Tag Archives: Western

Gunner Shoots Past Another National Reining Horse Association Milestone

Colonels Smokingun (aka Gunner) is the first registered American Paint Horse to join the exclusive list of NRHA Two Million Dollar Sires. Photo Courtesy APHA/Abigail Wilder Boatwright (2007)
Colonels Smokingun (aka Gunner) is the first registered American Paint Horse to join the exclusive list of NRHA Two Million Dollar Sires. Photo Courtesy APHA/Abigail Wilder Boatwright (2007)

March 31, 2010 – Colonels Smokingun, better known as Gunner in the reining world, has recently been named the unofficial eighth National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Two Million Dollar Sire. He accomplished this only three years after being named a NRHA One Million Dollar Sire. This was, in part, due to the recent successes of his offspring at the 2009 NRHA Open Futurity, the 2010 NRHA European Futurity and the 2010 Cactus Reining Classic, which brought his unofficial total NRHA offspring earnings to $2,000,453. Gunner was the first American Paint Horse to achieve the NRHA million-dollar mark, and is now the first Paint to reach the two million dollar mark.

Sired by Colonelfourfreckle (AQHA son of Colonel Freckles) and out of Katie Gun (AQHA), the bald-faced stallion, which is registered with the American Paint Horse Association (APHA), has an impressive lifetime record with the association. He won back-to-back World Championship Paint Horse Show Open reining titles in both 1996 and 1997, in addition to the other reining honors he earned throughout his career with APHA.

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“The Man Who Listens to Horses” – Monty Roberts Returns to South Florida to Host Clinic and Meet & Greet Event for Equestrians

Monty Roberts will share his famous Join-Up technique and wisdom March 26th at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo courtesy of Monty Roberts)
Monty Roberts will share his famous Join-Up technique and wisdom March 26th at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo courtesy of Monty Roberts)

Wellington, FL (March 18, 2010) – World-renowned trainer and clinician Monty Roberts is returning to West Palm Beach, Florida to host a clinic March 26th at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center. Monty Roberts is known the “Man Who Listens to Horses,” an award-winning trainer of championship horses, best-selling author, and creator of the revolutionary equine training technique, Join-Up.

Roberts has won countless awards and received worldwide press coverage. He is the author of three books on the New York Times best-seller list.  He trained horses for Queen Elizabeth’s equestrian team and been awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Zurich.

Wellington Classic Dressage, Inc., which hosts horse shows and events for the equestrian community, organized the Monty Roberts clinic after the famed clinician was featured at the USET Holiday Fund Raiser last December held in conjunction with the Wellington Classic Dressage Holiday Horse Show. “It is definitely a case of back by popular demand,” said Wellington Classic Dressage Sponsorship and Events Director, John Flanagan. “When Monty was here in December, people just kept coming up and asking us when we could have him back.”  So Flanagan went to work to schedule the March Monty Roberts event. “He has universal appeal across the disciplines,” Flanagan stated. “Monty’s proven training methods have helped show horses, race horses, and riding horses of all disciplines.”

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Slow Down to Go Fast: Part II

Use Bryan Neubert's colt-starting techniques to get your ranch colt ready for the range.
Use Bryan Neubert's colt-starting techniques to get your ranch colt ready for the range.

Cowboy, clinician and horseman Bryan Neubert shares his insight into starting ranch colts.

By Bryan Neubert with Jim Bret Campbell in The American Quarter Horse Journal

Mount Up
Once the horse has softened and accepted the lessons from Part 1, he’s ready for me to prepare him to carry a rider. Remember to stay soft and quiet as you get on. I’ll slowly introduce my weight in the stirrup and just let him get used to the feel before I proceed. (See the photo gallery.) I’m also ready to step back down, draw his head toward me and move his hindquarters away from me to prevent him from pulling away or kicking me. After he accepts my weight in one stirrup, I lean over and rub him on the shoulder and hip on the right side. I might also move the fender of the offside stirrup a little to get him used to the movement. When he’s handling this well, I step into the saddle, remembering to stay soft and quiet.

Once I’m there, I don’t worry about trying to guide him much. I’ll let him adjust to the extra weight. I have a Cheyenne roll on the back of my saddle, and I’ll hold on to that in case he bucks. They almost never do if they are prepared up to this point.

Continue reading Slow Down to Go Fast: Part II