by Lori Munro

 (c) 1999 Lori Munro. All rights reserved.

Owned and operated by the husband and wife team of almost 20 years, Dennis and Sheree-Lee MacNaught, both came into their marriage with equine backgrounds and have steadily been growing and accumulating stock. Strong believers in colorful Appaloosas, the MacNaughts have hand-picked their bloodlines and mares to reflect their beliefs. Pedigrees that include our breed greats such as Top Moon, Johnny Hand, Hayes Roman Cloud, Prince Plaudit and BCA Flyin Higher can be found within their broodmares. Also having an investment in AQHA mares, they have chosen breeding which consists of Doc Bar, Zan Parr Bar, General Ray Jr., and Two Eyed Jack.

Above: Spin Micky Mouse

The focus at Sherden Appaloosas is to make an all around horse with plenty of cow and reining blood, combined with quality halter and pleasure lines topped off with some speed for games events. To be able to use the horse at home on a regular basis, and still take him to a show and win, is the potential goal for the Sherden Appaloosas-bred horse. It is interesting to learn where the 'passion within' comes from and in this story, it is quite easy to find out how the Appaloosa horse found its way into the hearts of these two individuals who were brought together by the love of the horse.

In the early 1980's, a visit to Andy Moore's "Kyloe Ranch" in Blaisdell, North Dakota introduced Dennis MacNaught to a 9 year old leopard stallion that ultimately made the trip back home to Saskatchewan, along with several Appaloosa mares. The stallion's name was Spinnaker Boone, sired by Kyloe Apache Roco and a product of the Kyloe Ranch breeding program. 

In true gentlemanly form, he obliged his new owners with a first place earning in his halter class! His next event was the Moose Jaw Spring show and he won his class and then came home with a Reserve Champion Stallion title! A definite feather in the cap of this aged stallion and for the people who had faith in him. Spinnaker Boone carried out the rest of his years as a breeding stallion for Sherden Appaloosas and passed away in October 1991 at the ripe age of 21.

During Spinnaker Boone's reign as sire at Sherden Appaloosas, a son of this stallion named Spinnin Star was also purchased by the MacNaught's in 1982 as a 6 year old.  He was also a U.S. import and came from Terry Volk in Sherwood, North Dakota, although he was bred by the same Kyloe Ranch as his sire was. Spinnin Star was used primarily for ranch work and had many miles under saddle chasing cows and being roped off of in the pasture.  Once relocated in Canada, the chestnut, blanketed stallion got a taste of a roping box and after only two weeks he was taken to the 1982 Canadian National Appaloosa Horse Show in Regina, Saskatchewan. He was entered in Team Roping, Breakaway Roping, Steer Daubing, Western Pleasure and Ladies Western Pleasure. Although he qualified for the World Show in Steer Daubing, it wasn't possible for him to attend due to the time of year it was. As we all are well aware, Mother Nature can play some real nasty tricks on us when winter is quickly approaching!

With so much promise as a great performance horse, it was indeed a tremendous loss when Spinnin Star was seriously injured in October of '87 and had to be humanely destroyed. He had been bred to several mares during the year, and his last foal crop arrived in 1988. One of the MacNaught's mares in particular which was bred to Spinnin Star, was a Johnny Hand daughter named Ruling Hand. She was a race track mare and originally came from Hugh McMillan in Frances, Saskatchewan. The product of this pairing created a little colt who was said to be "mouse-sized",  but could anyone have known that this little character would turn out to be an Appaloosa breeders equivalent of winning the big prize and "going to Disneyland?"

In the three shows that year, Micky earned one 1st, and two 2nds in open reining, and Sheree-Lee MacNaught earned a 1st, 2nd and 3rd in rookie reining. Spin Micky Mouse was on a roll! It was decided to take the next step in steering this rising star to the top of his game ....

Placed in the capable hands of Barry and Brenda Clemens of Beaver Creek Livestock in Lumsden, Saskatchewan, Spin Micky Mouse was prepped for the 1998 show season, the highlight of which was the Canadian National Appaloosa Show held in Regina. The Clemens' saw great potential in this stallion and anticipated he could really do well in all of the cattle events. 

      Above: Barry Clemens and Spin Micky Mouse, heeling in '98

They started off the '98 season by hauling Micky to the Moose Jaw Spring show, the very event in which his grand-sire, Spinnaker Boone made his presence known so many years ago. Micky placed well in both the Reining and Western Riding events. The next show was in Yorkton and Spin Micky Mouse got a real taste of all-day competition. There were cattle events at this facility and he did well in all of his classes which included Reining, Western Riding, Working Cow Horse, Steer Daubing, Breakaway Roping, Team Penning, Heading & Heeling, Barrels, Poles, Flag Picking and finally, the Key Hole Race!  Next stop - the Canadian National Appaloosa Horse Show ....

Spin Micky Mouse was entered in all of the same classes he competed in at his last show in Yorkton. The accolades came quickly as the 10 year old Micky earned the honor of being High Point Cattle Event Horse, Reserve High Point Over All Horse, Canadian National Champion in Free Style Reining, Reserve Champion Working Cow Horse, Senior Reining and Breakaway Roping. It is an understatement to say that Spin Micky Mouse, and all of the people involved with his success, had a very, very good National Show! But the honors didn't stop there as he also earned the additional titles of Saskatchewan High Point Senior Western Riding, Senior Reining, Steer Daubing and Reserve High Point Working Cow Horse, Reserve High Point Over All Horse, Reserve Calvin Paysen's Memorial High Point Performance Horse, National High Point Senior Reining Horse. At the Beaver Creek, Yorkton and Moose Jaw Fall shows, Micky was Reserve High Point Senior Horse. With all of this achievement, it was thought that Micky would be retired into the MacNaught's breeding program, but something told them there could be even more out there for their stallion.

The 1999 Canadian National Appaloosa Horse Show was scheduled to be held in the nearby city of Moose Jaw. With such an event so close to home, the breeding shed was put on hold for Micky as he was once again readied in the spring for the event. He was warmed up with success at both the Moose Jaw Spring show, and then on to Yorkton again, just as was done in the year prior. However, this year he was brought home for a bit of R&R between the two shows and had the opportunity to breed a few mares. 

When the National Show was finally here, each cattle event was entered, as was Micky's standard repertoire of multiple performance and games events. The accolades were once again bestowed upon Micky with many titles earned which included High Point Cattle Event Horse, Canadian National Team Penning Champion, Canadian National Reserve Free Style Reining, and Reserve Steer Daubing Champion. In the remainder of his entered events, Micky placed in the top 5 of each. This truly shows off the stallion's versatility and athleticism to the maximum! As an aged stallion, Micky has accumulated over 200 points in twelve different events in only two years! 

Hopes for the year 2000 include a trip to the Alberta Appaloosa Congress Show, and along with Micky, a new face will be seen on the circuit. The MacNaught's will be campaigning their 3 year old stallion Bright Zan Bar, a full brother to their very successful 1995 leopard show gelding, Bright Parr Barr, who at the 1999 National Show was named Canadian National Champion in Team Penning (Team 1), and in the Keyhole Race. He also earned a Reserve National Championship in Team Penning (Team 2).

1999 Show Results Canadian National Team Penning Champion Canadian National Reserve Free Style Reining Champion Canadian National Reserve Steer Daubing Champion Canadian National High Point Cattle Event Champion Brenda Clemens and Spin Micky Mouse, complete with cheerleaders, earning his National Reserve Free Style Reining title. 1998 Show Results Canadian National Free Style Reining Champion Canadian National Reserve Working Cow Horse Champion Canadian National Reserve Breakaway Roping Champion Canadian National Reserve High Point Cattle Event Champ Canadian National Reserve High Point Over All Champion Saskatchewan High Point Senior Western Riding Saskatchewan High Point Senior Reining Saskatchewan High Point Steer Daubing Saskatchewan Reserve High Point Working Cow Horse Saskatchewan Reserve Calvin Paysen Memorial High Point Performance Horse National High Point Senior Reining Horse

If the year 2000 offers the MacNaught's of Sherden Appaloosas a fraction of the success that they have recently achieved, then it would be appropriate to assume the words, "I'm going to Disneyland,"  will be heard loud and clear across the country. But in this case, no airplane will be boarded and no bags will be packed. For Dennis, Sheree-Lee and their 6 year old daughter Shasta, it's quite apparent that "the big prize" is no further away than a walk from their house to their barn ... But then again, not everyone has the luxury of having Spin Micky Mouse right in their own back yard!

Reprinted with permission from Lori Munro & Cayuse Free Lance  ...  No portion of this story may be reproduced in any form and is copyright protected by Lori Munro & Cayuse Free Lance - All Rights Reserved - 1999

Lori Munro - Lori spends most of her leisure time entertaining her 11 colorful, spotted charges, and her three Australian Shepherds. Fill-in jobs include gardening, sword swallowing,  ATV'ing, auto racing, tractor pulling and free lancing in both equine and automotive journalism and graphics. Her work has been published in Performance Horse Magazine, Northern Horse Review, Cal-Western Appaloosa Magazine, Sundance 500 Newsletter, Vintage Vehicles / Wheelspin News, Equine Ranching and many more... 

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