PONY OF THE AMERICAS

This flashy pony excels in any arena

- SAMANTHA JOHNSON

Mason City, Iowa, is situated in the heart of Iowa, and it's probably best known as the birthplace of composer Meredith Willson of The Music Man fame. But the city is also famous for another reason: it's the birthplace of a beloved American pony breed, the Pony of the Americas.

In the mid-1950s, at about the time Meredith Willson was busily composing the songs for The Music Man, another Mason City man-a lawyer named Les Boomhower-was raising Shetland Ponies. In 1954, Boomhower purchased a uniquely marked Arabian/Appaloosa/Shetland colt.

Boomhower could see the potential in the colt, and he could also envision a new pony breed, one that had or stock-type (western) characteristics and a gentle disposition with Appaloosa markings.

Boomhower's colt, later named Black Hand, went on to become the foundation stallion for the Pony of the Americas (POA) breed. Over time, other breeds contributed to the development of the POA, including Thoroughbreds, Welsh Ponies, and American Quarter Horses.