Sometimes there are horses that are almost like a “one hit wonder.” We see them succeed for a few years (or less) and then, for an infinite number of reasons, they disappear from the show pen forever.
Then there are the “war horses”; those horses that pack around a number of riders helping them to achieve their goals year after year after year.
Specialty Item, a 1997 AQHA sorrel gelding by Mr Hot Item and out of Coosa Gal is one of these war horses.
A true all-around horse with points in countless events ranging from halter to western pleasure to barrel racing, “Ike” as he is affectionately known, has been loved by many youth and amateurs over the past 19 years.
His most recent owner, Sasha Lyons of Dixon, California, purchased Ike on Valentine’s Day in 2012 at the Oregon Sweetheart Show from Rae Lewis.
“I knew him well because he had been in my trainer, (the late) Lise Von Uhlit’s barn for the past 13 years,” Lyons said. (Pictured right, Uhlit and barn) “He had made the rounds through her youth kids, and I knew he was a true all-around horse and had the whole package.”
Lyons went on to share that being a performance horse was never supposed to be in the cards for Ike.
“He was bred to be a halter horse but never quite made it,” she said, “He has some twisted front legs, so that isn’t exactly ideal for a halter horse. Then, when he was three, the vet looked him over and gave him maybe three years of soundness, so he wasn’t even supposed to be rideable.”
Well, Ike proved that vet wrong, and, by the time Lyons bought him, he had amassed hundreds of points and was piloted by four different youth and two amateurs.
Lyons enjoyed great success with Ike right off the bat, winning multiple circuit championships in 2012. They were also finalists in the Amateur Showmanship at the Congress that same year.
But, like most exhibitors, Lyons had some goals.
“About six months in, I decided I really wanted to qualify for the World,” she said.
In 2013, Ike helped Lyons dreams come true. They qualified for the AQHA World Show in both showmanship and horsemanship, finishing sixth overall in the showmanship.
To top it all off, they won the showmanship at the Level 1 (Novice) Championships, got fifth in the horsemanship, eleventh in the western riding and ended up winning the western all around. They were also Congress finalists in the hunt seat equitation.
For Lyons, she had accomplished her goals.
She decided to take a break from showing, so Ike was leased to a Novice Youth in Arizona, but when that ended, Lyons knew it was time for Ike to move on to teach yet another.
Enter: a little boy named Max.
“I have been friends with Max’s aunt, Rose Santos, for many years,” she said, “I knew that Max and Ike would be the perfect fit and that he would have a wonderful home.”
If it couldn’t get any more perfect, Ike is going home with Max this Valentine’s Day weekend, exactly four years from when Lyons bought Ike from Lewis.
Talk about a Valentine’s Day love story!
Max, who is seven and lives with his grandmother, Donel Santos, in Auburn, California, has never had a horse of his own.
“He has learned on our older mares here at the ranch, and he has never shown,” Santos said. “He flew with us in September to Fort Worth to the Select World and had a great time. Ike will, no doubt, give him a million dollar education.”
Max, who also loves Legos and his two rescue dogs, Teeny and Tuffy, had this to say about Ike. “He is so kind and gentle, and he is famous!” he told us. “I really love him and I’d like to do the trail on him.”
Santos said the plan is for Max to take lessons from both Amanda Winger, and his beloved Aunt Rose (when she is in town) and to show locally in northern California, probably starting next year.
In the meantime, Max will continue to do “man stuff” in between riding and giving Ike peppermints (his favorite treat). In case you’re curious, “man stuff” includes driving the Gator, opening and shutting pasture gates, and unloading hay (among other VERY manly things).
As for this 16.1 hand gentle giant who has amassed 663.5 halter and performance points in his career?
It is probably safe to say his feelings about the whole deal mimic Max’s– who said when asked how he feels about having his first horse: “I feel good.”
