Magnum Chic Dream

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www.nrha.com FEBRUARY 2016 NRHA REINER 117

HE FIRST TIME THAT NRHA PROFESSIONAL CASEY HINTON

saw Magnum Chic Dream in the show pen, hecalled his wife, Kathy, and told her he had seen,“The Natural.” The stallion was only three and

competing at the Southwest Reining Futurity under the guid-ance of Patti Brownshadel, but Hinton knew he was seeinggreatness in the making.

“He was just an exceptional loper,” recalls Hinton. “Hemade everything look very easy.”

Flash forward from 1999 to 2016, and the sorrel stallion hasNRHA Lifetime Earnings of $44,294, is a Three Million DollarSire, and one of the latest NRHA Hall of Fame Inductees. In ad-dition, he is an AQHA World Champion with Hinton at the reins.

Don’t Judge a Book by its CoverIn 1997, Guy DuPonchel brought a furry, pot-bellied stud coltto his friend Patti Brownshadel’s farm.

“He was so full of himself on the ground,” says Brownshadel.“But soon after starting him under saddle, he became amodel student.”

The yearling that came into her barn was dramatically dif-ferent than the one that caught everyone’s eye in the futuritypens. Brownshadel was just starting him when her friends,Jack and Viola Scott were looking for a new horse for Viola.Brownshadel knew they were the right owners for “Magnum.”The Scotts were immediately impressed with the 2-year-old.

“I had shown Magnum to several others, and they thoughtI was nuts,” Brownshadel recalls. “They couldn’t understandwhy I was so high on him, but I knew there were so manyspecial qualities on the inside.”

Because Viola was looking for a gelding to show, they spokewith Brownshadel about gelding the Smart Chic Olena colt.Because Brownshadel likes to take her time gelding colts, sheswore to Viola that he had the best mind of any horse that shehad ever trained. Brownshadel convinced Viola she’d be ableto show Magnum as a stallion when he was older.

“(At the time) Magnum wasn’t the handsome prince he’dsoon grow up to be, and many doubted his stallion potential,but I’ve always been slow to geld,” says Brownshadel. “I’m soglad I didn’t, and I think there are many others who are happythat I didn’t as well.”

Throughout his training with Brownshadel, Magnum kept

his gentleman-like attitude. His special qualities on the insidebegan to shine through with his natural balance and footworkin the ring.

“He didn’t require a lot of riding to prepare him,” she says.“He was always sound and always there for me.”

The pair had placed third in the Southwest Reining Futu-rity, followed by appearances in the finals of the 1999 NRHAOpen and Intermediate Open Futurity and a Reserve cham-pionship in the Limited Open division. From there they wereCo-Reserve Champions in the NRHA Derby IntermediateOpen in 2000.

After his 4-year-old year, the Scotts took Magnum homeand Viola started showing him in the rookie and non proclasses at NRHA shows under Brownshadel’s direction. Be-cause of his laidback nature, Magnum was kept intact. Evenwhile actively breeding, the stallion was always on his best be-havior for his elder owner.

“We would show up at the show grounds and I would un-load him and lead him to his stall. He never said a word orlooked right or left,” recalls Viola. “He knew he was at theshow to show. He just went around the pen like a gentleman,like he should. I thoroughly enjoyed showing him.”

It wasn’t until one hot July show, when Viola was 69, thatshe and her husband decided it was time to retire from theshow ring. “There comes a time when it’s time to sit and watchthe youngsters show, and we were at that point,” laughs Viola.

The south Texas summers were too brutal for both humanand steed, so when it came time to move, the couple ap-proached Kathy and Casey Hinton about standing their belovedstallion at Cedar Ridge Stallion Station in Whitesboro, Texas.

A Bigger StagePrior to Magnum moving to Cedar Ridge, he had been stand-ing at Wichita Ranch while Viola showed him. He hadn’t re-ally been campaigned or advertised, so it was rather a meekstart to what would become a storybook stallion career. Hejust needed one big event to show the rest of the reining worldthe potential that Brownshadel had seen when he was a 2-year-old prospect.

At the AQHA shows, NRHA Professional Troy Heikes hadhelped Scott by schooling Magnum in the open reining, thusqualifying him for the 2004 AQHA World Show in Senior

FROM A SUCCESSFUL SHOW CAREER TO A MEEK START TO WHAT WOULDBECOME A STORYBOOK STALLION CAREER TO HALL OF FAME INDUCTION.

Magnum Chic DreamBY MEGAN ARSZMAN

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118 NRHA REINER FEBRUARY 2016 www.nrha.com

Reining in one show, on New Year’s Day. When Magnummoved to Cedar Ridge, Hinton and Scott discussed the possi-bility of him competing one last time in Oklahoma City.

“I think the Scotts knew that if they wanted to get Magnumin front of a different crowd and garner a little more respect forhim as a stallion, he’d need to win the World Championshipin Senior Reining,” says Hinton. Hinton felt that an AQHAWorld Championship would demonstrate that Magnum notonly had the ability, but the staying power of an athlete.

Hinton and Magnum slid into Jim Norwick Arena with starpower, putting on a stellar show and winning the Senior Rein-ing World Championship. With that win, Magnum retired tothe breeding shed.

“It was a very, very nice ride,” says Scott. “Of course, I’mprejudice.”

In the pen, Magnum was known for his brilliant movement.His signature long mane accentuated his spins and showedhis speed in his circles. He made every maneuver look easy.

“(As a 3-year-old) a lot of other trainers had a lot of respectfor him,” says Hinton. “His movement at the lope was whatcaught my eye and I knew he was a natural. Everything waseasy—turning, stopping, loping, almost too easy.”

“He was such an athlete as a reining horse,” recalls Heikes.“But his greatest asset was his mind. He always wanted to bea good student and I see that same trait in his get as well.”

Like Father, Like Sons and DaughtersMagnum’s breeding career slowly gained momentum after re-tirement. In 2009 Lil Magnum Jessie and Hinton earned theNRHA Futurity Reserve Open Championship. When Stop LikeA Dream and NRHA Professional Jordan Larson earned the2010 NRBC Level 4 Open Reserve Champion title, that pushedMagnum Chic Dream over the NRHA Million Dollar Sire mark.

It took only three years for him to eclipse the two milliondollar mark, thanks to his top earning offspring, TarisDreamer, earning the 2013 NRBC Level 4 Non Pro divisionchampionship with owner Ron Thompson.

The growth in his stallion career can be attributed to threethings, according to Hinton. First was winning his AQHAWorld Championship, followed by Lil Magnum Jessie’s fu-turity success, and then his being named an NRHA MillionDollar Sire.

“Magnum didn’t really get numbers (of foals) until later inhis career,” says Hinton. “He became a Two Million Dollar Sirewith only 132 money-earning foals, which is pretty incredible.”

Hinton also attributes the patient and casual nature the Scottshad as stallion owners. When the economy was getting tight,the Scotts kept Magnum’s stud fee reasonable even though hewas gaining more attention. This opened up a larger market andactually started to bring more mares to the breeding shed.

“With the fewer numbers (at the beginning of his career)and the great production, the Scotts were smart to keep thehorse available to others,” says Hinton.

And Magnum has bred a variety of mares, with the majorityof the crosses being successful.

The yearling that firstcame into Brownshadel’sbarn was dramatically different than the onethat caught everyone’seye in the futurity pens.

Patti Brownshadel andMagnun Chic Dream

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www.nrha.com FEBRUARY 2016 NRHA REINER 119

“Magnum can breed the mares no one else wants to breed—they’re too stout, too hot in the arena, or have too much gas—and he can make that combination work somehow,” saysHinton. “I think it’s because of his balanced lope. I think itmakes it easier having a horse wait for you and have to bepushed to go. It’s always worked in his favor.”

They say that you can see a Magnum baby by the way hecarries his head, the way he moves around the circles, and hislaidback demeanor. Hinton also points out that he sees thatnatural lope passed down from father to progeny, as well ashis balance. The balance of needing the extra push for speed,yet still being fast and fluid in the spins is uniquely Magnum.

“I don’t know how you can say a horse can sire too muchof a good thing, but he sires too much of a stop,” says Hinton.“I say Magnums run with the brakes on.”

His leading money earners include:Taris Dreamer (out of Taris San Cutter by Doc Tari)$175,064Lil Magnum Jessie (out of Lil Ruf Jessie by Lil RufPeppy) $166,275Chicsdundreamin (out of Goody Goody Gun Dropby Hollywood Dun It) $150,354Magnum With A Dream (out of Shine On Sayo byShining Spark) $128,254This Chicsdundreamin (out of Hermosa Dun It byHollywood Dun It) $124,609

The fact that his progeny is successful in all levels of com-petition—youth, non pro, open, prime time—is also a testa-ment to his balance and ability that he has passed on. To date,Magnums offspring have total earnings of $3,469,207.

“Magnum has sired many performing mares that are pro-ducing performers and his performing stallions are siring per-formers as well,” points out Brownshadel. “His colts and fillies

Taris Dreamer andRon Thompson

-Casey Hinton and Lil Magnum Jessie

IndyRoper andChicsdundreamin

Josh Visser andMagnum WithA Dream

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120 NRHA REINER FEBRUARY 2016 www.nrha.com

are so trainable, so compliant. Magnum's son, Im The ChicMagnet, that I own and showed has sired my third generationof special stallions to show that exhibit Magnum's special qual-ities. Magnetised, Magnum's grandson, has that special attitude,look, balance and talent, that is characteristic of his lineage,which make them current and competitive at all levels.”

A New TitleNow, as a 2016 inductee into the NRHA Hall of Fame,Magnum Chic Dream has another title to add to his name,and Hinton believes that this is just the beginning of the stal-lion’s great career.

“I think we’re just now getting to the years where he has lotsof foals,” he says. “I don’t think it stops with him getting intothe Hall of Fame, I think it’s just the beginning.”

But the induction isn’t anything the stallion’s connectionsare taking lightly.

“It’s been amazing,” says Scott. “My husband says it’s betterto be lucky than good, if you can manage it, and we feel verylucky and very fortunate.”

“I always felt he was going to be a sire and it has been apleasure to watch this happen,” says Heikes.

“The fact that not only his sons and daughters are so success-ful, but his special genes are passed down to his grandsons andgranddaughters and they, too, are exhibiting the talent to win in

this ever-advancing sport of Reining, reason enough that Magnumis so deserving of induction into the NRHA Hall Of Fame,” saysBrownshadel. “Magnum is the gift that keeps on giving.”

“It’s very special to be part of something as not only man-aging his breeding, but as his former exhibitor, it’s such a rar-ity, so it’s pretty special,” says Hinton. “You can ridethousands of horses, thousands of good ones, but not manymake it into the Hall of Fame.” �

George Lawrence andThis Chicsdundreamin

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