"[An] impressive feature of the book is the profusion of illustrative material. Many of the photographs have never been published before....The appendices reveal meticulous scholarship and make it clear that this book will remain a standard reference book wherever Quarter Horse enthusiasts meet."-Western Review
"Denhardt has come forth with a book that holds the reader spellbound from beginning to end.... [T]he ranch has set the Thoroughbred industry on its ear by producing two Kentucky Derby winners, a triple-crown winner, and a horse that won more money than any that had come before it.... [This book] is one that every progressive Quarter Horse breeder and cowman should read and cherish." -Quarter Horse Journal.
The fabled King Ranch of South Texas was renowned for its breed of horses, the King Ranch Quarter Horses. Here is the complete story of the ranch and its horses, how they were bred, and what they have achieved. We meet the Old Sorrel, the horse without a name who became the foundation stallion of the ranch Quarter Horses. The King Ranch produced winning show horses (Hired Hand, Anita Chica, Peppy) and race horses (Miss Princess, Nobody's Friend) and, above all, top-quality cow horses famed for their levelheadedness and ability to work in close partnership with their riders. Today they and their descendants are working cattle and winning competitions worldwide. For those who love Quarter Horses, and especially for those who own a Quarter Horse descended from the King Ranch and wish to know its history, this book will be a treasured volume.
Robert M. Denhardt was the renowned historian of the Quarter Horse. He helped organize the American Quarter Horse Association and was author of their three-volume work, The Quarter Horse. He is also the author of Foundation Sires of the American Quarter Horse, Foundation Dams of the American Quarter Horse, and Quarter Horses: A Story of Two Centuries, all published by the University of Oklahoma Press.