Quarter Horse: Gunsmoke (March 28, 1953)

“Quarter Horse” is an episode of Gunsmoke, the old-time radio show, first broadcast March 28, 1953. Listen free on Stupid Potato.

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What happens

Old Man Thatcher, a newcomer to Dodge City with a quarter horse he's proud of, endures constant mockery from Ed Butler and his friends at the saloon. Thatcher approaches Marshal Dillon with a bold proposal: he wants to wager his ranch deed on a horse race against Butler's best horse to prove the worth of his prized quarter horse.

Dodge City, Kansas - a saloon called the Texas Trail, the Dodge House, and Marshal Dillon's office

Characters: Matt Dillon, Ed Butler, Mr. Thatcher, Kitty, Sam, Chester

Listen for: A detailed description of the quarter horse breed and what makes Thatcher's horse special; the terms and details of the proposed race between Thatcher and Butler

Written from the episode itself; it never gives away the ending. Every recording is remastered for the stream: cleaned of rumble, hiss and mains hum (and the old TV whine where we found it), then levelled in two passes to steady broadcast loudness, so one show is never quieter than the next.