One of the world’s most popular breeds, the versatile Quarter Horse, is as American as apple pie. His story begins during the 17th and 18th centuries, when English colonists in Virginia and North Carolina, many devoted fans of horse racing, started crossing imported horses like the Hobby and the Thoroughbred with native horses of uncertain origin. The resulting animal was small and sturdy enough to use as a workhorse, yet quick enough to outrace other breeds over the colonies’ quarter-mile paths or roads—hence his name, the “Celebrated Quarter Running Horse” or “Quarter-Mile Horse.” By the 19th century, this accomplished sprinter had headed west with the pioneers. When crossed with Native American horses and mustangs, the breed developed into a cowboy’s dream. Blessed with speed, agility and natural “cow sense,” this new “stock-type” Quarter Horse, with his compact, muscular build, became a staple on ranches where handling livestock was a way of life. When ranch hands met to test their skills at rodeos, the Quarter Horse excelled at contests of speed and cattle management—particularly reining, cutting, calf roping and barrel racing. Meanwhile, additional infusions of Thoroughbred blood continued the racing tradition among some members of the breed. This type of Quarter Horse, now called the “hunter or racing type,” is taller and more smooth-muscled than the stock type. Today’s American Quarter Horse is an even-tempered, 14 to 16-hand individual with a small, refined head, a powerful chest and muscular hindquarters. He comes in nearly every color, including roan, buckskin, dun, grullo and gray. An all-purpose animal who is equally at home under English or Western tack, the American Quarter Horse can perform nearly any task with ease—from foxhunting and show jumping to driving, trail riding, cutting cattle, and yes, racing in pari-mutual sprints. Small wonder that this homegrown hero is the most popular American horse breed—and that the American Quarter Horse Association is the largest breed registry in the world.