Littlestone Performance Horses Leading the Way

One Moore Smarty

Vitalsignsareblazing (IMP) is one of the best bred western pleasure mares in the world

Top mare Charmed Cat is based in the USA

This beautiful Certain Potential filly, who is one of only three in Australia, will make a super show mare with bloodlines to win at the NPHA Pleasure Celebration and then go on to be an outstanding broodmare.  She is currently for sale on Horsezone

Littlestone Tellimsmart, out of One Moore Smarty, is an outstanding prospect for the 2014 NCHA Futurity He is currently for sale on Horsezone

EP Rey Chex has been PTIF to Sophisticated Catt, the sire of the 2011 NCHA Futurity Champion Ducks Dux She is currently for sale on Horsezone

Tyson and Melissa Deutscher of Littlestone Performance Horses are a young couple who are keen to impact on the worlds of western performance, cutting and campdrafting in a big way and have all the plans in place to do it!

Littlestone Performance Horses is situated 20km west of Chinchilla, Queensland. Tyson and Melissa have only recently moved to Queensland after running the family farm "Stone End" in Badgingarra, WA. The Chinchilla property "Kotupna Park", is also the home to 250 Brahman cows and calves. 

Born into the horse business, with her parents breeding and showing Australian Stock Horses, Melissa says of her informative days, "when I was about 12 years old, mum bought a grey Quarter Horse gelding named Peace Keeper (PK) to get her confidence back, well I ended up stealing him and with a lot of help from some wonderful people I started showing. I have been very blessed with the horses I have had to show over the years horses like Cabooms Trouble, Futera Spinplicity, Scotch On Command, Imagine That and an old favourite Aquilas Dusty Dollar (AAA). These horses have helped me win many high point awards, including High Point Amateur at 2004 WAQHA State Champs (my first year as an Amateur). The show scene runs in my genes with my sister Carly Ganzer also showing and recently representing Australia at the 2011 AQHA Trans Tasman Cup".

Tyson has also had a long love of horses, insisting at a young age that he needed a pony, even though he was born into a farming family who had no interest in horses! Growing up on a farm Tyson always had to work livestock (sheep, water buffalo, goats and now cattle) so naturally he was drawn to campdrafting, he had many wins with his great horses including Spins Little Jed, Jimmy Boy and the grand old man Without Warning (Buck), who he still owns, no one actually know how old he is, but it is thought that he is pushing 25! Tyson also competed in cutting events in WA, where he won many two handed events on Buck and Spins Little Jed. In 2003 he met Maneroo Thoroughbreds owner Neville Smith and started breaking in his 2 year olds for the track, "it was always great to see these 'fresh and untouched' two year olds go on to be fantastic race horses that actually had a future after racing, as their first ride was generally in a small (50 acre!) paddock so they were taught brakes and steering very early on," says Tyson.

In 2003 Tyson met Melissa, so he was soon introduced to the western show scene and Melissa was reintroduced to campdrafting!

Since then the couple have had a dream to breed and own the best horses possible, a dream that is starting to come together now for the dedicated pair with their exceptional breeding program.

Mare Power

"Our three 'A Class' mares Charmed Cat (based in the USA), One Moore Smarty and Vitalsignsrblazing (IMP) are from outstanding and leading sires in their industries," says Melissa, "but most importantly they are out of exceptional mares. Charmed Cat is by NCHA super sire High Brow Cat (who has progeny earnings of $49 Million). Her dam Charmed For Sure is an NCHA dollar earner and a half sister to Smooth As A Cat (NCHA LTE $500,000 +). Smooth As A Cat is proving to be a super sire himself having sired offspring with earnings of $6 Million. Charm is a three quarter sister to Smooth As A Cat and her dam, Charmed For Sure, is also the producer of Futurity Champion Checks For Sure."

"One Moore Smarty is by Chuka So Smart who has been a successful sire in Australia, her dam was possibly the greatest cutting horse in Australia One Moore Spin. Not only a great show mare but an outstanding producing mare having produced horses such as One Moore Senor, One Moore Playboy, One Roan Peptos, One Stylish Peptos, Spins Miss Kitty, Prestige Cat and One Moore Daddy. Smarty herself earnt $42,000 and had wins at Victoria and CCCC Futurities, Smarty is also the dam of NCHA dollar Earners."

"Vitalsignsrblazing (IMP) is by two time AQHA World Champion, NSBA Hall of Fame sire Blazing Hot, but again it is her dam, Vital Signs Are Good (VSAG), that makes Hallie special. VSAG is the earner of over 30 All American Quarter Horse Congress Championships, 12 AQHA World Championships (all time leading championship mare), and holds the World Record Western Riding score. Not only is VSAG one of the best western performance mares in the world she is also a AQHA leading dam, having produced an AQHA World Champion, reserve World Champion, multiple congress champions. Her progeny include Invest N Vital Signs (Reserve World Champion Two Year Old Western Pleasure Congress Champion), Vital Signs R Hot, VS Code Blue, VS Code Red, My Vital Valentine and the 2011 AQHA World Champion Two Year Old Western Pleasure - VS Check My Pulse." (See videos below of VS Check My Pulse and VS Code Red)

Tyson and Melissa also aim to use the best stallions available, saying, "we have bred to amazing US stallions that include - One Time Pepto, Sophisticated Catt, Radical Rodder, Iron Age, One Hot Krymsun and Certain Potential. We have also used imported stallions such as Brooksipep, Peptos Stylish Oak, Whos Top Cat and Tapt Dancin Cat."

Promising Progeny

Littlestone Performance horses have four foals on the ground so far, which include a Chestnut filly by Brooksipep (Mister Dual Pep x Reminic mare) out of their campdraft producing Thoroughbred mare Bommette, who is turning out to be an exceptional type for drafting with a very quiet trainable nature. There is also a  brown filly by top Hunter sire Iron Age, also out of a Thoroughbred mare, who is very well suited to producing hunt seat horses, "this filly is turning out to be everything we expected having a great disposition to go with her exceptionally elegant movement," says Melisa. Next born was a chestnut filly by Certain Potential out of the wonderful youth mare Foolish Acres. The latest born is a red roan colt by One Time Pepto out of the great mare One Moore Smarty. Tyson and Melissa are super excited about this colt, as his sire One Time Pepto was the 2010 Leading Freshman sire having sired the 2010 Open Futurity Champion and the 2010 Non Pro Futurity Champion.

The next foals due are Radical Rodder x Vitalsignsrblazing which is due end of February, then Charmed Cat has a foal due by NCHA Reserve Champion Horse of the Year, Im Countin Chex (NCHA LTE $513,000).  This foal will be Littlestone Performance Horses first USA born foal and is due in April 2012.

Luckily for the Australian western performance industry, the gorgeous Certain Potential filly mentioned above is now for sale! "We think that our Certain Potential filly has a great future ahead of her. Having been from the first crop of Certain Potentials in Australia (his service fee is $4,315), and one of three fillies born in this country, not only will she be a super show mare, she will make an outstanding broodmare in the future. She is showing outstanding movement already, with a lovely flat knee and a beautiful deep driving hock, and to top it off a beautiful quiet nature! Her sire Certain Potential is siring AQHA and Congress champions in all divisions (Youth, Amateur, Select Amateur and Open). Her dam Foolish Acres has a great easy going nature, making her the wonderful youth/amateur horse she is. We believe this filly has the ability to be a great open horse and she also has the nature to be an exceptional youth/amateur horse," says Melissa.

"At present we also have two stunning yearling geldings for sale. Littlestone Eclipse is a dual registered gelding and will be very well suited for drafting and showing. He has the legs and strength for drafting, but also very eye appealing for showing. His sire has sired winners in every event including drafting, challenges, dressage, ASH events and AQHA events. His dam was an elegant but powerful mare, standing at 16hh. We think this gelding should mature 15.1 +. The next gelding, Littlestone Tellimsmart, is out of our great mare One Moore Smarty. His sire, Docs Spin N Tell, was a very successful cutting stallion and has produced some exceptional horses from a limited crop, including the super mare Honey Don't Tell. This gelding is an outstanding prospect for the 2014 NCHA Futurity, with a great depth of breeding behind him to take him to the top."

"We also have for sale EP Rey Chex. She sells PTIF to Sophisticated Catt who was the sire of the 2011 NCHA Futurity Champion Ducks Dux. She is by the US sire Light of Rey, who is a three quarter brother to the great Dual Rey (who's service fee in Australia is $15,000). Her dam has produced NCHA dollar earners as well as open campdrafters. This mare has been broken in recently and showed much talent. She is due to foal on 3 September 2012."

Littlestone Performance Horses have had success with Quarter Horse cross horses in campdrafting and believe that crossing a well bred cutting stallion with Australian Stock Horse and Thorouhbred mares, gives the progeny the extra 'cowiness' they need for cow horse sports, while maintaining the elegance and athletic ability from the mares.  This produces young horses who are very trainable and easy horse to work with.

More on 'A Class' Mare Vitalsignsareblazing (IMP)

"We purchased Vitalsignsrblazing (aka Hallie) in 2009. For many years we had followed and fell in love with her dam Vital Signs Are Good, so when the opportunity came up to purchase Hallie we jumped at it!" Melissa says, "we then bred her to amazing US sire Lazy Loper before bringing her back to Australia, the resulting filly was born in January 2011, however due to unfortunate circumstances we lost her at two days of age. We then bred her to US sire Radical Rodder."

"Radical Rodder was not only a great show horse, he has produced many World Champions in every western breed and at most disciplines. Radical Rodder is also the sire of Australia's leading AQHA sire HF Somethin Hot. This resulting foal will be closely related to HF with Hallie having Tahnee Zippo (HF's dam) as her grand dam, this foal is due end of Feb 2012."

"In October 2011 we bred Hallie to the number two leading western pleasure sire in the US, One Hot Krymsun. On the same day we got the embryo out VS Check My Pulse won the two year old western pleasure at the AQHA World Show! This resulting foal will be a three quarter sister or brother to Check My Pulse and we are so excited to see what we get."

"We hope to breed versatile, good looking pleasure horses. Hallie is a big mare (she is 16.1) so we are hoping to add height into the Australian show horses, we also believe she can produce wonderful youth and amateur horses. We are so excited to see what Hallie produces in the future. As mentioned previously, her full sister was a World Show Top 10 mare and has already produced World Show Finalists, while VS Code Red (Hallie's full brother) seems to be taking the US by storm having stood to a full book of mares in his first two years as a sire."

Bloodlines Count

As cutting and western performance have become more specialised, Melissa and Tyson feel that a well bred horse ensures a better chance of being successful in that particular sport - outstanding prospects in their field begins with a well bred horse. "A lot of time is spent researching bloodlines both here and in the states and talking to respected top trainers on bloodlines and prospective stallions and their progeny. We think the times have changed from when you could have the same horse compete in halter in the morning, western pleasure in the afternoon and then go cutting the next day. Due to the popularity of these events, over time a specific horse has been created for each event. Performance, pedigree and confirmation are still the three most important factors when selecting a horse for any discipline."

Future Goals

Charmed Cat has already started the year off well in the States having finalled at the Abilene Spectacular earlier in the month. Her next show is the Bonanza Futurity in Feb before the big shows like the Super Stakes and the Breeders Invitational.

Meanwhile, Spins Reignmaker will resume campdrafting in February, plans are in place to hopefully set her for the three big ones, Condamine, Chinchilla and Warwick in October this year.

Tyson and Melissa's long term goals are to keep breeding exceptional foals and have fun showing them, "we have our property on the market at the moment so we would like to sell it so we can move to a bigger property and run more cattle," says Melissa. "Ultimately, in future, we would love to breed a NCHA Futurity Champion, a NPHA 2 Year Old Pleasure Futurity Champion and win the Warwick Gold Cup!"

With their dedication and exceptionally forward-thinking breeding program, I have no doubt we will see Littlestone horses achieve all these goals - and wouldn't be surprised if it was in the same year!

by: Jo Johnson/Horsezone

Quick Link

• View all horses for listed for sale by Littlestone Performance Horses
• Visit Littlestone Performance Horses website for more information