Rapid Bar

Rapid Bar, TAAA, AQHA Champion - born 1958, by Three Bars TB, out of Miss Chicaro, by Chicaro Bill. He sired AQHA Champion Silky Fox, and several ROM arena horses, as well as successful producing daughters such as Flutter Bug, Heather Wood, Miss Quick M Bar, Miss Teresina, Pink Bow, Rae Nell Bar, etc. He sired a total of 352 AQHA foals, from 1962 to 1981. Silky Fox was Rapid Bar's most famous son who's get earned more AQHA points than Rapid Bars, or even Three Bars himself. (Data compliments of Susan Larkin)

Rapid Bar was owned by Hoss Inman of Lamar, CO and sold to Reed Hill.  Reed was an AQHA judge, managed a large sand hills ranch in sage brush country east of Canadian, TX, just north of the Canadian River.  Walter Merrick was right across the river, yet to drive there took over an hour. Reed was well known for his horses Beaver Creek, Julio Bar, Ima Pixie, Dick Sonotian and Rapid Bar.

My sister, Vicky, went to college at Texas Tech in Lubbock and made connections with John Hill, Reed's son, later to be Vicky Hill, and have a son, (my nephew) Will. I had known Reed and did some work for him prior to becoming co-family. It was exciting to see the Big Bull Ranch, to bass fish, see the huge herds of wild turkeys, and of course photograph great horses on our visits to Vicky and the ranch.

Reed was a cowman, and a horseman. Once in the winter we were there and Reed had to doctor a cow. We drove to the pasture and Reed jumped a big buckskin gelding backwards out of the pickup. He slowly circled the herd, tossed a perfect loop on the cow and dealt with the problem. It was a quiet, slow, then fast, perfect throw.  I made some comment about it and John said he had never seen Reed miss a shot. It is probable to never get another shot, and it is more difficult to not be in a nice fenced arena. In a thousand acre pasture it is about being adroit, having a plan, and no Hollywood grandstanding. It is cowman stuff, not cowboy stuff.

This 30" X 36" painting was commissioned for Reed Hill and is owned by his heirs today. The scene was north of the ranch headquarters with the Canadian River breaks in the far distance. My most pleasant experiences here were the chicken fried steaks provided by Mae Hill.

Rapid Bar was tall, about 15-3 hands. He was very sound legged. His color was a true blood bay. He was sold to Doc and Joe Hutchinson of Colorado Springs, CO for $40,000 and later sold and went to Gardnerville, NV.