05/07/2024
He is the result of a half brother crossed on his half sister. (Be sure and check his pedigree … we are talking 'Inbreeding' here.) J. W. House, a well-respected Texas horseman, was responsible for this particular mating. Wise fellow, that House, for Leo was destined to leave a lasting mark on the Quarter Horse family. Mr. House said of Leo, "When he was born, he resembled a mature horse, or what a mature Quarter Horse stallion should look like, and kept those looks all his life." 2
Time and again people watched him, or had occasion to see some of his best sons and daughters fly along the southwest short tracks, so prevalent in those days. For a few years Leo held the 300 yard record at Pawhuska, Oklahoma. He also turned in a time of 12 seconds flat for 220 yards. That’s a lot of get-away for a 14.3 hand horse. Quoting John Tillman, Leo’s owner at one time, "He has always had a wonderful disposition, is easily handled, a prefect gate horse … and he had the ability to come from behind and outrun horses with big names." 3
Leo wasn’t destined to have it easy, as injures plagued him through out his life. A bum knee and leg challenged his prowess on the track. Careless inattention caused some further problems, and he a lost year of breeding while recovering from a stifle injury. Despite all these obstacles, and a rather late start in the breeding shed. Leo, under the ownership and good care of Bud Warren, in just four years become the All Time Leading Sire of "AA" and "AAA" horses (combined), according to statistics from the AQHA Racing Division. Additionally, 24 of his sons and daughters won 44 races during 1952, beating the score of his sire, Joe Reed II, who ranked second with 23 winning get. Leo also ranked first as a Sire of Two-Year-Old ROM Qualifiers in 1952.
When Warren paid $2500. for Leo in 1947, he was a crippled 7-year-old, going to his seventh owner. But the purchase was well planned. Warren already had two of his get … Leota W and Flit. He explained, "Besides being handsome two-year-olds, they outran everything else on the place, so I decided to buy the stud that sired them." 4
In Quarter Horse Racing, Leo is represented by some of his most famous offspring, such as Running Champions Miss Meyers, Mona Leta, Bobbie Leo and Palleo Pete. Today, you will find Leo firmly lodged in 11th place on the list of Leading Maternal Grandsires of Race ROM Qualifiers (with 754 ROMs), and he still ranks 26th as the All-Time Leading Maternal Grandsire of Money Earners, with 290 daughters having produced 1378 starters earning a total of $6,146,643. through 1998. His daughters’ leading earner was Little Blue Sheep SI-105, Stakes Winner of $389,854. She is the 1977 and 1978 World Champion Aged Quarter Running Mare, just one of his many Champion maternal grand get.
Is it any wonder that Leo has recently been listed by Marianna Haun as one of the important Quarter Horse sires identified as having an X-chromosome with the X-Factor? The large heart gene is becoming the hot topic of conversation in racing circles, the theory being strongly substantiated by genetic research, heart measurements and correlation with racing performance and paths of inheritance. The gene is transmitted by a large-hearted sire to every daughter.
Of the 46 AQHA Supreme Champions, his son Leo Maudie was the 13th, and his full sister, Maudie Leo, produced Supreme Champion Goodbye Sam. Leo daughters produced 7 Supreme Champions, including the first one, Kid Meyers. A Leo son sired Mach I, and three more Supremes were sired by stallions whose dams were Leo daughters. And finally, two more Supreme Champions had second dams who were daughters of Leo. All told, 13 of the 46 Supreme Champions have Leo within the first 2 generations, making him the second most influential ancestor for this elite group, behind Three Bars. 7
There isn’t a discipline in the Quarter Horse world that doesn’t have ties to Leo’s bloodlines somehow or somewhere. Flit, his daughter out of a Joe Hancock mare, founded her own dynasty in Barrel Racing. The Cutting and Reining industry have their ties to Leo through Holey Sox, Leo Question, Rondo Leo, Leo San, Peppy San and his full brother Mr San Peppy, Jewels Leo Bars (AKA "Freckles"), Mr Gun Smoke, War Leo, King's Pistol, Mora Leo, and Colonel Freckles. Leo sired many sons who also had the ability to pass on his desirable qualities. In 1989 the American Quarter Horse Association honored Leo's greatness by inducting him into the AQHA Hall of Fame.
What a great legacy Leo left for future generations of American Quarter Horses! He represents what inbreeding can do … strong fixed traits that are passed on to successive generations. His daughters and sons provided a wellspring of prepotent genetics that were dipped into for his best characteristics. Good hocks, well-proportioned legs, great lopes, speed, athleticism and cow sense. Leo is said to have sired ‘carry down’ or ‘tie down.’ How many times have you heard that phrase? . These are just some of the known qualities of Leo breeding. Many a rider was carried to the winners circle or picked up the trophies and ribbons on the backs of Leo offspring.
Zippo Pine Bars traces to Leo; and his son, Zips Chocolate Chip, has two crosses. Leo’s son, Tiger Leo produced daughters who are the ‘darlings’ of today's Pleasure Horse breeders. Blazing Hot, one of the younger winning stallions in the breed today has several crosses to Leo, one through Thirsty, a Leo son out of Dipsydoodle Milligan, a King daughter. People would still like to own a Sir Quincy Dan daughter or two, or a few War Leo offspring. Wasn’t the magic cross Leo on King mares?
Bay Reba, a Leo daughter, when bred to King Commander, a son of King, became the dam of Commander King. He in turn sired Commander’s Doll, dam of Mito Commander. Impressive Bar Leo’s dam Dipsy Lee is the result of Leo crossed on a King daughter. Dipsy Lee is a full sister to Thirsty. How about having a mare named "Bucket Baby" in your pedigree? Well, Impressive does, and she is a Leo daughter. Do you remember Tardy Too? He was a Leo grandson. Sonny Dee Bar has a Leo-bred grandam. Lemac was a son of Leo out of Sorrel Sue by King. When bred to Tallulah (who also descends from King), he sired Leolark, an AQHA Champion who sired numerous World Champions and Top-Ten World Champions in Halter, Western Riding, Hunter Under Saddle, Trail, Reining, Working Cowhorse, including Alisa Lark, Cheyenne Sky, Bridget O Lark, etc. Leo’s influence seems to be everywhere.
Sun Princess, a daughter of Leo, was out of a King daughter named Sunday Fleet, who just happens to be a full sister to the legendary stallions Beaver Creek, Sunup H, and King Sunday! . Maybe Sun Princess wasn’t the world’s best runner. She only earned $347. and a AA rating, but in the breeding barn … that was another story. Sun Princess had 10 foals. To mention a few, she produced Zan Sun, an AQHA Champion and Superior Cutting Horse, by Zantanon H; Fleet Bar Sunday SI-88, Superior Race Horse with over $30,000. earnings who was sired by Hankins' Bars. When bred again to Hankins' Bars she produced a superb gelding named Flapjack Jess. Now if his name doesn’t catch your fancy, lets talk about his winning ways. Not only did he set a track record, but he managed to become an open AQHA Champion and Superior Hunter Under Saddle, a Youth AQHA Champion, Performance Champion, Superior Western Pleasure, Superior Horsemanship and Showmanship horse, and claimed 2 Youth World Show titles: 6th place in Hunter Under Saddle in 1974 and 4th in Western Horsemanship in 1975. He earned 3 Performance ROMs in the Youth Division, earning a total of 38 halter and 351 performance points, on top of his 25 open halter and 119 performance points. Flapjack Jess illustrates the brilliance of those Leo - King crosses. What if he hadn’t been gelded?
554 Foals from 24 crops.
370 Race Starters, 245 winners, 839 wins, 211 ROMs
33 Stakes Placers, 31 Stakes Winners, 46 Stakes Wins
Total Earnings: $605,463.
69 Halter point-earners earned 935 points
46 Performance point-earners earned 840 points
An All-Time Leading Sire of Race ROMs:
211 ROMs (80 AAAT-AAA)
An All-Time Leading Sire of AQHA Champions:
10th/ 24 Champions
An All-Time Leading Maternal Grandsire of Race ROMs:
11th/ with 754 ROMs/ $6,146,643. thru 1998
An All-Time Leading Maternal Grandsire of Money Earners:
26th with 1378 starters earning $6,146,643.
All-Time Leading Maternal Grandsire of AQHA Champions:
1st/ 58 Champions
Sire of 211 Race ROMs, incl:
MISS MEYERS AAAT $28,725. 94-pts SW
1953 World Champion Quarter Running Horse
1953 Champion Quarter Running Mare
MONA LETA AAAT $12,001. 69-pts SW
1953 Champion Quarter Running Three Year Old Mare
BOBBIE LEO AAAT $ 9,416. 47-pts SW
1954 Champion Quarter Running Two Year Old Mare
PALLEO PETE AAAT $12,005. 51-pts SW
1954 Champion Quarter Running Stallion
1954 Champion Quarter Running Two Year Old Stallion
Miss Olene AAAT $31,532. 35-pts SW
Quincy Leota AAAT 16,813. 39-pts SW
Valleo AA 12,109. 48-pts
Hygro Leo AAA 11,954. 27-pts SP
Mac Lee AAA 11,694. 74-pts SW
Cheparney AA 11,414. 55-pts
Robin Reed AAAT 11,223. 73-pts SW
Shubalee AAA 10,434. 36-pts SW
Pansy Leo AAA 10,117. 5-pts SW
Little Zeke AAA 9,834. 60-pts SW
Lady Bird Leo AAAT 9,710. 28-pts SW
Suleona AAA 8,597. 15-pts SP
Mr Pawhuska AA 7,547. 43-pts
Connie Leo AAA 7,509. 24-pts
Leo Horn AAA 7,461. 38-pts
Chalk Eye Leo AA 7,436. 40-pts
Lonsum Polecat AAA 7,105. 47-pts SP
Leovada AA 7,095. 24-pts
Lady Leo AAA 7,089. 26-pts SW
Pamie Jo AAA 7,012. 21-pts SP
Leo Nick AA 6,874. 21-pts
Leolita AAA 6,545. 52-pts SW
Me Bright AAAT 6,052. 27-pts SW
Leo Bob AAA 5,686. 19-pts SW
Mr Spanish Lee AAA 5,545. 9-pts SW
etc.
1 AQHA High Point Horse:
LEOB -- 1958 AQHA High Point Halter Gelding
1 NCHA World Champion Top-Ten Horse:
HOLEY SOX:
6th -- 1963 NCHA World Champion Cutting Horse -- $9,344.
1 AQHA Supreme Champion:
LEO MAUDIE
24 AQHA Champions:
Baca Leo, Bar H Leo, Beauty Joleta, Buffalo Joe, Hygro Leo, Jimmie Poteet, John Leo, Leo Bingo, Leo Maudie, Leo Spanish, Leo Sugar Bar, Leo Tag, Leob, Leola, Leolita, Leovada, Miss Etta Leo, Mr Spanish Lee, Okie Leo, Sir Zan Leo, Sweet Leilani W, Tianna Leo, Tiger Leo, Wimpy Leo.
1 Superior Cutting Horse:
Holey Sox
1 Superior Reining Horse:
Okie Leo
1 NCHA Bronze Cutting Award:
Holey Sox
4 Superior Halter Horses:
Beauty Joleta, Leo Bingo, Saucy Sue, Wimpy Leo.
33 Performance ROMS:
Baca Leo, Buffalo Joe, Catch Leo, Hank Leo, Heleo, Holey Sox, Jimmy Poteet, Joe Buck, John Leo, Keleo Bailey, Lemac, Leo Bert Dear, Leo Bingo, Leo Deck, Leo Gray, Leo Maudie, Leo Ray, Leo Rita Rey, Leo Spanish, Leo Sugar Bar, Leo Tolo, Leo's Forty Nine, Leob, Miss Etta Leo, Mr Spanish Lee, My Leo Mambo, Okie Leo, Saucy Leo, Sir Zan Leo, Sweetwater's Leo, Tianna Leo, Tiger Leo, Wimpy Leo.
