Have you ever heard of the horse breed known as the Blazer? According to Neil Hinck, the founding father of the Blazer and owner of Oregon’s Blazer Horse Ranch, they are horses of exceptional temperament, intelligence and fortitude. The foundation stallion was Little Blaze, foaled in 1959. Little Blaze represented the culmination of Hinck’s life quest to develop a breed that is as gentle on the inside as it is tough on the outside. The stallion sired new generations for 36 years, growing the foundation herd to more than 1,700 head. With the heartiness indicative of his breed, Little Blaze lived until March of 1999, dying just weeks short of his 40th birthday. Blazers have proven their mettle in many competitive events including reining cow work, gymkhana and rodeo events.
Last weekend, Hinck held an auction at the Treasure Valley Livestock Exchange in Caldwell, Idaho, with 215 of his horses up for sale.