Joe Hancock facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Joe Hancock P-455

Breed	Quarter Horse
Sire	John Wilkens
Grandsire	Peter McCue
Dam	Hancock mare
Maternal grandsire	Percheron stud
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	1926
Country	United States
Color	brown
Breeder	John Jackson Hancock
Owner	6666 Ranch
Honors
Honors
AQHA Hall of Fame

Joe Hancock was a very important Quarter Horse stallion who lived from 1926 to 1943. He helped shape the breed in the early days of the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA).

About Joe Hancock

Joe Hancock was officially listed as number 455 in the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA). He was likely born in 1926, though the exact date is not perfectly clear. He was a brown stallion, which is a male horse.

At first, his breeder was unknown. Later research showed that John Jackson Hancock was his breeder. Joe Hancock's father, called his sire, was John Wilkens. John Wilkens was a son of a famous horse named Peter McCue.

Joe Hancock's mother, called his dam, was a mare who was half Percheron. A Percheron is a type of large draft horse. The AQHA's official records, called a stud book, first listed his mother as "unknown."

When Joe Hancock was registered, he was owned by the Tom L. Burnett Estate in Fort Worth, Texas. This estate later became the famous 6666 Ranch. Joe Hancock had a white streak on his face. When he was fully grown, he stood about 15.3 hands tall. This means he was about 63 inches (160 cm) tall at his shoulder. Unlike his father, he had strong, healthy feet.

Racing Career

Joe Hancock raced in many match races for several years. A match race is when two horses race against each other, often for a wager. There are no official records of these races today.

At one point, advertisements were placed in newspapers like the Fort Worth Star Telegram. These ads said that "Joe Hancock is open to the world." This meant he was ready to race any horse over short distances. No one was willing to race their horses against him. All of Joe Hancock's races happened before the AQHA was formed in 1940.

Breeding Record

By the time the AQHA was created, Joe Hancock was busy siring many ranch horses at the 6666 Ranch. To sire means to be the father of foals. A foal is a young horse.

Joe Hancock was the father of seven foals that earned a special award called a Race Register of Merit from the AQHA. This award shows that they were good racehorses. He also sired two foals, Brown Joe Hancock and Red Man, who earned a Performance Register of Merit. This award means they were good at other horse activities, like working on a ranch.

Death and Honors

Joe Hancock passed away in 1943. Many years later, in 1992, he was honored by being added to the AQHA Hall of Fame. This is a very special award for horses who have made a big impact on the breed.

In 2007, Western Horseman magazine made a list of the top ten ranch horse bloodlines. Joe Hancock was chosen as number three on this important list.

Pedigree

• The 6666 Story retrieved July 4, 2007