Happy Friday!! Here is your First Friday Flashback, kindly written and provided by historian Betsy Curler:
“Bonnie Jean 0343”
One daughter of Peters’ Ethan Allen 2nd of whom we know little as an individual is the bay mare Bonnie Jean 0343. Her docked tail would indicate that she was a show horse for longtime owner M. Roosevelt Schuyler of New York, New York. By 1907 she was turned out to pasture with two other mares that Schuyler owned. He wanted to sell or place these mares with others for breeding purposes, but was reluctant to let anyone who did not appreciate their old Vermont breeding have them.
Bonnie Jean was minimally marked with a star and snip on the face and her right hind pastern was white. She was bred by Oscar W. Saville of Bradford, Vermont and foaled on 4 May 1895. At 15.0 hands, she was taller than many of the Morgans of old Vermont breeding were traditionally reputed to be.
The pedigree of her dam is, at first glance, strongly influenced by Morrill 55. Morrill was not considered to be “well bred” by those Morgan breeders “hewing to the line.” However, he was a popular sire for many years due to the size and speed of his offspring. Both of the latter qualities were then in demand for the market, so it is understandable why many bred mares to Morrill.
When one takes a closer look at the other horses in this pedigree, another sire that comes up with some frequency is Vermont Morgan Champion 13, a son of Sherman Morgan. A black standing 15.2 hands this son of Sherman was considered to be one of his best sons and was a popular sire for many years in northeastern Vermont. His way of going was like that of his paternal half-brother Billy Root 9. His roadster abilities and style coupled with his power met the market demand that then existed. In addition, he was kind and easily handled and his foals possessed the same attributes.
The presence of these horses, along with a cross to Ethan Allen 50 and another to Black Hawk 20 would indicate that this is a pedigree meant to produce a good, speedy roadster with size for the city market. Crosses to Royal Morgan and Green Mountain Morgan 42 retained the type and style the breed was known for.
Bonnie Jean has four registered offspring. The first was a chestnut colt, foaled in 1912, bred by J. Rich Steers, New York, New York. Later gelded, this colt, named Starlight 6722 (x Donald 5224), had no registered offspring. A bay filly, also sired by Donald 5224, was foaled 17 May 1914. She was bred by the short-lived Windsor Stud of Morgan Horses, Windsor, Vermont. Named Winsome Jean 03866, she did not have any registered offspring. The last foal of Bonnie Jean, Du Bonnet (x Dude) is not of interest to Lippitt breeders (but, no, he did not have any registered offspring).
A second bay filly by Donald 5224 was foaled 30 August 1916. Cornwall Lass 04311 was bred by J.R. Steers, but owned at birth by C.C. Stillman, New York, New York. The offspring of this filly would go on to have a significant impact on the breed in the 20th century. She had four foals by Sealect 7266 between 1928 -1931. The last two, Cornwallis 7698 and Sealect Lass 04733, would each produce offspring contributing to the Lippitt line.
Allen’s Major (Cornwallis x Nubbin) is well known and had been featured in the Lippitt Club newsletter. He displayed the temperament and disposition for which Vermont Morgan Champion 13 was known – kind and easily handled as was stylish in the show ring. His sons and daughters were also known for their kindness and disposition.
Sealect Lass is not as well known within the Lippitt circle. Her last foal was by Lippitt Ethan Ash and that filly is the one who carries on her line. Sealect Lady Jane 08218 would have ten foals for Margaret Rice’s Twilight/Meredith breeding program. Her offspring are a significant part of several Lippitt breeding programs today.
