Mare of the Month: Dollie Pine — A Legacy that Shaped the Modern Show Horse

The Life and Times of Dollie Pine

In 1963, the Geweke family of Nebraska—Lloyd, Naomi, and their children Don and Jean—made a 700-mile road trip to Jacksboro, Texas, in search of bloodlines to strengthen their program. At a Curtner Ranch sale they found her: a shiny red sorrel mare by Poco Pine and out of Hobo Sue. Three years old, 15.1 hands, with a small star and a touch of flaxen in her tail, she carried herself with the composure of a seasoned show horse.

Barely started under saddle, she was already quiet, athletic, and intelligent—impossible to ignore. Don, then just 17 and already admired for his natural way with horses, gave his father a glance that said it all. Moments later, the Geweke family had secured the mare who would redefine their program—and ultimately, the Quarter Horse industry.

Under Don’s hands, Dollie quickly flourished. She earned halter and performance points, achieving both her AQHA Championship and a Performance Register of Merit just a year later in 1964. Her trainability, athleticism, and elegance made her a standout in and out of the arena – including her innate ability to change leads with ease.

Known for his gentle seat, soft touch, and instinctive timing, Don brought out the best in every horse he handled, and Dollie responded in kind—willing, elegant, and eager to learn. Like many Poco Pine offspring, she first earned her place in halter, where her correctness and presence easily stood out. Before long, her natural athleticism shone in the performance pen as well. Don often remarked that training her felt natural, almost easy, as though she anticipated what he wanted before he even asked.

Family memories from that time still capture both her talent and Don’s horsemanship. At one state show, when his sister Jean was struggling with her horse just minutes before a class, Don quietly stepped in. He swung into the saddle, guided the horse into rhythm, then handed the reins back with a grin: “You can undo one in five minutes that takes me six months to train—now go win it.” Jean did just that, a testament to Don’s gift and the family’s shared passion for showing.

Dollie lived a long and meaningful life, cherished by the Geweke family who had recognized her potential from the very start. On her final day, at age 30, she made one last, unforgettable gesture: she walked to the burial site of her sire, Poco Pine, and of the stallion she paired with so well, Zippo Pat Bars, lay down—and took her last breath—joining the legends who helped define the American Quarter Horse.

Her story is more than history; it’s living proof of how one mare’s legacy can ripple through decades, shaping a breed and inspiring the people who loved her.

Pedigree of Dollie Pine

Rooted in greatness, Dollie Pine carried a pedigree that reflects the very foundation of the American Quarter Horse. Her sire, Poco Pine, was by Poco Bueno — himself a son of King and Miss Taylor — and out of Pretty Rosalie, whose sire was the refined Pretty Boy and dam the hardy Waggoner Mare. On the maternal side, her dam Hobo Sue (1951) brought in the strength of Hobo, by Joe Moore and out of Paulita, paired with the toughness of Home Gal, by My Pardner and out of Missie. With this blend of proven stallions and durable mare families behind her, Dollie Pine embodied the balance of power, style, and versatility —a foundation she passed along to generations.

Performance Record

Dollie Pine more than held her own in the show ring. She earned the title of AQHA Champion, collecting 26 halter points and 27.5 western pleasure points in open events. This balance of beauty and ability set the tone for what she would pass along to her foals.

Produce Record

ZIPPO PINE BAR (c. by Zippo Pat Bars)

One of the most influential sires in AQHA history. He earned 145 AQHA points and was inducted into the AQHA and NSBA Halls of Fame. Titles include AQHA Champion, High Point Junior Western Riding Champion, High Point Western Riding Stallion, and Superior Western Pleasure. Also, he is the AQHA #1 All-Time Leading Sire of Youth Performance Point-Earners and Youth ROM Earners, and the AQHA #2 All-Time Leading Sire of Open and Amateur Performance Point-Earners, Open and Amateur ROM Earners, and Open, Amateur, and Youth Class Winners. His foals have earned more than $2,850,000 and accumulated over 77,000 AQHA points.

• ZIPPOS MR GOOD BAR (c. out of Tamara Wess). $38,838 LTE. AQHA POINTS: 71 performance points in western pleasure. AQHA ACHIEVEMENTS: Superior Western Pleasure, Open Perf. ROM, Amateur Perf. ROM.
• ZIPPO LTD (g. out of Ima Blister Bug). $133,546 and 5,735.5 AQHA points; AQHA Performance Champion, AQHA Amateur Performance Champion, AQHA Youth Performance Champion, Superior Youth AQHA All-Around, Superior Trail, Superior Western Riding, Superior Western Pleasure, Superior Amateur Trail, Superior Amateur Western Pleasure, Superior Amateur Showmanship, Superior Amateur Horsemanship, Superior Amateur Western Riding, Superior Youth Showmanship, Superior Youth Trail, Superior Youth Horsemanship, Superior Youth Western Pleasure, Superior Youth Western Riding, Open Perf. ROM, Amateur Perf. ROM, Youth Perf. ROM.
• OK IM ZIPPED (g. out of Oklahoma Reject). $62,812 and 1,733.5 AQHA points; AQHA Performance Champion, AQHA Youth Performance Champion, Superior Trail, Superior Western Riding, Superior Western Pleasure, Superior Amateur Trail, Superior Amateur Western Riding, Superior Youth Trail, Superior Youth Horsemanship, Superior Youth Western Riding, Open Perf. ROM, Amateur Perf. ROM, Youth Perf. ROM.
• WHAT A FANCY ZIPPO (g. out of Quincys Rose). $57,925 and 1,609.5 AQHA points: AQHA Performance Champion, Superior Trail, Superior Western Pleasure, Superior Western Riding, Superior Amateur Western Pleasure, Superior Amateur Trail, Superior Youth Trail, Open Perf. ROM, Amateur Perf. ROM, Youth Perf. ROM.
• MR MAGNOLIA ZIP (g. out of Miss Magnolia Bee). $51,880 and 1,200.5 AQHA points: Superior Western Pleasure, Superior Western Riding, Superior Amateur Western Pleasure, Superior Youth Western Pleasure, Open Perf. ROM, Amateur Perf. ROM, Youth Perf. ROM.
• ERAS SPECTACULAR ZIP (g. out of Sierra Dorable). $49,187 and 1,225.5 AQHA points: Superior Trail, Superior Western Riding, Superior Amateur Trail, Superior Amateur Western Riding, Open Perf. ROM, Amateur Perf. ROM.
• ZIPPED TIGHT (f. out of Sheza Banjo). $48,732 and 345 AQHA points: Superior Western Riding, Superior Western Pleasure, Superior Amateur Western Pleasure, Open Perf. ROM, Amateur Perf. ROM.
• ZIPPO TAMARA TE (f. out of Tes Tamara). $43,617: Congress Champion 2yo Open Western Pleasure Futurity.
• ZIPPO AMEGIO (c. out of Amiga Chex). $39,022 AND 660.5 AQHA points: AQHA Performance Champion, Superior Trail, Superior Green Trail, Superior Western Riding, Superior Western Pleasure, Superior Amateur Western Pleasure, Open Perf. ROM, Amateur Perf. ROM.
• ZIP A LEAGUER (c. out of Amiga Leaguer). $38,487 and 884 AQHA points: AQHA Amateur Champion, AQHA Amateur Performance Champion, Superior Amateur AQHA All-Around, Superior Western Pleasure, Superior Amateur Western Pleasure, Superior Amateur Showmanship, Superior Amateur Trail, Superior Amateur Horsemanship, Open Perf. ROM, Amateur Perf. ROM, ROM Amateur Halter.
• And countless others...

PAT DOLLIE PINE (f. by Zippo Pat Bars)

333 AQHA points: AQHA Champion; Superior Open & Amateur Western Pleasure; Youth ROM; AQHA High Point placings.

• DESIGN BY PINE (g. by Quincy Redford) — 111 AQHA points; Superior Western Pleasure; NSBA money-earner.
• Perfectly Pine (g. by Quincy Redford) — 45 AQHA points; Open Performance ROM.
• Image Is Everything (g. by TNT Fluid Fred) — $3,892; 4th Congress 2-YO Ltd Open WP Futurity; point-earner.
• Hes So Pine (g. by Quincy Redford) — 12.5 AQHA points; Performance ROM; NSBA money-earner.

SCARBOROUGH FAIR (f. by Zippo Pat Bars)

184 AQHA points: AQHA Champion; Superior Western Pleasure.

• ZIP TO IMPRESS (c. by Impressive) — 62 AQHA points: World Champion 3-Year-Old Stallion, Superior Halter. An AQHA All-Time Leading Halter Sire.
• IMPRESSIVE ZIPPO (c. by Impressive) — 229 AQHA points; High Point Halter Stallion; Superior Halter.
• Predictability (g. by Diversified) — 33 AQHA points; $4,855; Congress 3-YO L1 Open WP Futurity 4th; Performance ROM.
• Impressionable Zip (c. by Impressive) — Congress Top 10 Open Yearling Stallion Futurity; 8.5 halter points.
• Fair Eyed Jackie (f. by Two Eyed Jack)
  • ZIPPO JACK BAR (c. by Zippo Pine Bar) — $27,746 and 73 AQHA points: NSBA Hall of Fame, Open & Amateur Performance ROM. An AQHA & NSBA All-Time Leading Sire.
• Scars Cupa Tea (f. by Te N Te)
  • Te N Zippo (f. by Zippo Pine Bar) — 76.5 AQHA points: Amateur & Youth Performance ROM; AQHYA World WEstern Pleasure qualifier; Houston Stock Show Senior Youth Western Pleasure Champion; San Antonion Stock Show Senior Western Pleasure winner and Amateur Western Pleasure, Horsemanship, & Showmanship winner.
  • Zippos Texas Doll (f. by Zippo Pine Bar) — Dam of COWBOYS KINDA ZIP (APHA) (497 APHA points: APHA World Champion Western Pleasure Horse), ZIPPIE YI YAY (APHA) (291 APHA points: Superior Western Pleasure). ABSOLOOTLY A ZIPPO (APHA), (94 APHA points: Superior Western Pleasure).
  • Zippos Poco Sue (f. by Zippo Pine Bar) — Dam of A LOT TO OFFER (APHA) (1,180 APHA points: APHA World Champion Hunter Under Saddle Horse), ZIPPOS SECURITEE (APHA) (520 APHA points: APHA World Champion in Youth Halter). R BOY NAMED SUE (APHA), (254.5 APHA points: Superior Trali), ALOTTA LOVE (APHA) (172 APHA points: Superior Hunter Under Saddle).
• Skips Scar Fair (f. by Skips Pine Tea).
  • Te Arific (f. by MBJ Mr Greystone) — 55.5 AQHA points in halter, hunter under saddle, western pleasure, horsemanship, & showmanship: Youth Performane ROM.
  • Zippos Scarborough (f. by Zippo Pine Bar) — Dam of TOO HOT TWO ZIP (106 AQHA points: Superior Western Pleasure), SPOTTED BY A PRO (APHA) (482 APHA points: Superior in 3 events).

Two Eyed Dollie (f. by Two Eyed Jack)

48 AQHA points: AQHA Champion earning 13 halter, 1 heading, 3 heelings, and 22 western pleasure points. Performance ROM.

• RITZY DOLLIE (f. by Two Eyed Jack) — $14,361 and 445 AQHA points: World Champion Senior Tie-Down Roping Horse; World Champion Amateur Heeling Horse; AQHA Performance Champion; 4th, Congress Heading, Heeling; Superior Tie-Down Roping, Heeling, and Heading; National Leader in Tie-Down Roping & Heeling.
• IMA COOL PINE (g. by Ima Tru Skip) — $5,436 and 169 AQHA points: Superior Open & Amateur Halter; top 10, Congress Yearling Gelding Futurity.
• Quincy Roy (c. by Sir Quincy Dan) — 16 AQHA halter and western pleasure points.
• Miss Quincy Jo (f. by Sir Quincy Dan) — 15 AQHA halter points.
• Full Figured Doll (f. by The Intimidator) Dam of –
  • Miss Full Figure (f. by Tuff Order) — 22.5 AQHA points: South Dakota QHA Open Yearling Mare Futurity Reserve Champion; Center of the Nation Open Yearling Mare Futurity Reserve Champion; ROM Halter.
  • Butterscotch Doll (f. by Plain Scotch Bar) – 5 AQHA points; Center of the Nation 2-Year-Old Western Pleasure Futurity Reserve Champion.
• Two Dee Dollie (f. by Sonny's Candy Man) Dam of –
  • Actions Lil Doll (f. by Impressive Action) — 19 AQHA western pleasure points.

Little Dollie Zip (f. by Zippo Pat Bars)

4 AQHA points: western pleasure point-earner.

• Dollies Little Zip (f. by Professors Hobby).
  • DOLLIE MACHINE (f. by A Good Machine). 261 AQHA points: Superior Youth Horsemanship & Showmanship; 7th, Congress Junior Youth Showmanship; Dixie National Stock Show Junior & Senior Youth showmanship winner; Senior Youth & Novice Youth Trail winner and Novice Youth Horsemanship winner.

Zippos Classy Doll (f. by Zippo Pat Bars)

• Totally Ahsum Zippo (g. by Bar Pat Chris) — 121 AQHA points in western pleasure, horsemanship, trail, showmanship, & halter; Open & Youth Performance ROM; NSBA money-earner.
• Zip Bar Scotch (g. by Scotch Bar Time) — 121 AQHA points in western pleasure, horsemanship, trail, showmanship, & halter; Open & Youth Performance ROM; NSBA money-earner.

Through these and other foals, Dollie Pine’s bloodlines extended into countless modern pedigrees. Her descendants earned titles across halter, western pleasure, roping, and other performance events, demonstrating the same balance of beauty, trainability, and athleticism that Dollie herself possessed. From the show pen to the breeding barn, her influence continues to shape not just individual champions, but the overall direction of the American Quarter Horse.

The Saturation of Dollie Pine in Modern Pedigrees

Across the AQHA All-Time Leading Sire and Dam lists by Money Earners, one mare consistently reappears: Dollie Pine. Through her legendary son Zippo Pine Bar and influential daughters like Scarborough Fair (dam of Zippo Jack Bar), her bloodline has been linebred into the very foundation of today’s show horses. To measure just how deep her influence runs, we gathered the top 10 All-Time Leading Sires and top 10 All-Time Leading Damsires by Money Earners in two key disciplines — English All-Around, Hunter Under Saddle, Western All-Around, and Western Pleasure — and conducted a saturation test.

The results are undeniable. In discipline after discipline, the percentages tell the story: sires and dams at the very top of the industry carry her genetics, often multiple times within a single pedigree. Whether on the sire side, dam side, or both, Dollie Pine’s presence isn’t just occasional — it is saturation, shaping the modern Quarter Horse across generations.

Nowhere is this clearer than in the results of the saturation test itself. By breaking down the pedigrees of these elite sires and dams across English and Western disciplines, we can see exactly how — and how much — Dollie Pine’s legacy has been woven into the modern show horse. What follows is a closer look at each discipline, and the remarkable consistency of her genetic influence.

Understanding the Percentages

Before looking at each discipline, it helps to understand what these saturation percentages actually represent. The numbers show how much genetic influence Dollie Pine contributes to a modern pedigree and how closely she appears in the lineage. With each generation, the percentage is cut in half:

So, when a horse shows 25% Dollie Pine, she is still sitting as a granddam just two generations back. At 12.5%, she is a great-granddam within three generations, and even 6.25% keeps her firmly within the first four generations. These aren’t faint echoes of ancestry—they are concentrated, intentional contributions, often reinforced multiple times through linebreeding.

You’ll also see in-between values like 18.75%. This occurs when Dollie Pine appears more than once in a pedigree—for example, once as a granddam (25%) and again as a great-granddam (12.5%). The combined influence averages to 18.75%, showing how breeders stacked her bloodline from multiple directions to hold her traits closer.

With this framework, the results of the saturation test come into focus. Across the AQHA All-Time Leading Sires and Damsires by Money Earned, Dollie Pine’s presence is anything but incidental. Her bloodline appears densely, repeatedly, and purposefully. From English All-Around to Hunter Under Saddle, and from Western All-Around to Western Pleasure, the percentages tell one story: breeders built today’s most successful horses on the foundation she laid.

Western All-Around

The Western All-Around category brings her presence forward in striking clarity. This is where the numbers climb higher, reflecting how heavily breeders relied on her blood through both Zippo Pine Bar and Scarborough Fair. Among sires, names like Blazing Hot carry 25% Zippo Pine Bar and 12.5% Dollie Pine, while others such as No Doubt Im Lazy register at 6.25% Zippo Pine Bar. These percentages may sound small, but within four generations they represent deliberate decisions to keep her genetics close. Some sires, namely Machine Made, even show 18.75% Zippo Pine Bar, a sign of reinforced linebreeding that ties directly back to Dollie’s legacy.

Leading Western All-Around damsires show up to 25% Zippo Pine Bar and 12.5% Dollie Pine, which puts her in a grandparent-level position. Others hold steady at 6.25%, showing that even when further back, breeders maintained her as a constant thread. The effect is clear: Dollie Pine provided the mix of athleticism and mind that still defines the discipline today.

Western Pleasure

In Western Pleasure, Dollie Pine’s genetic fingerprint may be the most concentrated of all. The top sires reveal percentages that show her blood not just surviving, but thriving. For example, sires such as RL Best of Sudden connect back through 25% Zippo Pine Bar and 12.5% Dollie Pine, while others like Machine Made carry 18.75% Zippo Pine Bar and 6.25% Dollie Pine. These figures mean that Dollie’s influence sits within three to four generations — still a dominant force in horses winning major money today.

On the dam side, the picture is just as compelling. Leading mares reflect 12.5% to 25% Zippo Pine Bar, with 6.25% to 12.5% Dollie Pine layered in. That places her as both a great-granddam and sometimes closer, ensuring her balance, smooth movement, and willing mind remain core to Western Pleasure’s look.

English All-Around

Impressively, for a mare that established herself as one of the great dams of the western pleasure horse, her bloodline is seen even in the English All-Around top 10 sires and dams by money earners.

Among the sires, Too Sleepy To Zip stands out with 18.75% Zippo Pine Bar and 12.5% Dollie Pine in his pedigree. That 12.5% means Dollie Pine sits only three generations back, still a great-grandparent-level contributor in horses foaled decades after her own show career. Good I Will Be and Allocate Your Assets reflect 12.5% Zippo Pine Bar, with Good I Will Be having 6.25% Dollie Pine, which places her in the fourth generation — close enough to still imprint type and performance. Even sires such as Hot N Blazing (6.25%) and Good Better Best (6.25%) carry measurable traces of her blood.

The families behind Too Sleepy To Zip carry 25% Zippo Pine Bar and 12.5% Dollie Pine, the equivalent of a grandparent-level contribution. Damsires linked to A Good Machine (25%) and Allocate Your Assets (12.5%) reinforce the same pattern, showing how breeders consistently layered her influence from both top and bottom to preserve the elegance and balance that defines English All-Around horses.

Hunter Under Saddle

When turning to the Hunter Under Saddle leaders, Dollie Pine’s presence remains just as evident. The top sires consistently reveal her blood through Zippo Pine Bar, with percentages that illustrate deliberate linebreeding choices.

Sires like Its A Southern Thing trace back with 25% Zippo Pine Bar and 12.5% Dollie Pine. Even Good Better Best, with 6.25% Zippo Pine Bar, reflects her imprint in shaping the modern Hunter Under Saddle type — horses bred for cadence, lift, and style.

From the dam perspective, the reinforcement is undeniable. Prominent damsires show 25% to 6.25% Dollie Pine, stacking her influence from the bottom side to complement what the sires already provide. These dual contributions ensured that Hunter Under Saddle horses inherited not just the look but the trainability and responsiveness that were hallmarks of Dollie herself.

Dollie Pine: The Enduring Blueprint of Modern Quarter Horses

The results of the saturation test leave no doubt: Dollie Pine’s influence is foundational to modern Quarter Horse performance. Across disciplines—English All-Around, Hunter Under Saddle, Western All-Around, and Western Pleasure—her genetics appear repeatedly, often reinforced through both sire and dam lines. From granddam-level contributions to multiple appearances within a single pedigree, Dollie Pine’s legacy is far more than historical—it is alive and thriving in today’s champions.

Her bloodline shaped not just the type and athleticism of modern horses, but also the mindset, trainability, and elegance that define the breed’s top performers. Breeders didn’t merely preserve her traits; they amplified them, creating a concentrated, intentional influence that continues to guide the direction of Quarter Horse breeding.

In short, Dollie Pine is not just part of the past—she is embedded in the present and future of performance horse pedigrees, a living blueprint of excellence woven into generations of champions.

Lasting Legacy

Dollie Pine’s story is the kind that defines an era and still resonates today. As a show mare, she proved her quality with an AQHA Champion title, balancing beauty with ability in both halter and western pleasure. As a broodmare, she produced foals that elevated her influence far beyond her own record—most notably Zippo Pine Bar, whose impact on the Western Pleasure horse is unmatched. Through her daughters, like Scarborough Fair and Two Eyed Dollie, she also shaped lines that continue to produce champions across disciplines.

Her legacy did not stop with her first generation. Grandsons and great-granddaughters carrying her blood—Blazing Hot, Zips Chocolate Chip, Zippos Mr Goodbar, and Vital Signs Are Good, to name only a few—rose to Hall of Fame status, ensuring that Dollie Pine’s name would always stand among the greats. Few mares have contributed so consistently, so profoundly, to the modern Quarter Horse.

Living to the age of 30, Dollie Pine’s final moments were as fitting as her life’s work—laying down peacefully near the burial sites of Poco Pine and Zippo Pat Bars, the two stallions who most defined her story. In that moment, she joined the company of legends, not just in pedigree but in her own right.

More than sixty years after her birth, Dollie Pine’s influence remains clear in the arena, in the breeding barn, and in the pages of Quarter Horse history. She was not only the dam of champions but a cornerstone of the breed itself—a mare whose balance of beauty, talent, and heart will echo through pedigrees for generations to come.

Given the clear and continuing saturation of her blood in today’s pedigrees, Dollie Pine merits enshrinement in the AQHA Hall of Fame — a fitting honour for a mare whose long-lived genetic influence continues to shape the industry at large.