Guthrie Buck

I attended the R. L. Underwood Quarter Horse sale at Wichita Falls, Texas in 1956. It was a horseman's social event with attendees from the 6666 Ranch, King Ranch, Waggoners and Gene Mullendore.  This was the first time I had seen the young Rex Cauble. With only one or two sales a year, everyone that was anyone attended. Mr. Underwood wasn't far from the 6666 so that was an influence on his pedigrees which included Golden Chief, Silvertone, Dexter, and Buddy Dexter, sire of Cutter Bill. Cauble was the high roller of the day outbidding all for Cutter Bill at $2500.

Although my knowledge of livestock anatomy was limited as a little kid, I stood close to the huddles when seasoned horsemen discussed the finer points in great detail. I wanted to learn all I could about livestock. At age 14, who knew where this would take me.

Guthrie Buck ~~ was born in 1958 on the 6666 Ranch, a son of Hollywood Gold and a Joe Tom by Joe Hancock dam. He was owned by Walt Hellyer of Brantford, Ontario, Canada.

Walt Hellyer was the first president of the Ontario Cutting Horse Assn. He loved cutting horses, but made his fortune in Canadian Ginseng exporting to China. Walt had some beautiful rolling grass lands in the bread basket of southern Canada. His horse fences when up and over, across every direction. He had many miles of board fence, with nearly every board somewhat "horse chewed."

I met Walt at the Quarter Horse Congress. He commissioned a portrait of Guthrie Buck his famous cutting horse. The Congress is always in October. Walt had problems with vandalism during Halloween so his exit from the Congress was a little early to get back and protect the ranch from local beginner-terrorists. I rode back with Walt out of Ohio north into Canada. We talked horse. Walt was a brilliant entertaining man. It was late and we had driven way into the night when Walt's trainer complained that his belt buckle was scratching his back bone and he badly wanted to stop somewhere and eat. We had been eating Quarter Horse Congress corny dogs and were ready from a food upgrade.

Guthrie Buck

We watched for another 50 miles and finally a fairly nice looking log bar/grill/combo looked open. There were some Paul Bunyan seedy types hanging around and some well dressed clients. We ordered something big to eat. We waited and waited. We were ready to eat napkins. Finally the waitress said that if I did not take my hat off she would not serve us. That was a new one for me. I ask what was the problem? She pointed to a snippy old wrinkled lady who was staring daggers at us. The waitress said it was offensive to one of the clients. It was Canada. We were hungry. Walt discussed with the waitress that we also were clients and we thought everyone should also be wearing western hats. (I was ready to take my hat off without a fight) Walt took a second to think about it and then told the waitress that we were offended. The food was probably made out of S..=#&Q_T, and we got up and left. We drove for hours and never found anything to eat. The next chance was breakfast and I was sure ready.

Guthrie Buck, being born at Guthrie, Texas was a typical old cow horse type, similar to hundreds of others of the same blood raised on the 6666. He couldn't win a halter show. He was sturdy, lots of bone, flashy buckskin color, gentle as a pet hamster and could turn on a dime and give you some change. He was of a long famous 6666 "cow" genetic family. If you liked working Quarter Horses, sound as a drill-stem, he was the horse.