Trahan Optimistic Sale of Multiple World and Congress Champ, Very Cool, to Fossil Gate Farms Will Open Up New Doors For His Future
By: Brittany Bevis
When Scott Trahan of Milan Quarter Horses invited Gary and Linda Gordon of Fossil Gate Farms to his ranch in Athens, TX., he expected they would be interested in purchasing several of his well-bred mares. Little did he know they were also interested in Trahan’s biggest prize, his multiple World and Congress Champion, AQHA, N/N stallion Very Cool.
“I talked to the Gordons, and they definitely wanted the mares,” Trahan says. “Then, Gary pointed at a painting on the wall of my office and said, ‘I want him.’ It was a picture of Very Cool. I had to think about it a little bit, but the timing was good. If I was selling them the mares I’d handpicked for this stallion then it made a lot of sense going forward.”
“He’s going to a great home and a great program. He’s not very far away, so I can go see him, and Gary and Linda have been so gracious to let me be a part of suggestions of who to breed him to in the future.”
Trahan purchased the nine-year-old stallion six years ago, during a time when he saw a need for a sire that could pass along sound conformation and a solid foundation.
“The first thing I saw with Very Cool, when I decided to get into the breeding business, was the quality of his first foal crop. Of his first eight to nine foals, seven didn’t look anything like the mares, which weren’t of very good quality. Still, when I looked at the foals, they all had beautiful necks, shoulders, and great backs. Everybody told me I needed to have a herd of horses, because there was no way I was going to make him successful without having 40-50 mares. I ended up buying six or seven mares, with only three or four for Very Cool.”
Very Cool will be added to Fossil Gate’s impressive list of stallions- Execute, Grandslam Touchdown, Image Of Kid, FG A Tru Fella, Im Tee Totally Cool, FG Phenomenal Fella, and FG Ambassador.
“Of that first foal crop, seven or eight went on to earn Superiors, which proved what I saw that first day. He’s had multiple World Champions in ApHC, APHA, and AQHA, and he’s a two-time AQHA World Champion and 5-time Congress Champion in his own right.”
One thing Trahan is very excited about for Very Cool’s future is the quality of mares that will be at his disposal at Fossil Gate Farms. “That made the offer much more tempting. The Gordons have maybe 30 mares they can breed him to. They have great mares like Pizazzy Lady. I actually tried to buy that mare when she went up on the auction block. He’s going to get on a higher number of high quality mares and, at this stage of his career, it’s a good move for him and will open up a whole different window.”
Although Trahan has downsized his breeding business, the family will still be involved in the competition side of the AQHA Halter industry. “I will keep showing myself, and we will still have show horses. We’re not leaving. We’re still going to be competing and trying to do our best to beat the competition.”
