Red Eagle's Peacock F1476

An Anthology of Fact and Fame

by Suzanne V. Pabst

On May 16, 1977, the 1956 (Elko, Nevada) National Halter Stallion, Red Eagle's Peacock F1476 died from liver cancer at 24 years of age. From his foaling place in Pomona, California on April 28, 1953, to his final resting place high on a hill in Woodbury, Connecticut, Red Eagle's Peacock had lived a storybook life.

His photo graced Lee Arlandson's book for Farnam Company, entitled Know the Appaloosa Horse. His seven owners of distinction shared in common the feeling that Peacock was unique to the Appaloosa breed. Throughout his years, Peacock was a ambassador who attracted countless individuals to the breed, their desire sparked by images of the classic bay blanketed stallion in front of majestic Mt. Ranier in Washington or overlooking his domain from a California hillside. Red Eagle's Peacock had commanding presence.

Today, we would call it charisma. Yesteryear, it was called "The Look of Eagles". I'd like to think Claude J. Thompson, the founding father of the Appaloosa Horse Club in 1938 and breeder of Red Eagle's Peacock, knew how aptly the peacock spotted stallion was named.

Just as the peacock is regarded as a symbol of vanity with an inclination to strut, so to did Peacock the Appaloosa. He was a proud stallion, characteristically aloof with faultless manners. He was a gentleman with authority with his mares, yet easily handled by a woman. His forebearing made him arrogant around other stallions, but no one was to change his nature and his jealousy was indulged. Red Eagle's Peacock was Number OneÑHe knew it, and expected you to respect it.

He was an actor, much to my embarrassment and irritation at times. Instead of getting bored with the many visitors who came to see him, Peacock would put on a show. He would pin his ears back, snarl, and gnash his teeth on the stall frontÑAll purposely done until he was led out to diffuse the suspicion that he was the killer he effectively portrayed. Once led out, Peacock strutted like his namesake, arching his long graceful neck as he whinnied his presence to all.

His haloed blanket began at his prominent wither and stretched over a 15-2 hand, 1150 lb. smooth-muscled frame. He was sleek in appearance with a fine coat whose dark bay color never changed throughout his life. A small star on his forehead set of a keen Thoroughbred-type head, and a long clean neck tied into a long sloping shoulder. Peacock's full tail was carried comparatively high on a well-rounded, balanced hindquarter and completed what was clearly an attractive mix of some of the best blood available in the 1950's.

Red Eagle's Peacock was sired by the 1951 (Lewiston, Idaho) and 1957 (Canby, Oregon) National Champion Halter Stallion Red Eagle F209 who was inducted into the Appaloosa Hall of Fame in 1988. Bred by Claude J. Thompson, "The Eagle", as he was known, was sired by the chestnut/sorrel Arabian StallionFerras AHCR 922, whose sire and dam had been imported from the Crabbet Stud, England in 1926 by W. K. Kellogg of Pomona, California.

While much has been made of the Arabian influence in bringing back the Appaloosa breed from obsolescence, credit should also be given to the Thoroughbred for it played an important part in establishing Peacock's distinct type. (Appaloosa News, June 1982, pages 82-87, "Ferras") (Appaloosa Journal, January, 1994, pages 20-27, "Shedding Light on the Arab-Appaloosa Cross")

Claude J. Thompson's Old Painter Bloodline

Red Eagle's Peacock's dam, Easter ApHC F33, was bred by the Fred H. Bixby Ranch Company of Long Beach, California. Foaled on March 3, 1933, she was a bay, white with bay spots over her loin and hips. Both her sire, the unregistered Appaloosa stallion, Peacock, and her dam, the unregistered Appaloosa mare Marquise, were sired by the chestnut Thoroughbred, Bayards Sun JC 364,598 (Bayard II* x El Mirasol) who had been crossed on the Bixby Ranch mares of that era.

Other pedigree sources claim Easter F33 was sired by Peacock and out of Marquise who were both sired by an almost legendary horse named Solomon Figueroa, the original stud used with great success before the First World War on the Bixby Ranch. Solomon Figueroa is believed to have come from the Hearst Ranch which at one time had a virtual monopoly on Appaloosa stock in Southern California.

Supportive data tends to give more credence to Bayards Sun being Easter's likely grandsire from information Bob Hawkin's, Red Eagle's Peacock's second owner, claims to have been told by Bixby. There were obvious differences in type and coloration between Red Eagle's Peacock and his half-brother, American Eagle, ApHC F1452 (Red Eagle F209 x Dutchess F1110) whose dam, Dutchess, was a Solomon Figueroa descendant. A predominance of blue roans was produced by this line, while Red Eagle's Peacock sired a predominance of bays.

The pedigree of Cojo Cabrona ApHC T712 (Blitz F1251 x Redspot T303) is significant to mention here because in her third generation, she traced to Bayards Sun JC 364,598. The Thoroughbred influence is evident in her filly, Peacock's Pride ApHC 79,569, foaled March 11, 1964 (Red Eagle's Peacock F1476 x Cojo Carbona T712) Although dark bay with just a star and snip herself, Peacock's Pride produced a loud blanketed filly named Treasure.

We do know with certainty that the Bixby Ranch used both stallions, Solomon Figueroa and the Thoroughbred Bayards Sun on their ranch mares.

Pedigree of Bayards Sun

Compiled by The Jockey Club Statistical Bureau P.O. Box 1647, Lexington, KY

*Imported

With so much hype being made about the "other" breeds in our Appaloosa's genetic makeup, it is important to note that Peacock is a product of the Old Painter Appaloosa bloodline to which Claude J. Thompson so diligently devoted his life 1883-1972. (Appaloosa News, September 1972, pages 14-15, Claude J. Thompson) Fifty-seven of the first 272 Appaloosas registered trace to Old Painter, a white stallion with black spots over his hips, referred to as a raindrop pattern. Old Painter was foaled circa 1921 and although never registered, was thought to have been sired by a bay half-Thoroughbred/half-Standardbred. We do know Old Painter was out of a white mare owned by an old prospector who used her as a pack animal around Prairie City, and Fossil, Oregon. From such humble beginnings, a dynasty arose.

Painter's Marvel ApHC F47, the dam of Red Eagle F209, was pronounced by Claude as the greatest mare he had ever owned. She traced twice to Old Painter through her sire Painter III ApHC F8, and dam Snowflake ApHC F2, an own daughter of Old Painter. (Painter III F8 went on to sire Appaloosas for the Pine Ridge Indian Agency, Pine Ridge, S.D.)

In 1957, Red Eagle's Peacock was bred to Painter's Marvel F47 who foaled on April 19, 1958 Peacock's Miraklman ApHC F2190. Closely linebred, Peacock's Miraklman, was at once a son and half-brother to Red Eagle's Peacock. He was, in my opinion, Peacock's most outstanding son. I agree with Claude J. Thompson's assessment: "This stallion, Peacock's Miraklman, is perhaps the greatest of my entire breeding career, and without any doubt, should be the very greatest sire of the entire group".

Miraklman's foundation blood produced a stallion far superior to countless stallions that have been purposely crossed with another breed with the sole idea of producing a horse with improved conformation.

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