Black Easter Bunny
Encyclopedia
Black Easter Bunny was a Quarter Horse
racehorse who raced during the early 1950s, winning many races against some of the giants of the breed.
. She was sired by Hysition, a Thoroughbred
stallion, and her dam was a Quarter Horse mare named Flicka. Her dam traced back to Chicaro, a Thoroughbred, as well as tracing three times to Little Joe, a son of Traveler
.
On the track, Black Easter Bunny started 111 times, placing first in twenty-one of those races. She placed second twenty-two times and came in third thirteen times. She earned an AAA speed rating
, and a total of $40,228.00 in purses and 136 AQHA racing points. In 1952 she was named Champion Quarter Running Three Year Old Mare.
In 1956, Black Easter Bunny's then owner Walt Culbertson decided to retire from racing, and sold Black Easter Bunny to Mr. and Mrs. Spencer Childers of Fresno, California
. Spencer Childers told Nelson C. Nye that when Black Easter Bunny came up for sale, Childers "offered his wife the choice of a new mink coat or Black Easter Bunny for Christmas. She did not hesitate a moment." After retiring from racing, she produced five foal
s. All five started races, were winners, and earned their Race Register of Merits. Four were rated AAA, and the fifth was rated AAAT. In total, her five offspring earned $122,969.00 on the racetrack. Her daughter Bunny's Bar Maid was second in the 1961 All American Futurity
as well as winning the Kansas Futurity.
Black Easter Bunny was inducted into the American Quarter Horse Association
's (or AQHA) Hall of Fame
in 2002.
American Quarter Horse
The American Quarter Horse is an American breed of horse that excels at sprinting short distances. Its name came from its ability to outdistance other breeds of horses in races of a quarter mile or less; some individuals have been clocked at speeds up to 55 mph...
racehorse who raced during the early 1950s, winning many races against some of the giants of the breed.
Life
Black Easter Bunny foaled in 1949 and was a black Quarter Horse mareMare (horse)
A mare is an adult female horse or other equine.In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse age three and younger. However, in Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four years old; in harness racing a mare is a...
. She was sired by Hysition, a Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
stallion, and her dam was a Quarter Horse mare named Flicka. Her dam traced back to Chicaro, a Thoroughbred, as well as tracing three times to Little Joe, a son of Traveler
Traveler (horse)
Mystery surrounds Traveler , as his breeding is completely unknown. He appeared in Texas in the mid-1880s and eventually ended up as a match racehorse and stallion. Some stories have him part of a contractor's work string doing grading work on a railroad being constructed in Eastland County, Texas...
.
On the track, Black Easter Bunny started 111 times, placing first in twenty-one of those races. She placed second twenty-two times and came in third thirteen times. She earned an AAA speed rating
Speed index
Speed index is a system of rating the performance of Quarter Horse racehorses. The American Quarter Horse Association has used two systems over the history of Quarter Horse racing to evaluate racing performances. The original system used a letter grade, starting at D, then C, B, A and the...
, and a total of $40,228.00 in purses and 136 AQHA racing points. In 1952 she was named Champion Quarter Running Three Year Old Mare.
In 1956, Black Easter Bunny's then owner Walt Culbertson decided to retire from racing, and sold Black Easter Bunny to Mr. and Mrs. Spencer Childers of Fresno, California
Fresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
. Spencer Childers told Nelson C. Nye that when Black Easter Bunny came up for sale, Childers "offered his wife the choice of a new mink coat or Black Easter Bunny for Christmas. She did not hesitate a moment." After retiring from racing, she produced five foal
Foal
A foal is an equine, particularly a horse, that is one year old or younger. More specific terms are colt for a male foal and filly for a female foal, but these terms are used until the horse is age three or four. When the foal is nursing from its dam , it may also be called a suckling...
s. All five started races, were winners, and earned their Race Register of Merits. Four were rated AAA, and the fifth was rated AAAT. In total, her five offspring earned $122,969.00 on the racetrack. Her daughter Bunny's Bar Maid was second in the 1961 All American Futurity
All American Futurity
The All American Futurity is a race for two-year-old American Quarter Horse racehorses run at Ruidoso Downs Race Track in Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico on Labor Day. It is the last leg of the AQHA Triple Crown that has only been won once, by Special Effort in 1981. A 4 million dollar bonus was once...
as well as winning the Kansas Futurity.
Black Easter Bunny was inducted into the American Quarter Horse Association
American Quarter Horse Association
The American Quarter Horse Association , based in Amarillo, Texas, is an international organization dedicated to the preservation, improvement and record-keeping of the American Quarter Horse. The association sanctions many competitive events and maintains the official registry...
's (or AQHA) Hall of Fame
American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame
The American Quarter Horse Association has created a Hall of Fame in Amarillo, Texas to honor both people and horses who contributed to the growth of the American Quarter Horse. Any one may nominate either people or horses to be considered. Nominations from the membership are due by October 1. They...
in 2002.