NRHA’s Newest Nine Million Dollar Sire – Gunner

Colonels Smoking Gun • Photo by Tristan Dark

Following a successful event for his offspring at the National Reining Breeders Classic (NRBC), the legendary stallion and National Rreining Horse Association (NRHA) Hall of Fame Inductee Colonels Smoking Gun (Gunner) is unofficially the newest Nine Million Dollar Sire. He is only the third sire to reach this milestone.

Unofficially, Gunner’s offspring earned in excess of $131,000 at the 2017 NRBC, helping push the late sire over the nine-million-dollar mark by $63,000.

Owned by Tim and Colleen McQuay of McQuay Stables Inc., Tioga, Texas, the 1993 stallion was bred by Eric Storey of Henagar, Ala. By Colonelfourfreckle and out of Katie Gun, Gunner was a stand out in the show pen. Some of his accolades include: 1996 NRHA Open Futurity Reserve Champion, 1998 NRBC Open Reserve Champion, and 2001 United States Equestrian Team Festival of Champions National Reining Champion in Gladstone, New Jersey. His NRHA lifetime earnings (LTE) total more than $173,700.

The talented stallion was humanely euthanized in 2013 after suffering from the beginning stages of laminitis, but his excellence lives on in his performers.

Gunner’s highest money-earning progeny include:

  • Tinker With Guns (out of Tinker Nic): NRHA LTE over $344,100
  • Gunners Tinseltown (out of Miss Tinseltown): NRHA LTE over $305,300
  • Americasnextgunmodel (out of Cee Dun It Do It): NRHA LTE over $289,400
  • Gunners Special Nite (out of Mifs Doll): NRHA LTE over $219,700
  • Gunnatrashya (out of Natrasha): NRHA LTE over $218,00