About Us

Howard Dahlof  purchased his quarter horse mare Zelda Sorrel in 1956.  He built the foundation of his broodmare band with many different stallions:  Montleon, a son of Croton Oil, earned his AQHA Championship.  Next  Skip Turry, double-bred Skipper W  raised by Hank Weiscamp, contributed many daughters to the broodmare band.  Foals by Tee Jay Roman, AQHA Champion and World Champion sire, and Tee Jay Super Jack,  World Champion sire,  catapulted Howard onto the Leading Breeders' List of Halter Class Winners.  Zips Dude (Superior Halter Horse with pleasure points) and Coys Skippen Dance (Superior Halter Horse and World CHampion sire) contributed a great deal to making Howard's breeding program a success.  Currently, Howard has a hand-picked broodmare band descended from the above-named horses.  Our stallions are also hand-picked:  How D Bay Skipper (Superior Halter Horse, Finalist at the 2000 AQHA World Championship Show), How D Grand Bonanza (sire of How D Rockin Bonanza, 4th place Amateur 2 Yr Old Stallion 2000 AQHA World Championship Show and How D Rockin Sis 2010 6th Place AQHA Honor Roll Senior Mare; How D Unique Dancer (brother of How D Miss Exquisite, World Champion Mare), and How D Conclusion (by How D Bay Skipper out of a Playgirls Conclusion dam, Reserve World Champion Stallion 2001 ABRA World Show).
   How D Quarter Horses
    Where Champions are Raised and Sold!
Here's an article with picture that was in our local newspaper in March, 2012..
Sis & Vanna

In 2009 Rosalie Carlson had How D Rockin Sis ready for the season of Iowa Quarter Horse Association approved shows.   The first horse show they planned to attend was scheduled for the end of May.  Then suddenly Ella Carlson was to be moving back to Iowa from North Carolina by that show weekend.  Rosalie decided to pull How D Vanna from the pasture and begin conditioning her so Ella would be able to show for the first time in several years.  The two mares were the same age so Rosalie and Ella competed against each other in both the Open and Amateur aged mare class.  Rosalie and Sis were having a winning season early in the summer since Vanna was still being brought into show condition.  But when the Iowa State Fair show arrived, Ella and Vanna won under one judge while Rosalie and Sis won under the other judge.  Rosalie and Ella had a fun summer of friendly family competition.  This picture is taken at the final show of the year where the two mares again traded the winning position.  .  Sis finished the Iowa show season as the Open and Amateur aged mare class high-point winner.

In 2010 Ella was needed to work in the horse show office so Vanna spent the summer in the pasture.  Rosalie continued showing Sis and again was the Open and Amateur high-point aged mare for the Iowa Quarter Horse Association.  2010 was the end of Sis’ show career as she was retired to the broodmare.  Rosalie was surprised to receive a certificate from the American Quarter Horse Association once the 2010 national points were calculated.  Sis was the 6th place High-Point Senior Mare in the nation.

In 2011 Ella was still working in the horse show office to Rosalie pulled Vanna from the pasture to be shown.  They had a successful show season with Vanna winning Open and Amateur high-point aged mare for the Iowa Quarter Horse Association.  Vanna was also the high-point Iowa-owned horse for all classes.  Following the final Iowa show in September, Vanna again returned to the pasture for free time.  In October a family member in Texas called Rosalie to congratulate her on Vanna being 5th in the nation in Senior Mares.  What a surprise!  Sure enough The Quarter Horse Journal showed there was only a 3.5 point spread from 1st to 5th place.  Of course, some of the other horses were still being shown in other parts of the country so Vanna dropped to 7th place by the time all the point were calculated for the year, but there was still only a 3.5 point spread between 1st and 7th.  
Showing these mares was especially fun since the Carlson’s raised both of them; since 2010 Ella has been responsible for conditioning and show prep.  Vanna is joining the broodmare band in 2012.  Ella and Rosalie soon have to decide which mare will be the next one chosen to prepare for show – How D Crescendo, How D Miss Clu, How D Rockin Rita.  How D TGI Friday is a young stallion that Ella hopes to also have ready to show.  2012 should be a fun summer!