Happy Friday! Here is your Friday Flashback – we hope you enjoy this piece of Lippitt Morgan history:
“Lippitt Kate Moro (Moro x Croydon Mary) #04785” (Foaled in 1932.)
by Marilyn Childs, LCN Nov 1983
When Lippitt Kate Moro died in 1949 at a comparatively young age, few would have guessed that within 20 years, she would have well over 150 grandchildren scattered across the United States and into foreign countries. There may have been more, but 130 were registered and many other purebreds roamed the western states.
Her personal record for sons and daughters would be hard to equal. Five of her eight produce are historically recorded champions in their fields, and a sixth also achieved more regional fame.
In the late ‘30s, an exchange breeding experiment was undertaken by Robert Lippitt Knight and the U.S. Government Morgan Horse Farm to see what the results of crossing their lines would be. Mr. Knight sent from Randolph three of his best mares, one of them Lippitt Kate Moro, to be bred to Mansfield.
From this cross came Kate’s first champion, Lippitt Morman, #8211, foaled in 1939, who made history in 1947 hen he became the first stallion to win the 100 mile trail ride sweepstakes at Woodstock. He was trained and shown in the ring by his owner, Wilfred A. LeBoeuf from Quebec, Canada, who also showed the horse successfully. Roland Hill of the Horseshoe Cattle Company in Tres Pinos, California, purchased Morman to become a herd sire along with his all-time favorite, Sonfield. He figured to cross Morman on his Sonfield mares. But Mr. Hill did not live many years after this and Morman went to Merle Little’s El Rancho Poco at Duarte, California. Mr. Hill did not register all of his colts by either sire, although he was probably the country’s largest Morgan breeder in those days. The last foals registered by the Hill estate were two in 1949.
Morman’s full brother, Lippitt Mandate, was foaled in 1940, and resembled Morman in color, red chestnut, but he proved a nervous, high-strung colt. Not because of his attributes but because of her admiration for his dam, Kate Moro, Marilyn Carlson purchased Mandate in 1943 at the urging of an old horseman who opined that the two would get along. Joe Boulris had been frank to state that the colt had given him more trouble that was customary and therefore had not been broken yet.
Mandate and his new owner became wedded to each other for what developed into a 27 year association until he was laid away on the same farm as Justin Morgan, still sound and vibrant at age 30. Their story is best told in “”Mandate for a Morgan Horse”…but suffice it here to say that Mandate became the Morgan that most people dream of…one to enjoy all week, then trail ride, parade, hunt, or show on the weekend.
He was the 1945 New England Morgan Champion and continued an extensive show career across many states through his 15th year. Once he won a specialty class at the National, he was not shown again. Among his many wins were the Versatility (he was never defeated in this class, which was regularly scheduled at open shows in those days), jumping and roadster. Seldom was he without a blue in pair class competition, doubling with Manitude, Lady Field, Ruthven’s Rheda K for undefeated records.
Never presented with a band of mares, Mandate nonetheless sired 43 colts, 21 of which were gelded, and 33 mares. The last ones were foaled in 1969…October Mandate, Kandi-Date, and Springhill Miss Fitt. Bred to Lady Field, he produced Lady’s Man in 1945, this colt the New England Colt Champion that year and selected as a yearling by buyers to go to China.
His 1949 foal, Manito, became a legend in the East with his versatile accomplishments, winning in everything from Western pleasure to Hunter and Jumper classes.
Other sons headed to small breeding programs over a wide area…Masterman for John Eberhart in Perryopolis, PA; The Marksman for John Steckle in Ontario; Jackson Mandate for George Wade in Nova Scotia; The Rifleman for Wendy Ayers in Coxsacle, New York; Dateman in Maine, last with Grant Lundee; The Statesman for Lynne Shpak in Woodstock, MD; and Mr. Showman for the Joseph Vonas Joselene Hills Farm in Maryland. The Stateman, foaled 22 years after Manito, continues the same tradition of versatility, adding to the list dressage competition, as well as carriage driving. Considered as the best of the Mandate sons was Mr. Showman, the 1954 foal from Lippitt Sally Moro. Everyone admired this type-y Morgan for his unique example of Morgan breed character. But Showman was also one of the most prolific of the breeding sons, his stock scattered over the United States. For Show ring performance, his most noted champion was Showmaster, campaigned by Mike Goebig. Other names that are instantly memorable particularly in the East among the Mandate sons are The Third Man, Lippman Hawk (both of these race winners), and Man O’Destiny.
On the feminine side, there were a number of show winners from futurity to open performance, among them Nancy Date, Mandates Peggy Lou, Carolina, Dream Date, Nancita’s Romance, Lady Dateen Bona, Turnpike, Kay Date, Merry Date, and Dance Date. In the pedigrees of winners today may be found the names of other Mandate daughters (all widely sought for broodmares)…Bonnie Date, Cherri Date, Anna Date, and Elane’s Date.
Mr. Knight went back to breeding within his herd, so Lippitt Kate Moro’s next three foals, and perhaps most perfect Morgans of all, were sired by Lippitt Ethan Ash. In 1941 came Lippitt Dusky Kate, in 1943, Lippitt Ethan, who was gelded, and in 1944 Lippitt Duplicate. All fortunately were purchased by Mrs. Willard Denton in the 1952 Knight dispersal sale. What was particularly fortunate was the Dentons had been showing horses for years, Mr. Denton saddle horses and Mrs. Denton, Hunters. They knew what horse showing was all about and had the means to give the horses the best advantages. Consider the records: Lippitt Dusky Kate became Senior Mare and Grand Champion Mare at the National Morgan Horse Show. Lippitt Ethan became the top gelding, in hand and under saddle; Lippitt Duplicate became the performance mare (what now would be “park”).
There are few who would argue that the advantages given the Denton Horses helped make them the show successes that they were. Before her acquisition by the Dentons, Dusky Kate produced Lippitt Pegasus, Lippitt Scott Moro, and Lippitt Dulcie of which Dulcie had a limited show chance. Dusky Kate was last recorded under the ownership of Linda Conell in Pennsylvania.
As for Lippitt Ethan, he had been sold as a two year old to Carl Kreiser in Glens Falls, New York, only to be repurchased by Knight in 1950 prior to his dispersal to Denton. Prior to her show career, Duplicate produced Lippitt Decatur and Lippitt Dictator, both of which were sold as family horses. Following her show career with the Dentons and the John Nobles of Pennsylvania, Duplicate became the proud possession of Dr. and Mrs. John P. Corley of Burlington, Vermont. In 1959, she produced Briarwood Audrey Ash, in 1961 Briarwood Brenda Ash, and in 1964, Briarwood Marea Moro. The first two were by Upwey Ben Don, the last by Pecos.
Briarwood Brenda Ash kept the show capabilities of this Kate Moro line going at the biggest of shows, first shown by Bob Baker and then purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Philip Dubois to become Mrs. Dubois’ personal show mount. She was the epitome of the top Morgan Show Horse, with type and a natural way of moving that had come down through her grandam to her dam to her. Again, this blood is being perpetuated through two sons now standing at the Otter Brook Farm in New Hampshire. Otter Brook Galahad by Applevale Voyager was the champion roadster of 1980-’81 and a half-mile race winner (note the race superiority again); Otter Brook Fanfar, by Jesta Venture, has been a champion park horse. From there on, the Kate Moro story diminishes. Lippitt Ruby, by Lippitt Byfield, was sold to Canada as a yearling in 1946. Her last two sons were Lippitt Red Moro and Lippitt Orphan Andy in 1947 and 1949, both by Lippitt Selassie. Orphan Andy was at her side when she died. Gelded, he was owned by Jesse Fisk in Brookfield and Brenda MacDougall in his earlier years, and last owned by the Allen McKee family in Batavia, Illinois.
Lippitt Red Moro was purchased as a two year old by the Hugh Littles of Rockland, Maine, where he stood at stud until 1965, when he became the possession of Rolf Summers in Hamilton, Virginia. Under the Littles’ ownership, he sired Meadowbrook Princess, Kennebec Caroline, and Lippitt Red Mint, all of which have proven worthy broodmares. His 1951 son, Billy Moro, is the only stallion recorded as perpetuating the line, he owned by the Hugh Smiths of China, Maine. Peter Moro, also gelded, was a successful pleasure entrant for Denny Emerson (now of combined training fame!) before being sold to Edith Homer who showed him extensively on the Mid-Atlantic circuit.
In Lippitt Kate Moro’s wake have been 100-mile trail ride winners, roadster, hunters, jumpers, top performance (read “park” today) horses, and innumerable Morgans that have done just what Morgans are supposed to do…given their owners pleasure and pride.
(Facebook page administer’s note: Lippitt Kate Moro’s *full* Lippitt progeny numbered five: Lippitt Duplicate, Lippitt Dusky Kate, Lippitt Ethan, Lippitt Orphan Andy, and Lippitt Red Moro. The other progeny were half-Lippitt, as they were sired by non-Lippitt stallions: Lippitt Ruby, Lippitt Mandate and Lippitt Morman. Please note that the “Lippitt” breeding prefix was the one used by Robert Lippitt Knight. The term “Lippitt Morgan” was chosen in the early 1970s to honor the dedication that Mr. Knight had toward breeding Morgans who were as closely related genetically to the original Justin Morgan as possible. As he also bred to Morgans that later did not meet the criteria chosen for the Lippitt Morgans (i.e., they had crosses to other breeds, such as Saddlebreds, in the 20th century), some horses with the “Lippitt” prefix do not actually qualify as “Lippitt Morgans,” per the definition of such. HJ)
