Next Crop of Barrel Horses Progressing Well, Much Needed Rain in Hondo

Broodmare Spotlight: Marthas Wrangler

Marthas Wrangler is a nine year old mare who has shown very promising offspring for barrel racing, she is by First Wrangler and out of a Marthas Six Moons mare. Marthas Wrangler has won over $23,000 and has a speed index of 93. So far she has had four foals here at the ranch, the oldest one being a four year old mare that has been sold and is headed to California to continue her barrel racing career. All of her offspring are athletic, smart, fast and have excellent conformation thus making them rise to the top. We are excited to watch her foals grow to compete and are anxious to watch them in the barrel racing futurities.

Here is a video of Marthas Wrangler’s three year old, Namgis D 38, this week showing a lot of promise for next year’s barrel futurities! Kylie reports that Prissy, as we call her, is showing the most talent out of the three year old crop at this point.

The up and coming foals out of Marthas Wrangler are some of the most eye catching on the ranch. Take a look at the yearling gelding and this year’s colt out of Wrangler. Both of these guys are by Dude, making them full brothers to Prissy.

Around the Ranch

With several inches of rain over the last week the ranch is doing great! The horse pastures are filled with knee deep grass and we will be able to get more hay this year then we have in the past. Here at Namgis Quarter Horses we grow and cut all of our hay to ensure that our horses are getting the nutrients they need for proper growth and bone density. All of our pastures and hay fields are irrigated Tifton 85, but it sure is nice getting enough rain to not have to supplement with irrigation.

Jeremy and Keylee are still evaluating the two year old crop, using them on the ranch to move cattle and getting a good feel for what each horse will excel at. This way in the fall they can be aimed toward the areas in which they will perform the best. We will have a variety of barrel prospects, roping prospects and several horses that will be pointed toward Stock Horse of Texas events.

New Team Members and Spring Futurity Wrap Up

What a year 2013 has been so far at Namgis Quarter Horses! This has been a year of growth around the ranch and we have made some great additions to the Namgis team. We would like to welcome Jeremy and Keylee Levi to the ranch. Jeremy Levi is our new head trainer and Keylee Levi is our new intern for the summer. To learn more about them check out our updated Team page.

Spring Barrel Futurity Wrap Up

With the spring barrel futurities coming to a close we have gotten a good sense of what kind of barrel horses Dude might produce. Leading the crop is Namgis D 15 who has collected checks for over $70,000 this year with solid runs in every event he was hauled to. Wolfie as we call him finished up the spring with a solid run at the Old Fort Days Futurity where he qualified for the finals by running 21st out of 342 horses and ended up 29th in the finals while earning $2,503.34.

Around the Ranch

Down at the ranch Jeremy and Keylee are jumping right in and evaluating the three and four year olds that we still have here in Hondo. They are excited at the prospects of some of these young horses to participate in Stock Horse of Texas events. These competitions highlight ranch pleasure, working cow horse, reining, and ranch trail resulting in a well rounded horse that can perform in the show ring as well as on the ranch. Learn more about the Stock Horse of Texas at http://www.stockhorsetexas.org/ and look for some Namgis horses at upcoming SHOT shows.

Jeremy Levi at a SHOT Show Competing in the Working Cow Horse Class

Namgis D 15 wins over $28,000 in Buckeye

Winning in Buckeye, AZ

Our first crop of barrel horses are off and running with the first few of Dude’s offspring heading to Arizona earlier this month to compete in the Classic Equine and Greg Olsen Memorial. We have had high hopes for these horses and are now able to see the first of what our program is producing.

The best performer of the week for us was Namgis D 15 (Bucks Hancock Dude x Central Station). Kylie Ward rode him to win the Classic Equine Slot Race, place in each go, and take 3rd in the average for the Futurity. The following week he ran in the Greg Olsen Memorial picking up checks in each go and taking 8th in the average. Overall, he collected winnings of $28,818.58 while in Buckeye, AZ. Kylie also ran Namgis D 19 to collect a check in the Classic Equine Futurity. In the coming months Kylie will be hauling to Old Fort Days, the Lance Graves Pro Classic, and Diamonds and Dirt among others to continue the four year old campaign for these horses.

Read all about the win in the Barrel Racing Report

Namgis D 15 making winning run at Classic Equine Slot Race:

Kylie has started the next crop of Namgis 3 year olds on barrels as of last month, taking Namgis D 28, Namgis D 35, and Namgis D 39 home to the Youree Ranch to begin training. In the coming months she will evaluate these young horses as well as the rest of the Namgis 3 year olds and get them started on their barrel careers.

 

Around the Headquarters

Meanwhile, here in Hondo the new year means that it is time to start the latest group of two year olds. Doug and new Namgis trainer Matt Elliott have the first six horses going well and are already exposing them to the ranch, using them to check cows and doing a lot of long rides at the headquarters. John Rothwell and Boe Brown are working on the three and four year olds, preparing them to either begin their barrel racing training or working them toward a roping career.

Breeding and foaling season is about to get underway and we are excited about some additions to the broodmare band. We have added some new running blood with daughters of Mr. Jess Perry and Valiant Hero, as well as a half sister to great stallions Stoli and Pappasito and expect these mares to make a positive contribution to our breeding program. Look for them to be added to our bloodlines page in the near future.

Summer Updates and Cody Ohl Roping Clinics

Around The Headquarters

It has been a hot summer and we are looking forward to the potential of cooler weather in the near future. All of the two year olds have been broke and have had 30 rides put on them by Doug. They will stay turned out until the fall and then go back into training through the winter and spring. Kylie Ward still has seven Namgis horses in barrel training and continues to be pleased with their progress. We have spots in several futurities coming up, so look for Namgis horses to start making their mark in the barrel racing world. We have also started weaning the 2012 foal crop and getting them all gentled and halter broken. Like the crops before them overall Dude’s offspring are proving to be really sensible horses that are fast learners.

Cody Ohl Partnership

Earlier this summer we announced a new partnership with six-time World Champion Cody Ohl. As we finalize the details of this exciting new project we will continue to keep everyone updated as to what to expect. Right now we are happy to announce that Cody will be hosting roping clinics in the future at Namgis Quarter Horses. This is really great news because it is the first time that Cody has agreed to teach a roping school or clinic live. Namgis Quarter Horses is proud to have formed this partnership and to be able to host such great events with Cody. Keep checking the website and newsletters for dates to be set for these upcoming events.

Be on the lookout for this trailer heading down the road.

This is Cody’s trailer with its new Namgis Quarter Horses logo. He has been busy on the road this summer and is having a fantastic run lately. With current PRCA earnings of $73,058.00, he has risen to 5th in the Tie-Down Roping standings; after only 44 rodeos that is an average of over $1,660.00 per rodeo. He has also just passed the $3 million mark in career earnings. It looks as if he is set up to have a really big year.

Hope everybody has been having a great summer. Look for more news on our horses in training and new partnerships in the coming months.

"Namgis D 15 is no doubt a natural." ~ Kylie Ward

Update: The Namgis Barrel Horses

The group of Namgis barrel prospects that we sent to Kylie Ward are about six weeks into training and they are doing super! We asked Kylie for her impressions of them and this is what she said:

"Right now is when fundamentals are built, but with the prior breaking, these colts are ahead of the game. Each horse is different, but they are smart and catching on very quickly. Training is only part of this business - enjoying the horse you step on and seeing progress everyday is the best part. Their willingness to learn is remarkable."

"Furthermore, the journey has begun. In just a short period of time these horses are ready to haul and see the sights. As of now, I am exhibitioning each horse at a slow to medium pace, and allowing each individual to acquire their own feel of the pattern so that when adding speed, it will become natural."

"Namgis D 15 is no doubt a natural. A bit mature for his age, he already knows his job. I would like to say that his ability and talent is my favorite thing (which goes without saying is at the top) but his kind eye and eagerness to please is by far his greatest attribute."

"Namgis D 25 is a different kind of horse compared to Namgis D 15, in many ways. The major difference is his conformation. This little horse is more cow horse bred and naturally gathers himself for a turn. As a trainer, having a horse know where to put his/her feet only allows me to go on to the next step in training more quickly; consequently in his case, producing a naturally quick-footed barrel horse willing to give a 100 percent every time. "

"Each horse in training is learning at a different speed. But as it is, they are all learning astonishingly fast. I couldn't be happier with the progress!"