Alright, so I figured it was high time I really got to the bottom of this whole Frenchmans Guy stud thing. You hear that name everywhere if you’re even remotely around horses, especially in the performance world. It’s like, you can’t swing a rope without hitting a conversation about him or his offspring.
So, I started my little project. First off, I just wanted to see, okay, what’s the actual deal? Why is everyone so hyped up? I began by looking at what his get were doing. And man, let me tell you, they are all over the barrel patterns. Seriously. And not just barrels, I saw a good number popping up in roping arenas too. So, performance-wise, yeah, there’s something there, no denying it.
Then, naturally, I peeked at the money side of things. Stud fees, prices for his colts and fillies. Woo-ee! That’s a whole other level. Definitely not for the faint of wallet, that’s for sure. It made me think, okay, this isn’t just a casual decision for most folks wanting to breed.
I chatted with a few people I know. Some who actually owned one, or had bred to him or one of his sons. And then others who, you know, just had strong opinions from the sidelines, like we all do. Got a real mix of feedback.
- Some folks absolutely swear by them. Say they’ve got the smarts, the athletic ability, the whole package. The kind of horse that just wants to work.
- Then you got others saying, yeah, he’s great, but a big chunk of that price is for the name. And they’d tell you, quick, that you still gotta have a darn good mare. It’s not like you can just breed any old mare to him and expect a superstar. That’s just common sense, but sometimes common sense flies out the window when big names are involved.
My own two cents, after all this looking around? Yeah, Frenchmans Guy has thrown some truly incredible horses. You can’t argue with the results. He’s a legend for a reason. But, and it’s a big but, it’s like anything else in this horse world, or life really. It’s not some magic formula. I’ve seen people get so focused on that big name, they kinda forget to really look hard at what their mare brings to the table, or doesn’t bring.
I remember this one time, I was talking to someone who had this mare. Sweet mare, but, you know, she had her quirks and wasn’t exactly setting the world on fire performance-wise. And this person was absolutely convinced that breeding her to a Frenchmans Guy son was the golden ticket. Like, poof, instant champion. I just kinda nodded and thought, “Well, I hope that works out for you,” because, you know, genetics are a funny thing. It takes two to tango, right?
So, that was my little journey into understanding the Frenchmans Guy phenomenon. He’s definitely left a huge mark, and his name will be around for ages. It’s just, you know, always good to look past the glitter a bit and see the whole picture. That’s what I try to do, anyway.
