On Sept. 1, 2018, serious horse buyers from across the country bid on their favorites at the 21st Annual KeSa Quarter Horse Production Sale held at Colorado State University. That year’s auction at CSU’s Adams Atkinson Arena doubled as KeSa’s dispersal sale.

Owner Sam Shoultz had pursued decades of equine genetics studies that resulted in development of the award-winning equines for which his program is well-noted.

Those many horses are precious gems, not rhinestone cow ponies. Ones he raised are trained the best and actually used on cattle ranches, as well as in rodeos and shows. They have good minds, good dispositions, good performance records.

But time crunch had become a major factor for Shoultz, who simultaneously ran several other businesses.

As far as producing modern, proven horses goes, he felt he’d reached the pinnacle of success and couldn’t do any better than he had, only as good. And he preferred to go out on top.

But there was this one big, blue colt that, since birth, had caught and kept Shoultz’s eye. Both the colt and his dam were foaled at KeSa. Shoultz had always intended to hold him back from sale, to replace his superb sire, Driftwood Sensation.

So, …

THAT WAS THEN, THIS IS NOW

Four years after the dispersal auction, Shoultz is offering mare owners the opportunity to breed to the fantastic young stallion carrying those time-tested and proven bloodlines.

Klassy Driftwood (“Klassy”), a stunningly impressive 2012 blue roan standing 15.2 hands high, is sired by Driftwood Sensation, also blue roan, who excelled at heading and heeling. Klassy is out of Gerries Klassy Bay, an own daughter of Plenty Try.

Early on, Klassy was sent to Luke Jones, a noted performance horse trainer in Allerton, Iowa. From there, the stallion spent about 36 months with Kevin Meyer in Douglas, Wyo., fine tuning all that it takes to be a good all-around using horse.

Raised on a cow/calf operation in southeast Wyoming, Meyer became a working cowboy and colt starter. He is a stock horse judge and competitor who conducts Cow Horse & Ranch Versatility clinics throughout the country. Meyer owns and operates his horse training business, Mantz Creek Horses.

As a man who knows horses nose to tail, Meyer glowingly described Klassy Sensation: “He’s as fine a horse as I’ve ever ridden. I had him for three glorious years and he will always have a special place in my heart.”

Working Klassy on his ranch, Meyer doctored a lot of cattle off the horse, started a lot of colts with him, and even showed him once.

Meyer used the blue roan as his demonstration horse at clinics in New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona and more. He noted that his kids, too, rode the big stallion, who always exhibits a steady, calm demeanor regardless of the task at hand.

If he ever has the opportunity to work with Klassy again, said Meyer, he’d jump at the chance. He added he’d be thrilled to someday own him or one of the stud’s offspring.

Now back with Shoultz, Klassy Driftwood is standing to outside mares. He’s already produced at least two dozen foals, from 2020 through 2022. The coming 3-year-olds are slated to soon be shown in roping and team roping.

ONE FINE LADY

Another horse Shoultz held back when he sold his herd and their Ault, Colo., pastures was a 2017 bay daughter of MR Junewood. Out of Fritz Lovelady, Junewoods Bay Fritz (aka “Fritzie”) is beginning a career.

Shoultz noted that several of Fritzie’s full siblings placed so well at shows that she’s currently with performance horse trainer Luke Jones for roping, calf roping, heading/heeling.

Liking the line so well, Shoultz also kept her dam (bred for a 2023 foal). Trainer Jones is similarly impressed as he works with Fritzie.

“We’ve just begun her show career and she’s earned points at Denison, Iowa, the first show we took her to,” he reported, adding, “She has a lot of cow and a lot of foot speed as well.”

MR JUNEWOOD

Mare owners will still be able to get foals from the frozen semen of MR Junewood, Shoultz’s prepotent 1996 buckskin stallion.

The 2018 sale catalog listed some of that handsome horse’s accomplishments: “MR Junewood earned 192 Performance Points; has offspring earners of over 3,000 points: AQHA Superior Heeling; AQHA Performance ROM; 2X AQHA World Show Top Ten Heeling. As of 2018, he was the highest AQHA point-earning, high-percentage Driftwood (25 percent) that has a proven show record in the toughest divisions.”

CSU maintains MR Junewood’s semen for AI. Interested breeders can contact them directly or via Shoultz for further information.

KESA, THE SEQUEL

KeSa’s 2018 herd dispersal marked the end of an era gone by.

The breeding program’s Ault acreage went on the market, eventually selling to delighted new owners Shirley and Dave Lindsay in October 2019. The Lindsays own and operate their Triple L Farms on the 115-acre property, boarding, training and offering additional equine programs and services.

And, Klassy Driftwood, MR Junewood, Junewoods Bay Fritz, progeny from the two stallions, and Fritz Lovelady’s 2023 foal assure a bright, colorful sequel for Sam Shoultz’s KeSa Quarter Horses.

The colors of horses praise their Creator;

Contrived words of prayer cannot be greater.

Together the colors of horses all run

With power and brilliance that rival the sun.

Yes, watch for a bright and colorful future in hues of blue roan, buckskin, bay and more — an exciting sequel for KeSa Quarter Horses.

For additional information about stud fees or more about KeSa’s, contact Sam Shoultz at (970) 215-9433.

Kevin Meyer can be reached at (307) 331-8953, or visit his website http://www.mantzcreekhorses.com.

Luke Jones’s website is at http://www.lukejonesperformancehorses.com, or call him at (641) 870-0090.