Happy Friday! This is a Friday Flashback written for us in 2013 by Betsy Curler. I was reminded of it when putting together the “Postcards for Sale” album, and went and found it for you all!
Billy Roberts 4550
By Betsy Curler – January 2013
In September 1898, E.H. Hoffman and Dr. A.W. Hinman made the trek to the back hill farm of locally renowned hermit George N. Roberts. There they found a nine-year-old Morgan stallion in a low-ceilinged barn. Billy Roberts had spent most of his life in that confined space unable to lift his head above his withers. Rarely turned out and having had little handling, he was an untrained and untried horse. He had sired an estimated ten foals in that time frame.
In spite of not having received much attention, Billy Roberts proved to have an excellent disposition. In the span of a few days, he was “washed up” and taught to lead “straight away” on a bridle. In a few days, he was shown at the county fair and placed second to Orcutt’s Morgan Dan. Billy Roberts was also shown at the State Fair in a special class for Morgan stallions possessing the highest percentage of the blood of Justin Morgan, which he won.
Billy Roberts had 23 crosses to Justin Morgan in his pedigree. He was sired by Chase’s Mountaineer 676 and out of the mare Roberta, who was a daughter of Billy Folsom 677. His pedigree was heavily inbred to Sherman Morgan with multiple crosses to Billy Root, the Streeter Horse, and the Batchelder Horse, plus crosses to the Stanton Horse and Vermont Morgan Champion.
The years of confinement, without exercise, had an effect on Billy Roberts for the rest of his life. He sired an estimated 125 foals, a much lower number than many of his predecessors. As a general rule, his rate of settling mares was about 50%. His offspring had a ready demand, when they were available, being quickly snapped up by buyers. They were “good actors” making them prime candidates for gentlemen’s driving horses.
During the winter of 1898-1899 Billy Roberts was started in harness with the goal of getting him in condition to show. By the third hookup, he was considered to be a safe driving horse. He proved to be an “extra good using horse” and was a great roadster, being able to “go out” 25 miles and back in a day. However, his lack of muscle development in his formative years proved to be a handicap as he was unable to achieve the expected finish and action of a typical Morgan.
In January 1907, Hoffman sold Billy Roberts to E.A. Darling of Mountain View Farm. Darling sold him in the spring of 1909 to C.V. Kent and associates of Montpelier. He passed away under Kent’s ownership.
Billy Roberts (Mountaineer x Roberta) was foaled in 1889. Had 26 crosses to Justin Morgan 1.
