This grand old cowhorse became an all-time leading sire of cutters, reiners and reined cowhorses. He sired two AQHA Superhorse Champions and many great performers. However, he will probably be best remembered as a broodmare sire. Smokums Prize, the all time money earning snaffle bit champion, is out of a Tucker mare. Doc Tom Tucker has a daughter in our Hilldale Farm program, a granddaughter and a grandson - our young stallion, Tuckers Tuf N Busy.

Here is West Coast breeding at its best! Tonette Tivio was an own daughter of Poco Tivio, who stood with Charlie Araujo in Coalinga. Doc Bar stood up the hill in Paicines. Between the two, they helped build the legend. For ten years, from 1965 to 1975, Tonette Tivio was breed to Doc Bar. In 1972, Skip Brown, who had been watching the performance horse trend lean towards these new Doc Bar horses, was standing in line at the Jensen's Doc Bar Ranch waiting for a chance to own one of the sons. His pick was Tonette Tivio's latest colt, Doc Tom Tucker.

Early Focus in Snaffle Bit

Because of Skip Brown's own preference for reined cow horses, Doc Tom Tucker's early career was in the CRCHA, where he was a tough competitor in the Snaffle Bit Futurity and CRCHA shows before taking his place in the breeding program at Brown's Bar 11 Ranch. Over the next decade, the sons and daughters proved themselves over and over again in reined cow horse competition. They were cow horses! It followed then that they might also be cutting horses! Through horses like Smuggler's Only and Fritzie Tucker, who developed national reputations, Doc Tom Tucker finally became a household name in cutting circles. Bar 11 Ranch quietly bred a group of nice mares each year, usually to the reined cow horse clientele, but cutters were sneaking their mares to him more and more often.

Cutter Ridge Ranch Stepped into the Picture

Coy and Nancy Sanders' Cutter Ridge Ranch was a picture perfect frame for a new breeding program, and when Skip Brown announced he was liquidation a partnership, they were very interested. There was no doubt that this solid son of Doc Bar would be an asset to their program, and after a first season's booking of over 60 mares, Doc Tom Tucker was back in business with a strong promotional campaign behind him and nominations for the future foals. By now, the offspring were making their names not only in reined cow horse and cutting circles, but had been exposed as reiners and even pleasure contenders, always with success. In the late 90's, Doc Tom Tucker is a strong, healthy 25-year-old stallion, still breeding sound. Although the Sanders have recently make a move to Nevada, Doc Tom Tucker will continue to stand with Jack and Judy Adams at their Sliding J Ranch in Acampo, California. He will stand to a very limited, very select group of mares.

Without ever campaigning out of California, and with his offspring almost exclusively performing on the West Coast, Doc Tom Tucker has still managed to find a motivated market in the Mid-West and Texas. His daughters are highly prized as broodmares, and are becoming leading dams of winners in all three of the performance events. When they do occasionally hit the sale ring, the name Doc Tom Tucker always brings interested buyers to attention.

(Excerpted from Performance Horse magazine, Aug 97)