ABSTRACT
The Quarter Horse has always been more specifically native American than has the Thoroughbred. If one arbitrarily eliminated registered horses that were great producers of early speed, such as Sir Archy, Bonnie Scotland, or Uncle Jimmy Gray, part of the history of the quarter running horse would be missing. The information available on horse breeding and racing in the 1600s is admittedly cursory. Much of the popularity of horse racing lies in the thrilling stretch run for the finish. Even among the long-horse devotees, who think a race should be a mile or more, it is not until the horses near the wire that they jump to their feet and roar for their favorites. Sprinting has always been a "traveling" sport, and the best quarter-running horses were always on the move, looking for new competition and new money. Many Quarter Horse breeders belong to this group.
