Indiana Ace
Saddlebred on Two Continents
by Ross Millin
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A Saddlebred stallion famous in two countries during his lifetime and beyond.
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Indiana Ace, a great chestnut Saddlebred stallion, created quite a stir when he made his
first appearance at the Indiana State Fair in 1946. He was shown in the Two-Year Old Indiana -Owned class, where he won first place.
He also won the the Two-Year Old Fine Harness division of the Indiana Futurity and followed this with a win in the Two-Year-Old Fine
Harness Stake. He was owned, trained and exhibit by Dorothy Thomas of Indianapolis, Indiana. Dorothy dearly loved Ace and was devastated
when she had to sell him to pay for her daughter's education. Dorothy had a special knack with animals and even trained the barn mice
to harness when she was young! A real remarkable lady who trained and loved an equally remarkable horse!
Indiana Ace was bred by Kalarama Farm of Springfield, Kentucky and born there on April 26, 1944 His pedigree
reflects names of champions that made show ring history, as well as the bloodlines of the great progenitors of the breed.
His influence on the South Africa Saddlebred horse industry is huge and recently with the importation of stallions like (SA) Tornaado
and Zovoorbij Commander In Chief back into the USA his bloodline is sure back where it all started! He was imported to South Africa
by Mr Piet Louw in 1955 and although many years have gone since Indiana Ace left the USA, his legacy still lives on through some
of his progeny. In South Africa he won the title of S.A. Grand Champion Stallion in 1956, & 1958, but he will rather be remembered by
his progeny, especially his broodmares.
In America one of his foals, Indiana Peavine won the World Champion Three-Year-Old Five Gaited title in 1958. He is also the sire of
the one and only Lily Merril, the World's Junior Five Gaited Champion in 1965 and World's Champion Junior Exhibitor Five Gaited in 1970
with Marion Hutcheson in the saddle.
The most important and well known daughter of Indiana Ace ( x Grassland's Debutante) in the USA was, Just Plain Jane. She also appears
in the broodmare hall of fame through her offspring , CH Hide-A-Way's Lotta Firefly, Wing's of Fire etc. When bred to Cameo Kirby she
produced Love and Kisses and the famous sire, Cameo's Farewell, which was imported to South Africa also and had a major impact on the
local Saddle Horse Industry there.
Jodie Ann's first Ace foal was Indiana's Ann, who won the S.A. Grand Champion Three Gaited Title in 1963. Another foal by Ace was Juliet
Ace, who was the dam of Cameo's Impersonator , the grandsire of the successful sire of Pieter Jacobs, Dominator's Radetsky , who was
the No. 1 sire on the S.A Sire rating in 2001. ( See Jodi Ann: Saddlebred: Breeding Bloodlines.)
Batchelor Dream, another son of Indiana Ace ( x Cameo's Spring Cheer ) produced Adios Amigo who also appears in the pedigree of the
1997 World Grand Champion Five Gaited Horse, Zovoorbij Commander in Chief. Adios Amigo is the grandsire of El Nino, the sire of
Commander in Chief (pictured right at Tulbagh Show in the Three Year Old Five Gaited class with his his trainer Johan de Villiers).
It is not well known that a Ace was sold back to America in 1961, but at that stage it was impractical to send him by ship; however,
South Africa was not equipped to send horses by air (the first American Saddle Horses flew into S.A. in October 1972), and after trying
unsuccessfully for six months, the scheme was eventually abandoned partly due to the fact that Indiana Ace was at that time already over
seventeen years old. Mr. Louw then sold him to Bill Sieberhagen, who subsequently named his Stud the Indiana Saddle Horse Stud and used
Ace extensively in his breeding program. Ace died in February 1966 at the age of 22, young for an American Saddle Horse, but leaving
a legacy of breeding stock both in South Africa and the United States.
| | | | King Lee Rose |
| | | Guided by Love | |
| | | | Maud Cullen |
| | American Born | | |
| | | | Highland Denmark |
| | | Lena Jemison | |
| American Ace | | | Daisy Jemison |
| | | | |
| | | | Rex Mc Donald |
| | | Rex Monroe | |
| | | | Lena M |
| | Kathryn Haines | | |
| | | | Highland Denmark |
| | | Japanette | |
| | | | Forest Rose |
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| | | | Rex Mc Donald |
| | | Rex Peavine | |
| | | | Daisy II |
| | Kalarama Rex | | |
| | | | Rex Monroe |
| | | Nancy Thurman | |
| Briney Breezes | | | Lula Chief |
| | | | |
| | | | King Lee Rose |
| | | Guided by Love | |
| | | | Maud Cullen |
| | Whispering Winds | | |
| | | | Kentucky Highland |
| | | Jane Singleton | |
| | | | Lady Singleton |
 With horses like Zovoorbij
Commander in Chief (pictured left as a young horse with his trainer Bill Schoeman winning the Five Gaited Title at Tulbagh Showback)
in America it would not take long for the breeders to realize the breeding potential of especially his fillies.
Time only will tell if history will repeat itself. The genes of Indiana Ace have made a full circle from the USA to South Africa
reverting back to the USA!
Return to Main Saddlebred Page
More about the Saddlebred:
Saddlebred Stonewall Supreme
Saddlebred Easter Cloud
Saddlebred Supreme Sultan
Saddlebred Montrose
Saddlebred Rex McDonald
Saddlebred Rex Peavine
Saddlebred Bourbon King
Saddlebred Wing Commander
Saddlebred Genius Bourbon King
Saddlebred Valley View Supreme
Saddlebreds in So. Africa
Saddlebreds and Judging
Equine Color Genetics
Saddlebred Equine Articles
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| © All Photos and Sculpture Copyright 1980 - 2013, Patricia Crane. |
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