PG . 18
AQHA FEATURE
$ 2,500 AQHA BREEDERS INCENTIVE - CUTTING EDGE QUARTER HORSES
PAM DREW
WORDS BY : LYN HOFFMANN © 2023 D PHOTOS BY : LIZ SPEED PHOTOGRAPHY
Long-time AQHA member Pam Drew , of Cutting Edge Quarter Horses , has been breeding Quarter horses for over 40 years now , and has contributed much to the industry . She is the proud breeder of Merada In Prada , the mare that won the 2023 NCHA Open Derby in outstanding style , an event reminiscent of another of Pam ’ s home-bred mares , Prada ’ s full sister , Beccy ’ s Merada .
MERADA IN PRADA Q-96354
' As a foal ,’ Pam says . ‘ I remember Merada In Prada being a little bit different to her full sister , Beccy ’ s Merada . Beccy was very , very quiet and Prada was a little bit hotter and significantly more fast-footed . When Beccy was getting broken-in , she was the type that if you ’ d asked her to do something , she ’ d just do it , whereas Prada had to think about it first , before she decided she wanted to do it .'
In the 2023 NCHA Open Derby , Pam did get to watch Merada in Prada in her runs , via the livestream from her home , and she said that the Final of the event was so very exciting for her .
‘ After Prada was called out as the NCHA Open Derby Champion , the AQHA called me straight away , and I just couldn ’ t talk . I was quite emotional about it , because she looked so much like her sister , Beccy ’ s Merada , and the fact that she was Lethal Lena ’ s last foal ever , made it one very emotional moment . I was happy with everything , and I always thought that Belinda Staib would do right by the mare . Knowing that Phil Dawson was going to train her , I also knew he ’ d do right by her , too . I look forward to watching her in the future .’
Prada ’ s Sire : LETHAL LENA Q-31697
Imported from the USA , Lethal Lena was originally purchased by Craig Emerton on behalf of a Syndicate , of which Pam Drew was one of the Syndicate members . When syndicate shareholders wanted to sell their shares in Lethal Lena , Pam ultimately purchased them for outright ownership of the Quarter horse stallion .
Pam is a very well-known breeder who just loved Lethal Lena Q-31697 , a sire who ’ s been gone now for around three years . Mostly interested in breeding Quarter Horses for Cutting , Pam recognized that Lethal Lena ( Smart Little Lena x Hot Little Lady ) was a particularly talented horse , and he competed successfully in Cutting , Reining and Challenges , winning his fair share of big events . Many people enjoyed watching some of Lethal ’ s magnificent progeny that grew up to compete very successfully in a multitude of disciplines , proving the stallion ’ s versatility as a sire . That ’ s something that Pam is very proud of .
Lethal Lena , who was foaled in 1992 , is a sire that will , and should always be remembered for his substantial contribution to the industry , and after siring around 300 foals , his last foal , Merada In Prada , has proven this beyond any doubt .
AUSTRALIAN QUARTER HORSE ASSOCIATION - WWW . AQHA . COM . AU