The list of National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Million Dollar Sires nears 60 as Yellow Jersey adds his name to the roster.
Yellow Jersey was bred by the late Peter Phinny. Known for his exceptional decisions when looking at crosses, he chose to breed NRHA Hall of Famer Wimpys Little Step, the second all-time leading sire in NRHA, to Ms Clara Melody. In 2019, Yellow Jersey was purchased by now-owner Maria Fiorucci of NRHA Corporate Partner Elementa.
Throughout his years in the show pen, the stallion garnered $137,617 in NRHA Lifetime Earnings (LTE) with multiple NRHA Hall of Famers at the reins. After competing in the NRHA Futurity with Brent Wright, the stallion went to Europe. Owned by NRHA Corporate Partner Arcese Quarter Horses USA at the time, Yellow Jersey was piloted by NRHA Professional Stefano Massignan to an Italian Reining Horse Association (IRHA) Derby Co-Championship, an IRHA Maturity Co-Reserve Championship and was in the Top 10 of the NRHA World Standings.
Yellow Jersey then returned to the United States, where he and NRHA Hall of Famer Andrea Fappani won the $100,000-added NRHA World Champion Shootout.
The stallion then competed in the 2013 Kentucky Cup with NRHA Hall of Famer Tim McQuay, then his daughter, NRHA Hall of Famer Mandy McCutcheon, took the reins in 2014. She and the stallion competed in the World Equestrian Games in Normandy, France. The duo finished the event with a gold medal with Team USA and a bronze in the individual, pushing Mandy over the NRHA $2 Million Rider milestone and adding to the owner earnings for McQuay Stables.
“I feel very proud to have owned him and to have been a part of his life,” said McQuay. “He was just very easy to be around and ride. He was always the same, and whatever level you wanted to be at, he said, ‘OK.’
“We are very proud and happy to be competitive on any horse, but to do what we were doing with him, and to make him a top sire to breed to, winning those events really helped him solidify that career. When we are part of a horse like that, you hope and pray that everything goes like it did.”
The palomino stallion went on to have a successful career in the breeding shed, producing 137 NRHA money-earning progeny to date. Topping the list of his offspring is Jerseys Baby Driver, who has over $250,000 in NRHA LTE. With NRHA Million Dollar Rider Trevor Dare at the reins, the duo won the NRHA Level 4 Open Derby in 2021 and the National Reining Breeders Classic Level 4 Open the subsequent year.
Yellow Jersey’s top earning offspring include:
- Jerseys Baby Driver (out of Wind Her Up Chic), owned by Janice Laney of NRHA Corporate Partner 7 Lakes Ranch, bred and nominated by NRHA Corporate Partner Cardinal Hill Training Center LLC, $250,253 NRHA LTE
- Stopping In Jersey (out of Stop Little Sister), owned by Bosque Ranch Performance Horses LLC, bred and nominated by NRHA Corporate Partner Toyon Ranch LLC, $136,753 NRHA LTE
- Mello Yello Jersey (out of Smart Okie Lena), owned by Kay Schroeder, bred and nominated by Lucie Houde), $85,775 NRHA LTE
- The Star Jersey (out of Nicastar Lite), owned by Ashley Wilson-Hammer, bred and nominated by Jerry Kimmel, $61,052 NRHA LTE
- Bamn Bam (out of Fabulous Guns), owned by Sarah McMahon, bred and nominated by David Silva Sr., $54,301 NRHA LTE
Read more about NRHA Million Dollar Sire Yellow Jersey and this remarkable achievement in the October issue of the NRHA Reiner.