"The Rope Horse Sire"
Lucky Blanton
2011 California Rodeo Salinas Hall of Fame Inductee Info and photos courtesy California Rodeo Salinas Hall of Fame Lucky Blanton began his career as a race horse and after that part of his career was over Salinas Resident Tom Mattart turned him into a calf roping, heading and heeling horse, steer stopping horse, an occasional match race entry and the sire of many top roping horses, ranch horses, a few race horses, American Quarter Horse Association Champions and California Reined Cow Horse Champions. Tom Mattart competed at Salinas on Lucky Blanton from 1947 through the mid-1950’s. Thirteen of the ropers entered in the 1954 Salinas Rodeo were contesting on Lucky Blanton’s get. Bred by Burns Blanton of Bowie, Arizona, Lucky Blanton was foaled in 1936 and he died in 1960. In addition to Lucky Blanton being inducted into the Cow Horse Hall of Fame, his offspring went on to accumulate several awards: three AQHA Race ROM’s, one Superior Race Award, 19 Halter points and 9 Performance points. He was also a successful broodmare sire and his daughters have produced many AQHA Champions, AAA race horses, Superior Halter horses and Reined Cow Horse Champions. *********************************** X2D Ranches is proud and honored to carry on the legacy of the great Lucky Blanton. We have found this line of horses to be mentally quiet enough, yet smart and highly athletic enough, to learn, tolerate and compete in anything. We've seen them make deluxe kids' 4H mounts, to NFR calibre barrel/roping and ranch horses. Or, if you ask 'em to…most will cow horse, rein, or go English they've got such a willing mind. Many, many Lucky Blanton bred horses are currently competing at all levels of barrel racing, rodeo and ranching, through the Blue Light Ike lines and more. At the Wrangler National Finals' Rodeo, header Spencer Mitchell had huge success (and won round five) on a "Blanton"-- an own son of Blue Light Ike (a half brother to our Espuela Tonto stud). According to Ruzsa Quarter Horses, fellow Blanton/performance horses breeders: "If you were a calf or team roper in the west during the late 1940s, 50s or 60s, you just weren't mounted if you weren't straddlin' a Lucky Blanton. The chestnut stallion was a top rope horse himself and probably put as many good rodeo hands horseback as any other stallion in the country. For example, 13 of the ropers entered at the huge 1954 Salinas Rodeo were contesting on Lucky Blantons." Lucky Blanton (center) and 9 of his get compete in roping events at Salinas, 1954. |