There is crazy story behind our  acquisition of Pistol Packin Frekles, 3X World Champion APHA Stallion, . I had always dreamed of owning a homozygous western pleasure stallion, but they were as rare as hens’ teeth in Canada. Every chance I had, i was searching the internet for our next stallion prospect. Guess I was always dreaming and there shouldn’t be any harm in dreaming right?

I knew Bruce had not been feeling good for some time. I was constantly nagging him to get to the doctor. By the time he got there the cancer was everywhere in his body. There were a lot of things to be discussed once he got moved to palliative care. The 3X World Champion stallion was only one of them.

In January 2013, I saw an ad in the Paint Horse of a stallion for sale. He had earned 2 APHA Superior titles in Trail and Western Pleasure and he was homozygous to boot. (homozygous meaning, he would always produce a colored foal – not matter what kind of mare he bred).  The ad did not have a price listed. I shown the ad to Bruce, He knew how much time and effort I put into dreaming and believing. He did not say anything, and the stallion was never mentioned again.

However, the subject came up a week or 2 later. Bruce woke one morning to tell me to talk to those people about that horse. Find out all you can about him and what a World Champion stallion would cast. I made the call only to find out what I already knew. We could not afford to buy Pistol Packin Frekles and that was the end of it.

Until a few weeks later, prior to calving season. Bruce said we need to go see that stallion, but he was in Colorado. Soon we were on a flight to go see him even though I knew we could never afford to buy him. A trip to Colorado before calving season suited me fine. When we first saw him, he seemed small in stature. He was in great shape and very personable and disciplined. I had talked myself out of liking him because I knew he was not in our budget. Then I rode him. Wow, never in my life had a ridden a horse who just loved to change leads. This stallion was a little Cadillac to say the least. I had fallen in love. Bruce wanted that stallion that day and had already given Kevin Hood the “we’ll take him” handshake. Bruce obviously knew something I did not.

The flight home was a long one. I told Bruce even if we could afford him, he’d need to pass a purchase and fertility exam. But he had already arranged it. I was shocked but skeptical thinking the little stallion would never pass his exams. A week later, I was eating my words. The little champion stallion had passed everything with flying colors. Now what the hell I thought. We did not have any financing in place, even if we did, we’d have to find a way to get him up to Saskatchewan in the middle of a blizzard now. Bruce had informed me a hauler was lined up and he would be on his way to standing on Saskatchewan soil soon. The little 3X World Champion APHA Stallion, Pistol Packin Frekles would call Painted River Ranch home.  For the first time in my life I was speechless.