Kay & Michael O Neil’s
Kay and Michael O’Neil’s wonderful
band of broodmares is to benefit from
an input of speed in their breeding
program with the Finding Nemo colt,
Sullivans Class.
Finding Nemo, a brilliantly fast
son of Fishers Dash and a winner
of $719,000, commenced his stud
career at the 6666s Ranch. He is
from Shahayla, a Grade 2 winning
Chicks Beduino mare.
Sullivans Class is from La Ponch(TB),
a Desert Prince mare who has had
two too race for two winners of
$172,000. Sullivans Class will be the
first son of Finding Nemo at stud in
Australia.
Kay and Michael are keen
Campdrafters and Barrel
Racers. Over the years they have
accumulated a great band of
cowhorse broodmares and felt it
was time to put some speed into
their breeding program (leading
ranches in the US also have similar
programs).
Kay started Barrel Racing about
20 years ago with a mare by the
name of Lucys Just Foxin (AX-774),
who is still with her today. She won
many events, both in Rodeos and
Gymkhanas. The last time the two
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competed was on New Years Eve,
December 2005, with the mare
straight out of the paddock winning
against seasoned horses.
Kay took a took a break from Rodeos
and set about Campdrafting where
she had some success with her
current horses. One a 15 year old
stallion Tryon Cattleman Q-46006
and her current Barrel Racing mare,
Imagine A Chance Q-62732. Kay
only commenced Barrel Racing
Imagine A Chance this year and
the mare went from being a Novice
Campdraft mare to an OPEN 1D
NBHA winning mare in just five
weeks. The decision was made to
Barrel Race Imagine A Chance due to
the uncertainty, when working and
training horses for Campdrafting, of
being guaranteed a run due to the
large volume of competitors these
days.
Imagine A Chance has qualified Kay
in Barrel Racing to compete in the
USA in 2016. In Kays words “She is a
kind of a freak if you could say that,
nothing fazes her and it’s always
done to the very best of her ability.”
Sullivans Class
“We purchased Nemo, as we call him,
from Allan to breed to some of the
best working bloodlines in Australia,
as well as to the sprint mares we
own, chasing height and speed.
The magical cross of running and
working seems to have a following.
We personally find this cross the best
- it gives them the ability to run as
well as stop, which is needed today
no matter the chosen discipline.
Nemo in time will be started and
trained both as a barrel horse and a
working horse, showing the ability of
these sprint bred horses to do the job
no matter what is thrown at them.
I share Allan’s passion for these
horses. They are overlooked and I
don’t know why.”
With regards to her young stallion,
Kay is very positive about the future
of her breeding program -
The future of the Australian Quarter
horse is assured thanks to breeders
like Kay and Michael O’Neil.
November • December 2015 • The Australian Quarter Horse Magazine • Page 35