Belle of Amherst
(Crawford x Bells Janee)
1988 Chestnut Mare
Sire—Crawford
Foaled in 1970 and bred by Frances Bryant, Crawford helps to bring
some old blood forward to this century. His sire was the wonderful Criterion, also bred by
Mrs. Bryant. Crawford was a solid, correct, handsome, kind-tempered horse with excellent
gaits who was not truly appreciated until late in his life. His get went on to become
loved companions and breeding stock.
His sire Criterion, foaled 1961, had over 70 registered get.
Criterion was well named as he did indeed set the standards for excellence. Watching him
trot was like watching the spokes of a wheel go around—each stride being like the one
before, never faltering or off. He had that true Jubilee King action of reach and
roundness with the power coming from the rear. His kingly but kind nature was passed on to
his get as was his willingness and intelligence. Crawford got all this and had the good
Jubilee King traits also reinforced through his dam’s dam.
Criterion’s sire was also bred by Mrs. Bryant. Jubilee’s
Courage was a son of the great Jubilee King. Courage sired many good horses who went to
become important in other’s breeding programs. Bred by the master breeder, J. C.
Brunk, Jubilee King was a Morgan of vast importance to the breed. He founded a family
which lives on and is still sought after by breeders of today. Jubilee King was the result
of decades of careful breeding by Brunk, who was breeding for a stylish, correct,
good-minded using Morgan.
The dam of Jubilee’s Courage was the Old Vermont mare Townshend
Lass, who had, along with her sire, the highest percent of Justin Morgan blood of any
horse of her time. She was by the beautiful John A. Darling and out of Gladwin by Ethan
Allen 3rd, a horse foaled in the late 1800’s. The dam of Criterion was
Lippitt Robrita, a lovely mare by the grand Lippitt Rob Roy who was known as a good sire
and good using horse. Lippitt Robrita was out of that Blue Hen mare Alrita who had two
close crosses to old Ethan Allen 3rd. Alrita was the dam of many excellent
producing mares and sires, as well as some excellent performance horses.
Crawford’s dam was Precious Ashmore, also bred by Mrs. Bryant.
Precious, a lovely correct mare who was also an excellent producer, was by the gentleman
Lippitt Ashmore who was known for excellent temperament, usability and as a good sire.
Precious was out of another wonderful producing mare, Paragraph, who was herself out of
another excellent producing broodmare, Nella, who in turn was out of yet another great
mare, Liza Jane, and yes, she too was out of yet another of those great mares, Double
Daisy. Paragraph was bred by J. C. Brunk and was yet another triumph of his decades of
breeding. The sire of Paragraph was Jubilee King, whose pedigree so closely matched that
of Nella’s, making an intricate dance of close breeding of which Brunk was such a
master, setting the good traits so firmly for all who had the wisdom to follow the lead
Brunk set.
Crawford brings to today that grand heritage started by
Brunk—using Old Vermont line mares on the Daniel Lambert based stallions. Brunk also
added in the excellent qualities of old Knox Morgan to the mix. Mrs. Bryant took the Brunk
bred Jubilee King and Paragraph and then used the Old Vermont stallions and mares of her
era. Crawford is the result of nearly a century of careful breeding by breeders who really
knew what they were doing. Probably, it can be said that he is the result of such breeding
all the way back to Justin Morgan himself, and is so on every line of his pedigree. There
are no holes anywhere in his pedigree. His heritage is one of true Morgan strength and
quality.
Dam—Bell’s Janee
Foaled in 1972, this mare had only this one foal. Her sire was
Chad’s Copper Lad and her dam was Foxy Mae Belle. Chad’s Copper Lad was foaled
in 1963, and had 7 get before being gelded in 1973. Only two of those were mares and both
were bred with their own produce also breeding on. Chad’s Copper Lad was by the
Frances Bryant bred Chadwick who was by Jubilee’s Courage and out of the very
beautiful Lippitt Dulcie, who along with her full sister Lippitt Duplicate is considered
one of the most lovely Lippitt mares ever. Dulcie’s dam, Lippitt Dusky Kate was also
very lovely and smoothly put together and produced the same in her foals. Chadwick,
standing in Ohio, had 17 get. He was in the handsome, Baroque and correct mode of Mrs.
Bryant’s horses.
The dam of Chad’s Copper Lad was Tonette, a 1953 mare bred by
the L U Sheep Co of Wyoming. She went east from Wyoming, purchased by Helen Greenwalt and
then stayed in Ohio with other owners, having 11 produce with 8 of those being by
Chadwick. Her dam was Moneta, an L U Sheep Co mare by Highview King who was by King de
Jarnette and out of Sentola (full sister to Jubilee King). King de Jarnette was by Jubilee
King and out of Deura ( Senator Knox x dau. of Penrod). Penrod was also the sire of
Jubilee King, showing once again the inbreeding utilized by Brunk. Moneta was out of the L
U Sheep Co mare, Grovont by Linspar who was by Linsley and out of Sparbelle out of
Donbelle, who was pure Old Vermont breeding. The dam of Grovont was by Flyhawk (Go Hawk x
Lambert & Knox mare).
The sire of Tonette was Flying Jubilee by Flyhawk. Flying Jubilee was
out of Juvina by Jubilee King. Juvina was out of Jeanne by Knox Reade (Knox Morgan x Mrs.
Lewis—dau. of Charles Reade). Jeanne also had Charles Reade through her dam, a
daughter of Sentiment. Charles Reade was a source pure and fast trotting ability. Flying
Jubilee is best known as Ern Pedlar’s stallion, so often written about in stories by
Ern for The Morgan Horse magazine. Ern chased and caught mustangs in the rugged and rough
Utah desert and desert mountains, an extremely tough job that took an exceptional horse to
do well. Flying Jubilee was a true using Morgan. Tonette’s pedigree is nearly all
Brunk and certainly all proven using Morgans.
Foxy Mae Belle, dam of Bell’s Janee, was a 1961 mare sired by
Foxfire by Bonfire by Senator Graham. Bonfire was out of the L U Sheep Co mare Luscious by
Plains King by Romanesque and out of a Linsley daughter. This is more of Elmer
Brown’s breeding to go with the Brown breeding seen already in the pedigree. Plains
King was a popular stallion of his time, siring good using horses. His sire Romanesque was
Sellman bred and a large, correct, solid stallion who sired many in his mold. Luscious was
out of a Flyhawk daughter who was by a Linsley son.
Foxfire was out of that lovely mare, Jubilee Joy, who was by Flyhawk
and out of Sentola. This is more of the same old Brunk breeding seen all through the
pedigree of Belle of Amherst. Nearly every one of Sentola’s produce became important
breeding Morgans, making her an important broodmare. This was also true of Jubilee Joy,
continuing onwards this strong mare line. Foxfire had 113 registered get from the Midwest
to New England. With his heritage of the strong blend of Brunk and Elmer Brown, he too was
a strong breeding stallion.
The dam of Foxy Mae Belle, Patricia Gates, certainly had some good
produce. Her dam, Quaker Maid, was yet another of those good L U Sheep Co mares, and was
by Plains King and out of a daughter of
Linspar. Patricia Gates was by Roubidoux, a stout, good sized, solid working Morgan sired
by the Brunk Agazizz. Agazizz was by the prolific and handsome Juzan by Jubilee King and
out of Liza Jane, that great producing mare who has so many important descendants today.
Agazizz’s dam was Gizea also out of Liza Jane. Gizea’s sire was Go Hawk, who
also sired Flyhawk. Once again we have that great Brunk inbreeding.
The dam of Roubidoux was another Elmer Brown horse, May Rockwood,
sired by the Government Remount stallion Rockwood. May Rockwood’s dam was by an Old
Midwest stallion and out of a Headlight Morgan daughter. Thus, we have more of Elmer
Brown’s breeding to complement the rest of it in Belle’s pedigree.
So Belle of Amherst’s pedigree is a very strong one of great old
breeders, the very foundation of the breed. Throughout the pedigree is the mastery of J C
Brunk, repeated over and over. Her sire brings in some of the best of the Old Vermont
blood and her dam brings in Elmer Brown. It is rare to see a pedigree which has so few
elements—Brunk, Old Vermont & Elmer Brown, and nothing else. And remember that
both Brunk and Brown had Old Vermont mares as foundations. This is a very special
pedigree, so elegant and simple, with great breeding strength on every line.
Pedigree analysis and/or history for web sites, brochures,
and private use by Laura Stillwell Algranti.
For further information and rates contact at:
dlalgranti@cs.com
morganreader@yahoo.com
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