Savannah Mize daydreamed about SRM Blue Thunder long before the 2021 bay overo colt was born. At age 5, a stallion advertisement stopped Savannah in her tracks, and from then on, she had her sights on a cross between Gunner Dun It Again and her family’s mare, Lady Bee Packin (QH). When her mother, Skye, told Savannah they couldn’t likely afford the breeding fees, the precocious 5-year-old took it upon herself to contact the breeding manager and ask for a deal, rattling off reasons why the cross would be a great one. Fortune favors the bold, and bemused stallion owner Paulo Tripoloni decided to make Savannah’s dream come true, gifting her a breeding to Gunner Dun It Again. The birth of Blue Thunder—”Blue”—in May 2021 brought the story full circle, so the family thought.
But just a few months later, Skye found the 2-month-old hobbling behind his dam, unable to bear weight on his right front leg.
“When I saw him, I knew it was either radial nerve paralysis or a fracture,” Skye said. “The odds of this going well were zero, and the possibility of us doing a fracture repair were zero, financially.”
Radiographs confirmed Blue had broken his radius and ulna in the upper leg. Surgeons at Texas A&M University were optimistic about Blue’s chances at recovery, but the cost of the surgery and recovery were steep. Thankfully, the reining community stepped in, and donations from a benefit auction completely covered the costs. The surgery took five hours, and after a two month recovery, Blue returned home.
Blue Thunder: Reignited
Savannah had already dreamed of seeing Blue Thunder one day win the NRHA Futurity, but Skye knew this setback probably would quell that aspiration. But Blue recovered perfectly, and by age 2, he embarked on training with NRHA Million Dollar Rider Matt Mills, who had heard about the colt’s story and wanted to be part of Savannah’s dream. Blue did his part as a willing student, and slowly, the team began to realize that Savannah’s dream of the NRHA Futurity might not be extinguished.
Blue made his competition debut at the 2024 APHA World Show’s Cowtown Reining Classic, placing fifth in the 3-Year-Old Reining Challenge Level 4 with Matt. Savannah’s dedication to the dream is contagious, and they’re expecting to watch Blue take his shot at the NRHA Futurity in November.
“God has been very good to me,” Savannah said. “He gave me these moments, and I am very proud of how Blue has made it this far. I just know that if I keep having hope and never give up, God will keep helping me. If you follow your dreams and you never give up, God will give you your timing for something to happen and you will always have something special—a blessing in your life.”
Read Savannah and Blue Thunder’s full story in the Fall 2024 Chrome magazine.
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About APHA
The American Paint Horse Association is the world’s second-largest international equine breed association. Since it was founded in 1962, APHA has registered more than a million horses in 59 nations and territories. APHA promotes, preserves and provides meaningful experiences with Paint Horses. Learn more at apha.com.