Stamper Family Project
 http://www.mtn-pleasure-horse.org/RWHistory.html
Mountain Pleasure Horse Association
From These Hills
In 1891 a group of people got together in the offices of the Farmers' Home Journal, and formed the
National Saddle Horse Breeders Association, (now called the American Saddlebred Horse Association by
resolution in 1899). In 1935, a group of people in Middle Tennessee got together and formed a breed association
called the Tennessee Exhibitors Association. And, in 1948, another group got together to form the
Missouri Fox Trot Horse Breed Association
Did they overlook something?
Rewriting History... 
 MOUNTAIN
PLEASURE HORSES
"We'ben breeding and using the Mountain Pleasure Horse in my family clear back to Grandpa J. C. Stamper.
I'm guessing now, but I believe he was born about 1815," says Marion Stamper, himself 81 - born in 1903,
the son of Tom Stamper - born 1881, and grandson of Lewis Green Stamper - born 1848.
(Marion was mistaken - the date on the tombstone in the Stamper Family Cemetery shows J.C. Stamper to be born
in 1812.) But he wasn't wrong about himself, his Daddy, his Daddy before him, and his Daddy before him breeding
and trading the Mountain Pleasure Horse.
"We just called him the Mountain Horse back then. That "Pleasure" part is new. We didn't have much time for
"pleasure" - except maybe on Sundays" he remarks. "Horses up here had to work for a living -they still do,
for that matter. No one could afford a horse that only rode good -but wouldn't work. People up here had families to
feed. There weren't stores in those days. You ate what you grew. We all had big families that had to eat come winter,"
describes Marion. "I learned what I know from my Daddy, and he got it from his Daddy.
We've always been in the horse tradin' business - and farming, too, of course. That's all we ever knew to do."
Marion then stated that the family land in Stamper Branch (an area near Hazel Green, in Wolfe County, KY)
has been in the family "ever since Homestead. Never has been sold."
Board of Directors - I will contact one of these two individuals to see if I can reprint the article on the
Stamper website ... 3/31/07
Johnie Green President
Youth Promotion Chairman
HC 61 Box 872
Salyersville Ky.41465
Home606-349-6175 Cell-606-477-6175
Mike Spradlin
5238 Beauty Ridge
South Shore Ky.41175
606-932-9833
Daytime Contact Numbers: 9:00AM to 12:00 / Noon 606.932.4945
Cell number 606.923.6992
Email mike@spradlinrealestate.com 
The Stamper Family Project
is the property of Golden Combs Ferguson