The picture of versatility and class, Mister Dual Pep was recently laid to rest at his home of seven years, Hanson Quarter Horses, in Creston, Iowa. The 28-year-old cutting horse was euthanized Friday, Aug. 6., due to discomfort caused by old age.
Owners Wayne and Michelle Hanson said “Mister” was all personality during his golden years at their ranch. An EquiStat Elite $3 Million Sire, the stallion arrived in Iowa at age 21 when they found out he was for sale and, wanting to give him a good retirement home, said they “couldn’t buy him fast enough.”
Show Career
Sired by Peppy San Badger and out of Miss Dual Doc (by Doc’s Remedy), Mister was bred by Greg and Laura Ward of Tulare, California. He is a full brother to EquiStat Elite $26 Million Sire Dual Pep.
Ridden exclusively by Ward, the pair finished fourth in the 1997 National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Derby Open, earning $27,040. Consistent appearances throughout his 5-and 6-year-old years pushed Mister to $43,929 in lifetime earnings. He then he retired from limited age event competition and headed to the breeding barn.
Sire of Versatility
According to EquiStat, Mister has 325 money-earning foals who have competed in 13 disciplines including cutting, reining and reined cow horse. His leading earner is Mr Dual Rey (out of Robin Red Rae x Dry Doc Ray), who earned $151,820 in reining and reined cow horse. Mr Dual Rey was the 2008 Open United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) National Champion with Craig Schmersal.
Mister Smart Remedy (out of Ima Smart Remedy x Smart Little Lena) earned $133,532 in the cutting and reined cow horse pens, earnings finalist titles in the National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA) Snaffle Bit Futurity, Derby, Stallion Stakes and Hackamore Classic.
Reiner Mister Nicadual (out of Nicacheka x Reminic) rounds out Mister’s the top three earners with $118,181 in lifetime earnings. Ridden by Tim McQuay and Todd Crawford, Mister Nicadual finished third in the 2006 National Reining Breeders Classic (NRBC) Open Derby. He then helped clinch Team gold at the 2006 Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) World Equestrian Games, earning an Individual silver medal himself.
At the time of his death, Mister Dual Pep ranked fourteenth on the National Reined Cow Horse Association’s (NRCHA’s) list of all-time leading sires, with his progeny winning more than $1.42 million in NRCHA-approved events.
Maternal Grandsire
Mister Dual Pep also made a mark as a maternal grandsire, with his daughters foaling the earners of more than $2.6 million. True to his versatile siring ability, those earnings were split between the three Western performance horse disciplines: $1,081,993 in reined cow horse, $760,673 in reining and $697,661 in cutting.
The leading earner out of a Mister Dual Pep mare is NRHA Triple Crown Champion A Vintage Smoke ($532,288), who is by A Sparkling Vintage and out of Lady Smoke Peppy (by Mister Dual Pep).
Comfy Senior Years
Avid reined cow horse breeders, Hanson and wife Michelle were prepared to be a soft landing for the stallion. When they heard he was for sale, they jumped at the chance to be part of his legacy.
“Our attitude was that this horse needed to retire and he needed to retire well,” Michelle said. “Once he realized he was here to stay, he really started warming up more. He was very much a standoffish horse when we got him, but he’d been through two bankruptcies and got shuffled around. By his second year [with us], he was a hoot. He was a great personality. He would look at you and stick his tongue out.”
Mister was spunky throughout his senior years, offering to crow hop when the Hansons saddled him up for walks in the arena or trail rides. At ages 22 and 23, he even competed in National High School Rodeo Association cutting with the Hansons’ daughter Emily Gravlin, reliving his cutting glory days.
“He just loved his job, there was no doubt,” Hanson said.
They stopped riding Mister when he was 26 due to advancing stifle issues, but the stallion still enjoyed extra grooming attention.
Mister was cremated and will be laid to rest under Hanson Quarter Horses’ new sign, with a plaque marking his grave. The Hansons wanted to thank Ashes To Ashes Crematorium and Humboldt Veterinary Services of Humboldt, Iowa, for their care during the end of Mister’s life.
