THE SELLMAN MORGANS, by Laura Stillwell Algranti
THE SELLMAN MORGANS
By Laura Stillwell Algranti
(first published in Classic Morgan Admirers, 1991. Reprinted 2005 by author, some revisions)
Descendants of the Sellman Morgans are today everywhere there are Morgans. Richard Sellman was the true “father” of the Western Working Family Morgans, for there are no Western Working Family Morgans today without crosses to Sellman’s Morgans, and his horses formed the foundation for many other breeders who also contributed to this family. But the Sellman Morgans are to be found in other Morgans today, often in unexpected places, and sometimes to the surprise of current day owners and breeders.
This article will examine the breeding program of Sellman deeply and throughly to an extent not previously done. There will be four parts: 1) the first part of the Sellman program, 2) the later years, 3) the Sellman horses through Roland Hill and other California breeders, 4) the Sellman horses through Thornhill and others.
(author’s note, 2005—the series was never completed and went far beyond just four parts)
MAJOR GORDON
Major Gordon was the first registered Morgan stallion used by Sellman, and his daughters form the foundation of Sellman’s program. The majority of Major Gordon’s daughters were never registered and many never had their names recorded in any way. Often, the name of a mare appears in the registration of her granddaughter but not in the registration of her daughter. There is overlap between the named mares and the unnamed mares. There are occasional discrepancies in dates, colours, and other facts leading to the conclusion that much of this was done from memory many years after the mares’ births and deaths. The most important thing to remember about Sellman’s breeding program was that he was breeding horses to use on his ranch. Males were rarely registered as they were gelded and used. Mares were registered only so that the next generation could be registered. Why Sellman even registered his horses is a mystery. At that time in Texas, there was no premium for registered animals. A horse was judged by its working ability, and a piece of paper meant little to the pragmatic ranchers. There was no Quarter Horse registry; there were yet no Quarter Horses, only the Quarter Horse fore- runners. Today’s breeders must be glad that Sellman did register his Morgans for if he had been like most horse breeders of that time and place, he would have bred horses, used them, sold them, and all those fine horses would today not exist in the breed. Keep in mind these conditions as this article unfolds.
MAJOR GORDON 4924 was black with a star and a little white on each hind foot, 16 hands, 1300 pounds. He was foaled about 1880. In 1886 he was sold to Sellman who wrote “Major Gordon had fine style and action, was owned by me from 1886 to 1899 when he died.” His dam was untraced. He was said to be by Young Octoroon 1715.
Young Octoroon 1715 was said to be by Octoroon 302 and out of a mare by old Joe Brown, son of Davy Crocket; 2nd dam was the Dr. Runyon saddle mare from upper Kentucky. It is not said which Davy Crocket. If from the Davy Crocket family of Blackburn’s Davy Crocket 603, then there was a good dose of pacing blood, for Blackburn’s Davy Crocket was believed to be of the Dansereau family of pacers. In any case, Young Octoroon ran, trotted and paced, winning races at those three gaits.
Young Octoroon’s sire was Octoroon 302, a dark chestnut of 16 hands, 1250 pounds, bred near Lexington, Ky., foaled in 1858. He was said to be by Comet 297 and out of a mare by Drennon, a son of Davy Crocket; the second dam by Bulrush Morgan. Octoroon was described as a large, stylish, handsome horse with a trappy, speedy trot. His colts were uniformly a good lot and stylish road horses. Others also said that he was a fine saddle and harness horse and produced excellent stock, especially for road use.
The sire of Octoroon 302 was Goff’s Comet 297, a dark chestnut foaled in 1849, 15 3/4 hands, 1240 pounds. His sire was Chittenden County Morgan 296 and his dam was by Putnam Morgan 33, a son of Woodbury Morgan. The second dam was by American Eclipse, son of Duroc. He was described as “…on short legs; had a heavy body; carried his head way up and one of the finest heads I have ever seen in every particular; … a good shoulder, back a little long, ribbed out round, a good hip and hind leg.” He was also described ” … distinguished as one of the best sires ever in this part of Kentucky, his colts being very fine. He was perfect in disposition, anybody could drive him; was a bold mover, a fine looker, and could trot very fast for those days. His colts were very valuable for all purposes, and were really the beginning of the improvement of horses in this county.”
Chittenden County Morgan 296 was Goff’s Comet’s sire. he was chestnut with silver mane and tail, 15 hands, 1000 pounds, foaled 1843. His sire was Putnam Morgan 33 by Woodbury Morgan. His dam was by Bulrush Morgan and the second dam said to be by Justin Morgan. He was described as not fast but a good horse and many of his colts showed speed.
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