| Horsename: | Rex McDonald |
| Discipline: | Five-gaited |
| Sire: | Rex Denmark |
| Dam: | Lucy Mack |
| Damsire: | Black Squirrel |
| Foaled: | May 30, 1890 |
| Breeder: | Joe McDonald |
| Trainer: | Billy Davis Tom Bass |
Rex McDonald was an American Saddlebred stallion. He was only beaten three times in his show career and had an influential career as a sire.
Rex McDonald was foaled on May 30, 1890, in Callaway County, Missouri.[1] [2] He was sired by Rex Denmark and out of Lucy Mack. He was a black stallion standing high and was bred by Joe McDonald.[1] After breeding Rex McDonald, Joe McDonald became ill and began selling his horses. Rex McDonald was sold to R. T. Freeman as a yearling for $105, alongside his dam.In 1894 he was sold to John Hughes of Kentucky for $3,050. He was sold several more times and at one point during his breeding career was owned by a group of businessmen.[1] Rex McDonald died November 13, 1913, and was buried in the fairgrounds at Mexico, Missouri,[3] although the body was later moved to Tom Bass's property and still later reburied at the American Saddlebred Museum in Mexico, where it remains.[4] [5]
Rex McDonald was a five-gaited horse who was initially trained by Billy Davis.[3] Later on he was trained and shown by Tom Bass, a notable horse trainer born a slave, who trained horses for Theodore Roosevelt and Bill Cody.[6] In 1893 Rex McDonald was shown for the first time at the St. Louis National Horse Show and won a championship.[7] At the time, there was a strong rivalry between Kentucky and Missouri about which state produced the best Saddlebreds, and Rex McDonald was a star for the Missourians. Ironically, he was later sold to a Kentucky owner.[3] He was only beaten three times in his career.[2] At one show, he beat his own sire, Rex Denmark. He was finally retired to stud because few people were willing to show against him.[1]
Rex McDonald sired over 200 colts that were registered with the American Saddlebred Horse Association.[1] One of his colts was a pacer and was harness raced.[8]
| Sire Rex Denmark | Crigler's Denmark | Lail's Denmark Chief | Gaines' Denmark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brown Kitty | |||
| Bettie Crosby | Ed Hawkins | ||
| Queen | |||
| Daughter of Star of the West | Star of the West | Flying Cloud | |
| Gray Fanny | |||
| Daughter of Mohawk | Mohawk | ||
| Copperbottom mare | |||
| Dam Lucy Mack | Black Squirrel | Black Eagle | King William |
| Kitty Richards | |||
| Mollie | Giltners Brown Highlander | ||
| Betty | |||
| Star | Old Star Davis | Boston | |
| Unknown | |||
| Mollie | Vermont Morgan | ||
| Unknown |