Got Country Grip (Country Quick Dash - Got A Grip, by Super De Kas) Photo courtesy of Lone Star Park

See the Video courtesy of BloodHorse.com

FORT WORTH, TEXAS—Many have dubbed him the world’s fastest racehorse, but Got Country Grip now has a new claim to fame. The two-time World Champion Paint racehorse made his mark in history on Nov. 24, after winning his 15th consecutive race.

Got Country Grip races to the finish to earn his 15th straight victory in as many starts. The 4-year-old solid Paint-bred's first-place finish set a new Paint and Quarter Horse record for consecutive races won. Photos are courtesy of Lone Star Park.

Got Country Grip, along with his owner Jimmy Maddux, trainer Brandon Parum, jockey G.R. Carter, Jr., and a large following of fans, waited patiently for the moment when the 4-year-old gelding would earn his 15th straight victory to surpass the Quarter Horse world record of consecutive wins held by Josie’s Bar, Destiny Drummer and Pies Royal Request. All three Quarter Horses won 14 consecutive races, but lost on their 15th trip. The long-awaited moment came during the Olympia Joe Handicap at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas.

“We were worried about this race because he has only had two outs this year and he was coming off a lung infection,” said Maddux. “The track was sloppy because of the rain and this was the record-breaking race, so I think there was a lot more apprehension than usual, but he showed us what we does best.”

The newest record holder, sired by Country Quick Dash and out of Got A Grip, finished with a 1 ¾-length lead over the next closest runner despite having somewhat of slow start, while posting a time of 19.90 seconds in the 400-yard race.

“G.R. never uses his whip on this horse,” said Maddux. “He didn’t seem to come out of the gate as fast as usual so G.R. tapped him on the shoulder once. It was like Grip figured out what he was here to do and he took off.”

Grip—as he is known as around the barn—earned $12,200 of the $20,000 purse, increasing his lifetime earnings to $247,500. The bay gelding is also the highest money-earning Paint racehorse.

During the race, Grip was followed by Appaloosas Jess Streakin (20.28 seconds) and CMB A Legacy (20.42 seconds). Horses completing the field included Keep Him, Peewees Pride, Skirt Chasin Kid (ApHC) and Elisa Star (ApHC).

Additional 10 minute Video
Got Country Grip winning the American Heritage

The making of a champion
Grip’s story begins long before he ever set hoof on the racetrack. When the now- champion Paint Horse was only weanling, Jimmy Maddux of Weatherford, Texas, acquired him in a trade. Although Maddux wasn’t sure about the trade, his trainer Brandon Parum saw something special in snotty-nosed bay colt.

Maddux, who has been previously quoted as saying he attributes much of his success to Parum, trusted the champion trainer and success seemed to follow. Grip earned his first victory in a maiden race at Remington Park on April 10, 2005. The gelding continued to win 6 more races throughout his 2-year-old year, including the Graham Futurity at Lone Star Park where he earned $73,219. For his undefeated season, Grip was named 2-Year-Old Solid Paint-Bred Gelding, 2-Year-Old Solid Paint-Bred Champion and Solid Paint-Bred World Champion.

Got Country Grip’s earnings also helped Maddux to be named as Leading Owner, Parum as Leading Trainer and G.R. Carter, Jr. as leading jockey.

The following year, 2006, wasn’t any different for those associated with Grip. The wins continued to come as G.R. Carter, Jr., guided the bay gelding to 5 wins in as many starts. The crew’s highlight of 2006 was earning a speed index of 109 during the OHA Paint and Appaloosa Derby RG2 at Fair Meadows in Tulsa, Okla. Grip earned the same champion honors as a 3-year-old as he did the prior year—3-Year-Old Solid Paint-Bred Gelding, 3-Year-Old Solid Paint-Bred Champion and Solid Paint-Bred World Champion.

Grip’s wins again helped name Maddux as Leading Owner and Parum as Leading Trainer. He also attributed to Linda Fox’s Leading Breeder award.

Although “Team Grip” has continued their winning ways in 2007, this year proved more difficult. With limited races for Paint Horses over 3-years-old, Grip’s opportunities to race were slimmed down. But the biggest problem seemed to be getting enough horses entered to hold a race.

“No one wanted to race against him,” said Maddux. “We’d get him entered or word that we were going to enter him would get out and the horses would start dropping out of the races.”

Racing only three times this year and running in the seventh post each time, Grip proved he was still the dominate Paint on the track. His first two victories came April 21 and May 27 at Remington Park in the Mr. Lewie Memorial Handicap and National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum Stakes, respectively. After a six-month layoff of racing, Grip earned his latest victory.

“It was a good feeling to win that one,” said Maddux.

The 2007 running champions have yet to be named, but according to the November/December 2007 issue of Paint Racing News, Got Country Grip is the leading Solid Paint-Bred Aged Gelding.

What the future holds
Now that Grip and his faithful crew—the gelding has stayed with the same trainer and been ridden by the same jockey his entire career— have reached their newest and possibly sweetest milestone, they have their sights set on the future.

“It’s time to go for the big one,” said Maddux, referring to the modern day Thoroughbred record of 16 straight victories held by Citation, Cigar and Hallowed Dreams.

Maddux says he has two races in mind for the gelding next year, and he will wait and see where to go from there. Grip’s crew hopes to give him as many opportunities as possible to run.

When asked about his record-setting Paint horse, Maddux replies, “He’s just a good horse. Oh my gosh, he’s just a good horse. That is what he loves to do—just run.”

Courtesy of PaintRacing.com

http://www.paintracing.com/press/08_GCGtiesrecord.html

http://www.paintracing.com/press/08_GCGattemptsrecord.html

http://www.paintracing.com/press/07_gotcountrygripsetsnewrecord.html

http://www.paintracing.com/press/07_gotcountrygripsetsnewrecord2.html

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SM Country Snowman (Country Quick Dash - Western Lineage , by Judys Lineage) Photo Courtesy BlueRribbon Downs

FORT WORTH, TEXAS—It has been said time and time again that Paint racehorse SM Country Snowman “has taken Paint racing by storm.” The phrase couldn’t be more true than it is now that the 3-year-old stallion recently became the first Paint racehorse in history to earn $250,000 as a 3-year-old.

SM Country Snowman set the new record during a 330-yard allowance race at Blue Ribbon Downs in Sallisaw, Okla., on August 30. The impressive stature of SM Country Snowman’s newest record can be better understood when learning that only two other Paint racehorses—Got Country Grip and Calista Corona—have earned $200,000 during their careers, and only one of those has earned $250,000. Five-year-old Got Country Grip reached the top mark earlier this year on his way to winning his 16th consecutive career race to tie the North American record.

Winning came naturally to SM Country Snowman from the beginning, along with breaking and setting new records. The loud-colored red roan overo Paint, sired by Country Quick Dash (also the sire of Got Country Grip) and out of Western Lineage, had a breakout season as a 2-year-old, quickly winning his first six starts before facing defeat. He finished the year with two additional second-place finishes, one third and $159,383 in earnings. He also became the first Paint racehorse to earn $150,000 as 2-year-old.

This year, the Wagoner, Okla., Rafter SM Ranch-owned stallion returned to the track, again, with winning on his mind. In his nine starts of 2008, SM Country Snowman won all but one race and earned a speed index of 103—his highest to date. Not only did he win eight of his nine starts, but did so by large margins and also beat Got Country Grip in two of the seasons’ Stakes races. Only one other horse—Bust N Moves—has finished ahead of the great Got Country Grip.

“They can’t beat him,” said Rafter SM Ranch-owner Sparky Mullins of Snowman. “He doesn’t lose often and when he does he has to beat himself. Nobody thought he would run because he is such a laid-back horse, but when he gets on the track he is all business.”

And no one should know that better than Mullins, who acquired the talented stallion when he was only eight days old. After spotting him and noticing what a nice colt he was, Mullins started asking questions.

“When I found out he was out of Country Quick Dash, who I own, I made his owners an offer. Then I had to convince my wife, Denise, to let me buy another horse. (Mullins already owned 35 horses.) Since it was her birthday, I told her he’d be hers.”

Since that day, the Mullins’ have never looked back on their decision. Their young colt has transformed into a stellar performer who will soon make the transition to standing at stud. Beginning in 2009, SM Country Snowman will be available to the public for breeding. Many wonder if the stallion will continue to storm his way down the track.

“I never say never,” said Mullins. “Some horses can handle breeding and running, others can’t. He will let me know, but right now the plan is to continue running him.”

As of press time, SM Country Snowman is slightly more than $20,000 away from becoming the highest money-earning Paint racehorse—another goal Mullins would like to accomplish by the years’ end.

“SM Country Snowman has once again shown that Paints can be very competitive on the track,” said APHA Director of Racing Karen Utecht. “We, here at APHA, are proud of ‘Snowman’s’ accomplishments and the interest he has brought to our sport. We truly enjoy watching him on the track, and are looking forward to watching his offspring continue his legacy.”

Courtesy of PaintRacing.com

http://www.paintracing.com/press/08_SMCountry250k.html

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SM Country Snowman (Country Quick Dash - Western Lineage , by Judys Lineage) Photo Courtesy Remington Park

FORT WORTH, Texas—SM Country Snowman recently became the first Paint racehorse to earn $150,000 during its 2-year-old year. The red roan overo stallion has brought home $150,145 in earnings so far this season.

While setting the new record, the racing sensation joined an elite group of Paint racehorses earning more than $100,000 during their 2-year-old year. Only five other Paints have reached the milestone, with the first being Texas Wildcat ($107,495) in 2001. Since that time some of the biggest names in Paint racing—Linda Lajolla ($104,109), Calista Corona ($103,565), Got Country Grip ($146,454) and Rio Rojo Jess ($115,889)—have achieved the feat.

Along with amassing the highest earnings for a 2-year-old, SM Country Snowman, owned by the Rafter SM Ranch of Wagoner, Okla., ran undefeated in seven starts. However, his winning streak came to a halt during the Speedhorse Futurity on July 27 when he finished just over a length behind Royal Quick Treasure. SM Country Snowman, sired by Country Quick Dash and out of Western Lineage, and Royal Quick Treasure, a 2-year-old filly by Royal Quick Flash and out of Countin Treasures, have been considered two of the top 2-year-olds racing this year, and met for the first time in the Speedhorse. Royal Quick Treasure has earned $72,776 so far this year.

SM Country Snowman win at Remington Park and was named Remington Park Champion Paint Horse. .

While on his way to setting a new earnings record, the stallion who is trained by Sparky Mullins, owner of Rafter SM Ranch, and ridden by G.R. Carter, Jr., also set a new Paint racing 350-yard track record at Remington Park in Oklahoma City. SM Country Snowman beat the previous record set in 2005 by 14-time undefeated Got Country Grip by .019 seconds. He set the new record at 17.565 seconds, while earning his fastest speed index of 102.

Although the horse continues to win races and set new records while increasing his bank roll, Mullins is most proud of all the honors his horse is receiving.

“It’s not about the money for me,” said Mullins. “It’s about the horse and what he can do. He ran one bad race this year. It wasn’t his fault, there were some mistakes from the start and it costs us, but he is a real good horse.”

Mullins owns several of the top horses racing on the Paint and Quarter Horse circuits today, including SM County Snowman’s sire, Country Quick Dash, who has sired 65 foals—including Got Country Grip— with 27 starters earning $640,464.

Country Quick Dash’s success as a sire is one of the main reasons Mullins decided to purchase his stand out 2-year-old.

“I bought him when he was nine days old,” said Mullins. “His dam had
produced a little bit, but my stallion tends to put a really good mind on his horses, and [SM Country Snowman] seemed to have that, along with perfect conformation as far as I was concerned. I guess I saw things in him his owner didn’t.”

If you haven’t had a chance to catch this loud-colored stallion blazing down the track, he will race in the Pot O’ Gold trials at Blue Ribbon Downs in Sallisaw, Okla., on October 13, and hopefully advance to the finals on October 20. Mullins plans to run SM Country Snowman as a 3-year-old then stand him at stud the following the year.

Courtesy of PaintRacing.com

http://www.paintracing.com/press/07_smcountrysetsrecord.html

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FORT WORTH, TEXAS—SM Country Snowman earned his fifth consecutive lifetime win June 2 during the Graham Paint Futurity RG 1 at Remington Park in Oklahoma City. The race provided a purse of $214,338.

The two-year-old red roan overo Paint stallion set a new Paint Horse track record for 350 yards as he finished the race in 17.565 seconds. The new Paint racing sensation beat the previous record set in 2005 by 14-time undefeated Got Country Grip by .019 seconds. For his win, SM Country Snowman earned $81,452 bringing his lifetime earnings to $131,805.

The undefeated Paint was named the 2007 Remington Park Champion Paint Horse. Along with this title, SM Country Snowman’s owner, Sparky Mullins of SM Rafter Ranch in Wagoner, Okla., was named Remington Park Champion Owner, and jockey G.R. Carter, Jr., earned the title for Remington Park Champion Jockey.

The stallion is sired by Country Quick Dash, the same sire of Got Country Grip, and out of Western Lineage.

Biker Chick, a sorrel solid Paint-bred mare, posted a time of 17.852 seconds for second place. The two-year-old’s take of $36,437 increased her lifetime earnings to $43,547. The mare is also sired by Country Quick Dash and out of Audacious by Judys Lineage, who is the sire of Western Lineage—SM Country Snowman’s dam. Biker Chick is owned by Steven B. Wright of Coweta, Okla., was trained by Brandon Parum and ridden by Samuel Thompson.

Courtesy of PaintRacing.com

http://www.paintracing.com/press/07_rpchampionnamed.html

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