Just something to think about...you're finding barrel horse sires you think are good ones (and they may very well be...for barrel horses). We're back to specialization again and the effect of that on the breed in the long run. The admirers of any decent specialized stallion (halter, pleasure, HUS, cutting, barrels, reining, etc.) believes the same way that you do...their favorite stallions are capable of contributing to the breed in a positive way. Those outside of those disciplines don't see it that way, and barrel horse sires are no exception.

My opinion is they might contribute to the discipline in a positive way, but I'm not so sure about contributing to the breed (as a whole). Remember, I come from the time before specialization and have seen the changes that have taken place.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I remember the good barrel horses being from almost any bloodline that was athletic, with speed. Maybe they wouldn't be competitive today, much like other disciplines have evolved, too. I also remember that any well-bred QH that could and would run fast, stop, and turn made a decent barrel horse. Most were race-bred, as they are today. Many times, the horses that didn't run well at the track went on to be barrel or rope horses. I'm looking at the pedigrees of today's barrel horses and I see quite a variety, as long as there is some race blood there. The part that I find strange is many of these pedigrees are full of horses that aren't found elsewhere. Many of the sires in the pedigree are broodmare sires elsewhere. And when a stallion comes along (such as Fire Water Flit or Frenchmans Guy), and sires a few big winners, everyone flocks to that bloodline, and it takes off, leaving the others in the dust. The young ones of that bloodline are given the chance to succeed more than the ones from other bloodlines, and the circle of success continues.

Bully Bullion is a 24yo stallion who never sired a good siring son in the racing industry, but he has sons in the barrel horse industry that are desirable? Pacific Bailey is the same way (he was a broodmare sire), and so was Kipty's Charger, Hempen, Alamitos Bar, Azure Te, Pass 'Em Up, Shawne Bug, Lady Bug's Moon, etc. What is it about these stallions that makes their sons desirable in a barrel horse pedigree?

On the other hand, Dash For Cash, Special Effort, Streakin Six, etc. were all very successful sires in the racing industry and the barrel horse industry. Those are the stallions I believe have and will continue to contribute to the breed.

What is the deal with these new barrel horse sires? (I call them "new" because they're new to me!) What is it about them that is better than the successful Quarter racing sires? Many of them seem quite ordinary to me.