I’m well into the new book but still no title, not that it matters much anyway, since I’ve yet to have a publisher go with the title I picked. It’s a marketing thing, I’m told.

I came across some interesting research information about some very special horses in Arizona. They are called the Wilbur-Cruce horses and are descended from the Spanish barb horse herd that Jesuit Father Eusebio Kino established at Mission dolores at Magdalena, Sonora, in the late 1600’s.

In 1885, Magdalena horse trader, Juan Sepulveda, drove a herd of Mission Dolores horses north, selling them to ranchers along the way. Twenty-five mares and a stallion were bought by Dr. Rueben Wilbur, whose ranch was located between Arivaca and Sasabe, AZ.

The horses lived “naturally” and thrived in this area,
undisturbed by man for over a century. In 1989 the herd was rediscovered by geneticists and heritage breed enthusiasts, and in 1990 they were sold off to people who promised to preserve their blood lines.

I just stumbled across this information while researching the book but it caught my attention and made we ask that old writer’s question “WHAT IF?”

What if the hero was trying to save these horses? What is modern-day rustlers were trying to steal them, kill them? What if, what if, what if? I guess we’ll find out in about 100 manuscript pages from now. Stay tuned….

Photo: Cave Creek, Arizona