B I A N K U S
I’m Susan Allen Welcome to Open Range. Question, did you ever buy an kus? Come one, maybe it was a car that was a lemon, a bottle of wine that disappointed, or pants that were too tight, but I’ll tell you buy-an-cuss takes on a whole new meaning when you’re horse shopping, especially here in the Northwest, stay a tuned for the story. Biankus spelled B I A N K U S and pronounced like buy-an-cuss is a Northwest phenomena in the international sport of barrel racing. Biankus was an Idaho bred quarter horse foaled in 1962 that spent most of his life with Gen Fletcher of Dayton Washington. There was nothing about his foundation Skipper W breeding that would lead any to believe that the babies he sired would be fireballs in barrel racing and pole bending or that two of his sons would compete in barrels at the prestigious NFR in Vegas. In fact it was at High School Rodeo competitions in places like Moses Lake, Lewiston and Walla Walla that Biankus horses ridden by Glenn Fletcher’s granddaughters would turn heads with fast times and gorgeous thick manes. Like the great Doc Bar who stamped his progeny with cowyness, Biankus bloodlines insure that barrel racers will have some turn with their speed. Those who own Biankus horses say they are easy to start, smart with lots of “try” and exceptional rate in fact it is rare that a Biankus horse runs past a barrel. Kind of nice to think that a homegrown Northwest horse with a funny name can leave such big hoof prints on the sport of barrel racing.
