Old Sorrel, sometimes known as The Old Sorrel (1915–1945), was a

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 s ...

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 was the foundation of the

King Ranch King Ranch is the largest ranch in the United States. At some it is larger than the state of Rhode Island and country of Luxembourg. It is mainly a cattle ranch, but also produced the Triple Crown winning racehorse Assault. The ranch is loc ...

linebreeding Inbreeding is the production of offspring from the mating or breeding of individuals or organisms that are closely related genetically. By analogy, the term is used in human reproduction, but more commonly refers to the genetic disorders and o ...

program for

s, and the cornerstone of the King Ranch horse breeding program.Denhardt ''King Ranch Quarter Horses'' pp. 87–153

Life

Old Sorrel was foaled in 1915 and was sold that same year to the King Ranch of

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

.Swan ''Legends 3'' pp. 15–26 He proved himself worth breeding through ranch work on the ranch, before being used as the foundation of the King Ranch Quarter Horse linebreeding program. He died in 1945, with his last foal crop being in 1943. He was a

sorrel Sorrel (''Rumex acetosa''), also called common sorrel or garden sorrel, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Polygonaceae. Other names for sorrel include spinach dock and narrow-leaved dock ('dock' being a common name for the genus '' ...

bred by George Clegg of

Alice, Texas Alice is a city in, and the county seat of, Jim Wells County, Texas, United States, in the South Texas region of the state. The population was 19,104 at the 2010 census. Alice was established in 1888. First it was called "Bandana", then "Kleberg ...

and sold by Clegg as a

foal A foal is an equine up to one year old; this term is used mainly for horses, but can be used for donkeys. More specific terms are colt for a male foal and filly for a female foal, and are used until the horse is three or four. When the foal i ...

along with his

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, a ...

for $125 to the King Ranch. The King Ranch owned him until he died at the age of 31 in 1949.Beckman "El Alazan Viejo" ''Quarter Horse Journal'' pp. 36, 94, 102

Career

J. K. Northway, the

veterinarian A veterinarian (vet), also known as a veterinary surgeon or veterinary physician, is a medical professional who practices veterinary medicine. They manage a wide range of health conditions and injuries in non-human animals. Along with this, vet ...

on the King Ranch, described Old Sorrel as

I saw Richard Kleberg and George Clegg
rope A rope is a group of yarns, plies, fibres, or strands that are twisted or braided together into a larger and stronger form. Ropes have tensile strength and so can be used for dragging and lifting. Rope is thicker and stronger than similarly ...
off him and ride him all morning, and then race him in the afternoon. Although a stallion, and treated as such, his daily work consisted of regular ranch routine with the
remuda A remuda is a herd of horses that ranch hands select their mounts from. The word is of Spanish (language), Spanish derivation, for 'remount' i.e. "change of horses" and is commonly used in the American West. The person in charge of the remuda is ge ...
. Bob had made him into a superior cow horse in every respect. You could rope,
cut Cut may refer to: Common uses * The act of cutting, the separation of an object into two through acutely-directed force ** A type of wound ** Cut (archaeology), a hole dug in the past ** Cut (clothing), the style or shape of a garment ** Cut (ea ...
, or do any other ranch work on him, and he was not just adequate – he was superior in every respect.

Bob Kleberg, the Bob in the quote from Northway, who was one of the owners of the King Ranch and who managed it from the 1920s through to the 1950s, said that the Old Sorrel was "the best cow horse I ever rode, but he was also a good running horse. He had that well balanced look and the feel of a

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...

." When the

American Quarter Horse Association The American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA), based in Amarillo, Texas, is an international organization dedicated to the preservation, improvement and record-keeping of the American Quarter Horse. The association sanctions many competitive even ...

(or AQHA) was founded in 1940, The Old Sorrel was already twenty-five years old, but the King Ranch registered him amongst the very first horses that the AQHA accepted for registration. He was given number 209 in the registry, and registered as bred by George Clegg of Alice, Texas. His sire was Hickory Bill by

Peter McCue Peter McCue (1895–1923) was a racehorse and sire influential in the American Quarter Horse Association (or AQHA), although he died before the AQHA was formed. Life Peter McCue (foaled 1895) was registered in the '' American Stud Book'' as a T ...

and out of a Dr. Rose mare.AQHA ''Official Stud Book and Registry Combined 1–5'' p. 85Old Sorrel Pedigree at All Breed Pedigree
retrieved on June 26, 2007 The

was a mare of

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

breeding that Clegg had bought from a Dr. Rose who was a dentist in Mexico as well as running a few ranches. Rose had bought some Thoroughbred mares in

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

to improve his horses, and eventually sold some of the mares to Clegg, without any breeding being attributed to any of them.

Breeding record

The Old Sorrel sired 116 horses registered with the AQHA, but through the linebreeding program the King Ranch used, almost every horse the King Ranch registered from 1940 to the early 1960s was at least a descendant of Old Sorrel, and most were heavily

inbred Inbreeding is the production of offspring from the mating or breeding of individuals or organisms that are closely related genetically. By analogy, the term is used in human reproduction, but more commonly refers to the genetic disorders and o ...

to him. Among his famous offspring were Cardinal, Solis, Little Richard P-17, Tomate Laureles P-19, Silver King, Macanudo and Hired Hand. His grandsons included

Wimpy P-1 Wimpy P-1 was the first registered Quarter Horse for the American Quarter Horse Association, or AQHA. Life Wimpy was foaled on the King Ranch in Kingsville, Texas on March 3, 1937.Beckman "Number One" ''Quarter Horse Journal'' March 1990 pp. 3 ...

, Ranchero, Peppy, and Pep-Up.

Honors

He 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 1990.

Pedigree

Notes

References

*
All Breed Pedigree Database Pedigree for Old Sorrel
' retrieved on June 26, 2007
AQHA Hall of Fame
accessed on September 1, 2017 * * * *

External links

Old Sorrel at Foundation Horses

Old Sorrel at Quarter Horse Directory

Old Sorrel at Quarter Horse Legends
{{authority control American Quarter Horse sires 1915 animal births 1945 animal deaths AQHA Hall of Fame (horses)