Cooper Quarter Horses

Puncher has been around horses his entire life. As he would tell it, when he was young horses were his baby sitter. After returning from service in 1953, Puncher rented a field and built a corral to break horses for local ranchers. In 1961 Puncher began helping Russell Klotz, a retired farmer with his horse sale until 1981 when Puncher took over the sale. Many of Cooper’s horses have done well as race and showmanship animals. Including one winning the barrel racing competition in the World Quarter Horse Show. However, Cooper Quarter Horses have been primarily bred for ranch work and covering rough terrain such as the rocky Flint Hills.Puncher would use old-time remedies when training and healing his horses. Many of these remedies have not been used for over fifty years. Puncher would explain that his horses learned to survive rocky conditions by being able to run through the trechorous Flint Hills. The colts learn to step between the rocks. Cooper’s horses were and still are trained with patience and toughness. Puncher always made sure to explain what each colt would be like when they were older so that the horse could be placed with a owner that fit them. Highlights and deficiencies about each horse were always made clear to the buyer. Puncher passed his techniques and traditions to his children and grandchildren who have helped run the sale for many years. Janet Cannon (Cooper) and Larry Cannon continue to run the sale in Puncher’s memory every year on the last Sunday in September. (Source)