Horse Bloodlines

“Driftwood” a bay stallion was foaled in 1932. His sire “Miller Boy” by “Hobart Horse” who was thought to be sired by “John Wilkins” by “Peter McCue.” “Miller Boy” was out of “Wilie” a daughter of “Texas Chief.” “Driftwoods” dam was “The Comer Mare” by “Barlow” by “Lock’s Rondo.” The combination of early speed sent the young stallion to the race track where he was successfully matched at distances from 220 yards to 3/8’s of a mile. In the late 1930’s he ended up in the hands of the Nichols’ family at Gilbert, Arizona. While he was with the Nichols’ he was matched against, and outran, the legendary “Clabber” a World’s Champion Quarter Running Horse.

Jimmy Williams, who was one of the most renowned stock horse and hunter jumper trainers of all time, was quoted as saying in Legends Vol II, "They are the best. You ask them to do anything and they'll do it. They want to learn, and they have the ability to do something when you've finished with them. I think 'Speedy' is as good a sire as there is any place."

Buck Nichols introduced “Driftwood” to the roping arena and rodeoed on the horse. In 1941 Asbury Schell had him and nicknamed him “Speedy” cause of the way he could catch cattle over a long roping score. Speedy, as he was called by ropers, was a great rope horse and was used in team roping , calf roping, steer tripping and bulldogging all in the same day. As a nine year old “Driftwood” became a fixture at the big rodeos around the country. In 1943 Katy & Channing Peake bought “Driftwood” from Schell for $1,500 and moved him to Rancho Jabali where they registered him with the AQHA and was retired to stud.

Driftwood stood anywhere from 14.3 to 15 hands and showed adequate bone and foot size. Driftwood was a very well balanced individual and showed an alertness that is still evident in his progeny. He was an extremely fast horse and devoured ducking and diving calves. He was a tough horse and his sturdiness was shown in his years of racing and traveling on the rodeo circuit.

“Driftwoods” ability to sire quick speed, performance ability, the mental attitude to retain training, functional conformation and physical stamina to stand up under hard use, and carry the traits on down through the generations, is what made “Driftwood” unique among stallions. Many stallions are out standing performers themselves but are not able to pass that same talent on down through the generations. “Driftwood” did. They are known to be very trainable and excellent at any event they were asked to perform in. Driftwood has had winners in virtually every event possible including barrel racing, reining, working cow horse, roping, cutting and western riding. They are known to be graceful movers and are very cowy. They are also known to be huge stoppers.

Barrel racers are finding the Driftwoods make excellent barrel horses. They have a natural rate to them and have a quick start out of the barrel. They are easy to train and can handle the pressures of training. Great barrel horse that carry Driftwood blood include French Flash Hawk aka Bozo who was a 4 time PRCA barrel racing horse of the year and Firewater Fiesta who is a 1 time PRCA barrel racing horse of the year.

During the following seventeen years, “Driftwood” sired a whole arena full of top performers in the show ring, the race track, and the rodeo arena. For over a half a century a bay stallion has passed down his own tremendous performance ability and, in the process given horsemen something that they were proud to ride. An old rodeo adage is, “A man has to be well mounted to win” and with a “Driftwood” he was. Today, sixty plus years after he was foaled, his blood is still sought after by cowboys. “Driftwood” died on October, 20 1960. He left many great son’s and daughter’s of his such as “Hallie Wood”, “Woodwind”, “Henny Penny Peake”, “Brown Beulah”, “Wood Wasp”, “Drifty”, “Woodfern”, “Miss Linwood”, “O See O”, “Judy Sue”, “Annie Wood”, “Kitty Wood”, “Rosewood”, “Drifting Sage”, “Easy Keeper”, “Chelena”, “Maestro”, “Speedy II”, “Poker Chip”, “Speedy Wood”, “Speedy Peake”, and “Driftwood Ike”, as well as a herd of others.

The greatest cross on Driftwood seemed to be a mare named Sage Hen. This great mare produced Driftwood’s greatest performers including Poker Chip Peake who is considered to be the greatest calf roping horse of all time. He was a good looking gray and could really stop. Sage Hen also produced Henny Penny Peake (Hackamore champion), Red Button (famous rodeo gelding), Drifting Sage (rope horse and great sire). Drifting Sage produced Blanton Wood (by Kitty Blanton by Lucky Blanton). Blanton Wood is the sire to Blantons O Too Cool. Sage Hen was by Wagonner and proved to be the greatest cross on Driftwood. Wagonner mares crossed excellent on Driftwood.

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Another great cross was Hancock Belle. She was by Buck by Chicaro and by a Hancock mare. This cross produced Driftwood Ike who was also a top rope horse and later a sire. Ike sired Orphan Drift, Wayward Ike, White Lightning Ike and Lone Drifter and other great sires. Driftwood Ike mares produced excellent individuals such as Sunfrost and Bucko Jack. Bucko Jack was cutting winner before being sidelined with an injury. Bucko Jack is the sire of Jumpin Jack Solano. Hancock Belle was also the dam of Chilena. Chilena was also a great arena performer when mares were rarely ridden in the arena. Chilena was a great roping horse and her blood is prized by Driftwood breeders. It is fabled that Chilena outran every race horse in Arizona and California during her time. She produced Frostena who was an AQHA Superior Heading Horse. Frostena is the dam of Frostys War Chief. Frostys War Chief also carries Driftwood on his top side through Brown Beulah, his granddam.

Is the most famous son of Driftwood. 100% foundation. Great calf roping, team roping, and barrel racing horse, he has also sired some great performers. Gill Cattle Company, before downsizing, was the leading producer of PRCA horses in the world and the sire they used extensively is an own son of Driftwood Ike. They are super cowy with great rate ability and wonderful dispositions. They can take a lot of pressure.

Driftwood Ike won calf and team roping points, earning his open performance ROM in 1960 and second high point steer roping horse in 1969. He won a total of 54 AQHA Performance points in roping events.

“Driftwood Ike” nicknamed “Ike” was born in 1954 and was probably the most famous son of “Driftwood”. “Ike’s” dam was “Hancock Belle” by “Buck” and “Miss Hancock” who was a daughter of “Joe Hancock”. At the age of three, Walt Nichols took “Ike” to the Prescott RCA Rodeo and placed in both goes and won the average. “Ike” was also trained to run barrels when he was four years old. “Ike” was in the money every time except one time in 1962 when he knocked a barrel down at the Prescott Rodeo. At Tucson, Arizona in 1956 or 57 another horse tied “Ike” in the barrel race for first place, so they had a run off to break the tie. The second run they tied again, so they ran a third time and “Ike” ran 3/10 faster than his first time and the other horse that was a little hot blooded ran off and through the back fence on its third try.

In the 1970‘s and 80’s “Driftwood Ike” foals were the rodeo cowboys dream. The National Finals team roping and calf roping would have 18 to 21 of the contestants riding a horse with “Driftwood” blood in it. “Lone Drifter”, “Wayward Ike”, “White Lightning Ike”, & “Tuffy Ike” are the only four sons of “Driftwood Ike” still alive today and they all are in their 20’s. Other great sons were “Orphan Drift”, and “Ikes Last”.

Clay O’Brien Cooper – PRCA Hall of Fame member, has won 7 World Champion Team Roping titles, has won over $2,134,000 roping and has qualified for the WNFR 22 times. His horse Supai Drifter (nicknamed Ike) finished second in the PRCA/AQHA Team Roping Heel Horse of the Year race in 2004.

Wade Wheatley – Qualified (heading) for the NFR 2000-2002 on a Driftwood gelding. Has qualified for the WNFR 6 times and has won over $779,000 heading.

Kristie Peterson – Four-time world champion and three-time reserve world champion WPRA barrel racer. Her horse Bozo (French Flash Hawk) who carried her to those titles has won AQHA Barrel horse of the year 5 times. He is a great grandson of Driftwood Ike.

Todd Suhn – Has qualified for the WNFR 10 times and won over $1,100,000 as a steer wrestler.

Mike Beers – World Champion Heeler, (Won the world on a full brother to White Lighting Ike) has won over $1,800,000 and qualified for the WNFR 20 times.

Reg Camarillo – (many time NFR qualifier in Team Roping)

Allen Bach – (many time World Champion Heeler)

Tom Fergusen – (6 time All-Around World Champion)

Cory Petska – Has won over $533,000 heeling, he has qualified for the WNFR 4 times. In 2006 he placed in 5 out of 10 rounds at the WNFR. In 2005 he and partner Tee Woolman won the average at the WNFR placing in 7 out of 10 rounds and finished as World Champion Runner-Up