My Memories of Colt
By Helen Grinnell King
Custusha’s Cashel Rock on the cover of the Breyer magazine
That’s what Mel & I always called him, “Colt.” To everyone else he was “Rocky.” His registered name was Custusha’s Cashel Rock, a mouthful indeed. Not many knew how to say it but the u’s were all soft (like us), the accent was on tush and on Cash in Cashel (and if you can’t pronounce Rock, you probably aren’t reading this). Colt was OUR secret name for him and he knew that. He was the MOST special equine to ever cross my path.
Colt was born at my farm in New Hampshire in June of 1972. I had purchased his mother, Springledge Taffy (by Springledge Bantry Bay) from Louise Clough the year before. It was a tough decision as I had looked at just about every single mare for sale in New England at the time. Pat Keough, my long time friend and mentor, had shown Bantry Bay (or Louis as he was known) and had a great fondness for him. It was Paddy who suggested going to see what Louise had for sale. I purchased two mares from her, Taffy, a 3 year old at the time and Springledge Banlin, a two year old.
Again from the suggestion of Paddy, I went to see *Texas Hope to use on both mares. He was a magnificent pony. I will never forget him as long as I live. He stood in the Bailey’s driveway and posed for me. He never stopped posing even when the mares came running over to see what was happening. His temperament was superb and I loved his conformation. Being by the TB Little Heaven, his type was a bit off but Taffy had PLENTY of that. Taffy was bred to him but Banlin was too young at the time. I have always thought it was a shame she wasn’t bred to him.
In early June of ’72, Taffy was brought in from the pasture to foal. She managed to deliver when I snuck away for something to eat. When I returned, there was the most wonderful creamy foal already standing. His eyes were dark blue and he was the same color cream everywhere. He had a few white and black hairs in his mane and tail but not many. I was sure I had a Blue Eyed Cream! I didn’t realize at the time it would have been impossible because *Texas Hope was a hard color.
A week or so after foaling, Taffy and Colt joined the rest of my large equine gang out in pasture. That is where he spent the next two years of his life. They were all mares except for one large gelding who was my retired foxhunter. This gelding ruled the pasture just as a herd stallion would have. Colt was never formally weaned, he and Taffy did that on their own.
As a yearling, he was one of THE ugliest creatures I had ever seen! His head was a MILE long, both front legs came out of the same hole and he had was ewe necked. I was going to geld him but Pat Keough came to see him and begged me not to. Paddy assured me that the colt would grow into himself. Pat had never steered me wrong so far so I let him grow.
When Colt was two, I brought him in to break (I know now I should have given him another year but I was young and impulsive). He had had only very minimal handling up to that point but he was a snap to break and train. He loved his new job and excelled at everything we tried (except his bath and worming which took some doing). He was beginning to mature into quite a handsome guy; his chest had come in, his legs were straight and his head! His head was magnificent. The change was dramatic. Later, I would find that his children and grandchildren grew mostly the same way.
After a few months of riding, Colt was put back in the pasture with the gang. The old gelding viewed him as an intruder and tried his best to run him off just as a wild stallion would. Poor Colt ran as hard as his much shorter legs could go, displaying typical foal posturing of lowered head and mouthing in a submissive fashion the entire time. It took a while to catch him but finally, the poor exhausted colt was saved from the terror of the gelding and brought back to the barn. From then on he led the life of many stallions; isolated from others except to breed.
Shortly after that I moved to California with my son, Trent. Colt went to the Keough’s Miles River Stable in Hamilton, Mass to be sold. The only taker wanted to geld him so I said forget it and Pat brought Colt and a TB mare to me on the West Coast.
I spent the next few years riding and showing him. We had a blast. He was Champion Green Hunter at his first show over fences. I am not the greatest rider and at 5’8” tall, he at 14.1 1/2h, Colt really had to be pretty terrific to pull that off. I showed him in hand and he won many times over all breeds. There weren’t many Connemaras in California at the time so I decided he was too good for me and sent him back to the Keoughs at Myopia.
Helen & Rocky at their first show
IN 1977 Pat flew to California and took Colt back to Massachusetts by air. The entire trip was quite an ordeal but that is a WHOLE nother story. Once in Hamilton, Pat’s son Michael took over his riding and Paddy showed him in hand. Michael felt “Colt” was not a proper name for such a fine animal and began calling him Rocky. It stuck (with everyone but us that is).
Pat and Rocky’s first show was at Woodstock. I sat by the phone all day waiting to hear the results. Finally, the phone rang bringing me the great news that Colt had been chosen Grand Champion in Hand. We were thrilled to say the least. Paddy and Colt returned to Woodstock the following year and were once again chosen Grand Champion in Hand. As far as I know no other Connemara had ever won that award at Woodstock three consecutive years so the next year I was particularly anxious to hear the results. I remember sitting by the phone nearly the entire day. I couldn’t understand why I hadn’t received word from somebody when the phone finally rang. Mary Rutter was on the other end and that really confused me. I couldn’t figure out why in the world Mary would be calling. I will never forget the opening part of that conversation as long as I live.
Mary said, “Helen?” I replied, “Yes.” Then she said, “This is Mary Rutter.” I said hello and Mary went on to say, “I have good news and bad news. The good news is Rocky won the Championship for the third time and retired the trophy, the bad news is Paddy dropped dead at his feet in the ring.” Mary burst into tears and I was speechless, stunned and devastated. How could that be? I don’t remember much after that. She told me the particulars as I sobbed on the other end of the line. How could I ever feel good about that win? I would trade every ribbon in the world to change the outcome of that hot August day in New England. The Keoughs were like family to me. I spent more time with them growing up than my own family. I practically lived at their stable as a kid. Now Paddy was gone and it was all my fault.
Mel & I had moved to Washington State earlier that year so that is where Rocky returned. It had been a couple of years since I had seen him and my how he had developed. He was no longer a colt but a magnificent mature stallion. His coat glimmered like a shiny brass horn. He was covered in dapples from head to tail with lovely spider markings over his withers. His points were jet black and he was a sight to behold.
John Watson came into his life that year and began eventing him and showing him in dressage. The pair did lots of winning and when John wasn’t riding him, Colt gave lessons to kids. He loved kids. He loved being near them, giving them lessons and just taking care of them. A twelve-year-old boy rode him in the Woodbrook Hunt Club Hunter Trials in Tacoma Washington and won over a huge entry. It was a very long, very tricky, rolling outside course. There were horses and ponies everywhere. At one point a totally clueless kid rode up to them with a mare in heat. The mare squatted right under Colt’s nose and the only thing he did was curl his lip. He knew that boy on his back was more important than his sometime much too strong sex drive. It made me cry. I knew how hard that was for him. He was an incredibly kind pony.
Colt went on to live with Connie Tuor in the early 80s. Connie showed him in hunters and jumpers in the beginning and later they evented and showed to 4th level dressage. They won countless championships in everything from Small Working Hunter to Preliminary Jumpers (remember he was only 14.1 1/2h). He beat some of the best horses on the West Coast.
Connie & Colt over a huge oxer. I don’t know who took this photo so unfortunately I only have the proof.
Colt appeared on the cover of countless all-breed as well as Connemara magazines. He was once chosen as the centerfold for Horse of Course and had his own fan club of little girls following him around at the shows. Many of these kids wrote to Breyer asking if they had a model of him. Breyer wrote to us in the mid 80s telling us that they had had so many requests for a Rocky Breyer, they would like permission to use his likeness as a model. Of course we agreed and that is how Rocky became the first Breyer Connemara model.
Rocky, the original Breyer Connemara
Rocky retired at the ripe old age of 18, as sound as the day he was born. In 1992 he was given a fabulous retirement ceremony at the West Coast Connemara Show. It was a wonderful celebration of his life. Many of his children were there along with a bagpiper who played Amazing Grace.
Colt spent his final years in Canby Oregon with Dave and Sandi Reynolds at their Skyview Farm. He was occasionally turned out in their arena with geldings to play and continued to breed mares right up until the end. Other than the Skyview ponies, he wasn’t used much on purebred Connemaras. I have always thought that was a shame as he passed along his extraordinary temperament and athletic ability to his get. His children are producing some excellent typy ponies.
Colt was a blast to ride. He had more buttons than a Lear jet but he also had a great autopilot. I could think what I wanted and he responded. He LOVED working and always did whatever was asked of him with a smile.
Lower right, David Baus holding (with whom he won the hunter trials) and Trent King (Helen's son) washing.
He was a once in a lifetime pony.
He was my friend.
~Custusha’s Cashel Rock~
1972 – 2002
I will miss you dear friend
Rocky painting by T.P. Haigh
clockwise top left: Connie Tour, Michael Keough, John Watson, Helen King
The next generation - Cashel's Rock of Ages (Rocky's son Leo)
