Two Precious
1999 Appaloosa Mare
(Two Eyed Goer WN X Judy Bug Scamp)
World Champion
Western Pleasure
Superior Halter Horse
Superior Western Pleasure Horse
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MY TRIBUTE to a GREAT HORSE....
As with all of my horses, there are stories behind all of them. Two Precious was one of the greatest Appaloosa Mares that the Appaloosa World will have the pleasure of being able to say that she was an Appaloosa. Two Precious - better know as "Jackie" around the barn came into my possession as a wedding present from a previous marriage. We were taking our honeymoon and going to the World Championship Appaloosa Horse Show. I had previously been a very competitive rider as a Non-Pro on the Appaloosa Circuit, but had never had a horse that actually measured up to my capabilities. While we were at the World Championship, we approached Bob Allen, who has since passed away, but knowing that he was a respected judge and a knowledgeable man......we approached him and inquired about a horse worthy of my riding capabilities. Bob Allen happened to mention that his wife, Shirley, was currently riding a mare with a "gelding" attitude and if she were a gelding - he would actually purchase the mare and keep her, but she was a mare and they wished to only own geldings. Bob and Shirely showed us Two Precious and I was told that I could try her once Shirley had completed showing at the World Show. Bob also mentioned that the mare was for sale for a very reasonable price as the owner needed to move the horse for financial reasons and I should talk to the trainer of the horse and gather more information about Two Precious. We were introduced to Vickie LeBlanc and thus began a very long friendship. Needless to say, we watched Shirley Allen ride Two Precious to win her Western Pleasure Class and become a World Champion. I could hardly wait to go and try Two Precious and to buy my World Champion.
From the moment that I mounted Two Precious, I knew that we were meant for each other. She rode off like a dream. We had her vet checked and to my dismay..........Two Precious did not pass the vet check. I was in tears as I had already fallen in love with this gorgeous horse. Two Precious was a very pretty mare and had a great presence about her at all times. I can remember the vet grabbing my arm and saying that I would be mistaken if I did not go ahead and purchase the mare because he felt that the only reason that she had not passed the vet check was due to the time that she had spent at the show standing on the concrete floors and he felt that she would be fine with a month of rest once we were to get her home. We made the decision to go ahead and purchased Two Precious and I have never regretted that decision.
Over the next several years, I had the pleasure of being able to ride Two Precious through several shows seasons. The mare was an excellent Western Pleasure horse and such a gorgeous mare that she could be in riding weight and still stand up and place in a halter class. I showed Two Precious to accumulate enough points to win both a Superior At Halter and a Superior at Western Pleasure. Two Precious was my Non-Pro mount in all classes for about 5 years.........I have more Top In The Nation buckles that I can count from all the classes that I was fortunate enough to be able to win on this mare. Most people thought Two Precious was a larger horse, but she only stood 15.2 hands. She only had a western jog, but she would give it her all to try to long trot, but she was an awesome horse when it came to performing horsemanship or showmanship classes. Two Precious and Catherine Dunnagan were a very winning team.
Once I felt that I had won all that I could with Two Precious, it was time to move on to another horse and Two Precious was bred to Impulsive Zipper to produce her first foal - a filly that I named A Sudden Attraction. This mare went on to become a National Champion Novice Non Pro Showmanship Horse.
I then tried breeding Two Precious to Lads Straw Man and the resulting foal was a mare that I named Crucially Acclaimed. A very pretty mare that was trained by Dodie Howard and was taken to the World Show as a two year and made the finals in the Two Year Old Snaffle Bit Western Pleasure Class.
But the best cross with Two Precious was The Hunter that resulted in producing Always In The Mood. Two Precious never produced a foal with as much color again as she did when she produced "Moody". "Moody" knew that he was special the moment that he hit the ground and I knew that he was destined for great things.
Two Precious was bred two more times to Impulsive Zipper and she produced a colored colt name Dunnagan that Roberta Best sold to a customer and the last foal that she produced was a solid colored colt that is now in the hands of Vickie LeBlanc named One Smooth Move and doing well as a Western Pleasure Horse.
Unfortunately, Two Precious developed the "heeves" and during 2008 that illness took her life. She will be the greatest horse that I ever had the honor of owning and sharing the show ring..........she was a star and she made me a star.
Two Precious is gone from this life, but she will "never" be forgotten and I swear that her soul passed on to her son - Always In The Mood.
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