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Driftwood
 
Jimmy Williams, who was one of
the most renowned stock horse and hunter jumper
trainers of all time, was quoted as saying in
Legends Vol II, "They are the best. You ask
them to do anything and they'll do it. They
want to learn, and they have the ability to do
something when you've finished with them. I
think "Speedy" is as good a sire as there is any
place."
"Driftwood" a bay stallion was
foaled in 1932. His sire "Miller Boy" by "Hobart
Horse" who was thought to be sired by "John Wilkins"
by "Peter McCue". "Miller Boy" was out of "Wilie" a
daughter of "Texas Chief". "Driftwoods" dam was "The
Comer Mare" by "Barlow" by "Lock's Rondo". The
combination of early speed sent the young stallion
to the race track where he was successfully matched
at distances from 220 yards to 3/8's of a mile. In
the late 1930's he ended up in the hands of the
Nichols' family at Gilbert, Arizona. While he was
with the Nichols' he was matched against, and
outran, the legendary "Clabber" a World's Champion
Quarter Running Horse.
Buck Nichols introduced
"Driftwood" to the roping arena and rodeoed on the
horse. In 1941 Asbury Schell had him and nicknamed
him "Speedy" cause of the way he could catch cattle
over a long roping score. Speedy, as he was called
by ropers, was a great rope horse and was used in
team roping , calf roping, steer tripping and
bulldogging all in the same day. As a nine year old
"Driftwood" became a fixture at the big rodeos
around the country. In 1943 Katy & Channing Peake
bought "Driftwood" from Schell for $1,500 and moved
him to Rancho Jabali where they registered him with
the AQHA and was retired to stud.
Driftwood stood anywhere from
14.3 to 15 hands and showed adequate bone and foot
size. Driftwood was a very well balanced
individual and showed an alertness that is still
evident in his progeny. He was an extremely fast
horse and devoured ducking and diving calves.
He was a tough horse and his sturdiness was shown in
his years of racing and traveling on the rodeo
circuit.
"Driftwoods" ability to sire
quick speed, performance ability, the mental
attitude to retain training, functional conformation
and physical stamina to stand up under hard use, and
carry the traits on down through the generations, is
what made "Driftwood" unique among stallions. Many
stallions are out standing performers themselves but
are not able to pass that same talent on down
through the generations. "Driftwood" did. They are
known to be very trainable and excellent at any
event they were asked to perform in. Driftwood
has had winners in virtually every event possible
including barrel racing, reining, working cow horse,
roping, cutting and western riding. They
are known to be graceful movers and are very cowy.
They are also known to be huge stoppers.
Barrel racers are finding the
Driftwoods make excellent barrel horses. They
have a natural rate to them and have a quick start
out of the barrel. They are easy to train and
can handle the pressures of training.
Great barrel horse that carry Driftwood blood
include French Flash Hawk aka Bozo who was a 4
time PRCA barrel racing horse of the year and
Firewater Fiesta who is a 1 time PRCA barrel racing
horse of the year.
During the following seventeen
years, "Driftwood" sired a whole arena full of top
performers in the show ring, the race track, and the
rodeo arena. For over a half a century a bay
stallion has passed down his own tremendous
performance ability and, in the process given
horsemen something that they were proud to ride. An
old rodeo adage is, "A man has to be well mounted to
win" and with a "Driftwood" he was. Today, sixty
plus years after he was foaled, his blood is still
sought after by cowboys. "Driftwood" died on
October, 20 1960. He left many great son's and
daughter's of his such as "Hallie Wood", "Woodwind",
"Henny Penny Peake", "Brown Beulah", "Wood Wasp",
"Drifty", "Woodfern", "Miss Linwood", "O See O",
"Judy Sue", "Annie Wood", "Kitty Wood", "Rosewood",
"Drifting Sage", "Easy Keeper", "Chelena",
"Maestro", "Speedy II", "Poker Chip", "Speedy Wood",
"Speedy Peake", and "Driftwood Ike", as well as a
herd of others.
The greatest cross on
Driftwood seemed to be a mare named Sage Hen.
This great mare produced Driftwood's greatest
performers including Poker Chip Peake who is
considered to be the greatest calf roping horse of
all time. He was a good looking gray and
could really stop. Sage Hen also
produced Henny Penny Peake (Hackamore champion),
Red Button (famous rodeo gelding), Drifting
Sage (rope horse and great sire). Drifting
Sage produced Blanton Wood (by Kitty Blanton by
Lucky Blanton). Blanton Wood is the sire to
Blantons O Too Cool. Sage Hen was by Wagonner
and proved to be the greatest cross on Driftwood.
Wagonner mares crossed excellent on Driftwood.
Another great cross was
Hancock Belle. She was by Buck by Chicaro and
by a Hancock mare. This cross produced
Driftwood Ike who was also a top rope horse and
later a sire. Ike sired Orphan Drift, Wayward
Ike, White Lightning Ike and Lone Drifter
and other great sires. Driftwood Ike mares
produced excellent individuals such as Sunfrost and
Bucko Jack. Bucko Jack was cutting winner
before being sidelined with an injury.
Bucko Jack is the sire of Jumpin Jack Solano.
Hancock Belle was also the dam of Chilena.
Chilena was also a great arena performer when mares
were rarely ridden in the arena. Chilena
was a great roping horse and her blood is prized by
Driftwood breeders. It is fabled that Chilena outran
every race horse in Arizona and California during
her time. She produced Frostena
who was an AQHA Superior Heading Horse.
Frostena is the dam of Frostys War Chief. Frostys
War Chief also carries Driftwood on his top side
through Brown Beulah, his granddam.
Understanding the
Driftwood Bloodlines
Pro's
who ride Driftwoods -
Clay O'Brien Cooper -
PRCA Hall of Fame member, has won 7 World
Champion Team Roping titles, has won over $2,134,000
roping and has qualified for the WNFR 22 times. His
horse
Supai Drifter (nicknamed Ike) finished second in
the PRCA/AQHA Team Roping Heel Horse of the Year
race in 2004.
Wade Wheatley –
Qualified (heading) for the NFR 2000-2002 on a
Driftwood gelding. Has qualified for the WNFR 6
times and has won over $779,000 heading.
Kristie Peterson
- Four-time world champion and three-time
reserve world champion WPRA barrel racer. Her horse
Bozo (French Flash Hawk) who carried her to those
titles has won AQHA Barrel horse of the year 5
times. He is a great grandson of Driftwood Ike.
Todd
Suhn - Has qualified for the WNFR 10 times
and won over $1,100,000 as a steer wrestler.
Mike Beers - World Champion
Heeler, (Won the world on a full brother to White
Lighting Ike) has won over $1,800,000 and qualified
for the WNFR 20 times.
Reg Camarillo - (many time NFR
qualifier in Team Roping)
Allen Bach - (many time World
Champion Heeler)
Tom Fergusen
- (6 time All-Around World Champion)
Cory Petska -
Has won over $533,000 heeling,
he has qualified for the WNFR 4 times. In 2006 he
placed in 5 out of 10 rounds at the WNFR. In
2005 he and partner Tee Woolman won the average at
the WNFR placing in 7 out of 10 rounds and finished
as World Champion Runner-Up
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