sale horse
Custom Made Gun • Photo by Kelsey Pecsek Hruska

Custom Made Gun Headed to Europe After Topping Legacy Reining Sales

As the sun began to set in Aubrey, Texas, the evening of Sept. 28, royally bred reining horses were still walking through the Legacy Reining Sales ring. It was a poetic setting for the McQuay Stables Dispersal session, held immediately before the Legacy Consignment Sale.

The anticipation was high leading up to Hip No. 38 on the first day of the two-day sale. Custom Made Gun (by Colonels Smoking Gun [Gunner]), fresh off Team gold and Individual bronze medals from the Fédération Equestre Internationale World Equestrian Games (WEG) Tryon 2018, was a unique offering from McQuay Stables Inc.

Slide Or Die LLC’s Domenico Lomuto, along with his unnamed partners in Europe, seized the opportunity when he placed the winning bid of $300,000 on Custom Made Gun, who was the Legacy Reining Sales’ highest seller. McQuay Stables retained the rights to five breedings per year to the 2011 stallion.

“I’m happy!” said Lomuto, of Rome, Italy. “We will bring the horse to Europe. It’s a partnership on that stallion. All the partners were in love with the stallion, so we decided [to buy him].”

A double-registered striking palomino, Custom Made Gun’s reputation preceded him. He was an earner of $106,363 at the time of the sale, including $4,500 he garnered while showing at the WEG. Among his other accolades are the 2015 National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Derby Level 4 Non-Pro Championship and second-place finishes in the Level 4 Non-Pro at the 2016 NRHA Derby and 2017 National Reining Breeders Classic.

“Next year, one of the partners is opening the biggest facility in Europe in Rome – Elemente Resort – and the other partner is a trainer there, so we put it together,” Lomuto explained of the arrangement. “Elemente is the ancient name of the four elements. It is 150 acres with six covered arenas. The horse will be the king inside there.”

Shortly before Custom Made Gun made his entrance in the sale ring, his dam – Custom Made Dunit – sold as Hip No. 34. She was the second-highest seller overall when the hammer fell at $241,000 for the 2005 buckskin mare (Hollywood Dun It x Custom Red Berry x Custom Crome).

sale reining horse
Custom Made Dunit • Photo by Kelsey Pecsek Hruska

A homebred from consignor McQuay Stables’ legendary breeding program, Custom Made Dunit was purchased by Jonathan Baruch, acting as an agent. The McQuays retained four embryos from the mare.

Custom Made Dunit boasts an impressive produce record of $315,584, according to Equi-Stat. She is the mother of nine reining money-earners, giving her an average of $35,065. Her top performers, in addition to Custom Made Gun, include 2012 NRHA Futurity Level 4 Non-Pro Co-Champion Customized Gunner ($96,526) and 2016 NRHA Futurity Level 4 Non-Pro Reserve Champion Customized My Gun ($59,775) – both by Gunner.

The highest-selling yearling overall was Hip No. 11, Dun Got It Made, who brought $60,000 in the McQuay Dispersal session from buyer Toyon Ranch LLC. By Gunner and out of Custom Made Dunit, the palomino filly is a full sister to Custom Made Gun.

On Sept. 29, reiners returned to Cardinal Ranch for the Legacy Reining Breeders Sale, which catalogued 100 consignments. Hip No. 264, SB Shiney Inferno, topped the day when the yearling colt was purchased from Pro Fit Equine, agent for South On The Border Horses LLC, for $37,000 by Pastorino Hay & Ranch Supply.

“We’re so excited,” Dana Pastorino said. “We had in our minds what we wanted to spend, and it was within that. He’s gorgeous. The plan is to have Dany [Tremblay] start him in their program. Hopefully Dany will take him to the [NRHA] Futurity.”

“To be honest, I think he is special,” Tremblay added. “He’s got the color, he’s got the look, he’s got the movement and he’s sound as can be. He’s got great papers and great attitude, so hopefully he’s going to be the greatest.”

SB Shiney Inferno is one of 89 American Quarter Horse Association-registered offspring from 2015 NRHA Futurity Level 4 Open Reserve Champion Inferno Sixty Six’s first foal crop. The colt is out of $25,649-earner Shiney O Lady (by Shining Spark), who has four performers to her credit. Her leading money-earner is the Gunners Special Nite stallion SB Special Nite ($21,966).

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