Clayton Carries On Legacy Of Best Barrel Racing Horse In History Of Sport

Successful First Year for Breeding Creates Exciting Opportunity to Breed to Scamper’s Identical Genetic Match

First there was Scamper, the legendary barrel racing horse of 11-time World Champion Charmayne James.

Now comes Clayton, an identical genetic match to Scamper. January 2011 marks the second year that Clayton is available for breeding. 2008/2009 was Clayton’s first breeding season and proved that Clayton is an exceptional choice for successfully producing healthy offspring passing on the characteristic traits of his bloodline.

The first and second breeding season was a huge success, according to James. “Currently, Clayton has one offspring on the ground that is healthy and remarkably similar to Clayton with many characteristic traits of Scamper. We also have a number of healthy pregnancies with foals on the way,” she notes,

“When we began this journey, we were hopeful that Clayton would not only successfully breed but also produce healthy offspring. We now have full evidence that both can be done with excellent results and are excited for what the future holds for each horse.”

All who have seen Clayton firsthand agree that he shows the signs for potential greatness. Besides the obvious athleticism, both Clayton and his offspring have proven easy to train and have the air of confidence that Scamper was so well known for.

“The best way to describe Clayton and his foal is that they are intelligent, sound and mentally tough. Clayton has a conformation so balanced and so like Scamper. By the looks of his first foal, it seems that the same genetics are fully evident,” says James.

“As we venture forward, we are more excited with each passing day. I can’t wait for the new foals to get here. My hope is that someday Scamper will be compared to the great racing horses of all time such as Dash for Cash and Streakin Six, both world class producers of champion performers.”

Trevor Brazile, 6-Time World Champion Cowboy and his wife, Shada, Professional WPRA Barrel Racer, were one of the first to breed to Clayton. “A great horse is a great horse and when we first saw Clayton, we immediately recognized the potential. The fact that he shares genetics with Scamper was a bonus. Having Scamper’s genetics are advantageous for any barrel racing aspirations that we may have but because Scamper was such a great athlete, so durable and intelligent, we feel that Clayton’s foal will have great potential in other disciplines. We’re excited about the birth of his offspring in early 2010 and optimistic about the future,” states Brazile.

Since most of the barrel racing sires historically have come from the race track and not from the arena, Clayton offers a first-ever opportunity to discriminating breeders. “Though there has never been a great barrel racing sire, Clayton’s genetic makeup – his bloodline – offers the known qualities that made Scamper such a success,” notes James.

“Ultimately, Clayton will be judged by the performance of his offspring – and we are very optimistic about that.”

To learn more about Clayton, click here.  Clayton will be available to breed to beginning January 2011.

I want to send a shout out to Melanie in Washington for the awesome feedback on one of my saddles – the Charmayne James Record Breaker Barrel Racing Saddle by Cactus Saddlery.

Melanie’s comment:

"i just bought this saddle and i love it! it doesn't rub you raw like most brand new saddles do, the tooling is amazing. I'm very pleased it fits both my horses! it is just so pretty. i get complements from everyone. i cant say enough good things about it!"

Thanks Melanie! I appreciate your feedback and I’m so pleased that you love the saddle as much as I do.

Good luck with all your rides!

I have the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people and barrel racers in my barrel racing clinics across the country. However, it’s not often that I get to hear about how riders were able to apply some of the techniques that they learned to work better with their horse or win an event.

If you have attended any of my clinics and want to share your story or tell us about a great ride or an awesome win, we’d love to hear all about it. Don’t be shy. We want to celebrate your success….braggers welcome.

Use the Contact form to submit your story. < Click Here >

Experienced horsewomen and ranchers, mothers and daughters, and career-oriented young women made up the list of barrel racers attending the clinic in Lubbock, Texas. Also participating were enthusiastic and fearless young girls whose hard and fast runs were reminiscent of Charmayne’s early barrel racing days. Students came from as far away as Red River, New Mexico and Fort Stockton, Texas to hone their barrel racing skills. The Texas Tech Equestrian Center was a great place to have a clinic, with a large indoor arena, several outdoor arenas, plenty of stalls and good ground. Patsy McBee of TTEC with Rocky and Joe Don were helpful beyond words. Charmayne tremendously enjoyed working with the students and the unique challenges of helping each student reach their goals.

We had a great time in Lewisburg. The weather was cold but the countryside was lovely. The leaves had turned to burnt orange and golden yellow, the roadsides were still green from recent rains, the corn crops were ready for harvest, and each morning the fields were covered in frost. However, while the weather was cold, barrel racing is HOT in Ohio. We had some serious barrel racers of all ages and levels that were goal oriented and intent on improving like nothing we’ve seen before. This kind of dedication to barrel racing and improvement is what it’s all about. This clinic was also the mecca for barrel racing clinic volunteers. We had Laurie Braman, a Scamper’s Choice dealer, shooting video and all of her friends and fellow barrel racers from Wisconsin setting up barrels. Corrie Carr and her sister Emily from Indiana, whom we met at the Pelzer, South Carolina clinic, helped change out bits and helped set up the sound equipment. Jessie Howell from Ohio, boyfriend of clinic student Sheryl Sabino, assisted Charmayne in the arena to help keep students on track while they practiced their hand sets and circles. There were a couple of unruly horses to add some excitement, but as usual, all went smoothly. The Circle G was a great place to have a clinic. The indoor arenas were heated and the ground was perfect. Manager Dennis Cherry was very knowledgeable about barrel racing and was always friendly and willing to help in any way necessary. Charmayne and some of her crew met with her cousin Larry and his family from nearby Vandalia for Mexican food and had a real nice visit. Thanks to all at the Circle G, our volunteers, the clinic staff, and especially to the students for helping to make this a successful clinic, and we hope to see everyone back here next year.