Page 34 - May 2021

SPEEDLINES
Clabber, the 1940 AQHA World Champion. When they matched Clabber with Driftwood in a race, Driftwood won.
Driftwood is by Miller Boy by Dixie Dan. The dam of Miller Boy is believed to be Wylie by Texas Chief by Traveler, and both Texas Chief and Traveler were raced. The dam of Driftwood is The Comer Mare by Barlow by Lock’s Rondo by Whalebone by Old Billy. The dam of The Comer Mare is believed to be a Kentucky Thoroughbred mare, breeding unknown. The dam of Driftwood Ike is Hancock Belle by Buck who was reported to have been sired by the great Chicaro, the broodmare sire of Top Deck. Miss Hancock, the dam of Hancock Belle, is sired by Joe Hancock, a racehorse that is a grandson of Peter McCue. They retired Joe Hancock from racing because he was “open to the world up to a half mile” and they couldn’t get anybody to race him.
Prissy Cline, the dam of Sun Frost, is out of Josephine El by Super Charge, the 1953 AQHA Champion Two-Year-Old Colt. He is an AAA rated runner sired by Depth Charge and out of O’Quinns Midget by King P-234. The race that Lightning Bar got injured in occurred in a race at Pomona, California, against Super Charge. Super Charge was also injured in this race
but was able to return to the races to earn the coveted AAA rating at all seven racing distances recognized by the AQHA at that time.
Joe Bassett, a rider, trainer, owner and breeder, has ties to both Driftwood and Super Charge. Bassett not only was involved in racing, but he was a top roper. Bassett was the 1952 RCA (now PRCA) World Champion Calf Roper and a Rodeo Hall
of Fame member. He was the trainer of racehorses like Go Derussa Go, the 1969 AQHA Racing Champion Mare and the Champion Aged Mare.
Prissy Cline (shown above with Troy Johnston), the dam of Sun Frost, was going to be a barrel racer, but when her owner Frances Johnston died, she became a broodmare.
mare sired by Doc Horn and out of an Old D J mare. This makes Doc’s Jack Frost linebred to the full brother and sister Lightning Bar and Bardella. Lighting Bar is a stakes winner that set a track record at Pomona going 330 yards in :17.2 before an injury forced his retirement. Bardella went to the track to become an AQHA Champion Two-Year-Old Filly for 1952 and Champion Three-Year-Old Filly in 1953. Art Pollard was the owner and
breeder of Lightning Bar and Bardella. The dam of Sun Frost is Prissy Cline.
Prissy Cline was going to be a barrel racer, but when her owner Frances Johnston died, she became a broodmare. Her sire is Driftwood Ike by Driftwood, a well-known match racehorse and a top roping horse for Ashbury Schell. Before Ashbury Schell became the owner of Driftwood, he was owned by Ab Nichols. Nichols owned another horse named
“Joe Bassett was a darn good roper and a heck of
a racehorse guy. He had Super Charge and he had ridden Driftwood in the old match ropings. Both of those horses were running son of a guns.” – Mel Potter
Driftwood Ike is the sire of Prissy Cline (above).
32 SPEEDHORSE May 2021
Photo courtesy of Randy Johnston