DHJ:: Elmview Pioneer's Flossie & Her Offspring

RKD Lou Ann - Brood Mare Deluxe
by Kelvin Fisher & Lynn Telleen
published in The Draft Horse Journal, Spring 1999

Four or five years ago, during a conversation between Kelvin Fisher (alias “Belgian Sage”) and Jim Whisman: KF: “Jim, when I was a kid, RKD Lou was my favorite mare. She was just so pretty and feminine, I can still hear Gordon Fickett’s deep gravelly voice announcing, ‘In first place, for McKeehan Farms, Greencastle, Indiana, RKD Lou.’” (Am I getting goose pimples?)

JW: “Let me tell ya something, Kelvin. RKD Lou was a great show mare, but she had a sister who wasn’t in her class as a show mare, but really excelled as a broodmare. She produced about all the good horses Ralph House showed just before he died.”

JW: “Yeah, but I’m talking about Grant, Judy, Becky, Beth...hell, Prime Time was out of her. She had very little white on her. Her name was RKD Lou Ann.”

And so my interest was piqued. I had to know more about this mare that was spitting out good ones right and left, and a great one, once in awhile. So, let’s blow RKD Lou Ann’s horn a little. She deserves it. Being overshadowed by a famous sister like RKD Lou was like being Caruso’s understudy, the second speaker at Gettysburg, Jack and Bobby Kennedy’s little brother or Halle Berry’s plainer sister. Lou Ann could see and observe how it was done, but actually matching Big Sister’s accomplishments and achievements was another thing. Our heroine, was smart enough, probably, to realize she wasn’t gonna compete with ‘Miss Silk Lace’ in the showring, so she went home and decided to start writing history as a broodmare. And boy, did she!

Like any great brood mare, RKD Lou Ann had superb genetics behind her. An own daughter of RKD Captain, she also carried a prominent, potent and maybe, unrivaled genetic make-up through her dam, College Bettie Lou. Close examination of her pedigree will reveal that she also embodied the work of several master breeders.

Harry Wendel, legendary Belgian breeder from Atkins, Iowa, laid a foundation for his breeding program by buying three mares from another legend, Roy Curtis of Princeton, Iowa. The three mares were sired by Tom Farceur-a son of “The Ugly Duckling,” Master Farceur. I believe the three mares were Tom Farceur’s Queenie, Tom Farceur’s Pride and Tom Farceur’s Betty. Harry was starting out right, with the best of feet and legs. Tom Farceur’s Betty was a prime example, having the best of underpinning. She was in Harry Wendel’s dispersal sale as a 22 year old, listed in foal to Jay Steven and still possessing great feet and legs. She sold to Roy Ulish, Monona, Iowa, turned up open and never had another foal. Her broodmare record includes the daughter, Fair View Robin Hood, the son, Fairview Chief (went to Rudy Frietag, Saskatchewan), the son, Fairview Steven Jay (used by Harry) and the grandson, Jay Steven (sold to Lester Detweiler, Hazleton, IA).

Fair View Chief, maternal brother to Lou Ann's dam, College Betty Lou. Sold to Rudy Freitag, Alameda, Saskatchewan, he was grand champion at the 1967 Royal Winter Fair for his new owner. In 1970, '71, & '72, his Get of Sire stood second
at the Royal, beaten only by the Meadow Brook horses being shown by Harold Clark. Photo by Cline..

One of Chief's sons, Truedell Lou,
pictured, was reserve grand at the
1971 Royal. Another son, Expo Lou,
had been reserve grand in 1969 &
1970. He too, was a roan - not a
popular color at the time. A daughter
of Chief, named Princess Lou, was
Jr. champion in 1970 & '71, and
Sr. grand in '72. Photo by Cline.

Everett Steege, Chickasaw Belgians, Fredericksburg, Iowa, recalls purchasing Robin’s Image, a daughter of Robin Hood, by Jay Steven, at the Wendel dispersal. He says, “There were a lot of good horses that went through that sale. Robin’s Image was a show mare, but she cut her front leg–it was a bad wire cut. It was bleeding the day of the sale. Arnold Hexom, who was the auctioneer, sold her for a 3 year old, and she was just a 2 year old. Harry was standing on the outside of the crowd, yelling, ‘That’s not right! That’s not right!’ But Arnold never heard him. He went right ahead and sold her.”

When asked why he took her home, Everett says he was “buying pedigree–AND, she was big.” She eventually became one of his foundation mares, forming one of two of the most successful gene pools for Steege. Rosie, their oldest brood mare and Chickasaw Robin, their very best mare (and Robin’s last foal), are both daughters. Everett also had an own daughter of Tom Farceur’s Betty, named Master’s Fern. She was the foundation for his Fairy lineage, which included Chickasaw Farrah.

In 1960, Harry bred Tom Farceur’s Betty to College Kid, who had sired a lot of good mares in Iowa that lived long, prolific lives. It wasn’t unusual to find a 21 year old daughter of his with a colt at her side, in a pasture here in Iowa. The mare usually looked in fine fiddle. College Kid was out of Lady Flash, one of the greatest brood mares that ever breathed. She had a great show record as a halter mare and carried harness like almost no other. Jiggs Kinney says that Florina and Lady Flash were the best lead team that Meadow Brook ever had–A very rare combination indeed! Anyway, when Tom Farceur’s Betty came with a filly by College Kid in 1961, better female genetics couldn’t be had. College Bettie Lou was bred to be a brood mare.

Ralph House acquired College Bettie Lou from Harry Wendel at the 1970 Tri-State Breeders Sale in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. At 9 years of age, she was senior and grand champion at that sale’s show, judged by none other than House himself. He had judged Wendel’s stock at several shows prior and admired their quality. Rudy Frietag had also been using Fairview Chief, the son of Betty, and had been bringing his colts to the sales that had also caught Ralph’s eye. Kent recalls that Betty was about 16.2 hh, red and had a noticeably bad back. She was not listed in the sale report as she brought less than $500. Lee Eller recalls that she was a small and extremely feminine mare.

Ralph House (1925-1988) was one of, if not the most respected Belgian breeders of our time, and for good reason. He was the son of a master breeder and promoter (C.O. House), then became a great breeder and teacher, himself. President and Director of the Belgian Draft Horse Corporation of America, Vice President and Co-Founder of the Draft Horse & Mule Association of America, Director and President of the Indiana Draft Horse Breeder’s Association and a highly respected judge, he was truly a promoter of the heavy horse industry.

His neighbors and friends thought the world of him as a Belgian advisor. I asked Belgian President Lee Eller one time about RKD Captain. He described him as a dark colored horse, and then said that in deciding whether to use him as a stud, he said, “Ralph House told me to use him and that he’d work as a stud for me. That was good enough for me, if Ralph said he’d work, he’d work. Ralph always had a knack for getting the right nick. When he bought a stallion, he looked way back into the pedigree to make sure there was a history of quality.” I think that goes a long way in telling a person how respected Ralph was. Lee Eller, a legend himself, used Ralph’s advice as gospel on a stud. ‘Nuff said.

Back to Bettie, four RKD foals out of her were registered in 1971, ‘73, ‘74 and ‘75. College Bettie Lou produced RKD Lou in 1973 when mated with RKD Commander. RKD Lou had a long, incredible show ring career, running from 1973 to 1986. (See featured brood mare, Spring 1998 DHJ) I can’t think of a mare that showed at all the major shows and consistently won for such a long period of time, as did Lou. Betty was then sold to the Hale Brothers, Lovington, Illinois. In the meantime, Ralph went to work for McKeehan Farms in 1976 and took virtually all of his brood mares with him, to avoid starting a breeding program from scratch there. That left his son, Kent, short on breeding stock, so Kent bought Betty back from the Hales, who had not registered any offspring out of the mare. With RKD Lou in mind, Kent bred her back to RKD Captain (a half a decade after Lou), which produced RKD Lou Ann, her last foal.

RKD Lou Ann was born having very little white. She was shown as a yearling to 9th place at Davenport and 6th place at Indianapolis. She skipped making public appearances the next year, but returned as a 3 year old to garner 6th place again at Indiana. That was it for her show career. She matured between 16.2 and 16.3 hh, with less-than-good color, but superlative quality. She settled in to do what her genetics called for her to do...be one of Ralph’s three best brood mares. Unfortunately, there is no known photograph of Lou Ann, so you’ll have to use your imagination. Lee Eller says, “Lou Ann was a neat, little mare, with tremendous hocks, a long neck and clean ankles and legs. Ralph always had great expectations for her foals.”

Now becoming one of Ralph’s top brood mares wasn’t going to be an easy task, with mares like Velbert’s Bonnie du Marais, RKD Sue and others to compete against. RKD Sue, in particular, was a great show mare that looked the part, but Lou Ann proved to be “the one.”

First, she was mated to her half brother, RKD Commander (also a son of RKD Captain). In 1983, she produced a stud colt, christened RKD Grant. He was shown in 1984 as a yearling at Indiana, where he placed 5th. He was an up-and-comer and was traded to Dr. A.F. Allen for another prospering youngster, All-en-Time Jayson, who wrote a little history of his own (featured stallion, Winter 1997-’98 DHJ). RKD Grant left a lot of good mares and some studs in Ohio. He did a bang-up job for Doc Allen.

Doc reflects: “When Ralph commented to me about looking at the yearling stud that he thought I could use, I asked him about the colt’s dam. As I recall, he said that she was a ‘good’ sized mare, not real tall, but with a lot of quality. He said that she didn’t have the carriage, nor was she as showy as Lou, but probably had a wider heel behind.

“I had seen a number of Commander offspring at Eli J.C. Yoder’s and at McKeehan’s. Shirley and I stopped to see the horses when Ralph was in charge there. I always admired the heads, necks and front ends on the Commander foals. As we rode around with Ralph at McKeehan’s, looking at the different groupings of horses, it seemed to me that one could easily pick the Commander offspring. So, by the end of the stallion deal, I already had an inkling as to what to expect.

“After several discussions with Ralph, I went over to look at Grant. I found the yearling to be a very tall, angular colt with long, clean legs and good feet. These traits I expected to see. What really caught my eye was his long, ‘swan-like’ neck. His neck appeared to be nearly the length of the rest of his topline. I remember thinking that if this colt ever grows into his frame and develops through the rump, he could end up being a decent kind of horse.

“Then, we went to look at Lou Ann. She was how Ralph described her. Were I to have changed her, I would have had her natural head carriage raised a bit and given her a full strip. Her stud colt had both, so there was no problem. Ralph was a stickler for sound hoof heads, as all breeders should be, and informed me Grant had eleven generations on the sire’s side and fourteen on the dam’s side with no sidebones. He asked if I could say the same for Jayson. I said that I could go back only about five or six generations for sound hoofheads, but my horse has a lot more butt and muscle, which accounts for any difference you may be inferring.

“Henry Conklin, founder of Conklin Dairy Cattle Sales, (who–coincidentally grew up in Waynesburg, PA and knew Charlie Orndorff well) said that years ago, to inspect a prospective purchase’s dam and granddam as they will carry 60% of the genetic traits. I know not if this is true, but if it is, it would give insight as to why some bloodlines, such as the RKD family, tend to carry through genetic tendencies.

“Today, Grant is 16 years old. He is a blood-red sorrel with pure white mane and tail and a full strip. He is very high-headed on that swan-neck. He still makes me smile as I watch him gaze at all the things to see from his lot. He isn’t the most popular breeding horse for a number of people, but he sires the kind I like. His foals tend to carry a high head on a long, shapely neck, long clean legs, and big feet with wide heels. A neighbor once looked at Grant and said, ‘Man that horse is too tall!’ To which I replied,’God never made one too tall. He just made some tall horses not good enough.’ My dad wouldn’t care for Grant’s type. He liked those ‘coachy’ compact high head on a short, straight-up neck kind of horse. I told him that we didn’t have to farm under the apple trees any more, so we can get these horses up with some light showing under their bellies. Harold Clark said you need a strong, but longer-backed horse to get a big horse. I believe this to be true. If it isn’t, it still lends credence to my argument.

“We never showed Grant as he fractured the medial malleous from his left tibia three weeks and three days after Ralph and I made the change. He has three cortical screws in his hock which left a bony enlargement thus ending the showring appearances.

“I have retained some Grant mares along with some mares that I think cross well with him, in my efforts to get a six of mares that are as up-headed and upstanding with long necks as any gelding hitch. This year, I hope to put together a six where five will be Grant daughters. The Grant daughters I have kept, I plan to breed to a Korry’s Captain son, out of a good dam and granddam I purchased last fall. We show several Grant mares and there are several others that appear in shows around the country. Circle P Gwen has qualified for All-American the last four years in a row. I also have a 3 year old mare I think is pretty good.”

RKD Beth, 1988 All-American
2 year old mare for Ralph House, she is considered Lou Ann's finest work. An own daughter of All-en-Time
Jayson, Beth is currently part of Chuck and Jane Chestnut's herd..

RKD Becky, 1988 All-American yearling filly for Ralph House, she is a full sister to RKD Beth.

Meanwhile, RKD Lou Ann had another offspring by RKD Commander in 1984, named RKD Judy. She headlined the RKD show string for several years. Not shown as a foal, she premiered at Davenport as a yearling and garnered 1st and reserve junior champion, was 2nd at Indiana and named Best Indiana owned yearling...not too bad of a start. As a 2 year old, she was 1st, junior champion and reserve grand at Indiana and Detroit, 1st, junior and grand champion at Lexington, 2nd and reserve junior at the Royal Winter Fair and 2nd at Davenport. She was then sold to Mason Klinck of New Hampshire, and then transferred to Lyle Smith of Sigourney, Iowa. She was a big, high-withered, dark red mare that cut a wide swath, but the best of RKD Lou Ann was yet to come.

Now, Lou Ann was being mated to Ralph’s new herd sire, All-en-Time Jayson. Her 1986 model, a filly christened RKD Beth was the result, and perhaps Lou Ann’s masterpiece. After placing 9th as a filly foal at Indiana, she got down to business as a yearling and was 1st at Davenport and Indiana, plus 2nd at Lexington. As a 2 year old, she was 1st and junior champion at Indiana and the NABC (Royal Winter Fair), plus 1st at the Wheelhorse Classic. That was the first year of the All-American contest and Beth took top honors in the 2 year old division. She then went into Chuck Chestnut’s hands, up in Michigan. As far as I know, he showed her and she is raising colts for him.

Lou Ann followed up Beth the next year, with RKD Becky, a full sister. As a yearling, she was 1st and junior champion at the Wheelhorse, 2nd at Indiana and 4th at the NABC. Becky became the reserve All-American yearling, that first year of the contest. She then went into Bruce and Bonnie Bennyhoff’s ownership, in Michigan. Lee Eller says there were times when he liked this mare better than RKD Beth. She has been shown successfully and is producing foals.

The next link in the chain was another All-en-Time Jayson, this one a stud foal named RKD Prime Time. Jim Whisman and Maurice Kimball (K&W Belgians, Illinois City, IL) purchased him early on and showed him as a yearling. He was a flashy, big, roan that could really move. Despite that, he didn’t enjoy the showring success of his full sisters. He was 5th at Davenport as a yearling, 3rd at Illinois, 6th at Indiana and 1st and junior champion at the American Royal. As a 2 year old, he was 1st and grand at Rushville, 2nd at Illinois and Iowa and 4th at Indiana. He was used by Jiggs Kinney on three Remlap Spike mares, which produced two outstanding colts. He was then gelded and used as a hitch horse by K&W Belgians, Chris Schwarck, Bubba Loftin and, currently, the Roby Hitch, here in Iowa.

Two more full brothers to Prime Time are being used of late in the great Midwest. RKD Ice has been standing in Ohio for the Harkness Family for the last several years and from eyewitness reports, has sired a lot of really good young mares for them–so many good daughters that they recently sold Ice to Wolf’s Belgians of Attica, NY. They’re excitedly awaiting this spring’s colts. The other full brother, RKD Annie’s George, was hurt as a foal and never shown. He is now in George Miller’s hands, near Bloomington, IN. He’s a big-footed, drafty, red stud.

George Miller writes: “The first time I saw George, he was six months old. He had a heel that most yearlings would not have. There were a lot of roan hairs on him, but he was clean in the hocks and had almost no curb! The only thing wrong with the colt was a crippled back leg. He had laid wrong in the mare. I probably couldn’t have afforded him if he had been completely sound.

“I am probably one of the lucky people, because I have seen all of the horses in his background, except one. I had not seen Tom Farceur’s Betty, but Dad had.

“I would say that a good portion of George’s characteristics come from the Lou Ann mare. The front end on George is almost identical to the old Captain horse. I would expect that the hoof head will remain sound. Lou Ann was probably more sound when she died than most mares in the show ring today. She was not the biggest mare in the field, but was well put together, even by today’s standards.

“Kent House believes that George is the biggest of Lou Ann’s offspring. I acquired him from Stewart Crabb, but, in fact, had wanted him ever since he was a colt. I felt that he would cross well with our mares because of his bone and shoulder and neck set and this would further my attempts to put versatility back into our breeding program. We raise a lot of pulling horses and I want to be in the show ring as well.

“We have four older mares (17 to 20 years old) with no Meadow Brook breeding in them at all and George has very little or, as the old breeders would say, ‘not enough to hurt him!’ At this point, he is our junior herd sire. We bred four or five mares two years ago and the foals came out dominant from George’s side–good front ends and clean hocks. That usually means that he has an opportunity to become a prolific breeder.

“Throughout the 1998 breeding season, we bred 14 or 15 mares to him. We also have Miss Magic, his half sister, so we weren’t quite ready to give him all the mares.”

The Bennyhoffs also have a 1989-model filly, named RKD Paulene. She is a full sister to both Beth and Becky. I don’t believe she’s been shown and I think she’s smaller than Becky and Beth, but like her mother, watch out. She’s got the genetics.

RKD Miss Indy, a 1993 full sister to Paulene, by Jayson, is in Kent House’s herd. RKD Lone Star, a 1994 stud colt by King Kon, was gelded. Lou Ann’s last foal (1994) was RKD Harley, by Timberland’s Kai. He is at stud for Gerald Miller, Tollway Belgians, at Howe, Indiana.

I guess if you’ve got a daughter of RKD Lou Ann in your herd, breed her to the stud of your choice and if you don’t get an acceptable and very good offspring, shoot the stud, or at least cut him, ‘cuz it’s in the genes! Sadly, the old girl passed away after foaling, on May 11, 1997. Fittingly, I think, many of you will recognize that date as Mother’s Day–and a greater equine mother, there may never be. I’ll always remember the beautiful RKD Lou, but I’ll also remember the lesser, stay-at-home sister’s wonderful offspring. Lou and Lou Ann are both gone now and both got to the top, one way or another. I think they both earned their wings.