Three Bars facts for kids

Three Bars was a very famous Thoroughbred racehorse who later became an important sire (father) of Quarter Horses. He was so influential that he was added to the American Quarter Horse Association's (AQHA) American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame in 1989.

Life Story of Three Bars

Three Bars was born on April 8, 1940. His father was a horse named Percentage, and his mother was Myrtle Dee. When he was young, he showed a lot of promise for racing. However, he developed leg problems that kept him from racing well until he was six years old.

Moving to Arizona

In 1945, when Three Bars was five, Sidney H. Vail bought him for $10,000. Three Bars was living in Arizona at this time. Eventually, his leg problems got better. He started to show amazing speed in races.

Winning the Speed Handicap

In 1946, Three Bars won the Speed Handicap race. This race took place in Tijuana, Mexico. It was a three-quarters of a mile race for older horses. Three Bars finished the race in 1 minute and 10.2 seconds. After his racing career, Vail sometimes leased him to Walter Merrick. Merrick was an early breeder of racing Quarter Horses. Three Bars also stood (meaning he was available for breeding) in Arizona and California. Three Bars passed away in March 1968 in Oklahoma at Walter Merrick's ranch.

Three Bars' Offspring

Three Bars became incredibly famous for the horses he fathered. He was a "sire" who produced many champions.

His Amazing Children

Three Bars was the father of 29 horses who became AQHA Champions. He also sired 4 AQHA Supreme Champions. Over 300 of his children earned a "Register of Merit" for their racing achievements. In total, his children earned more than $3 million on the racetrack.

Some of his most famous children include:

• Mr. Bar None
• Gay Bar King
• Sugar Bars
• Lightning Bar
• Tonto Bars Gill
• St. Bar
• Steel Bars
• Bar Money

Other notable offspring were Triple Chick, Alamitos Bar, Bar Depth, Royal Bar, Josie's Bar, and Galobar.

His Grandchildren's Success

Three Bars' influence continued through his grandchildren. His grandson, Doc Bar, became one of the most important sires of cutting horses (horses that separate cattle from a herd). Another grandson, Tonto Bars Hank, sired horses good at many different tasks. Jewel's Leo Bars (also known as Freckles), was another grandson who was a great cutting horse and father of cutting horses.

A horse named Impressive was a triple descendant of Three Bars. Impressive became the most powerful sire of Quarter Horse halter horses from the 1970s to the 1990s. Halter horses are judged on their looks and muscle.

Hall of Fame Family Members

Many of Three Bars' children and grandchildren were also honored. His children Rocket Bar (TB), Sugar Bars, Lena's Bar (TB), Lightning Bar, and Zippo Pat Bars were all inducted into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame.

Several of his grandchildren also made it into the AQHA Hall of Fame:

• Doc Bar
• Zippo Pine Bar
• Easy Jet
• Kaweah Bar
• Zan Parr Bar
• The Invester

Four of Three Bars' sons became AQHA Supreme Champions: Kid Meyers, Bar Money, Fairbars, and Goldseeker Bars.

Three Bars' Family Tree

This section shows Three Bars' family tree, also known as his pedigree. It lists his parents, grandparents, and so on.

More Information

• All Breed Pedigree Database Pedigree of Three Bars (You can explore Three Bars' full family tree here!)