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A year before his death, the Ruxer's commissioned the sculptor Patricia Crane to
create a 1/5 scale bronze portrait of Supreme Sultan, trotting in precisely this
natural and breath taking way. Following the great horse's death the same
sculptor created the life size portrait that marks the stallion's grave in front
of the Saddle Horse Museum in Lexington, Kentucky. After completing the one and
a half year project, which was a labor of love, the sculptor was told no one
else would ever be commissioned to sculpt Sultan again. As anyone who knew Alvin
and Hilda Ruxer, or who currently knows Bob Ruxer can attest - their word was
and is for real.
 The Supreme Sultan Monument was unveiled
on September 25, 1985 to immortalized the great stallion and to serve as the
frontis piece for the Museum. Often this bronze portrait is the first introduction
of the American Saddlebred to the thousands of visitors at the Kentucky Horse Park.
At the time all this was being created, many asked what this particular stallion was
chosen to front the museum rather that other greats, like Wing Commander or the
official foundation sire, Gaines Denmark. Supreme Sultan was chosen because he was
the first Saddlebred of the modern era and he did the most reshaping of the future
of the American Saddlebred of the future.
SUPREME SULTAN PHOTO GALLERY
Sultan at Ruxer Farms
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| Avis Photo |
Mike Fenton Photo |
Avis Photo |
A few of Sultan's World Grand Champions of the show ring:
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SULTAN'S STARINA - WGC 3-Gaited
1981 thru 1987. Photo by Shiflet |
IMPERATOR - WGC 5-Gaited
1980,1981,1985,1986, Sargent photo |
Sultan's Santana, WGC Fine Harness 1982
Jamie Donaldson Photo |
Sons of Sultan who have produced World Grand Champions
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| Sultan's Royalty |
Supreme Heir, Avis Photo |
Sultan's Great Day. Photo by Stuart Vesty |
Commissioned art works of Sultan by Patricia Crane
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Pastel - Sultan at Liberty
All Photos this row © Patricia Crane |
Pastel - Sultan head study |
Pastel - Alvin Ruxer & Sultan |
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Sultan Bronze in front of the Saddle
Horse Museum. Ross Millin Photo. |
Patricia working on life size clay of Sultan
© Patricia Crane |
Original 1/5 scale bronze
Photo by Davis Images. |
The Supreme Sultan: Saddlebred: Resin Horse
Sculpture, 1/5 scale may be purchased from this linked page. To visit the page, click the link.
This resin study is a reduction by the sculptor, of the
life size bronze that graces Sultan's grave site and
which also stands by the front doors of the Saddle
Horse Museum.
To view the page of this site that displays Sultan's
life size bronze, click here - Life Size Horse Sculpture.
The horse was bred by Alvin Ruxer of Jasper, Indiana. Ruxer Farms was standing
Sultan's sire, the stallion Valley View Supreme who was also of historical
importance. When Valley View Supreme died at the young age of 15, Ruxer was
completely sure that this one colt was the one to carry forward the fame of the
farm and the one to further improve the Saddlebred breed. The young Sultan had
been sold to Barlite Farm in Texas, but was re-purchased and returned to Ruxer
Farms where he remained for the duration of his life, never again for sale to
anyone for any amount of money.
Supreme Sultan was very refined in build but combined
great power, with great spirit and heart; he also had very
naturally high action with a neck that could reach for the
stars. His hock action was so marvelous that he
sometimes suffered cramps, he "went so high", with no
length of hoof at all. He began his show ring career as a
two year old and was a stakes winner. However the night
prior to his two year old stake at the 1968 Kentucky
State Fair, Supreme Sultan was bred to the mare Society
Dianna and a breeding career that was nothing less than
phenomenal had begun. From this first breeding the
Reserve World Champion, and appropriately named
Freedom Hall was produced. Other noted champions that
came from this same cross were the stupendous Sultan's
Dianna and the World Grand Champion Three Gaited, Sultan's
Starina.
No one could have backed a great horse any better than Alvin Ruxer, who
immediately built a herd of the very finest of mares and who also promoted
Sultan consistently and well. He always believed in his horse and his promotion
was not only wise but heart-felt. Supreme Sultan crossed incredibly well with
all types of mares, produced repeated winners in all divisions and his success
as a breeding stallion has yet to be equaled (as a study of the record books
substantiates). The legendary Imperator was Sultan's first World Grand Champion
!
Even more importantly, Sultan produced sons who were highly successful at stud,
consistently producing more champions. Anyone familiar with Saddlebreds would
never be able to imagine what the breed would be like today without the ongoing
influence of Sultan through his sons Sultan's Santana, Supreme O' Lee, Radiant
Sultan, Sultan's Great Day, and Supreme Heir to name only a few.
As early as the age of six, Supreme Sultan topped the futurity sire ratings of
Saddle & Bridle and
produced his first performance World Champion, Sultan's Santana. He topped the
sire rating by the time he was eleven years old, the youngest stallion to ever
do so, and led both general sire and futurity. He also sired World Grand
Champions in all three major areas of Sadldebred show ring performance:
Five-Gaited, Three-Gaited and Fine Harness. As if this weren't enough he is also
the only stallion to have
sired own immediate successor on the General Sire Rating.
Sultan's sons and daughters were talented and beautiful, a hard combination to
beat. They were also
very intelligent and easy to get along with. They quickly became favorites with
trainers and riders throughout the world.
After battles with colic, Supreme Sultan was euthanized in 1983 at the age of
only seventeen. In his
later years his point lead over other sires was tremendous. In 1979 he had twice
the points as the
tallion behind him in second place and even the year of his death, three times
the points. The year of
his death, he had sired 84 horses who were show winners in Sire Rated shows,
including 21 five-gaited horses, 42 three-gaited horses, 11 in fine harness and
10 pleasure horses. The points from only the five-gaited, or from only the
three-gaited would have been enough to put him at the top once more. It is of
course impossible to say what records he could have established had he lived,
but no guessing is needed to know the tallies would have been in the "never to
be seen before or since" category.
The immediate successor to Supreme Sultan on the top sire rating, the year of
the great Sultan's death, was naturally the second place stallion. This was his
own son Sultan's Santana who also became the first Saddlebred to sell for one
million dollars!
Supreme Sultan is said to have benefited from many things: excellent bloodlines
of course, great mare crosses, an exclusive use of IA so as to breed 200 mares a
season, and all that excellent promotion thorough the genius of Alvin Ruxer.
It is true that his sire was a great sire. Valley View Supreme is the only
stallion to ever have become Three Gaited World Grand Champion. Valley View
Supreme was by Genius Bourbon King and out of Diana Gay, by The Genius, making
him a line-bred Chief descendant tracing closely to Bourbon Genius.
It is true that His dam, Melody O' Lee, is listed in the Broodmare Hall of Fame.
She produced four ribbon winners at the Kentucky State Fair! She was by Anacacho
Denmark by Judy O' Lee (x Leatherwood King, a full brother to The Genius and
Bourbon Genius). Her third dam was by American Ace.
The crossing of Supreme Sultan with mares sired by the great Wing Commander was
said to be a golden cross, a combining of the elegance of Sultan with the many
times proven performance qualities of Wing.
It is true it was a cross that produced winner after winner, but it is also true
that Sultan crossed with almost any bloodline and produced winner after winner
and he sired winners in every Saddlebred division.
There was more. Sultan was a most superior individual with his own unique
characteristics and gifts.
Throughout his entire career as a stallion, he had one breeding manager, Bill
Caldwell. It is safe to say
Mr. Caldwell "knew" his horse, and this is what he had to say about Supreme
Sultan.
" He was like a human - he had more guts and courage than any horse I've ever
seen. He was a show horse the minute he was born. His colts were nice working
horses. They'd all try for you. They were
also finer and prettier than the average Saddlebred at the time."
Others described him as a very kind horse, but always read to show-off. The Sultan was also always the gentleman.
Years in the future, in 2004 and again in 2005, at the World's
Championship show
held in Kentucky each year, the offspring
of Supreme Sultan won in all three
Word Grand Championship
divisions on stake night. In 2005 and 2006 the World
Grand
Champion Three-Gaited horse was Manila Thrilla, a line bred
Sultan
offspring.
Sultan more that any other stallion helped set the standards for a new era
in Saddle Horse history, with the wonderful colts and fillies that parade across
the globe today as the Modern Saddlebred.
We hope you enjoy
our small tribute to a very great horse. As Bob Ruxer,
Alvin's Ruxer's nephew, previous trainer, and current
owner of Ruxer Farms said of the Sultan: "There is little
I can say. He was a fantasy - bigger than all of us..."
Top header: photo by Avis
Much of the breeding and history
information in this article was generously provided by Ross Millin and his full
article may be read at www.newlineza.com
Many, many thanks to Ross, because his article was the base, and
the gentle spur to add my own words and images. Dr. Millin's generosity is grand
and consistent !
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