About David Feagin & DF Appaloosas

"IT'S HARD TO RUN WITH THE BIG DOGS ON A LITTLE DOG POCKETBOOK"

Which tells the story when I started raising Appaloosas in 1957 when I was 16. I bought a 2 year old stallion, Chief of Diamonds by Chief of Fourmile and Lawana, a mare bred to KawLiga, for $1,000 delivered from Gus and Virginia Oetterman. Taken from my savings (with my parents' permission), that was a lot of money for a high school kid.

From then to 1963, I bought some Appaloosa mares and tried to "cut corners" by using cheaper mares and breeding to bloodlines that were successful. I used Spooks AQHA, a full brother of Poco Bueno, owned by J. Allen Wright, who also traded Poco Tige AQHA stallion to me for some Brahman bulls....Jer O Lee TB.....Tejas Punto, Grand Champion, and Choya, sire of champions, owned by Jim Tobe Atkinson, who sold me a halter winning yearling stallion, NUDO, who gave me some nice foals to show. I bred to Butana, owned by Ace Hooper and Simcoe's Chinook, owned by Jack Johnson.

Finally, one of the old timers told me, "David, when you take your mares outside to the stallions that have just won, you are always going to be behind. The horse market changes constantly, like a pendulum swinging back and forth. Decide what kind of horse you want to raise, then stick to that goal and when the pendulum swings your way, you'll have the kind of horse the buyers want."

Another told me, "A mare is 70% of the foal so get some good mares to use as broodmares...". I think his reasoning was 50% of the genes, 10% for disposition in the "pecking order" of the herd comes from the dam's position, and 10% to how well the foal grows off depends on how much milk the mare gives.

"SELL ALL THE MARES THAT WON'T PRODUCE A CHAMPION"
(A really good mare eats no more than one who is average)

Chyleen and I married in 1963. We did a bit of traveling and bought Shirley Skip AQHA by Skipper W, full sister to Skip Ahead, AQHA Champion, who had a red leopard son of Prince Plaudit at her side (and was bred back) from Carl Miles of Abilene, TX. We bought Silver Bright AQHA by Silver Candy and out of a AAA Grand Champion mare from Hugh Bennett, Peyton, CO. We bought Lady Bright Bar AQHA, full sister of Sherri Eyes AAA, AQHA Champion, from Dan Beal, Ruidoso, NM.

ALL OF THESE REALLY GOOD MARES HAVE DESCENDANTS IN OUR HERD TODAY!

We also bought Bright Image AQHA Grand Champion mare from Paul Farone, Soccoro, NM and she produced DF Brite Farone, Grand Champion gelding, ridden by the Miss Appaloosa American from Pennsylvania.

And there were others: Joker's Queen Ann, GCM, 5 daughters of Prince Plaudit from Carl Miles, 9 mares from Martin Abrahamsen, AQHA mares from Haymaker Sales, Secret Dancer, a bay leopard by Special Secret TB by Raise A Native TB, 3 mares from Lane Hudson including Prissy Lark (SW; 12: 3-4-1, 2nd in $ earned for 2 year old running mares) by Lanolark TB and out of Bright Delight, GCM at National, a leading dam, and a full sister to Mighty Bright, and 4 Cherry Leader mares from Dean Alexander, ApHC Hall of Fame.

These " very good mares" cost more but the quality was there and it is not so hard to breed a champion with these kind of mares. What I'm telling you is that the lesson was well learned about good mares as broodmares. Now, when we add an outstanding stallion like Olympic Red Dream, you will get a foal or yearling that has good breeding. It's up to you by your care and training as to what the future will be for that purchase.

We don't show anymore and the BOOK IS CLOSED on our stallion so it's up to you to pick out one of our DF-bred Appaloosas. Our pricing is far less than "mainstream" because this is our first attempt to reintroduce our herd to the public.

Horse visitors should plan to meet at The Texas Store, 51559 U.S. Hwy 69 [about one mile south of the Jct of FM 344 and U.S. 69] on the west side of the road, signs "Texas Store Discount Books", tan metal building.

D F Appaloosas

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