King (1932–1958), often known as King P-234, was an outstanding early

Quarter Horse The American Quarter Horse, or Quarter Horse, is an American breed of horse that excels at sprinting short distances. Its name is derived from its ability to outrun other horse breeds in races of a quarter mile or less; some have been clocked at ...

stallion A stallion is a male horse that has not been gelded (castrated). Stallions follow the conformation and phenotype of their breed, but within that standard, the presence of hormones such as testosterone may give stallions a thicker, "cresty" nec ...

who influenced the breed throughout the early years of the American Quarter Horse Association (or AQHA).

Life

King was born June 25, 1932, the offspring of Zantanon and Jabalina.Holmes ''King P-234'' p. 38 Originally named Buttons by his breeder,Volpe "Breeder of King P-234" ''The Cattleman'' pp. 105–107 he was renamed King when he was registered with the AQHA as number 234. He was a bay

, bred by Manuel Benavides Volpe of

Laredo, Texas Laredo ( ; ) is a city in and the county seat of Webb County, Texas, United States, on the north bank of the Rio Grande in South Texas, across from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Laredo has the distinction of flying seven flags (the flag of t ...

, and owned at the time of registration by Jess L. Hankins of

Rocksprings, Texas Rocksprings is a town in Edwards County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 1,182, down from 1,285 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Edwards County. The town received its name from natural sprin ...

.AQHA ''Official Stud Book and Registry Combined 1–5'' p. 86 The AQHA gave his sire as Zantanon by Little Joe by Traveler and his dam as Jabalina by Strait Horse by Yellow Jacket by Little Rondo (Bunton Horse). His second dam was a mare by Traveler, making him linebred to Traveler.All Breed Pedigree Pedigree of King
retrieved on June 22, 2007Denhardt ''Foundation Dams'' pp. 141–142

Career

Volpe sold Buttons/King to Charles Alexander of Laredo as a weanling for $150. Later, Byrne James of

Encinal, Texas Encinal ( ) is a town in La Salle County, Texas, United States. The population was 540 at the 2020 census. Interstate 35 Business runs through the community. There are few businesses in Encinal; most have closed along the main street. Railroa ...

bought King from Alexander for $325. It was James' wife that changed the horse's name from Buttons to King.Beckman "King" ''Quarter Horse Journal'' pp. 36, 174–179 James broke King and used him for roping and other ranch work, but when James joined the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...

organization to play baseball, King was sold to Win DuBose of

Uvalde, Texas Uvalde is a city and the county seat of Uvalde County, Texas, United States. The population was 15,217 at the 2020 census. Uvalde is located in the Texas Hill Country, west of downtown San Antonio and east of the Mexico–United States bord ...

for $550. However, eventually DuBose sold King to Jess Hankins of

on July 5, 1937, for the sum of $800.

Breeding record

King was the sire of many famous Quarter Horses including Brown King H, Martha King, Royal King, King's Pistol, Gay Widow, Black Gold King, Power Command, Poco Bueno, Continental King, and LH Quarter Moon.Pitzer ''Most Influential Quarter Horse Sires'' p. 64-65 Two of his sons were inducted into the AQHA Hall of Fame, those being Poco Bueno and Royal King. His daughter Taboo was the dam of Joe Cody, another member of the AQHA Hall of Fame.

Death and honors

King died on March 24, 1958 of heart failure.Simmons, ''Legends: Outstanding Quarter Horse Stallions and Mares'' p. 30 King was inducted into the

AQHA Hall of Fame The American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame and Museum was created by the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA), based in Amarillo, Texas. Ground breaking construction of the Hall of Fame Museum began in 1989. The distinction is earned by people and ...

in 1989.

Pedigree

Notes

References

*
All Breed Pedigree Database Pedigree of King
' retrieved on June 22, 2007
AQHA Hall of Fame
accessed on September 1, 2017 * * * * * * *

External links

King at Quarter Horse Directory

King at Foundation Horses

{{authority control American Quarter Horse show horses American Quarter Horse sires 1932 animal births 1958 animal deaths AQHA Hall of Fame (horses)