Custus Rastus was a Kentucky-bred colt whose racing career was cut short by injury. Despite that setback, he was still a standout stallion prospect. Considered by many breeders to be one of the most perfectly conformed Thoroughbreds to ever stand to Quarter mares, the kind-hearted bay became a leading sire of AQHA Champions. His offspring set track records and commanded show rings. Much like Three Bars, Depth Charge and Top Deck, the contribution of Custus Rastus was foundational to the Quarter Horse breed. His legacy endures today.
Custus Rastus was foaled in 1948. He was bred in Kentucky by Mrs. Vera Susan Bragg, a prominent socialite and racehorse owner. Custus Rastus was by Requested, an eight-time stakes winner by Questionnaire. Requested was runner-up to Hall of Fame inductee Alsab in the 1942 Preakness Stakes. He sired nineteen stakes winners, including Miss Request, Eladio, Cerise Reine, Our Request and Prince Quest. He also sired Rainy Season, a track record-setting Quarter Horse stallion. Requested was highly influential in the Quarter Horse industry through his Thoroughbred sons Little Request and Suggested. His sons Idle Treaty, Magan, Mighty Request, My Request and Red Curtice also sired Quarter Horses and Appaloosas.
Slim Rosie, the dam of Custus Rastus, was bred by B. B. Jones of Audley Stud in Virginia. She was by Tryster, the unbeaten 1920 Champion Two-Year-Old Colt. Slim Rosie made 45 starts and won 12 races. Her biggest win was in the 1935 Crete Handicap. Slim Rosie produced ten Thoroughbred foals, including race winners Meandyou, Sis Rosie, Post Deb, Rose C, Slim and Skynight. She produced her last foal in 1952 when she was twenty years old.
Mrs. Bragg cosigned Custus Rastus to the 1949 Keeneland Summer Yearling Sale. He sold for $16,000, which is the equivalent of about $225,000 today. He was purchased by W. H. Ingerton and shipped to Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas where he began race training. Although Custus Rastus showed promising speed, he was unplaced in his one and only official start. He broke his sesamoid bone and had to retire from racing.
Despite his injury, Lewis M. Blackwell, one of the Southwest’s leading Quarter Horse breeders at the time, still saw the potential that Custus Rastus had as a sire. Blackwell purchased the bay stallion and moved him to Logan, New Mexico. His first foals arrived in 1951. Gold Note, a chestnut Quarter Horse mare out of Blackwell’s Tick Tac, was one of the first AAA-rated racehorses by Custus Rastus. Gold Note won eight races and placed second in the 1955 New Mexico Breeders’ Derby. She went on to produce eleven AQHA registered foals, including Golden Note, the 1961 AQHA Racing Champion Two-Year-Old Filly. Gold Note also produced Palleo’s Note, an AQHA Champion; John’s Note, a stakes winner; and Register of Merit earners Winning Note, Fifth Note, Shining Note, Midnight Note and D’or Note.
Jaguar, a bay stallion out of Mame Taylor, was the first AQHA Champion by Custus Rastus. Jaguar made twelve starts and won one race. He placed second in the 1955 Pacific Coast QHRA Derby and third in the 1956 RMQHA Stallion Stakes. After he retired from racing, Jaguar was shown at halter. He earned 16.0 halter points and an AQHA Champion title. Jaguar was owned by Ed Honnen of Denver, Colorado. He sired 184 AQHA registered foals that earned $101,892 on the racetrack and 2,095.5 points in the arena. His son Coy’s Bonanza was inducted into the AQHA Hall of Fame in 2015. Custus Jaguar, a bay stallion by Jaguar, was the damsire of AQHA Hall of Fame inductee Zips Chocolate Chip. Jaguar’s sons Mr Jaguar, Jag On, Jag, Jaguar’s Go Go, Destiny Leo Jag, Silver Hatchet, Barjag, Right On, Cut Loose and Imajag were also very successful at stud.
Ricky Taylor, a full-brother to Jaguar, was the next AQHA Champion by Custus Rastus. Ricky Taylor made fifteen starts and won five races. He ran second in the 1956 PCQHRA Futurity and set a new track record at Stockton for 350 yards in 18.500 seconds. Ricky Taylor later earned 15.0 halter points to achieve his AQHA Champion title. He was owned by Ray and Edna Gutherie of Princeville, Oregon. Ricky Taylor sired sire 307 AQHA registered foals that earned 1,753.0 points in the arena. Eddie Ricky, Mister Terrific and No Payola were a few of his noteworthy sons.
Custus Rastus only sired an average of five foals per year during his first eight years at stud. Despite that light breeding schedule, he sired three AQHA Champions. Custus Sandy, a bay stallion bred by Kenneth Moore, was the third. Custus Sandy made 32 starts and won five races. When he was shown at halter as a five-year-old, Custus Sandy won Grand Champion Stallion in Dewy, Oklahoma; Muskogee, Oklahoma; and Coffeyville, Kansas. He was only the eleventh AAA+ rated racehorse to earn an AQHA Champion title. Custus Sandy stood at Hooks Ranches in Sulphur, Louisiana. He sired 119 AQHA registered foals, including accomplished barrel horses Custus Kevin and Cutus Patricia.
Custus Rastus also sired AAA speedsters Chicadoo, King Rastus, Rufus Rastus and Raz Miss Taz during his early years at stud. His first stakes winners – Custus-Friz and Ima Pixie – hit the ground in 1958. Custus-Friz was a Blackwell-bred Thoroughbred stallion. He won the 1960 New Mexico Thoroughbred Futurity and the 1961 Inaugural Handicap at La Mesa Park. Ima Pixie was a Quarter Horse mare bred by Everett Sears. She won the 1960 New Mexico Futurity and later equaled the track record for 350 yards at Sunland Park. Ima Pixie produced eight AQHA registered foals, including AQHA Champion and World Champion sire Silky Fox. She also produced Racing ROM earners Ima Pixie Too and Swift N’ Easy.
By March of 1958, Custus Rastus had moved to Lewis L. “Lou” Tuck’s ranch in Littleton, Colorado. Tuck was born and raised in Southern Illinois. He inherited his love of horses from his father who raced Thoroughbreds at local racetracks. As a fighter pilot during World War II, Tuck was stationed in Texas. There, he befriended Robert Kleberg and Dr. J. K. Northway at the King Ranch. Those pioneer horse breeders piqued Tuck’s interest in the burgeoning Quarter Horse industry. After the war, Tuck married Elizabeth “Libby” Lewis. The couple moved to Colorado and began building their own Quarter Horse breeding program.
Tuck first visited Blackwell’s ranch in 1957 to see what he had for sale. Tuck later told Western Horseman “I bought a couple of top race producers named Mabel Crowford and Billie M., but the most important thing to come out of the whole experience was that I got my first look at Custus Rastus. I liked him right from the very beginning and tried to buy him. But Lewis wasn’t ready to sell at that time, so I had to return home without him. A year later, though, I made a second trip south, and this time I came back with both Custus and a mare named Miss Revenue. She was by Teddy and out of Blackwell’s Tick Tac, the dam of Gold Note. We bred her back to Custus a number of times, and she became one of our more consistent producers.”
Capital Gain was the first performing foal from the Custus Rastus and Miss Revenue pairing. Capital Gain earned a Performance ROM, a Superior Halter award and an AQHA Champion designation. He went on to sire 386 AQHA registered foals. Capital Skip Bar, Speedy Gain, Clamity Gain, Custus Revenue, Dawn Ann, Gain Jane, Games Cap Gain, Ima Gainer, Jill Annette, Miss Gain Bar, Skip’s Bandido and Sweet Coffee were some of his top performers.
Net Profit, a full-brother to Capital Gain, had a very similar show career. He also earned a Performance ROM, a Superior Halter award and an AQHA Champion designation. Net Profit went on to sire 260 AQHA registered foals. Is Profit, Miss Net Profit and Profit For Fun were a few of his notable performers. Double Entry was the fifth and final foal by Custus Rastus and out of Miss Revenue. Double Entry earned a Performance ROM and an AQHA Champion title. She went on to produce seven AQHA registered foals, including Racing ROM earner Double Savings.
Tuck also bred Custus Rastus to daughters of Red Man, Hard Twist and Leo. Printer’s Devil and Custus Belle were some of the first AQHA Champions that he sired after he moved to Colorado. Printer’s Devil was bred by Jay Parsons. He won six races, including the 1962 Arizona Derby, Cortez Handicap and Mountain Oyster Club Handicap. He was shown at halter in 1963 and earned his AQHA Champion title in 1964. Printer’s Devil was owned by Marie Monroe of Cutbank, Montana. He sired 249 AQHA registered foals. Lucky T Devil, Pondie’s Printer and Shane’s Print were a few of his noteworthy sons.
Custus Belle was bred in partnership with Lou Tuck and Jay Chambers. She was shown at halter and competed in performance events. Custus Belle was the Grand Champion Mare at the 1964 National Western Livestock Show in Denver, Colorado. With 204.5 total points, she was the highest point earner by Custus Rastus. Custus Belle went on to produce nine AQHA registered foals, including Racing ROM earner Pappa Don.
Milk River was the only Supreme Champion sired by Custus Rastus. Milk River was out of Leolib, a daughter of Leo that Lou Tuck purchased from Bud Warren. Milk River made 32 starts and won two races. In 1963, he placed second in the White Sands Handicap and third in the Rocky Mountain QHA Futurity. He later ran second in the 1964 Colorado Derby. After he retired from racing, Milk River earned 60.0 halter and performance points. He earned a Supreme Champion title in 1970. Milk River sired 146 AQHA registered foals. Cream Creek and Tivio River were two of his best performers. Additional AQHA Champions by Custus Rastus included Times Two, Aguila Baron, Custus Mist, Southern Sea and Mis Custus Sandy.
Tuck bred Custus Rastus multiple times to Coosada, a Thoroughbred daughter of Scabbard. The pairing produced Solid Sada, the best Thoroughbred starter by Custus Rastus. Solid Sada won six races, including the 1962 Colorado Breeders Stakes, 1963 Colorado Breeders Derby and 1964 Las Cruces Handicap. Solid Sada only sired twelve AQHA recognized foals. Tuck’s wife Libby and Jay Parsons’ wife Char partnered to breed Solid Sada to Mary Poppins, the dam of Bully Bullion. The resulting foal, Mr Rich and Rare, won six races and ran second in the 1970 North Central Futurity at the Chouteau County Fair.
Bull Rastus, the best Quarter Horse starter by Custus Rastus, was bred by J. H. Patrick. Bull Rastus made 40 starts, won 18 races, and earned $49,430 on the track. His biggest wins were in the 1970 Marathon Handicap and the 1st division of the Table Tennis Handicap. Bull Rastus went on to sire 45 AQHA registered foals. He also sired Blue Rastus, a record-setting Appaloosa stallion.
Custus Rastus was the sire of many speedsters. His Quarter Horse runners Devil’s Rastus, Five Star Final, My Lady Sheron, Northern Sea and Stormy Custus all set new track records. He was also the sire of stakes winners Baby Rastus, White River and Yankee Rob.
In total, Custus Rastus sired 207 Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse foals in 22 foal crops. They included 83 race winners, 76 ROM earners, 22 stakes finalists, 14 AQHA Champions, 13 stakes winners, four Superior Award earners and one Supreme Champion. They earned $495,599 on the track and 1,166.0 points in the arena.
Sons of Custus Rastus sired more than 3,800 AQHA registered foals. The aforementioned Capital Gain, Ricky Taylor, Net Profit, Printer’s Devil, Northern Sea, Jaguar, Times Two, Milk River, Baby Rastus, Aguila Baron, Devil’s Rastus and Custus Sandy were some of the largest contributors to that number. His sons Yankee Dolla, Rawhide Rastus, Two Medicine and Mr Moose also sired more than 100 foals each.
Daughters of Custus Rastus produced 641 AQHA registered foals that earned $986,201 on the track and 1,656.5 points in the arena. Custus Liz, a full-sister to Milk River and White River, was one of his best producing daughters. Custus Liz produced fifteen AQHA registered foals, including Little Town, a Supreme Champion; North Slope, an AQHA Champion; and Superior Race Horses Royal Doulton and Easy Custus.
Cherry Sweet, another great producing daughter of Custus Rastus, was the dam of eleven AQHA registered foals, including Sweet Feast, a Superior Race Horse, and Cherry Zip, a stakes winner and Performance ROM earner. His daughter Mame Kirk produced twelve AQHA registered foals, including stakes winners Risque Mame and Centennial. Sally Rastus produced track record setters Heisatexan and Ciclone. Stakes winners Miss Sue Bailey and Megatrend were also out of Custus Rastus mares.
Sharp Dancer Leo, a sorrel gelding by A Sharp Leo and out of Oh Anna, was the leading point earner out of a Custus Rastus mare. Sharp Dancer Leo earned Superior Barrel Racing awards in the Open and Youth divisions with Eric N. Foster. He qualified for the AQHA World Show in 1993, 1994 and 1995. Lindita, a Thoroughbred daughter of Custus Rastus, produced Go Lindy Go, a Superior Halter Horse, and Lindy Hank, a Superior Western Pleasure Horse. Daughters of Custus Rastus also produced AQHA Champions Skedadle Chick, Grand Valley and Feature Bonanza.
The final foals by Custus Rastus were born in 1971. He passed away that spring at the age of 23. “In all the years he spent with us,” Libby Tuck told Western Horseman, “Custus never asked for a lot. He liked to spend his days outside, but he wanted to come in at night. In the fall of each year, after we had weaned his foals, we turned Custus in with them. He was a kind horse and never offered to hurt them. In fact, he seemed to enjoy their company. After he passed away, we buried him right here on the farm, in a paddock not too far from where he used to do his babysitting. It just seemed like the right thing to do.”
Sources: Equineline, Equibase, American Quarter Horse Association, Western Horseman Legends Volume 5, All Breed Database
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