sweet-abra
Sweet Abra • Photo by Debbie Roberts.

Star Broodmare Sweet Abra Sells, 2 Others Also Change Hands

One of the most successful broodmares in the modern cutting horse industry has a new home. And, her full sister went with her.

EquiStat Elite $1 Million Producer Sweet Abra and her successful sister, My Little Abra, were sold privately to businessman Thomas Tull’s Teton Ridge by their former owner, Fults Ranch.

Alvin Fults spoke about the sale recently with Quarter Horse News after his Fults Ranch Absolute Reduction Sale about the sale of Sweet Abra and My Little Abra, who transferred into Teton Ridge’s ownership earlier in the year.

He said with the two mares was not an easy decision, because he and his wife, Becky, had owned Sweet Abra since she was a 3-year-old. My Little Abra had been in their barn since 2015.

“[We] love her to death, and it was hard for us, but we knew that [Teton Ridge] could take her maybe to another level than where we were [able to take her],” Fults said. “So it was kind of a collaboration of well, we’re thinking about slowing down … Maybe this is a perfect time to go ahead and do that?”

Jeremy Barwick, speaking on behalf of Teton Ridge, said the two mares – as well as another acquisition from a different owner, reined cow horse broodmare Soula Jule Forever – would all be bred to the entity’s newly-purchased stallion, EquiStat Elite $1 Million Sire Smooth Talkin Style.

Teton Ridge said all three mares stood out because of their production records, and were respected within the industry. The purchase prices were not disclosed.

“We want to raise the very best foals we can to train as well as offer some outstanding foals to the public each year,” Barwick said in a statement sent by Teton Ridge.

Top Producers

Sweet Abra and My Little Abra were sired by Abrakadabracre and out of The Better Choice (by SR Instant Choice). Both were bred by Pat Foreman, of Jacksboro, Texas.

Sweet Abra has foaled 21 earners of $1,979,009 for Fults Ranch, averaging $94,239 and led by NCHA Open Horse of the Year Metallic Rebel ($437,965, by Metallic Cat). Nearly all of her money earners were sired by Metallic Cat, whose stallion career was launched by Fults Ranch before his 2017 sale to current owner, Rocking P Ranch.

metallic-rebel-beau-galyean
Sweet Abra’s leading earner is NCHA Horse of the Year Metallic Rebel (by Metallic Cat). • Photo by Midge Ames

For her part, My Little Abra’s seven money-earning performers banked more than $736,553, averaging $105,222 and led by NCHA Open Horse of the Year Ichis My Choice (by Cat Ichi).

Soula Jule Forever (Soula Jule Star x Forever Sparked x Shining Spark) has an EquiStat produce record of more than $424,290, topped by 2017 National Reined Cow Horse Association Snaffle Bit Futurity Open Reserve Champion Bet Hes Black (by Bet Hesa Cat).

Sweet Abra & Fults Ranch

Though Fults Ranch is keeping the stallion Stevie Rey Von, it sold almost all of its remaining mares and young horses at its reduction sale. According to Fults, the only mares he kept were a few he owned in partnership.

The decision to sell the mares and majority of the bloodstock was made easier by the impending departure of key staffers. Fults explained the ranch’s trusted breeding manager was getting married and moving on to a new phase of her life, and their 2-year-old colt starter also was looking to move on.

NCHA Open Horse of the Year Ichis My Choice (Cat Ichi x My Little Abra x Abrakadabracre). • Photo by Kelsey Pecsek Hruska.

“We looked at each other and said, ‘Maybe this is a sign?’ Maybe this is someone saying we need to slow her back and not have to go try to rehire and replace them — we could never replace them — they were so awesome,” he said. “So we thought, Okay, this is a good time. So we’re going to do it.”

Sweet Abra was particularly special, because Fults rode her in the show pen. A highlight was a win late in her career at the El Rancho Futurity show. The mare was retired at that point, but jumped back into the competition with a splash.

“Sweet Abra taught me how to win,” said Fults, who maintains Sweet Abra was the cowiest horse he ever rode. “She didn’t teach me how to show – we had other horses – but, when I got to show her, I learned how to win. She was just that kind of mare. “

Teton Ridge Growing Broodmare Band

Sweet Abra, My Little Abra and Soula Jule Forever, who was not owned by Fults Ranch and was acquired separately, joined Teton Ridge’s growing broodmare band that includes National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Futurity Open Champion All Spice and NCHA Open Horse of the Year Twice in Santiago.

In addition to private purchases, Teton Ridge has been active in both of Western Bloodstock’s major sales this summer, including the Mid-Year Cutting Horse Sale in July and the Fults Ranch Absolute Reduction Sale on Aug. 19.

At Fults Ranch, it bought the sales-topping full sisters Sweet On Stevie ($725,000) and Stevies So Sweet ($500,000), both being daughters of NCHA Futurity Open Champion Stevie Rey Von and out of Sweet Abra.

At the August sale, Teton Ridge also paid $100,000 for Octavius, a 2020 stallion by Stevie Rey Von and out of My Little Abra, and $30,000 for The Wright Choice, a 2021 stallion by Hes Wright On and out of My Little Abra. In addition, it bought two offspring out of 2006 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Open Champion Smart Crackin Chic: Smart Stevie Chic, a 2021 mare by Stevie Rey Von for $60,000, and McCrackin Chic, a 2021 stallion by Metallic Cat for $46,000.

On Sept. 16, Teton Ridge’s Winding Inferno (by Inferno Sixty Six) won the High Roller Reining Classic Futurity Level 4 Open with Andrea Fappani aboard. The entity’s show string also owns cow horse Hesa Dual Bet, winner of the DT Horses Western Derby, and reining horse Starjac Vintage.