GoHorseShow enjoys recognizing the underdog and horses that are real winners as far as therapeutic riding horses or ones that have changed the lives of many through helping them through a sickness or other challenges.
We also thought it would be interesting to hear from many of the top professionals in our industry about horses that were underrated in their opinion and never received the recognition they might have deserved for one reason or another. Maybe they were injured, never had the performance they should have at the major shows, or maybe they were worth their weight in gold as a youth or learner horse…but never won a major championship.
The second in our underrated series is the APHA stallion, Casual Mr. “MR” was owned by APHA World Champion halter trainer, Tina Price of Brenham, Texas. Price purchased him as a yearling and bred a group of test mares his two year old-year. Price only showed him twice standing grand both times. MR stood to no more than 20 mares each year, which is Price’s normal breeding practice with a stallion.
“This probably hurt him in that there were not large numbers of his foals showing, however, the market was not saturated with his get either,” Price states. “He has a high percentage of foals that hit the show pen, winning futurities and points. He sired half a dozen Honor Roll winners, as well as World and Reserve World Champions and Gold Futurity winners.”
Price, who has been training for over 30 years, says that MR was underrated, like many nice stallions, because she did not advertise him. The 2002 double registered AQHA/APHA sorrel over stallion was by Strawtown Goldenledge and A Facefulla Dollars. His maternal grandfather was Ima Tru Skip.
“He was strictly word of mouth. Even so, he was on the APHA Leading Sires list every year from his three year-old year forward. He was always the top sire until late in the year when the numbers would catch up to him. For the longest, he had less than 100 foals while other sires had hundreds. Even so, he always ended up in the Top 5 and we were always pleased with that.”
Also a multi-carded judge and APHA National Director, Price shares that MR was special because he would correct many conformation faults on mares that were older, foundation bred. “He helped by shortening their toplines, giving them a strong back, with growing patterns that allowed the foals to stay level for the duration made his foals very competitive in the show pen.”
Price continues, “MR also carried extensive western pleasure bloodlines and all his foals were born with great movement and strong, correct leg structure. Crossing the older bloodlines reintroduce strong bone and correct leg growth so his foals did not suffer many of the growth deviations we see with so many foals. His strongest contribution is that he allowed us, as breeders, to take advantage of the hybrid vigor that occurs in bloodline outcrosses. I believe time will prove MR to be an outstanding broodmare sire because of this.”
Despite losing Casual MR this year, Price will have one more foal crop next year. Tina says she will also use his daughters, extensively, as their breeding program moves forward. “His daughters are proving to be exceptional producers and the future looks bright,” Tina proudly states. “He was a tremendous horse and we were very blessed to have had him in our lives.”
