Is anyone going to the AQHA World Show?

[JF Ranch]

I'll take this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is John Fairhead and I live north of Merriman, NE along the South Dakota stateline. We operate a cattle ranch on the northern edge of the Sandhills, raising angus and charolais/angus-cross calves, as well as a few horses.

I had a limited, prior life as "roanie" on the earlier format of this forum.

There's this guy that some of you may have heard of who uses the handle "Soapweed". He is 3 months my senior and one of my closest friends. Actually our Dads are first cousins, as we share the same set of Great Grandparents that homsteaded in this area back in 1885. He and I grew up together and have joined forces in many adventures throughout the many years since we were quite small.

But back to the purpose of this post.

We raised a mare that is qualified to perform in the Open Tie-Down Roping at the AQHA World Championship Show in Oklahoma City, November 14 & 17. We started her at three, she accidentally got bred, then raised two colts before realizing that she had tremendous cow and quickness. I needed an honest appraisal of her potential.

Four years ago Mark Fish, who grew up here and whose Dad has helped me during calving, agreed to evaluate her. After the first ride, he called saying she was perhaps the best horse he had ridden and predicted then, that she would go to the "World". He has been 'head over heels' over her ever since.

After a couple years of training and a bad injury to his knee, Mark showed her in calf roping this past year, earning enough points to qualify for the Big Show in November. He had been there twice before in the Amateur, but this is the first time he's shown in the Pro Division.

I just can't seem to contain my excitment over this, so I thought I'd post it here to see what ya'll think.

The mare is by Frosty Feature, who was a grandson of Leo and out of a Stage Bar Ted daughter with Two Eyed Jack on her bottom. These bloodlines are from Bob Jordan Quarter Horses of Harrison, NE.

These pictures show her immediately after performing at a show in Broken Bow, NE in May and she is ungroomed and sweaty.

Heeeeeere she is:









This is Mark Fish on her:





This is Mark's daughter Moriah who is starting to use her in barrels, poles and breakaway roping:



Here are two pictures of a 2006, line-bred Frosty Feature colt out of a full sister to this black mare:

[cowboyup]

Welcome JF Ranch, that is a pretty good list of bloodlines and the mares aren't too bad either Good luck with her, she looks like she would be great to ride.

[the_jersey_lilly_2000]

Welcome to the Boards JF Ranch. Glad to have ya. Or should I say, welcome back LOL

Don't know anyone goin to AQHA world, but wish ya the best of luck with this mare. She looks good.

[Faster horses]

The profile on that mare is almost perfection. Really, really a sharp
looking mare. You're probably lucky that she got bred and got to grow
up before being put in grueling training too young. How old is she now?

Good luck in tie Down-Championships.

[JF Ranch]

Yeah, I think she is beautiful. Really powerful, yet very femine. She looked special at birth. She is 10 years old. I had put her age in my first draft, but after several revisions, it was somehow deleted.

[Soapweed]

Welcome back to the board, JF Ranch. During the night, an inch and two tenths of very welcome rain blessed this corner of the Sandhills. With rain still falling and a cold wind blowing, we have postponed more cattle work until a better time. Friends from way down in the hills also "rained out", so they are coming to visit today.

Your black mare is a beautiful speciman of horse flesh. She is in very capable hands with Mark Fish, and he will bring out her full potential at the World Show. Best of luck to all of you at this prestigious event.

**************************

John and I go back a long ways. We've had so many adventures and mis-adventures through the years, that we can almost read each others' minds. We were in the same grade at school, along with two of our other cousins. Lots of family get-togethers, two-day cattle drives to summer pastures, brandings, 4-H experiences, horse-back camping trips, and the like have given us many happy memories.

The one set of branding pictures that I put up this spring of the big good-looking Charolais calves, were taken at the JF Ranch.

Anyway, welcome back, and keep the posts coming.

[Big Muddy rancher]

I bet we could get some great "TALES" if we could get Soapweed and JF trying to outdo each other.

[Northern Rancher]

Well at least you were lucky enough to raise a couple foals off her-nothings worse than looking back at a great mare years later and saying 'Wish we'd of got her bred'. We actually breed them every second year-raise a foal then ride the belly off them the next. I see a great looking mare in the pics but can't find a pic of a 'black' one lol. She looks great 'ungroomed and sweaty'.

[Heel Fly]

Nice athletic mare, nothing beats looking at a horse of that calibar and knowing that she's yours!!! Tends to make you proud-A-.

[Jinglebob]

Nice horses. Good luck!

[katrina]

Real nice.....

[PPRM]

Ungroomed and swetay....Heck, awesome shows through rough every time..Good Luck!

PPRM