DHJ:: The "Greatest" Hitch Horse Ever

The "Greatest" Hitch Horse Ever
by Maurice Telleen
published in The Draft Horse Journal, Summer 1999

Greatness should be recognized in some special way. To our greats in the political arena we build monuments, name schools or other government buildings in their honor. For greatness in the arts, we have the Kennedy Center Honors, Pulitzers, Museums, Lifetime Achievement Awards, etc. In sports, we have Hall of Fames and special boards of experts who choose recipients of honors like: Jack Nicklaus, “golfer of the century”; Muhammad Ali, “boxer of the century”; Dan Gable, “wrestler of the century”; Michael Jordan, “basketball player of the century”; Babe Ruth, “baseball player of the century”; et al. What about the horse world?

In the equine world, you have to leave it to the experts to recognize the greats. Dan Patch has been immortalized in harness racing. Man O’ War, Citation, and Secretariat have come to the front in the expert’s minds in the Thoroughbred world. In the draft horse industry, it becomes muddled in most cases by people’s biases and simple differences of opinion. But a certain amount of agreement can, at times, surface. Most people old enough to have witnessed Belgian history first hand will swear that Rowdy D’Or was the greatest show stallion they’ve ever seen. Some have waited 60 years for another one like him to excite and exhilarate. The mare side is more muddled with Genese de Ergot, Pervenche, Victory, Victory Farceur, Linda, Lady Flash, EJG Barb, Sunny Lane Rebecca, RKD Lou, Majorette du Marais, Orndorff’s Congolaise Pinky & Princess, Oaklands Marcay, Sunny Acres Kate, HB Alpha, Question Beth, et al, all having their suitors. But let’s examine the true athletes of the drafters, the hitch horses, in search of greatness.

There have been some great wheel horses over the years. Budweiser had a super black horse (in a bay hitch) during Jerry Maker’s years as a hitch driver. Obviously, his “off” color signaled his greatness in harness, otherwise he wouldn’t have been used. McMains currently have two great moving, homebred wheelers, Gillette & Tank. McKeehan and Miller Container had the “Bill” horse, a great wheel and cart horse. The Huston & Schrock hitch, with Royce & Bobby, may have the best wheelers ever assembled. I personally would peg the Bobby horse as the greatest wheel horse ever!

Swing horses like Rocking Horse’s Otto and Grupe’s Firestone also enter the picture. But I think we’ll agree that in the lead is where the greatest will be found.

Grandview’s Snickers, Gray Transportation’s Reba, McMain’s Manerva and Lady Flash can/could lead, but we’re going to be chauvinistic here and limit our discussion to geldings.

During the 50s, the Iowa-bred Supreme Flash geldings Bill & Prince were great lead horses for Bert Fevold, Bud for Ray Bohan, and Jim and Sam for Chester (Chet) Umholts of Indiana. The “Sam” horse was superlative. In the 60s, Sparrow & Hindman had a super lead horse, named “Jim.” Dick Sparrow says he place third only once in halter. Every other time, he was second in class. Herchel Griffith’s “Mike” horse was also one to be reckoned with. Bones & Rex made McMain’s hitch hard to beat–they were unforgettable. Palmer’s “Toby” horse was superior. Sigmon’s lead team was not only super, but consistently super. Grupe’s Chip and Magic were thrilling flashmasters. Jaeger’s “Dick” horse has been super for years. Cedarfarm’s Mike horse may be the best thing going nowadays. Bubba Loftin’s Doug and Huston & Schrock’s Gordie, with their Hackney-like action, can make your palms sweat with excitement. Pareo’s Steve and Mark were probably the best lead team ever, built the same, same inordinately high stride, same color, same headset...consistent. I guess when you get right down to it, I would give Mark the nod over Steve. Despite all these great horses, one horse still stands out over all others as the greatest hitch horse ever, the Dan Patch, Secretariat, Muhammed Ali and Michael Jordan of hitch horses. His name was Doug.

“Now wait a minute,” you say, “did he just pick Doug out of the blue?” Nope, I called my experts and one by one, they testified, truthfully, I hope. My board of experts, complete with credentials and testimony, were as follows:

Randy Robertson - a great halter showman, hitch driver, judge, and order buyer. Many people in the know, both north and south of the border, call him the best all-around horseman currently going. (We’ll leave that to another board of experts!) There’s no questioning his abilities as a flamboyant showman, talented fitter, and great equine judge. I asked him at the Davenport show, “what was the greatest lead team ever?” After long consideration, he said he guessed that would have to be Steve & Mark, but that Bunston’s “Doug” horse was by far, the greatest individual hitch horse. “Nothing compares to Doug, not even close”.

Alan Freitag - another great young hitch driver, including service at both Sigmon’s and Cedarfarm among his many stints with top hitches. He and his father, Eddie, are my two favorites to watch “move” a horse on a lead shank. I’ve called him, Alan “Michael Jordan” on a lead shank, and I think the tag fits. I asked Alan over the phone who he thought the greatest hitch horse ever was. It took him a nanosecond to reply, “Bunston’s Doug..just a natural...just couldn’t get ahead of him...great halter horse, too.”

Robert Detweiler - former hitch driver at Miller Container, Budweiser, and currently working with LeRoy & Carolyn Gray, owners of Gray Transportation’s black Percheron mare hitch–also, a very accomplished halter showman for his own Belgian breeding operation. Robert states emphatically, “Kelvin, in my opinion, Doug was by far the greatest natural hitch horse I ever saw, period.” Enough said.

Dale McMain - Belgian vice president and board member, hitch driver, one of very few operations that has, for years, put out a top hitch along with a top flight string of breeding horses for halter competition. Four of the McMain’s 1998 six-horse hitch were home raised. Dale wouldn’t pick just one horse. He started out naming Bones & Rex, saying, “Bones was flashier than Rex, but Rex was the glue that held them together,” then including Steve & Mark, Grupe’s Firestone, saying “Kelvin, you should have seen the tape of Firestone at Denver on the cart as a young horse.” Then he said, “A great, great horse was Doug–Bunston’s Doug. There was a great horse who you couldn’t find another good enough to mate him.” Dale then reiterated that he would not say Doug was the greatest, he thought Bones was right up there too. Fair enough.

Jim Whisman - breeder, hitch driver extraordinaire, started with McKeehan’s with Ralph House & Craig Grange, then Miller Container, winning both the Royal Winter Fair Percheron & Belgian six-horse hitch classes in the same year. Jim would not pick one horse either. Jim said he’d settle on four. “First Bill, he was my cart horse, wheel horse, and finally great lead horse at Miller’s; a tromping big horse and also a good halter horse. If they can’t halter, I can’t pick them as a top hitch horse, they’ve gotta’ do both. Another, I suppose, is Mark. He’s been doing it pretty consistently. Then Bobby (Grupe’s and now, Huston & Schrock)–another tromping, big horse. And, Bunston’s Doug, a great horse.” Jim states, “and you’ll notice all four of those haltered.” Jim almost added Bones and Pareo’s wheel horse, Butch, but didn’t.

Craig Grange - Truly, the hitch gelding specialist. From McKeehan’s to Budweiser to Hallamore to Pareo’s to Otterbrook. He is always a professional’s professional. Whether promoting a horse at halter or hitch, he’s got a winning game plan. Craig states “There’s never been a perfect hitch horse–he’s never been born.” Craig wouldn’t pick one horse either, matter of fact he picked the same four horses Jim Whisman picked, and almost added the same two, Bones & Pareo’s Butch, but didn’t. He stated “Bones without Rex wouldn’t have been near as good. Rex was the brains of the outfit.” So, Craig picked “Bill”, the McKeehan/Miller Container horse; “Mark”, Pareo’s lead horse, stating he “could have a longer neck, but is consistent and has done it for such a long period of time.” By the way, Mark is 13. Then Schrock’s Bobby, “a little heavy on the bit, I don’t like that.” Then of course, our hero, Doug, “never a mate born to keep up with that horse...only negative on him was he held his nose too high. That was his only bad habit.” Craig also wants his all-time hitch horse to halter and his final four did. “They gotta'’ do both.”

So those are the experts I asked and everyone of them either picked Doug as #1 All-Time or had him tied in a group of 2 or 4 at the top. “Master” Grange rightly criticized his nose being up a bit, but he also stated, “the perfect horse has never been born,” so in the big picture it didn’t really matter. I’m sure Shakespeare might not have dotted every “i” either and Brad Pitt endures a bad hair day once in awhile. Doug wasn’t perfect, but my board of experts clearly have him rated #1. The winner and still champion, now and forever, the greatest hitch horse ever; Bunston’s Doug. As far as a hitch horse also having to halter, maybe it is necessary. Bones definitely lacked draftiness in bone and foot, but it should count both ways, if you see a big-footed, clean limbed halter horse, he should be able to really move and hitch, they gotta'’ do both, otherwise you’re overlooking the single most important factor in any livestock breed, to be bred for a use, a utility. If a horse loses it’s ability to fulfill its utility, we’re simply in the pet or fad business. The halter horse that can’t carry harness without straight, long strides and purpose of movement to generate power, cannot fulfill it’s purpose of being, which is to work. As far as hitchability, Doug was without rival, and halter ability, in which he also rates high, is why Doug should be doubly recognized. Maybe he is “the draft horse of the century.

We’ll have to start the Doug story long before he was born. I guess I’ll start with a couple guys from Holmes County, Ohio, making a horse buying trip to the Hawkeye State. The two men were Joe Maybach and Bob Leach. Mr. Maybach relates the story more or less this way:

It’s late fall, 1969. Mr. Maybach and Mr. Leach first stop at Jiggs Kinney’s to visit. They remember Jiggs was picking corn with his horses. They didn’t buy anything there and continued on to the Hazleton, Iowa Amish community. They stopped at Freeman Detweiler, Sr.’s place and saw a nine-year old stallion that caught Mr. Maybach’s eye. He was a big 18hh, light sorrel with a strip, white mane and tail, big foot, and he’s for sale. His name was Sunny Lane Bruce. He was a son of College Kid and out of LaFondle Rubis. LaFondle Rubis was a big Don Rubis mare with a big foot, whose dam was Linda Tripsee Farceur, a Reed Shank bred mare by Siehl’s Tripsee Farceur. Anyway, Sunny Lane Bruce had a royal pedigree and Mr. Maybach, remembering Harold Clark telling him that College Kid “made” those Iowa horses, bought him on the spot. Don Schneckloth had shown Bruce to 1st & reserve junior champion at Indiana, 1st & reserve grand at Wisconsin and 2nd at the National Belgian Show and Minnesota as a two year old. He’d also shown well for Schneckloth as a yearling. Anyway, he’d had a fine show record before becoming an Amish horse. He was broke to work, but Mr. Maybach said that when he first went to breed a mare, he found the horse to be “spoiled” to handle. He’d been on a lunge line when breeding at Detweiler’s and he got on his hind feet about 20 feet from the mare and didn’t come down until he had pulled Mr. Maybach along and landed on the mare. That was the last time that happened for Mr. Maybach, as he gave the horse a quick and strenuous education. Bruce quickly became a gentleman. Mr. Maybach said Bruce was a good workhorse and a good moving horse. He states that even when Bruce got to be an old horse, he “stayed sound and clean.”

Also on this late 1969 trip, Bob Leach bought two mares from Lester Detweiler. One, a coming 3 year old named Clearview’s Flora, is the key to our story. She was bred by Duwayne DeLong, Arlington, IA, and was sired by Sunny Lane Bruce and was out of a Supreme Flash daughter named Flora Bell. Clearview’s Flora was really bred to hitch. Her sire, Sunny Lane Bruce, was of course by College Kid and therein lies part of the genetics of her hitchability.

College Kid was an energetic, high-headed horse himself, who in turn sired hitch horses. He was bred to do so in that his dam, Lady Flash, was a great hitch mare herself. In fact, Jiggs Kinney claims that Lady Flash and Florinda were the best lead team Meadow Brook ever had. College Kid’s sire, Conductor, is out of Flashy Pearl, a hitch mare, who was in turn, out of Pearl Harbor. Pearl Harbor held a special place in Harold Clark’s heart. Harold stated, “she was a lot of horse in harness and was in the lead when we won at Toronto and Chicago in 1946.” Pearl Harbor made history in the lead in 1946, in that “Win for the Ages,” and was coincidentally the granddam of the aforementioned Florinda. So you see, College Kid was bred to hitch, in spades, and Clearview’s Flora’s dam being by Supreme Flash...well, Supreme Flash is a legend here in Iowa.

Supreme Flash was bred by the Sorensons of Goldfield, Iowa (the same Sorensons that bred Korry’s Captain, another hitch type, super-moving horse, owned currently by the Orndorff’s of Pennsylvania). Supreme stood for service at Bill Harris’, Quasqueton, Iowa. You’ll most notably find him in Evergreen Jay’s dam’s pedigree and Illini Masterpiece was out of Harris’ Bessie, a Supreme Flash daughter. During the late ‘40s, ‘50s, and early ‘60s, Supreme Flash was maybe “the” stud, or close to it, here in Iowa and as far as hitch horses. He was far and away “the” Iowa hitch horse sire. Iowa is now known for our Remlap Spike, Master’s Eddie & Charlie H. Farceur hitch horses who are dominating the scene. In the ‘60s and ‘70s, the geldings of choice were by College Kid, Klondyke Rubis, Klondyke Korky, Eddie du Marais, etc. But the forerunner here in Iowa during that time period, was Supreme Flash. No other stallion could carry his jock strap as a hitch sire. Bill and Prince for Bert Fevold, Bud for Ray Bohan, Jim and the superlative Sam for Chet Umholts of Indiana, among others, were the greats of their era and they were all Supreme Flash sons. So you see, this Clearview’s Flora, who was making her way back to Holmes County, Ohio with Bob Leach, had College Kid on top and Supreme Flash on the bottom. She was bred to hitch and to produce “the” hitch horse and she sure did.

Clearview’s Flora was delivered to Bob Leach’s place in Wooster, Ohio on January 2, 1970. Mr. Maybach had returned to Iowa and on New Years Day, 1970, had picked up their purchases. Three years later, in February, 1973, she was transferred to Albert R. Yoder, Fredericksburg, Ohio. This is where she would write history.

Clearview’s Flora is described by Mr. Yoder as a 16.2 hh, light sorrel, with white mane and tail, strip, big feet, clean hocks, high-headed, and you could hook her at “6 a.m. and she’d be on the iron all day,”–a tremendous hitch and work mare. In 1977, Mr. Yoder acquired the 2 year old stallion Conte 32255 from his breeder, James R. Gresser, Smithville, Ohio and he was mated the next four years to Clearview’s Flora. He describes Conte by saying he and Flora worked side-by-side in harness and were both little horses, 16.2 hh. “Conte was not as quick a hitchin'’ horse as Flora, but still a good work horse.” He states Conte was almost chestnut with dapples, real clean legged and big footed. Conte’s pedigree includes being sired by Continue himself and his dam, Connie 41393, was by a son of Penn State Conqueror, who was out of a Spartan Farceur dam, as was Connie herself. So, Connie was a line-bred Spartan Farceur. Spartan Farceur was by King Farceur and out of the great Ginger’s Jewell 22934 mare (she ended up with Harry Wendel). Spartan Farceur was a product of Michigan State University and was a full sister to Jewell’s Farceur, Orndorff’s great show mare and foundation mare of the early ‘50s from Reed Shank. King Farceur was a son of Lisa, Charlie House’s old mare, so Connie, through Penn State Conqueror once, and Spartan Farceur twice, went back to Lisa three times. Anyway, that’s Conte’s pedigree. This good quality, 16.2 hh, almost-chestnut, was mated to a 16.2 hh, big footed, almost-blonde, hitchy mare. What would those two little horses produce? The greatest hitch horse ever, that’s what.

In the four matings, Flora produced Doug, two full brothers to Doug (both died due to reactions to medication) and a full sister to Doug, christened Sunny Lane Blondie. Blondie was foaled in 1978 and sold to Paul Schwartzendruber of Mount Odon, Ohio at the Mt. Hope Draft Horse Sale. The best we can figure is that Doug was born in May or June of 1980. Albert R. Yoder, Fredericksburg, Ohio, and his son remember vividly the night he was born. They say they had to help with the birth as he was extra big, extra long-legged and had the crookedest hind legs you’ve ever seen. They state they were outside the box stall looking in when the big, rugged, crooked colt stood up and Albert made the comment to his son, “I think we’ll sell him.” He wasn’t very impressive, that’s for sure. In February or March of 1981, Doug was sold to Albert’s brother, Eli R. Yoder.

That was what Eli R. Yoder of Orville, Ohio thought of Doug when he paid $900 to own him. Eli has sold a lot of horses to Doug Palmer over the years, but Doug was the one that became famous. Eli told me that he had no idea this little horse would rise to such heights.

As stated previously, $900 was what “ the greatest hitch horse ever” was deemed to be worth. Horses weren’t cheap in 1981, particularly blonde sorrels, so this high-headed colt must have looked like “just another colt,” as Eli stated. Doug was moved to Eli’s around his first birthday and Eli states that in May or June “I cut him”. He never broke Doug. I guess Doug just enjoyed free meals of grass, hay and grain and soaked up the sunshine, waiting for a certain Canadian to pull in the driveway.

The story of Doug Palmer’s purchase and Bunston’s showing Doug follows and I have to state that both Albert and Eli Yoder are so proud to have been a part of the Doug story. As a matter of fact, Eli has a big picture of Doug blown up and has made many copies and given them away to acquaintances, so he’s very proud indeed.

After Doug had become famous, Albert Yoder tried to track down Conte and Clearview’s Flora and put them together again. He’d sold Flora at the 1983 Fall Topeka Sale to Joe K. Hilty, Monroe, Indiana and she was later transferred to Willis R. Miller, Ligonier, Indiana as a 19 year old. Conte was sold to Mike Shetler, New Wilmington, Pennsylvania in February, 1981 and was later transferred to Tom Felix of Harrisville, Pennsylvania in 1983, and then, to Ron Edwards, New Castle, Pennsylvania in 1986, as an 11 year old. When Albert Yoder tracked Conte down, he’d been cut and was being used as a gelding in a hitch, so Mr. Yoder gave up on his plan of putting this great nick together again. The genie was out of the bottle, or more to the point, the family jewels had disappeared.

Beth Palmer Graham believes she and her dad, Doug, had attended the Columbus Horse Sale and a man told them he had a big red gelding at home that Doug should buy. Mr. Palmer decided to stop there on the way home to see this gelding, and so they did.

Beth remembers the basement barn and the man leading out the big red horse for them, and noticing some pups. She looked at the big red horse and then left her dad, the horse and the horse’s owner and went inside the barn to look at the puppies and try to get out of the windy, cold February weather.

The puppies were 1/2 wolf and Beth thought they were cute. I believe she said they came out of the bush, and she would’ve loved to have gotten one. While she was in the barn, she noticed in the first stall a smaller blonde gelding that she instantly fell in love with.

She went back outside and when the man went to put the big red horse back in the barn, she nudged her dad and said, “There’s a better horse in the barn.” The owner got the smaller blonde horse out and showed him and the Palmers got in their vehicle and left.

Beth was flabbergasted that her dad didn’t buy the blonde horse on the spot, and asked him pointedly, why on God’s green Earth he hadn’t purchased that horse. Doug replied that the horse would still be there at a later date, the horse wasn’t going anywhere, let that guy feed those horses a little longer. And so, that’s what they did...they left our hero, Doug, set awhile. Beth didn’t get her puppy either. Parents are that way, sometimes.

When Doug Palmer returned to Eli Yoder’s farm, one of the draft horse industry’s young phenoms, Randy Robertson, was tagging along. As a 16 or 17 year old, he was still wet behind the ears, but an eager, energetic and smart young man with a good ear and eye and potential written all over him. Many around him, including Master Palmer, had no doubts as to the heights this young horseman would rise, and they were right. Doug had told Randy they were going to look at a big red gelding.

They first looked at the big red horse. In an adjoining field stood our hero, Doug. Randy says, “Doug took the attention.” Mr. Palmer and Randy’s eyes couldn’t help but look at the blonde peacock across the divide. The two prospective buyers continued to play it coy, they continued circling the big red horse, talking with the owner only about the big red horse, while concealing their passion for Doug behind their poker faces. After a time, they wandered over towards Doug.

They crawled under the fence and looked Doug over and loved what they saw. There, standing on this northeastern Ohio farm, was a blonde 2 year old gelding that was extremely high headed, possessed a good, big foot, had a lot of flex to his pasterns, an extremely long forearm, was a tad short in the cannon bone, extremely high-withered, bright eyed, a tad long in the back and flat over his rump. Picture him in your mind’s eye, with the old master circling him and the young master’s successor doing the same. Even today, Randy’s demeanor changes when he speaks of the horse, excitement in his voice, his eyes light up, and his actions quicken. The horse still has a hold on Randy, so you can imagine what this horse looked like that late summer day in Ohio. Needless to say, Palmer spoke for Doug (and also the red horse) to be picked up at a later date, when he had a trailer load bought. Doug was sold for the grand sum of $1800. Around Royal Winter Fair time, Randy Robertson’s dad, Bob, picked our hero up. Doug and a trailer load of Palmer purchases, made their way to Schomberg, Ontario, Canada, to set up winter residence.

Eli Yoder can still see this high-headed young horse being led down the driveway and loaded into the semi out on the road. We can all understand that. Doug was unforgettable.

The Doug horse found himself in a foreign land, under the management of a master and come spring, he was enrolled in the “Remlap course on harness carrying”. Randy Robertson says Doug was a prompt hitcher and definitely pulled on the lines. Needless to say, Doug was well started when Jack and Audrey Bunston came that summer looking to get into the hitch business.

Mr. Palmer thought Bunstons would have a great start with Doug and another gelding named Jack and he pushed for them to buy the pair. After Bunston bought them, they were christened Jack and Doug after Mr. Bunston and Mr. Palmer. The Bunston’s weren’t professional hitch drivers at the time. I don’t know whether the word “novice” is accurate or not, but they were inexperienced, as was our hero Doug. Palmer kept the horses at his place for six weeks while the Bunstons came over frequently to drive the horses and gain experience. Randy was impressed with the couple’s confidence. He states, “They’d be driving those horses at their fastest trot, full bore.” I said, “Boy, that took courage.” Randy added, “They didn’t seem concerned but I know it scared the hell out of me!” After those six weeks, Jack and Doug went home with the Bunstons to Woodside farm. It was here that Doug became “Woodside’s Doug,” or “Bunston’s Doug,” and “the greatest hitch horse ever.”

Bunstons and Doug first started showing together in 1983 with Keith Meyers doing the driving in the multiple hitches, Audrey in ladies cart and Jack Bunston driving the team. It was a year for both the horses and the Bunstons to, so to speak, lose their virginity in the showring. Doug, our hero, showed flashes of brilliance in the cart, team, unicorn, four and six horse hitches. He won his first ladies cart class with Audrey at the CNE under the keen eye of judge Keith Hobden. It was the first of many wins and it stuck in the minds of Audrey and this veteran judge. Keith told me he sure did remember the event and commented on Doug, saying that he was a “hard horse to beat. Boy, he could get up and climb!” We know Doug showed at the Royal in 1983, starting a 13 year consecutive string in the hitch classes which ended in 1995. It’s conjecture that Doug was shown in the 2-3 year old halter class at Toronto in 1982. Bunstons got first in that class but I could not confirm it was Doug through the Palmers, Don Orr, the Bunstons, or the judge of that show, so it will always remain a maybe, but not fact. Anyway, Doug had shown us the tip of the iceberg in 1983 for sure, 1982 maybe and 1983, for sure.

About a year after Bunstons took the horse home with them, Doug made his first big splash. Jim Poole was Bunston’s first horseman to work with Doug. Mr. Poole is famous for his work with this Alberta Game Farm hitch and now is one of the “head honchos” down at St. Louis, Missouri, for the Anheuser-Busch, Budweiser Clydesdale organization. We’ll take you to the Royal Winter Fair in 1984. Mrs. Bunston and Doug enter the scene as ladies cart teammates. Audrey is in no way the most experienced entrant and Doug is still a greenhorn, but Mr. Poole has them as prepared as possible. Our first witness is Master Don Schneckloth, as good a horse judge as you could ever have. He was the judge that day and states, “When I judged the Royal in ‘84, it was the first time I’d seen the Doug horse and didn’t know that he might be sired by Sunny Lane Bruce (the rumor in Iowa for years was that Doug was sired by Bruce). I hardly knew Bunstons at that time. I know I liked him (Doug) that day, and every time I saw him.” Robert Detweiler was also there and testifies, “I went to my first Royal Winter Fair in late 1984. I went along with Hilgendorf & Sparrow to help with the Coors horses. I remember seeing Doug in the ladies cart class. He was really putting on a show. It was the first time I ever saw him–the most unbelievable hitch horse I’ve ever seen. He made a few mistakes, but was so outstanding that he still won.” And so Doug and Audrey had their first win in ladies cart at Toronto. It sure wasn’t his last. He won ladies cart four of his first five years there. Anyway, it was a great way to end 1984 for Doug and Audrey, kind of like your first kiss...unforgettable.

1985 rolled around and my perusings of the Belgian Review show Doug going to Detroit and winning grand champion gelding, placing 2nd in ladies cart, and being a member of the 3rd place four horse hitch. Gary Hale was the judge at Toronto and says, “Doug had a thick ankle or he’d have been the top halter horse that day.” He also remembers Doug was a little too lively in the ladies cart–he wouldn’t walk–so he couldn’t use him any higher than 3rd, but also states “I gave him 1st in ladies cart at Britt. He and Bones were the two best cart horses I’ve ever seen.” So 1985 wasn’t a big year for Doug, but 1986 was a different year, with a lot more public appearances.

Alan Schneckloth made the rounds with Doug and Bunston’s other horses in 1986. They hit a lot more shows and took home a lot of awards. Mr. Schneckloth needs no introduction, the son of Don & Elaine Schneckloth, and grandson of Herbert Schneckloth, the pre-eminent draft horse family of Iowa. Sunny Lane Belgians have been a force on the tanbark for over 60 years here in Iowa. Alan now works for Budweiser as a hitch driver. Doug was 3rd in halter at Davenport, Indiana and Iowa; 4th at Detroit, the Wheel Horse Classic and Toronto; but was 2nd and Reserve Grand at Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Denver. He won ladies cart at Indiana, Minnesota, Detroit, Denver, the Wheel Horse, Britt and Toronto, also garnering 2nd at Davenport. He led the unicorn to victory at Denver. Bunstons won the team class and placed 2nd in the six at Toronto. If all you looked at was ladies cart, it was an unbelievable year. He was also the best halter horse around, if not for that ankle. 1987 was a new year, and along came the Robertson boys.

Randy and Steve Robertson came aboard with Bunston’s for the 1987 show season. These sons of Bob Robertson, products of a Clydesdale upbringing, started to write a little Belgian history. Randy states, “Doug’s ankle was not right because he had gotten in a fence or something years before.” By the time Randy got there, it wasn’t much of a problem and Randy got it down to nothing by show season. Randy says, “Judges knew he was supposed to have a big ankle, and they’d feel and feel and feel, but they wouldn’t find anything, because there wasn’t anything there anymore!”. He was 1st and Grand Champion gelding at Davenport, Detroit, and the Wheel Horse Classic; 2nd and Reserve Grand at Indiana and 2nd at Wisconsin. Doug was now the National Champion halter gelding and he owned the ladies cart class. He was first at Davenport, Toronto, Indiana, Wheel Horse Classic and Wisconsin; 2nd at Detroit and Minnesota. Randy says Doug lost a “walk off” at Minnesota. At the Wisconsin State Fair, they had a combination downpour/tornado during the ladies cart. They showed in a covered arena that had no sides. The rain blew in and the horses showed in six inches of standing water. One entrant, Lori Schneckloth, lost a wheel and slid down into the water, helpers came out and put the wheel back on and the soaked Miss Schneckloth continued on with her horse. Randy says, “The wait and the water didn’t bother Doug, he just went about his business.” And he won. Audrey relates once at Calgary in ladies cart, she and Doug were motoring along and, “the curb chain came off!” This was also during a storm, “Then Doug took off! But he got to the middle of the ring and stopped.” Randy says Doug was trained to stop in the middle of the ring and he did in that instance. I said to Randy, “Sounds like a smart horse.” Randy said, “He wasn’t smart...he was brilliant!” Audrey concurs. “He knew when it was showtime. He grew excited when harnessing commenced.” The Bunstons were pretty consistent with their team and unicorn entries in 1987 also. Only once did either entry fall below 3rd at those major, major shows. They also garnered 2nd in the six at Toronto, Indiana and Detroit. 1988 was more of the same, only better, with a new year came a new man at Doug’s leadshank.

The Robertson brothers showed Bunston’s horses the first part of the show season and then Dean Woodbury came aboard at Detroit. The combination of Woodbury and Bunston was fantastic. Dean Woodbury is a great judge of horseflesh, a great fitter and what a showman. He’s a man of few words, the son of Keith Woodbury (legendary horseman himself), and born for the job at hand and the job at hand couldn’t have been in better hands. Dean has a certain charisma, a business-like attitude in showing horses and can strike an awful powerful pose when setting up an animal for the judge–kinda’ like Elvis on stage. When Dean leaves an arena with a horse, the announcer should say “Elvis has left the building.” Doug was all-powerful in 1988, winning 1st and Grand Champion gelding at Ohio, Davenport, Indiana, Detroit and Denver. He also won his class at the NABC held at the Royal Winter Fair. That was the first year for the All-American program and needless to say, we all know who the 1st All-American gelding was. An unbeaten year at halter, everyone’s All-American, Doug was now being mentioned with the likes of Firestone and Stoney, except for one thing. Like Doug, Stoney and Firestone dominated the halter classes, but unlike Doug, they were not good hitch horses. Doug was a great hitch horse...the greatest. He won the ladies cart class at the NABC in Toronto, Davenport, Ohio and Indiana. He led the winning unicorn at Toronto, Detroit, and Denver, getting 2nd at Ohio, Davenport and Indiana. He was part of the 1st place team at Davenport, Ohio, Toronto, and Detroit, 2nd at Denver and Indiana. The 1st place four at Ohio, Davenport, Toronto, and Detroit, 3rd at Indiana and Denver. They took 1st place in the six at Denver and Toronto, 2nd at Ohio and Detroit, 3rd at Davenport, and 4th at Indiana. It was Bunston’s best year. Doug never again excelled as a halter horse , but ah...hitching–there’s his area of expertise.

Along came 1989 and as I said, Doug’s winning days in halter were over at the major shows, only garnering a 2nd place at Denver under judge Dave Adams in an early season show. He dominated again in ladies cart, gathering firsts at Davenport, Indiana, Detroit, Denver, the Wheel Horse, and Wisconsin; won the team class at Davenport, Toronto, Denver and Wisconsin; 3rd at the Wheel Horse and Detroit. They placed 2nd in the unicorn at Denver and 3rd at Indiana. It was 1st in the four horse hitch at Wisconsin and Toronto, 2nd at Davenport and Indiana, 3rd at Denver. They took 1st place six at Detroit, 2nd at Indiana and Wisconsin, 3rd at Davenport. This next year, 1990, my Belgian Review shows no record of Bunstons showing.

The next three years were much slower for the Bunstons and for Doug. The Belgian Review only cites them showing at 2 or 3 shows that year, a far cry from the very busy preceding years. 1991 show results records them exhibiting at Davenport and Indiana. At the National Belgian Show, they were 1st in the unicorn and four, 2nd in the team and six. In Indiana, they won the team class, placed 3rd in the four and six and 4th in ladies cart. In 1992 at Davenport, they got 3rd in ladies cart. At Indiana it was 2nd in ladies cart and the team class, and 4th in the six. 1992 was also the year for the NABC in Lexington and Dean drove Doug in the men’s cart class and prevailed, quite an accomplishment for a horse getting long in the tooth. I’m sure there were at least 25 entries in that class–only the créme de la créme. Bunston’s also got 3rd in the team and 4th in the unicorn there. 1993 started at Indiana with a 2nd in ladies cart and the team class, 3rd in the six, and 4th in the unicorn and four. Then came Detroit, where Doug led the unicorn and four to victory. They were 4th in the six. In 1994, the schedule was busier for Dean and the Bunstons, and old Doug was still travelling along and excelling. It was his last hurrah.

1994 was Doug’s last busy show season. He appeared at Davenport, Ohio, Indiana, the Michigan State Fair, and the Royal. Davenport came first and Doug was ready. He put on a real show in the unicorn. It was almost as if old Doug knew his career was winding down and he wanted his fans to never forget him. In a very competitive setting, Doug rose up, as only he could, and the class was his. Next was the ladies cart and the historic duo of Audrey and Doug entered the ring revved up and ready, with high hopes, only to be dashed. They had an equipment problem and Dean rushed out to fix the bridle problem. Dean took the bridle off while a horse came up from behind, out of control, and ran into Doug’s rear. The collision injured Doug, Dean was pinched between the horse and the rail and sustained an open gash. Meanwhile, Doug jumped and took off without his bridle. Dean ran to the rescue and cornered him, replaced the equipment. The injured Doug and the very shook up Audrey, more or less, walked the rest of the class. It was a sad ending to his last appearance in his specialty class, at the National Belgian Show. Don’t worry Doug, the people in Davenport will never forget you.

Next came Ohio and he was in the 1st place four horse hitch and 2nd place six. At Indiana, he was part of the 2nd place four and six horse hitch. At the Michigan State Fair, he came back to get 2nd in ladies cart and garnered 1st in the four and six horse hitch. Then came his last big triumph.

The Royal Winter Fair was the site of many wins for Doug and Audrey. I’m not going to guess how many (the RWF results weren’t always run in the Belgian Review during those years), but I’m sure Doug dominated the ladies cart. I’m positive he appeared in 13 ladies cart classes at the Royal, but only 8 of those shows appear in the Review. He won 5 of those 8, how many of the 5 shows not listed did he emerge victorious? I don’t know, but I’m sure it was significant. In 1994, Audrey and Doug left the arena at Toronto with a win for the ages. It was his last win there and his last hurrah.

His last RWF was in 1995, Audrey drove him in the cart, but he didn’t win. 1996 was the year of the NABC in Brandon. Dean had Doug there along with the rest of the hitch. Randy says the horse was ready to go, all prepared and entered in ladies cart for his 3rd North American Belgian Championship Show. He had won the previous two in this class and Audrey desperately wanted to drive him there. Unfortunately, Audrey’s doctor would not allow it, so Doug was left in the barn. That was it, his show career ended right there. No more public appearances for the legend of Woodside Farms–hands down the greatest hitch horse ever.

Audrey tells me that Doug has 39 wins in cart classes in his career at major shows, and these are again, major, major shows; Toronto, Davenport, Detroit, Indiana, Ohio, Lexington, Denver, etc.–not county fairs or lesser state fairs. What a record he compiled in ladies cart, an unprecedented record against the best competition that could be found, and with a driver, who admits freely, was as inexperienced and as green as they come. Audrey states, “I’d never driven before!” Yet she and Doug dominated, in one stretch of 25 ladies cart classes (and again only at major shows), from the middle of 1986 to the middle of 1989, a three year span, 22 wins, 2 seconds and 1 fifth. Yes, 22 wins in 25 entries in ladies cart, plus 2 seconds. Unbelievable! That is greatness personified. He also showed from 1983 to 1996, 13 years. Unfathomable. He was either born in 1979 or 1980, so he was on the campaign trail until he was 16 or 17 years of age and won the ladies cart class at Toronto when he was going on 14 or 15. Doug was such a moving horse, so high-headed, moved so unbelievably in front and behind, had such a high, long stride, and covered so much ground, so quickly, that I believe Craig Grange is right, there was never a mate born. God created only one. Nothing could ever keep up with him, and it really hurt his own chance of winning the four and six, because he didn’t fit in, he stuck out. The six should be three teams working together for an overall appearance of continuity. Doug wasn’t one to blend in like that. To him it was rugged individualism, survival of the fittest, his specialties were the cart class and the unicorn, where he was out there by himself, like a runaway high moving freight train, delivering the mail, and the mail was delivered on time, might lose some letters out of the back of the wagon, but Doug was going to get there quicker, higher and with more syncopation of stride than any horse that ever lived. If you saw him do this, you were hooked, he had you, and it was hard to let him go.

There have been many people involved with Doug: Joe Maybach and Bob Leach who brought his mother to Ohio from Iowa; all the breeders in her pedigree; Jim Gresser who bred Doug’s sire; Albert R. Yoder and family who foaled him and Albert’s brother Eli R. Yoder who purchased the colt and sold him to Doug Palmer; Mr. Palmer and his family and employees who recognized the potential and broke him; all the horsemen who worked for Bunstons, and the Bunston family themselves. It took them all. It does take a village, I guess.

Doug and Woodside’s hitch were in the hands of Keith Meyers, Jim Poole, Alan Schneckloth, Randy and Steve Robertson and Dean Woodbury. Horsemen all, but history will remember Randy Robertson and Dean Woodbury as the two who are most memorable in conjunction with this horse. They were both so young when they hooked up with our hero and will always be remembered as Doug’s cohorts in writing history.

I asked Randy to describe Doug for us and he said, “He was blonde, 18 hands, big for a lead horse, high headed, long backed and as he got older, he got a little lower over the back, flat rumped, had great flex to his pasterns, a good big foot, drafty, long forearm, short cannon bone, always ready to go, brilliant, smart show horse, not the best hauler, needed extra room in the trailer, needed two stalls, didn’t like to be crowded, took travel well, went one season from the 16th of June to October and never went home, stayed in condition, took it well, would pull on the lines, but kept Audrey out of trouble. Doug was by far the greatest individual hitch horse. Its not even close. Nothing compares to him.” I personally will always remember Randy moving Doug down across the ring in halter and standing with him and having that first place ribbon put in his hand. I’ll never forget that image.

Dean Woodbury showed Doug and took care of him for at least 8 years. That is more than all his other trainers combined and the image of Doug and Dean striking a pose in halter with both their chiseled physiques and their steely eyes, glaring at each other, permeates my brain’s gray matter. A more powerful pair were never put together. Whereas Randy is quick, loud and flamboyant in the ring, Dean is quite different. He is quiet, serious, all business, built like an NFL free safety, and professional all the way. Some say Reagan should go on Mount Rushmore, but I’d choose Dean and Doug. Dean’s quotes on Doug were as follows, “He drove in every position on the hitch...always a handful..never got you in a lot of trouble...knew the ring well,” and finally, “one in a lifetime and to last so long.”

Jack, Dougs’ off-and-on mate for so many years, also had a special relationship with our hero. I can still see them coming in the ring together.They would enter through the gate, then Doug would shift into overdrive. His butt would drop, withers rise, and he stayed ahead of Jack the rest of the class. “Jack had a lot of heart,” as Audrey says. He had to. He tried so hard to keep up with Doug. Jack was a very good hitch horse, but when you’re hitched with a horse like Doug, it was like Larry Bird trying to stay with Michael Jordan. Bird would get Dennis Johnson to try to help him and when that didn’t work, Kevin McHale would leave his man and Jordan still scored 63 points. Jack didn’t have anyone to help him.

Finally, there’s Jack and Audrey Bunston, especially Audrey. She’s the one who will always be recollected with Doug in draft horse history in ladies cart. You can still see her, all dressed up, usually a big brimmed hat on, and Doug, going so fast around that ring, that the “G” forces are bending her hat brim back. Audrey is hanging onto the lines like Randy says, “She seemed confident, but it scared the hell out of me.” Audrey was an energetic voice on the other end of the phone when I was putting this story together. Among other things, I asked her how Doug is doing nowadays. “He’s doing great, the sweetheart, just enjoying running around the pasture at our place down by St. Louis. He’s still got it, even at his age, although he does have a little arthritis.” When I asked if she had anything she wanted to say about him, she replied, “I love him–best thing, horse wise, that ever happened to us.” Imagine if you can, buying a horse, learning to drive with him, and then going on and having him set all the records and be universally recognized as the greatest hitch horse ever. It’d be all downhill after that. What a ride! She was offered $20,000, $40,000, then $50,000 for Doug, but wouldn’t sell. Way to go Audrey!

Audrey recalls Doug Palmer jokingly said to her, “I never imagined he’d be that great, or I’d have never sold him to you.” Actually, Beth Palmer says, “One of Dad’s pleasures was to get people started right with good horses.” He certainly did that in this instance. Eli R. Yoder said Mr. Palmer gave him a picture of Doug and told him, “He’s the best North American cart horse ever.” I don’t know what’s been shown in Asia, Africa and elsewhere, but I’ll agree with Doug...his namesake is the greatest hitch horse ever.