Haverty Ranch has a sweet ride at the inaugural APHA Fall Show By Kayla Starnes Reading the entry list, her name—Gunners Cool Whip—distinguishes 5-year-old daughter of Colonels Smokingun and My Paint Wagon from the rest of field in any class she’s in. Not that she needs it. One glance at the solid white mare, owned by Haverty Ranch in Krum, Texas, and you’ll never forget her. She’s a rare white Solid Paint-Bred, affectionately known to the Haverty family as “Snowball.” The APHA Fall Championship Show was the final competition for Gunners Cool Whip. The Solid Paint-Bred mare will become part of the Haverty’s breeding program in 2009. The mare, who has been in training with Zane’s father, Clint, since she was a 3-year-old, made her first APHA show ring appearance this week in the Fall Show’s Solid Paint-Bred Reining Sweepstakes, but she is well-known for her accomplishments in National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) competition. For example, in 2006 Clint rode the white mare to the Intermediate Open Finals at the prestigious NRHA Futurity and Championship Show, where she stood out for both her looks and her athletic abilities. Clint Haverty said when narrowing his list of prospects for a major event, such as the Fall Show or NRHA Futurity, attitude tops his list of requirements. He added that Gunners Cool Whip is a great example of what he is looking for. “She was always a lady, which is what I want,” said Haverty. “I want one that wants to be there. Life is short, so why waste your time with one that doesn’t want to play?” Haverty added that the mare is well-liked by everyone who meets her; not just for her unique look, but also for her pleasant personality. He added that her positive outlook is a credit to her sire, Colonels Smokingun, who is also known as “Gunner.” The stallion is NRHA’s only million-dollar Paint sire and a NRHA Hall of Fame inductee. Haverty, who is also a member of NRHA’s Hall of Fame, trained and rode the stallion. In fact, the pair was recently voted one of Performance Horse magazine’s “Top 10 Greatest Horse and Rider Teams of All Time” by their peers. The Haverty Ranch has three Gunner progeny entered in the Fall Show, including Gunners Cool Whip, Shes A Smokin Gunner and Shirleys A Gunner. “The best things about the Gunners are that they all can really stop and they’re all people horses—just like their sire,” said Haverty. “History will tell the tale on him.”

Zane Haverty is riding all the Haverty horses at the Fall Show, as he has since August of this year when his father cracked a vertebra in his back. Clint is excited about his son’s major return to the show ring and the ranch. “Hopefully, he’ll stick around awhile,” said Clint. “He’s such a nice hand. Some are so talented and born that way, like him. But he’s done his job and worked at it.” However, Zane isn’t sure what his future plans are right now. Clint has already returned to riding, and hopes to be back full-time soon. The Fall Show was Gunners Cool Whip’s last competition, since she has already begun her next career. According to Clint, the mare is bred to one of their stallions, Who Whiz It (AQHA), for a 2009 foal. He can’t wait to see what color her foal will be. Genetic Jackpot Solid white horses are rare in the Paint Horse breed. While predominately white horses are seen frequently, very few are truly snow white from nose to tail. However, certain bloodlines are known to produce these pristine beauties, including Colonels Smokingun, who is Gunners Cool Whip’s sire. The stallion has seven foals out of 346 registered Paints that are classified at solid white. With many Paint Horses, the goal is a white spot that is at least two inches in diameter in approved areas of the body, classifying their foal as Regular Registry. For predominately white horses, the opposite is true. Breeders seek a two-inch island of color in a sea of white. With white Solid Paint-Breds, no spot exists that meets this criterion, such as the case with Gunners Cool Whip and her full sister, Snow White Gunner. Genetically, solid white Paint Horses are not solely white. Interestingly, they all carry a base color—such as sorrel or bay—which is hidden. As with any white markings, base colors are still present in the genes; they just are masked by the white. Another common misconception is that white Paints are albino, but this condition does not exist in horses. Also, these horses do not suffer from Overo Lethal White Syndrome—a condition affecting newborn foals that are born white due to other genetic defects. On a positive note, research has indicated that solid white Paints may be genetic goldmines. Foal records show that these horses tend to have significantly higher numbers of Regular Registry foals than most patterns.

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