Page 23 - 17 February 2012

MOOn BuLLY
Horse of the Year, Champion 4 & Older Horse, Champion 4 & Older Gelding
Breeder: John W. Holley
Owner: Dub Seely
2011 Record: 8-2(2)-1(1)-1(1), $33,759,
1st Sequoyah Stakes, Cowboy Hall of Fame Handicap; 2nd Colors
Of The Wind Stakes; 3rd Lewis Wartchow Memorial
For the fourth year in a row, Moon Bully won the title of Horse of the Year from the Appaloosa Horse Club. For owners Dub
and Judy Seely, it was the ride of a lifetime. “I remember him as a 2-year-old because
J.D. Anderson had him and I ponied him, and he was still a stud colt and was ornery. He was a stinker!” said Judy Seely, whose husband, Dub, trained racehorses. “I didn’t pay too much attention to him until Brad and Jeff bought him.”
Moon Bully started his career for Steve and Kati Neal, but was purchased by Brad Anderson and Jeff Adams in 2008, as a 4-year- old. Seely trained Moon Bully from that time on as he racked up champion titles, bronze medallions and stakes wins. In April of 2009, the Seelys were given the opportunity to pur- chase Moon Bully.
“It’s pretty exciting, and yet it’s kind of nerve wracking because everyone is trying to beat him now,” Judy said of owning Moon Bully. “He’s just one of those rare horses that really loves what he does, and it makes him very easy to train.”
The Seelys started Moon Bully themselves in early 2011 before leaving him in the care of trainer Leslie Padilla while they moved from Sallisaw, Oklahoma, to Grandview, Texas, to be closer to their grandchildren. By the end of the year, they knew it was time to say goodbye to Moon Bully, as Dub was scheduled for open heart surgery in December. So, in November, 2011, they sold their champion to Jeff Adams and Rebecca Bailey. Adams, the 2011 ApHC Leading Owner, had been a partner on the the gelding in the past.
“He brought us a lot of happiness and excitement, that horse did. Wherever we took him, we knew they had him to outrun. He was always a contender,” said Judy. “We sold him to a person that we knew would really take care of him. Jeff is planning on running him at Remington Park. He’ll pick and choose his races and not run him too much.”
In the meantime, Dub is recoving nicely from quintuple bypass surgery while the Seelys enjoy semi-retirement from the track. But you can bet when Moon Bully hits the track in 2012, they’ll be watching.
Moon Bully scored a dominating 5 3/4-length win in the 2011 Sequoyah Stakes Will Rogers Downs.
si 106, $217,012
Special Effort Bully Bullion AQHA
Raise Your Glass TB Go Effortlessly Bond Issue
Raza
Easy Jet AQHA
We Go Charge
Some Kinda Man AQHA We Go Moon Bug
Moon Deck si 95 Rica Bar Lanolark TB Hank’s Panita Raja Baba Hempens Song Mongo
Modern Victorial
Raise A Native Champagne Woman Double Devil
Hijo Beauty TB Bymeabond TB Queenie
Spotted Bull TB
Ariel Lady
Jet Deck
Lena’s Bar TB Diamond Charge AQHA Wego Melody
Go Man Go
Anaqua TB
Lady Bug’s Moon AQHA We Go Charge
Top Deck TB Moonlight Night Barred si 95 Caprica
Alate
Frank’s Lark Tonto Bars Hank Panita D
Bold Ruler Missy Baba Hempen Enchanted Song Royal Charger Accra
Hagley
Queen Of Sikkim
Native Dancer Raise You Barbizon L’Amour Toujours Double Bid
Bella St Mary Spotted Bull Hijo Lanty Bimelech Blade Of Time Flying Bob Little Sis
Bull Dog
Spotted Beauty
Little Joe Jr
Lady Albert G TB Moon Deck
Miss Night Bar
Three Bars
Lena Valenti
Hy Diamond TB
Lovely Lupita
Foggy Star
Unknown TB Mare
Top Deck TB
Lightfoot Sis
Beau Max
Lantana Queen
Top Moon
FL Lady Bug
Diamond Charge AQHA Wego Melody
Equestrian River Boat Peace Pipe Mae 3
Three Bars TB Ready Nassak TB Puzzle Blenheim II Morning Lark Jet Pilot
The Frank
Tonto Bars Gill
Hanka
Red Saint
Mare by Madder Music Nasrullah
Miss Disco
My Babu
Uvira II
Indian Hemp
Serry
Spy Song
Run A Risk
Nearco
Sun Princess Annapolis
Ladala
Olden Times
Teo Pepi
Ambiorix
Calcutta II
Man With The Power
Nice N Easy G
Mary Poppins
Easy W Go
Kinda Nice We Go
MOON BULLY, ‘04-g.
Top Moon si 100
Moon Lark si 99
TB Fancy Moon AQHA
PanOLansi94
Public Finance Financial Statement TB
Modern Mongo
SPEEDHORSE, February 17, 2012 21
Kellie Johnston/Coady Photography