Meanderings of a Morgan Man

written by Arnold McKee

McKee Ranch, Duplicate Morgans, Oyen Alberta

In being asked to do a story on my involvement with the Red Correll line, I had mixed feelings. Always was proud of my Morgans and the fellow who had great influence on my life and the Morgans, which my breeding program evolved around. This man was C.E. Norburry, better known as Cuddy. A great man; known after his passing and as he always said, “a stallion’s worth is known for greatness after he is gone, and frowned upon in petty criticisms in life”. So true for a lot of the Correll King lines. So true of breed associations who do not know the value of the working lines of their breeds and go to a money making racket and make it almost impossible for the working lines to compete, and will almost end up eliminated. Not because they are not great horses, but because monetary greed steps in.

However, I was not asked to write about the incompetent regulations and fools in the Morgan Association, which are helping to bring down these great working lines. I am going to share some experiences with these Morgans and I hope you enjoy these meanderings of my mind.

On my home range in southeastern Alberta, in the late fifties, a guy brought me two black geldings to start. They were five and six, full brothers and had never had a hand on them – common in those days. I started them, and they learned fast and weren’t as savage as some other horses I had started. When he picked them up he informed me they were sired by a Morgan stud in his area. Hence my interest in Morgans.

I started looking and there were not many Morgans around at the time. The ones I saw weren’t quite what I had pictured and read about and the price of them always stopped me getting one. I moved out to BC and was riding for the bigger ranches and still looking. I heard about a Morgan breeder at Armstrong, so on a rare day off I drove over there. When I saw those Morgans I knew – this is what I have been looking for. If the price of the other Morgans was so high, there was no hope for ever owing one of these, so never asked about the price. On the third trip over to admire these Morgans and listen to the stories Cuddy had to share, he looked me in the eye and said “Young fella, I know you will buy one of my horses, but when the Hell is it going to be? After I’m dead?” He informed me that I could pick one of the three yearling fillies, for $500. I couldn’t believe it was now possible I could own one and a great Morgan to top it off. Cuddy had a sign at his gate that read: “Home of Correll King - We Sell The Best and Show the Rest” The best went to working ranches and some breeding herds and the rest were shown and did well in the show ring.

I will start talking about working around Correll King, a direct son of Red Correll. This horse looked long until you took notice, his underline was long but his back was very short. When saddled, the cinch was back at least 8 to 10 inches from the front elbow. He had the longest sloped shoulder I have seen. His head and neck carriage was proud but he had the ability to drop his head carriage and really get down and work stock. The ride on him was power and smooth beyond belief. He had been used on the sheep camp in Montana early on and then some on the cattle ranches in BC and then into running with his mares. At 12 years old I took it upon myself to show him for Cuddy in a halter class. It was a near wreck as he had never been to town and was taken out of the breeding pasture two or three weeks before the show. We came out with 2nd in Class and Reserve Champion overall Male. Was pretty proud. The next year I did it again and he was a perfect gentleman in the show ring and came out with 1st in Class and Reserve Champion. Cuddy was happy and I was glad I had done it as Cuddy was not very well at the time.

The horse was later sold to Sawatsky Morgans and was not bred much. Then on to a fellow who studied genetics and had decided to breed father to daughter. So Correll King went to the coast and was trained and shown in English tack. I understand he took to it well and did well for an older ranch stallion in the glitter. From there he went to the US on the claim that both top and bottom traced to Justin Morgan, the highest percentage that was found. He was a great horse and I humbly appreciate him in my life. My mare herd then consisted of all Correll King daughters when I was able to start breeding Morgans.

The Speedfield stallion, a Jackson Morgan Ranch Morgan, when crossed with Correll King daughters, produced superb Morgans of type and ability, but also very eye appealing.

In putting down some information on the Red Correll and old line descendants, I will detail three individuals; the first three fillies that I had my pick from - Correll’s Darla, Correll’s Folly and Correll’s Fairytop.

Corell’s Darla - I had the pleasure of starting this mare and finishing her to a very outstanding ranch horse who really did the job. She had lots of snuff in her at the start, you have to realize these were ranch raised and not pampered. The first year, for two months, I got her started and used her for light cattle work. The second year Cuddy brought her over and used her on the Guichon calving range. This mare was amazing. You could tie a cow to her on the range and she knew exactly what to do at all times. Reined like a dream and stayed sound to a ripe old age.

Correll’s Fairytop - Cuddy said if anyone was going to make a horse out of this one I could do it. Well, we had our moments at the start but she became a great mare. Could work a herd on her at three and there was no critter ever got away. She was a big-bodied mare but very powerful and agile. Once trained, was very calm but always had lots of go when she was needed. I resold her to Noel and Katie Mitchell who ranched around Kamloops, BC and she was well liked. She had an accident with a logging truck and a stupid truck driver and died very young. Did raise a couple of colts from Vas Dolphin, I believe.

Correll’s Folly and Princess Holly – If there was a contest as to the greatest horses in my life these two would be at the top. They were full sisters, different in style, but both had the same all around ability. There was nothing these two mares couldn’t and wouldn’t do. Maybe there was horses could do something better, but these tow did it all and did it well. They drove in a four horse Morgan hitch, drove double, single on carts or sleds or cutters. They both were good ranch rope mares and knew how to handle anything even big bulls on the end of a rope. They both taught countless kids and adults to ride and handle a horse and care for it. They both spent endless hours at campouts with us and many enjoyable trails. They both loved parades and also did well in halter shows – have some trophies to prove that. Folly would really strut her stuff in a parade if there were stacks of people on the sides, but if there was a thin crowd she would go casual with tail flagged and neck arched. What great mares they were.

Correll’s Benny, a full brother to these mares, turned into an exceptional ranch horse as well. Same abilities, only strong gelding power. These horses were started at the Guichon Cattle Co. in B.C. I started them at two and at three they went to the calving range. I left at daybreak and came in at dusk and these horses had made many miles and did countless tasks through the day. Usually, they had one day on and three or four off, and they did need the break. The Guichon horses were mostly Thoroughbred and Percheron cross. Gerard Guichon liked a bid saddle horse.

In the spring of 1972 I had Darla, Fairytop and Folly. Gerard came out one evening and looked the one I had been using all day over real good. He then told me he didn’t think these little Morgans would ever take the work but was sure pleased with what he saw.

Gerard said he had been watching as I came down off the calving range each evening. The ranch horses would come plodding in, played out, but the little Morgans would come in with ears forward and walking right out. It seems he decided that I was doing all the hard work with his horses and saving my Morgans. In order to find out he sent his boys to help out and apparently they came in and gave their report: “don’t worry about what Arnold is doing on those Morgans. He is next to crazy, checking cows and calves and almost killed us and our horses. Those Morgans never quit and seem never to play out and they do anything he asks of them too.” Gerard Guichon was so impressed he made arrangements to get two ranch mares bred to Correll King and bought two geldings from Cuddy. This from a very knowledgeable rancher whose system had worked for years. This is the old line Morgans, in particular, the Correll King, Red Correll, King Pine and so on, that had cow savvy and were sound to work. Not so what is happening today with a lot of Morgans, and the regulations of associations. It is harder and harder to find these lines registered because of cost, but they are still out there with no papers but doing a great job for people who need a good sound working Morgan.

Well, I hope you enjoyed reading this. I could go on and on about these old lines, on each horse descended from those, but I would write a long time. I will list some more that I have worked with and been in contact with, and each was a great horse and has a story. Hope someone can turn all this back, as some of us tried but failed, to keep the Morgans, MORGANS.

Speed Duplicate Joley Blond Darfield Duplicate

Darla’s Elf Duplicate Jet Correll’s Rose

Loretta King Correll’s Candida Duplicate Flame

Duplicate Banner Duplicate Chero Bonnie Velvet

Duplicate Majestic Donovan King Mortanna Retta

Dandee Correll Darla Mae CoCo Mae

Sanfield Bettina Correll Missiefield

Tilbury Correll Panic Field

There are many more but I hope this gives the right perspective.

Arnold McKee (as shared forward through Ida-Marie Liscum, A-One Morgans)