Horse Roundup 2026 | True blue – and red, bay and dun: Ashley family builds on 50-year AQHA breeder legacy 

The Ashley family of Forsyth has long been known for raising eye-catching Quarter Horses that excel on the ranch and in the arena. Blues, strawberries, bays and grays, their reputation horse program has both led and adapted to changes in the industry, all while producing true “usin'” horses that sell themselves.  

Last year the Ashleys celebrated their 50th year as breeders, starting with their matriarch, the late Louise Horn, all while moving ranch locations from Colorado to Western Montana to their location in the rolling grasslands and hills of southeastern Montana. 

The dirt under their feet has changed, but the horses have stayed true.  

The Ashley family horse story began in Colorado, where they operated a third-generation family ranch. “In 1977 a government irrigation project took our Colorado place when they built a dam over the property, forcing us to relocate to Montana,” said Lynn Ashley, Louise Horn’s second oldest son. “We initially settled in Sheridan, Montana, but as the family grew we needed to expand. In 2000, we moved to our current location near Forsyth.” 

Today the ranch is operated by Lynn and his brother Lance and their families. They run a commercial cow-calf operation and raise enough hay and crops just to feed their own livestock. They raise around 15-20 colts per year and market 12-14 annually, keeping some fillies for the broodmare band and enough horses for their own saddle horse needs.  

Their current ranch holds historical significance as the location where General George A. Custer made his first camp after leaving the Yellowstone River on his trip to the Little Big Horn. Additionally, it’s in the heart of shortgrass, traditional ranch country and a change from Western Montana challenges. “In Sheridan we had to deal with forest leases and trailing cows on busy highways with increasing tourism,” said Lynn. “Eastern Montana gave us the freedom to operate on our own continuous property.” 

The Ashley registered quarter horse program began in 1975 when Horn and her four young children, Lance, Lynn, Lesli and Lanell, purchased their first AQHA mare, Freckle Bar Miss, in Rifle, Colorado. They welcomed the first Ashley Quarter Horse colt in the spring of 1976. “”My mother was the head of the family, and from the time we were little kids, she had us on horses and out riding,” said Lynn. “She grew up riding to school horseback when her mother was the country schoolteacher. She loved horses from the time she was a little girl and continued riding until she passed away in 2019.” 

Today, the Ashleys have fillies seven generations away from Freckle Bar Miss in their broodmare band. “We’ve only purchased one mare in the last 20 years – every other broodmare has been raised here and is a product of our program development,” said Lynn. “This generational broodmare band is something we’re particularly proud of, as it represents 50 years of careful breeding decisions.” 

Over the years, they’ve used various stallion lines including Leo, Zan Parr Bar and Playgun.  

“Our breeding philosophy has never focused on a single trait. We’ve always wanted our horses to excel in multiple disciplines and be very usable horses. We breed horses that we want to ride on the ranch – just good using horses. These horses need to be tough enough for ranch work, where you can ride them all day without wearing them out, but also pretty and talented enough to take to town and win on,” said Lynn. 

Their current breeding program centers around two stallions: Pepto Bro CD, a Peptoboonsmal son with a very strong maternal pedigree – his dam won about $280,000 and also produced CD Olena, the 1994 National Cutting Horse Association Open Futurity Champion. Walker Hasa Gun is their younger stallion out of Playgun and Driftwood lines. His oldest colts are about five or six years old, “and we’re getting tremendous feedback on him,” said Lynn. Ashley Quarter Horses has been an AQHA Ranching Heritage Breeder since the inception of the program in 2011, and Pepto Bro CD foals are eligible for NRCHA Cow Horse Incentive. 

They have always tried to buy stallions that fit their program and would produce saleable horses with some popularity, but they had to meet certain criteria as using horses that could excel in multiple disciplines. “We generally don’t keep our own stallions due to genetic limitations, we prefer to bring in outside blood while maintaining size, foot, and bone in our horses,” he said. 

And they have adapted to a horse market that has changed over the years. “We used to raise bigger horses, but there’s not as much demand for 16-hand horses anymore – people want 15-hand horses now because arenas and cattle are smaller. We’ve adapted our program accordingly while maintaining the substance and usability that makes our horses special,” he said. 

And a flash of color never hurts the eye. 

“Our horses have some color – our Peptoboonsmal son throws blue, bay and red roans, with the Playgun horses contributing grays,” said Lynn. “We’ve even had dun roans – Pepto Bro CD has sired four in the last two years.” 

Melissa Ashley is the daughter of Lynn and his wife Carol, and has retained an active participation in the ranch, coming home every couple of months from Texas, where she lives full-time and works producing video and photography for the horse industry.  

Melissa grew up riding quality Ashley Quarter Horses in ropings, 4-H, horse shows and dragging calves to the fire at branding time, and her interest in the industry continues to spur their breeding program. 

She remembers riding a full sibling to one of their blue hen mares, Te Tiffany Parr. “You couldn’t take Peppy anywhere without someone wanting to buy him from you and put him in their trailer,” she said. “Tiffany always raised exceptional colts. In 2020, I entered the Custer Ranch Rodeo and – I’ve had back surgery, I don’t need to be tailin’ down wild mama cows – but I was mounted on a fantastic mare out of Tiffany that Brent Morrison trained and we went and won Top Cowgirl that day. Thanks to her I can check that box off my list, one and done, and not have to do that anymore,” she said with a laugh. That mare is now in the broodmare band and producing outstanding colts, just like her mother. 

One of their most notable success stories is a horse called Jagger, purchased by Montana PRCA team roper Casey Cummins. Jagger was INFR Horse of the Year multiple times in both heeling and breakaway, with reported earnings of around $550,000. “He came from Tiffany – every colt she produced was exceptional,” said Melissa. “”It’s always exciting to see our horses compete successfully or hear their name announced over the loud speaker; going to ropings and cow horse shows and seeing horses we hadn’t seen since they were weanlings winning with their new owners.” 

Lynn said Melissa has been instrumental in expanding their connections in the cow horse and rope horse worlds.  

“In recent years, we’ve shifted from attending multiple sales to doing more private treaty sales at home,” said Melissa. “We focus on good photography and videography to properly represent our horses and we have many repeat buyers. We maintain a website with available colts and do a lot of digital marketing and relationship building to promote our program.” 

They typically sell yearlings and unstarted two-year-olds but the past few years they have kept a few more geldings back and are working with a colt starter to sell more started prospects versus unstarted ones. 

“We get a lot of inquiries whenever we post photos of new colts. We have one buyer who said whenever a certain mare of ours has a colt, he wants it,” said Melissa. “It really shows the lasting relationships we’ve built.” 

Lynn and Carol’s son, Matt, lives in Anaconda, Montana, with his family, including three daughters who are “horse crazy” and love coming to the ranch. “The three granddaughters are always on a horse when they are at the ranch and are starting to barrel race, so we want to keep the program going for them too,” said Lynn. 

As the Ashley horses have garnered repute over the decades, the family is just as well known and recognized for the people they are. Brent Morrison is a neighbor, customer, friend and ranch manager of the Circle B Ranch in Bighorn, Montana.  

He said, “First off, Lynn is a top cowboy in this country. The Ashley horse program produces big-boned, even-temperament horses with loads of cow sense. I’ve been riding them for over 25 years on the ranch, in the show pen and picking up rodeos. They are very progressive in their genetics but their mares still all go back to the foundational bloodlines they started with. They are a standup family – I’m proud to be able to ride their horses and call them friends.” 

Jack Blankenship is also a longtime friend, lifelong cowboy and former producer of the Real Ranch Horse Sale, which the Ashleys consigned to for years.  

“The Ashleys are a fine family, they do business straight up,” said Jack. “Lynn doesn’t talk a whole lot – he kind of lets his horses speak for themselves. When we put the Real Horse Sale together we invited people who are known to make good horses and make ’em the right way; people who were willing to come there and do a good job and were proud but not arrogant with what they brought. The Ashleys were never ones to chase fads, they just made big-boned, big-bodied ranch and rodeo horses. We never had a problem getting rid of one, people lined up to buy ’em. They were also some of the first to donate a colt to sell to benefit the Boys and Girls Ranch.” 

With a lifetime of accolades and good horses to show for it, the Ashleys look to the future with continued big dreams. 

“Our main goal is to keep improving our broodmare band and keep everybody mounted with exceptional horses – horses you can ranch on or take to town and win on while looking good doing it,” said Lynn. “With Melissa’s tremendous interest in horses and three horse-crazy granddaughters, the future looks bright for continuing this 50-year tradition.” 

The Ashleys welcome visitors who want to see their horses in person. They’ve hosted international groups through the Montana Department of Agriculture and are always open to educational visits, including kids with big horse dreams. 

After 50 years, the Ashleys are still passionate about raising good horses – the ones that turn heads at ropings and picking up bronc riders – yet maintain the authentic ranch horse qualities of Freckle Bar Miss that started their journey.