Page 201 - Speedhorse November, 2018

My personal favorite Paint Horse that
got me started for the love of the breed is a grade red dun gelding named Chip. He was
a solid Paint that the breeder never registered because he said there was no money in it. I purchased him and a Regular Registry Paint mare in 1999 as a package deal. He was a greener-than-green 4-year-old, and she was a sassy 6-year-old mare used to doing what- ever she wanted. Either way it was a win for me—I got back into the horses I grew up loving and had to give up as a kid when we moved off the farm. Chip and Chance are still a part of our ranch today. Chip was my speed-event horse that gave me 100 percent every run. He taught my son to ride and compete, taught my husband to ride and compete in mounted shooting events, then went on to teach my daughter to ride until she was ready for a step-up barrel horse. Chance exceled in Western pleasure-type events as well as beginning speed events for the kids before she became my first brood- mare. Chip and Chance are now enjoying retirement—looking good for their ages, now 24 and 26 years young!
Another personal favorite is my first competitive barrel racing and pole bending horse, Bo Ringo. I found him in Texas in 2009. I had been deployed to Iraq, but knew when I got back I wanted to buy a barrel horse. Luckily, technology allowed me to surf the web for horses for sale and I ran across Bo. He was the one. I happened to be going back to Fort Hood for an exercise, and he was only a couple hours away and I knew I’d have time to try him out. Of course, with my luck, it rained all morning as I was driving. I called the owner and she said keep coming—the arena will be fine. And it was. It was a nice big arena that had both barrels and poles set up. After being deployed for almost a year and not touching a horse, he was a dream to ride. He truly loved his job and hunted the barrels. He wasn’t the fastest pony on the circuit, but he was honest and gave me a solid run every time. We won two saddles as well as several buckles, cash and other awards. He has done great for me over the last several years and is doing awesome for my 12-year-old daughter who has been running him for just over a year. She just won her first Open buckle on him last weekend. He is definitely a keeper.
The last “favorite” I will mention (but there are so many more) is our first stallion, Dallas Alley. Our broodmare herd was growing and outside studs were getting expensive. My husband and I talked, and if we were going to continue down this road, we needed our own stallion. We had looked
on and off for over a year, and then I saw the ad for Dallas. He was perfect: excellent con- formation, disposition and bloodlines as well as a proven race record. He was everything
we hoped for as new stallion owners. He was a joy to be around, whinnying every time you went down to the barn. If it wasn’t time to get fed or breed, you better have a treat for him. He was quite the personality; we lost him
in the fall of 2016. He was our cornerstone stallion and we’ve had some nice foal crops out of him. He is gone, but never forgotten. We have purchased other APHA stallions: Mr Lineage, a son of Judys Lineage; Dash Of To- biano, a son of Dash For Perks; and Vibrant Cherokee, a homozygous son of Cherokee Indian. And we had the opportunity to keep back a 2014 son of Dallas Alley out of a Perks FirewaterFlit/Firewater On Ice mare (Theres FireNDallas) that will be running in the 2019 futurities and standing at stud to a limited amount of mares. They are all very nice stal- lions that I truly love and enjoy, but none will ever compare to Dallas Alley.
Q: Tell me about your favorite Paint barrel racing memory?
Lisa: I’m not sure I can nail down just one Paint barrel racing memory. Since the beginning of the Paint Barrel Racing Incentive Program, I have had the opportunity to meet and work with folks from both APHA and the arena that share the compassion for Paint racing and barrel racing. I have met long-time friends who are breeders and barrel racers that I would have not run across if it wasn’t for Paint barrel racing as well as racing industry. I am lucky enough to be able to support the PBRIP program by being a part of the Paint Racing Committee and run- ning 12 to 15 side-pots a year throughout sev- eral states. Every time a barrel racer or producer says thank you, it’s all worth it.
Q: Why do you enjoy breeding Paint Horses?
Lisa: I’m not 100 percent sure why I enjoy breeding Paint Horses—I just do. I enjoy researching crosses, trying to breed the
right stallion to the right mare to ensure the resulting foal will have the best traits of both the sire and dam. The greatest part of being a Paint breeder is the color. I love the unique- ness each colored foal brings to the breed, as well as the conformation, brains and athleti- cism. I understand that not all foals end up with spots, but it’s not from lack of trying. We don’t specifically breed for color—there’s so much more to it than that, but we always hope for it. Whether we can witness the
birth of a foal or find it out there early in the morning, we look for a healthy mare and foal, then color, and then sex. Gotta love those colored fillies!
I truly enjoy the thought of a foal we’ve raised doing well in the arena, no matter what the event. We try to provide a variety of mares for our studs that have not only race bloodlines, but performance, foundation and cow as well. The goal is to meet the needs of all our clients or future ones that want to own a well-bred APHA prospect.
Q: Why do you love Paint barrel rac- ing?
Lisa: For every reason I’ve mentioned already. The enjoyment from breeding Paints to run- ning Paints, I couldn’t imagine doing anything different. APHA has really tried over the last several years to add value to the Paint barrel horse. Through incentives, APHA/PBRIP points, added money at barrel races, the sweep- stakes races at the World Show and the year- end awards, I think APHA is trying to meet the needs of the Paint barrel racers as well as promoting their horses.
Q: Why should others get involved in Paint barrel racing?
Lisa: I think now is a great time to get involved with Paint Barrel Racing Incentive Program. The program is growing, and APHA is mak- ing small adjustments annually to meet the needs to the barrel racing industry. The more participation in the program, the more money will be available for payout. It really does pay to run a Paint
“I truly enjoy the thought of a foal we’ve raised doing well in the arena, no matter what the event.”
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PAINT HORSE BULLETIN