Horses, II
Skip Sioux propelled Penn State to world class
status as a breeder of American Quarter Horses.
In 1971 the palomino Quarter Horse stallion Skip Sioux was purchased from Hank Weiscamp in Alamosa, Colorado.
Skip became an almost instant success, siring the ROM performer Skip O' Mist in his first foal crop. Many outstanding produce that gained ROM and AQHA recognition and honors followed: horses like Ultra Skip, Color Me Skip, Hail To Skip, and Youth Supreme Champion Devious Skip. Skip was an outcross on the linebred mares in the broodmare band, and the resulting hybrid vigor was immediately apparent.
He was an extremely prepotent sire, stamping his outstanding qualities of conformation, breed character, performance, disposition, and refinement on his offspring. More than 30% of his offspring were AQHA point earners. His success as a sire propelled Penn State to world class status as a breeder of American Quarter Horses. Penn State was recognized in 1982 as the sixth leading breeder of Quarter Horses worldwide, becoming the first and only University to be ranked as a leading breeder.
Students benefited from the quality horses produced. In 1981 the Horse Judging Team won the Judging Contest at the World Quarter Horse Show in Oklahoma City and became a World Champion Quarter Horse Judging Team. In 1982 a Penn State student was named World Champion Performance Horse Judge. The top quality horses being produced were used extensively in management and production classes and were sought by purebred breeders and professional horsemen throughout the eastern half of the country.
From 1965 until 1982, a two-week Horseshoeing Short Course was offered each summer. Ward Studebaker was the principle instructor for the course. The course was so popular that two sessions were required to meet the demand; at one time 300 students were on the waiting list. Students from all walks of life, from coast to coast and from several foreign countries, enrolled and completed the course.
Short courses in nutrition, reproductive physiology, breeding and management, plus specialized courses for Standardbred breeders and for draft horse enthusiasts became part of the educational opportunities available. A one-year Horse Farm Managers program was developed, utilizing expertise from several departments. In addition a ten-week Standardbred Caretakers School was taught to prepare young people to become grooms and caretakers of Standardbred racehorses. Correspondence Course #138, Light Horse Management, is one of the most frequently requested courses offered by the College of Agriculture.
Although the major focus of the horse program has been directed toward undergraduate education, seventeen students received advanced degrees: M.Agr., M.Sc. or Ph.D., from 1966-87. Work has included a wide range of studies in reproductive physiology, nutrition (one of the early studies of digestion in the cecum by means of a fistula), pastures for horses, internal parasite control, early weaning, and therapeutic hoof repair. A few students have taken advantage of an arrangement with the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center that permits a student to obtain a Penn State degree by completing course work at University Park and research at New Bolton Center.
Extension programs to serve the various facets of the industry in the state have been successful. Horse clubs for youth have flourished along with related shows and projects. Over the years both resident faculty and extension personnel have provided leadership for the Pennsylvania Equine Council, The Pennsylvania Quarter Horse Association, and many other horse-oriented groups.
Author: Tom Merritt, Professor of Animal Science
