By: Brittany Bevis
As the quartet of trainer Dewey Smith, Chester and Ann Prince, and their beloved stallion PF Premo left the Jim Norick Arena this morning at the 2014 AQHA World Championship Show, it was clear by the tears in their eyes and the cheer of the crowd that this win was bittersweet.
PF Premo’s win this morning in Three-Year-Old Stallions marks the last time he will compete in the show pen. Next year, he will make the transition to the breeding shed to continue his legacy with the next generation.
“He’s just been such an amazing horse,” Ann Prince says. “He’s such a pleasure to be around and to show. I’m looking forward to his babies arriving, but I hate to think that was the last time we got to stand in the middle with him…”
PF Premo has been on quite a roll this year first winning at the AQHA Select World Show with Chester Prince at the lead. Then, his streak continued in spectacular fashion at the All American Quarter Horse Congress.
“We took him to the Congress, and he won his classes there,” Prince says. “He stood unanimous Grand Champion in Open and Amateur, which just took your breath away. Then, we came here, and he won unanimous last week in amateur and just won again today. He went out on a big finale. It’s been quite a year. It’s been a dream, and now we are looking forward to his first babies arriving in January.”
Looking forward to 2015, everyone at Prince Farms is anxious to see Premo’s first foal crop hit the ground. Ann Prince hopes their stallion will pass along his excellent conformation and easygoing temperament.
“What we’re looking for is a continuation of our very focused breeding program,” she says. “Structural correctness and temperament are very important to us. Over the generations, we’ve tried to really emphasize that. I think he is the perfect example of what we are striving for, and we hope his foals will reflect all of those qualities.”
It might take a bit of an adjustment period for Premo to get used to living the life of a breeding stallion, but Prince is confident he will follow along in his half brother’s [Chromed Up] hoofsteps in siring the next generations of champions.
“When we leave [to go to a horse show], if we don’t take him, they literally have to tie him up,” she says. “He gets so agitated that he didn’t get loaded, and he doesn’t get to go. There’s going to be a bit of a transition period for him, but hopefully he will appreciate his free time now!
Three-Year-Old Colts–
1-PF Premo/Dewey Smith
2-Backstreet/Ross Roark
3-D Coolest/Gene Parker
4-FG Pistall/Buddy Laney
5-Hez Unstoppable/Rick Skelly