Part III: Lambert Stallions of Today
In the previous two parts we reviewed the historical Lambert sireline from Justin Morgan through the great 20th century half-brothers Cavendish and Criterion. In this, the third part, we will look at the breeding stallions within today's Lambert family. The Lambert sireline split into two branches with Cavendish and Criterion, and that is where we begin Part III.

The Cavendish Branch
Cavendish was a productive stallion, siring a total of 40 registered Morgans. Among these were his best-known breeding sons, Legend of Caven-Glo 12490 (x Jubilee's Gloria) and Caven-Glo Challenger 22506 (x Caven-Glo Pandora). Legend shows up in a few clean-blooded Lambert pedigrees today through his daughter Delilah Vermont 025717 (x Dina Vermont). However, it is only Challenger who comes to the present in the Lambert sireline.

Among Caven-Glo Challenger's get are the mares Small Town Sally Ash (x Caven-Glo Amanda Ash) and Quietude Seashell 095322 (x Araby Ashmore), each of whom have produced clean-blooded Lamberts. Challenger's only entire male offspring is the six year old Quietude Sail Away 123138 (x Quietude Sierra). The dark chestnut Sail Away is owned by Shannon and Susan Hanley of The Quietude Stud in Hillsboro, WV and has yet to be used for breeding. Caven-Glo Challenger, last owned by Ted and April Panagiotaros of True Unity Morgans in Beaumont, TX, passed away on December 31, 1996. This leaves the Lambert sireline descended from Cavendish hanging by a narrow thread, dependent solely upon Quietude Sail Away for its survival.

The Criterion Branch
Criterion sired a total of 71 offspring, including mares, geldings and stallions. Since this article concentrates on the Lambert sireline, it is the numerous clean-blooded Lambert stallions he produced that will be discussed here. The first few of these were bred by Frances H. Bryant at Serenity Farm in South Woodstock, VT. Chronologically, the deceased stallion Caleb 16811 (x Precious Ashmore), foaled in 1966, was the first of these. The chestnut Caleb was sold to owners in Florida and produced no Lambert offspring.

Next, in 1968, came Courier 18712 (x Precious Ashmore), a bright chestnut with flaxen mane and tail. Courier resided at The Quietude Stud for many years, where he passed away in 1993. Of his male get, only one has remained a stallion. This is Quietude Castile 100464 (x Comfort of Quietude), a flashy chestnut with abundant white mane and tail. Castile was formerly owned by Dean and Susie Duckworth, Flintstone, MD, and then by Melinda and Howard Dennis, Cumberland, MD. Recently, he returned home to his breeders Shannon and Susan Hanley at The Quietude Stud. Castile has produced no clean-blooded Lambert get to date.

The third Lambert son of Criterion was Christian 18713 (x Dolly Ashmore), a chestnut stallion also foaled in 1968. He was sold to owners in Canada and is also deceased, having produced no Lambert offspring.

Crawford and His Get. Crawford 21093 ( x Precious Ashmore) is still standing at stud at the age of 27 at The Quietude Stud. This chestnut stallion with a strong Lambert look and gentle disposition is a favorite of Susan Hanley who rides him often. He has produced numerous offspring, two of which remain stallions. Quietude Gabriel Oak 115820 (x Clarity of Quietude) is owned by Lynn and Bruce O'Connor of Chesterfield, MO, where he is a favorite of the public at his boarding stable. Quietude Redwood 119934 (x Clarity of Quietude), who's color matches his name, is a 7 year old owned by Hugh and Jamie Shelton of Idlewild Farm in Monterey, TN. The Shelton's use him for breeding to their own clean-blooded mares as well as for standing to outside customers. One of these outside mares produced the 2 year old stallion Alphamore Tutankhamen 137375 (x Venturous Heather) owned by Bruce Meeks of Alpha Morgan Horse Farm in Tallahassee, FL.

Courage of Quietude and His Get. Courage of Quietude 73883 (x Towne-Ayr Gay Cindy) is a brilliant stallion with the chestnut with flaxen mane and tail coloration so characteristic of the Lambert family. This 18 year old sire is also owned by the Hanleys. He has produced two stallions, both currently yearlings. The first, Quietude Safari 138280 (x Quietude Kerry) was recently purchased by Pam Ashworth and Sharon Woodford of Freedom, PA. The second, Quietude Cock of the Rock 138438 (x Comfort of Quietude) is a bold and handsome stallion prospect owned by the Hanleys.

Crispin of Quietude and His Get. A Criterion son known for his size and unmatched movement, Crispin of Quietude 75808 (x Royalton Drucilla D) has also been the most productive Lambert stallion of his generation. Owned by the Hanleys throughout his 18 years, this stallion is chestnut with a grayish mane. He has produced Quietude Coronado 101431 (x Colleen Darling), a 12 year old chestnut with flaxen mane and tail stallion owned by Joanna Skea of Yellow Springs, OH, as well as another excellent mover, Quietude Barcelona 122978 (x Comfort of Quietude), retained by the Hanleys. Barcelona has, in turn, produced Quietude Jubilee Kingdom 123757 (x Honor of Quietude), another flashy flaxen-maned stallion, and the well-developed Quietude Jupiter 132739 (x Criteria of Quietude), both 3 year-olds owned by the Hanleys. Barcelona is also the sire of Quietude Cory Lambert 138284 (x Quietude Persia), the smart looking yearling owned by Peter and Nancy Kailey of Bethel, ME.

Another Crispin offspring is Quietude Seneca 128901 (x Caress of Quietude), a gray-maned 4 year old who looks remarkably like his sire, with an added air of gentle elegance from his dam. Seneca is owned by Bob and Jeanne Summerfield of Libby, MT. He has produced two clean-blooded sons to date, Summerfield Ticonderoga raf (x Quietude Madeira) and Valor of Summerfield raf (x Shenandoah Cassia). Quietude Golden Ruler (x Comfort of Quietude) was another promising son of Crispin who tragically died as a weanling. Quietude Monterey (x Clarity of Quietude), owned by Rodney Workman of Pittsboro, NC; Quietude Kingdom of the Sun 138637 (x Meadow of Quietude), owned by the Hanleys; and Quietude Tipperary 138640 (x Daisy Woodbury), owned by William and Dawn Wagstaff of Ann Arbor, MI, are all yearling stallions sired by Crispin.

The next Criterion son in line is Clarion of Quietude 75807 (x Dolly Ashmore), foaled in 1980. This dark chestnut stallion is owned by Dave and Laura Algranti of Hemet, CA. He has sired numerous offspring, including the clean-blooded Lambert geldings SSM Francis Bryant and Ransom Hill Shiloh.

Quietude Dan Lambert 77903 (x Delilah Vermont) was the next son produced by Criterion. He was typically Lambert in his bright chestnut coat with flaxen mane and tail. Dan was owned by Lisa Welch of Fort Ashby, WV. Tragically, he was severely injured early in 1997 and had to be put down. He leaves behind one clean-blooded son born after his death, Dan's Legacy raf (x Quietude Cleo), owned by Tom and Kathy Overton of Swoope, VA .

Calcutta of Quietude and His Get. Calcutta of Quietude 86727 (x Dolly Ashmore), foaled in 1982, is a full brother to Clarion and one of many siblings from the outstanding producer Dolly Ashmore. Calcutta is also a very dark chestnut. He is one of Shannon Hanley's favorite stallions and is second in production only to Crispin. His clean-blooded offspring include Quietude Merit 113785 (x Dulcimer of Quietude), a powerfully built stallion with a classic look that could pass for one of Justin's own sons. A second son of Calcutta is Quietude Granada 119935 (x Caress of Quietude), owned by Babs and Gary Smith of Hermosa, SD. The chestnut Granada was foaled in 1990. He, in turn, has produced two sons, the 3 year old gelding Ausable Classic Winston 131960 (x Quietude Romney), owned by Breanna Henrichsen, Hermosa, SD, and a full brother yearling stallion, Zumkota's Kodi, owned by Ken and Kate Zumbaum, Custer, SD.

The three remaining stallions produced by Calcutta are the full brothers Quietude Shenandoah 123136 (x Quietude Chantry), Quietude Monticello 132656, and Quietude Somerset 138772. These siblings are 6, 3, and 1 year old, respectively. The cross of Calcutta on the exceptional mare Chantry is such a golden one that the Quietude Stud has retained all three brothers to date.

After Calcutta came the Criterion son Chariot of Quietude 95814 (x Dulcimer of Quietude). A 14 year old, he is owned by Anthony Flaim of Oceana, WV. Chariot is a rich red chestnut with size and power coming from both parents. He has produced three clean-blooded Lambert mares which remain unregistered, but no sons.

Canyon of Quietude and His Get. Canyon of Quietude 95961 (x Caven-Glo Topaz) is the next stallion descending from Criterion. This handsome chestnut stallion with lighter mane and tail was foaled in 1984 and purchased by Natalie Goode of Springville, CA. For her he produced Small Town Alert 127885 (x Small Town Sally Ash), a 1992 stallion owned by Diane Young of Madera, CA. Canyon was sold to Ted and April Panagiotaros of Beaumont, TX where he produced the 1995 flaxen stallion True Unity Challenger 134255, also out of Sally Ash.

Cimmaron of Quietude 105955 (x Quietude Rosewood) is the first of three Criterion sons from this cross. Cimmaron, a brown 11 year old stallion, was purchased last year by Linda Parsens of Grattoes, VA. He has produced no clean-blooded offspring to date.

Freesoil, MI is home for Criterion's next son, Quietude Cardinal 113786 (x Quietude Sally Moro). Cardinal is owned by Kale Saylor and is now 9 years old. It is said that Kale does well with him at shows.

Criterion the Younger and His Get. Criterion the Younger 113787 (x Honor of Quietude), the product of a father/daughter mating, is made strongly in the image of the sire from whom he inherited his name. This bright chestnut with flaxen mane and tail could easily be mistaken for Criterion himself. At 9 years old, he has been retained by the Hanleys. He has produced four sons who have found their way to various parts of the globe. The first is the 6 year old Quietude Goldrush 123137 (x Quietude Sally Moro), who was shipped all the way to Southland, New Zealand by Peter and Helen Robson. The flashy bright flaxen Goldrush recently produced his first foals by native New Zealand mares. Quietude Wilderness 125883 (x Caven-Glo Topaz), a 5 year old, is also brightly flaxen. He is owned by Gary and Katie Blankenship of Los Alamitos, CA. Quietude Red Vermont 125997 (x Delilah Vermont) is the pride of John MacIsaac of Judique, Nova Scotia. Like his half-brothers, the 5 year old Red Vermont displays the chestnut and flaxen Lambert characteristics. Quietude Charlemagne 129254 (x Comfort of Quietude), the most recent son of Criterion the Younger, is now 4 years old. This powerful but mild mannered stallion is loved by his owners Mike and Vicki Wells of Oakville, WA. Charlemagne produced his first foal, SaddleRock Prairie Sun raf (x Quietude Treasure) in 1997.

Criterion's next son is Camden of Quietude 113663 (x Quietude Sally Brook). This 1988 stallion with flaxen mane and tail is owned by Mike and Cathy Falkenstein of Loomis, CA. Camden produced the colt Mistyridge Heritage raf (x Quietude Keepsake) in 1997. Look for more great things from him soon with the Falkenstein's three Lambert mares recently coming of age.

Courtship of Quietude 116766 (x Quietude Rosewood) is the second stallion from the Criterion x Rosewood cross. Like his brother Cimmaron, the 8 year old Courtship is a brown. He has been retained by the Hanleys, and to date he has not been used for breeding.

Clarendon of Quietude 116771 (x Royalton Peggy Moro), at 8 years old, is the next Criterion son. This handsome stallion is owned by Elaine McIntyre of Converse, TX and her daughters Nancy Stuhl of Cibolo, TX, and Barbara Crochet of Thrall, TX. These owners are doing a good job of promoting Lamberts by showing Clarendon in a variety of events. Clarendon has no clean-blooded offspring yet, but his owners have recently acquired two Lambert mares.

Larry and Shoneth Salsman of Grafton, Nova Scotia own the next Criterion son. Constant of Quietude 116771 (x Dulcimer of Quietude) was foaled in 1989 and has the trademark flaxen mane and tail. He has no clean-blooded get to date.

Quietude Corian 119930 (x Quietude Sally Moro) is another flaxen Criterion stallion still owned by the Hanleys. At 7 years old, he has not been used for breeding.

The Criterion son Quietude Jubilee Lambert 119932 (x Delilah Vermont) is an animated stallion with an amazing trot. This flaxen 7 year old, owned by the Hanleys, has produced two fillies and no colts thus far.

The final foal produced by Criterion is Claremont of Quietude 119936 (x Quietude Rosewood). This 1990 stallion, unlike his brown brothers, is chestnut with a gray mane. He is owned by Francis and Darlene Peniston of Easton, MO and has produced no clean-blooded offspring to date.

Summary. Throughout history, the clean-blooded Lambert sireline passed precariously from one single stallion to the next until, in the mid-twentieth century, it split into two branches. These branches are headed by the half-brothers Cavendish and Criterion. One clean-blooded Lambert stallion descended from Cavendish and 46 descended from Criterion are alive today. Of these, 38 are of reproductive age (2 years and older), and 14 have produced clean-blooded Lambert offspring to date. Nine of these stallions have in turn produced clean-blooded stallions with the potential to carry on the Lambert sireline.

These statistics point to the fact that, while the Lambert sireline may be more secure today than ever, there is still reason for concern. In terms of demographics and genetics, the population of Lambert stallions, and Lamberts in general, is still quite small. It is smaller yet when one considers the number of Lamberts who are being used to reproduce clean-blooded offspring. The future of Lamberts would be well served by using more of the existing population for breeding. On an optimistic note, the increasing interest in Lamberts, leading to larger numbers of breeders, is a good sign. What lies in the future for the Lambert family? We'll make some guesses in the next part of this article.

Part IV: The Lamberts' Future
The previous three parts reviewed the Lambert sireline over a span of more than 200 years, extending from Justin Morgan to the Lambert stallions living today. The past and present having been captured, all that remains is to examine the future of this Lambert family. In so doing, however, we enter uncertain territory. Hind sight, as they say, is 20/20, but the future -- that's something else again. It's been said that only fools predict the weather and other future events. So at the risk of being foolish, I'll venture into this uncertain territory that lies ahead. Readers should know, however, that this part of the article represents only my own thoughts. I have no crystal ball, nor do I use the Psychic Hotline. These are simply my best guesses, my hopes, and in some cases, my fears.

I should begin with a word about how Part IV is organized. While it is my intent to examine the future of Lambert Morgans, so much of what happens to these horses depends on what happens with the people who own and breed them. Before we look at the horses, therefore, we will first look at what may lie ahead for these people. And since the future becomes more dim the further we look ahead, we will confine our futuristic glimpse to roughly the lifespan of one of our Lamberts -- about 30 years.

The People
To get a glimpse of what things might be like in 30 years, it's first helpful to think back. Consider, for a moment, what the world was like in the mid-1960's. None of today's Lambert breeders owned Lamberts then, and some current owners weren't even born yet. During the lifespan of a single horse, the population of humans devoted to Lamberts has completely turned over. Now think about the accelerating rate of change that's occurred in almost every other human-related phenomenon since the 1960's. Human society is not only constantly changing, we are changing at an ever-increasing rate of speed.

What does this mean for Lamberts? The implications are numerous. For one thing, the human population will continue to grow, but the land base available to support this increasing population will not. In fact, as further human development occurs, the agricultural land base will continue to shrink, driving land prices up dramatically (Think about what an acre of land cost in 1967 compared to 1997!). This trend will result in fewer and fewer large equine breeding farms. Most would-be horse owners will only have the means to acquire a few acres, or will not be able to afford horses at all. Remember the great American dream about each generation being a little better off than their parents? That dream doesn't seem quite so attainable anymore. The current economic and social trends point toward an increasing gap between the upper and lower levels of society, with a shrinking middle class. In the future, horse ownership could become more and more the privilege of the economically elite.

Our society as a whole is also getting older. In 1900, one in every 25 persons was aged 65 or older; now that number is one in eight. In another 30 years, many of today's Lambert breeders and owners will either be well advanced in age or will already have passed on to greener pastures. Will a new crop of owners come along to carry the Lambert banner as in the past? That largely depends on the measures we put in place today to encourage and educate our youth about this Morgan family.

It is unpleasant to think a breed that has survived adversity for over 200 years may not prosper in the future. And, fortunately, all the news about what may lie ahead is not bad. As our human population grows, the world seems to become smaller each day, and some of the changes we are likely to see may actually work in favor of our Lamberts.

For instance, the amazing advances in technology have forever changed the world. In Justin Morgan's day, a person's "world" encompassed the area within a good day's horseback ride. Today, of course, we can electronically communicate with anyone on earth, and we ourselves can travel to the other side of the globe within a matter of hours. Our advanced technology has several implications for Lamberts. First, our ability to inform and educate people about these horses is far superior to anything we've ever known. This includes educating our youth who will someday replace us. Secondly, this increased awareness will open up new markets for Lamberts that have never existed before. Today, Quietude Goldrush, living in New Zealand, is the only Lambert outside North America. Since connecting to the internet some months ago, however, I've had requests from all around the world for information about these horses. In the future, Lamberts will truly become an international equine family.

As knowledge about these horses spreads, there will be an increasing acceptance of the Lambert family and the legitimacy of what Lambert breeders are trying to achieve. Let's face it -- the word Lambert is usually not mentioned when most people identify what they consider to be the prominent Morgan families -- Government, Brunk, Lippitt, and WWF. It was not many years ago that the legitimacy of Lippitts was questioned by many, but today they are widely accepted as an important Morgan family. Lamberts, too, will achieve this recognition with sufficient time, promotion, and education.

Increased acceptance and marketing of Lamberts will inevitably lead to an increase in the diversity of their uses. No longer considered mostly as breeding stock, Lamberts will appear in a variety of competitive events ranging the full spectrum. Perhaps there will someday be shows or other forms of competition or exhibition exclusively for Lamberts. They will continue, however, to always be valued breeding stock and treasured family friends.

The people involved in these diverse uses of Morgans will feel a need to organize in a more formal way, and a Lambert "club" in one form or another will eventually arise as a service organization affiliate of the American Morgan Horse Association.

The Horses
A primary goal of Lambert breeders is the preservation of the historic Lambert family. Therefore, one would hope and expect that the future changes that occur in these horses will be less than those I've predicted in human society. Nevertheless, some changes will occur -- many of them in the Lamberts' best interest, and some that potentially are not.

The overall number of Lamberts will continue to increase along with the increasing number of owner/breeders. As numbers increase, so will their geographic range around the country and the world. As we have seen in previous articles, the surviving Lambert sireline passed narrowly through history, from one single stallion to another, until the second half of this century. Now there are many stallions within the family. In the years ahead, and in the pattern of Morgan tradition, some of these stallions will go on to found sub-families of their own, each recognized by Lambert breeders for their unique qualities. There will be minor differences in these families -- in body form, size, movement, personality. Yet the characteristic Lambert "look" and golden temperament will remain a common thread throughout them all. There will also be increasing color diversity within the Lambert family, achieved through inter-breeding with the Lippitt or Woodbury family. Bays, blacks, and browns will become more common than they are today.

Among these Lambert sub-families, the Cavendish sireline, now surviving precariously through a single stallion, will be preserved and grow as more breeders gain an appreciation of preserving all Lambert genetic lines.

Today's advanced breeding technology and enhanced electronic communications will greatly promote the use of fresh cooled and frozen semen transport among Lambert breeders. Semen will commonly be shipped across the country and around the globe to satisfy the demand created by ever-expanding markets for Lamberts.

As the number of breeders increases and the feasibility of breeding to any stallion anywhere becomes a reality, dangerous ethical concerns potentially lie ahead for the Lambert family. Tempted by the expanding markets, the rising prices, or just poor judgement, some breeders will be less selective than they should be. The breeding of animals with undesirable characteristics will broaden the range of quality within the Lambert family, a family now known for remarkable uniformity of quality and type. Future buyers must be increasingly cautious in judging the quality of the animals they purchase.

A second area of potential ethical concern, as well as great opportunity, is cloning. Scientists have now cloned sheep and cattle from the single cells of living organisms. Horse cloning cannot be far behind, and will almost certainly be commonplace in 30 years. The potential downside of this technology can scarcely be imagined at this point. On the other hand, cloning could insure the preservation of Lamberts indefinitely. Will DNA in the preserved hair of Sherman or the skeletal remains of Ethan Allen someday be brought to bear in a living, breathing Morgan duplicate through advanced technology? Perhaps not. But many Morgan owners, becoming disillusioned with the "new-improved" Morgan in today's show ring, will become increasingly aware of the treasure-trove of real Morgan genes found in our living Lamberts. Through back-crossing to Lamberts, they will attempt to restore something of what Morgans once were and Lamberts still are. In so doing, not only will our Lamberts help the Morgan breed return to it's roots, but the genes of Sherman, Ethan Allen and others will live on, though perhaps not in exact duplicate.