Smart Little Lena~ Reference Sire for Smart Idea
Smart Little Lena has a phenomenal
history in the world of cutting. This 1979 stallion is cutting's leading sire
for the previous five years. His 524 money-earning offspring have won
$9,563,193 from 1995 to 2000. That works out to an average of $18,250 per
offspring.
Dual Pep is second, while Freckles Playboy is third with 522 horses earning $8,019,634 for an average of
$15,363.
Smart Little Lena was sired by 1970 NCHA Futurity winner Doc
O'Lena and out of Smart Peppy, a daughter of the great Peppy San, the stallion
and Bill Freeman swept both go-rounds of the 782-horse 1982 Futurity, came in
second in the semi-finals by one point and then won the finals with a 225, then
the highest score in the history of the event. The win was worth
$264,085.
He went on to capture the 1983 Super Stakes and tie for the
1983 Derby title, making him the first NCHA triple crown winner. He was retired
to stud less than a year later with $743,275 in earnings, making him second on
the list of all-time money earning horses.
For a horse with such a
fabulous post-Futurity history, the Smart Little Lena legend began modestly
enough. A scrawny colt, he was bred by Hanes Chatham, Pilot Point, Texas, who
owned his dam. No bigger than a German Shepherd when foaled in July 1979, Smart
Little Lena was started under saddle 25 months later by Chatham, who intended
to consign the colt to one of the upcoming Futurity sales. In the meantime,
Chatham sent Smart Little Lena to neighbor Freeman for finishing. Freeman was
astounded at what he saw when he put the colt on cattle, which confirmed
Chatham's gut feeling about Smart Little Lena: the horse had such phenomenal
talent that both believed he was fully capable of winning the Futurity the next
year.
Looking back, that was an almost outrageous sentiment to hold,
seeing as how the field would be overloaded with talent. Of the 23 finalists in
the 1982 Futurity, 20 were sired, like Smart Little Lena, by sons of Doc Bar.
No one horse had any more of chance than any other. But, the cutting world had
not yet seen the likes of this colt.
Chatham, now fully realizing what
he had, withdrew the horse from the sale and went forward with plans to have
Freeman show him at the Futurity. Freeman wanted to own the colt, but he lacked
the funds to buy him, even at the half interest Chatham was willing to sell. He
scraped up the money to buy his half interest by selling all of his cattle that
the bank actually owned and sold syndication shares before the Futurity. With
the money Freeman made, he repaid the bank and together, he and Smart Little
Lena rode into cutting history. The story nearly had a different ending. Three
months before the Futurity, Smart Little Lena and another Futurity colt
ingested blister beetle-infected hay. The other colt died, but Smart Little
Lena, although deathly sick for two days, survived.
With the question of
whether he could win the major events overwhelmingly settled, Freeman and
Chatham next wondered if Smart Little Lena could pass on his cow-smart
sensibility, his great attitude and his athleticism to his offspring. That
question was "smartly" answered during the 1987 Futurity, when his first foal
crop reached Futurity age. Smart Date, a filly by Smart Little Lena and out of
Trip Date Bar, promptly won the Futurity with a 225, just as his sire did five
years earlier. A total of 23 Smart Little Lena offspring competed in the Open
that year, with six making the semifinals and three advancing to the finals. In
the Non-Pro, 12 competed, with four making the semifinals and two the
finals.
During the nine Futurity sales in 1987, it was the same story.
The records show that 31 offspring sold for a total of $567,450. The highest
was Classy Little Lena, which went for $85,000 during the NCHA prospect
sale.
Smart Little Lena in a pedigree is still cutting magic. He had 17
semifinalists in the three divisions of the 1999 NCHA Futurity led the '99
Futurity sales when 89 horses, or 84 percent of the 106 consigned, brought a
leading gross of $2,553,100 for an average of $28,687. The leading sale horse, Mighty Fine
Sue, was sired by Smart Little Lena. The pretty yearling filly, out of Meradas
Little Sue, sold for $240,000.
His most recent Open Futurity winning
offspring was Some Kinda Memories, a mare that took the title in 1997, a decade
after Smart Date accomplished the feat. Some Kinda Memories was Smart Little
Lena's leading performer over the past five years, earning $291,883, followed
by Pastels Smart Lena, $236,123; the Paint Smart Peppy Lena, $235,761, and
Jiggin Little Lena, $230,404.
2001- #1 Sire of Cutting
winners is again, Smart Little Lena. He is also ranked the #15 sire of Reined
Cow Horse winners.
history in the world of cutting. This 1979 stallion is cutting's leading sire
for the previous five years. His 524 money-earning offspring have won
$9,563,193 from 1995 to 2000. That works out to an average of $18,250 per
offspring.
Dual Pep is second, while Freckles Playboy is third with 522 horses earning $8,019,634 for an average of
$15,363.
Smart Little Lena was sired by 1970 NCHA Futurity winner Doc
O'Lena and out of Smart Peppy, a daughter of the great Peppy San, the stallion
and Bill Freeman swept both go-rounds of the 782-horse 1982 Futurity, came in
second in the semi-finals by one point and then won the finals with a 225, then
the highest score in the history of the event. The win was worth
$264,085.
He went on to capture the 1983 Super Stakes and tie for the
1983 Derby title, making him the first NCHA triple crown winner. He was retired
to stud less than a year later with $743,275 in earnings, making him second on
the list of all-time money earning horses.
For a horse with such a
fabulous post-Futurity history, the Smart Little Lena legend began modestly
enough. A scrawny colt, he was bred by Hanes Chatham, Pilot Point, Texas, who
owned his dam. No bigger than a German Shepherd when foaled in July 1979, Smart
Little Lena was started under saddle 25 months later by Chatham, who intended
to consign the colt to one of the upcoming Futurity sales. In the meantime,
Chatham sent Smart Little Lena to neighbor Freeman for finishing. Freeman was
astounded at what he saw when he put the colt on cattle, which confirmed
Chatham's gut feeling about Smart Little Lena: the horse had such phenomenal
talent that both believed he was fully capable of winning the Futurity the next
year.
Looking back, that was an almost outrageous sentiment to hold,
seeing as how the field would be overloaded with talent. Of the 23 finalists in
the 1982 Futurity, 20 were sired, like Smart Little Lena, by sons of Doc Bar.
No one horse had any more of chance than any other. But, the cutting world had
not yet seen the likes of this colt.
Chatham, now fully realizing what
he had, withdrew the horse from the sale and went forward with plans to have
Freeman show him at the Futurity. Freeman wanted to own the colt, but he lacked
the funds to buy him, even at the half interest Chatham was willing to sell. He
scraped up the money to buy his half interest by selling all of his cattle that
the bank actually owned and sold syndication shares before the Futurity. With
the money Freeman made, he repaid the bank and together, he and Smart Little
Lena rode into cutting history. The story nearly had a different ending. Three
months before the Futurity, Smart Little Lena and another Futurity colt
ingested blister beetle-infected hay. The other colt died, but Smart Little
Lena, although deathly sick for two days, survived.
With the question of
whether he could win the major events overwhelmingly settled, Freeman and
Chatham next wondered if Smart Little Lena could pass on his cow-smart
sensibility, his great attitude and his athleticism to his offspring. That
question was "smartly" answered during the 1987 Futurity, when his first foal
crop reached Futurity age. Smart Date, a filly by Smart Little Lena and out of
Trip Date Bar, promptly won the Futurity with a 225, just as his sire did five
years earlier. A total of 23 Smart Little Lena offspring competed in the Open
that year, with six making the semifinals and three advancing to the finals. In
the Non-Pro, 12 competed, with four making the semifinals and two the
finals.
During the nine Futurity sales in 1987, it was the same story.
The records show that 31 offspring sold for a total of $567,450. The highest
was Classy Little Lena, which went for $85,000 during the NCHA prospect
sale.
Smart Little Lena in a pedigree is still cutting magic. He had 17
semifinalists in the three divisions of the 1999 NCHA Futurity led the '99
Futurity sales when 89 horses, or 84 percent of the 106 consigned, brought a
leading gross of $2,553,100 for an average of $28,687. The leading sale horse, Mighty Fine
Sue, was sired by Smart Little Lena. The pretty yearling filly, out of Meradas
Little Sue, sold for $240,000.
His most recent Open Futurity winning
offspring was Some Kinda Memories, a mare that took the title in 1997, a decade
after Smart Date accomplished the feat. Some Kinda Memories was Smart Little
Lena's leading performer over the past five years, earning $291,883, followed
by Pastels Smart Lena, $236,123; the Paint Smart Peppy Lena, $235,761, and
Jiggin Little Lena, $230,404.
2001- #1 Sire of Cutting
winners is again, Smart Little Lena. He is also ranked the #15 sire of Reined
Cow Horse winners.
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