Sunday, July 19, 2009

Mare Power: Diamonds Sparkle

(Diamonds Sparkle and Shining Spark)

I am a BIG believer in mare power! I'm not just talking about a decent pedigree, consistent produce, performance offspring or good conformation... though all of those qualities are important, to be sure. What I'm talking about are the mares that have the "it" factor and tend to lend that special quality to each and every single one of their foals. A truly great mare almost always produces outstanding offspring. I'd like to take a look at some of the great and legendary mares of our time, starting with one of my personal favorites....


...the aptly Diamonds Sparkle, a 1974 Palomino mare by Mr. Diamond Dude (Blondy's Dude x Wimpy) and out of Pollyanna Rose (Three Bars x Sir Barton). She is best known for producing the great Shining Spark...


(son: Shining Spark)


But Diamonds Sparkle was herself an AQHA Superhorse and earner of 143 AQHA points in 6 events: 23 halter, 39 heeling, 28 reining, 31 western pleasure and 22 heading points.

She was also:

(Diamonds Sparkle)

1979 World Champion Senior Heading Horse; 4th, 1979 World Championship Senior Reining; 6th, 1979 World Championship Senior Heeling; National Leader in 1978 All-Ages Reining; AQHA Champion, Superior Steer Roping.
(son: Zans Diamond Sun)


Sparkle had an outstanding show record but it was her produce record that put her in the Legends Book... She had 18 foals between 1981 and 1999, (eight of which were embryo transfer.)


She was bred to Genuine Doc ten times and of the eight foals that went to performance age, this cross earned $122,000, 2 NRHA Open Futurity Champions, NRHA Open Derby Champion, AQHA Reining Congress Champion, AQHA Jr. World Show Reining Champion, Congress Open Healing Champion, 182 AQHA Points, and many other notable championship and finalist titles in Reining, Cowhorse and Roping events.

(Pictured: Genuine Doc)


Diamonds Sparkle was crossed on Zan Parr Bar five times:

(Pictured: Zan Parr Bar)
The produce of which earned: $263,000, 1,698 AQHA points, NRHA Derby and Futurity titles, and more World Championship titles in Reining, Heading, Heeling, Working Cowhorse, Halter, Calf Roping, than I have time to list!

She was also bred to Doc O'lena- producing a Reserve World show Superhorse; Zans Last Light- producing 126 AQHA points and $24,600 in reining; and Zan Parr Express- producing an NRHA Futurity Open Finalist.
(Son: Genuine Redskin)

**Keep in mind that points and money earnings listed above were largely earned in the eighties and early nineties and as such the value can not be compared fairly to today's money earners. **

(Son: Simply A Spark)

And those are just her sons and daughters! Within three generations her offspring produced 6,532 AQHA points (in virtually every event in the AQHA) and $736,709!

(Son: Genuine As Diamonds)


Diamonds Sparkle is herself a:


Hall of Fame
Superhorse
World Champion
Top Ten World Show
Superior Performance
AQHA High Point Performance Horse
AQHA Champion


And has produced:


Hall of Fame Offspring:
Reserve Super Horse Offspring
World Champion Offspring
Reserve World Champion Offspring:
Top Ten World Show Offspring
Superior Performance Offspring
AQHA High Point Performance Offspring
AQHA Performance Champion Offspring
AQHA Champion Offspring
ROM Halter Offspring
ROM Performance Offspring
NRHA Money-earners
NRCHA Money-earners
World Show Qualifiers
All-time Leading Dam:


Diamonds Sparkle died in 2003 at 29 years of age. She was a truly outstanding mare that produced truly outstanding offspring. Her influence will continue to shape the reining, working cow and roping horses of today and tomorrow.
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14 comments:

  1. Leah FryJuly 19, 2009 at 12:30 PM

    Check this out.

    http://www.stoneys.org/stallions/smartandshiney.htm

    ReplyDelete
  2. ChelsiJuly 19, 2009 at 12:42 PM

    Good call Leah, I love Smart and Shiney and did you know he is owned by Lyle Lovette? (the singer and Julia Robert's ex)

    ReplyDelete
  3. VaquerogirlJuly 19, 2009 at 2:38 PM

    Great Post. I have always loved that mare!

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  4. cdncowgirlJuly 19, 2009 at 2:55 PM

    Kinda funny that I've ended up with gelding lately, I've always been a mare fan.
    IMO a good mare beats a good gelding.

    ReplyDelete
  5. texasnascarcowgirlJuly 20, 2009 at 7:35 AM

    You could not have picked a better mare! She was an awesome horse, you did her good. She ranks up there with Royal Blue Boon for me.

    ReplyDelete
  6. MelanieJuly 20, 2009 at 9:38 AM

    What a mare!!! Unfortunately, I usually cannot stand most mare's witchy attitudes. I was actually getting ready to do a post about mares vs. geldings-and the purposes they serve/don't serve-but maybe I will wait a week or two. :)

    To be fair, I am kind of a bitch myself, so I don't like my horse to be...lol!!!! Geldings usually just take whatever comes their way, but I have had mares that do that to.

    Great tribute to a worthy mare.

    ReplyDelete
  7. MelanieJuly 20, 2009 at 9:39 AM

    "Too." I meant to write "too" not "to!"

    ReplyDelete
  8. C-ingspotsJuly 20, 2009 at 1:13 PM

    She is an awesome mare deserving of a lot of praise!! I think that most mares do not get enough credit. Other than our current riders, I have always rode mares...and loved them!! Mares just require a little better rider in most cases, and a little more patience and understanding...but you can't beat a truly great mare! I love them attitude and all.

    Thanks for picking me!!! I cannot believe my luck! Thanks Chelsie, I will send you an email.

    ReplyDelete
  9. C-ingspotsJuly 20, 2009 at 1:56 PM

    Hi there, me again. For some reason, I cannot get a message to you with e-mail. Can you try sending me an email and maybe I can reply to your message? grrr...computers!

    My email is: cingspots@hotmail.com

    Thanks!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. DonnaJuly 20, 2009 at 10:14 PM

    18 kids and counting! She should have had a TV show, I would have watched that over the Duggars anyday.

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  11. ChicagoGrrrlJuly 21, 2009 at 6:29 PM

    wow, just an agricultural breeding machine. what a depressing life for that horse. like one of those women in the polygamist cults. breed, breed, breed.

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  12. BrownEyed CowgirlJuly 22, 2009 at 9:47 PM

    I always thought she was an outstanding individual and then to go on and produce like what she did-ONE IN A MILLION!

    Too bad all Amy got out of all that was the fact that she produced numberous babies. Sad, cause you did a great job explained all the accolades that the mare won herself.

    (Sorry-delete if you want! I just came off of a three day horse show and I'm a little burned out on "people".)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Leah FryJuly 23, 2009 at 5:41 PM

    As a matter of fact, I did know that :-)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Shelton F. Lewis Sr.September 29, 2021 at 6:05 AM

    Legendary Greatness 💞

    ReplyDelete

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