Staring out into a pasture of broodmares, you see a range of colors, length of leg, strength of their topline, and the prettiness of their head and necks. Then, you start to ponder about whom they would cross well with and what their babies’ names could be if they were crossed with World Champion bloodlines. Before long, your daydream has future plans for a baby that doesn’t even have a breeding contract signed. It’s pretty rare to look out at that group of mares and say, “Let’s bring her up and start showing,” but that is exactly what these smart owners did.
Broodmares end up with their careers as professional moms for a variety of reasons. They might have had an injury at an early age; they were ready retire; or the owner had a life changing experience that didn’t allow for showing or as much time and commitment for a show horse. So, the idea to, “Let’s breed her”, comes up in conversation, and before you know it, stallions are chosen, a date is set, and the next 11 months and a few days are planned.
So what happens when that plan changes course, or after a few foals, the sheer talent of the mare is just screaming to be used again?
We set out to find a few examples of mares that went from the broodmare pasture to have successful show careers.
Hot Lady Born Lopin
Faced with her last year in the youth division, Carli Pitts and her parents, Professional Horsemen Brad and Vicki Pitts, wanted to find a mount that could fulfill their needs for an all around horse. Brad had talked to Masterson Farms about the search, and they told the Pitts about a mare that was traded to the them for a broodmare because she didn’t cut it as a western pleasure prospect.
When the Pitts family visited Masterson Farms, they brought out, Hot Lady Born Lopin (Dixie), for Carli to test ride. Dixie, who is by Blazing Hot, had some solid western pleasure training as a two and three year old, but when they brought her out of the field in February 2015, she didn’t look like the Reserve AQHA World Champion she would become.
Carli remembers, “She had long hair, a numbered collar, and she just looked like an old mare.” Although she was six years-old and had already carried a baby, Carli knew from the first ride that Dixie would make a great all around horse. Bringing her back, they allowed Dixie to choose her own pace, but she was really smart and willing and there was never a need to push her.
Dixie had her first debut in horsemanship only a month after coming out of the broodmare field, and by August, she helped Carli win the NSBA World Show in horsemanship and western riding, picked up the silver trophy at the AQHYA World Championships and a Reserve Congress Championship in the 15-18 and NYATT Horsemanship classes.
All within nine months, this horse went from broodmare to superstar. While Carli is moving on to a professional career with P5 Equestrian, Hot Lady Born Lopin, is looking forward to her future with Katie Van Slyke in the amateur all around events. Dixie’s days of the broodmare field maybe done, but we hear there are some embryo transfer plans to keep her producing.
Good Time Blazer and Kelley Mundrick
Kelley Mundrick is a regular at the top of amateur western and hunt seat classes and has already proven to be a great breeder showing her homebred gelding, A Rage in Good Time, to be a Reserve Congress Champion and a Reserve NSBA World Champion. When Lenny’s mom, Good Timin Lucinda (Lucy, pictured right), passed away suddenly in 2013, Kelley went on a search to find her only daughter.
Lucy was leased out to Schroeder Ranch several years prior and had a filly by Blazin Hot named, Good Time Blazer (Sally, pictured above as a baby and left at the Congress). Kelley purchased Sally in 2013 as broodmare sound. She put her on the longe line just to see how she moved and to start thinking about what stud would compliment her.
After watching her go around, Kelley thought, “Let’s have the vet look at her and see if she would stay sound enough to get her ROM, so her babies would be worth more.”
Lucky for everyone, Sally has stayed sound for two years now, and went from the pasture to a Reserve Congress championship, multiple NSBA World and Congress Top Tens as well as capturing an AQHA Superior Award. Kelley has plenty of showing and breeding plans for Sally’s future, but she is keeping those under wraps for now!
Malibu Molly and Annette Fowler
Malibu Molly has more AQHA World Show trophies and Congress medallions than almost any mare jumping around the AQHA circuit. However, several years ago, she sustained an injury while showing in Florida that would require a lot of time off with no turnout and quite a bit of therapy.
Her owner ,AQHA Select World Champion Annette Fowler, decided to take it really slow extending her time off from a year to three years, because Molly is her favorite horse, and she wanted the most effective recovery time.
During this time off, they decided to breed her. Molly had two babies during her break (one pictured left). When they weaned the second baby in September of 2014, Annette started bringing her back slowly. She still trots Molly a lot in warm up to give her all the time she needs, and she get’s plenty of breaks after horse shows.
In 2014, Malibu Molly came back to an eighth place finish at the AQHA World Show in Amateur Working Hunter and numerous top tens in the high point standings. She continued her successful return in 2015 finishing second in the Amateur High Point standings for Equitation Over Fences and another Top Ten at the AQHA World Show.
Red Carpet Rita and Amy Mackie Smith
Red Carpet Rita hit the show circuit in 2014 with Amy Mackie Smith while carrying her first foal all the way through the Congress. She had her baby in February of 2015, and then, returned to show arena at the Buckeye Classic where she picked up two circuit championships in Senior and Amateur Hunter Under Saddle and was the Overall High Point English Horse. She also qualified for the AQHA World Championships. Not a bad comeback! Since her return, Rita also landed a fourth place at the Congress and finished her superior in just three shows.
When asked about Rita’s quick and successful return, Amy shared that, “Every is mare is different, but it helps when they are already in good shape before the foaling.”
Rita’s team was very surprised how quickly she got her figure back. Rita is by Capall Creek’s stallion, Iron Enterprise and has a date with Allocate Your Assets this spring. She will continue in the show ring until she tells her owners it’s time for a rest or the girth no longer fits.
Hot Tamale Holly and Jodi Pearsall
Sometimes, we get the joy of having a great horse in our lives more than once. This happened to AQHA professional Jodi Pearsall out of West Winfield, New York. Jodi first met Hot Tamale Holly when she was working for AQHA Judge and Professional Horseman Bennie Sargent in Kentucky in 2004.
After moving back to New York, Jodi was looking for a horse for her young niece and when the chance to buy Holly, she took it. Holly had a baby during her time off, but came back to be a Congress Champion in the 11 and Under Hunt Seat Equitation in 2011.
“Holly was very out of shape when she first arrived, so I would do a couple of short rides everyday,” said Jodi. “I also try to be aware of when they have physically had enough, some jump right back into working five days in row, others need a break after three.”
Jodi also recommends long trotting to build up back muscles. She knew Holly had a good canter, but just couldn’t hold it very long until she got stronger.
Another key part of the transition was turnout. Broodmares are typically turned out, so Jodi made sure Holly had plenty of turnout time to keep her mind settled and her legs loosened up.
Now, Holly is Jodi’s superstar small fry horse. Whether their talents are in their heart or their legs, some broodmares are just made to stay in the riding arena.
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If this doesn’t get you excited about heading out to your pasture and taking a second look at those broodmares, we aren’t sure what will. One thing is for certain, it is nice to know that these moms have proven themselves as performance horses, and it makes a safe bet they will pass on some good traits down to the next generation.
Photos © Jeff Kirbride, Carli Pitts, Hollie Byers, Shane Rux, Kelley Mundrick, Ruhle Photography, Annette Fowler and Eric Mendrysa
