The Pulling Stallions of Daviess County
by Lana Robertson
published in The Draft Horse Journal, Spring 2004

Two Supreme colts, CD (left hand horse) and Rock (right hand horse) at the Florida State Fair (Tampa) State Championship on February 13, 2003. Ray Powell, driving, Robin Powell, bringing them to the machine and Kenny Hill, head judge on the machine. CD and Rock won that day by crossing 4,600 lbs. on the machine. The team is owned by Ray Powell and Sons of New Castle, Kentucky. Photo by Virtually There Photography of Tampa, Florida

Belgians–as most horses–are judged by their conformation, beauty, ability to perform in their owner’s chosen venue and ability to pass their most desirable traits on to their offspring. In Daviess County, Indiana, the stallions that pass on their great strength and willingness to pull heavy loads have made a name for southern Indiana in the pulling horse world–and for the Amish community where the horses stand.

The Daviess County Amish community includes rural areas of Montgomery, Plainville, Odon and Loogootee, Indiana. It is estimated that 6,000 horses, including Belgians, Percherons and Standardbreds, reside there.

In the pulling horse industry, potential equates to value. An animal with potential to become a top pulling horse can bring high prices in the sale ring–or in a deal sealed in the shade of an Amish barn.

The stallions of Daviess County have earned the attention of pullers from all over the United States and Canada.

The cornerstone was laid back in 1957 when an Amishman, Louis Jack Stoll, brought the stallion Duke Farceur (29402) to his farm. Other top stallions that have stood in the settlement have been King Farceur (31698); Blondy Farceur (29297); Sparrow’s Lionel Resque (29115); Orndorff’s Conqueror Supreme (30044) and Homestead Cracker Supreme (31052). Each of these great sires are deceased, but not without leaving some good offspring in their wake.

Each September, the Southern Indiana Daviess County Draft Horse Consignment Sale, one of the most prominent pulling horse markets in North America, is held at Dinky’s Sale Barn near Montgomery, Indiana. The three-day event looks like an 1880s horse fair. Buggies, carts, harness and other horse related equipment, driving horses and show-bred horses are sold, but the focus is on pulling horses. The sale is a highlight to buyers who come from everywhere, and to the Amish and Mennonites who live in the area. It is not uncommon to see 100 Standardbred driving horses hitched to buggies, tied to the fences, patiently waiting for their owners to return. Vendors of horsey merchandise abound, as does the good simple food cooked up by the Amish women. The sale is a cultural experience in itself.

One hot day last July, my husband and I, accompanied by Delmer and Marvin Lengacher, toured fifteen farms in the settlement. Marvin and Delmer, cousins who live in Daviess County, keep detailed records on these horses and their offspring and know them by heart. Thanks to them we saw some great Belgian stallions; sires that are responsible for some of the top

C.D.’s Rock Supreme (41419) stands 18 hh and tips the scales at 2,150 lbs. He is owned by Johnny Wagler, Jr., Plainville, Indiana, Leroy Knepp and Dannie Ray Knepp, Montgomery, Indiana.

C.D.’s Rock Supreme

We have to start with the great pulling horse sire C.D.’s Rock Supreme (41419).

At 20, this horse is considered by many to be the premier pulling-bred stallion in Daviess County. A son of Contempos Dannie (33473) by Sunny Lane Farceur (30941), his dam is Topseys Bell Farceur (40888) by Orndorff’s Conqueror Supreme (30044) better known as “Kernal.” This stallion is owned by Johnny Wagler, Jr., of Plainville, Leroy Knepp and Dannie Ray Knepp, both of Montgomery. He stands 18 hh and weighs about 2,150 lbs.

Johnny raised the horse and says, “C.D.’s Rock Supreme has had some sons who are pretty good pullers, but none that pull any harder than his mother did.” Though she never saw a pulling contest, this mare was one of Johnny Wagler’s favorite work horses. “She was as tough as any gelding,” he said.

The sad news is C.D.’s Rock Supreme had a bout with West Nile Virus in 2002. The stallion survived, but apparently did not settle any of the mares bred to him in the spring of 2003.

C.D.’s Rock Supreme’s Offspring

C.D.’s Rock Supreme has several extremely good sons on the pulling circuit, including:

Shaggy, a horse sold to Terry Yoder, Florida, from Ray Powell of New Castle, Kentucky. Shaggy has won several pulls. Terry and Ray are both longtime horsepullers well known in the Midwestern, Southern and Eastern pulling circuits. Shaggy is out a King (31698) mare. Dale Stoll of Daviess County raised this horse.

Ray Powell also bought the horse, CD, from Boomer Clark, New York. With CD and Oscar, Boomer broke the record at the Hillsdale County Fair, Hillsdale, Michigan, pulling 4,650 lbs. on the Michigan (dynamometer) machine, in September 2002. (This record stood until September 2003.) CD is out of a Phinneys Convincer Lloyd mare and was raised by Leroy Knepp of Montgomery, Indiana.

Ray Powell also has a son of C.D.’s Rock Supreme named Rock, out of a Major Farceur II mare (31713), that has won several pulls including the Florida State Championship in 2002. Leroy Knepp also raised this horse.

Ray Powell and Sons have teamed up CD and Rock and struck gold. The team has won nine out of eleven pulls in Florida. These geldings won the Florida State Championship, on a dynamometer out of Pennsylvania, setting a new record for that machine by crossing 4,600 lbs. at the Florida State Fair on February 13, 2003. They also won the Florida Nationals. This team of remarkable pulling horses also won the Tiffin, Ohio, fair pull, pulling 12,500 lbs. on a sled last August. “Since I put this pair together they’ve won 12 out of 17 matches, were second three times and third twice. They are by far the stoutest pair I’ve ever had,” Ray said. By the time you read this, the team may have more wins under their collars.

Rex, another C.D.’s Rock Supreme son, is owned by Ken Heightchew of New Castle, Kentucky. When teamed up with Dick in 2002 and 2003, he won pulls in Burton, Findley, Lancaster and Mt. Gilead, Ohio; and the 2002 Great Lakes International Pull in East Lansing, Michigan. Heightchew says Rex is one of the best horses he has ever owned. At age nine, he weighs 2,400 lbs. He is out of a King Farceur (31689) mare.

Jimmy and Rowdy, both sired by C.D.’s Rock Supreme, are a team pulled in 2003 by Don Raider, Kentucky. At their first pull together at the Red Barn in Taylorsville, Kentucky, the team placed third in the heavyweight division. Jimmy was raised by Amos Knepp, Jr. and Rowdy was raised by Fred L. Wagler, both of Montgomery.

Wendell Armes of Hardinsburg, Kentucky, bought Pete, a C.D.’s Rock Supreme son out of a Kings Herschal mare, from David Owens of Mississippi. David Dale Stoll of Montgomery, Indiana, raised this horse. This C.D.’s Rock Supreme son is half of the team that won the Mississippi State Fair Pull in 2002.

The Carolina Connection consistingofOscarEthington, Pleasureville, Kentucky, and Bill McClellan, Marion, Virginia, are also pulling a C.D.’s Rock Supreme son named Harley in lightweight pulls and have won several. Harley is half of the team that finished third in the 2003 Florida State Fair pull. He was raised by Amos Knepp, Jr., of Montgomery.

Johnny Wagler, Jr., Plainville, Indiana, sold a 4-year-old C.D.’s Rock Supreme gelding at the 1999 Daviess County sale for $9,600, to A.J. Thompson of Reelsville, Indiana. Well worth the price, he has since won several pulls in Indiana and Illinois. The horse was later sold to Bill Edwards, Crawfordsville, Indiana. He is out of a Blondy III mare (36179) and was raised by Dannie Ray Knepp, Montgomery.

It is no secret that pulling horse prospects bring good money. Some of the sale highlights from the Daviess County Horse Sales (all sired by C.D.’s Rock Supreme) follow:

• $8,000 and $7,700 for a pair of 5-year-old geldings sold by Floyd Wagler of Daviess County (2001).
• $5,500 for a stud colt sold to Don Raider, Kentucky, from Cary Hall, Kentucky (2001).
• $5,400 Boggs Creek Rocky (60551) to Samuel E. Graber from Dannie Ray Knepp (1999).
• $4,200 for a stud colt sold to Victor Lengacher of Odon, Indiana, from Amos Knepp, Jr., Montgomery (2002).
• $3,200 apiece for a pair of fillies from Donnie Ray Knepp (2001).
• $2,000 average on three stud colts (2000).

Daviess County Stallions

There are several good pulling-bred stallions, including sons of C.D.’s Rock Supreme, standing in Daviess County. They include:

Lencrackers Continue (56932), a six-year-old stallion owned by Amos Lengacher of Loogootee, is by C.D.’s Rock Supreme, out of M.D.L. Lengachers Sharon. Sharon had several half-brothers on the pulling circuit including John, who sold for $6,500 at the Daviess County Sale. John was pulled by Bill Keegan. Another half-brother, Jesse, was pulled by Jack Sappington of Pontotoc, Mississippi. Lencrackers Continue stands 17 hh and weighs 1,950 lbs.

Boggs Creek Rocky (60554) is owned by Enos N. Graber and Sons of Loogootee. This 4-year-old C.D.’s Rock Supreme stallion is out of Leaning L. Betty (73944). Her sire was Blondy Farceur III (36179). Rocky is 17 hh and weighs about 1,850 lbs. He is a full brother to Bill Edwards’ “Rock” gelding. His dam has some good half-brothers pulling, a few of them pulled by well-known puller Ira Kessler of Pennsylvania.

Kings Final, a 3-year-old King Farceur (31698) stallion out of Patty (81610), who was sired by Sunny’s J.R. Farceur 941333). King Farceur was by Duke Farceur (29402). This horse’s first crop of colts are on the ground this year. He sold for $5,150 as a yearling in the 2001 Spring Daviess County Sale. He is owned by Leroy and Dannie Ray Knepp of Montgomery and stands 17.3 hh and weighs about 2,150 lbs.

C.D.’s Rock’s Cracker Jack, brought $16,000 as a weanling at the fall 2002 Daviess County sale. He is owned in partnership by Don Raider, Cary “Shady” Hall, Victor Lengacher, Johnny Wagler, Jr., Willard K. Wagler, Amos Knepp, Jr., Harry W. Knepp and Rick Lowry. Now a 2-year-old, this colt will stand in private syndication only, at the Willard K. Wagler farm in rural Montgomery.

M.D.L. King’s Duke is a 4-year-old by King Farceur (31698) and out of M.D.L. Lengacher’s Sharon (90071). She is by the sire M.D.L. Blondy Blazer (39346). Duke is owned by Wilmer Knepp of Montgomery. He stands 17.2 hh and weighs about 2,100 lbs. He is a half-brother to Lengacher’s Continue. His first crop of foals were born in 2003.

Cracker II (52028), is owned by Ben A.Wagler, Montgomery. He is by Lengacher’s Cracker Jr., who was by Homestead’s Cracker Supreme. His dam is Maybelle Farceur by King Farceur. This horse is new in the Daviess County area, with his first breeding season in 2003. His sire sold for $10,000 by private sale in 1987. Cracker II stands 17 hh and weighs approximately 1,850 lbs.

Burger (48543) is an outcross stallion that is siring big colts. He is by King Conn (36735) who is by a different King Farceur (30725). Burger’s dam is Deanna Du Marais (36529) who was sired by Justin Du Marais (32969). At 13, Burger stands 18 hh and weighs an even ton. He is owned by Francis L. Wagler of Loogootee. Larry Thompson of Kentucky owns several Burger colts, all big horses. Burger is the sire of Roger, a horse Kenny Heightchew is pulling. He weighs a whopping 2,900 lbs.

Barney (49761) is a 12-year-old stallion owned by Francis Graber of Odon. A son of MVF Conquerors Ward (32181) by Conquerors Farceur (29956), he is out of Betty (47480) by King Farceur. Ben Frerichs of Litchfield, Illinois, is pulling a son of this horse. Also David Owens of Mississippi is pulling a son that won the Red Barn Pull in Taylorsville, Kentucky, in January 2003. Barney stands 17.2 hh and weighs a ton.

Carter’s Colonel (60506) is owned by Adrian Wagler of Montgomery. Sired by Rocky Road Carter (46828) and out of Bobbi Duke Farceur (86265), this 4-year-old stallion stands 17.2 hands and weighs 2,100 lbs.

I.W. Leo Kay’s Tony (49432), a 12-year-old stallion owned by Ivan Wagler of Montgomery, is 18.3 hh and weighs 2,100 lbs. This stallion is by Cannelburg Prince Montgomery. He is out of Leo’s Kay (43394). He is a maternal half-brother to Lengacher’s Cracker Jr. On his sire’s side, he is a half-brother to Rowdy, the horse Don Raider of Kentucky pulled successfully and sold to Dick Powers, Enosburg Falls, Vermont, for $12,500 last year. This horse won 25 out of 32 pulls in one year.

Sunny’s J.R. Farceur (41333) is owned by Jerome Graber, Odon. This stallion sired the big team that the Carolina Connection used to pull in the mid-1990s. They won a lot of pulls. His colts have brought from $5,250 to $13,000 at the sales. He stands 18 hh and weighs about 2,000 lbs.

John’s Jake (55669), a 7-year-old stud owned by Roman Raber of Montgomery, is by BCD John (47757) who was by Green Hill John (33943). John’s Jake’s dam is Ambers Peggy by C.D.’s Rock Supreme. This stallion is by a full brother to the George horse that Bill Edwards pulled for many years. He stands 17.2 hh and weighs 2,250 lbs.

Cornettsville Jim (56140), age 6, is owned by Harry W. Knepp of Plainville. He is by King Farceur (31698) and is out of Daisy Farceur (51553).

Cracker’s Red George (54479) is by Duke Cracker Supreme (38383) who was by Homestead’s Cracker Supreme. He is out of Cracker’s Red Rose (62547), also by Homestead’s Cracker Supreme. An 8-year-old, Cracker’s Red George is owned by Cary “Shady” Hall of Sadiesville, Kentucky, and stands at the Willard K. Wagler farm in Daviess County. He stands 17.2 hh and weighs a ton. This horse is a half-brother to Hank, the horse Chris Hatfield, Beaver Dam, Kentucky, is pulling, and to Boomer Clark’s horse that set a world record in 2002, and a half-brother to the Prince horse that the Humphrey Brothers of Kentucky are pulling.

The tradition is there. Pullers come to Daviess County because they know that the horses being bred there have potential. Delmer Lengacher pointed out that while bloodlines mean a lot, it still takes a lot of dedication, time and hard work on the part of the people who buy the horses to complete the equation and make good pulling horses. “People can buy the good bloodlines here,” he said, “but it still takes a lot of training.”