Multiple fractures marked the beginning of a longer than average journey for SRM Blue Thunder to reach his future year for his newborn owner and breeders, veterinarians, trainers and fans. The newborn horse sent waves of hope through the equine community long before he entered the show at the American Paint Horse Association (APHA) World Show or the Invitational Futurity, and today he stands in the box at the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA). )'s biggest show.
Newborn Savannah with breeding delivery from Gunner Dun It Again. *Photo by Skye Mize
Before a horse enters an arena to complete its first Futurity run, hours, days and years of anticipation pass for its human counterpart. And if the horse's breeder did the due diligence to research stallions for his mare, purchase a breeding, and raise a robust baby, maybe, just maybe, a trainer would see enough promise to put in the years of effort required to get the horse to put on a show.
One such breeder began this journey in 2020 at the ripe newborn age of 5 years senior. Savannah Mize was watching her mother Skye leafing through the QHN stallion registry when the boy asked if she could call Gunner Dun It Again (Colonels) and arrange for breeding Smoking Gun (Gunner) x Dun Its Déjà Vu x Hollywood Dun It) for her mare. To her mother's surprise, Tripol Ranch said yes.
The Mize family crossed the buckskin stallion with their mare Lady Bee Packin (Colonels Lil Gun x Last Great Bee x Jacs Electric Spark). Savannah's next job was that of a trainer. It might have been a little hasty to pick a trainer so quickly, but she wanted EquiStat Elite $1 Million Rider Matt Mills to train the resulting foal.
Baby blues
At the beginning of May 2021, “Blue Thunder” was born as a joyful, robust colt. Savannah began handling the colt almost immediately, which is not typical of Mize horses but proved to be a lifesaver.
Any horse that comes out of the pasture with three legs lame is a terrible sight for its owner. At first, Skye didn't know how stern the injury was, but she knew Savannah would be heartbroken about her foal.
“The walk back to the barn to tell Savannah was the longest 100-yard walk of my life,” Skye said.
After contacting their local veterinarian and taking x-rays, the Mize's were faced with the heartbreaking decision that many horse owners fear when a horse suffers multiple broken legs.
“When he was two months senior, he broke his elbow,” Savannah said.
The decision wasn't simple, but Skye was encouraged and sent the x-rays to Texas A&M Veterinary Hospital to be evaluated by experts.
“Blue Thunder suffered fractures to both the radius and ulna of his right leg. “So these are the two bones that make up the lower part of the elbow,” explained Dr. Texas A&M's Kati Glass. “As it is a fracture that often occurs together, we were not surprised that both bones were broken.”
Dr. Jeffery Watkins and Kati Glass with SRM Blue Thunder and Lady Bee Packin. *Photo by Texas A&M
Dr. Glass continued that SRM Blue Thunder “Blue” was lucky because Skye already had experience as a veterinary technician, so Glass was able to guide Skye through the process of preparing Blue for the trip to A&M.
“He actually arrived from Skye very well bandaged and was able to apply his leg comfortably on the trailer and got here fine without any further disruption,” Dr. Glass.
Plates are surgically inserted into Blue's elbow. *Photo by Texas A&M
Blue arrived at Texas A&M on July 2, 2021 and underwent surgery the following day. Dr. Glass and Dr. Jeffrey Watkins spent five hours in the operating room repairing his fractures with metal plates. The most tough fracture went through a growth plate and did not allow an average metal plate to be attached to this location. Instead, Glass and Watkins used a T-plate developed by a group led by Watkins. The T-plate was originally invented to restrain an injured polar bear.
When Skye's friends in the reining community heard that surgery was the only option, they banded together to prevent newborn Savannah's dreams from being crushed. Ashli Critterman began coming forward and organized a charity auction that included a portrait of Savannah of herself and Blue. The auction raised more than enough money to cover his surgery and care, and Skye directed the remaining funds to the Texas A&M Vast Animal Teaching Hospital to create the Blue Thunder Fund. The fund aims to assist other girls whose horses need life-saving care.
“We're not the first family this has happened to, and we won't be the last,” Skye said.
The path to recovery
It's challenging to say Blue's recovery would be simple, but the colt got lucky once again.
“He was in the best phase of bone development in his life and is therefore in an ideal situation to heal,” said Dr. Glass shortly after his surgery.
Blue returned home with his mother and grew up in the care of Mize. The horse's recovery was probably more tough for those around him than for the colt. Even after a successful surgery and a good start to his recovery, no one could tell whether Blue would have a future career in the reining pen.
Dr. Glass was hopeful that Blue would heal properly and have the possibility of a future career.
“In my view, one of the most critical things the general public can take away from this story is that we have surgical options to treat far more fractures than people think,” said Dr. Glass. “Of course there are still limitations, but I would say at this point that we have surgical options, especially with newborn horses. Many of them promise a good result and, for example in the case of Blue and many others, also contain future prospects for sporting achievements.”
Reining can be one of these sporting achievements.
Another horse whose fracture was repaired and now competing is Gunnin For Chicks (Colonels Smoking Gun (Gunner) x Dun It By Chick x Hollywood Dun It), who suffered a witty fracture as a foal. Dr. Watkins repaired that break and the stallion competed in numerous top events, earning $108,766 in his career, which included the Derby Open Reserve Championship at the 2015 Tulsa Reining Classic.
Hopeful for the future
Savannah and Blue go for a walk with Matt Mills. *Photo by Skye Mize
As Blue grew up, he visited Texas A&M a few times to get X-rays that confirmed the repairs were still in good condition. And in 2023, Blue began his training with Matt Mills in Weatherford, TX. As a precautionary measure, Blue had x-rays taken again as his training progressed.
Mills' wife, Karen, organized Matt's first meeting with Savannah. Although each trainer has to make a living, he agreed to train Blue for free.
“My wife Karen is the one who intercepted the messages on social media. So she went back and forth with them saying, “You go on FaceTime with this little girl, she's the cutest thing, it's the best story you've ever heard,” and before I even met her [Savannah] Karen said, 'You're going to train this horse all the way to the Futurity for free,'” Matt explained.
Savannah made the breeding and training decisions for Blue, but her plan goes far beyond breeding.
Savannah and Skye sold T-shirts and tirelessly fundraised to pay his nomination fees and ensure that if everything worked out, they could enter Blue in the NRHA Futurity.
“Savannah says he’s going to win the Futurity,” Skye said.
And their dreams for SRM Blue Thunder don't end there.
“Then I’ll win the Derby with him,” Savannah said.
With her robust unicorn horse and Matt Mills at the reins, all of this newborn girl's dreams are real possibilities.
“I’m very grateful to Matt and Karen because they really offered to make this all happen,” Savannah said.
At the beginning of the future year, Blue won more than a dollar and proved to the world that he could actually keep up with the competition.
At the APHA World Show in July, SRM Blue Thunder and Matt Mills placed fifth in the Level 4 Open 3-Year-Venerable Reining Challenge. They pocketed $584, Savannah stood by, tears streaming down her cheeks. Back at the stables, she hugged Blue tightly and thanked Matt before he lifted her into the saddle to lead her horse out.
Matt Mills on SRM Blue Thunder during the APHA World Show. *Photo by Amy Olson
“Getting him in the pen just once would be a fairy tale in itself,” Skye said in 2023.
The fairy tale is just beginning. SRM Blue Thunder competed in the Invitational Futurity as part of the 100X Reining Classic and enters the stable for the NRHA Open Level 4 Futurity on Thanksgiving.
“Matt believes he has what it takes [to show]Skye said. “I told Matt this horse doesn’t have to win a dollar.”
Savannah cools down SRM Blue Thunder at the APHA World Show. *Photo by Amy Olson
