The historic family of Daniel Lambert is among the oldest and most respected of the Morgan breed, and Lambert lines may be found in virtually all the major programs of Government, Brunk, Lippitt and Western Working breeding. In greatest demand as a stylish roadster, the Lambert line was nearly lost with the advent of the automobile. Thanks to a few breeders who diligently had preserved it throughout the years, however, this great family is once again making a comeback.

Lambert Beginnings
Daniel Lambert was foaled in Ticonderoga, New York, in the year of 1858, and bred by William H. Cook. Cook was a hard working man with a farm to keep, but greatly admired a good roadster. He sometimes bred a few colts or traded horses for a little cash, and his breeding of Daniel Lambert was well-planned, for he once owned the little gray Morgan dam of Daniel Lambert’s sire, a quaint and interesting story in itself. He wanted style and beauty with a turn of speed, combined with the strength and willingness to work, and achieved exactly what he wanted in breeding Daniel Lambert. Cook’s interest and involvement with this family lasted nearly 45 years.

The sire of Daniel Lambert was the renowned Ethan Allen, son of the famous Black Hawk by Sherman, the foremost son of Justin Morgan. Ethan was the darling of the American public as well as of the trotting world. The American people have always liked an equine hero, and the handsome bay great-grandson of Justin Morgan filled this role admirably. 1858, the year his most famous son was foaled, Ethan lowered the stallion record to 2:28, which was his best effort in single harness.

Lambert’s Influence on the Morgan Breed
The third leading sire of sires registered in Volume I with 55 sons to his credit, Daniel Lambert is exceeded in this respect only by his grandsire, Black Hawk, with 176, and Hale’s Green Mountain Morgan, with 68. Lambert Morgan blood was greatly valued by old Vermont breeders, as the records clearly show.

In Volume I Daniel Lambert is represented by 236 direct male line descendants, a remarkable 171 of whom were bred in Vermont by more than 80 different breeders in 28 different towns. Of 596 mares registered in Volume I, nearly 400 trace their sireline through Sherman, and Daniel Lambert accounts for 171 of these, while 105 out of 191 Vermont-bred mares were Lamberts, which represented 90 breeders in 35 different towns out of a total of 150 Vermont breeders of Morgan mares recorded. Despite all this, so popular was the blood of Daniel Lambert among horsemen in general, scarcely 5 percent of his get or less found their way to the pages of the Morgan registry.

The Valued Lambert Traits
Daniel Lambert himself was a beautiful golden chestnut with flaxen mane and tail. The flaxen trait was certainly in the genes of the original Justin Morgan, as it appears very early in all branches of the Morgan family. Numerous early accounts describe Daniel Lambert as strongly built after the Morgan pattern, with a long smooth hip, powerful hindquarters, and sloping shoulder. His back was excellent with round Morgan barrel; his head neat, bony, and finely chiseled with well-defined veins characteristic of high breeding. His chest was deep and strong with the prominent breastbone carried right on down from Sherman and old Justin himself. His legs were wide and hard with exceptional bone and wonderful round, flinty hooves.

From Ethan Allen and Black Hawk he had the slightly longer neck with a beautiful crest, always carried well up. Combined with his greatly tractable but abundant eloquence of spirit this gave him a kingly, commanding presence and lent the impression of greater size. He stood slightly more than 15.1 hands, close to the 15.1 1/4" average of his sons in Volume I, which was 1/8" less than the average of Black Hawk’s sons and 1/8" greater than the average of Green Mountain Morgan’s sons.

These are traits for which the blood of Daniel Lambert is prized still today, as they translate so easily into almost any discipline the using horse might be asked to perform in truly versatile Morgan tradition.

The National Lambert Reputation
The blood of Daniel Lambert, heavily concentrated in New England, soon spread across the country, and his fame as a sire was widely known. In 1896 the Horse Review Co. Of Chicago, Illinois, published a portfolio of great sires of the late nineteenth century. The term “great” was intended to refer to trotting speed. Both Ethan Allen and Daniel Lambert are pictured among these choice sires, the only Morgans and the only horses of non-Messenger sireline to be included.

This account states, “No trotting family has ever bred to a type of all branches and generations so perfectly and in all generations as that founded by Justin Morgan. In Ethan Allen the type was believed to have reached its acme, but it was reserved for one of his sons to show ‘Nature could yet farther go.’ Ethan was, perhaps, a paragon -- but in Daniel Lambert the peculiar excellencies of the Morgans attained a still higher degree of perfection and produced a still greater horse.”

Daniel Lambert was the sire of 37 standard trotters, and while he had so many exceptional sons of real quality, so prized were his daughters as broodmares that the male line was left unguarded and nearly died. This has been a tradition which has haunted the Lambert family in successive generations, for so great is the quality of Lambert mares they are often snapped up and absorbed into other families with few breeders taking care to preserve the male line that produces them.

A few Lambert names most often found in Morgan pedigrees today include his sons Cobden, Aristos, and Abraham; and his daughters Twilight, Caroline, and Princess Dagmar. Two other sons, Jubilee Lambert and Ben Franklin, are the only ones surviving in male line today. All these horses carried and passed on the Lambert traits to a remarkable degree, but since space does not permit, the remaining focus will consider a few noted descendants of the more common Ben Franklin line.

The Ben Franklin Line
A handsome horse of good size with an abundance of the pleasant and willing Morgan disposition, Ben Franklin was bred by H.T. Cutts of Orwell, Vermont, and foaled in 1873. His dam, Black Kate, was a valuable Vermont-bread Black Hawk granddaughter. Ben Franklin was a striking black chestnut just under 16 hands, with a well-built, rounded smoothness and style of going most coveted in a family roadster. He was also fast, making a record of 2:29, and was a producing sire of speed as well.

Ben Franklin was widely patronized in Vermont and the New England states as he was very popular, winning numerous first ribbons at various state and county fairs, including the highly respected first premium Morgan Stallion of the Vermont State Breeder’s Association in 1887. The famous General Jackson assembled a quality band of old Vermont-bred mares is Nashville, Tennessee, and paid $8,000 for Ben Franklin to head this band. When he died, his nephew, David McGavock, continued breeding Morgans for several years and these horses finally passed in turn at his death to his son, Frank McGavock of Two Rivers Stock Farm.

Ben Franklin sired Jasper Franklin, foaled in 1887 and bred in Vermont by George D. Wells of Fair Haven, out of the Daniel Lambert daughter Twilight. Jasper Franklin was later registered by J.C. Brunk, who began his herd with McGavock stock and bred the aged Daisy, one of General Jackson’s original mares, to him. Daisy, then 25, produced Allen Franklin from this mating, who was winner of the Morgan Trophies at both the Iowa and Minnesota State Fairs in 1914. Allen Franklin in turn sired the full brothers Penrod and Allen King.

The richest source of Lambert blood remaining today comes down through Penrod’s son, Jubilee King, also bred by J.C. Brunk, a charter member of the Morgan Horse Club.

The Dynasty of Jubilee King
Jubilee King, foaled on Brunk’s Cotton Hill Farm in 1927, was the result of carefully selected lines with five crosses to Daniel Lambert in five generations. He strongly resembled his ancestor in style, color, extreme prepotency, and most of all, his wonderful disposition.

Several branches of the Jubilee King family survive today, including the strong Vermont line, beautifully featured in the February 1996 issue of TMH. Some of the nearly forgotten branches include those descending from Ken Carmen, King De Jarnette, and McAllister, all bred by J.C. Brunk.

The Ken Carmen stock were especially valued as ranch horses. Bill and Leigh Heib of Roy, Washington, who have built an excellent herd of classic old Western Working lines, own Dia H Valiant, a direct Ken Carmen descendant and one of their main breeding stallions.

King De Jarnette survives through his son Highview King, out of Jubilee King’s full sister, Sentola. Highview King was used at the LU Sheep Ranch in Dickie, Wyoming, and also appears frequently in the pedigrees of top using western Morgans.

McAllister carried a high concentration of Lambert blood, his dam the excellent Mrs Lewis by Charles Reade, son of Woodward’s Ethan Allen, full brother of Daniel Lambert. Charles Reade’s dam was Princess Dagmar by Daniel Lambert and out of a daughter of Ethan Allen. Mrs Lewis’s dam was Bess Franklin by the Ben Franklin son Chetco, he also out of a Lambert mare, and her second dam was a fine old Vermont mare Bessie by Chase’s Mountianeer.

McAllister was a striking dark chestnut with white mane and tail, marked with a strip on the face like so many of his family. His stock was used most heavily by another member of the Brunk family, Thomas T. Brunk of Springfield. Fran Kellstrom of Modesto, California, gathered up several other sons and daughters of McAllister for ranch use, including one of the famous McAllister sons, King Mick. These were quick and smart-using horses of the highest quality.

Kristen and Allen Breyer of Briar Patch Morgans in Wauconda, Illinois, owned a wonderful foundation mare named Becky Boone. Her sire was Danny De Jarnette (by King Mack and out of Jubilee King’s own dam, Daisette). Becky produced for them the gorgeous show mares and full sisters, BMP Blazing Star and BMP Briar Rose.

The strong Juzan line comes through Mabel Owen’s Squire Burger, whose son , Whippoorwill Duke, was foundation sire for Whippoorwill Morgans. Duke was best known for his daughters but did leave some good sons, primarily Whippoorwill Telstar, a noted sire in Canada; and Cindy’s Duke, bred by Francis Bryant out of the exceptional Jubilee’s Courage daughter, Towne-Ayr Gay Cindy.

Towne-Ayr Gay Cindy was also the dam of one of the beautiful Quietude Lambert stallions, Courage of Quietude, owned by Susan and Shannon Hanley. Says Susan “Cindy was a Lambert in every sense of the word with many crosses to Daniel Lambert, with the Lambert look, trot, and color -- with a light mane and tail. She was kind, sensitive, and had a delightful Lambert nature. She had never been trained to the saddle because of an injury to her hip as a yearling. I didn’t know that she had never been trained, and one day, being short a horse for a trail ride, threw a saddle on her. She must have been 20 years old at least. She was a delight to ride, and although seemed somewhat green, was kind and obedient. Sometime after I learned that was the first time she had been ridden.”

Cindy’s Duke, now 30 years old, is owned by Mike and Carol Saslow of Sulphur Springs Morgans in Corvallis, Oregon. The Saslows’s 25-year-old remarkable program, well known on the West Coast, includes dressage, English, trail, western, drill team, and side saddle. The beautiful flaxen full brothers, The Gold Duke and Gold Cinnamon, were sired by Cindy’s Duke out of their foundation mare, Gold Pan, also having many Lambert lines.

The Gold Duke, sold to Canada, is available for resale by his current owner, while Gold Cinnamon was kept as their main sire. These well-mannered horses, strong in Lambert traits, have often been featured in the centerfold of Horse Illustrated magazine. Dr. Carol Saslow trains and uses them extensively for behavioral research by Oregon State University and private foundations, and all are imprint trained.

Jubilee's Courage and His Son, Criterion
Of all the remaining branches of the Lambert family alive today, this is by far the largest concentration of pure Lambert blood close up in the pedigree, due to the diligent concern of Susan and Shannon Hanley in preserving this family at their Quietude Stud.

The beautiful dark chestnut Clement, a full brother of the Hanleys’s foundation sire, Criterion, was owned by Thomas B. Bruce III of Troy, Michigan, until he was put down in May 1983 due to an aneurysm. Says Mr. Bruce, “Until that day he was a vibrant and all Morgan stallion.” Mr. Bruce still owns a full brother and sister from Clement, out of Furbruk Beatrice. These fine horses have many additional Lambert lines through the dam, among them several to Cobden, and a rare line to the especially beautiful Lambert grandson, Gillig by Aristos.

These were the last offspring of Clement, and Mr. Bruce now uses them mostly for western pleasure riding. MacClement was shown in Stock Horse classes at the 1988 Grand National by trainer John Kenoyer. Mr. Bruce related that while Kenoyer usually trains Quarter Horses and Appaloosas, he called Mac his “whiskey sipping horse” because his gaits were so smooth he could ride him all day without spilling a drop (if he were a drinkin’ man).

Criterion was the Courage son with whom Frances Bryant chose to continue her breeding program, and the Hanleys purchased him when she was dispersing her herd. Susan and Shannon have skillfully tailored their breeding program to achieve exactly those qualities they felt were most important to them as breeders through careful infusions of high-percentage Woodbury blood upon the concentrated Lambert blood through the great Criterion, and then breeding closely among his children and grandchildren. Criterion, one of the greatest recent examples of the type of old Justin, passed away in 1995 at the grand age of 34.

The unique Quietude herd contains practically no non-Morgan blood beyond that from the horses registered in Volume I. Exceptions to this rule are very few and always weighed carefully. The result is a classically old style Morgan any old-time Vermont breeder would be proud to own, with all the deep-bodied muscular type of Justin, and the Lambert color, style, and beauty, with an astounding natural athletic ability.

The Hanleys dedicated interest and beautiful videos have won many new aspiring Lambert breeders, many also adopting the clean-blooded Quietude standard. Most are small breeders hoping to produce a few clean-blooded Lamberts in addition to crossing the Lambert blood upon their existing livestock.

Bob and Jeanne Summerfield of Summerfield Farm in Libby, Montana, own the beautiful Quietude Seneca, a chestnut Criterion grandson with a striking gray mane and tail; and two lovely Criterion granddaughters. Bob has compiled an annual directory of clean-blooded Lamberts and their owners, and also produces a Lambert newsletter.

Mike and Darlene MacDonell of Darlene’s Farm in Ramona, California, owns the lovely Quietude Holly, dam of their beautiful driving gelding, SSM Francis Bryant, sired by Laura Algranti’s Clarion of Quietude. Holly also produced the handsome Ransom Hill Captain Red sired by the stunning black Teton Joe’s Bugler, the culmination of the late great Myrtle Neeley’s fine program in Rexburg, Idaho. Bugler is a living copy of Black Hawk 20, as was his famous sire, Domino Joe, who was strongly infused with the blood of Jubilee King and Sentola on Flyhawk.

Sue Fetters of Canyon-Glo Morgans in southern California owns the very competitive clean-blooded Lambert gelding Small Town Justice, who just returned from his first Class A Morgan show at the Los Angeles County Fair, winning a total of ten ribbons, including three blue ones. ‘Justy’ is sired by Canyon of Quietude, owned by April and Ted Panagiotaros’s True Unity Morgans, the only Lambert stallion listed in the Morgan Sport Horse Roster.

Sue especially recalls two very competitive Caven-Glo Morgans, the mare Caven-Glo Tyme On, a many time carriage driving champion in the 1980s; and Caven-Glo Courier, a great western pleasure champion of the 1970s. Tyme On had won more than 200 trophies and ribbons by the time she was six years old. Caven-Glo Courier is the horse pictured on the cover of The Morgan Horse in Pictures by Margaret Cabell Self.

Kathy Falkenstein is yet another Lambert breeder with the beautiful Criterion son, Camden of Quietude, and three of his lovely granddaughters.

Most notable of all, perhaps, is the recent export of the stunning Lambert stallion Quietude Goldrush to Peter and Helen Robson of New Zealand. The family of Daniel Lambert, so rich in true Morgan heritage, is indeed a great ambassador for the breed.

We close with a quote from Mabel Owen, from her article “The Principal Sire Lines of the Morgan Breed.”
“In all probability, no other Morgan family can match this one as a source of truly excellent temperament. When you ask the owner of one, be he or she in Washington, Wyoming, or Vermont, what he likes best about his horse, the answer is without variation. 'They have few equals. He and his get are kind, willing, intelligent, reliable, and easy to break.' Their traits of conformation and type are just as recognizable. Mostly chestnuts, often with lighter manes and tails, they have the very best of legs and croups and the naturally well carried forehand. The tiny ears mark the family especially, as does the square, light, and airy trot. They have also exhibited a nicety, and down through countless generations one particular faculty. As roving ambassadors of Morgan good will they have few equals."