Gordon Russell

An Early American Sport Stallion Success Story

Gordon Russell's story will give you an example of a homebred stallion's success in sport horse breeding, plus give you a glimpse into the US Army Remount breeding program.

"Gordon Russell, has been considered one of the greatest sires the Remount Service ever had." (War Horses)

Before World War I, our government, in a manner similar to the contemporary European governments, realized that in time of war we would not have enough of the right type of horse for cavalry use. Peace time production of horses was inadequate in both quality and quanity to supply our war time needs. Therefore the U.S. Army Remount was established, to insure we had this needed resource available in our country. At that time horse cavalry was considered essential for waging war.

The New York Times, December 24, 1911 said: "The agitation by army officers of the difficulty of getting suitable cavalry and artillary horses is bearing some fruit...in the event of war more than double the number of horses now in the regular army would be needed, and that new relays of horses would be required every four to six months...50,000 horses would be required by army and the National Guard before a shot was fired..."

The Remount quickly established that it was impractical to keep the large broodmare bands necessary to supply the need of the cavalry for quality mounts. So the program was adjusted so that the government acquired quality stallions and supplied them to breeders, free or at minimal charge, through regional agents and remount depots. This program proved a huge success, not only in meeting government needs, but the upgrading that occured in American horses was dramatic.

The vast majority of the stallions provided were Thoroughbreds, although there were a significant number of Morgan, Arabian and Saddlebred stallions also. Further, these stallions were not just the culls from breeders, but many of the best breeders in the country donated top stallions for the war effort.
Remount Service Success in1922 New York Times article

Gordon Russell was one of these stallions, and his resulting progeny record, which includes offspring bringing home Olympic medals and other honors, makes him a worthy subject of study for sport horse breeders.

Gordon Russell's bio in a nutshell: born in 1910, 16 hands, bay stallion, approximately 1,100 lbs. An extremely tough horse, who raced over 100 times, before his donation to the Remount in 1920 by the Kentucky Racing Association. He stood in Kentucky through 1923, then he was sent to the Remount station in Front Royal, VA where he stood 1924-26. In 1926 he was assigned to the Remount agent: B.G. Ray at Happy Creek, VA. While there he sired over 100 foals. Then he was sent to New York for 1928-29 stud duty. Finally, starting in 1930 he stood at the Remount at Fort Robinson, NE. At least 9 of his stallion sons also took up stud duties for the Remount Service.

After a time it became obvious that many of his progeny were exceptionally talented. He consistently passed on tremendous jump ability, along with great courage and stamina, even when mated with less than stellar mares. At one time the entire US Jump Team was horsed on his sons and daughters.

Jenny Camp "...indisputably the greatest
Olympic mount in US Army history."

Gordon's most famous offspring was a little tough mare named Jenny Camp. Jenny, born in 1926, 3/4 Thoroughbred-1/4 Standardbred, is one of very few horses ever inducted into the US Eventing Hall of Fame. Her full brother Don R was on the US Jump Team.

Described as slight framed, short gaited with upright front pasterns, Jenny was also endowed with tremendous agility, quickness, stamina and courage. Of the horses that made up the 1932 Olympic team, she was considered the worst in conformation.

Not only did this less than ideal mount make it possible for her team to bring home the Gold medal in 1932, but she also won the individual Silver medal in eventing. Four years later, this resilient mare then did the seemly impossible: she won the individual Silver medal in eventing again, in the 1936 Olympics. This is more than extraordinary, for the 1936 Olympics is infamous for the less than sportsman-like behavior demonstrated by the hosting country:Germany. Many horses were injured and several met their death, including one of Jenny's teammates, from hidden traps constructed on the cross country course. This feat of individual medals in consecutive Olympics was not matched until Charisma in 1984 and 1988 brought home the individual Gold in eventing twice for New Zealand. And no horse has repeated it since.

Jenny retired on a California ranch owned by a team mate: Colonel Fred Koester, where she died at 32 of very old age.

Jenny's 1/2 brother Democrat, born in 1933 had only a slightly less spectacular sport record. Early in his training at Fort Riley he showed remarkable jump talent. At age 6, because of his talent he was entered in his first 3-Day Event, and even though inexperienced he won the event. In 1940 at the National Horse Show in Madison Square Garden in NY, he won the International Individual Military Championship, and helped his team win the Nations Cup. In 1941, he appeared again with the cavalry and he was awarded the Whitney Stone Trophy. Democrat was described as possessing great impulsion, with an almost flawless jump style.

The army breeding program was suspended. And with World War II raging, Democrat and the cavalry team were sidelined.

After the War at age 15- Democrat at the 1948 Olympics

The result of the Army breeding program being cancelled was that there were not any youthful army horses available after the war for competition. So, Democrat and the other elderly army horses were dusted off and resumed their place on the nations team. In 1947, Democrat won a jump class at the Nations Cup in NY and helped his team win the Nations Cup again. Not bad for a team of geriatric horses and riders! Then these dinosaurs went to the 1948 Olympics in London and their team placed 4th. In 1949 at age 16 Democrat won the individual medal and helped his team win 3rd in the Nations Cup. The Army team was then dissolved by an act of Congress and soon after this Democrat, along with the other aged Army horses, were sold to the newly formed USET for a $1 each.

At age 19, with navicular problems and some tendon soreness, Democrat helped the civilian US team win the 1952 Olympic Bronze in Helsinki. He came home not to retirement, but to the fall and winter indoor jump circuit were he racked up a record that they still are talking about. He won every class he was entered in, a total of 8. His rider, William Steinkraus estimates Democrat cleared over 150 consecutive obstacles without a fault! Democrat has rightfully been inducted into the Show Jump Hall of Fame.

He was retired to beautiful accomadations at the Whitney Stone Farm, where he died at age 24 in 1957.

Democrat at the 1952 Olympics- age 19

The jump line of Gordon Russell continued on producing many top jumpers and eventers. For instance, Peter Birdsall recounted that Jenny Camp's full sister (unnamed remount mare) had a daughter: Little Boo, who is dam of the winning event horses: Castle Walk, Widow Walk and Dr. L.

As you might suspect, a horse so talented and pre-potent must have a strong pedigree. Gordon Russell 7 generation pedigree

Read More about the Army Equestrian Team

Gordon Russell's pedigree does not disappoint us when looking for the genetic source of his extraordinary career. This is the pedigree of a tough stayer. To be a more brilliant type he would have needed tighter engagement of his background strength in the front of the pedigree.
To learn more about Stamina lines

At first glance, the Stockwell double and his 1/2 brother King Tom, 5x5x5 would appear to provide the most genetic strength. Their dam Pocahontas is the famous conduit of the large heart gene, which she carried on both her x-chromosomes. However, these sons of Pocahontas are present through sons, so they could not have passed on the large heart to Gordon.

A horse that can run more than 100 races, then retire sound and produce top level sport progeny with reserves of stamina, and live to 28, would be a very good guess for possession of the large heart. His pedigree shows that he did receive this heart from transmitters other than Pocahontas.

Glencoe, the sire of Pocahontas is present in Gordon's lineage through 3 other daughters: Magnolia, Volga and Anna C. All three of these Glencoe daughters are found on the dam side of the pedigree and through daughters. They would have received the large heart gene from Glencoe on one of their x chromosomes. The three granddaughters of Glencoe were two by Lexington and the other by his sire Boston.

Lexington, was the leading sire in the US a whopping 16 times- a record that has never been broken. He passed on great quality and beautiful movement along with a difficult temperament, plus a good shoulder and powerful hindquarter. He is also a transmitter of the large heart gene.

These Glencoe daughters and granddaughters explain where Gordon's large heart came from. They are also an extremely strong filly factor, and surely had a lot to do with his success as a sire. Complexity in a pedigree equals genetic power. Sylvio is the 3/4 brother to Glencoe and he also is here by a daughter. No wonder this horse could run forever.

More sire strength arrives with the 3 close siblings: Billet/Duciella/Woodcraft on the dam side 4x5x5. Good mares make good stallions.

Behind Stockwell we find Birdcatcher, a known jump transmitter, along with his full brother Faugh-a-Ballah. Full siblings multiply the genetic power and guarantee the traits come through. Birdcatcher, the sire of The Baron:Stockwell's sire, also has a daughter: Miss Agnes, which sex balances the strong Birdcatcher/Faugh-a-Ballah concentration.

However, this pedigree is similar in some ways to the Loretto pedigree. Loretto Pedigree Analysis .Both have a concentration of an excellent genetic transmitter, Gordon: Stockwell/King Tom and Loretto: Elegant/Norhauser, but through sons only. The researchers determined that the good traits become strangled when the presence is only through sons. In Loretto's case the presence of Schiller made all the difference, he not only saved the power of the lines, he also connected them to the other power areas in the lineage. Without Schiller, we would not be seeing Loretto in pedigrees often.

In Gordon's pedigree we see that the sons of Pocahontas are rescued by the presence of multiple sisters of Pocahontas, which makes their daughters genetic relatives of Stockwell and King Tom. In addition this shifts the energy to the overall pedigree with the 6 Glencoe daughters spread thoroughout, and is reinforced even more by the presence of Sylvio, Glencoe's 3/4 brother who is here by a daughter also. Don't miss the fact that these Glencoe/Sylvio daughters are sitting on the tail female lines of the pedigree quadrants- this makes them more significant.

These Glencoe daughters and granddaughters provide a very strong filly factor which explains his enduring strength as a sire.

You can use this lesson when you are building potency into your horses. If you have a overloaded male only representation in your best lines, then find a mate who brings in the sex balance and you will bring the power back to your herd.

The famous Bend Or/Macaroni nick which we find on the sire line of Marchmont, owes some of its power to the 3/4 siblings, Windhound and his sister Jocuse. And the rest of the pedigree engages this strength and brings in sex balance, with multiple presences of The Libel, their 3/4 brother through a son and a daughter.

Jocuse is also 3/4 sister to Pasquinade, the dam of The Libel. Pasquinade is a pivotal mare, because she is 3/4 sister not only to Jocuse, but Palmyra and Delphi (the respective 4th dams of Springfield and Bend Or.) The complexity of the genetic connections goes yet deeper as Pasquinade is also 5/8 sibling to Windhound/Sylvio/Glencoe/Newminister/Orlando/Flatcatcher, and a 1/2 sibling to Pantaloon Mare/Fair Helen/Ellen Horne/Venison Mare. Like a well woven tapestry, the genetic power is enlarged and enriched with close sibling relationships and background reinforcement of important ancestors. This is what gave him reserves of stamina and potency. And he passed it on because no matter which area of the pedigree a mate engaged, it would connect to the entire gene pool.

There are many more background connections throughout Gordon Russell's lineage. In your breeding program, you will want to not only make key sex balanced duplications in the engine room of your pedigrees, but reinforce and enrich the ancestors of these target lines. Then it could be one of your creations that we will be seeing in multples in the background of the winners of the future.

The 1932 Gold Medal Event Team- Jenny on the right.

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