Tonto Bars Hank (1958–1974) was a Quarter Horse racing stallion, sired by Tonto Bars Gill and out of Hanka by Hank H. Renowned as the 1960 All American Futurity winner and a two-time Champion Quarter Running Stallion (1960-1961), he held four world records, won 11 stakes races, and earned a Superior Race rating with a 100 Speed Index. Later he became an AQHA champion.
>He was bred and raised by the Whitcomb family of Sterling, CO. Whitcomb Arena was known for Frog W, and early performance ranch horses. C. G., Milo and Celie were the known exhibitors to represent the family. Tonto Bars Hank was their huge blast into the racing business, and big it was.
Linda and I were at Whitcombs and they had wild Mallard ducks all over. Years before ducks had invaded their place to eat spilled oats around the horse barns. It appeared there were about 200 ducks. They were so well fed they were too fat to fly. They were welfare ducks and living a great life. Milo ask if we wanted some ducks and Linda said yes. He found some feed sacks and we caught and sacked about 50 Mallards. We released them into our chicken pens until they were adapted to the area then turned them out. They were beautiful. Everyone loved colorful wild Mallards everywhere. Then it happened. One cold night it snowed. We lived about a block from state highway 94. Apparently the highway was warm. The Mallards all moved into the road and at daylight there were feathers splattered like a high school science project gone wrong. That ended that.
Tonto Bars Hank was known as the "Flying Box Car." Secretariat looked like speed. Hank looked like pulling a deep plow. He was huge. Big rear. Short neck and not a pretty face. In fact when Walter Spencer showed him at halter he had a Wendy Ryan Supreme halter made with huge red sheep skin wrapped to create so much busyness it somewhat hid his face. When Hank raced he went all over the track, bumping and just having a good time. C. G. Witcomb connected with the great horseman Walter Merrick and soon Hank met his match. Whatever Walter did the "smart aleck" Hank shaped up and went on to win $133,641 on the track.
The rear was Hank's best angle. He had the Siberian wash woman posterior. It was taken when Walter Spencer was standing him in Oklahoma. Normally there is a team to move feet and get ears up but this shot was just me and a good hand named Sterling. It took us hours. Sterling tried to hold him on the planet. I would pick up and move his legs into place then slip away to a waiting camera and try to get a shot before he moved. It was virtually impossible to get this done before he left. After hours, the good part was, he only had to hold this pose for one second......done.
Author: Darol Dickinson
