Toni Lukavich of North Washington fixes the stirrup for her grandson, 6-year-old Ryder Snow of Boyers, at the Butler Fair, on June 29. Ryder is preparing for the pleasure riding and gaming competition on his horse, Frosty, a 37-year-old Colorado Ranger. This is Frosty's 18th year of competition at the Butler Fair.

A horse of fascinating lineage is becoming a legend at the Big Butler Fair.

Welcome Frosty is the official name of the 37-year-old Colorado ranger horse that was trailered into the fairgrounds Saturday to compete for the 18th consecutive time.

Known as “Frosty” to the family who has loved and cared for him for three generations, he and his Colorado ranger horse barn mates are all descendants of two horses gifted to Gen. Ulysses S. Grant in 1878 by Sultan Abdul Hamid of Turkey.

The horses sired by the two given to Grant eventually became known as “Colorado ranger horses” because of their prowess as cow ponies.

Toni Lukavich of North Washington bought her first Colorado ranger horse 20 years ago for her daughter, Amy Mershimer.

Lukavich said Mershimer, of Boyers, has nine Colorado ranger horses, but Frosty is the top dog.

“He is well loved and well taken care of, and he's the king of the barn,” Lukavich said.

Frosty has earned hundreds of ribbons and shelves of trophies over the years in a number of different categories at hundreds of shows.

Read more in Monday's Butler Eagle.