There are many people in the horse industry that never get a chance to own a horse that completely changes their life for the better. Brad and Kelli McCamy of Aubrey, Texas were lucky enough to be touched by a legendary stallion that will forever be in their hearts.
The World and Congress Champion and Sire, Impulsions, was euthanized on Monday, April 18, 2011, due to complications associated with laminitis. This 2004 NSBA Hall of Fame inductee (as show horse and sire) and 1987 chestnut stallion by The Invester and out of Randados Rosa was bred by Wilson Quarter Horses of Joshua, Texas. This western pleasure stallion affectionately known as, “Papa”, was buried in the front yard of the McCamy’s near their flag pole.
Impulsions was the 1989 World Champion in the Two Year-Old Snaffle Bit and earned over $35,000 in all-time futurity earnings. He was also Champion of the Three Year Old Derby at the All American Quarter Horse Congress (winning all 3 go arounds). Impulsions was then retired, having won all major titles by the end of his three year-old year.
Owner Kelli McCamy said that Impulsions was a once-in-a- lifetime horse that made her and her husband’s career in the horse world. “He was a very smart horse and knew his job,” Kelli recalls. “He was known for his amazing strength and impulsion behind and his beautiful head. His name fitted him perfectly. He did everything so natural that all I had to do was stay out of his way.”
McCamy adds, “Impulsions helped jump start our career, and he helped us make a living in this industry for over 24 years. Many trainers never have the opportunity to find a horse like him, and we were very lucky.”
Kelli says that she is still the only woman to have won a World Championship in the 2 Year-Old at the AQHA World Show, and she credits the chestnut stallion’s talent. Not only did she win the class, but this duo was unanimous under all five judges.
As a sire, he had over 254 point earners in all divisons combined, with a total of his get earning over 22,000 total points. This outstanding stallion also sired ten World Champions and seven Reserve World Champions. His foals have also earned $393,890.20 in Incentive Fund earnings, and over $679,000 in futurity earnings.
According to McCamy, she never realized until recently how many people’s lives over the years he has impacted and changed for the better. Leading exhibitors Courtney Chown, Blair Kern, and Katie Goode were among many youth that rode Impulsions’s babies and did very successful throughout their show career. Some of his babies include, Impulse Me, A Sudden Impulse, Impulsive Lite, Big N Rich, Lope On In, Impulsive Ethel, Impulsability, Impulsive I Am, Hot Impulse, Red Hot Impulse, and Duplicate Impulse.
The McCamy’s purchased Impulsions as a yearling, and Kelli says that she credits her husband, Brad, for immediately seeing the potential in this young stallion.
“When we went to look at him, my husband saw him poke his head out of the stall, and he immediately said they would take him,” McCamy remembers. “I wasn’t all that sold on him at first. Several leading trainers passed on him, and he was really fat and trotted around on the longe line with his head up. My husband was involved with his sire, The Invester, so he already liked his pedigree. I wasn’t really sold on him until later on in his two year-old year, but my husband always thought he was special.”
Kelli was lucky that she listened to her husband because, Impulsions, turned out to be the greatest show horse that they ever had the opportunity to own. “He gave us way more than we were ever able to give him. He had the biggest heart, and we hope to continue his legacy through his babies.”
