A Sad Day for Winchester Performance

Hott Sage N Silver
American Quarter Horse Stallion
188-205

Naturally, we all grieve when the greats leave us.  Somehow, knowing they lived full lives, that they were happy and healthy to their last breath at a very old age makes us cope with that hurt a little bit better.  Sage lived a wonderful life, but would not live to be an old man.  I have struggled all day with how to memorialize him properly because he is utterly deserving of respect and rememberance.

Sage was born on a chilly winter morning in 205 to a futurity winning daughter of Lotto Jackpot.  His sire was Summer Sage.  While not a highly titled champion himself, Summer Sage really knew how to throw down the gauntlet as a sire.  His lines are the ones I seek the most next to Lotto Jackpot.

Sage began his life on my ranch much like every other foal, but it didn't take long for me to realize, my Sage was special.  There was something about this inquisitive little colt that I could not and adamantly refused to part with.

As a weanling, Sage took to following me around the barn like a puppy.  His little nose was never far from my pocket and for the longest time, he was my little shadow.  He was naturally curious and eager to learn.  Looking back on those days, I am sure he was afraid of nothing and found a challenge in everything.

I took on Sage's training myself.  I started him on the ground and under saddle and prepared him for his Reining Futurity.  His 70.4 score in Reining earned him the $50,000.00 paycheck and the coveted High Point Earner.    His show career took off after that.  Out of 220 events, Sage was the High Point Winner in 112 of them, earning him a whopping $5,653,982.00 in winnings and had an incredible 88 points in the National Divison before I retired him.  In his show career, Sage defeated 1,022 horses.  He had an incredible run.

I just recently retired Sage and put him into the Stallion barn to begin marketing him as a sire for the future of the American Quarter Horse.  He was stabled next to his long time show buddy, Burb who was with Sage as he began to climb the ranks in titles.  This might be the saddest part of all.  I knew that as much as these two stallions picked on eachother and gave eachother grief, they did it as two siblings might.  Where there was one, there was the other.  I know Burb knows that Sage is gone and there is nothing I can do to make him feel better.

Burb and I walked to Sage's resting place this evening and stood there silently as the sun went down on Winchester Performance horses.  I watched that hillside remembering that tiny red colt running and whinnying, snorting and blowing, and pulling on tails.  He was so full of life and promise, that I just cannot bring myself to believe he is gone.

Winchester will mourn Sage for years to come.