2ImCountinChecksMG-Fut05DS

Im Countin Checks Becomes $2 Million Sire

2ImCountinChecksMG-Fut05DS
Im Countin Checks & Matt Gaines • Photo by Don Shugart 
Im Countin Checks certainly lived up to his name in the cutting pen, reaching a total of $514,757 in earnings by the end of 2008, when he posted his last check to Equi-Stat. His offspring have since mirrored his success in the performance arena, boosting him to Equi-Stat Elite $2 Million Sire status.

The 13-year-old stallion is a member of the National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Horse Hall of Fame and is the top-earning offspring by Equi-Stat Elite $3 Million Sire Smart Lil Ricochet. He is also the leading performer out of Equi-Stat Elite $1 Million Dam Autumn Boon, who is out of cutting’s all-time leading dam, Royal Blue Boon (Boon Bar x Royal Tincie x Royal King).

“Checkers” first showed at the 2005 NCHA Futurity, where he and Matt Gaines placed third in the Futurity Open. The next year, they were Reserve Champions in the Breeder’s Invitational Derby Open. At the 2008 Pacific Coast Cutting Horse Association Futurity, Checkers proved he could do double duty, carrying Kyle Manion to the Classic/Challenge Non-Pro Championship and Gaines to the Open title.

As a sire, Im Countin Checks’ top money-earner is GS Counting On Kitty (out of SDP Kitty Star Cat x Grays Starlight). The 2009 mare recently showed at the Western Bloodstock/NCHA Showdown In Cowtown slot cutting with owner Kelsey Weeks, where she tied for fourth in the Non-Pro, earning $16,500. She has earned $210,590 overall.

His second-highest-earning offspring, Cat Countin Checks (out of A Cat Above x High Brow Cat), tied for seventh in the NCHA Summer Spectacular Classic/Challenge Non-Pro with owner Jamie Goertz-Hill and has earned a total of $169,104 in the cutting pen. That includes $4,366 for tying for the Classic/Challenge Limited Non-Pro Co-Championship at the 2014 Super Stakes. Ninety-eight of Checkers’ 103 money-earning offspring have picked up their earnings in the cutting pen; his progeny have also banked checks in reined cow horse and ranch horse versatility competitions.

At this year’s Brazos Bash, held Sept. 23-Oct. 4, John Sanislow rode three Checkers offspring to Limited Open championships – Simply Charmed in the Futurity, Countess Cat (out of Magnifi Cat x High Brow Cat) in the Derby and Cha Ching And Change (out of Bling Bling Bling x Smooth As A Cat) in the Classic Open. All three horses are owned by Circle Y Ranch, as is their sire.