Bob Evans, the sausage-maker and restaurant-owner, lived hundreds of miles from the sunny, hoofprint-stamped beaches of Assateague Island, making him an unlikely ally in the fight to preserve the Chincoteague pony breed. Evans grew up near Gallipolis, OH, on a gorgeous farm tucked into the folds of the Appalachian mountains. Despite his success in business, he was known to be a genuine soul. His persona as an honest farmer was no fake—Evans was the real deal.
He was also known for his giving nature. The Bob Evans Farm has long been stocked with educational materials, and Evans worked with Ohio’s 4-H program for years, even starting a program that gave away 44 quarter horse colts a year to deserving kids.
In ‘72, Evans got interested in the plight of the Spanish barb mustang, a subset of the mustang breed that was quickly declining in number. Wild mustangs descend from the horses originally brought to the Americas by Spanish colonizers, and though more breeds have influenced mustangs, the conformation of Spanish barb mustangs clearly reflect their original breeding. They come with a variety of coat colors, though Evans was particularly interested in the medicine hat coloration.
In 1972, he bought five Spanish mustangs from herds in New Mexico and Utah and began a breeding program at his Ohio farm, founding the Spanish Barb Mustang Breeders Association and serving as its president. His mustangs thrived on the rolling hills of his 1000-acre farm.
But meanwhile, on Assateague Island, trouble was brewing. In the summer of 1974, equine infectious anemia, also called “swamp fever,” was discovered in the Chincoteague pony herd. Equine infectious anemia is a deadly illness spread by blood-sucking insects, and dozens of mares, stallions, and foals were infected. Since the wild herd numbered 118 at the time, this disease devastated to the population.
When he heard about this crisis, Evans snapped into action.
“People talk about endangered species, yet here is an animal that was almost extinct. Something had to be done and done quickly,” the restaurateur told the UPI.
In 1976, he donated two buckskin stud colts from his small-but-growing herd of Spanish barb mustangs so that they could replenish the stallions lost to EIA. This was also an opportunity for new blood to be introduced to the breed.
“We feel the introduction of Spanish Barbs will insure that these precious wild ponies here do not decrease in number,” Harry Clay Bunting, pony chairman, told AP. “Centuries of inbreeding may have made the ponies more susceptible to disease and Spanish Barb blood should serve to strengthen the wild ponies of Assateague for future generations.”
The next year, in 1977, the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department bought 38 mustangs from the Bureau of Land Management, which manages almost all of the wild horses in the western United States. These new mustangs were introduced to the wild pony herd on Assateague soon after, adding to the contributions Bob Evans made when he donated his colts. Mustang blood was added one more in the 1980's, and the influence of mustangs on the Chincoteague pony herd can still be seen today.
He was also known for his giving nature. The Bob Evans Farm has long been stocked with educational materials, and Evans worked with Ohio’s 4-H program for years, even starting a program that gave away 44 quarter horse colts a year to deserving kids.
 |
 |
| Bob Evans Farms in 2019 |
In ‘72, Evans got interested in the plight of the Spanish barb mustang, a subset of the mustang breed that was quickly declining in number. Wild mustangs descend from the horses originally brought to the Americas by Spanish colonizers, and though more breeds have influenced mustangs, the conformation of Spanish barb mustangs clearly reflect their original breeding. They come with a variety of coat colors, though Evans was particularly interested in the medicine hat coloration.
In 1972, he bought five Spanish mustangs from herds in New Mexico and Utah and began a breeding program at his Ohio farm, founding the Spanish Barb Mustang Breeders Association and serving as its president. His mustangs thrived on the rolling hills of his 1000-acre farm.
 |
| Bob Evans' Spanish barb mustangs in 1973, photo by the Indianapolis Star. |
But meanwhile, on Assateague Island, trouble was brewing. In the summer of 1974, equine infectious anemia, also called “swamp fever,” was discovered in the Chincoteague pony herd. Equine infectious anemia is a deadly illness spread by blood-sucking insects, and dozens of mares, stallions, and foals were infected. Since the wild herd numbered 118 at the time, this disease devastated to the population.
When he heard about this crisis, Evans snapped into action.
“People talk about endangered species, yet here is an animal that was almost extinct. Something had to be done and done quickly,” the restaurateur told the UPI.
In 1976, he donated two buckskin stud colts from his small-but-growing herd of Spanish barb mustangs so that they could replenish the stallions lost to EIA. This was also an opportunity for new blood to be introduced to the breed.
“We feel the introduction of Spanish Barbs will insure that these precious wild ponies here do not decrease in number,” Harry Clay Bunting, pony chairman, told AP. “Centuries of inbreeding may have made the ponies more susceptible to disease and Spanish Barb blood should serve to strengthen the wild ponies of Assateague for future generations.”
The next year, in 1977, the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department bought 38 mustangs from the Bureau of Land Management, which manages almost all of the wild horses in the western United States. These new mustangs were introduced to the wild pony herd on Assateague soon after, adding to the contributions Bob Evans made when he donated his colts. Mustang blood was added one more in the 1980's, and the influence of mustangs on the Chincoteague pony herd can still be seen today.
- - -
Comments
Post a Comment