Legend: Joe Moore

By Richard Chamberlain

This article originally appeared in the July 2012 issue of The American Quarter Horse Journal. 

Ott Adams was facing a quandary. The horseman had one of the greatest sires in Quarter Horse history on his ranch at Alice, Texas.

The horse – Little Joe, a son of Traveler out of the Sykes Rondo mare Jenny – was foaled in 1905 and now, at the dawn of the Roaring Twenties, Ott knew the day was approaching when he would have to find a replacement for the stallion.

In South Texas, George Parr was known as the “Duke of Duval.” Of all the Quarter Horses he bred, none was more successful than Parr Passum, the sire of AQHA racing champions Tonto Parr and Above Parr 2. The stallion by Danger Boy II was out of a mare by Joe Moore.

Jet Moore was one of the best sons, if not the best son, of Little Joe.

Back to the quandary: Ott had an outstanding band of broodmares – he called them his “wax dolls” – but so far none had produced what he was looking for. He took a big step toward finding Little Joe’s successor when he got the chance to buy the Old DJ mare Della Moore, the fabulous Cajun match racer who was born to run. Out of the Dewey mare La Hernandez, Della Moore and her full sister Old Queenie also were born to mother. Old Queenie became the second dam of the clubfooted Flying Bob mare Queenie, the 1945 world champion racing Quarter Horse, while Della Moore’s first baby was the Joe Blair (TB) stallion Joe Reed, who founded the family that flowered through Joe Reed II, Leo and First Down Dash.

Even then, that kind of blood did not come cheap. Buying Della Moore cost Ott $600, a sizable sum in 1922. Ott bred the mare to Little Joe the day she arrived on his ranch. The result, however, was a filly that Ott named Aloe and soon sold to another noted horseman, John Dial of Goliad, Texas.

Della Moore was dry the next year, as she turned out to be every other year. The year after that, she produced Grano De Oro, a fine son of Little Joe but still not what Ott was seeking.

Della Moore’s next baby was Joe Moore, who was foaled March 23, 1927 (or 1926 – reports vary). In any case, Joe Moore was born either the year before or the year after Ott, under severe financial pressure, was forced to sell Little Joe.

But at least the horseman had what looked to be a suitable replacement. Joe Moore grew into a fine-looking bay stallion (though his head left something to be desired).

Nonetheless, Joe Moore from this throatlatch back was a splendid Quarter Horse, a perfectly proportioned, well-muscled stallion with sloping shoulders, straight forelegs with short cannons, a good barrel, and strong hips and hind legs, all packed into a 14.2 frame.

Ott liked him from the day he was born.

Writing in “Sires of Speed” in the November 1950 Quarter Horse Journal, Montague Rockingham warned breeders “who are trying to produce speed” not to overlook “old Joe Moore. He was used most of his life in the production of ranch stock, but his great heritage of speed has been successfully passed on to many sprinting favorites, grandsons and granddaughters as well as direct get.”

Richard Chamberlain is a frequent contributor to AQHA Publications. To comment, write to aqhajrnl@aqha.org. This article originally appeared in the July 2012 issue of The American Quarter Horse Journal.