Ma Fulton Brings it! 

American Quarter Horse Excellence in Cochise County! 

Mrs. Fulton, whose full name was Rose Hayden Fulton, was the wife of William Shirley Fulton, the founder of the Amerind Foundation in Dragoon, Arizona. After the couple moved to Arizona in 1930, she established and managed the Double F Ranch (also referred to as the FF Ranch) in the Texas Canyon area of Cochise County.

Her deep passion for horses led her to focus on breeding, raising, and training registered American Quarter Horses, turning the ranch into a renowned operation that specialized in producing high-quality stock through careful selection and management.
 
Affectionately known as "Ma Fulton," she oversaw the ranch from 1931 until her death in 1968, building stables, corrals, and a dedicated breeding program that emphasized superior genetics and performance traits.
 
Her work involved collaborating with ranch managers, trainers, and cowboys to purchase top breeding stock and develop horses for competitions, ranch work, and sales. The ranch gained fame throughout Arizona and the Southwest for its championship quarter horses, which excelled in cutting, racing, and other events.
 
Notable examples include prize-winners like Ben Hur II (AQHA #0420), Dauntless (with her foal), and a cutting horse champion, Texas Tom, showcasing her success in producing animals with exceptional speed, agility, and conformation.
 
Rose's passion extended to the science of horse breeding, where she applied principles of selective genetics to improve bloodlines, resulting in some of the finest quarter horses in the United States during her era.
 
Her achievements are commemorated in a permanent exhibit at the Amerind Museum called "Ma Fulton’s FF Ranch," which features photographs of her horses, ranch operations, and the ribbons and trophies she earned.
 
 
This legacy highlights her as a pioneering figure in quarter horse breeding, blending hands-on ranching with a keen eye for genetic excellence.

 

Pictures and information from  Amerind.org & https://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/nodes/view/220

Contributions to AQHA Genetics

Pioneering Selective Breeding Practices:

Fulton applied early principles of horse genetics, focusing on bloodline improvement through careful sire and dam selection. This resulted in some of the era's top Quarter Horses, which excelled in cutting, racing, reining, and ranch work. Her approach helped demonstrate the value of genetic management in producing versatile, high-performing stock, aligning with the AQHA's foundational goals of preserving and enhancing the breed's working abilities.

 

Bloodline Influence:

Horses like Ben Hur II (AQHA #0420), a consistent winner in cow horse reining and sire of multiple show colts in the 1940s, and Texas Tom (a key stallion foaled around 1945, with Joe Hancock-influenced lines) contributed to regional pedigrees. Dauntless, another standout, produced notable foals. While these horses' direct descendants may appear in some modern Southwestern bloodlines, extensive searches of AQHA pedigrees and industry records show limited widespread genetic permeation compared to more prolific sires like Doc Bar or Driftwood. Her emphasis on cow sense and athleticism indirectly supported the breed's evolution toward performance versatility, but no major AQHA Hall of Fame inductions or dominant lineages trace exclusively back to her program.

 

Broader Industry Impact

Regional Renown and Promotion:

The Double F Ranch gained fame across Arizona and the Southwest for its champions, boosting the popularity of registered Quarter Horses in ranching and competitions. This helped elevate the breed's status in the region during a formative period for AQHA (founded in 1940), encouraging similar breeding programs focused on quality over quantity.

 

Educational and Cultural Legacy:

Her passion for genetics and ranch operations is preserved in the Amerind Museum's permanent "Ma Fulton’s FF Ranch" exhibit, which educates visitors on mid-20th-century Quarter Horse breeding. This has inspired ongoing interest in historical breeding practices, influencing modern breeders to prioritize genetic excellence. However, unlike larger operations (e.g., King Ranch or Burnett Ranch), her ranch ceased operations after 1968, limiting sustained genetic dissemination.