Bonita Graham wins Ladies Western Pleasure at the Circle J Regionals in Estes Park

Bonita Graham

...She was black and beautiful and fresh off the Wyoming range. Graceful motion and a way of going....exquisite head...lovely altogether. If we were going to have a Morgan, it had to be this one. We brought her home.

Bonita Graham was our first Morgan. She came to Greentree as a yearling - bringing a rich heritage of Flyhawk and Senator Graham. She was a daughter of Stetson and a granddaughter of the great Flyhawk. Her dam, Antlers Bonnie, was a double Senator Graham granddaughter. Bonita Graham was all black and 15-3 hands, lovely disposition, beautiful confirmation, presence, stamina and the other characteristics that have made the Morgan a preferred family horse.

Bonita Graham was quick to learn, easy to handle, sensible - and a joy to watch. She came to Greentree Ranch as a yearling in the summer of 1962. Her disposition and love for people quickly set her apart from our other horses. She was the friendly one...the one who came running from a far corner of the pasture when called. She soon became "herd boss" and peace reigned. She maintained quiet control over the other horses. "No one ever got hurt when she was in charge," Louise reflects. "And every horse got enough to eat."

Leif Erikson with Bonita Gramhan at Greentree Ranch in 1976

Her grace, conformation and presence soon shaped our resolve to become "All Morgan." To the date of her death, Bonita Graham remained a lovely lady. She had a most satisfying show career~a Regional Champion many times over. She taught innumerable youngsters and their parents to love Morgans. And she produced several outstanding foals.

She and her offspring represent the ultimate in Breed Promotion; they are great MORGANS.

Bred to Orcland John Darling, (Ulendon x Anna Darling) in 1967, she produced Greentree Bonniejohn - our foundation sire. Bonniejohn possessed the classic Morgan attributes, including prepotency.

Bonita Graham's second exciting foal was Greentree Nightsong... produced by breeding Bonniejohn to his mother, after careful evaluation by Dr. Marvin Beeman. His conclusion: "They have no common faults; it's a good chance you will get a fine foal." We did.

Greentree Nightsong is on of those great mares that may never be a Grand National Champion, but she has a good show record, is a lovely and willing pleasure horse under saddle and in harness, a fine equitation horse, and a superior lesson horse. She also produced some of our best foals. Another of those offspring is Greentree Firelight who has produced many fine foals for her owners, Nile and Bev Mason of Thorpe Mountain Morgans in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

True to the Morgan blood and prepotency, the grandchildren and great-grand children of Bonita Graham exhibit her same wonderful Morgan qualities.