Kerry Morgans Archives

Upwey Ben Don

It is only fitting that we start this section with Ben Don as he is found in the pedigree of every Kerry Morgan ever registered. Ben Don was a 15.1 hand bay foaled in 1943 and died in November of 1968. He sired 149 registered Morgan foals and probably had a higher percentage of sons (and daughters) breed on than any other Morgan stallion of this century.

Upwey Ben Don

After an extensive show career that included the national championships in hand and saddle, Ben Don went on to prove his disposition and versatility by winning in family classes (with the other Davis family members mounted on various Windcrest mares) and roadster to bike classes and harness races. Upon retirement from showing he continued to be used by the family to give carriage rides and to carry the Davis grandchildren around.

Upwey King Benn

Upwey King Benn was sired by the double registered saddlebred/Morgan Upwey King Peavine. His dam was a government bred mare by Bennington out of Carolyn, a full sister to Swanton and Urnice. Much controversy has surrounded this horse for years because of his sire and the Kentucky breeding of his maternal grandsire, Bennington. Even so, Upwey King Benn's 7.58209% of Justin Morgan's blood is higher than many of the Morgans used in pedigrees by those who decry him.

Upwey King Benn

Just to show that King Benn did indeed look like a Morgan. King Benn sired 42 registered Morgans. In New England he left the great sires Upwey Ben Don and Saracen and the fantastic producer Upwey Benn Quietude (dam of Waseeka's Nocturne and Waseeka's Thisizit). Late in life he was sold to Stuart Hazard of Funquest Farms, Topeka, Kansas, where he left the good stallion Funquest King O'Fancy and several broodmares.

Windcrest Play Boy

Play Boy was the first Morgan stallion I ever saw. Owned by Mrs. William Barton of Big Bend Farm (then of Harrison, IL), he was shown all over the midwest and as far away as the Circle J Regional in Colorado (this, of course, was pre-Grand National) winning in hand, park saddle and park harness. He was the hallmark stallion of the early Big Bend Farm (before Doris Norton) and sired many outstanding foals for them prior to his sale, in his teens, to Dale Ulrich. He is the sire of our foundation mares Big Bend June Morn and Fantasy's Melodee

Pecos

Pecos is in the pedigree of almost every Kerry Morgan ever born and is now doubled and tripled back in the 3rd and 4th generations of many.

Sealect

Sealect, the sire of Cornwallis, also comes down through the mares Lady Sealect and Selection to the Kerry band. He was owned(and shown)by Anna Ela of Townshend Farm(who is pictured riding) during the last years of his life.

Monterey

Monterey was born in Connecticut and sired a few foals in the New England area before being shipped west where he left the majority of his 82 registered get. Among the few New England foals was the mare Hepatica out of Isis, a great-granddaughter of Ethan Allen 50. It is through Hepatica that the Kerry Morgans receive their Monterey blood as she is the dam of the full siblings - stallions Pecos and Allen's Seneca Chief, and mare Seneca Sweetheart, all of whom have places in the Kerry pedigrees.

Junefield

Junefield was a premier broodmare during her day - producing the AHSA Morgan of the year Dennisfield, the great sire Kingston, and our Applevale Replica's full brothers Applevale Medallion and Monarch, among others. As a teen-aged broodmare, with a foal at her side, she placed in the top three in the aged mare in hand class, the mare and foal class, and the dam and produce class at "The National". Her sire was a 5 time national champion and her dam a half sister to the incomparable Upwey Ben Don and Upwey Benn Quietude, being by Bennington and out of Quietude. Junefield is the dam of our foundation sire Applevale Replica as well as the great-granddam of JJ's Monarch.

Donlyn of Wind-Crest

Donlyn is the sire of foundations Highover Coralyn and Rockridge Manor Born

Cornie

While attending the New England Regional we spotted a gorgeous bay colt foal who won the Stallion Foal class. Intrigued, we followed him back to the barn to inquire whether he was for sale. The owners had just turned down $15,000 for him that morning. The next year we stopped at the owner's farm, Blue Rose Morgans, to see "Cornlyn" and his dam, the lovely mare Cornie, little knowing that we would soon own his full sister - our foundation mare Highover Coralyn.

JJ's Monarch

"JJ" was an in hand and/or park harness champion at every regional east of the Mississippi River in his youth. This picture, taken in plates long after his retirement from the showring, illustrates why.

Applevale Boy King

Applevale Boy King was the second foal of the great show mare Ledgewood Pecora and her first by Kingston. A full brother to Applevale Encore and Applevale Aristocrat, he was a major force in making Kingston's early name as a sire. Pecora, with Boy King at her side, won the Mare and Foal class, Leadline, Ladies' Park Harness and Park Harness Championship at "The National". Boy King himself was a many, many times champion in hand, park saddle and park harness as well as undefeated in sire and get classes. His blood comes to us through his son, our beloved JJ's Monarch.

Quizkid

Quizkid was bred by the U.S. Government Farm in Vermont and placed in the Army Remount Program to be stationed in Michigan with Gerald Taft. He was thus one of the earliest modern Morgans in that state and has had a tremendous influence on Morgan bloodlines in that region. Quizkid was also the last Morgan to be owned by the government (other than those in the U.S. Park Service) as they retained ownership of him after the transfer of the farm to the Univ. of Vermont. Quizkid stayed with Mr. Taft until the later's death when he moved to the farm of James Jones. He is the maternal grandsire of our beloved JJ's Monarch.

Tara's Cotillion

Just had to share this picture of the 10 year old Cotillion who, after producing 4 foals, returned to the showring at the Mid-Atlantic Regional to win in hand, pleasure driving, and English pleasure classes. Among the foals she has produced is the mare Tara's Glory Glory (by her cousin Tara's Shekinah), dam of the champion Smart Money (by HVK Bell Flaire). Cotillion is the dam of our junior stallion Kerry On and is expecting her ninth foal in 1999.

Tara's Hallmark

"Mark" was the Grand National Champion
Western Pleasure Stallion. He is
the only full brother to World Champion
Stallion Apollo's Reflection.

Mark is pictured here, with Shannon up, doing a demonstration to promote the breed. His blood continues in the Kerry herd today through his best foal - the great Tara's Cotillion - and also through our lovely Kerry Hallelujah and his grandchildren.

Empyrean Apollo

I first saw "Pete" at the New England Regional as a two year old, being driven by Leo LeFave (who is up in this picture). He won the 2 year old park harness championship at that show along with the hearts of almost everyone who saw him.

His motion was the high light airy and free trot we all dream about.

Pete lived but 4 short years
and left only about 20 Morgan foals. In this small number were included the World Champion Stallion Apollo's Reflection and World Champion Mare Van Lu Love Story as well as several Grand National champions. Pete was also grandsire to the World Champion Stallion Van Lu Starbuck.

He accomplished more in his 3 breeding years than most stallions do in a lifetime.

Windcrest Nancy C

Windcrest Nancy C was a top winning show mare in hand in her youth. However, beautiful as she was, it is through her produce that she is remembered today. Her stallion sons, Empyrean Apollo, Applevale Chieftain, and Applevale Ben Pecos and her daughter Saddleback Splendor are all known for the wonderful offspring they have left for the breed.

Applevale Cadence

Cadence went to Colorado as a youngster and won many championships in hand, park saddle and park harness. He was later leased back to Fred and Jeanne Herrick at Saddleback Farm. His son, Tarryall Gene Thiery, went to England as one of the first shipment of Morgans and served as the foundation sire for the Morgan breed in that country (known in England as Tarryall Maestro). Cadence is the sire of Serendipity Aries B and thus has a major influence at Kerry.

Sealect of Wind-Crest

"Woody" was originally registered as "Ledgewood Sealect" (thus his stable name) and is a full brother to the great Ledgewood Pecora and also to Ledgewood Cora Jane and the stallion Ledgewood Jancos. Purchased from his breeder by F.O. Davis of Windcrest Farm to use on the daughters of Upwey Ben Don, Woody was later bought by Gordon Voorhis for his Voorhis Farm (home of all the "Applevale" Morgans). Woody was shown by trainers Fred and Jeanne Herrick in park saddle and harness throughout New England with much success. He comes to the Kerry Morgans as the grandsire of Serendipity Aries B.

Highland Gay Bonny

Highland Gay Bonny was bred in Connecticut and traveled to New Mexico as a youngster. She was carrying,in utero, the excellent producer Porvenir Betty B (by Orcland Dondarling). Bred to Windcrest Bob B she continued to give the breed some of its best broodmares - Porvenir B Bonnet, Honey B, etc. She comes to the Kerry Morgans as the granddam of Serendipity Aries B.

Gay Dancer

Gay Dancer won, over the years, the in hand,
park saddle and park harness championships at "The National" and was one of those venerable Morgans that showed into his late teens. He is the only offspring of Havolyn Dancer, who was gelded and thereafter saw such diverse use as winning parade classes and placing in the Vermont 100 mile trail ride! Gay Dancer was inbred to Ulendon being sired by a son and out of a granddaughter of the same horse (Leading Lady was by Orcland Leader). Gay Dancer is the sire of Highland Gay Bonny and thus the maternal great-grandsire of Serendipity Aries B

Bonny Ellen

Bonfire x Ruby Ellen

Bred by an Amishman in Illinois, Bonny Ellen was sold to Clayton Conn of Connecticut and became a winning park harness mare at the New England Regional. I believe that Gay Bonny is her only line existing today.

Cedarcrest Cinnamon

Here is a picture of Candy as a western

pleasure horse. She won many blues and championships for us in western pleasure including a top ten at the 2nd Grand National in Junior Western Pleasure while she was 8 months pregnant (there were no age divisions at that time - 20+ entries from all over the U.S. and Canada showed in the one class).

Cedarcrest Cinnamon

Now we see Candy as a park horse (although well within the pleasure limits - 4-3/4" and 16 oz. - of the day). She had foaled a chestnut colt in January of that year and by September was placing in the top 2 of each of her park saddle and harness classes at the Jubilee Regional. Candy also showed open jumping and won against the thoroughbreds (she would easily clear 5 feet!) and won many championships showing in all divisions at the open shows under the quarter horse judges.

After giving us four foals (2 colts and 2 fillies), Candy was found dead in the pasture one day. An autopsy showed her heart to be so bad that she had to work twice as hard as a normal horse just to walk. The picture of her turned loose was taken just one week before she died!

Troubadour of Willowmoor

Now to get into the REAL oldies. Troubadour of Willowmoor was foaled in 1910, bred by J.W. Clise of Washington state. He was sold to the U.S. Government and transported to the farm in Vermont where he proved to be a truly great broodmare sire. His were the great producers Narissa, Quenelda, and Quietude. It is also through Troubadour that many of the Kerry Morgans receive the distinctive double cowlicks that grace their foreheads. He comes thru to our herd mostly via his grandsons Upwey Ben Don (out of Quietude) and Corisor of Upwey (out of Arissa, daughter of Narissa).

Red Oak

General Gates x Marguerite

Red Oak, a bay foaled in 1906, was bred by Joseph Battell of Registry fame. He spent his breeding life at the ranch of Richard Sellman in Texas and his blood comes down to today solely through these "Working Western" bloodlines. Foundation mare Big Bend June Morn traces to him on both her sire and dam lines for our strongest input of this blood. Fantasy's Melodee, being by the same sire, also has crosses to Red Oak.