p-h bridles

In the tack trunk sold at the last Jimmy Jones Estate sale of August 16th, 2002, these three bridles were rigged up as pony-horse bridles. A pony-horse bridle being that which was used on the trainer's personal mount when he rode out with a set of race horses during morning works. I presume these were the three in use by Jimmy upon quitting the employment of Calumet Farms in 1964. Most certainly these are the three that H.A. (Jimmy) Jones took with him and stored at his Parnell, Missouri home, all of these years. Two are in the English style of bridles ( #2 and 3) to be used in conjunction with the two pony-horse English style saddles. There is a third bridle (#1) in Western styling which was also worn on some of the Calumet race horses as a work bridle. This western bridle was used with the Mexican ring bit on some race horses as seen in one Arlington Park photograph of 1959. Jimmy must have later, relegated the use of this western bridle onto the pony-horses in the 1960s.

The historical significance of all three bridles cannot be overlooked. Both Ben and Jimmy's hands have long known the feel of the reins of all three bridles while they went about their morning training chores with reins in one hand and a stop watch in the other. These bridles were along side some of the finest race horses to ever grace a race track and should, thus, be cherished as a true artifact from the great racing and training legacy of the Jones boys and of Calumet Farms.


	*Bridle # 1*


	*Bridle # 2*


	*Bridle # 3*

Bridle #1............This is the Western style bridle as pictured in one photo on a Calumet race horse with the Mexican colonial ring bit. It is a fairly typical USA bridle with tooled leather, teardrop shaped cheek-piece sides and one non-rust adjustment buckle on the crown. The crown piece exhibits a professionally sewed repair. There is a buckled, tooled leather noseband. The right cheekpiece has a silver conche with screw to anchor the curb bit. Above this conche can be seen the round silver head of a rivet. The opposite side has lost what would have been an identical conche and was simply sewed permanent to the bit attachment strap. The reins are in the typical English style of .75" leather with a non-rust, keepered buckle at the end and non-rust buckles at bit ends. The browband is tooled leather to match the bridle and noseband. The bit is a plain Western style non-rust curb with 5" mouth and 3.5" curved shanks. Below is a close-up photo of this bridle on a Calumet race horse taken at Arlington in 1959. I will include a copy of authenticity of me as the purchaser at the Jones estate sale, a copy of the Arlington photograph, a copy of the sale bill, and any other pertinent information, I deem of interest. Price: $250.00

Close-up photo of exercise rider, Freddie Brooks, on a Calumet horse at Arlington with bridle # 1.

Bridle # 2...........This is a plain constructed bridle consisting of one long .5" strap that doubles back to form a simple bridle with one adjustment buckle. The bridle is in poor to fair condition with two leather repairs on the main cheek-piece strap. One is professionally sewed and the other riveted. The browband has a .5" tear toward one side. There is a non-rust bridle rosette on the right side with the left one missing. The reins are approximately .5" leather with buckled bit ends, tied in a rider's knot at the opposite end. A plain non-rust Weymouth style curb bit with taped curb chain is present. The bit has a low port with a 4.75" mouth and 3.5" shanks. This may be the bridle pictured below from the same Arlington photo. There is no way to precisely ID this bridle with the below photo, unlike bridle # 1, but it looks and could be the bridle pictured. I will include a copy of authenticity of me as the purchaser at the Jones estate sale, a copy of the Arlington photograph, a copy of the sale bill, and any other pertinent information, I deem of interest. Price: $100.00

Jimmy on a pony-horse with possibly bridle #2.

Bridle #3.............This is an English style bridle with hook-in-stud bit fastening and buckles on .5" leather cheek pieces. The throat latch and right cheek piece of the crown piece has been professionally repaired. The reins are of the hook-in-stud fastening style with square non-rust buckle on the rider's end. The bit is a sliding cheek Weymouth style non-rust curb with a 4.75" mouth (low port) and 3.5" shanks. The general condition of this bridle is from poor to fair. A curb chain and lip strap is present on the bit. I will include a copy of authenticity of me as the purchaser at the Jones estate sale, a copy of the sale bill, and any other pertinent information, I deem of interest. Price: $50.00

If interested in the purchase of any of these items, contact me at: dahart@centurytel.net