Spotlight on Our Member!

Mavis Peavy
A founding Breeder of Old Fred Bloodlines

Since Annika has started doing the newsletter, she has asked a different member to contribute a story about themselves/ their horses. That usually works fine except this time the person who had agreed to write it said that their computer crashed and they had lost their story. That is bad news but doubly bad when they failed to tell Annika until the day she was on her way to the printers and called them to inquire about their story. Well, to make a long story short, I will take this opportunity to do a short spotlight on one of the breeders who used Coke Roberds horses and have certainly played a big part in the development of this family.

The vast majority of the members of this organization are concentrating on the horses that originated at Wiescamps. And, certainly credit must be given to HJW for developing his breeding program and making a lasting impact on the horse business. But, credit must also be given to the breeders before him, and their horses, which gave this family of horses a foundation to build upon. Because of where I live (and grew up) I was able to know some of these people and understand the role they played in the establishment of this family.

Without question, Coke Roberds has to be considered the founding breeder of this family of horses. With his stallions, Old Fred, and to some extent, Peter McCue, he established a breeding program that has made a lasting impact on the horse industry for more than a century. Coke Roberds ranched in northwestern Colorado near the town of Hayden, and that is where the Old Fred horses originated. It was Old Fred's influence that captured the imagination and inspired succeeding breeders.

Marshall and Mavis Peavy

The Quarter Horse business would not be how we have known it for the last seventy years without Marshall Peavy and his wife Mavis, and their tireless efforts to establish these horses as a breed and be recognized as such. The Peavys ranched in northwestern Colorado near Coke Roberds and a great many of their mares and stallions came from that source. They left that area in the 1940's and moved to northeastern Colorado. There is an area between the S. Platte River and the Wyoming border known as "the drylands". They chose this area for the abundant grass available and the close supply of feed that was/is grown in the Platte River valley. As Mrs. Peavy explained, the reason for the move was that the winters were too severe and the area too isolated in northwestern Colorado and they felt that they had to position themselves to do a better job of raising cattle and horses and to market those products.

Although Marshall Peavy was one of the founders of the AQHA, he never saw the organization become a force in the business or Quarter Horses gain the prominence they were to enjoy. The AQHA was formed in 1941 but most of its activity was put on hiatus during World War II. Activity began to resume at the end of the war, but it was at about this time that Marshall Peavy died as the result of a riding accident. Be that as it may, I think it is important to understand that Marshall Peavy was an independent thinker and believed firmly that the horses that he produced had to be competitive and as good as they could be. I understand that he worked tirelessly to establish himself as a breeder and horseman, and to be recognized for his work, and not rely on those before him.

After his death, Marshall Peavy's wife Mavis and his daughters continued to run their ranch as was. They did not change or cut back, but continued to raise quality cattle and to work at the horse breeding program. Many of the people who I have talked to, kind of picture Mavis Peavy as a rough, tough cowgirl. I'm sure as a young woman she was a capable horsewoman and rider. Without doubt, she could handle many of the day to day tasks of running a ranch of that size. But, she was an intelligent, refined and educated woman that succeeded by being a shrewd business woman and a careful manager. She knew that in order to succeed, that the manual work was best left to the help, and that her planning and decision making was far more important to her future.

I got to know Mrs. Peavy in the mid 1980's when she and I both served on the advisory board of the equine program of a local Junior college. She approached that duty as she did everything, quietly, thoughtfully and with a determination to succeed. A few members of that group were invited to her house one day and it was truly an education to listen to her. She never did talk about any one horse as being of much more importance than another, and she felt that the mares were the important part of any program. She was emphatic that pedigrees alone were worthless, and that feed, care and management were essential to the success of a breeder. She understood the part of the country in which she lived, and accounted for its strengths and weaknesses.

Specifically, the horses that she had had that she discussed with me were Mary McCue, Gold Heels, and Nick. Mary McCue was a mare that they had bought from Coke Roberds in the 1920's. Mavis commented that it took three years of "cream and egg" money to pay for her. The mare produced a number of outstanding individuals for the Peavy's and her presence was felt in their herd until the end. Gold Heels was named the Grand Champion stallion at the first Quarter Horse show held in conjunction with the Denver Stock Show in 1944. Gold Heels was the senior sire at the Peavy ranch for a long time and his name showed up in lots of horses in this area (he traced to Old Fred 5 times). It should be noted here that many of the Peavy horses that became noteworthy were crop-out Appaloosas. There were Appaloosa genetics in the Coke Roberds horses and it was fairly common for Mrs. Peavy to have full siblings, where some were Quarter Horses and some were Appaloosas. During the 1950's and 60's, northeastern Colorado was a hotbed of activity for Appaloosas and Mavis made the most of it. Many of her horses were prominent in those circles and sought after as breeding horses. Peavy Bimbo, who was used by Hank Weiscamp, was an excellent example.

A third horse that she commented on was Nick. The Peavys raised Nick from stock that they had obtained from Coke Roberds. Mavis didn't really say that he was the best horse that they had had, but I think she regarded him in the top two or three. She was quick to give credit to Nick and Warren Shoemaker as being the founding sire and breeder of what we think of as "family" horses. To quote her, "none of these horses would have happened, had she not sold Nick to Warren Shoemaker". When asked why she did not keep the horse herself, she reminded the person questioning that in 1936, it was impossible to keep anything that could contribute money and lessen the feed bill. That was during the height of the Great Depression, and combined with the dust bowl conditions, that was probably true. For those of you that might not be familiar with this, Nick sired Nick Shoemaker who in turn sired Skipper W. You can take it from there. Nick was a double bred Old Fred and it is this breeding that still influences our horses today.

What I personally gained by knowing Mavis Peavy was this. Hearing a first hand account of some of the historically significant horses was interesting. Knowing which of these horses she felt were making an impact on the breed today was beneficial. But, knowing her as a person was invaluable to me. She served as an inspiration by understanding her perseverance and dedication. She did not treat the horse business as a hobby and expected it to pay like a business. Her horses and cattle were the focal point of her life, not something to be squeezed in between ball games and shopping sprees. I think she understood full well that while she hoped that each foal that was born would be a great one, very few were. If an exceptional foal was born, she knew to make the most of the opportunity given to her. I'm sure she saw the horse breeding business as a life long venture and that it took a lifetime to enjoy any true success.

When asked a question or for an opinion, her answer was usually quick and always decisive and to the point. She was reserved, yet generous. She was not impressed with fads and flamboyant behavior. She did not try to create fads.

Mavis Peavy died in 2000 at the age of 96. Her horses had been dispersed some years earlier. But her influence goes on. In a way, her efforts are very much a part of what we are all working with today.

Mavis Peavy actually lived at two different ranches in the same area. Her address is sometimes shown as West Plains. This was a school district and not a town. The nearest town was Keota (now a ghost town). This area is west of Sterling, Colorado or about 60 miles north of where Annika and I live.

John Hayes