Siria "Si" Dawson

Siria “Si” Dawson did not have a long life, but the impact he left transcended generations of horses and people.

Born in 1870 on a New Mexico ranch, Dawson grew up riding horses.  After a brief stint in college, Dawson returned home and started buying horses with speed and agility.  He bred and raced horses for several years.

Around the turn of the century, Dawson and his family moved to northern Colorado.  He and his brother, Bruce, started breeding Steeldust horses.  The brothers had bought two stallions, Silver Tail and Wild Cat, from William Anson to use as herd sires.

Dawson’s old friend Coke Roberds moved to Colorado around 1908, and bought a ranch close to Dawson.  Along with his mares, Roberds brought his stallion Old Fred.  The two men took advantage of the other’s stallions and interbred their horses, a practice both benefitted from.

After hearing a lot about Peter McCue and inspecting some of his colts, Dawson and Roberds decided to buy the old stallion.  In 1915, Dawson traveled to Cheyenne, Oklahoma, and bought the 20-year-old stallion for $5,000.  Dawson then shipped Peter McCue to Colorado.

It was not long until Peter McCue started improving both Dawson’s and Roberds’ horses.  Peter McCue was crossed on Old Fred daughters with great success.  The Dawson-Roberds’ lines helped establish breeders Marshall Peavy and J. Warren Shoemaker.

Dawson died in 1919 at 49.  He was inducted into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame in 1987.

Biography updated as of March 1987.