The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Derby is one of the great highlights of the summer reining season. This year, the Level 4 Open Champion was Magnum Starlights, a 5-year-old stallion owned by Antler Ridge Ranch LLC. He was nominated by his breeder, George Lawrence, and ridden to the Championship by Equi-Stat Elite $1 Million Rider Casey Deary. A look at his pedigree shows an interesting twist through his sire and some interesting ties to NRHA Hall of Fame stallion Topsail Cody.
Magnum Starlights and Casey Deary marked a 223 to win the NRHA Derby Level 4 Open. • Photo by Waltenberry
Sire Line
Magnum Chic Dream ($44,553) is the sire of Magnum Starlights. Magnum Chic Dream was an American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) Senior Reining World Champion and Superior reining horse. He was the 1999 NRHA Futurity Limited Open Reserve Champion. Magnum Chic Dream is an Equi-Stat Elite $3 Million Sire with foals like Taris Dreamer ($179,418), Lil Magnum Jessie ($177,367) and Chicsdundreamin ($153,236) on his get record.
Magnum Chic Dream sired both the Level 4 Open and Non-Pro champions at the NRHA Derby. • Photo by John Brasseaux
Magnum Chic Dream is by NRHA Hall of Famer Smart Chic Olena (Smart Little Lena x Gay Sugar Chic x Gay Bar King) and out of Sailin Barbee (Topsail Cody x Miss Mistic Barbee x Mistic Bar). Mistic Bar is a son of Gay Bar King, giving Magnum Chic Dream two crosses to Gay Bar King.
Dam Line
Deary also showed Starlights Sugarwhiz (pictured) and her sire, Little Bay Starlight. • Photo by John O’Hara
The dam of Magnum Starlights is Starlights Sugarwhiz ($75,453). She was the 2009 Reining By The Bay Intermediate Open Champion with Deary in the saddle. Her sire is Little Bay Starlight ($20,238), who started his reining career as a 5-year-old with Deary. Little Bay Starlight (Grays Starlight x Little Bay O Lena x Doc O’Lena) went on to earn AQHA Superiors in heading and heeling. He is the sire of a limited number of foals that have Equi-Stat records totaling $168,472, including Rising Starlight, an AQHA World Show Super Horse.
The dam of Starlights Sugarwhiz is Lil Sugar Whiz, an NRHA money-earner. She is sired by Topsail Whiz by Topsail Cody. Her dam is Kims Little Sugar, an AQHA Champion and Superior halter horse. Kims Little Sugar is by Sir Quincy Bob and out of Kim’s Sugar Bar by Golden Sugar Bar. Kim’s Sugar Bar was an NRHA money-winner with 44 AQHA performance points.
The Topsail Cody cross
Topsail Cody and Bob Loomis • QHN File Photo
The second cross to Topsail Cody in the pedigree of Magnum Starlights presents an interesting situation. This is the first time a reining pedigree featured in “In The Blood” has a double breeding to Topsail Cody. Here, Topsail Cody is the sire of Sailin Barbee, who is the dam of Magnum Chic Dream. Then, Magnum Starlights’ second dam, Lil Sugar Whiz, is sired by Topsail Whiz by Topsail Cody. This is a breeding pattern of 3 X 4 to Topsail Cody. This means that Topsail Cody is in the third and fourth generations of Magnum Starlights’ pedigree. The common ancestor has to appear once on the sire side and once on the dam’s side of the pedigree to qualify as a linebreeding or inbreeding pattern. For example, Magnum Starlights is not linebred to Gay Bar King, but Magnum Chic Dream is linebred to Gay Bar King.
Magnum Chic Dream sired a number of 2016 NRHA Derby finalists in a variety of divisions. He not only sired the Open champion, but also the Non-Pro Champion and a Non-Pro Co-Reserve Champion. This led to a pedigree search, and that presented another interesting situation.
Dr. Bill Rhoads and Mega Maggie Mae, by Magnum Chic Dream, won the NRHA Derby Level 4 Non-Pro. • Photo by Waltenberry
Mega Maggie Mae was the NRHA Derby Level 4 Non-Pro Champion with Dr. Bill Rhoads. This mare is out of Cinco De Mega by Marthas Mega Jac. The dam of Cinco De Mega is Whizard Of Ozwald by Topsail Whiz by Topsail Cody. Thus, there is another 3 X 4 breeding pattern to Topsail Cody. Mega Maggie Mae has earnings of $85,155 and was the Level 4 Non-Pro Reserve Champion and Levels 3, 2 and 1 Champion at the NRHA Futurity.
The NRHA Derby Non-Pro Co-Reserve Champion was Made By Magnum, a winner of $111,351. Made By Magnum is out of Ready Make Cowboy by Master Cowboy Jac. The dam of Ready Make Cowboy is Katys Brown Sugar by Topsail Cody. This is a 3 X 3 breeding pattern to Topsail Cody.
Two other money-earners with this breeding pattern are Stop Like A Dream and Chic Dreamn Whizard. Stop Like A Dream ($101,097) was the 2010 National Reining Breeders Classic Level 4 Open Reserve Champion. She is out of Best Stop by Custom Crome. Best Stop is out of Rest Stop by Topsail Cody. This is another example of a 3 X 3 breeding pattern to Topsail Cody. Chic Dreamn Whizard is an NRHA European Futurity Open finalist who has earned $50,525. She is out of The Roan Whizard by Whizard Jac by Topsail Whiz by Topsail Cody. This is a 3 X 4 breeding pattern to Topsail Cody.
A look at Magnum Chic Dream’s success as a sire in the 2016 NRHA Derby shows a definite link to Topsail Cody in the winning offspring. The pattern is reinforced by the fact that four of Magnum Chic Dream’s top 10 money-winners carry the Topsail Cody factor.
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