inTheBlood starlight-kisses-ped800 web

In The Blood: Starlight Kisses

inTheBlood starlight-kisses-ped800 web

When the National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA) Snaffle Bit Futurity Open finals ended, it was Starlight Kisses and trainer Jake Telford who emerged victorious. It was the first win in this class for Telford, an NRCHA Million Dollar Rider, and Holy Cow Performance Horses, which bred and owns the mare.

InTheBlood starlight-kisses-herd webStarlight Kisses and Jake Telford marked a 216 in the herd work, contributing to a 656 composite that won the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Open. • Photo by Primo Morales

Sire Line

Starlight Kisses is by Shady Lil Starlight, who earned $84,682 and was the 2007 NRCHA Open Hackamore World Champion. Bred by Polo Ranch, Shady Lil Starlight is by the Peppy San Badger son Grays Starlight and out of the Hall of Fame cutting mare Doc’s Starlight, by Doc Bar. Grays Starlight-sired foals have reined cow horse earnings of $1,508,851, according to Equi-Stat, making him the No. 5 all-time leading sire. His performers include Bobby Starlight ($140,132), Katie Starlight ($127,228) and Diamond J Star ($103,090).

InTheBlood shady-lil-starlight webJake Telford showed Starlight Kisses’ sire, Shady Lil Starlight, to several titles and almost all of the horse’s $84,682 in earnings. • Photo by Kat Rogers

Shady Lil Starlight is out of Shady Little Cat, by High Brow Cat. Shady Little Cat ($48,289) was an Augusta Futurity Classic Open Co-Reserve Champion. Her foals include Shady Boon Light ($55,598), who tied to win the NCHA Super Stakes Classic Limited Non-Pro. Shady Little Cat is out of Sweet Lil Lena ($124,843), who is by Smart Little Lena and out of Sonscoot (Son O Sugar x Miss Tiny x Poco Tivio). Miss Tiny is out of Tiny Star, by King P-234.

Sweet Lil Lena is the dam of earners of $805,236, including Sweet Lil Pepto ($237,783), Pepto Taz ($132,449) and Sweet Little CD ($106,185). Sweet Little CD has produced earners of $842,227, including High Brow CD ($543,185).

Dam Line

kiss-my-shiny-lipsKiss My Shiny Lips is an NRCHA Supreme Reined Cow Horse. • Photo courtesy of Holy Cow Performance HorsesStarlight Kisses is out of Kiss My Shiny Lips ($40,512), a Holy Cow Performance Horses homebred mare. She is an NRCHA Supreme Reined Cow Horse and was the 2010 NRCHA Derby Open Two-Rein Champion. Kiss My Shiny Lips is sired by Shining Spark. He is sired by Genuine Doc, who is by Doc Bar and out of Gay Bar’s Gen, by Gay Bar King. This is the first cross to Gay Bar King in this pedigree.

lipschic-kissmyshinylipsLipschic and a young Kiss My Shiny Lips • Photo courtesy of Holy Cow Performance HorsesThe dam of Kiss My Shiny Lips is NRCHA Superior Reined Cow Horse Lipschic ($15,380), by Smart Chic Olena. Lipschic is the dam of earners of $102,165, including the reined cow horse Survive These Lips ($25,572). She has also produced money-earners in reining – Wimpys Playin Smart ($20,683) – and cutting – Shady Lil Lips ($15,395). Shady Lil Lips is by Shady Lil Starlight, which makes her a three-quarter sister to Starlight Kisses.

Smart Chic Olena is out of Gay Sugar Chic, by Gay Bar King. This second cross to Gay Bar King gives Kiss My Shiny Lips a breeding pattern of 4 X 4 to Gay Bar King through Shining Spark and Smart Chic Olena.

InTheBlood shiningspark-smartchicolena webShining Spark (left) and Smart Chic Olena (right) both figure prominently in the pedigree of Starlight Kisses. • Photos by Cappy Jackson (Shining Spark) and John Brasseaux (Smart Chic Olena)

Gay Bar King was known as a great broodmare sire whose daughters were highly valued as producers. This is interesting because Shining Spark and Smart Chic Olena are noted broodmare sires with ties to this great stallion. They are No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, as reining broodmare sires, and No. 1 and No. 12 as reined cow horse broodmare sires.

One of the top performers sired by Shady Lil Starlight is AMR One Shiney Cat, an NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Limited Open Reserve Champion. His dam, One Shiney Chic, is sired by Smart Chic Olena and out of Miss Shiney Cat, by Shining Spark.

Holy Cow Performance Horses has had a lot of success with this cross through horses like their great broodmare Sheza Shinette ($47,505). She was the 2002 American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) World Champion Junior Working Cow Horse and the 2001 NRCHA Cow Horse Classic Champion. Sheza Shinette (Shining Spark x Chicks And Chex x Smart Chic Olena) is the second-leading dam of reined cow horse earners, according to Equi-Stat, with a progeny record of $450,523. Her leading money winner is Hes Shinettes CD ($163,568).

Here is an interesting side note: Sheza Shinette’s second-leading money-earner is Heza Diamond Spark ($88,871). His full sister is Sheza Dancing Diamond ($55,146). Both are sired by Diamond J Star, by Grays Starlight, making this pedigree very similar to the pedigree of Starlight Kisses.

The goal of Holy Cow Performance Horses is to breed outstanding cow horses, and they have had many champions. Now, they have the elusive NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Championship, thanks to homebred Starlight Kisses.

About the author: Larry Thornton’s dream to become a Quarter Horse breeder started with a serious interest in bloodlines in the mid-1960s. This intense interest led to a long career as a prolific writer and student of Quarter Horse pedigrees and the genetics that can be found in those pedigrees. Larry has been a contributor and/or consultant to several outstanding equine books and magazines, including Quarter Horse News. He is the founder and publisher of the digital newsletter Bloodlines-N-Pedigrees.

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