The ranch classes at the All American Quarter Horse Congress, which opened Sept. 26 in Columbus, Ohio, are wrapping up, and a short list of sires has separated from the pack. Through the Open Ranch Trail, Open Ranch Riding and Open Working Western Rail stakes, the 3-Year-Old Open Ranch Riding futurities, the 4- and 5-Year-Old Open Ranch Riding stakes and the Non Pro stakes, eight stallions have sired more than $10,000 in earnings in classes completed on or before Oct. 1.
Gunnatrashya leads the way in open earnings, thanks largely to a sweep by SUMAC Gunnabeflashy. Wimpys Little Step leads in total earnings across open and non-pro. SG Frozen Enterprize, meanwhile, has sired more money-earners than any other stallion.
Sires We’re Watching
Gunnatrashya
Total earnings: $24,785 | Money-earning offspring: 6
Gunnatrashya’s top earner is also the top Open earner in the Congress ranch classes. SUMAC Gunnabeflashy, a 2017 chestnut gelding out of Chics Graceful Whiz (by Whiz N Tag Chex), won the Open Ranch Trail Stakes ($6,119) and the Open Ranch Riding Stakes ($4,776.72) with Bud Lyon of Whitesboro, Texas, for owner Leslie Lange. He also swept the AQHA and NSBA Senior Ranch Trail, Senior Ranch Riding and Senior Working Western Rail classes. He added the reserve championship in the Open Working Western Rail Stakes ($4,168.66), bringing his total to eight wins and $17,464.38.
Gunnatrashya also sired Whiskey Glassus, a 2021 red roan stallion out of Custom Roan (by Custom Crome), who was reserve in the 4- and 5-Year-Old Open Ranch Riding Stakes ($4,234.98) with Lyon for owner Colleen D. Kurtz.
Wimpys Little Step
Total earnings: $27,988 | Money-earning offspring: 6
No sire has earned more across open and non-pro combined, and most of it came from one horse. SS Walk The Line, a 2021 sorrel gelding out of Aledo Advance (by Custom Cash Advance), earned the largest single check in the ranch classes when Lane Kail rode him to the Non Pro Ranch Riding Stakes win ($7,698) for owners Jason and Jennifer Knight. With Ryan Kail in the Open, he was second in the Open Ranch Riding Stakes Limited, fifth in the Open Ranch Riding Stakes, fourth in the 4- and 5-Year-Old Open Ranch Riding Stakes Limited and third in both the Junior Ranch Riding and Junior Working Western Rail. His total: $16,086.
Xtra Wimpys Catalyst, a 2015 black stallion, added $10,425. With Matt Gouthro, he was third in the Open Working Western Rail Stakes ($3,010.70) and sixth in the Open Ranch Trail Stakes. With owner Erika Collins Sterling, he was fifth in the Non Pro Working Western Rail Stakes.
Royal Blue Quixote
Total earnings: $25,103 | Money-earning offspring: 1
Royal Blue Quixote is here on the strength of one horse, but it’s the top-earning horse across all three ranch disciplines. Cowpuncher Cadillac, a 2017 bay roan stallion out of Miss Dakota Eyed (by Two Eyed Red Buck), won the Open Working Western Rail Stakes ($5,789.80) and the Open Ranch Riding Stakes Limited ($3,184.48) with co-owner Jimmy Daurio, who also rode him to second in the Open Ranch Riding Stakes ($3,439.24). Co-owner David Renier then rode him to second in both the Non Pro Ranch Trail Stakes ($4,026.67) and the Non Pro Working Western Rail Stakes ($4,547.66), plus sixth in the Non Pro Ranch Riding Stakes.
Shiners Voodoo Dr
Total earnings: $18,031 | Money-earning offspring: 7
Shiners Voodoo Dr has depth, with seven offspring in the money. The top three:
- Xtra Magic Doctor, a 2014 palomino stallion owned and shown by Leslie Lange, was fourth in the Open Ranch Trail Stakes, third in the Open Ranch Riding Stakes Limited, sixth in the Open Ranch Riding Stakes and fifth in the Open Working Western Rail Stakes for $8,085.
- Daytona Five Hundred, a 2022 buckskin stallion, won the AQHA and NSBA Junior Ranch Riding classes with Shannon Quinlan Hill and earned $3,955.
- SS Got My PHD, a 2023 palomino mare out of Got Mia Spooks (by Spooks Gotta Gun), was reserve in the 3-Year-Old Open Ranch Riding Futurity ($3,457.69) with Lyon for owner Jennifer Dawson.
His other four money earners are Special Lil Voodoo ($1,119), Xtra No Can Doo ($720), That Voodoo You Do ($260) and Xtra Steppin Voodoo ($75).
Smart And Shiney
Total earnings: $15,551 | Money-earning offspring: 2
Smart And Shiney has only two money earners, but both are big ones. CBK Lyle Loves It, a 2022 palomino stallion out of Hiadas Lil Mavis (by Haidas Little Pep), won the 4- and 5-Year-Old Open Ranch Riding Stakes ($5,881.92) with Lyon for owner Kalyn Sanders.
Lil Ruf N Tuf, a 2021 sorrel gelding out of Ruf Lil Joe (by Lil Joe Cash), was second in the 4- and 5-Year-Old Open Ranch Riding Stakes Limited and fifth in the 4- and 5-Year-Old Open Ranch Riding Stakes with Sarah Rose Jons for Sotol Investments LLC.
SG Frozen Enterprize
Total earnings: $14,271 | Money-earning offspring: 12
No stallion has more money earners in these classes than SG Frozen Enterprize. His top earner is Ice Powers, a 2023 sorrel mare out of Lil Rene Gun (by Colonels Smoking Gun), who was second in the 3-Year-Old Open Ranch Riding Futurity Limited ($2,305.13) and fifth in the 3-Year-Old Open Ranch Riding Futurity with Becca K. Schaffhauser for owner Sam Schaffhauser.
A Freeze Warning, another 2023 mare, was sixth in the 3-Year-Old Open Ranch Riding Futurity with Matt Gouthro.
SS Wrecking Ball, a 2019 red dun stallion out of Xtra Ruby Step (by Wimpys Little Step), was eighth in the Open Working Western Rail Stakes ($1,157.96) with Melvin Yoder for owner Alexius Dorsey.
Lil Joe Cash
Total earnings: $14,159 | Money-earning offspring: 4
Lil Joe Cash’s top earner is Double Tapn, a 2018 sorrel gelding out of Whiz N Snap (by Topsail Whiz), who was reserve in the Open Ranch Trail Stakes ($4,405.68) with Lyon for owner Jennifer S. Greenleaf.
Lil JFK, a 2021 bay gelding, was third in the 4- and 5-Year-Old Open Ranch Riding Stakes Limited with Sarah Rose Jons.
Lil Joe Cash offspring earned two more checks in the Open Working Western Rail Stakes. Double Tapn was sixth ($1,621.14) with Logan Pluhar, and One Cool Joe was seventh ($1,389.55) with Steve Meadows for owner Michelle Higdon-Rector.
Lil Joe Cash is also having a big week as a broodmare sire. Ruf Lil Joe, one of his daughters, is the dam of both Lil Ruf N Tuf and Non Pro Ranch Trail Stakes champion Inferno Joe.
No Smoking Required
Total earnings: $10,545 | Money-earning offspring: 2
No Smoking Required is two for two with gray offspring. Unquestionably Smokn, a 2022 gelding out of Unquestionably Crome (by Custom Crome), won the 4- and 5-Year-Old Open Ranch Riding Stakes Limited ($3,921.28) and was third in the 4- and 5-Year-Old Open Ranch Riding Stakes ($3,058.60) with Jimmy Daurio for owner Rebecca L. Bunting.
Smoked The Rest, a 2023 stallion, was third in the 3-Year-Old Open Ranch Riding Futurity Limited with Melvin Yoder.
Other Sires of Champions
A few stallions sired class winners without cracking the $10,000 mark:
- In Like Flinn sired 3-Year-Old Open Ranch Riding Futurity champion Mis American Pie, a 2023 chestnut mare out of Gunnamoonya (by Gunnatrashya), owned and shown by Lyon ($5,402.64).
- A Vintage Smoke sired 3-Year-Old Open Ranch Riding Futurity Limited champion Lil Vintage Grace, a 2023 buckskin mare who won $3,601.76 and was fourth in the 3-Year-Old Open Ranch Riding Futurity with Noel Meadows for owner Valerie Bostick.
- Inferno Sixty Six sired Non Pro Ranch Trail Stakes champion Inferno Joe ($5,592.60) with Sarah Rose Jons for Sotol Investments LLC.
- Cat Man Do sired Non Pro Working Western Rail Stakes champion Lc Whiskey Man Do ($6,316.20), shown by owner Karen M. Johnson, who also placed 10th with him in the Open Working Western Rail Stakes ($810.57).
By the Numbers
| Sire | Money earners | Total earnings |
|---|---|---|
| Wimpys Little Step | 6 | $27,988 |
| Royal Blue Quixote | 1 | $25,103 |
| Gunnatrashya | 6 | $24,785 |
| Shiners Voodoo Dr | 7 | $18,031 |
| Smart And Shiney | 2 | $15,551 |
| SG Frozen Enterprize | 12 | $14,271 |
| Lil Joe Cash | 4 | $14,159 |
| No Smoking Required | 2 | $10,545 |
Data reflects classes completed as of Oct. 1. Earnings are rounded to the nearest dollar and include Open, Non Pro and Amateur Ranch Riding, Ranch Trail and Working Western Rail classes with posted results. The Youth Ranch Riding and Youth Ranch Trail classes are still to come.
A Nod to the Grandsires
Look one generation back and three grandsires stand out:
- Colonels Smoking Gun: sire of Gunnatrashya and No Smoking Required, plus Gunners Indian, Guns R For Shootin, Gunners Special Nite and Gunners Tinseltown, who all have money earners at this year’s show
- Shining Spark: sire of Shiners Voodoo Dr, plus Smart Shiner (sire of Smart And Shiney) and A Sparkling Vintage (sire of A Vintage Smoke)
- Nu Chex To Cash: sire of Wimpys Little Step and Lil Joe Cash