The Sugarbush Hitch Company

02/15/2025

Solo is a Harley Quinne descendant!

02/09/2025

It is with great sorrow that I tell you of the passing of my beloved Grandson Matthew Garrett Sheaffer. Born 8 30 1983 and passed
1 22 2025.
A life much too short He had so much more to give to this world.
His Mother Tina L (Smith) Gurley of Coarsegold. California.

By Everett Smith.

02/04/2025

A mare carrying a Rose descendant! She is also sired by a HOF stallion not from the founding lines, Rico.

Another beautiful ASHDA mother to be. 2017 ASHDA Main Book mare, RTD’s BringingBootyBack, aka Scottie, bred and owned by Rockin’ the Dots in Florida. She is sired by ASHDA Hall of Fame stallion, Rorschach’s Hextatic. According to her owner, Scottie’s foal should be arriving in the next several weeks.
We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the upcoming 2025 ASHDA foal crop. There are some fabulous foals due this year and we can’t wait to share them with our wonderful fans and followers.

Photo credit to Rockin’ the Dots.

02/04/2025

The sire of Rose, he has many descendants in ASHDA now

ASHDA TBT. Pictured today is Stonewall Domino, sire to the late ASHDA Hall of Fame E-Designation mare, Sugarbush O Rosamunde, and grand sire to several of her foals including O My Sweet Angel and Aego de Fermes Boisvert, and several others.
Domino's grand sire is noted Percheron stallion, Charlie Degas, also grand sire to the late ASHDA Hall of Famer, Stonewall Rascal, the sire of Sugarbush Harley Quinne. Domino's contribution to this breed will carry on in his descendants.

02/04/2025

A handsome Harley Quinne descendant

To some he’s just a horse. To me, he’s the keeper of my secrets, the healer of my heart.
A warm soft neck to lean on, and when I need it, a shoulder to cry on. He doesn't care what I'm wearing, if l've had a bad day, or if my makeup is smeared after a long day.
To quote part of a great poem,
"I hope that someday they can understand that it's not "just a horse" but the thing that gives me humanity and keeps me from being "just a woman".

02/03/2025

Ì bought this at an auction in my home town. It was built by the Union City carriage company, it was known as a young man's buggy. After completely restoring it I donated it to the Randolph County Museum in my hometown of Wi******er. Indiana.

01/27/2025

While the American Sugarbush Harlequin Draft's draft roots were established using the registered Percheron, even during the founding days of the program, the positive traits of other draft breeds were admired and considered as prospective influences on the development of the breed. Mr. Smith even came very close to adding a pair of registered shire mares to his broodmare band!

When ASHDA was founded as a continuance of Mr. Smith's original registry, much discussion went into what breeds might be allowed to continue to influence the Sugarbush. The conformational type of draft horses as a whole has changed a great deal in the last few decades, and as a result, the majority of the modern Percheron didn't show a reflection of the horses used to found ours. It was decided that a Sugarbush ought to look like a Sugarbush, and that was more important than forcing the breed to change to mimic the trends in other breeds. Today, breeders can cast their nets a little wider in order to find horses that fit our breed standard in terms of conformation, while still adhering to our requirements in genetic testing, correct color, and breed studbooks that stand behind their horses' DNA. The Percheron, Belgian Draft, Suffolk Punch, Shire, and Clydesdale can all be selected from to try and best match our breed standard and other requirements, allowing breeders to produce foals of type without limiting their outside resources to a single rapidly shrinking supply.

Today, the heavy draft breed that has the next highest amount of influence on our breed is the Clydesdale, with several purebred mares in our Improvement and Approved Dam categories, and their descendants breeding forward into the next generation. Horses like It's Going Down, Rockin Mighty Belle, Rorschach's Hextatic, Sky Ridge Matrix's Scarlett, and more have contributed their Clydesdale lineage to our breed's future. As our breed continues to grow, we look forward to seeing how our breeders make their Sugarbush Harlequin Drafts of the future!

📸 Clydesdale Stallion, Holyrood painted 1906

01/15/2025

A memory from the Columbus Ohio horse sale in 1995. I bought 2 percheron geldings that day for the Sugarbush Hitch Co. This picture was from the Percheron Assn booth.
It has graced this wall ever since

12/27/2024

A descendant of Harley Quinne!

12/27/2024

All descendants of the Sugarbush Hitch Co!

12/25/2024

Ben and Jake and I. A day in my memory.

12/12/2024

A calendar from a few years ago from a friend.This pretty much describes this old farm.

12/10/2024

We’ve had a nice steady growth of newcomers to the American Sugarbush Harlequin Draft Horse Association registry page over the last few weeks. We at ASHDA would like to welcome those of you who are just learning about this unique and rare breed! This page is where the registry shares news and updates on the breed, its members and the horses. ASHDA also delves into the history, not only of the breed itself, but the breeds behind of it’s foundation.
Founding line (E-Designation) horses, and a few others in the registry, can trace back to some well known horses, of Appaloosa, Stonewall Sporthorse and Percheron lineage.
Here's a bit of information to share with our fans on one such horse, Percheron stallion, Riverbend Monkoncarlaet. (Pictured)

Riverbend Monkoncarlaet Percheron stallion #18432, Champion Winter Fair 1947. His pedigree traces unbroken to Brilliant, imported from France in 1876.
Riverbend Monkoncarlaet was the sire of Justamere Showtime, a renowned Percheron stallion and multiple champion sire himself. It is the quality of horses like this that make our American Sugarbush Harlequin Drafts what they are today.
He is directly behind the Percherons used by Everett Smith and some of his descendants today registered with ASHDA which include, Stonewall Rascal, Sugarbush Harley Quinne, Sugarbush Harley's Classic O, He'za Big O Texas Star, Versailles, HexenBiest and so many more of the wonderful horses who are a part of ASHDA.

We invite newcomers to our breed and page to scroll through and enjoy the photos and information on this incredibly wonderful and unique draft breed.
You can also visit the ASHDA website at http://www.sugarbushharlequindraft.com, for more details about the breed and its history.

12/03/2024

Angel is descended from both Rose and Harley. An asset for anyone that loves these bloodlines.

12/03/2024

No papers is no Sugarbush!

We hear this phrase a lot: "You can't ride papers!" And it's true! Papers don't determine a horse's conformation, temperament or ability. But, registration papers are still a very important thing for a horse to have if they are qualified to get them! Let's break down the importance of papers in the equine industry:

1: They provide Heritage. One piece of paper will tell you quite a bit of history. Unless the horse is hardship registered, you'll know where they were born, their age, their breeder, their parents/ancestors and more! This is very important information to have, for both a buyer AND a seller. If you get in a bind and must sell or rehome your registered horse, having papers can sometimes mean the difference between a safe landing and an uncertain future.

2: They offer more Opportunity! Most horse associations, ASHDA included, offer all sorts of activities for registered horses to take part of! Showing, logging hours, ambassador recognition, spotlighting and more! Even if competition isn't your thing, breed associations are communities that can offer all sorts of connections, friendships and more that you otherwise would not have access to.

3: They are Proof of Ownership. Believe it or not, that piece of paper listing you as the owner will hold up in court! If your horse is registered with an incorporated breed registry, that can sway things in your favour in legal disputes over your horses! Going through divorce, business dissolutions, evictions and other messy situations can put your equine partner's future at risk if you don't have proof that they belong to you! A set of registration papers listing you as the owner are definitely an ace you'll need up your sleeve! This counts for transfers too, if you buy a registered horse, make sure you complete their transfer into your name in a timely manner!

4: They add Value. For many people, horses are a hobby. But, for quite a few of us, horses are a business. Whether you are a breeder, trainer, reseller or whatever else, a horse that has papers almost always has more value than a similar one who doesn't! Buyers like to know what they are getting into, and a set of papers can clear up a lot of questions they might have about a potential buy. In the case of ASHDA, papers won't just tell them the horse's Heritage, but also their registry designation and genetic testing. This is very valuable information for buyers looking to fit a specific need, whether within the breed or as a first time buyer!

And, always remember, if you are buying a registered horse, ask to see their papers as proof! Some registries are worth more than others, so do your research. There are incorporated registries, like ASHDA, and then there are private businesses masquerading as legitimate breed associations just out to make a quick buck. Always double check to see if a horse has papers with a real registry, and not a shady money grabber.

As always, in the case of the Sugarbush Harlequin Draft, if it's not ASHDA, it's probably not the real thing!

11/22/2024

Swann is a Harley Quinne descendant, and Diamond is sired by a Hall of Fame stallion not bred by SHC.

A double dose of Sugarbush sweetness to start off your week. ASHDA Main Book mare, RTD’s SweetAddiction (Diamond) and 2023 ASHDA E-Designation filly, Sugarbush Classic Star (Swann), both owned by Five Oaks Sweet Spot Drafts, sharing a sweet moment together during a mutual grooming session.

Photo credit to Five Oaks Sweet Spot Drafts.

11/22/2024

ASHDA TBT. 2006 E-Designation gelding, SHC Charlie D, when he was an adorable little c**t.
Charlie D was bred by breed founder Everett Smith. He is sired by the iconic ASHDA Hall of Fame stallion, the late Sugarbush Harley Quinne, and out of ASHDA Hall of Fame mare, the late Sugarbush O Rosamunde. Charlie D is now owned by Katherine Marie and is her much loved riding partner.

Photo credits to Sugarbush Hitch Company.

11/22/2024

Roo is a Harley Quinne descendant

Who’s happy it’s Friday? Pictured today is ASHDA E-Designation stallion, He'za Big O Texas Star aka Roo, who is certainly feeling exuberant about life. Roo is quite the athletic and agile guy and has no problems with getting some serious air time despite his size.
ASHDA horses are well known for being athletic and performing well in various disciplines that many consider better suited for lighter breeds. Be it in the show ring, on the trails, ranch work, or any other variety of jobs that horses can do, the American Sugarbush
Harlequin Draft is the breed up for the task.
We wish everyone a fantastic Friday and a safe and wonderful weekend!
Photo credit to Texas Dotted Drafts.