PG . 32
AQHA FEATURE AQHA HIGHEST PLACED REGISTERED QUARTER HORSE
EQUAL WINNER CUBAN CIGARS A1-10726
AQHA OWNERS INCENTIVE - BRUCE & JULIE MCNAUGHTON
ARTICLE BY : LYN HOFFMANN © 2022 • PHOTOS BY : TYLER PALMER PHOTOGRAPHY
IT WAS A WONDERFUL WEEKEND FOR BRUCE AND JULIE MCNAUGHTON WHO ATTENDED THE NUTRIEN MASTERS SALE AND GRADUATE CAMPDRAFT .
Despite all the rain that continued to overwhelm the eastern parts of the country , Bruce said that the surface held up very well , ensuring good competition for all . Bruce rode his family ’ s 2011 chestnut mare , Cuban Cigars A1-10726 , in the Graduate Campdraft , where they finished 4th in the event , sharing the placing with Highway To Hell and Mark Buttsworth .
‘ Cuban Cigars is a lovely mare ,’ Bruce says . ‘ She was bred by Rachel Leitch , and we purchased her as a two year old from the Leitchs ’, through the Landmark Sale . She ’ s turned out to be a nice , soft and very kind mare , and she ’ s a horse that we all ride and draft . Laura McIntosh also rides her in the drafts .’
Sired by the legendary campdrafter sire , ASH stallion , Hazelwood Conman , and out of the Acres Destiny mare , Duloc Peppy ’ s Destiny Q-54447 , Cuban Cigars had so much potential for the sport from the day she was born . Bruce says that she ’ s always been an easy horse to handle , train and draft , and she ’ s been a winner in a Maiden and a Novice .
Cuban Cigars maternal grandsire , the great AQHA stallion , Acres Destiny , Q-38061 ( Deceased ), has progeny that have been winners and multiple winners of every major Campdraft in the country , which only adds to the mare ’ s capabilities .
‘ We really like this mare and we ’ ll eventually breed a few foals out of her , but right now , she ’ s one that we want to continue competing on in the Campdraft arena for a good while yet . Unfortunately , with all the stoppages and difficulties over the last couple of years , due to various things , and especially now , with all the recent heavy rains we ’ ve been having , it ’ s very difficult to really plan much at all for any future events , but we ’ ll see how it all goes .’
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