About Cedar Springs Farm, quality Appaloosas and Quarter Horses for sale

The History of Cedar Springs Farm

Cedar Springs Farm is owned and operated by Curt and Priscilla Barnes and is located in Galatia, Illinois. Their farm is over a 100 years old and is named for the tall, old cedar trees that grew around the farm. This was Indian country and traces of their existence are still found on the grounds. The house and barns are situated on a hill overlooking the pastures below.

This is a small operation with good horses. The Barnes run it themselves and leave no details unattended. Curt does the feeding, Priscilla keeps the records, and they both deliver all the babies together. The breeding and handling of all mares is also done by the Barnes. They raise 4 to 6 babies per year and concentrate on good bloodlines, great dispositions and super movers.

But they didn't start out to raise horses. Their first horses were safe mounts for Priscilla and their son Timothy to ride down the road. Neighbors of theirs, Tom and Glenda Wilson were in the horse business though, and they raised Appaloosas. Talks over the fences about horses led to the Wilson's showing Curt and Priscilla around some of local Appaloosa breeders. The first serious purchase was a little show mare named Luckie Britches from Carla Hays (now Johnson). At the same time the Barnes looked at and liked a mare owned by Gary Carrington and trained by Sue Scobee -- a mare called SSP'S Misty. Misty was a 4 year old and Sue had shown her a good bit with a lot of success.

SSP'S Misty

Curt purchased Misty, and she ultimately became the bedrock of the Barnes breeding program. Curt and Priscilla discovered long ago that they were better off raising their show horses -- then you know just what you have, and you know the horse. Misty's first baby, by a Quarter Horse son of Two Eyed Jack, produced the great, great mare Misty Eyed. This mare took their son Timothy to numerous World and National Championships. She also won six open World Trail Championships!

Timothy was able to get his Non-Pro Supreme Championship the first year he became Non-Pro. But it was not until a few babies later, that the real niche was found with the cross between Misty and the legendary Zippo Pine Bar. The first of which produced Zippos Misty Lady, Multiple World, National and Futurity Champion pleasure horse.

The next breeding resulted in Zippos Mr. Misty, the stallion who fulfilled all the requirements the Barnes were looking for in a show horse and stallion. He became the foundation they continue to build on. With him, the Barnes have been able to raise horses that are built to move, with dispositions and athleticism -- and horses you should be able to show as 2 and 3 year olds in western pleasure or hunter under saddle, and then go on and do other things with. It was with great saddness that we lost Zippos Mr Misty on November 8, 2001. He is greatly missed but will live on through the outstanding babies he has produced during his short life.

The Barnes have raised other great horses -- Jack Quest, multiple World and National Championship winner, who was High Point English Horse at the 1998 World and also the 1999 Nationals; also a super halter horse CR Dreams; and the halter filly I'm Jackie's Dream, a World and National Champion.

And SSP'S Misty has continued to produce great babies who have gone to be great producers themselves, as is evidenced by her grandchildren Zippos Misty Lad, Sweet Misty Zippo, Zippos Mr Joe Quest, Freddy Freeloper, and One Hot Chip to name just a few that Cedar Springs Farm has raised.

Zippos Misty Lad was the highest placing horse in the Appaloosa Pleasure Bred Futurity at the 2000 World Show. He was ridden by Jon Barry and the winner of $4600.