The bald-faced Paint stallion Colonels Smoking Gun (Gunner) has passed another milestone.
On Tuesday, the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) announced the late stallion (Colonelfourfreckle x Katie Gun x John Gun) became only the second horse to reach NRHA Ten Million Dollar Sire status. His offspring boosted him to the honor at the 2017 NRHA Futurity and Adequan North American Affiliate Championship Show in Oklahoma City. Gunner reached the NRHA Nine Million Dollar Sire mark earlier in 2017.
At the Futurity, Gunner had twelve offspring competing in the finals – seven in the Open and five in the Non-Pro. They earned more than $175,000 to make Gunner a Ten Million Dollar Sire.
Bred by Eric Storey of Henegar, Alabama, Gunner was the 1996 NRHA Futurity Open Reserve Champion, 1998 NRBC Open Reserve Champion and the 2001 United States Equestrian Team Festival of Champions National Reining Champion in Gladstone, New Jersey. He retired with an Equi-Stat record of $177,386.
Gunner’s highest money-earning offspring include NRHA Derby Level 4 Open Champion Tinker With Guns (NRHA lifetime earnings [LTE] of more than $344,000), NRHA Futurity Level 4 Open Reserve Champion Gunners Tinseltown (LTE of more than $305,000), NRHA Futurity Level 4 Open Champion Americasnextgunmodel (LTE of more than $289,000), NRHA Futurity Level 4 Open Reserve Champion Gunners Special Nite (LTE of more than $219,000) and NRHA Futurity Level 4 Open Champion Gunnatrashya (LTE of more than $218,000).
In addition to being among their sire’s leading earners, Gunners Special Nite (out of Mifs Doll x Mifillena) and Gunnatrashya (out of Natrashya x Trashadeous) are also NRHA Million Dollar Sires.
Gunner was euthanized in 2013 after battling laminitis.
