Prominent cutting horse breeder and businessman Lonnie Allsup has died.
The 84-year-old Clovis, New Mexico, resident passed away Sunday, Jan. 28. Arrangements are pending with Muffley Funeral Home in Clovis.
Allsup and his wife, Barbara, campaigned two National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Horse of the Year winners and the earners of nearly $5 million.
Their leading earner was Little Badger Dulce, a daughter of Peppy San Badger that in 1993 became the first ever NCHA Horse of the Year. Ridden by trainer Pete Branch, the daughter of Sandia Dulce (by Doc Bar) was the NCHA Futurity Open Reserve Champion and helped Allsup win the 1996 NCHA Non-Pro World Championship.
She retired with an Equi-Stat record of $668,461 and went on to be a producer for the Allsups. Her leading earner was Dulces Smart Lena ($176,006, by Smart Little Lena), but her greatest contribution in the breeding barn so far is 2012 NCHA Horse of the Year Kit Kat Sugar, her maternal grandson.
The son of High Brow Cat out of Little Badger Dulce’s daughter by Smart Lil Ricochet, Sugar N Dulce, Kit Kat Sugar earned $240,166 and won multiple derby championships for the Allsups.
In addition, Allsup and Barbara were represented in the cutting pen by two-time NCHA Open World Champion Ms Peppy Cat. The daughter of High Brow Cat out of Ms Peppy Doc (by Peppy San Badger) teamed up with Branch to win the title in 2008 and 2010.
In all, the Allsups owned the earners of $4.8 million and bred winners of $6.7 million. Allsup also rode horses to $589,463 in earnings.
Outside the cutting pen, Allsup was best-known for founding Allsup’s Convenience Stores. The company, which on its website indicates Lonnie and Barbara still owned the chain at the time of his death, is represented by more than 300 stores in 160 towns and cities.
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