National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Open Futurity Champion Peptoboonsmal has died at the age of 32. Owner Aaron Ranch announced his death today on their Facebook page.
The stallion died of age-related complications on October 22nd with Cresha Aaron at his side. The month before, the family had noticed that Aaron was not behaving himself. They ordered blood tests and stool tests, which returned normal results.
He is now buried at the Aaron Ranch in Commerece, Texas, where Aaron said the family plans to build a memorial for him. According to EquiStat, he had earned more than $28 million at the time of his death. His daughters have now produced earners of over $85 million.
“He was so quirky and comical, he had the best personality. He knew he was Pepto and demanded attention,” she said.
The beginning of a legacy
Peptoboonsmal (Peppy San Badger x Royal Blue Boon x Boon Bar) was on the way to greatness from the start. Born in March 1992 on Larry and Elaine Hall's ranch in Weatherford, Texas, the Halls made a arduous decision to keep and register Royal Blue Boon's son.
At the time, the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) registered only one offspring from a mother per year and the Halls had bred Royal Blue Boon for a few embryo transfers. Along with their decision to keep the roan colt, they decided he would remain a stallion and became the first stud they championed.
His royal lineage played a role in this decision. Until recently, Royal Blue Boon was the top western performance horse dam of all time, producing earnings of $2,614,455. The Halls purchased Royal Blue Boon (Boon Bar x Royal Tincie x Royal King) as a two-year-old and followed her throughout her show and breeding career. They then paired her with the likes of Peppy San Badger, Dual Pep, Intelligent Little Lena and Freckles Playboy. She produced the most successful top horse of all time, Red White and Boon ($922,063); NCHA Open World Champion Bet Yer Blue Boons ($350,615); NCHA Super Stakes Open Derby Champion Autumn Boon ($259,685); Abilene Spectacular Non-Pro Derby Champion Doubles Blue Boon ($197,448) and NCHA Futurity Open Champion Peptoboonsmal ($180,487).
The Aaron Ranch breeding program was led for a decade by Peptoboonsmal (left) with Lori Aaron and his son Blind Sided (right) with Phillip Aaron. • Photo by Kate Bradley Byars.
His sire, Peppy San Badger, was ridden by Buster Welch to the 1977 NCHA Futurity Open Championship and the 1978 NCHA Summer Spectacular Derby Open Championship. He went on to sire earners of more than $25 million, including 1991 NCHA Futurity Open champion Little Tenina; 1995 NCHA Futurity Open Champion Peptoboonsmal and the horse they called “The Great Paint.” 1986 NCHA Super Stakes Open Champion Delta Flyer (PT).
From the exhibition enclosure to the breeding stable
When the juvenile stallion traveled to Fort Worth for his NCHA Futurity debut in 1995, he did so in stunning fashion. With Gary Bellenfant in the saddle, Peptoboonsmal survived the first two rounds with scores of 219.5 and 216. He then moved to the top of the semifinals with a 225, securing the coveted title worth $100,000.
The following year, Peptoboonsmal and Bellenfant reached the final of the NCHA Super Stakes Derby Open. They won the South Point Winter Championship Derby Open and the Bonanza Cutting Derby Open.
He then retired to the breeding stable, where he left another massive impression on history.
His top earners are Brazos Bash Derby Open champion Little Pepto Gal ($526,229), Abilene Spectacular Derby Open champion Copaspepto ($480,290), NCHA Super Stakes Derby Open champion One Time Pepto ($331,097) and NCHA Summer Spectacular Classic Open champion Once In A Blu Boon ($316,564).
Phillip and Lori Aaron with Peptoboonsmal. *Photo by Stacy Pigott
He was sold to Jackson Land and Cattle LLC in 2007 and again to Aaron Ranch in 2014, where he lived the rest of his life. Lori Aaron, Cresha's mother, met the stallion and immediately fell in love with him.
“She wanted to see him because we bred him so much and she just fell in love with him,” Aaron explained. “She got injured on a horse when I was a little girl, so she loves horses, but she doesn't just go along with everyone. So I think she felt comfortable with him and wanted to bring him here.”
When Peptoboonsmal arrived at Aaron Ranch at age 22, they brought in a team of nutritionists to put him on a special diet and their farrier paid special attention to his shoeing.
“I think he was really able to live a lot longer and just enjoy life,” she explained.
A decade at Aaron Ranch
Since moving to Aaron Ranch, many of his offspring have made a name for themselves in the National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA). Bad To Tha Boon (Peptoboonsmal x Bet On Merada x Bet On Me 498) earned $185,425 in his reined cow horse career with major wins such as the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Intermediate Open Reserve Championship, the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Open Hackamore Reserve Championship and the NRCHA Hackamore Classic Open Two-Rein Championship.
Most recently, Venom Boonsmal (Peptoboonsmal x Black Widow x High Brow Cat) won the Open Hackamore class at the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity and Rockk Star (Peptoboonsmal x Aristocratic Star x High Brow Cat) took fourth place at the American Rope Horse Futurity Association World Championships Open Heeling.
Peptoboonsmal *Photo by John Brasseaux
“His record speaks for itself,” Aaron said. “His babies are still competing and winning. They are still at the top. They simply stand the test of time.”
Fresh semen was collected from him well into his 20s, a testament to his health, but the Aarons circumscribed his collections and relied on frozen semen out of respect for the aging stallion. They also began selling him exclusively ICSI breedings to expand the operate of his frozen semen.
Next spring they are expecting a Peptoboonsmal baby from the outstanding mare Intelligent Chic An Tari (by Intelligent Chic Olena) and another from Bet On Merada.
Although the Aarons mourn the loss of their special stallion, they are excited to see his future offspring compete and will give birth to three of his sons in the upcoming breeding season.
“I wanted everyone to love him for the horse he was, not just because he was a legend. And I understand that, but he was more than that to me,” Aaron said.
She pointed out that his quirky personality will remain with those who knew him for a long time.
“He loved peppermint. As he got older and his teeth got worse, I had to get him softer teeth,” Aaron said. “He loved me, but he would trade me for a peppermint in a heartbeat.”
