|
 Certain
mares has meant significantly more to the development
of the harness sport than others. Misty Hanover (f.1941)
is such a mare. She died in 1972. As a result of her
great influence, we now see that the sport is packed
with top performers descended from her, often in two
or even three different positions in their pedigrees,
through Misty Hanover's sons Hickory Pride og Hickory
Smoke.
It is only natural that most of the focus is being
put on the best stallions in trotting since the mares
get very few offspring during a lifetime, compared to
the best stallions. But it is no coinsidence that only
a relatively small selection of mares, out of all the
thousands of mares being bred in the USA in the 1850's,
today is responsible for more than 80% of American trotters
with a record of 2:00 (14,6ak) or under. What an influence
these few mares has proven to be! There is no doubt
that they have several good and dominant genes that
have meant a great deal to the development of the trotter
we have today.
20-30 years easily passes before you see what effect
you get by crossing various individuals who have a particular
mare in their pedigree. Misty Hanover had 15 foals,
and was 31 years old when she died 33 years ago. Her
two most famous foals were her sons Hickory Smoke and
Hickory Pride, and it is when combining these two stallions
you get horses like the 2005 Elitlopp winner Steinlager,
the 2004 Triple Crown winner Windsong's Legacy, and
also Jetstile, the biggest Norwegian bred trotting talent
Norway has seen so far.
Misty Hanover was herself a good trotter, and won in
2:14.1h (23,4k) as a 2-year-old in 1943. At 3 she won
in 2:12.1h (22,2k), and at the age of six she set her
lifetime mark of 2:08.3h (19,9ak). All records were
set on a half mile track (800 m).
Misty Hanover was a particularly well bred mare of
her time, so there is no big surprise that she, like
a lot of her relatives, has contributed to a singnificant
and important part of the maternal lines from the foundation
mare Jessie Pepper. Like most good mares of her time,
Misty Hanover's pedigree was influenced by Axworthy.
Her sire was Dean Hanover, world record holder as a
three-year-old in 1934, when he trotted 1:58.2 (1.13,6k)
with the 13 year old Alma Sheppard driving. Dean Hanover
(by Dillon Axworthy by Axworthy) is one of the individuals
that has contributed to giving Axworthy the reputation
of being invaluable maternally in pedigrees. Additionally,
Misty Hanovers broodmare sire was Mr. McElwyn (by Guy
Axworthy by Axworthy) - another stallion well known
for his good influence as a broodmare sire. When Mr.
McElwyn won in 1:59.4 (1.14,5k) in 1924, he was the
first 3-year-old trotter in history to trot under the
magical 2:00 limit (1.14,6).
Looking at Misty Hanover's maternal lines, it is not
possible to mention more than a small fraction of all
the top performers from the Jessie Pepper maternal lines.
Misty Hanover is a sister to Tronia Hanover - dam of
the Hambletonian winner Helicopter (who is second dam
of a.o. Armbro Goal, third dam of Armbro Fame and fourth
dam of Smok'n Lantern). She is also sister of Tanya
Hanover (second dam of one of the best Swedish broodmares
through the years, Ata Donna Y, and also fourth dam
of Tom Ridge and fifth dam of Village Beretta). Misty
Hanover's second dam is the top mare Rose Scott who
trotted 1:59.4 (14,5k) in the 1920's, and she is also
full sister to one of the most influential stallions
ever, Scotland 1:59 ¼m (14,1k). A full sister to Rose
Scott and Scotland, Elsie Scot, was imported to Norway
in the 1930's and had huge success as a broodmare there.
Roya McKinney, dam of Elsie Scott, Rose Scott and Scotland
a.o., is a daughter of Princess Royal. Roya McKinney
is full sister to Queenly McKinney who became dam of
the Hambletonian Stakes winner Guy McKinney. Guy McKinney
is most known today as grandsire of Florican - yet another
stallion whose properties as a broodmare sire is undivided
positive.
Photo: Harness Racing Museum |
Hickory Pride (f.1956 by Star's
Pride - Misty Hanover) began his career as
a 2-year-old, and ended it at the end of the 5-year-old
season. Bill Haughton was trainer and driver of
the stallion who had only 16 foals in his first
crop. Both the Elitlopp winner Fresh Yankee and
the well known Carlisle was among the few in the
first crop, and he rapidly became more popular.
Hickory Pride had a lot in common with his sire
- both in conformation and also in his popularity
as a stallion. When Star's Pride made his debut
as stallion at Hanover Shoe Farms he had only 21
foals in his first crop, including the mare that
won the 1958 Hambletonian Stakes, Emily's Pride,
and also another Hambletonian heat winner the same
year, Little Rocky. |
Photo: Harness Racing Museum |
Hickory Smoke (f.1954
by Titan Hanover - Misty Hanover) was elected
"2-year-old trotter of the year" and "3-year-old
trotter of the year" in the USA. The stallion
won the Hambletonian Stakes and set a world record
on half mile track (800 m) at three with 2:01.1
(1.15,4ak) in 1957. Hickory Smoke is sire of the
Elitlopp winner Elma and World Champion Dayan a.o.,
and the stallion has like his brother shown important
influence first and foremost in the maternal lines.
Sire of Hickory Smoke was Titan Hanover, the first
2-year-old harness horse in history on the 2:00
list (14,6), when winning in 1.14,6ak in 1944. |
|
|
Steinlager - Misty
Hanover via Hickory Pride and Hickory Smoke
In the pedigree of Steinlager we find the hard hitting
combination of Hickory Pride's best daughter Fresh
Yankee, and Hickory Smoke's best daughter Elma.
Both of these mares won the Elitlopp, Elma in 1965
and Fresh Yankee in 1969. Elma later became the
dam of Texas, broomare sire of Steinlager's sire
Good As Gold. Fresh Yankee became the dam of Mac
Breton, Steinlager's broodmare sire. |
 |
Jetstile - Misty Hanover
via Hickory Pride and Hickory Smoke
Sire of Jetstile is Coktail Jet. Third dam of Coktail
Jet is Speedy Sug, a full sister to the above mentioned
Elitlopp winner Elma (by Hickory Smoke). Elma also
came second in the Prix d'Amerique. Additionally,
Crown Sweep is the broodmare sire of Jetstile. Crown
Sweep's dam is a daughter of Hickory Pride that
made over USD 225,000. |
Photo: Claes Kärrstrand |
Windsong's Legacy
- Misty Hanover via Hickory Pride and Hickory Smoke
Windsong's Legacy is a son of Conway Hall. Texas
is sire of Conway Hall's second dam, and Elma (by
Hickory Smoke) is dam of Texas. Also, Windsong's
Legacy's second dam is a daughter of Hickory Pride.
Her name is Yankee Scottie and she is full sister
to both Yankee Bambino (grandsire of S J's Photo)
and Yankee Flight (second dam of Yankee Glide). |
Photo: Monica Thors |
Valley Victory - Misty
Hanover in the maternal line of several of his best
offspring
Valley Victory is a son of Baltic Speed, and who
has Carlisle as broodmare sire. Carlisle is a son
of Hickory Pride. Misty Hanover's blood can also
be seen in several of Valley Victory's best foals,
including Continentalvictory - broodmare sire Chiola
Hanover by Hickory Smoke, Muscles Yankee - third
dam is Brazen Yankee by Hickory Pride, Lindy Lane
- second dam by Texas (Hickory Smoke sire of dam)
and Yankee Glide - second dam is Yankee Flight by
Hickory Pride. |
Photo: Monica Thors
|
SJ's
Photo - Misty Hanover in the maternal line of several
of his best offspring
S J's Photo has Hickory Pride third sire. We see
that several of his best foals have Misty Hanover
again via their dam:
Pegasus Spur - second dam by Hickory Pride.
SJ's Caviar - sire of dam TV Yankee has Hickory
Pride as his sire of dam.
Brads Photo - second dam Hickory Pride.
Home Blåbjerg - sire of dam Sea Chanty has
Hickory Pride as sire of dam. |
Elsie Scott
On the topic of Misty Hanover it is natural to also
mention Elsie Scott - quite likely the broodmare that
has influenced Norwegian trotting the most. Elsie Scott
was imported to Norway in 1935, and she was a full sister
to Scotland 14,1k and Misty Hanover's second dam Rose
Scott 14,5k.
At the end of the 1930's you could see the contours
of Elsie Scott's greatness when her daughter Marie McElwyn
came second in the Trotting Criterium. Later, a series
of classical stakes titles and performances followed
for Elsie Scott's decendants:
1939 m Marie McElwyn (Elsie Scott mor) Second in the
Trotting Criterium
1942 m Kinney Spencer (Elsie Scott mor) Second in the
Trotting Derby
1952 m Ingma Scott (Elsie Scott second dam) Second in
the Trotting Criterium
1953 m Spenda (Elsie Scott second dam) Second in the
Trotting Criterium
1954 m Spenda (Elsie Scott second dam) Winner of the
Trotting Derby
1954 m Princess Ford (Elsie Scott second dam) Third
in the Trotting Derby
1957 h McKinney Boy (Elsie Scott second dam) Winner
of the Trotting Derby
1958 h Peter McKinney (Elsie Ford second dam) Second
in the Trotting Criterium
1959 h Peter McKinney (Elsie Ford second dam) Second
in the Trotting Derby
1959 h Star Protector (Elsie Scott third dam) Winner
of the Trotting Criterium
1959 h Addison (Elsie Scott second dam) Second in the
Trotting Criterium
1960 h Star Protector (Elsie Scott third dam) Winner
of the Trotting Derby
1960 m Elsie Bulwark (Elsie Scott second dam) Second
in the Trotting Derby
1963 h Roy Judo (Elsie Scott second dam) Second in the
Trotting Derby
1963 m Tove Bulwark (Elsie Scott second dam) Third in
the Trotting Derby
1964 h Scott Protector (Elsie Scott second dam) Third
in the Trotting Criterium
1965 h Scott Protector (Elsie Scott second dam) winner
of the Trotting Derby
1966 m Permita (Elsie Scott fourth dam) Winner of the
Trotting Criterium
1968 h Picard (Elsie Scott third dam) Second in the
Trotting Derby
1969 h Judy Song (Elsie Scott third dam) Third in the
Trotting Criterium
1977 h Red Nibble (Elsie Scott fourth dam) Second in
the Trotting Criterium
1978 h Red Nibble (Elsie Scott fourth dam) Second in
the Trotting Derby
1980 m Toves Girl (Elsie Scott third dam) Winner of
the Trotting Derby
1983 g Spenda Nibs (Elsie Scott fourth dam) Second in
the Trotting Derby
1985 h Master Love (Elsie Scott fourth dam) Winner of
the Trotting Criterium
1986 h Master Love (Elsie Scott fourth dam) Second in
the Trotting Derby
1996 h Master Thoj (Elsie Scott fifth dam) Second in
the Trotting Criterium
2001 h May's Arnie (Elsie Scott sixth dam) Second in
the Trotting Derby
|
