King’s Quarter Horses of Crescent City, Florida would like to congratulate RJN Farms of Galva, Kansas on the purchase of Congress and AQHA World Champion, Secret Gunfighter. RJN Farms is owned by Russell and Jerrid Nightingale who also stand World Champion halter stallions, A Zhivago and sorrel overo, WKN Chicas Icon.
“I am very glad I got the opportunity to purchase such an outstanding stallion,” says Jerrid Nightingale, who along with his father Russ, breed, show, and raise halter horses together at their farm in Kansas. “2015 will be Gunfighter’s big year as there will be many babies coming and we look forward to seeing his first real foal crop on the ground. We would like to thank Donnie and Lisa for helping us step up our breeding program.”
The 2011 N/N stallion is by the late Western Gunslinger and out of Top Secretina who is by The Top Secret. RJN Farms also purchased over 40 head including 10 broodmares and 5 babies along with an Amateur slot at the Breeders’ Halter Futurity from the King’s. Secret Gunfighter will stand in 2015 at the Nightingale’s farm in Kansas along with their other two halter stallions.
“The Nightingale’s were the first phone call I made after I decided to sell Gunfighter,” says Lisa, who admits it was a very difficult decision. “I called them on a Thursday; they were here at the farm on Tuesday and the entire deal was done Thursday. These guys are nice folks, and I think they will do really good with him. They had bred to Western Gunslinger before and I had met Russell and Jerrid at horse shows and gotten to know them. I knew they had an interest in an amateur slot in the Breeders’ futurity. I approached them about buying the whole package, the stud, all the mares and the slot and they wanted it all.”
King adds, “I am basically horseless. It is a strange feeling. I’m going to miss many of our horse show friends. The decision to get out was the best decision for me at the time because I really needed to heal from the death of Western Gunslinger,” Lisa explains, who passed away in February of this year. “I knew it would be hard. I really just needed a break.”
Lisa told GoHorseShow that she would never have considered selling Gunfighter (pictured left) and getting out of the business if Western Gunslinger hadn’t passed away.
“Gunslinger was taking Donnie and me exactly where we wanted to go. As a six year old he was number four on the Leading Sire’s List. I thought Western Gunslinger was my once-in-a-lifetime horse, but after Gunfighter’s first foals hit the ground, I actually think he might be a better sire than his daddy.”
Western Gunslinger was a 2007 N/N sorrel stallion that died in February due to complications associated with intestinal tumors. He was well on his way to securing a spot as one of the very best halter stallions standing today. In his impressive show career, Western Gunslinger was the 2008 AQHA World Champion Yearling Stallion and Reserve World Champion Amateur Yearling Stallion and an unanimous Congress Champion. He was equally an impressive sire, who in his short breeding career, earned the titles of World Champion Sire, Breeders Halter Futurity Champion Sire, and National Championship Halter Show Champion Sire. He sired the 2013 Congress Champion in both the Yearling and Two Year Old Stallion classes.
King says that she wishes the Nightingale’s the best of luck. “They have purchased the number one N/N breeding stallion in the country. It was a very hard decision to make because his babies look great,” says Lisa about Gunfighter’s first foals on the ground. “He’s going to be a heck of a horse.”
Secret Gunfighter was the 2013 Two Year-old Congress Champion Stallion; the 2013 Congress Grand Champion Stallion; 2012 AQHA World Champion Yearling Stallion and National Halter Futurity Champion.
“Special thanks to all the wonderful people that have supported us by breeding or buying horses throughout the years to make King Quarter Horses so successful,” Lisa states. “We’ve had a great time and want to encourage you to support Gunfighter at his new home.”
As far as the King’s future plans? “I’m going to stay very busy,” Lisa states. “We are building a resort on the St. John’s river just a mile from our house in Crescent City, Florida. There’s a restaurant and a tiki bar, and we would love for our horse show friends to come visit. It’s going to be a big change from the horses.”
Click here to view Secret Gunfighter’s ad in the September issue of GoMag.
