Quarter Horse Profiles
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Janus
A horse of Eastern descent imported to America in 1752, Janus was the single most influential stallion in the development of the Quarter Horse. One of the great sires in American equine history, he was not a Thoroughbred in the strict sense, for he was born before the early foals of Matchem, first foundation sire of the Thoroughbred breed. (I'm not sure about this statement, but I will add more later.) But he was a strong and illustrious racer, more than equal to the grueling four-mile heats customary in his day. To his offspring he passed on a gift for early speed. His own conformation--low, muscular, and rounded--became characteristic of the Quarter Horse breed.
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King
Of modern Quarter Horse sires, the most famous is King, who died in 1958. Unlike his father, Zanaton--a racer described as the "Mexican Man o' War"--King's fame was earned as a sire. His splendid bloodlines have shown in the number and quality of his foals; a high percentage of them have been champion racers, show performers, and cutting horses. One of King's daughters, a racer named Squaw H, was never beaten over the quarter-mile. Most famous of his sons is Poco Bueno, one of the savviest cutting horses of all time and sire of a line of champion stock horses.
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Three Bars
Foremost among the great sires of modern Quarter Horse racers was this Thoroughbred, once bought for $300 and later given away. It was at stud that Three Bars proved his worth, siring several hundred foals whose accumulated earnings have exceeded three million dollars.