Page 166 - SPEEDHORSE April 2018

Oscar McArthur James McArthur
The McArthur Brothers
One For All . . . All For One
by Allan Black
Afamily whose members get along together is no rarity, but the family whose members are compatible rivals is definitely a rarity. Such a family can be found in the Quarter Horse industry and it is comprised of the McArthur brothers.
Oscar, James, Richard and Bill McArthur were born and raised on a Texas cattle ranch where the favorite pastime of their father
was match racing Quarter Horses. From this beginning, the four sons went into the Quarter Horse field – Oscar as an agent for the purchase and sale of racing and breeding stock, and James, Richard and Bill as trainers.
Among them there is strong evidence of
a family bond, but when it comes to their livelihood, they’re in business for themselves and oftentimes in direct competition.
More of a catalyst for his brothers than competitor is Oscar. A tall, lanky man of 30 with a gentleman’s manner and hospitable nature, his activities are typified by Hank
Snow’s hit of a few years back entitled “I’ve Been Everywhere.” Oscar travels all over the United States in quest of potential purchases for his clients. In his words, “I know just about everyone in the Quarter Horse business. It’s my job to make suggestions and give advice to owners that need my service.”
Through Oscar, an owner interested in acquiring stock can keep his finger on the pulse of the Quarter Horse market without making inquiries on his own. Without this service,
far fewer transactions would be made, for the business interests of most owners preclude their spending much time and effort seeking out available stock.
Oscar’s shrewdness, awareness and confidence are a necessity to people in making purchases in the business of buying horses for racing and breeding purposes.
When asked to enumerate some of the transactions he has consummated, Oscar’s
modesty prevents elaboration. Through James, however, it was discovered that, “Oscar handled the entire transaction in the sale of Fleet Kirsch to Jacob Bunn for a reported ‘$500,000.’”
Fleet Kirsch was a very fast son of Fleet Nasrullah, who won the Hollywood Juvenile Championship in 1968. Unproven as a sire of Quarter Horses, Fleet Kirsch is described by Oscar as, “possibly the best conformed sire for Quarter Horse breeding that I’ve ever seen. I don’t know how he can’t be a success.”
This is but one of many deals Oscar has been involved in, but the purchase price alone is ample testimony that he’s respected as an authority in his field.
James, the eldest brother at 33, is presently enjoying the most success as a trainer. Earnings for his starters in 1972 came to $131,497, ranking him eighth nationally. He saddled 28 winners that year and in 1973 his 22 wins provided the bulk of the $89,927 earned by his runners.
164 SPEEDHORSE, April 2018
LOOKING BACK - AN EXCERPT FROM JULY 1974 ISSUE