GoHorseshow would like to congratulate Potential Investment (Martin) on being inducted into the NSBA Hall of Fame as a breeding sire. Potential Investment was by Principle Investment and out of the great show mare, Hot Little Treasure, who was by Hotrodders Jet Set. The multiple World and Congress Champion sire passed away in December of 2010 at the age of 18, but his legacy will live on in his offspring.
His owners, Steve Heckaman and Dr. Janis Kengis were largely responsible in developing this gorgeous stallion into an outstanding performer in the show ring and finally as a breeding sire.
“Dr. Kengis has been the ideal partner because he has always had the best interests of the horses in mind,” Heckaman says. “I have been in business with him for over twenty years, and he is one of my longest standing relationships.”
When Martin was a yearling, Heckaman told Kengis about the colt, and the two wound up partnering on the colt. Little did they know that this partnership would result in a legendary NSBA Hall of Fame Sire.
“He was a late June baby, and I thought he would be a fun project,” Steve told GoHorseShow. “He was average-sized, and I thought we could make money on him, but, I had no idea he would turn into the type of sire that would change the industry for the better. We were lucky to come along for the ride.”
What made this Congress and Reserve World Champion pleasure stallion stand apart from the rest? Heckaman believes he has the answer.
“He was the perfect blend of brawn and beauty. Conformation-wise, I don’t know that I have seen very many horses that much higher in their withers than their hips,” he says. “His center of gravity was always back on his hocks and because so, he moved with so much lift and was always slow legged even when he was fresh. From the time we first loped him as a two year-old, he was just a tick off show pace….all he really needed to learn was to figure out the cues and put his head down two inches to level. That’s a horse trainer’s dream.”
Even though he was successful in the show ring, Martin made his mark as a breeding sire, particularly a producer of legendary sires. He is the father of such greats as Certain Potential who is the sire of A Certain Vino, Gota Lota Potential who is the sire of Lazy Loper, as well as the sire of Investing Wisely, Potential Career, and Potential Asset.
According to his AQHA records, 278 of his offspring have earned over 24,000 points; $365,373.31 in AQHA Incentive Fund Earnings; $92,389.00 at the AQHA World Show and nearly $500,000 with the National Snaffle Bit Association. He has also sired nine world champions, six reserve world champions, and eight high point winners.
His offspring were often very pretty and mostly bay or brown.
“I didn’t gain an appreciation until now of the advantage it was for him to be homozygous for the black gene,” Steve says. “There is likely no statistical data to substantiate my theory, but I think whenever a horse can dominate color, they have to bring more characteristics of themselves and the family to the table as well. Besides being predominately bay or brown, most of his colts were really strong lopers and had a lot of self carriage like he had.”
Heckaman also mentioned that one of Potential Investment’s strengths as a sire was his ability to breed versatility in his offspring.
“He has brought a lot of quality, athleticism, nice conformation, and quality looks to many of his foals, and many of them are able to do a variety of events and be very competitive in classes from the hunter under saddle to the western riding.”
Heckaman has been without Martin for over 18 months, says that he misses having the old guy around the farm. “Martin had an abundance of expression most of the time. He could be a little sensitive at times, but, I think it was just his strong desire to please. He was mainly all business whether it was riding, showing or going to the breeding shed, and I am honored that I had the opportunity to be a part of his success.”
Photos © KC Montgomery
