Like most great horses, Design By Leaguer has been described as “quirky.”
But “athletic,” “careful” and “brilliant at trail” are also part of his legacy. He thrived on pressure and carried open and amateur riders through difficult trail courses no matter their experience level.
“He wasn’t a fun horse to show at the small shows – he was a fun horse to show at the big shows,” says AQHA Professional Horseman Jason Martin of Pilot Point, Texas, who showed Design By Leaguer to many of his 1,546 open trail points. “The harder the course, the better he was. If a course was super hard, I would know he was going to do well. He was great in training and would really step up, especially at a world show. He really shined.”
The 1993 black gelding by Ina Different League is out of Sweet Booger by Booger Niner. He was bred by Melinda Minnis of Windermere, Florida.
“Bevis” carried six amateurs to 1,006 amateur trail points: Monique Borruso, Caroline Gunn Rogers, Jane Humes, Steve Gunn, Johnan Ratliff and Cole Gower. Kade Gower, Cole Gower and Sarah Ratliff earned youth points on him.
Monique, who lives in Cotati, California, earned 729.5 of those points with Bevis. She started training him when he was 4 and sold him when he was 13.
“He was a once-in-a-lifetime horse,” she says. “I started him in western pleasure, but I love trail and have since I was 12.”
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