
AQHA
championship, eight Superior performance awards (five Open, two Amateur and
one Youth). In NCHA competition, they amassed $72,695, and in NRHA contests
they earned $25,480. By the time the 1970’s arrived, Easter King was an
established sire. Then, the distant past caught up with him. While Easter
King’s injuries had not interfered with his duties as a sire, they became a
factor as he approached old age. In the spring of 1971, the decision was mad
to have Easter King put to sleep. At the time of his death, the noted
stallion was 21 years old. Easter King sired two sons that saw to it that
his branch of the family tree flourished. They were Hollywood Jac 86 and
Easter Gentleman. Hollywood Jac 86 is an NRHA Hall of Fame Horse and the
reining industry’s first million-dollar sire and million-dollar maternal
grandsire. Hollywood Jac 86 went on to achieve superstar status as both a
performer and a sire. In addition to his being and AQHA Superior reining
horse, the Easter King son was the 1974 and 1975 NRHA Non-Pro world champion
and earned 12 NRHA bronze trophies and is an NRHA Hall of Fame horse. As a
reining horse sire, Hollywood Jac 86 is responsible for eight NRHA world
champions, six NRHA Futurity champions, four NRHA Derby champions and the
earners of more than $1.5 million making him an all-time leading reining
horse sire. In addition, his maternal grand-get have amassed more than $1.6
million in NRHA earnings and more than $114,500 in NRCHA earnings.
Easter Gentleman, a 1970 gray stallion by Easter King and out of Bobbin
Badger, also did his part to ensure that the line lived on. By the
time Eater Gentleman came along, Easter King was nearing the end of his
life. Armed with that knowledge, John Bowling hand-picked "Gentleman"
as his sire's replacement. Easter Gentleman went on to become an
influential reining sire. In NRHA competition his get earned $220,221.
Although, because of injury, Easter King never got the chance to live up to
his potential as a performer, he did make more than his fair share of
contributions to the breed. And, as the fountainhead of the reining
industry's most accomplished lines, the famous King son remains a highly
influential genetic force to this very day.
The above are excerpts from
the book, "King P-234 Cornerstone of an Industry" by Frank Holmes
this excellent book can be purchased through
LOFT Enterprises.
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