Breaking Barriers and…LIVING LARGE
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by Lindsay Whelchel
If you were to see Cathy Corrigan Frank’s stallion, Living Large, aka “Shaq,” at an American Quarter Horse Association show, you might be surprised. After all, the horse is a loud-colored overo, and he’s not just double-registered with the AQHA and the American Paint Horse Association, he’s also registered with the Pinto Horse Association of America.
But his unique markings aren’t the only thing that makes Living Large stand out from the competition. His horse trainer, Kevin Dukes, praises the gentle giant’s large heart.
“He is absolutely the sweetest horse in my barn,” Dukes says. “We take him to the breeding barn three days a week. He gets off the trailer, walks into the breeding shed, and waits. The vet comes out, and he does his thing. He never paws. He never whinnies. He never says a word. It’s the weirdest thing.”
“He is just an unbelievable horse, as far as his mind and talent. He’s very athletic, and he’s a beautiful mover. He’s just the whole package,” Dukes says.
Dukes trains horses for all-around competition as well as those specializing in various English disciplines alongside his wife Melissa in Weatherford, Texas. Interestingly enough, it was perhaps more than mere coincidence that Dukes’ path was destined to cross that of Living Large. The 2009 stallion is by AQHA sire These Irons Are Hot, but it’s from his mother, Quit Staring, where Living Large gets his color. Dukes had a hand in the mare’s life long before Living Large was born.
“He’s out of a Thoroughbred mare named Quit Staring,” Dukes says. “She was a black and white overo, and I picked her out as a weanling for one of my clients when I lived in Arizona. There’s a lady out there who raises cropout Thoroughbreds, and my client wanted one. I had no idea she was Shaq’s mother until after we bought him.”
Though Dukes’s client ended up selling Quit Staring before she produced Living Large, the stallion has come full circle to impact his trainer’s life in a big way.
“He’s just a special horse. I’m blessed to be able to be a part of his life,” Dukes says.
When it comes to his owner, Cathy Corrigan Frank, it might have been his colorful looks that first drew her in, but it was his calm demeanor and gentle nature that sealed the deal.
“He’s a dream to drive,” she says. “He’s very responsive and very true. I’ve only had one other driving horse, a double-registered gray gelding named Travis. Even though Kevin has been a World and Reserve World Champion with him in the Senior Driving, I just couldn’t get him shown well. I always thought Kevin was trying to make me feel better when he said that Travis was very difficult to show. It wasn’t until I starting driving Shaq that I realized he was telling me the truth!”
Corrigan Frank purchased Living Large last year at the 2014 All-American Quarter Horse Congress, but she’d wanted to make a deal long before that. However, prior owner, Julie Marweg, wasn’t ready to sell. After making a deal, Marweg has remained an active part of Living Large’s support system.
“He has a great owner,” Dukes says. “Cathy is amazing to deal with. It’s all about the horse and what’s best for him. His previous owner, Julie, is still very involved with his promotion and everything, because she’s very attached to him. We have a great group of people surrounding him. Everyone is a believer, and we’re excited about his future.”
And it would seem that Living Large’s crowd of believers is only growing. “At Congress, this past year, he was the Reserve Champion in Pleasure Driving, which is kind of a big deal for a horse with as much color as he has,” Dukes says. “When he goes to the Quarter Horse shows, he’s just such a quality horse that the judges certainly appreciate him. He kind of breaks through the color barrier.”
In addition to his signature class of Pleasure Driving, Living Large also competes in Hunter Under Saddle and has been started over fences. When he’s not in the show ring, he’s growing his lineage with a lineup of colorful foals that are in high demand.
“His oldest babies are two years old,” Dukes says. “I’ve been trying to find a two-year-old to buy for Cathy, so we can promote him, but no one will sell them! There were 14 of them that year, and we haven’t been able to get one, so people clearly love his babies. He’s been quite a good color producer on solid mares, also.”
With such a strong support system behind him, and a very bright future ahead of him, it seems this particular stallion is certainly Living Large.
