Katie Van Slyke has been making waves on social media for several years, sharing relatable horse and farm-life content with her sizeable fan base.
Recently, she’s been making a name for herself as a stallion owner, purchasing the established stallion VS Code Red (aka “Waylon”) and Waylon’s grandson First Thingz First (aka “Denver”), who is expecting his first foals in 2026 and is currently showing under the guidance of Aaron Moses Show Horses.
Now, Van Slyke is excited to announce the acquisition of established show horse and future broodmare, Gone Commando (Gone Viral x Only A Sterling Moon), aka “Rikki.”
On The Hunt for Something Spectacular
Van Slyke has been quietly searching for proven western broodmare candidates that aren’t closely related to Waylon or Denver.
“I love my broodmares and I love Waylon, so, as a result, many of my best western mares are related to him in some way,” Katie told us. “As wonderful as it is to have Waylon descendants in the barn, unfortunately, I can’t breed them back to my own stallions.”
“I wanted to curate my broodmare band to fit my stallions, so I’ve been looking for a mare with a show record that stood out, winning movement, correct conformation, and desirable bloodlines for a strong outcross on my boys,” she explains.
How It Came Together
Van Slyke knew finding the perfect mare wouldn’t be easy, so she contacted a broker, hoping they could make the proper connection.
“I reached out to Jenna Seppa because I had seen her posting some very high-quality horses. I decided to give her my wish list in hopes she might be able to track down what I wanted.”
“After I gave Jenna my laundry list of numerous ideal traits, I figured it’d probably take a while to hear back, but I was willing to be patient for the right mare.”
Van Slyke laughs, “Well, I didn’t need to be patient for long because Jenna got back to me that day saying she found something! And when I discovered that ‘something’ was Rikki, I was very excited to try moving forward.”
“It came together so easily, so I feel like it was meant to be. Karen [Carter] and Taft [Dickerson] were amazing to work with. They were helpful and honest, and I’m incredibly grateful they deemed me worthy of owning a mare that meant so much to them.”
Rikki’s former owner, Karen Carter, is thrilled with this new match. She gushes, “We are so pleased that Rikki has found an incredible home with Katie. This mare gave us so much joy, and now we get to share her with an even bigger audience who will enjoy this next chapter of her life. I’ll be her biggest fan and follower!”
She’s Got the Right Stuff
Van Slyke didn’t need much research to know Rikki was what she’d been looking for.
She recalls, “I remember Rikki winning the 2022 Virginia Maiden. I had a Gone Viral yearling that year that I was looking to sell, and I loved that a Gone Viral filly was going out and having so much success.”
“I remember watching Taft riding her and how soft and fluid she was. She is such a pretty mover and so well put-together. I admired her long before I ever considered buying her.”
Van Slyke wanted something proven, and Rikki is exactly that. She was a three-time Congress Champion, NSBA Champion and Reserve Champion, High-Point Green Western Pleasure horse, High-Point 3-Year-Old horse, and multiple futurity winner.
“She was one of my favorite horses I have ever shown. It was definitely a hard one to sell, but I know she will have a great home with Katie,” trainer Taft Dickerson told us.
Former owner Karen Carter bred Rikki to Hay Goodlookin this spring for a February 2026 foal, which will now be born on Van Slyke’s farm, Running Springs Quarter Horse & Cattle Company in Nolenville, Tennessee.
Vision for the Future
Van Slyke is already dreaming up plans for Rikki’s future at Running Springs.
“She’s sound, so I plan to ride her around at home before she’s too heavily in foal. I may show her in the future, but my primary plan is to breed her to Denver and Waylon.”
Van Slyke continues, “I think Rikki is a big, stout, soft mare. She is also so sweet and good-minded – she was immediately friendly and settled in at our farm. I focus on good-minded foals, and I strongly believe she will pass that on to her foals.”
“I’m hoping crossing her with my stallions will result in athletic, correct, good-minded babies. I will likely do an embryo transfer on her in the spring. I prioritize breeding her to Denver because I want to help establish him with strong mares. She’s bred early enough that I may also be able to transfer an embryo by Waylon.”
Katie adds, “Waylon has nothing to prove at this point – he’s known for passing on his exceptional movement and mind. He has had success beyond the pleasure pen and into the all-around pen. I’m so thankful for him and want to continue his legacy with Denver.”
She emphasizes, “Kristen Galyean did such a wonderful job establishing Waylon, and I aspire to follow her model of breeding talented, good-minded horses that have long, successful show careers.”
Van Slyke reflects, “I feel very blessed to have stallion power behind me, but anyone in the business knows that long-term success truly lies in the broodmare power. I’ve learned that the blueprint for breeding success lies in the foundation of your broodmare band.”
“I want good minds and winning movement, so I’m looking to buy mares with those traits to continue expanding my program. I think Rikki fits that bill to a ‘T’ and I’m excited to take everyone on this breeding journey with me.”
