It’s often been said among horse people that if you are lucky enough, you will get a “once in a lifetime” horse.
For Sara Evango of Denver, Colorado, that horse was Keatons Cadillac, a 1992 APHA Bay Overo mare by Black Cadillac and out of Lucille Dea (QH).
Affectionately known as KC, Sara and her family purchased the mare on February 4, 1997 when Sara was just 11 years old.
“I’ll never forget our trip to Texas to see her,” Sara reminisced, “I knew instantly she was the one; she was my forever horse immediately.”
While their first year of showing together had some successes, Sara remembers it also had its challenges.
“Our first year showing together was tough,” she said. “She took off with me in almost every pleasure and hunter under saddle class. I’ll never forget it. I rode her almost seven days a week the first year while we built our relationship and understanding of each other.”
That hard work paid off in spades and starting in 1998, the team was unstoppable on the APHA circuit.
In 1998, they won their first AjPHA World Championship in the 13 & Under Trail (which would soon become one of their favorite classes). They also earned the #2 spot on the AjPHA Top Twenty that year, narrowly missing the #1 spot.
The year 1999 also proved to be a banner year with APHA World Championships in both 13 & Under Trail and Horsemanship, a Reserve World Championship in 13&Under Hunter Under Saddle, 13 & Under All Around High Point , and High Point Western Horse at the APHA World Show.
To top it off, they were also named #1 on APHA’s Youth 13 & Under Top Twenty.
Sara and KC continued to excel throughout the rest of Sara’s youth career, with the culmination of their hard work coming in 2003 when they secured an AjPHA World Championship in 14-18 Western Riding.
For Sara, this win was their most meaningful accomplishment together.
“She was incredibly talented at western riding, but when we first started it, it was not pretty,” she laughed, “It took years for us to perfect it. I cried when we won that one!”
Not only did KC excel at being a youth horse, her talents were also prevalent as an Open horse.
She won five Open APHA World and Reserve Championships: 1998 Reserve World Champion Green Working Hunter and 2002 Reserve World Champion Senior Working Hunter with Roger Deromedi in the irons and 2003 Reserve World Champion Senior Western Riding, 2004 World Champion Senior Western Riding, and 2007 Reserve World Champion Senior Western Riding piloted by Leslie Lange.
Needless to say, KC was a true all-around horse.
Sara also enjoyed success as a Classic Amateur ending up third in the Classic Amateur Western Riding at the 2007 APHA World show and being named Honor Roll Classic Amateur Western Riding that same year.
Sara retired KC at the end of 2007, and, in 2009, she had a sorrel tobiano filly by Gentlemen Send Roses. KC’s progeny also includes a 2001 solid chestnut colt by The CorporateImage and a 2006 solid black gelding by Artful Investment (AQHA).
Combined, Keatons Cadillac earned an astonishing 6,068 points combined between her Youth, Amateur, and Open show records.
While KC enjoyed many years of retirement, on May 6, 2016, she was humanely euthanized after a complicated colic surgery at the age of 24.
On the news of her passing, social media lit up with love and support including a heartfelt message from Rod Safty and Roger Deromedi that read, “A heartfelt goodbye to one of the greatest all around mares in the Paint horse industry Keatons Cadillac. It’s been an honor and privilege to ride such an incredible individual.”
Multiple AQHA and APHA World Show Champion trainer, Charlie Cole of Highpoint Performance Horses posted, “So sorry Sara. She was one of my favorites.”
Later, Cole said, “I really did always enjoy watching that mare. She was so talented and had so much presence.”
Of course, Sara, who owned KC for nearly 20 years had something to say about what made KC so special.
“I would say, it was her love for the sport. She absolutely loved showing and everything that went with it. She was always so excited to get in the trailer because she knew we were going to a show. She loved being groomed and pampered by my Dad. She was a different horse in the show pen, much more alert and sensitive, she was even more so at the World Show, she truly knew that was the biggest show of the year. Not only was she incredibly talented but she loved her job, those combined is what made her great.”
So great in fact, that Sara had something else to share about KC’s fun, and a little cocky, personality.
“She got to a point where she was pretty confident,” Sara laughed, “So there were times when we were at the height of our career and the announcer would start announcing the placings, she would just start walking forward.”
Sara chuckled that this would be super embarrassing at times, especially when they had less than a stellar go.
Evango adds, “I already miss everything about her. I’ll miss riding her the most probably, it was my favorite view and place to be in the whole world. My troubles always melted away on her back.”
Author’s Note: I would like to extend my personal condolences to Sara and all of the Evango family. Sara happens to be my best friend and we showed together for many years. KC was an incredible horse and she will be greatly missed.
