Driftwood
Even though Driftwood (known as Speedy)was great match-race
horse, Driftwood is best remembered as a
sire of outstanding performance horses.
Driftwood Foaled in 1932 near Silverton, Texas.
bred by a Mr. Childress
Sired by Miller Boy, out of The Comer
Mare.
Miller Boy's dam was by Texas Chief,
by Traveler.
Driftwood (Speedy's) bloodlines were good, and
they produced a horse with outstanding physical
ability and speed.
Driftwood was a match race horse,
winning at distances of 220 yards to
3/8 of a mile.
Driftwood bred to Clabber mare bloodlines
produced some outstanding match-race, ranch,
and rodeo mounts.
Driftwood sold for $600.during the Depression
an unheard-of price for a horse.
When he was 9 years old. Speedy was sold
to Asbury Schell of Tempe, Arizona. Asbury
was calf and team roper, and before long
Driftwood was a fixture at the big rodeos across
the country. Driftwood was ridden by some of the
top timed event hands in the business.
Because of his match-race experience,
Driftwood broke from the roping box extremely
fast, at one rodeo he was ridden in every
timed event-calf roping, team tying,
single steer roping, and bull-dogging.
And Driftwood carried his riders into the money
in every one of them.
Driftwood held up under the pressure of
rodeoing with the long hauls, numerous riders,
and changes of climate and feed. Even with all
the hard use, however, he never lost his
good disposition.
1943, Channing Peake paid $1,500 for Driftwood.
At the time, Driftwood was 11 years old, he
had won more money at Phoenix in his last rodeo,
than his purchase price.
Driftwood, even after being retired to
stud duty, was always a gentle, tractable
individual. The Peakes made a practice of
never breeding Speedy to nervous
high strung, or unproven mares, either their own
or others. Thus the great driftwood dipositions.
Ropers from California,Arizona, Oregon, and Nevada
purchased Driftwood foals, they knew that having one
of his weanlings was almost a surefire guarantee
of being well-mounted for years to come.
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