Take A Break

Recently, I did something I rarely do – I took a vacation. Many times through my 20-plus-year career as a journalist, I’ve managed to take “working vacations,” where I kept working while visiting family in other states. One year, I went to Rillito Park, did a couple of interviews, took pictures and wrote an article while visiting my sister in Tucson, Arizona, during my Christmas “vacation.”

But last week was different. Last week, I took three days off work, boarded a plane and landed in another state with no work plans other than an occasional glance at my email to make sure a headline-grabbing story hadn’t hit the Western performance horse industry in my absence.

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Sister CD Clone Born

SisterCDCloneThe clone of Sister CD was born on March 15. • Photo courtesy of Jason AbrahamAlthough commercial cloning has been available to the public since the mid-2000s, the first known clone of a gelding in the cutting industry was born March 15 to Abraham Equine. The 2015 colt is a clone of 13-year-old Sister CD, the second-highest-earning cutting horse of all time with more than $850,000 in lifetime earnings.

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Classic Equine 4D Reining Offered At 2015 NRHA Derby

NRHA logo BWThe National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) is proud to announce the addition of the Classic Equine 4D Reining competition for exhibitors entered in the Youth, Novice Horse Non-Pro, Amateur and Green Reiner classes on June 21 at the 2015 NRHA Derby. Exhibitors competing in these classes at the NRHA Derby can enter the 4D portion for an additional $20 by noon, June 20. The 4D portion will be run concurrently during those classes.

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Frankly Speaking: Horse First, Me Second

LipChainDiscipline-specific welfare issues – such as the use of lip chains on halter horses – require horsemen to step back and look at the big picture, rather than focusing on self-centered niche interests.At long last, welfare issues have come front and center in the minds of equine organizations.

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Fappani Earns Equi-Stat Elite $4 Million Rider Status

QHNMG AFappanijpgAndrea Fappani & SG Frozen Enterprize at the Cactus Reining Classic • Photo by WaltenberryAndrea Fappani, of Scottsdale, Arizona, has hit a new milestone. During 2014, he garnered $366,815, according to Equi-Stat, enhancing his total earnings to $3,981,452, moving him closer to the $4 million mark. Fappani only needed to earn $18,548 in 2015 to reach that standing, which he did, and then some.

Reining Horse Euthanized After EHV-1 Outbreak In Illinois

Two horses from the same stable tested positive for equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) after the Midwest Reining Horse Association show at Gordyville USA in Gifford, Illinois, May 2-3. One horse was successfully treated; the other was euthanized. As a result, Gorydville has closed for the recommended 21 days and is being thoroughly disinfected prior to reopening for equine events.

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30,000-Year-Old Horse Bone Found

yukon-horseA 30,000-year-old bone from the prehistoric Yukon horse has been found in British Columbia, Canada • © SFU Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, 2005The Treaty 8 Tribal Association on April 22 announced the finding and confirmation of a 30,000-year-old prehistoric horse bone in the Peace River Valley in Fort St. John, British Columbia, Canada.The Peace River Valley is home to a tremendous number of First Nations archaeological deposits and cultural sites that date back to the end of the last ice age. These values are complemented by diverse and prolific paleontological resources found there as well.

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Metallic Cat Becomes An Equi-Stat Elite $3 Million Sire

pedaltothemedalPedaltothemedal was Metallic Cat's leading money-earner at the 2015 NCHA Super Stakes. • Hart PhotosMetallic Cat’s reputation as a sire is growing by leaps and bounds, right alongside his offspring’s earnings. At the National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Super Stakes, which took place March 26-April 18 in Fort Worth, Texas, the stallion’s get surpassed the $3 million mark in a big way. Forty-three horses earned paychecks totaling $553,926, taking Metallic Cat’s Equi-Stat offspring record to $3,534,526.

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Shepard Pushes Past $6 Million Mark

bamacatAustin Shepard & Bamacat • Photo by Hart PhotosAustin Shepard, of Summerdale, Alabama, needed to earn less than $10,000 at the Breeder’s Invitational (BI) to surpass the $6 million point in Equi-Stat. At the event’s first opportunity to garner money, Shepard exceeded the mark by earning a total of $27,538 in the Classic/Challenge Open finals on three different horses.