2019 APHF Hall of Fame Inductees
Cactus Christy
1977 bay tobiano mare | Cactus Banner B x Debla’s Bimbo (QH) | Haverty Ranch, Krum, Texas
From humble beginnings in Northwest Missouri, Cactus Christy became the foundation of a tobiano line that showcased the beauty and versatility of the American Paint Horse.
In true all-around fashion of the era, Cactus Christy competed in events from halter to Western pleasure to reining, cutting and working cow horse. She earned four world and national championship titles from 1983–1985, along with Registers of Merit in Western pleasure and cutting and a Superior in reining.
Cactus Christy came by her versatility honestly—her sire, Cactus Banner B was “well-mannered, smooth as butter, had great cow sense and could turn on a dime,” according to Brenda (Blanchard) Cox, daughter of breeders Dean and Charlene Blanchard of Clearmont, Missouri. Though the family loved the sweet filly, she was sold as a youngster and went on to make her mark with other Youth, Amateur and Open exhibitors.
In the late 1980s, Cactus Christy transitioned to broodmare duties. The mare produced seven foals, most of whom were sired by acclaimed cow horse Sargent Freckles. The earners of $83,268 according to Equi-Stat, three of Cactus Christy’s foals were National Reining Horse Association Open Futurity finalists (Mark This Spot, LTE $35,358; The Big Gun, LTE $14,378; and Wheres Spot, LTE $27,273). The Big Gun also won the 2005 APHA world championship in Senior Reining and was reserve in the 2002 3-Year-Old Reining Challenge. Mark This Spot earned three world championships and four reserve world championships in reining, cow horse, Western pleasure and roping, including a jaw-dropping performance at the 1999 World Show where he won the Junior Reining and was the Junior Western Pleasure reserve world champion.
Cactus Christy died in 2003, but she remains a cornerstone for color and proven versatility in the pedigrees of talented Paint performers.
In true all-around fashion of the era, Cactus Christy competed in events from halter to Western pleasure to reining, cutting and working cow horse. She earned four world and national championship titles from 1983–1985, along with Registers of Merit in Western pleasure and cutting and a Superior in reining.
Cactus Christy came by her versatility honestly—her sire, Cactus Banner B was “well-mannered, smooth as butter, had great cow sense and could turn on a dime,” according to Brenda (Blanchard) Cox, daughter of breeders Dean and Charlene Blanchard of Clearmont, Missouri. Though the family loved the sweet filly, she was sold as a youngster and went on to make her mark with other Youth, Amateur and Open exhibitors.
In the late 1980s, Cactus Christy transitioned to broodmare duties. The mare produced seven foals, most of whom were sired by acclaimed cow horse Sargent Freckles. The earners of $83,268 according to Equi-Stat, three of Cactus Christy’s foals were National Reining Horse Association Open Futurity finalists (Mark This Spot, LTE $35,358; The Big Gun, LTE $14,378; and Wheres Spot, LTE $27,273). The Big Gun also won the 2005 APHA world championship in Senior Reining and was reserve in the 2002 3-Year-Old Reining Challenge. Mark This Spot earned three world championships and four reserve world championships in reining, cow horse, Western pleasure and roping, including a jaw-dropping performance at the 1999 World Show where he won the Junior Reining and was the Junior Western Pleasure reserve world champion.
Cactus Christy died in 2003, but she remains a cornerstone for color and proven versatility in the pedigrees of talented Paint performers.
Color Me Smart
1991 bay tobiano stallion | Smart Little Lena (QH) x Doxs Painted Lady | Iconic Color LLC, Fort Worth, Texas
Royally bred, Color Me Smart was a prince from birth. As he matured into a top show horse and an even more impressive sire, “Color” ascended the throne as the leading Paint sire of cutting horses. To date, his offspring have earned more than $3.7 million, according to Equi-Stat.
The son of the legendary Smart Little Lena (QH) and APHA national champion Doxs Painted Lady, Color was destined to make a splash in the cutting pen. Hopes were high for the prospect, who was bred by Sue Dunn of Azle, Texas, and he was syndicated as a yearling, with shares expanded as a 2-year-old—all before he ever set foot inside the cutting pen. Color ultimately earned $9,717 in National Cutting Horse Association competition, along with a 1997 APHA world championship in Senior Cutting, before standing at stud. At one point, Color reportedly sold for $2.75 million; he is now owned by Iconic Color LLC—a group composed of lifelong fans Linda Werner, Michelle Sly and Ann Jones.
To date, Color has sired nearly 850 registered foals—his 270 performing get compete in cutting, cow horse, roping and ranch events, and they’ve earned 33 APHA world championships and 27 reserve world championships, as well as plenty of NCHA accolades.
Top performers include:
J R Playboy By Color, LTE $271,515; J R Colord Rambo, LTE $232,787; JR Red Diablo, LTE $175,440; and Special Order Paint, LTE $175,314. Color is still siring performers, ensuring his lineage continues long into the future through his sons and daughters.”
The son of the legendary Smart Little Lena (QH) and APHA national champion Doxs Painted Lady, Color was destined to make a splash in the cutting pen. Hopes were high for the prospect, who was bred by Sue Dunn of Azle, Texas, and he was syndicated as a yearling, with shares expanded as a 2-year-old—all before he ever set foot inside the cutting pen. Color ultimately earned $9,717 in National Cutting Horse Association competition, along with a 1997 APHA world championship in Senior Cutting, before standing at stud. At one point, Color reportedly sold for $2.75 million; he is now owned by Iconic Color LLC—a group composed of lifelong fans Linda Werner, Michelle Sly and Ann Jones.
To date, Color has sired nearly 850 registered foals—his 270 performing get compete in cutting, cow horse, roping and ranch events, and they’ve earned 33 APHA world championships and 27 reserve world championships, as well as plenty of NCHA accolades.
Top performers include:
J R Playboy By Color, LTE $271,515; J R Colord Rambo, LTE $232,787; JR Red Diablo, LTE $175,440; and Special Order Paint, LTE $175,314. Color is still siring performers, ensuring his lineage continues long into the future through his sons and daughters.”
Olympia Joe
1977 sorrel tobiano stallion | Joechief Bar x Olympia Babe (QH) | Creighton Ranch & C. N. Keith, Paris, Texas
Born on the brink of summer in 1977, Olympia Joe’s late arrival made his connections doubt his racing future, but the sorrel tobiano colt overcame the hurdle and established himself as a top runner. Sired by APHA Supreme Champion No. 3 Joechief Bar and out of the AAA Quarter Horse race mare Olympia Babe, Olympia Joe hit the all-breed brush tracks as a 2-year-old before making his APHA debut with a splash at 3.
In just two years, Olympia Joe amassed an APHA racing record of eight wins, two seconds and two thirds in 13 starts, including a second-place finish in the 1980 APHA National Championship Derby, just a nose behind winner Cherokee Indian.
Olympia Joe outperformed himself as a sire. His 453 registered APHA foals include 190 starters who have tallied $674,943 in lifetime earnings. Olympia Joe ranks 15th in lifetime get earnings for APHA racehorses, and he’s 11th for lifetime sires of races won and ROM earners.
Daughter Slide A Way Sally is one of APHA’s top world championship earners, with 24 world and 12 reserve world championships earned in her speed-event career. Other notable offspring include three-time reserve world champion Pick A Winner; Bit O Olympia, LTE $66,270; three-time Paint racing champion Bow And Arrow, LTE $53,302; and Paint racing champions Olympic Dancer, LTE $47,710, and Simba Bar Joe, LTE $35,606.
The Olympia Joe Handicap was named in his honor. The stallion died in October 2005.
In just two years, Olympia Joe amassed an APHA racing record of eight wins, two seconds and two thirds in 13 starts, including a second-place finish in the 1980 APHA National Championship Derby, just a nose behind winner Cherokee Indian.
Olympia Joe outperformed himself as a sire. His 453 registered APHA foals include 190 starters who have tallied $674,943 in lifetime earnings. Olympia Joe ranks 15th in lifetime get earnings for APHA racehorses, and he’s 11th for lifetime sires of races won and ROM earners.
Daughter Slide A Way Sally is one of APHA’s top world championship earners, with 24 world and 12 reserve world championships earned in her speed-event career. Other notable offspring include three-time reserve world champion Pick A Winner; Bit O Olympia, LTE $66,270; three-time Paint racing champion Bow And Arrow, LTE $53,302; and Paint racing champions Olympic Dancer, LTE $47,710, and Simba Bar Joe, LTE $35,606.
The Olympia Joe Handicap was named in his honor. The stallion died in October 2005.
Scarlet Print
1990 chestnut overo mare | Silent Print x Oakes Shady Lady (QH) | Michelle Engle, Bakersfield, California
Halter wasn’t the Engle family’s forte when they purchased Scarlet Print in 1991, but the well-built, flashy mare soon led her owners down a road they’d never before considered. By the time she retired from showing, Scarlet Print had earned an impressive 10 halter world championship titles with APHA and became the namesake of one of the World Show’s premier annual awards.
Originally purchased as an all-around prospect by Michelle Engle for her son, Joe, “Scarlet” achieved early success in halter. Michelle hauled the mare—fit at home by the halter neophytes—to the 1992 APHA World Show, where she asked trainer Jerry Wells if he’d consider showing Scarlet. After one look at the mare, Jerry agreed; he won the 2-Year-Old Mares class with Scarlet, with Michelle and Joe each taking thirds in their respective Amateur and Youth Junior Mares classes.
The success inspired Michelle to return to the World Show in 1993, where Scarlet swept her Open, Amateur and Youth class world championships—a feat she repeated in 1994 and 1995. Following the 1995 World Show, Michelle established the Scarlet Print Award in honor of Scarlet’s remarkable accomplishments and the mare’s retirement from showing; the award is presented to a Regular Registry mare who wins Open, Amateur and Youth world championships in a single year.
Scarlet earned 1,344 total APHA points across all halter divisions along with 137 grand and reserve championships at halter. Her nine foals have earned nearly 750 points and six world championship titles to date. Scarlet died in January 2015 at age 25.
Originally purchased as an all-around prospect by Michelle Engle for her son, Joe, “Scarlet” achieved early success in halter. Michelle hauled the mare—fit at home by the halter neophytes—to the 1992 APHA World Show, where she asked trainer Jerry Wells if he’d consider showing Scarlet. After one look at the mare, Jerry agreed; he won the 2-Year-Old Mares class with Scarlet, with Michelle and Joe each taking thirds in their respective Amateur and Youth Junior Mares classes.
The success inspired Michelle to return to the World Show in 1993, where Scarlet swept her Open, Amateur and Youth class world championships—a feat she repeated in 1994 and 1995. Following the 1995 World Show, Michelle established the Scarlet Print Award in honor of Scarlet’s remarkable accomplishments and the mare’s retirement from showing; the award is presented to a Regular Registry mare who wins Open, Amateur and Youth world championships in a single year.
Scarlet earned 1,344 total APHA points across all halter divisions along with 137 grand and reserve championships at halter. Her nine foals have earned nearly 750 points and six world championship titles to date. Scarlet died in January 2015 at age 25.
