Happy Friday! Here is your First Friday Flashback, kindly provided by historian Betsy Curler:
Bilirubin 7462
One of the most elusive stallions to be found in Lippitt Morgan pedigrees is Bilirubin 7462, who was the sire of Nubbin 05647 (the dam of Allen’s Major 8830). Bilirubin was a bay colt foaled in 1925. His sire was Donaldson 6685, a son of the noted stallion Donald 5224, and out the Billy Roberts 4550 daughter Lilla 01489. Bilirubin’s dam was Mayflower 03474 by Prince Charlie 5007 and out of Nellie 03584. Nellie was a daughter of Cobden S. Jr., who as a grandson of Daniel Lambert 62.
Donaldson (Donald x Lilla) was given to Sue Evarts in 1912 as a weanling by C.C. Stillman. He was a “Tosselly” colt, which meant that he was a particularly attractive youngster, full of vigor and possessing natural style, “to whom prancing came easier than walking.” This colt’s sire Donald was known for his natural style and “joie de vivre.” Their descendants inherited these traits.
Bilirubin was bred by Dr. Josephine Evarts, one of Maxwell Evarts’ daughters. Maxwell Evarts was one of the founders of the Morgan Horse Club. He was also one of the primary movers behind the showing of Morgan horses at the rejuvenated Vermont State Fair, beginning in 1907. He was a resident of New York City, but also maintained a residence in Windsor, Vermont known as Juniper Hill.
Bilirubin was sold to Dr. Fordyce B. “Johnny” St. John in January 1926. Dr. St. John resided in and maintained a medical practice in New York City. His horses were stabled at his Willow Lane Farm in West Berne, NY. St. John had served in the army during World War I (as a major in the medical corps)and was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal in 1918. Later he served as Chairman of the American Board of Surgery.
Of St. John, Dr. Allen Weisse noted that by his “impressive” name alone, St. John was “predestined for nothing other than the medical profession. and within that profession only the most exclusive type of medical practice.”
Bilirubin was transferred in July 1931 to Maurice Whitney, James Fosburgh, Pieter Fosburgh, and Hugh Fosburgh, of Berlin, NY. Whitney maintained a successful dairy farm whose stock was “known all over.” it was here that Bilirubin’s daughter Nubbin was foaled.
In February 1934, Bilirubin was transferred to Dewey Riddle of Painter[‘s Creek], north of Cody, Wyoming. There Riddle and his wife Elsie homesteaded one of the earliest dude ranches in Wyoming in the early 1900’s. The Dewey Riddle Ranch was located in the Sunlight Basin in the midst of the Absaroka Mountains, in close proximity to Yellowstone National Park. [known as the 7D Ranch since the 1950’s] Dewey Riddle was considered to be one of the best bronc riders in the West and often appeared in the early bronc busting events sponsored by McGlashan & McKellar in Marquette, Wyoming.
Unfortunately, nothing further is known of Bilirubin. In addition to Nubbin (x Hannah 03196), only two other foals he sired were registered: Pierpont and Mademoiselle, both out of Maggie Morgan 01621.
(The photo is courtesy of the Lyle F. Horton Memorial Ancient Morgan Archive.)
