Month: August 2022

In 1994, a spindly-legged, sorrel colt made his first appearance, and while he was admired by many, no one could have guessed the horizons that he would reach. Born under the ownership of National Cutting Horse Association icon Lindy Burch of Weatherford, Texas, the colt, by elite stallion Smart Little Lena out of Jessies Oak by Docs Oak, was named Smart Like Juice. Reining enthusiast Justin Zimmerman saw the colt’s knack for reining and bought him in a partnership with his father, Vaughn Zimmerman.

Justin said, “I was always a fan of the Smart Little Lenas, and he was royally bred. He had great conformation, just stunning to look at. We bought him in December with some cutting training on him, but he transitioned to reining in a very short time. He was always so pleasant to be around and just wanted to please from day one.”

Vaughn added, “It was very common back then to buy reining futurity prospects from those cutting horse sales. That horse caught our eye because he moved extremely well, and you could see by the way he stopped when they were working him on a cow how he would do well in the reining pen.”

As Smart Like Juice, known simply as “Juice,” grew and developed, he confirmed Zimmerman’s impression of reining ability. The colt was brimming with athleticism and had an uncanny way of understanding what was expected of him. Through training, he was willing and eager to learn. As time went on, he matured to have a beautiful rabicano coat pattern that further added to his distinction.

Juice was teamed up with NRHA Lifetime Achievement Award winner Ken Eppers early in his show career and won the 1997 SRHA Open Futurity right off the bat. He went on to finish 7^th in the 1997 National Reining Horse Association Open Futurity, but by then, he had already caught the eye of new reining enthusiast José Vazquez.

Vazquez had just watched his first NRHA Futurity in 1996. Then, while attending a smaller futurity in Minnesota the following year, he saw what he believed to be the most beautiful horse yet. He kept track of the animal showing under Eppers until one fateful day. He was visiting renowned trainer Ed Fear when a man appeared asking if Fear would be interested in training a horse for him. In the video he showed of that horse, Vazquez caught sight of the beautiful rabicano stallion he had been following. He pressed the man for information, and by 11 p.m. that day, Vazquez owned his dream horse.

The names José Vazquez and Smart Like Juice would become synonymous with success over the next 25 years. After Vazquez bought Juice, he kept him in training with Fear, who rode him to great achievement, but it was in the breeding barn that Juice’s name became legendary.

Vazquez was new to reining, and to the horse industry in general, when he purchased Juice. He said, “I didn’t know anyone. I didn’t know anything about breeding, but I bought this horse that I thought was so beautiful. After Ed rode him for a few days, he said, ‘José, I don’t think you have just a show horse. I think you may have a breeding stallion, too!’ So, I went out and bought two mares.”

Vazquez later laughed at himself because, at that time, he didn’t know what he didn’t know. Of the two mares he’d acquired for his new stallion, only one of them was bred for reining. She was a daughter of Hollywood Jac 86 and had only earned $800 showing, but when paired with Smart Like Juice, the mare went on to produce more than $117,000.

Some years later, Vazquez had learned more of what it took to produce champions and to make a name in the reining horse breeding world, so he started finding better mares for Juice. In his opinion, the best mare was Wind Her Up Shiner (Shining Spark x Wind Her Up Doc) who earned $33,000 in the show pen. She was never bred to any other stallion but Smart Like Juice, and she became a Million Dollar Dam the very weekend that Smart Like Juice passed away. The magic match produced 25 surviving foals that carried her to that milestone.

Overall, Juice has sired more than 700 foals that were recorded with NRHA, and 58% of those earned money making him a $4 Million Sire and Vazquez a $2 Million Breeder. Juice’s get are known for being good-minded, trainable, athletic, willing and versatile. They are sought after by Rookies and Non Pros for their easy demeanors and Open riders for their commanding arena presence and extraordinary athleticism. In addition to outstanding ability, they are also known to last.

Vazquez threw his whole heart behind his stallion and has, himself, won over 83% of his more than $1.6 million in NRHA lifetime earnings on horses that trace back to Smart Like Juice. Juice was inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame in 2017 and was joined by Vazquez in 2021.

Juice lived out the last several years of his breeding career under the care and management of Mary Hannagan at Hannagan Farms in Gifford, Illinois. She said, “In 2007, Ed Fear called to ask me if I would stand Juice for José. Juice was an incredible show horse with heart and longevity that he has passed to almost all his foals. He was certainly a life-changing horse for me. José & Juice have had such an amazing journey – Hall of Fame, $4 Million Sire, $1 Million Owner and $2 Million Breeder! I am so thankful I was given the chance to breed the mares and foal the babies! It’s amazing how one incredible stallion can do so much for so many!”

Smart Like Juice died peacefully in his stall at Hannagan Farms on Friday, August 5, 2022, and while the reining community will mourn his loss, the reining dynasty he created lives on.

There has never been anything cold about SG Frozen Enterprize, unofficially the National Reining Horse Association’s newest Million Dollar Sire. From the beginning, the son of Frozen Sailor out of RS Rose SJ by SJ Enterprise was on fire, wowing audiences, making fans and showing incredible ability.

He moved into the spotlight when Mirko Midili rode him to sweep the Italian Reining Horse Association Futurity in 2012. NRHA All-Time Leading Rider Andrea Fappani saw the video of that winning run and showed it to Silver Spurs Equine owner Michael Miola. Miola remembers being more than impressed. “I said he looked like something special,” he shared.

Both men felt “Iceman” was an outstanding show horse and the ideal stallion to bring to the United States as an outcross. Fappani convinced then-owner Marco Franchini to send the stallion over.

Iceman arrived in the states just weeks before the 2013 NRHA Derby, and when Fappani rode him the first time, he immediately felt his instincts had been right on point. Miola agreed, so negotiations to purchase the horse began.

Fappani piloted Iceman to the Reserve Championship of the 2013 High Roller Reining Derby and finished fifth at the NRHA Derby. During the Derby, the sale was completed, and Iceman became Silver Spurs Equine’s newest stallion prospect. The following year he was ninth at the NRHA Derby and took third at both the Cactus Reining Classic and the High Roller Reining Classic Open Derbies.

Fappani typically only shows horses he’s had in training since their 2-year-old year but made an exception for Iceman, even though it took extra work to get together with him. He consistently scored between 222 and 225, but Fappani felt certain that the horse could do better with time. He was proven right when the pair won the 2014 American Quarter Horse Association Junior Reining World Championship with a score of 229.5.

The following year Fappani and Iceman won the National Reining Breeders Classic Open title, the Cactus Reining Classic Derby Championship, and fourth at the NRHA Derby.

As Iceman reached the end of his derby years, with lifetime earnings of more than $274,000, it was time to enter the next phase of his career as a breeding stallion. Despite breeding to a small, but select group of mares, success came early.

There were only two foals that were NRHA nominated in Iceman’s first foal crop, which arrived in 2015, but one of those was Icecube (out of Taris Designer Genes by Mr Boomerjac), the horse Tish Fappani rode to win the 2018 NRHA Level 4 Non Pro Futurity. Icecube is currently SG Frozen Enterprize’s top earner, leading an impressive list of other performers.

SG Frozen Enterprize Top Money Earners:

Icecube (Taris Designer Genes) $171,808

Ice Face (Dun Painting My Face) $97,615

Whizsicle (Miss Whizzletown) $92,565

A Cool Back Story (Skeets Chexy Nic) $59,588

Electric Enterprize (Electric Genes) $42,901

Xtra Ice Ice Wimpy (Wimpy Little Sinbar) $33,058

Talladega Ice (Skeets Chexy Nic) $32,910

TR Ice Ice Baby (Ms Whiz Dunit) $29,772

Frozen Gambler (Surprise Me Gamble) $28,843

CO Frozen Asset (Top Sail Cheetah) $28,402

Sarah Flarida, Silver Spurs Equine Oklahoma ranch manager, noted, “Iceman is one of the kindest, friendliest studs I’ve ever been around. He loves people, and his foals seem to all have that same personality.”

Not only does Iceman brand the foals with his demeanor, most generally have his signature physical features. Miola explained, “Most of them are red duns. You can instantly pick them all out in the pasture. They are all just mini-Icemans!”

Flarida added, “We are thrilled at how many of his offspring are able to compete at a high level and seem to improve with age, and we look forward to following their success.”

Learn more about SG Frozen Enterprize by visiting the website or following the stallion on Facebook.