Good bloodlines: At Barner Quarter Horses, Human and equine pedigrees hint again to high quality and persistence
Dan Barner and Alesa Jones of Barner Quarter Horses in Hershey, Nebraska are an achieved and pushed couple. They, together with their sons, are amongst this 12 months’s recipients of the American Quarter Horse Affiliation Ranching Heritage Breeders. The popularity comes after mixed many years of discovered horsemanship and dedication to glorious horses.
All his life, Barner has excelled in a number of disciplines, and his horses replicate that adaptability. He’s a Prairie Circuit Finals qualifier within the steer wrestling, three-time qualifier to the World Sequence of Crew Roping, and has quite a few top-5 finishes on the Versatility Ranch Horse Futurity as a part of the Farmers and Ranchers Horse Sale in Salina, Kansas.
Jones, too, is an achieved horsewoman. She was Miss Rodeo Nebraska in 2005, spent over a 12 months touring with the Budweiser Clydesdales, was featured on the tv present Challenge Cowgirl, and positioned within the top-5 within the World’s Biggest Horsewoman competitors as a part of The Artwork of the Cowgirl. Most not too long ago, she gained the Farmers and Ranchers Horse Sale Futurity in Salina, Kansas on Oct. 8, 2021, profitable all three courses for the primary time in historical past. She additionally positioned second general on one other colt, promoting him on the occasion for $10,000.
Collectively, the couple competes in ranch rodeos, versatility ranch horse competitions, crew roping jackpots, ranch, and practice collectively every single day. Moreover, they go the information onto their sons, each 12 years previous. Dan and Alesa are engaged, and plan to be married within the close to future.
Their Quarter Horse operation suits properly with their different companies, which embrace a heifer improvement program, a crop grazing operation, and a cow herd. Their colts are educated for the reined cow horse self-discipline, which simply interprets into roping and ranch work. The cattle can be found to be used in coaching, and the duties concerned within the cattle enterprise make for a well-rounded horse of sound thoughts. “It turns into an actual helpful state of affairs the place every of our little operations match into one another,” Barner says.
Barner purchased his first colt from his grandfather, Stan Maline, when he was round 15 years previous rising up close to Wallace, Nebraska. “My mother and pop ranched so long as I can keep in mind, and my grandpa and grandma. It’s at all times been within the household,” he says. He bred his first mare earlier than graduating highschool, and has been pursuing the eagerness ever since. Maline was identified for his Peppy San Badger bloodlines and grey horses. Similarly, Barner bred for conformation and buckskin colour for a number of years and holds a 20 12 months AQHA Breeding Certificates.
These days, they’re transferring towards the favored cow horse bloodlines. The broodmare band has been fortified with spectacular personal daughters, together with mares by:
Wager Hesa Cat (Nationwide Reined Cow Horse Affiliation million greenback sire); Travelin Jonez; Zack T Wooden (named 2019 Chopping’s Biggest Legends); Atta Cat; Travalena (2000 Nationwide Chopping Horse Affiliation main sire); Hickory Holly Time (profitable 2018 World’s Biggest Horseman with Kelby Phillips); and Shiners Lena Doc (NRCHA and NCHA main sire).
Good Mates Playgun, one in all their six 12 months previous broodmares, has gained round $21,000 up to now 12 months at crew roping jackpots, was proven by Barner on the Farmers and Ranchers Futurity and is in foal to Ima Poison Oak. Jones says that they’re happy with the flexibility to stroll out to the broodmare pasture, saddle one up and do a job, which speaks volumes concerning the disposition of their herd.
Courtesy images
On the opposite aspect of the AQHA papers, sires to their 2022 foals embrace:
One Time Pepto (2019 NCHA main sire);
One Time Royalty (million greenback sire);
Travelin Jonez (see above);
Easy as a Cat (sired two Open NCHA Horses of the 12 months);
Ima Poison Oak (seemingly solely residing offspring of Docs Oak); and
Dun Lookin For Paddy (by Paddys Irish Whiskey, incomes cash in NRCHA and World
Sequence Ropings).
They’ve additionally bought a future stallion hopeful, the yearling Shiners Customized Voo Do, an personal son of Shiners Voodoo Dr (Nationwide Reining Horse Affiliation million greenback sire).
Ranch Horse Versatility has been steadily gaining reputation for the previous ten years and it suits properly with the all-around ranching capabilities of Barner Quarter Horses. Higher but, it’s an occasion that each Dan and Alesa take pleasure in doing. The occasion varies relying on location, however the general duties embrace a reining sample, cow work (field cow, activates the fence, circle twice every course), and a big path course, generally going down in over 15 acres as a timed occasion.
All particulars apart, Barner Quarter Horses love what they do. Dan and Alesa are grateful for the chance to coach horses, and luxuriate in seeing their sons taking a eager curiosity in correct coaching strategies. Barner says Quinten is beginning to be his “go-to” for spherical pen work, whereas Braxten thrives on taking began colts exterior to place extra time on them. Each boys are concerned with 4-H, junior rodeos, and displaying.
“It’s one thing we’re all actually concerned with. It takes lots of work to have as many horses as we’ve got after which to achieve success. […] It’s been actually good for all of us,” Dan says. They’ve planted the roots of cow horse breeding and hope to sow seeds for high quality Quarter Horses for years to return.
