by Jo Warren
reprinted from The Canadian
Appaloosa Journal, July 1973
Born
17 years ago in the hills of Colorado, Patchy Junior's Lila Gleska
has become a legend in the Appaloosa Breed. I had purchased a horse
from Dick Spencer, "Witanka", and after our arrangements to haul
him fell through, I made a phone call to my old friend, Ben Johnson,
and he agreed to haul the stallion for me. But he said he didn't
really want to haul a two-horse trailer with only one horse and
suggested that I buy a horse from him. He said he had a little mare
with lots of color who would make a class look better. I agreed
to purchase her for a few hundred dollars.
In
June 1957, Ben arrived at the National at Canby, Oregon with
the two horses and I took over possession of my little shaggy red
leopard yearling filly. She had a long mane and a tail down to the
ground and looked really neglected. I asked Ben what her name was
and he said they called her "Tweedie Pie". This was enough to further
upset me. So I went into the office and asked Dick Spencer to give
her a name. He suggested "Lila Gleska" in the little office at the
Canby, Oregon, Fairgrounds. I decided she could not look any worse,
so Ben and I clipped her from end to end. We roached her mane and
pulled her tail.
And I took her in the
Yearling Class the next day and won FIRST.
I had just won the Class
and was holding her on the grass when along came a spotted stallion
who had just won the 2-year-old class .... running loose.... with
his owner coming behind. And after a fair amount of exchange of
words, this was the best beginning of a friendship with one of the
best known ladies who is still raising Appaloosas today. At this
particular show I believe they hired an artillery man to produce
the fireworks. It sounded like a war had broken out and things were
flying everywhere. Horses running loose - sparks set some of the
barn roofs on fire, etc. The old-time breeder will remember this
National.
I bred Lila as a 2-year-old
- and she has just had her 14th foal - all Appaloosas. She has been
bred to Appaloosas, Quarter Horses, Thoroughbreds and has consistently
produced Champions. From this mare, excluding the three daughters
of hers that I own, she has averaged over $2000. per foal.
Her Grand Champions of
shows I have lost count of. She won shows like the National, The
P.N.E. in Vancouver, the Palouse Empire, both at Halter and Performance.
She was the only mare to beat "R.O.Princess Pat", who won the National
and who had up to that time been undefeated at Halter. At the National
at Walla Walla her foals that I had sold were able to win 2nd and
3rd Produce of Dam Class.
Some of her foals who
were both Champions at Halter and Performance were:
Warren's Wardance
- Northwest Champion
Warren's Drifting Drums
- Northwest Champion
Warren's Tribal Dance
- Champion at Palouse Empire
Warren's Firedance
- Junior Champion, Palouse Empire
Warren's Distant Drums
- Hi Point, B.C. Appaloosa Club
Warren's Old Jo - Hi
Point Stallion, B.C. Appaloosa Club
Patchy Junior's Lila Gleska
is a daughter of Patchy Junior, both National Champion at Halter and
Performance; a granddaughter of Patchy 416, who also was National
Champion. She is also a half-sister to Shawn Tonga, also a National
Champion.
The
sequel to this story is on the way home from the National in Albuquerque,
New Mexico. I ran into a veterinarian who saw the advertisement
on my trailer and asked me if I was the Canadian who bought a leopard
filly from Ben Johnson. I said I was and then he said, "Well, I'm
the one who sold her to Ben" - And to this day, I have never been
able to find out from Ben how much the mare actually cost. We still
have Lila Gleska here at the Border Appaloosa Ranch which is on
the American border. I have today sold another of her daughters
who is going to Cuba and who will further perpetuate her blood.
Lila seems to continue to raise champion caliber type horses. As
long as I am able to keep her daughters, they will provide a comfortable
living. We are standing "Top Hat, Jr." here at the ranch and for
the last two years she has produced two outstanding fillies. I think
a further compliment to her is that the Cuban Veterinarian would
have taken all her offspring that I have. She is safe in foal to
one of the top B.B.'s and if she raises four or five more colts
by that time I will be retired. A great deal of the reason for being
able to do so is that this mare has produced me enough colts that
sold for sufficient money to buy my farm, arena and install the
latest equipment. Through this mare we established our business.
As long as Lila is around, I will stay in the Appaloosa breeding
business and when the old mare passes on I too will quit.
I haven't talked to Ben
Johnson lately, but I am thinking that anyone interested in going
into the Appaloosa business with one or two mares that would be
profitable and would establish himself might check with Ben to see
if he has another one of these kind of mares hidden away in the
hills.
reprinted from
The Canadian Appaloosa Journal, July 1973
Some Interesting
Statistics Production Record
Registration
#
Name
Sex
Foal
Date
11250
Warrens Wap'Em
Jo
S
5/23/76
14841
Warrens Broadway
Jo
S
04/15/78
16930
Gleskas Mighty
Red
G
04/13/79
1830
Chief's Charm
M
05/01/61
2448
Warrens Tribal
Dance
S
03/29/64
26009
Harstar
M
06/10/80
2989
Warren's Firedance
S
04/15/65
3095
Warren's Distant
Drums
M
05/22/67
31933
Warren's Wardance
S
?
4765
Warren's Ol'
Jo
S
08/15/65
6084
Warrens Bobbie-Jo
M
?
68258
Warren's Drifting
Drums
S
?
7221
Warrens Top
Secret
M
02/22/73
7222
Warrens Delilah
M
02/22/72
9716
Warrens' Hobo
Jo
G
06/05/75
Show Records
Name
/ Class
Points
Warrens Wap'Em
Jo - # 11250 Halter
24.
Gleskas Mighty
Red - # 16930 Trail Western Riding Western Pleasure
17. 1. 9.
Warrens Ol'
Jo - # 4765 Halter Western Pleasure
14. 5.
Warrens Bobbie-Jo
- # 6084 Superior Award
- Halter Halter
52.
Warrens Top
Secret - # 7221 Halter
33.
Warrens Delilah
- # 7222 Superior Award
- Halter Halter English Pleasure Western Riding Western Pleasure
Born
17 years ago in the hills of Colorado, Patchy Junior's Lila Gleska
has become a legend in the Appaloosa Breed. I had purchased a horse
from Dick Spencer, "Witanka", and after our arrangements to haul
him fell through, I made a phone call to my old friend, Ben Johnson,
and he agreed to haul the stallion for me. But he said he didn't
really want to haul a two-horse trailer with only one horse and
suggested that I buy a horse from him. He said he had a little mare
with lots of color who would make a class look better. I agreed
to purchase her for a few hundred dollars.
In
June 1957, Ben arrived at the National at Canby, Oregon with
the two horses and I took over possession of my little shaggy red
leopard yearling filly. She had a long mane and a tail down to the
ground and looked really neglected. I asked Ben what her name was
and he said they called her "Tweedie Pie". This was enough to further
upset me. So I went into the office and asked Dick Spencer to give
her a name. He suggested "Lila Gleska" in the little office at the
Canby, Oregon, Fairgrounds. I decided she could not look any worse,
so Ben and I clipped her from end to end. We roached her mane and
pulled her tail.
The
sequel to this story is on the way home from the National in Albuquerque,
New Mexico. I ran into a veterinarian who saw the advertisement
on my trailer and asked me if I was the Canadian who bought a leopard
filly from Ben Johnson. I said I was and then he said, "Well, I'm
the one who sold her to Ben" - And to this day, I have never been
able to find out from Ben how much the mare actually cost. We still
have Lila Gleska here at the Border Appaloosa Ranch which is on
the American border. I have today sold another of her daughters
who is going to Cuba and who will further perpetuate her blood.
Lila seems to continue to raise champion caliber type horses. As
long as I am able to keep her daughters, they will provide a comfortable
living. We are standing "Top Hat, Jr." here at the ranch and for
the last two years she has produced two outstanding fillies. I think
a further compliment to her is that the Cuban Veterinarian would
have taken all her offspring that I have. She is safe in foal to
one of the top B.B.'s and if she raises four or five more colts
by that time I will be retired. A great deal of the reason for being
able to do so is that this mare has produced me enough colts that
sold for sufficient money to buy my farm, arena and install the
latest equipment. Through this mare we established our business.
As long as Lila is around, I will stay in the Appaloosa breeding
business and when the old mare passes on I too will quit.