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“THERE’S NO QUESTION THE LOISEAU FAMILY RAISES HORSES WITH ABIILTY – AND WHEN GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVE IT, THE HORSES HAVEN’T LET THEM DOWN.

FRANCES LOISEAU
The Story of 'Bozo' By Christie Miller

The names of great horses often include interesting tales regarding the persons responsible for their existence. One such person is Frances Loiseau, owner of Caseys Charm, the dam of Kristie Peterson's good barrel horse "Bozo" (French Flash Hawk). Born Frances Valentine, she grew up on a farm her grandparents had homesteaded in Moody County, South Dakota. On June 30, 1947, Frances married James Loiseau and they purchased 'The Old Valentine Place', living there throughout their married life. Her husband died Christmas Day, 1977.

"I always liked the farm horses," says Frances, now of Flandreau, South Dakota. "I can remember driving a team on a wagon when I was young. One of my chores was herding cows and I began riding on a good gentle workhorse. My first real saddle horse was a mare my uncle used on a rural mail route when he couldn't get through with his Model A Ford. She changed my whole concept of riding because she was fast, inclined to do a little cutting, and she neck reined! She had come from out west and was branded, which was a novelty in eastern South Dakota."


2017 AQHA HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE!
CASEY’S LADYLOVE

Accepting the 2017 AQHA HALL OF FAME INDUCTION for CASEY’S LADYLOVE are Barb (Loiseau) Westover, Mary (Loiseau) Kjerstad, James Loiseau and Beverly (Loiseau) Kennedy. The induction was held in March of 2017 at the AQHA Convention in San Antonio, Texas.
CASEY'S LADYLOVE at SDQHA CONVENTION
JANUARY 2018 in PIERRE, SOUTH DAKOTA

Representing CASEY’S LADYLOVE at the 2017 SDQHA CONVENTION for her AQHA HALL OF FAME INDUCTION are Kem & Mary (Loiseau) Kjerstad, John & Lis (Loiseau) Hollmann, Beverly (Loiseau) & Bill Kennedy and close family friend Gary Westergren. (Representing SDQHA is President Kristen Gonsoir (left) and Vice-President Amanda Dikoff.)


FRENCH FLASH HAWK 'Bozo'
INDUCTED INTO THE 2018 PRCA HALL OF FAME!
Accepting were JOHN & LIS HOLLMANN (Breeders) and Bozo's Owner/Rider KRISTIE PETERSON

Breeders JOHN & LIS (Loiseau) HOLLMANN along with 'Bozo's' owner and rider KRISTIE PETERSON at the 2018 INDUCTION of FRENCH FLASH HAWK in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
LOISEAU FAMILY MEMBERS were honored prior to the 2018 OPEN BOX RAFTER RANCH HORSE SALE in the sale ring.

FRENCH FLASH HAWK was recognized at the
SDQHA CONVENTION in JANUARY 2019
in PIERRE, SOUTH DAKOTA for this INDUCTION
into the 2018 PRCA HALL OF FAME!

JOHN & LIS HOLLMANN accepted the award from current SDQHA President Kristen Gonsoir (left) and SDQHA Vice-President Amanda Dikoff.

THE STORY BEHIND FRENCHMANS QUARTER HORSES!

RACING HORSES

The first AQHA-registered horse the Loiseaus owned was a buckskin mare named Lady Sunrise, by Wyoming Mike, purchased from Pat Cowan of Highmore, South Dakota. Said Frances, "We learned much about horses from Pat Cowan."

Now deceased, Pat Cowan raised Sun Frost, Bozo's sire. For years, he and the Loiseaus raised and raced many fine horses. "Pat Cowan and my husband would be very happy with the prices and demand for this particular cross," said Frances, "and maybe not surprised. We certainly are very grateful to Kristie for her success with Bozo. We wish her luck. We owe a lot to her." Sun Frost was a 1979 palomino stallion by Doc's Jack Frost and out of Prissy Cline by Driftwood Ike. " Frenchmans Bars was the first horse we raced (1969) and Frenchman's Jet was the last (1980). I have much appreciation for a husband who indulged my fascination with horses. He enjoyed the Quarter Horse racing very much."

About 1963, the Loiseaus attended Ted Faltinson's horse sale at Walnut Grove, Minnesota. They would purchase some mares, including Shamrock King and Crow River Sioux. A two-year-old filly with appendix papers entered the sale ring and Frances began bidding. Named Casey's LadyLove, the dun filly was bred by Virgil Ningen of Porter, Minnesota. Her paternal half-sister, Poco Erna, became an AQHA Champion, and was the 1962 Co-High Point Pleasure Mare in the United States. The dun filly's sire was Casey's Poco, her dam, Lady Diane, a paternal great-granddaughter of Joe Hancock.

Nelson Nye's article, "Sissy Snip," published in the March 1965 issue of The Quarter Horse Journal contained a photo of Poco Erna, with the following information: Casey's Poco is a dun horse bred by Warren Nelson at Broken Bow, Nebraska, where he was foaled in 1955, the son of Poco Dun P-31,023 and Miss Casey P-17,752. Poco Dun was foaled in 1951 and was bred by E. Paul Waggoner of Fort Worth, Poco Dun was by Poco Bueno out of Pretty
Said Frances, "We purchased Casey's LadyLove for $720 when she was two. When she was three, she was inspected by AQHA and passed to permanent registry. We bred her as a three-year-old to Laughing Boy, and her first offspring was a bay filly, Frenchmans Bars."

The Loiseaus learned of a brown stallion named Tiny Circus that Tim McQuay was standing near Twin Cities, Minnesota, so they watched him compete in a show at Sioux Falls. Having already produced five foals for them, in 1978 Casey's LadyLove was bred to Tiny Circus. The resulting foal was a brown filly named Caseys Charm—destined to become the mother of Bozo. Frances' daughter-in-law, Cindy Loiseau, owns the 1988 mare out of Caseys Charm, Frenchmans Hooligan, and Frances' daughter, Lis Hollman, owns Bozo's full sister, the 1992 mare, PC Frenchmans Lisbet.

Twice more Casey's LadyLove was bred to Tiny Circus, producing the 1979 bay gelding, Frenchmans Casey, and the 1980 dun stallion, Frenchmans Favor. (According to AQHA records, in 1996 this stallion was purchased by Donene Taylor of Glenrock, Wyoming.) In all, Casey's LadyLove produced 15 foals.
Said Frances, "Casey's LadyLove died in a pasture south of Highmore. We knew she was failing and decided to leave her with her daughters and granddaughters for what remained of her life."

John and Lis (Loiseau) Hollmann
and Val Loiseau (center)

THE LOISEAU FAMILY

The Loiseaus raised eight children. They are James, Flandreau, SD; Barbara Westover and Michael 'Mick', both of Egan, SD; Charles, Frankfort, KS, Beverly Kennedy, Vermilion, SD; Elisabeth 'Lis' Hollman, and Val, both of Hot Springs, SD; and Mary Kjerstad, Rapid City, SD. Frances has numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Frances considers two things as her greatest accomplishments. "Raising eight honest, hard-working children, and managing to keep the mares after my husband died."

Another source of pride is her bronze sculpture depicting Kristie and Bozo, by Rapid City, South Dakota artist, John Lopez. Said Frances, "John presented Kristie with the first one, and I received the second."

BABY BOZO

Said Lis Hollmann, "Caseys Charm has that boss-mare attitude and her foals have a self-confidence about them. John and I had bought Caseys Charm from Mom, and raised five or six foals before we gave Caseys Charm to her for Christmas in 1990. At the time, we lived at Littleton, Colorado, and rode a lot on the city trails and bike paths. As a baby, Bozo was real skittish on his right side. The vet confirmed he had a vision problem on his right side. If he did or does, he's certainly overcome it-running barrels with only one eye never hindered Frenchmans Guy (by Sun Frost and out of Frenchman's Lady, a daughter of Casey's LadyLove).

"Because of his skittish nature, we didn't think Bozo would adjust well to city life. We traded him to Mike Hatfield, a trainer in eastern Colorado, for what amounted to about three months' worth of training on another horse."

Along came Kristie Peterson, but before she and Bozo became famous for multiple WPRA world championships, they were a successful derby duo. At the 1972 BFA World Championship Barrel Futurity in Oklahoma City, Kristie and Bozo earned $29,321, winning both the Derby and the Sweepstakes.

Frances marking papers for
Frenchmans Cabaret who sold
for $39,000 at the
Open Box Rafter Ranch Sale.

BOZO'S RELATIVES

Bill & Deb Myers purchased Lord Alamitos by Leige Lord and our of Frenchmans Guy's dam as a yearling. They competed on him, winning championships in barrel futurities and cutting before he was purchased by Martha Josey in 1986. Martha Josey competed on the gelding Lord Alamitos, by Leige Lord and out of Frenchmans Guy's dam.

Mary Bonogofsky of Carson, North Dakota owned Lady Lord (a full sister to Lord Alamitos), winning the 1988 WPRA Badlands Circuit Championship, the 1989 Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo, and over $70,000 on the mare. Ridden by Cheryl Luman at the 1990 NFR, the mare is now owned by Judy Pedersen of Oregon.

At the 2000 NFR, besides her black stallion (Fols Classy Snazzy), Marlene McRae also rode her 1983 sorrel gelding, Caseys Lord. Purchased from fellow WPRA member Vana Beissinger, the gelding is by Leige Lord and out of Casey's LadyLove.

Arkansas cowgirl Rachel Moore was the 2000 AQHA Congress Champion in the 14-18 youth barrel race riding Love A Lord, a full brother to Caseys Lord.
Frances' daughter-in-law, Cindy Loiseau, owns the 1988 mare out of Caseys Charm, Frenchmans Hooligan. Lis Hollmann owns Bozo's full sister, PC Frenchmans Lisbet, as well as Frenchmans Topaz, a full sister to McRae's and Moore's mounts. Hollmann's mares both had stud colts by Special Effort in 2001 and Frenchmans Topaz was rebred to him for 2002 foal. PC Frenchmans Lisbet was bred to Streakin La Jolla for a 2002 foal.

Said Hollmann, "Frenchmans Topaz has had four fillies, and we've retained them all. Jan Fisher of Arvada, Wyoming owns one of her two geldings."
Bozo's near-twin, full brother, French Flash Frost, is owned by Rick and Dayna Branch of Meridian, Oklahoma. The gelding placed second in the 1991 US Team Roping Championship finals. A true cowpony, he was once used to rope a bull in downtown Oklahoma City that had escaped from the stockyards.
Over 120 barrel racers competed at the 2001 Rapid City Stock Show and Rodeo in South Dakota. Placing second in the average was Cindy Loiseau, riding FrenchmansDoxDakota, a 1989 gelding by Boon Dox John and out of Caseys Charm. Placing fourth in the average was Jan Fisher on Frenchmans Tiger, a 1992 gelding out of Frenchmans Topaz and sired by Tiger Frost (a half brother to Sun Frost). Frostin Your Buns (by Frenchmans Guy), placed in the Top Ten, ridden by Louise Negaard.

Frances currently owns four broodmares-Liege Jet (Liege Lord X Frenchman's Jet), PC Frenchmans Bojet (Boon Dox John X Frenchmans Bojet), Frenchmans Lady (Laughing Boy X Casey's LadyLove) and Caseys Charm.

Frances attended the 1999 Cowan Brothers Production Sale, and watched Bozo's brother, PC Frenchman, sell to Sally Box for $200,000. "Exciting to say the least!" said Frances, who owned half-interest in this stallion, as well as PC Frenchmans Dejavu, a mare purchased by her son, Jim, and grandson, Shaw. Frances' daughter-in-law, Cindy Loiseau, cared for both horses.

In 1977, PC Frenchmans Hayday, another full brother to Bozo, sold for $65,000 to Mel Potter, father of 1995 and 1999 WPRA World Champion, Sherry Cervi.

The descendants of Casey's LadyLove continue to command impressive prices. Sold through the Open Box Rafter Ranch Sale, Caseys Charm's 2000 filly by Frenchmans Guy, Frenchmans Cabaret, sold for $39,000 and went to California.

Caseys Charm was rebred to Frenchmans Guy for a 2001 foal, which will be offered in the Open Box Rafter Ranch Sale.

Another filly by Frenchmans Guy out of PC Frenchmans Bojet sold for $14,500; a yearling stud colt by Flyma Bars (by The Ole Man) out of PC Frenchmans Lisbet brought $13,000.

SL Frenchmans Dayzee, a 2000 filly, recently sold for $9,500. Out of PC Frenchmans Belle, her sire is John and Cindy Baltezore's stallion, PC Frenchmans Mark, a full brother to Bozo.

Now in her seventies, Frances has daughters and a daughter-in-law who compete or have competed in professional barrel racing. Her granddaughter, Lindsey Loiseau, recently won the South Dakota State 4-H Championship in barrel racing on FrenchmansDoxDakota.

Frances offered her opinion on what constitutes a truly great horse. "It takes ability and opportunity for a great horse to be recognized." There's no question the Loiseau family raises horses with ability--and when given the opportunity to prove it, the horses haven't let them down.



Our 2018 SALE CREW !

WE APPRECIATE THEIR PROFESSIONALISM AND DEDICATION TO OUR PROGRAM!