Shortly after leaving the 2009 AQHA Select World Championship show, Ronnie and Vickie Kent endured a life-altering tragedy…a trailer wreck that took the life of two AQHA World Champions; Won On a RV Version, and a month later, Ill Be RV Radical (Bebe). Bebe, who had just been crowned the Select World Champion in trail with Ronnie, survived the accident but suffered severe lacerations. The mare lived an additional 35 days but was unable to be saved due to founder of her right hind leg.
Before Bebe was euthanized, Vickie and Ronnie had Texas A&M extract her ovaries. They were able to harvest 32 of Bebe’s eggs that were then fertilized with frozen semen. The process involved inseminating the eggs and then shipping them to recipient mares in Ocala, Florida. This process is challenging enough but was compounded by the fact that October is a non-traditional breeding month.
“It was quite difficult for the veterinarian in Ocala to find recipient mares in October and have them ready to ovulate, but we were able to get three embryos to implant in the mares and they took and we were able to have three foals from Bebe,” Ronnie Kent told GoHorseShow.
In the article GoHorseShow wrote about the tragedy in 2009, Vickie Kent stated, “Maybe something good will come out of this after all.”
Kent was referring to the hope that Bebe’s legacy would live on in her babies, and thanks to the miracles of modern science, that is exactly what has happened.
They ended up with three foals from Bebe that were all bred to A Good Machine (who was euthanized in 2011). All three foals have very meaningful names given the circumstances behind their birth: RV Blessed Machine, RV Miracle Machine (pictured left), and RV Gifted Machine. RV Blessed Machine (pictured below right) has been started in the western pleasure, hunter under saddle and trail but she has not been shown yet. According to Vickie, RV Miracle Machine looks the most like his late mother, and right now, he is currently being shown by their grandson, Clay Arrington in the open and youth western pleasure and has done very well. Vickie’s daughter, Christie Arrington has also started him in the trail.
Ronnie is currently showing his favorite of the three foals, RV Gifted Machine (Gifted). The 2010 brown mare has points in the western pleasure and just recently picked up her first points in the trail.
“Gifted is doing real well,” Ronnie Kent told us. “She is a really late baby due to being born in September, but she is a lot like her mother. She is very talented–has a bit of an attitude like she did…likes attention and tries really hard. She is a miracle baby, and I think I will keep her forever and let the grand kids show her too.”
Vickie Kent, who put the first trail points on Gifted adds, “We are so proud of our gifts from Ill Be RV Radical, and it is amazing to see the resemblance of her mother in all her foals. Gifted moves the most like her mother and the way she helps you over the poles, even though she is very green, reminds me a lot of her. I look forward to seeing what else she and her siblings accomplish in their show careers.”
Photos © Shane Rux and Sally Blackwell Photography
