by Larry Thornton
One of the things that will stand out when the Steyskal's breeding program comes into the conversation are the stallions Tiger Leo and Iron Rebel. Tiger Leo serves as a prime example of the success of the Steyskal breeding program. This great stallion became a National Snaffle Bit Association Hall of Fame member because of his role as a great brood mare sire in the modern western pleasure industry.
But, when you stop and review this breeding program, you will find that the mares are just as important as the stallions. Stan and Mary Kay are always quick to credit their breed mares as a key to their success. Tiger Leo and some of his best foals provide us with an example of the role of brood mares in the Steyskal breeding program. One of the mares bred to Tiger Leo was Kiowa's Diana. This mare is the dam of Bill Tiger Leo, 319 pts; Tina Tiger Leo, 148 pts; El Tigre Leo, 76 pts and Lonsum Tiger, NCHA Reserve World Champion Cutting Horse. All of these foals were sired by Tiger Leo. Kiowa's Diana was the dam of the mare Miss Band. Miss Band is the dam of Tammy Tiger, 649 pts; Jimmy Tiger, 511 pts and Jenny Tiger, 251 pts when bred to Tiger Leo.
The success of Kiowa's Diana and her daughters in the Steyskal breeding program have become what many breaders term a "mare family". You will often find that breeders retain fillies from their outstanding brood mares and these mares and their daughters form families within the herd. The mare Connie's Kitten is sired by Tiger Leo and out of Kiowa's Diana. Connie's Kitten was retained by the Steyskal's as a brood mare. She has produced foals like Kitten Cause, and AQHA Honor Roll Hunter Under Saddle Horse. Kitten Cause was sired by Iron Rebel, the other stallion in the Steyskal breeding program.
"He had another full sister there and that was Leota Gal. They were both triple A and stakes winners. They were really nice horses, real good looking horses. So when we left, Stan and I both liked them so we decided to call the man that owned them. His name was Clarence Bearry and he lived in Ft. Pierre, South Dakota. He had Lonsum Polecat and Sea Bars," added Mary Kay. "We talked to Clarence over a period of about three years trying to buy those mares. Every three months or so, I would call him and visit with him to see if he wanted to sell the mares. Well, one night he said he would sell us the two mares. So we said "OK" and we gathered the money to buy one of them and he financed the other one. We went that next weekend and got the two mares. We later went back and bought Sea Flick and Twist My Flick." So with the purchase of four daughters of Boyd Flick, the foundation of this family was set.
Boyd Flick was a Palomino mare foaled in 1958. She was bred by Clarence Bearry. She has no official AQHA show or race record. Her pedigree is a combination of famous quarter horse families with a dash of thoroughbred thrown in. Her sire was a stallion named John Red. This stallion is reported to be the first AAA rated race horse in South Dakota. His foals include the Arena ROM horses Blue Fancy and Dakota John.
Boyd Flick isn't the only famous producing brood mare sired by John Red. He is the sire of Johnny Angel, the dam of Angie Miss. Angie Miss was a AAA rated runner and the dam of the 1969 AQHA World Champion Quarter Running Horse Kaweah Bar.
The sire of John Red was the famous stallion Red Man. This AA rated stallion was a successful race horse and an arena ROM show horse. A recent story in AMERICA'S FOUNDATION QUARTER HORSE JOURNAL (October 1998) by Phil Livingston called "Red Man...the Roan Powerhouse" profiles this great stallion and his offspring. Livingston tells us that Red Man was one of the first twenty horses to be recognized as a Celebrated American Quarter Running Horse by the American Quarter Racing Association. The racing get of Red Man includes Apache Agent, a stakes winner in the Bardella Handicap and the Kindergarten Futurity. Livingston's story points out that this horse was out of Poison Ivy, a daughter of Joe Reed II. Red Man went on to be an arena ROM show horse and a top rodeo roping horse. His wins at roping include the famous Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo. The performance get of Red Man includes Gunman. Gunman was a halter point earner and arena ROM. The Livingston story tells us that his dam was the Joe Reed II mare Whistling Cat.
The sire of Red Man was the famous Joe Hancock. This great stallion is legendary as a race horse and sire. Joe Hancock was reported to be "open to the world" at distances up to 3/8 of a mile virtually unbeatable as a race horse. When his racing days were over, this stallion went to the Burnett Ranches to establish himself as a great sire of not only race horses but of good rodeo and ranch horses. Joe Hancock was sired by John Wilkens, who was a son of Peter McCue. The dam of John Wilkens was Katie Wawekus, a thoroughbred mare by Wawekus. The dam of Joe Hancock was a mare we know today as the JJ Hancock Mare. This mare was sired by a Percheron Stallion and her dam was a race mare known as the Mundell Mare.
The AQHA Stud Book tells us that Red Man was out of a Burnett Roan Mare. Her pedigree is unknown in the Stud Book. The Livingston story in AMERICA'S FOUNDATION QUARTER HORSE JOURNAL gives her pedigree as a Burnett Roan Mare by the stallion Tom, who was also known as Scooter. Tom (Scooter) was sired by Midnight by Badger. Badger was sired by Peter McCue. This would make Red Man double bred to Peter McCue. The dam of John Red was the mare Just Sissy. This thoroughbred mare was sired by Just David. Just David was sired by Atwell. The dam of Just David was Viola Mabel by Marta Santa and her dam was Penitence 2nd by Great Tom.
The dam of Boyd Flick was Palo Gal. This mare is also the dam of Palo Sis, a full sister to Boyd Flick. Palo Sis is the dam of Lonsum Gal by Lonsum Polecat. Lonsum Gal is the dam of Lonsum Zippo, and AYQHA World Champion Working Hunter and an AYQHA World Champion in Hunter Over Fences. Another good performer out of Lonsum Gal is Lonsum Zipper, and AQHA Superior Western Pleasure Horse. Both of these performers were sired by Zippo Pine Bar. Palo Gal was a Palomino mare sired by Sandy McCue, Sandy McCue was a Palomino sired by Champagne II, a son of Champagne. Champagne was sired by Dundee and out of Big Dun by Peter McCue Jr. Peter McCue Jr was sired by Peter McCue and out of a mare by Old Fred. Dundee was sired by a thoroughbred named Dalston.
The dam of Champagne II was Dorothy Dawson. This mare was sired by Dalston and out of Flying Dance. This is the same Dalston that sired Dundee. This makes Champagne II double bred to Dalston. The dam of Sandy McCue was Ding Belle by Saladin. Saladin was sired by Ding Bob and out of Fleet by Bob H. Bob H was sired by Old Fred. Ding Bob was sired by Brown Dick and out of Mary McCue. Mary McCue was sired by Peter McCue and out of a mare going back to Old Fred. The dam of Ding Belle was a mare by Buck Thomas. Buck Thomas was sired by Peter McCue and out of Stockings by Old Fred. Pet was the dam of the Buck Thomas mare and she was sired by Peter McCue.
One of the interesting things about the Success of the Boyd Flick family in the performance area is the fact that this was a race horse family"
Southern Horseman - p.56
One of the interesting things about the success of the Boyd Flick family in the performance area is the fact that this was a race horse family. This great mare had 14 foals with 11 race track starters. She produced nine race winners with six ROM and six stakes winners and one stakes placed. Her first foal came in 1962 and his name was Flick Bar. This Palomino son of Sea Bar would run a speed index of 100 with 76 starts to garner 16 wins, 12 seconds and 7 thirds. He won $15,037, while winning races like the South Dakota Bred Derby. His official record shows that he was second in the Montana Centennial Futurity. Flick Bar earned his arena ROM and an AQHA Championship with 15 halter points and 11 performance points. He earned his performance points in western pleasure and hunter under saddle.
The second foal out of boyd Flick was Leota Flick, the Palomino mare that Mary Kay saw on the shedrow. Her sire was Lonsum Polecat. This mare was a lot like her half brother in that she had 60 starts on the track with 11 wins, 16 seconds and 7 thirds. She was a stakes winner in the South Dakota Derby and stakes placed in races like the South Dakota Bred Derby. She had a speed index of 95 and her racing ROM.
Leota Gal was the fourth foal out of Boyd Flick and the full sister that was in Keith Assmussen's barn. Her sire was Lonsum Polecat. This mare was the winner of the South Dakota Bred Futurity, the South Dakota Bred Derby and the Clarence and Pat Roth Memorial. She ran 40 races with 15 wins, 7 seconds and 3 thirds. She set a track record for 330 yards in 1969.
Flicks Gal was the next stakes winner for Boyd Flick. This 1966 Palomino mare was sired by Sea Bar and a full sister to Flick Bar. This mare had only six starts with one win in the South Dakota Bred Futurity. She was second once in the South Dakota Bred Derby and she had three thirds.
Mr Flick was another full brother to Flicks Gal and Flick Bar. This 1967 stallion had 46 starts with 11 wins, 13 seconds and 8 thirds. He was a winner of the South Dakota Bred Futurity and a third place finisher in the Minnesota Open Championship. He was a halter point earner and Grand Champion at halter. Mary Kay remembered Mr Flick winning a Grand Championship at halter at Burwell as a two year old and then go to the Burwell race track to win the Nebraska Quarter Horse Futurity.
Brother Flick was the stakes placed runner out of Boyd Flick. He was a 1968 sorrel stallion sired by Lonsum Polecat. He had a speed index of 80 with 19 starts and 2 wins, 7 seconds and 5 thirds. He was third in the South Dakota Bred Derby.
Lonsum Flick was a 1969 Sorrell Stallion sired by Lonsum Polecat. This horse had 13 starts with one win in the South Dakota Bred Derby. He was second in one race and third three times.
The sires of these foals were Lonsum Polecat and Sea Bar. Let's look at their pedigrees. Lonsum Polecat was an AAA rated race horse. His sire was the legendary Leo. Leo was sired by Joe Reed II by Joe Reed P-3 and out of Little Fanny by Joe Reed P-3. Of course Joe Reed P-3 was sired by Joe Blair (TB) by Bonnie Joe (TB). Bonnie Joe being the sire of Uncle Jimmy Gray.
The dam of Lonsum Polecat was Little Meow. This mare was sired by Tadpole by Red Dog. Red Dog was sired by Balleymooney and he was sired by Colonel Concho. The dam of Red Dog was Cinnabar by Old Joe by Harmon Baker by Peter McCue. The dam of Tadpole was Mae West. This mare was sired by Coke T or Prince as he was known by some. Coke T was sired by Brown Dick by Derring Doe, a thoroughbred. The dam of Coke T was Stockings by Old Fred. This is the mother of Buck Thomas. The dam of Mae West was a Roberds Mare sired by Petr VcCue. Her dam is unknown but it is likely that this mare could have been an Old Fred bred mare.
The dam of Little Meow was Jackie McCue by Jack McCue. Jack McCue was sired by Peter McCue and out of Marguerite by Barlow by Lock's Rondo. The dam of Jackie McCue was Sparky by Spark Plug by Jack McCue. The dam of Spark Plug was Silver by Chickasha Bob by Texas Chief by Lock's Rondo. This makes Jackie McCue not only inbred to Jack McCue, but it gives her two crosses to the great stallion Lock's Rondo.
Little Meow was the winner of the Rocky Mountain Futurity at Pueblo, Colorado in 1949. She was a great producing mare with foals like She Kitty and Old Tom Cat. She Kitty was the 1962 Co-Champion Quarter Running Three-Year-Old filly and an AQHA Champion. While Old Tom Cat was an AAA rated runner and AQHA Champion.
Sea Bar was sired by the famous Lightning Bar by Three Bars. Three Bars was sired by Percentage and out of Myrtle Dee. The dam of Lightning Bar was Della P by Doc Horn. The dam of Sea Bar was Whisper W by Joe reed II by Joe Reed P-3 by Joe Blair (TB) by Bonnie Joe. The dam of Whisper was Old Pet C by El Rey Ro. El Rey Ro is listed in the Stud Book as sired by Sykes by Peter McCue. The dam of Old Pet C was an RO Mare by Kid. Kid was sired by Peter McCue.
It has to be noted here that the two foals of Red Man that we pointed out as one of his best race horses and one of his best performers were out of Joe Reed II mares. As you will recall both of these horses, Gunman and Apache Agent, were singled out by Phil Livingston in his story on Red Man. This takes us back to the success of Leo with the Joe Hancock line of horses. The cross that produced horses like Flit, the great daughter of Leo and Julie W by Joe Hancock. It seems to have carried on through Boyd Flick and her being bred to grandsons of Joe Reed II, the sire of Leo.
Outside their pedigrees, Mary Kay reported several important qualities that made the Boyd Flick mares special. The first had to do with their conformation, "The were consistent in type - straight legged, short back, had a good slope to their shoulder and a wither you could put a nice saddle on with a nice turn to the hip and strong and correct in the hocks."
She used Sea Flick, an unshown mare, as an example. "Sea Flick would have haltered, but we didn't realize she had a broken bone in her foot until we went to ride her. So we never rode her but she would have been one that could've been a great all around horse. She would have haltered and then had the ability to do anything else."
Leota Flick provides us with a look at the heart and try for this group of mares. Mary Kay reported it this way, "Leota Flick broke her shoulder in a blowout running in the pasture as a yearling. She had a big gouge out of her shoulder. Her stride was four inches shorter on the right front leg and she still won all those races."
The heart of Leota Flick and her bad shoulder really bring the race records of this group of foals into focus. The 11 starters on the race track out of Boyd Flick have 282 starts with 59 wins. This is an average of just over 25 starts per starter. This is an indication of soundness in this good family of horses.
Leota Flick's success on the track has transferred itself into this good mare being a major contributor to the Boyd Flick Family. The leading point earner from this mare was Rainbow Rebel, who has earned 156 AQHA points with Superiors in Amateur Western Pleasure and Open Hunter Under Saddle.
The sire of Rainbow Rebel was Iron Rebel. This great stallion became a noted sire for the Steyskal's. Iron Rebel earned 158 AQHA points in 5 events including Western Pleasure where he earned the Superior Award. He earned 24 halter points with five Grand Championships. His performance points came in Western Pleasure (127); heading (3); heeling (3) and reining (1).
The pedigree of Iron Rebel is an interesting one as a cross on the Boyd Flick daughters. The sire of Iron Rebel was Rebel Cause, a quarter running champion that was sired by Top Deck. The dam of Rebel Cause was Bankette by Worryman. Worryman was sired by Red Man. This makes Worryman a paternal half brother to John Red. The pedigree of Worryman is very similar to the John Red pedigree. Both of these stallions were sired by Red Man and out of thoroughbred mares. This then makes the foals of Iron Rebel and a daughter of Boyd Flick double bred to Red Man, the good siring son of Joe Hancock.
Iron Leota is a full sister to Rainbow Rebel. This mare is the dam of Good Miss Molly, a winner of the Palomino Horse Breeders Association World Champion Snaffle Bit Futurity. This mare is sired by Zippos Mr Goodbar.
Leota Flick is the dam of the mare Leota Flame. This mare is sired by Flaming Jet by Jet Deck and she had a 92 speed index. Leota Flame is the dam of Flaming Iron with 98 AQHA points. This horse was a Congress Reserve Champion in Amateur Pleasure Driving, with a third place in the national standings in Pleasure Driving. Another foal out of Leota Flame is Iron Amber with 26 AQHA points. Both of these foals were sired by Iron Rebel.
When they bred Tiger Leo to Leota Flick, they got Tiger Flick. This horse has 18 AQHA performance points. When they bred Leota Flame to Tiger Leo, they got the point earners Flaming Tiger and Flaming Tigress. Flaming Tigress is the dam of Zipaleo, who was third in the 1998 Tom Powers Triple Challenge Limited Open Maturity. Exotic Tiger is another Tiger Leo out of Leota Flame. This mare is the dam of Zipa Tiger, a Breeders Classic Futurity Two-Year-Old Western Pleasure Futurity Champion and a Kentucky QHA Futurity Champion and Vested Choice, a Nebraska Silver Classic Breeders Western Pleasure Futurity Finalist.
Tigeraflame was originally sold into Iowa and used as a breeding stallion. Mary Kay feels that the few foals sired by this stallion are indicative of the disposition of the Boyd Flick family. She had this to say, " Most of his colts went for 4-H Kids. Those colts were so quiet that they made perfect 4-H horses for the kids."
The pedigree of Tigeraflame is another interesting aspect of this stallion and his role in the breeding shed. A review of Tiger Leo's pedigree will show that he has several crosses to the famous stallion Domino. The first comes from Leo. Leo was sired by Joe Reed II. Joe Reed II was out of Nellene by Fleeting Time, a thoroughbred. Fleeting Time was sired by High Time. High Time was sired by Ultimus. Ultimus was an double grandson of Domino. His sire was Commando by Domino and his dam was Running Stream by Domino. The dam of High Time was Noonday by Domino. This makes High Time a pretty intensely bred Domino stallion.
The dam of Tiger Leo was Connie, a thoroughbred mare. Connie was out of Fair Lawn by Infinite. Infinite was sired by Ultimus. This gives Tiger Leo five crosses to Domino, with four of them coming through Ultimus.
Leota Flame is sired by Flaming Jet. Flaming Jet was sired by Jet Deck. Jet Deck was a grandson of Top Deck. Top Deck has three crosses to Domino. Jet Deck was out of Miss Night Bar by Barred. Barred was sired by Three Bars. Three Bars had three crosses to Domino. Luke McLuke was the broodmare sire of Three Bars and he was sird by Ultimus. Three Bars and Top Deck give us six more crosses to Domino, with another cross to Ultimus.
Flaming Jet was out of Dusty Bound. This mare was sired by Through Bound by Out Bound. Out Bound was sired by Luke McLuke by Ultimus. The dam of Through Bound was Informal. Informal was sired by Infinite by Ultimus. This gives us four more crosses to Domino through Ultimus. It also shows that we have two crosses to Infinite by Ultimus. Infinite is out of a mare named Continental. Continental is sired by Yankee. Yankee was out of Correction, a full sister to Domino. This makes Infinite inbred to the full brother and sister Domino and Correction.
The dam of Dusty Bound was Her-Lily by Ponderial by Ariel. Ariel was sired by Eternal, who was sired by Sweep, who was out of Pink Domino by Domino. Ariel was out of Adana, who was sired by Adam and out of Mannie Himyar. Mannie Himyar was a full sister to Domino.
Ponderial was out of Pond Lily. This mare was sired by Ultimus. This gives us two more crosses to Domino through Ultimus.
Of course we have a second cross to Leo and this gives us three more crosses to Domino and one more cross to Ultimus. This gives Tigeraflame at least twenty-one crosses to Domino, with at least seven of them coming through Ultimus. This doesn't include the two crosses to Correction and Mannie Himyar, the full sisters to Domino. This also makes Tigeraflame double bred to Leo. Tigeraflame is truly a Domino bred stallion.
Flick My Twist was an unshown and unraced daughter of Boyd Flick. This mare was sired by Twister Jet by Jet Deck. She is the dam of Pamileo, and AQHA Superior Barrel Racing Horse with over 109 AQHA points. Tiger Leo was the sire of Pamileo. Red Dee Rhonda has 48 AQHA points and several top ten finishes in the international Buckskin Horse Association national standings and the IBHA World Show. She was sired by Red Dee Hobby. Fancy Your Hobby is another Red Dee Hobby point earner out of this mare. Neatly Ironed and Bronzed Iron are point earners out of Twist My Flick that were sired by Iron Rebel. Neatly Ironed has a performance ROM with 13.5 AQHA points to her credit.
Sea Flick was the tenth foal out of Boyd Flick. She was the mare that was unraced and unshown because of the broken bone in her foot. This mare was bred to Tiger Leo to produce the show horses Monseto Tiger, with 32.5 AQHA points; Maid Of The Sea, with 8 AQHA Amateur points; Sea Tigeress with 24 AQHA points; Tiger Of The Sea, an NCHA money earner with an AQHA ROM and Sabre Tiger, an AQHA ROM performer with points in western pleasure, hunter under saddle, cutting and halter. Saber Tiger also has an NCHA Certificate of Ability in cutting. Tiger Of The Sea was a former Nebraska High Point Cutting and Western Pleasure Horse.
The daughters from the mating of Tiger Leo and Sea Flick have been good producers as well. Maid Of The Sea is the dam of Socks By Cluso and Good Sea Miss. Socks By Cluso is a show horse with 66 AQHA points. Socks by Cluso is sired by Investers Cluso by The Invester. Good Sea Miss has 40 AQHA points. She is sired by Zippos Mr Good Bar. Sea Tigress is the dam of Sizzlin Iron, who earned 20.5 AQHA points and Iron Tigress, who earned 24 AQHA points. Both of these horses were sired by Iron Rebel. Shy Tigress comes from this cross and she is the dam of Iron Fortified with 294 AQHA points and top ten finishes in the AQHA World Show in Senior Working Hunter and Amateur Hunter Hack and Tigress In Iron with 51 AQHA points. Both of these horses are sired by Iron Rebel.
Here is how Mary Kay talked about the capabilities of Ironmaker to be the one to fill the shoes of Iron Rebel. "We felt that Ironmaker would be a strong replacement for Iron Rebel because he was from a strong mare line. He was also a horse that had plenty of bone and soundness. Stan broke him to ride as a two-year-old. We took him to three open shows and won all three. So we knew what he was like to handle and what his mind was like. So he just sat here for three years. When Iron Rebel died we bred him to our mares that year."
She continued, "After the breeding season, Bill and Tina Kaven took over training him. They took him to Pre-Denver and Denver and won Denver. He won under one judge and was second under the other in Senior Western Pleasure."
"I think that shows his mind. He had never been indoors and never been to a quarter horseshow," added Mary Kay. Ironmaker has gone on to earn his Superior in AQHA Western Pleasure with 57.5 points. He was twice Champion Senior Western Pleasure Horse and three times Reserve Champion Senior Western Pleasure Horse at the Denver Stock Show and the Blue Ribbon NSBA Limited Open Western Pleasure Maturity Co-Reserve Champion. Ironmaker is out of Sea Flick.
Ironmaker is the sire of some up and coming show horses. They include several AQHA point earners and aged event finalists such as Paint Maker, Impulse Maker, Exclusive Maker, Maker Elegant and Enchantment Maker. Paint Maker is an AQHA point earner and a finalist in the Flag City NSBA 2/3-Year-Old Non-Pro Western Pleasure Class. Paint Maker is out of Tigers King Jewel by Tiger Leo. Maker Elegant was a Nebraska Silver Classic Breeder's Long Line Finalist. Enchantment Maker was a finalist in the 1998 All American Quarter Horse Congress Two-Year-Old Limited Open Futurity and the Reserve Champion of the Two-Year-Old Snaffle Bit at hte 1998 American Royal Quarter Horse Show. Maker Elegant and Enchantment Maker are out of Pine Bar Kitten, a daughter of the leading sire Zippo Pine Bar and the Steykal's great mare Kitten Cause. Kitten Cause comes from the other mare family developed by the Steyskal's. She is sired by Iron Rebel and out of Connie's Kitten by Tiger Leo and out of Kiowa's Diana. Impulse Maker is an AQHA point earner out of a daughter of Impulsion by the Invester. While Exclusive Maker is an AQHA point earner out of the thoroughbred mare Lil'School Marm.
Maker Elegant, Enchantment Maker and Impulse Maker bring out another interesting observation for the Boyd Flick Family. They have been good producers when bred to stallions like The Invester, Zippo Pine Bar and their sons. This includes the horses we have already brought out in our look at this family of horses like Socks By Cluso, Good Miss Sea, Zipa Tiger, Zipaleo and Good Miss Molly.
So with Tigeraflame and Ironmaker in the breeding shed at the Steyskal's, we see that this leading breedier is putting the continued success of their program squarely on the shoulders of the Boyd Flick Family of mares. In addition they are keeping granddaughters, great granddaughters and great great granddaughters of Boyd Flick for the broodmare band. Something else they are doing is perpetuatuing the influence of the Boyd Flick Family through inbreeding and linebreeding. This inbreeding and linebreeding shows up in two Ironmaker colts that sold in 1998, one in the 1998 Breeders Classic Sale and one in the 1998 AQHA World Show Sale. The young horses are Feature Maker, a son of Ironmaker that is out of Flick My Twist and The Legend Maker, a son of Iron Maker that is out of Leota Flame. This makes Feature Maker and The Legend Maker 3 x 2 inbred to Boyd Flick. It is going to be interesting to see what the future holds for the Boyd Flick Family of Quarter Horses. The kind of mare family that helps dedicated people like the Steyskals become leading breeders in the quarter horse industry.