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Our Ranch
Frank “Punch” Hewes began his legacy on a ranch in the picturesque mountains of Toponas, Colorado, near Steamboat Springs. In this rugged and sometimes harsh land horses were a vital necessity on the ranch. They were required to perform the usual ranch duties of moving, sorting, doctoring and branding, as well as pulling heavy hay sleds in deep snow to feed cattle. It was also not uncommon to see horses used to skid logs and haul timber for firewood or pack out that occasional elk for the dinner table in sometimes treacherously steep conditions. These jobs required a strong, well boned horse with more than an exceptional mind to get the job done and bring his rider home unscathed. These early years gave Punch an enormous appreciation for a “good” horse.
In the 50’s and 60’s the rodeo arena beckoned to Punch and he spent much of his time bulldogging and riding bulls and saddle broncs. It was during these competitive years that he became more interested in bloodlines and breeding. He scrutinized and studied the top equine athletes of game and tried to determine the factors attributing to their greatness. Among those factors he found as necessities were good conformation, bone, and feet. A horse lacking these cannot function to his true potential and his longevity can also be compromised. Another essential quality is a good mind. A horse with an outstanding mind wants to please. He learns quickly and is not easily distracted or affected by his environment. These are the building blocks or foundation. Add athleticism, speed and desire to the equation and the equine athletic is born, however the concentration levels of these attributes are very volatile. Too much or too little of any one of these and the level of greatness diminishes.
Over the years this interest in breeding turned to deep passion and became Punch’s main focus. As with any good breeding program there have been years of trial and error and finding that perfect combination of traits has been a never-ending task. In 1997 Punch had the good fortune to purchase (Point De Loup), an outstanding young Harlan bred stallion from Don Brurud of Bartlesville, OK. This purchase was the beginning of a life long friendship with this well regarded breeder and the later acquisition of his highly concentrated broodmare band. This was exactly what Punch had been looking for. Our broodmare program includes many daughters of Point De Loup and these outstanding mares, as well as several of their daughters by our other stallions. Like a good cook, after years of adding a dash of this and a little of that and replacing an ingredient that wasn’t working with a better one we finally feel we have the recipe we have been striving for. This is not a culmination, as no breeder can truly say he has achieved perfection; however we will continue to build on this strong foundation producing the best quality individuals we can.
In 2004 Hewes Quarter Horses relocated to Sterling, where our ranch is nestled in a tranquil little valley on the plains of northeast Colorado. The ranch encompasses 2000 acres, including picturesque ponds and creeks laden with water fowl, rolling pastures and irrigated hay land. We currently run 60-70 head of broodmares, five stallions and 80 head of Corriente cows. If you are looking for breeding stock, performance prospects or roping cattle give us a call or better yet, come on out. Visitors are ALWAYS welcome! The coffee is hot and you might even catch Punch smoking a brisket or two.
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