National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Futurity Open Reserve Champion Quintan Blue has a new title – millionaire producer. Better not tell her, though. Her owners say she’s already a diva.
The 2001 mare (Mecom Blue x Quiolena x CD Olena) passed the mark early this year with more than $1,012,450 in progeny earnings, according to Equi-Stat. The designation thrilled owners Penny Youngblood and Nancy Pearce, of Circle Y Ranch, in Millsap, Texas.
“We’re just humbled to be able to own her,” Pearce said. “We’re proud, too, but we’re humbled because our approach to horse breeding goes directly to our core principle at the Circle Y, and that’s to do what’s best for the horse. And, we take care of our mares like they’re members of our family.”
Circle Y Ranch paid $600,000 for Quintan Blue in October, 2012, when they bought her from Jon and Abby Winkelried at the Marvine Ranch Reduction Sale. She sold with a 2013 embryo by Smooth As A Cat, a filly Pearce and Youngblood later named Quintessential High.
The mare’s leading earners are multiple limited-age event champions Blue One Time ($255,386, One Time Pepto) and Cat Man Blue ($228,148, by High Brow Cat).
Cat Man Blue’s full brother, QB Cat ($184,557), a 2008 gelding owned by Stacie and David McDavid, did a lot in 2017 to push his dam over the $1 million mark. He earned $65,884 last year, the majority of that under Equi-Stat Elite $4 Million Rider Clint Allen.They were very successful in the Mercuria/NCHA World Series of Cutting, winning the Open Championship at the Calgary Stampede, earning to Open Co-Reserve Championship at The Mane Event III and placing third at the series stop at the Idaho Cutting Horse Association Futurity and Aged Event.
In addition, QB Cat’s co-owner, Stacie McDavid, rode the horse to the AQHA Amateur Cutting Reserve World Championship in 2017, falling just short of winning back-to-back AQHA Amateur Cutting World titles on the gelding.
Quintan Blue’s youngest performer listed in Equi-Stat, the Circle Y-owned Im Quintan Checks ( by Im Countin Checks) chipped in $50,441 for his dam by making the 2017 NCHA Futurity Open finals with trainer John Sanislow. They also made the Futurity Open finals at this year’s Augusta Futurity and Abilene Spectacular.
Quintan Blue’s other earners are: Blu Rey ($129,674, by Dual Rey), Reverendquintanspoon ($64,434, by Hes A Peptospoonful), Dualin Blue ($36,569, by Dualin Jewels), Quintessential High ($26,852, by Smooth As A Cat), DMAC Cheshire Cat ($21,852, by High Brow Cat), Cat Got The Blues ($9,537, by High Brow Cat) and Quintessent ($5,000, by Spots Hot).
Although many of her successful progeny have been sired by Equ-Stat Elite $77 Million Sire High Brow Cat or Circle Y Ranch’s Equi-Stat Elite $3 Million Sire Im Countin Checks (Smart Lil Richochet x Autumn Boon x Dual Pep), Pearce said the mare has a number of youngsters sired by High Brow Cat’s son, Equi-Stat Elite $18 Million Sire Metallic Cat (out of Chers Shadow, by Peptoboonsmal)
She said the mare has 2016 and 2017 fillies by Metallic Cat.
“We are really hopeful for that cross,” Pearce said, of Metallic Cat. “Of course, we believe greatly in the cross on Im Countin Checks and we will breed Quintan again this year to Im Countin Checks; it just works. But, we’re thinking that that Metallic Cat [cross] is going to be pretty spectacular, too.”
In the meantime, “Quintan” will continue to enjoy life with the other headline-making members of the Circle Y Ranch broodmare band.
“Her best friend until she died was Meradas Little Sue and they were pasture mates,” Pearce said. “And, when “Sue” passed away on April 21 of last year on her birthday, we didn’t know quite what to do with Quintan.”
Although Quintan is now in her own pasture, she’s made some friends with other matriarchs at the ranch, notably fellow millionaire producer Poosmal (Peptoboonsmal x Hicapoo x Doc’s Hickory).
“She and Poosmal started chatting over the fence and got to be buddies,” Pearce said. “As a matter of fact, there’s a post I put on Facebook the other day about that. Quintan and Poosmal are standing there grooming each other, scratching each other’s back, and our wonderful old mare, [$459,120-producer] Starleno, photo bombed the video.”
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