DTL Chasin Tale - 2019 Speedhorse P&A Triple Crown Hi-Point Co-Champion

In a previous installment of Speedlines, we took a look at Southern Electric, the 2019 Speedhorse Paint & Appaloosa Triple Crown Hi-Point Co-Champion with DTL Chasin Tale. This month, we will take a closer look at the pedigree of Triple Crown Hi-Point Co-Champion DTL Chasin Tale and then an expanded look at Texas Hero, the Paint racing World Champion and leading sire as he appears in the pedigree of both Co-Champions. I found some interesting pedigree patterns that I think you will find intriguing.

DTL Chasin Tale is a solid Paint bay gelding bred by Dean and Tonya Lester and racing for the Lester’s and Karen and Tim Teel’s DTL Teel Partnership. The gelding has made 11 starts with six wins and four seconds, including the Speedhorse Graham Paint & Appaloosa Futurity-G1 and the Oklahoma Paint & Appaloosa Futurity-G1, giving him two Grade 1 wins. DTL Chasin Tale also won the Victoria Ennis Memorial Stakes to earn $219,443 for the year. Jockey Cody Smith has been his rider for the season, and the gelding is trained by Matt Whitekiller, who is also the trainer of Southern Electric, giving him the distinction of being the trainer of both of the 2019 Speedhorse Paint & Appaloosa Hi-Point Co-Champions. The Whitekiller/Smith team won all three Speedhorse Paint & Appaloosa Triple Crown races in 2015 with Painted Turnpike, who was named the Speedhorse Paint & Appaloosa Triple Crown Champion and was the first and only horse to date to ever accomplish this feat. The same duo also won the 2017 Speedhorse Graham Paint & Appaloosa Futurity-G1 with 4-time Champion Bully Pulpit and Champion I Kick in 2009.

The sire of DTL Chasin Tale, Wagon Tales QH, was bred by The Mixer Ranch and is owned by Mike and Donalda Pohl. This 2011 bay stallion made 15 starts over three years, winning the 2013 Remington Park Juvenile Stakes and the 2014 A Ransom Handicap, and finishing third in the All American Futurity-G1, the Heritage Place Futurity-G1 and the Leo Stakes-G1. He also won his trials to both the All American Futurity and the Heritage Place Futurity. In total, Wagon Tales won five races with two seconds and three thirds, earning $427,597.

The first foals by Wagon Tales hit the track in 2019 and his Paint & Quarter Horse runners have earnings of $465,909. In Quarter Horse races, he is the sire of 21 starters, 17 ROM, and one stakes winner in Jess Tellin Tales, winner of the Rocky Mountain Spring Futurity and second in the Bitterroot Futurity. Wagon Tales is also the sire of three Paint starters/ROM, including 2019 Speedhorse Graham Paint & Appaloosa Futurity-G1 finalist Te Ata Tales.

Wagon Tales is by PYC Paint Your Wagon, a stakes winner of four stakes, including the Texas Classic Futurity-G1, Texas Classic Derby-G1 and the Heritage Place Derby-G1. His fourth stakes win came in the Lazy E Futurity-RG2. PYC Paint Your Wagon won $889,581 in his 16 starts with seven wins, four seconds and two thirds.

The sire record for PYC Paint Your Wagon shows he is the sire of Quarter Horse runners that have won in excess of $35 million, including 2018 Rainbow Derby-G1 and 2017 Hobbs America Futurity-G2 winner Papaws Paint; Heritage Place Derby-G3 and Laico Bird Handicap winner PYC Fun N Fancy; and Remington Park Oklahoma Bred Futurity-RG3 winner Im A Fancy PYC. The Paint sire record for PYC Paint Your Wagon shows he has 31 starters from 37 foals. His leading Paint earner is 3-time APHA World Champion Painted Turnpike. The Paint foals by PYC Paint Your Wagon have earned over $1.2 million.

PYC Paint Your Wagon is by Corona Cartel, making both Speedhorse High Point Co-Champions great grandsons of this great sire. Corona Cartel is the sire of seven registered Paint foals with six starters/ROM. His leading runner, Calista Corona, has earnings of $252,967 with six stakes wins, including the 2004 Graham Paint & Appaloosa Futurity-G1.

Corona Cartel is by Holland Ease by First Down Dash by Dash For Cash. Holland Ease is out of Easy Henryetta by Easy Jet and her dam is Baby’s Henryetta by Lanovay. The dam of Corona Cartel is Corona Chick by Chicks Beduino by Beduino TB. Chicks Beduino is out of A Classy Chick by Chicks Deck. Corona Chick is out of Sizzling Lil by Sizzle Te. Sizzling Lil is out of the Thoroughbred mare Lilsalady by Reb’s Policy.

PYC Paint Your Wagon is out of Dashin Follies, the dam of 34 foals, 27 starters, 23 ROM, three stakes winners and three stakes placed runners. Her foals have earned over $1.6 million. Her other stakes winners are Indiana Grand QHRAI Derby winner Mi Angela and All American Quarter Horse Congress Maturity winner Folly N Dash. Her stakes placed runners include Champion sire/Champion broodmare sire Ivory James, who was second in the Heritage Place Futurity-G1, and Eye Follies, who was second in the Black Gold Futurity Championship-RG3. 

The foals out of Dashin Follies have solidified this family of runners with their sire and produce records. Ivory James is the sire of over $16.7 million in Quarter Horse, Paint and Appaloosa runners. This includes APHA World Champion Ivoriona, the 2016 Speedhorse Triple Crown Hi-Point Champion. Stakes placed Eye Follies is the dam of Zigfield Follies, winner of the Elan Again Handicap. Paint Your Lips is a race winning daughter of Dashin Follies and she is the dam of AQHA Distaff Challenge Championship-G1 winner Jess Paint Your Lips. Coronita Corona is another race winner for Dashin Follies that was a finalist in the Heritage Place Futurity-G1, and she is the dam of Mexico Velocidad Classic winner Swingin Corona. Then we add race winner Special Folly Dash, who is the dam of Im Jess Special V, second in the 2018 All American Futurity-G1.

The sire of Dashin Follies is 1990 Southern California Derby winner Strawfly Special, a winner of eleven of his 22 starts. He was second in the 1989 Bay Meadows Futurity-G1 and third in the Heritage Place Futurity-G1. Strawfly Special earned $222,920 and is the sire of horses that have won over $25.5 million, including 2-time World Champion Tailor Fit, who was also a 2-time Champion of Champions-G1 winner.

Strawfly Special is by Special Effort by Raise Your Glass TB, who is by Raise A Native and out of Champagne Woman by Barbizon. The dam of Special Effort is Go Effortlessly by Double Devil and she was out of Hijo Beauty TB by Spotted Bull. Strawfly Special is out of Fly In The Pie by Pie In The Sky by Easy Jet. Fly In The Pie is out of Flying Rockette by Rocket Bar TB and out of Fly Straw by Jackstraw TB.

Dashin Follies is out of Dashing Folly, the 1996 World Champion, Champion 3 Year Old, Champion 3-Year-Old Filly and the 1997 Champion Aged Mare. Dashing Folly counts among her wins the 1996 Champion of Champions-G1, the Los Alamitos Derby-G1 and the 1996 and 1997 Mildred Vessels Maturity-G1.

The produce record for Dashing Folly shows that she has produced 18 foals, 12 starters, 11 ROM, and one stakes winner in 2013 Hialeah Futurity winner Eagles Magic. Dashing Folly is the dam of several stakes finalists, including Sixes Folly who was a finalist in the Los Alamitos Million Juvenile-RG3 and Corona Kool Handicap.

Dashing Folly is by World Champion First Down Dash, the all-time leading sire of over $89 million. She is out of Hempes Folly by Hempen TB and out of Jets Runway by Easy Jet. Jets Runway is out of War Folly by Bob’s Folly.

The dam of Wagon Tales is Signs Zoomer, a three-time winner of $30,044. She was fourth in the 2008 Oklahoma Horsemen’s Association Futurity-RG2 and a finalist in the Black Gold Futurity, winning both of her trials for these two stakes races. 

The produce record for Signs Zoomer shows that she is the dam of 15 foals with seven starters/race winners/ROM. She is the dam of two stakes winners and one stakes placed runner. The 2017 Champion Aged Stallion The Fiscal Cliff, a full brother to Wagon Tales, won eight stakes races, including the 2017 AQHA Challenge Championship-G1 and the 2017 Bob Moore Memorial -G2. He has earned $580,425. The stakes placed runner out of Signs Zoomer is The Polar Vortex, who was second in the 2019 Canterbury Distaff Challenge and a finalist in the 2019 AQHA Distaff Challenge Championship-G1.

Shazoom, the sire of Signs Zoomer, is the winner of nine of 24 starts with five seconds and three thirds. He won the 1995 Speedhorse Sprint Futurity-G3 and the El Reno Stakes. Shazoom was stakes placed in several races, including third in the 1995 Texas Classic Futurity-G1. He earned $178,606. Shazoom is the sire of $24.6 million with 71 stakes winners and 46 stakes placed runners. His leading earner is 2014 Go Man Go Handicap-G1 and Remington Park Invitational Championship-G1 winner Bon Accord, who was also second in the 2014 All American Derby-G1. Shazoom is also the sire of 2009 Heritage Place Futurity-G1 winner Ragazzo.

Shazoom is the broodmare sire of $17 million with 512 ROM, 48 stakes winners and 38 stakes placed winners. Shazoom’s leading money earner as a broodmare sire is Apolltical Chad, winner of the 2016 Ruidoso Futurity-G1 and 2017 Texas Classic Derby-G1. 

Takin On The Cash, the sire of Shazoom, won $661,747 and earned the titles of 1990 Champion 2-Year-Old Colt, the 1991 Champion 3 Year Old and 1991 Champion 3-Year-Old Colt. He won his titles winning the Bay Meadows Futurity-G1, Dash For Cash Futurity-G1 and the Kindergarten Futurity-G1. Takin On The Cash won five stakes at three, including the Golden State Derby-G1 and El Primero Del Ano Derby-G1. He made a total of 26 starts with 13 wins, seven seconds and three thirds. 

Takin On The Cash is the sire of over $14.9 million. His leading money earner is Champion 2 Year Old and Champion 2-Year-Old Gelding A Delightful Dasher, winner of the 1999 All American Futurity-G1, the Rainbow Futurity-G1 and the Golden State Futurity-G1 and a finalist in the 2000 All American Derby-G1. Takin On The Cash is by Dash For Cash and out of Take You On by Easy Jet. Shazoom is out of Keep On Shining by Keep On Turning. 

The dam of Signs Zoomer is 4-time winner Stylish Sign, who was a finalist in the 2002 Deelish Handicap. She is the dam of 16 foals with 14 starters with 13 ROM, including 2017 Champion of Champions-G1 winner Mr PYC To You, 2010 Speedhorse Gold & Silver Cup and the Oklahoma Futurity-G2 winner First Painted Sign, and Oklahoma Horseman’s Association Derby and Will Rogers Derby Challenge winner Second Painted Sign. 

First Painted Sign is not only a successful runner, but also the dam of three stakes winners. Her son, First Valiant Sign, won the 2015 Ruidoso Futurity-G1 and 2016 Texas Classic Derby-G1, and he was second in the 2015 Rainbow Futurity and fourth in the All American Futurity-G1. Her filly, A Tres Of Paint, won the Remington Park Oklahoma Bred Futurity Derby-RG3 and was second in the Heritage Place Futurity-G1. Her third stakes winner is Hobbs America Derby-RG3 winner Apollitical Sign. 

Stylish Sign is out of winner 2-time winner Down Pillow. Her biggest win was an allowance race at Los Alamitos in which she earned her career high 91 speed index. Stylish Sign is the dam of six foals, five starters and four ROM. Her foals include 2-time winner and 1999 Four Corners Futurity finalist Down Running.

Down Pillow is by First Down Dash and out of unplaced Sages Pillow Talk, who is the dam of 11 ROM and 1 stakes winner in Easy Conversation. This gelding won 11 stakes races, including the 1986 Los Alamitos Invitational Championship-G1 and the 1986 Go Man Go Handicap-G1.

Sages Pillow Talk is by Quincy A Go Go and out of Pea Jacket TB by Nagea by Nasrullah. The dam of Pea Jacket is Blue One, the dam of Azure Te, a leading Thoroughbred sire of Quarter Horse runners. Azure Te is by Nashville, a son of Nasrullah. Thus, Pea Jacket and Azure Te are 3/4-siblings. Pea Jacket is the dam of Buttons And Bows Stakes winner Pea Jay Jet, who was second in the All American Derby-G1.

Shez Showin Off is the dam of DTL Chasin Tale. She was purchased by Tonya Lester from her breeder Steele Farms and went to the track as a 2 year old having a record of nine starts with two wins, two seconds and two thirds. She won the Oklahoma Horseman’s Association Futurity-G1, was second in the Speedhorse Sprint Futurity-G1, and third in the PSBA American Paint Classic Futurity. She made 11 starts at three, winning four and placing third twice. Shez Showin Off won the Yosemite Derby-G3 and earned the titles of APHA World Champion, Champion 3 Year Old and Champion 3-Year-Old Filly. She also won the Deelish Handicap, an overnight stakes at Los Alamitos Race Course.

The Deelish Handicap was run in January of 2007, the year Shez Showin Off started her broodmare career. She foaled her first foal in 2008 named Eyem Showin Off, the first of her five starters. Champion 2-Year-Old Colt Eyem Showin Off was a finalist in the 2010 Oklahoma Paint Futurity-RG1. Off First is the next starter out of Shez Showin Off, and she had 23 starts, two wins, three seconds and two thirds earning $19,469. Tulsa State Fair Stakes finalist Shez Showin Ivory is the next starter out of Shez Showin Off, with six starts, one first, one second and one third. DTL Off Streakin, the next starter out of Shez Showin Off, earned $16,373 with two first and three seconds. The produce record of Shez Showin Off shows five starters/ROM.

The sire of Shez Showin Off is Royal Quick Flash, or SF Royal Quick Flash as he is registered in the AQHA. Royal Quick Flash was the 1998 APHA World Champion, APHA Champion 2 Year Old and APHA Champion 2-Year-Old Colt. He won the APHA National Paint Championship Futurity that year and he was third in the 11th running of Paint The Town Futurity, as well as a finalist in the Speedhorse Paint & Appaloosa Futurity at Fair Meadows. He was third in the Lorelei Derby, earning the titles of the APHA Champion 3 Year Old and Champion 3-Year-Old Colt. In total he made 21 starts with nine wins, five seconds and three thirds, earning $53,877.

Royal Quick Flash has worked his way to the top and is the all-time leading sire of Paint money earners with over $7 million. His leading money earners include 2-time World Champion Flashthechicks, 3-time Champion Flash N B Gone and 2-time APHA Champion Flash Of Silk. The AQHA runners for SF Royal Quick Flash have earned $247,608, with his leading money earner being stakes placed Heza Royal Sin. 

The sire of Royal Quick Flash is Royal Quick Dash, an All American Futurity-G1 winner and the 1991 Champion 2-Year-Old Colt. Royal Quick Dash has sired foals that have earned in excess of $20 million. His runners include All American Futurity-G1 winner AB What A Runner. His Paint runners include 4-time APHA Champion Country Quick Dash. Royal Quick Dash is by AQHA all-time leading sire of money earners First Down Dash. The dam of Royal Quick Dash is Harems Choice by Beduino TB and out of Flicka Your Bic by Tiny Charger.

The dam of Royal Quick Flash is Venice Song, a stakes placed daughter of Hempen TB and out of Venice by Easy Jet. The dam of Venice is Venice Ann by Venetian Jester TB. Venice Ann is out of Mayflower Ann, who is by Tonto Bars Hank and out of the great mare Lena’s Bar TB by Three Bars. Lena’s Bar is the dam of Easy Jet, giving Venice a breeding pattern of 2x3 to Lena’s Bar.

Venice Song is the dam of eight Quarter Horse foals, six starters and five ROM, including one stakes winner and one stakes placed runner. Her leading AQHA money earner is Heza Hot Hit ($197,520). Her only APHA registered foal is Royal Quick Flash. 

Now we see the cross of First Down Dash, Hempen and Easy Jet in the pedigree of Royal Quick Flash. Royal Quick Flash is by Royal Quick Dash by First Down Dash and out of Venice Song by Hempen TB. Venice Song is out of Venice by Easy Jet. We have seen this same cross in Wagon Tales through his sire PYC Paint Your Wagon. The dam of PYC Paint Your Wagon is Dashin Follies, who is out of Dashing Folly by First Down Dash. Dashing Folly is out of Hempes Folly by Hempen TB. The dam of Hempes Folly is Jets Runway by Easy Jet. This is line breeding to the First Down Dash/Hempen/Easy Jet nick and serves as what I would call the primary breeding pattern in the pedigree of DTL Chasin Tale.

Texas Showboat, the dam of Shez Showin Off, is a 1996 bay Tobiano mare that was second in the 1998 Graham Paint Futurity and third in the 1998 Pot O’ Gold Futurity. She was also a finalist in the 1999 Oklahoma Paint Association Maturity. As a producer, Texas Showboat is the dam of seven starters from nine foals. Her second starter is Hez Showin Off, who qualified to the 2008 Speedhorse Derby-RG1 and the 2010 Dash For Cash Color Stakes. Showum Whos Flashy is her next starter and she is an ROM earner. Quick Pistol earned his ROM next, and he was a finalist in the PSBA Derby-RG1. Her next ROM earner is 2012 APHA Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Sexy Senorita, a finalist in the 2012 Speedhorse Graham Paint & Appaloosa Futurity-G1, Tulsa State Fair Stakes-G2, and American Paint Classic Futurity. CL Trap Queen is the next runner out of Texas Showboat to earn ROM, and she was third in the Oklahoma Paint & Appaloosa Futurity-G1 and a finalist in the Victoria Ennis Memorial. Her latest runner is WL Homeboy, making Texas Showboat a 100% producer of ROM from seven starters, and all of her starters are by Royal Quick Flash.

Texas Showboat is by 1993 and 1994 APHA World Champion Texas Hero, a leading sire who is also found in the pedigree of 2019 Speedhorse Paint & Appaloosa Triple Crown Hi-Point Co-Champion Southern Electric. Texas Showboat is out of unraced Riverboat Dixie, a 1984 bay Quarter Horse mare who is the dam of six APHA registered foals with three starters and two ROM. Riverboat Dixie is also the dam of three AQHA foals/starters with two ROM. Her leading Paint money earner is Texas Showboat. Her AQHA foals include Dixie Showboat, who is an ROM earner and a stakes placed runner with a second in the 1992 William Barney Stakes. Riverboat Dixie is by Dixie War Jet by Jet Wars. Her dam is Miss Riverboat Joe by Riverboat Joe. Miss Riverboat Joe is out of King’s Lil’ Bit by Squeeky Bar by Squeeky. 

TEXAS HERO

As stated at the beginning of this Speedlines, we will now take a closer look at Texas Hero as he appears in the pedigrees of DTL Chasin Tale and Southern Electric.

The story of Texas Hero begins with his breeders Herbert and Ginger Graham when they bred a Quarter Horse mare they bought from R. D. Hubbard named Breakaway Baby, who also became a registered Paint mare. The Grahams bred her to Raise A Jet to get not only Texas Hero, but also his full brothers Concho County, Raise Cash, Texas Dash and sister White Lace. 

Texas Hero won the 1993 Speedhorse Paint & Appaloosa Futurity at Trinity Meadows and earned APHA World Champion, APHA Champion 2 Year Old and APHA Champion 2-Year-Old Colt honors. He came back in 1994 to be named APHA World Champion for a second time and APHA Champion 3 Year Old and APHA Champion 3-Year-Old Colt.

Texas Hero was the first stallion to sire Paint runners that earned over $2 million, and he was the first to sire over $3 million in earnings. His leading money earner is APHA World Champion Texas Wildcat, winner of $123,881. As a broodmare sire, Texas Hero has $3.3 million in progeny earnings. A great example of Texas Hero as a broodmare sire comes with his maternal grandson, 2-time APHA World Champion CRM Livewire, sire of Southern Electric. 

Texas Open Paint Futurity winner Raise A Jet, the sire of Texas Hero, became a leading sire with his foals earning $985,576. He counts among his foalhs not only 2-time World Champion Texas Hero, but his full siblings 2-time Champion Concho County, 2-time Champion White Lace and 2-Time Champion Raise Cash.

Raise A Jet is by Easy Jet Too by Easy Jet QH. Easy Jet Too is the sire of horses that have won $1,591,108. The dam of Easy Jet Too is Indian Music, who was bred by Walter Merrick, the owner and breeder of Easy Jet. Indian Music is a Paint mare by Tonto Bars Hank QH and out of Soft Music by Cue Ball. The dam of Soft Music is a Paint mare whose pedigree is unknown. Indian Music is the dam of six racing ROM foals, including APHA World Champion Cherokee Indian, 1977 National Champion Race Horse Easy Winner and Western Music, a multiple stakes winner of races like the National Championship Futurity.

Breakaway Baby, the dam of Texas Hero, is an unraced daughter of Dash For Cash. She is the dam of Champions Texas Hero, Concho County, Raise Cash and White Lace, as well as their full brother OHA Paint & Appaloosa Futurity winner Texas Dash.

The dam of Breakaway Baby is Larking Kit QH, a daughter of Lanolark TB. Larking Kit is also the dam of the AQHA Champion 2-Year-Old Gelding Lord Winsalot. The dam of Larking Kit is Champion 2 Year Old/Champion 2-Year-Old Filly/Champion 3-Year-Old Filly She Kitty. Her pedigree shows us a great cross from the past that was instrumental in the development of the American Quarter Horse, as well as one of the great early breeding programs from the past.

Jack Casement is the breeder of She Kitty. The sire of She Kitty is Robin Reed by Leo by Joe Reed II by Joe Reed P-3. Leo is out of Little Fanny by Joe Reed P-3. Sue Reed, the dam of Robin Reed, is by Joe Reed P-3. This makes Robin Reed intensely inbred to Joe Reed P-3 with a breeding pattern of 3x3x2. The dam of She Kitty is Little Meow by Tadpole by Red Dog. The dam of Little Meow is Jackie McCue by Jack McCue 1. The dam of Jackie McCue is Sparky by Spark Plug by Jack McCue. Thus, Jackie McCue is 1x3 inbred to Jack McCue by Peter McCue.

In the mid 1940’s, Jack Casement and a fellow rancher named Bill Coy traded mares for the breeding season. Jack got the mare Jackie McCue and he bred her to Tadpole, a son of Red Dog. The foal produced was Little Meow, the dam of She Kitty.

When Jack Casement bred She Kitty, he was bringing together two of the breed’s great foundation sires in Peter McCue and Joe Reed P-3. The interesting part of this situation is the inbreeding found in Robin Reed to Joe Reed P-3 crossed on the inbreeding to Jack McCue by Peter McCue, allowing for hybrid vigor when these two unrelated bloodlines were crossed.

When we look back at the pedigree of Texas Hero, we see his grandsire Easy Jet Too is out of Indian Music, a daughter of Soft Music who is a Walter Merrick mare sired by Cue Ball by Young Midnight by Midnight by Badger by Peter McCue. The dam of Cue Ball is Salty by Billy The Tough by A. D. Reed by Peter McCue. Billy The Tough is out of Betsy 2 by Peter McCue. This gives Cue Ball a breeding pattern of 4x4x4 to Peter McCue. The dam of Soft Music is a mare by Joe Reed P-3. This is another form of breeding to get hybrid vigor with Peter McCue and Joe Reed P-3 found in the pedigree of Texas Hero.

Soft Music as part of the pedigree of Texas Hero can be credited to the legendary Walter Merrick, the famous owner, trainer and breeder of many great horses. His breeding program started using horses carrying the blood of Peter McCue and Joe Reed P-3. One of his early runners was his first Champion, 1952 AQHA Champion 3-Year-Old Filly Mona Leta by Leo, who has a 2x2 to breeding pattern to Joe Reed P-3, and out of Hot Heels, a mare with a breeding pattern of 4x5x4x5 to Peter McCue. 

MORE MERRICK INFLUENCE

Earlier, we pointed out that the First Down Dash/Hempen/Easy Jet cross was the most significant breeding pattern in the pedigree of DTL Chasin Tale. This cross brings us back to Walter Merrick. First there is Hempen, a Thoroughbred stallion that Merrick purchased and syndicated to stand and use in his breeding program. Merrick is the breeder of Easy Jet. Hempes Folly, the third dam of PYC Paint Your Wagon, is by Hempen TB and out of Jets Runway by Easy Jet. The dam of Jets Runway is War Folly, by Bob’s Folly, who is out of the Merrick bred mare Hot Heels. Venice Song, the dam of Royal Quick Flash, is by Hempen TB and out of Venice, a Merrick bred mare by Easy Jet and out of Venice Ann by Venetian Jester, another Thoroughbred stallion used in the Merrick breeding program. The dam of Venice Ann is Mayflower Ann by Tonto Bars Hank, who Merrick stood for a time, and Mayflower Ann is out of Lena’s Bar TB, the dam of Easy Jet.

By looking at the pedigree of Texas Hero, we can see how the pedigree of the running Quarter Horse was founded with horses like Peter McCue and Joe Reed P-3 through Jack Casement and Walter Merrick. Then, through Walter Merrick and the use of horses like Hempen TB in his program, we see how this has evolved through the years. We see a similar situation with Thoroughbred stallions like Zevi and Reb’s Policy in the pedigree of Southern Electric. This tells us that these pedigrees are built on a good foundation, but we must always look to improve our horses with key breeding patterns and outcross blood for improvement.