Focused Efforts
Aug 28, 2023
By Keri Whitney
Reid Hockenson has been a Farm Bureau Agent in Southeast
Iowa since 2008. His wife, Melanie,
works by his side, operating three office locations in three different counties
in the state. The couple met when Reid was an Agricultural Education Instructor
/ FFA Advisor at Lone Tree Community School District in Lone Tree, IA, where he
landed after graduating from Iowa State University. Melanie attended the University of Iowa and
the couple wed in 2005, establishing Hockenson Quarter Horses with the goal of
raising the pretty athlete.
The couple had begun building their broodmare band while they
were still dating. In 2002, their breeding program gained traction with the
purchase of a broodmare, Watch Miss Jo Jackie, a granddaughter of Two Eyed Jack
that was in foal to Bartenders Memory. The result was the 2003 colt, Jacks Our
Bartender ("Jack"), which became the foundation of Hockenson Quarter Horses
breeding program. This eventually evolved into a second full time job
for the couple as they set out to create a breeding program raising reined
cowhorses and rope horses.
The 15-acre ranch, nestled in Nichols, Iowa, currently
consists of 21 broodmares and three stallions. The mares have quite impressive
bloodlines, including daughters of Shining Spark, Spooks Gotta Gun, One Time Pepto, Metallic
Cat, CD Dyna Cee, Joe Jack Red, Genuine Hombre, Very Smart Remedy, Meteles Cat,
CD Lights, Woody Be Tuff, Dual Rey, Rey Dual, Topsail Cody, Smart Chic Olena,
Two Eyed Red Buck and Two Eyed Brazos. One thing is for sure, the dams
are by some of the greatest AQHA stallions of all time.
The Hockenson's focus efforts on constantly improving their
breeding program through pedigree, conformation, and the athletic ability of
progeny with the look to get noticed in the show pen. In 2013, this led them to
the Pitzer Ranch Sale where they purchased a weanling stud colt named CT Show
Me Your Guns consigned by Terry and Mary Mailander. The colt, known as "Joe" is
by the 2011 Sr. Heading AQHA World Champion, Show Me a Song Joe and out of a
2007 AQHA top 10 Jr. Heading champion, Seven S Gunsan Roses, by Playgun. Their
goal when purchasing this colt was to make him an AQHA Champion and have the
colts be eligible for the Pitzer Invitational.
As a 2-year-old, he was sent to performance horse trainer, Luke Jones. By
the early age of 4, CT Show Me Your Guns had qualified for the 2017 AQHA World
Show in tie-down, heading, heeling, ranch riding and performance halter and was
a Super Horse Contender. He finished 6th in Jr. Heading, 11th
in Performance Halter Stallions and 11th overall in the Super Horse.
By age 5 he had become an AQHA Champion.
He was a year-end leader in his 4-, 5-, and 6-year-old years in heading
and heeling. Ted Turner led him to two 4th
place finishes in the Performance Halter at the AQHA World Show in 2018 and
2019. In 2021, CT Show Me Your Guns was
retired from competition after winning the prestigious AQHA World in Sr Heading
with Luke Jones.
"I find that balance is so important in a horse," says Reid.
"Sometimes we focus too much on pedigree and not enough on an individual horse.
We focused on him as an individual and he's always been able to rise up and do
whatever was asked of him. He was trainable and wanted to please. He has always had a ton of look and
athleticism and hit every goal we had for him and more. And now, what we are
seeing with CT Show Me Your Guns offspring is SUCCESS. We wanted to raise
pretty athletes and that is exactly what he is doing. He sired an AQHA World Champion in his first
foal crop. We are excited that now with
the Riata Buckle making waves in the performance horse industry, which is giving
his offspring another arena to be super competitive in."
CT Show Me Your Guns currently stands at Abraham's Equine
Clinic in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
For More Information – CT Show Me Your Guns
| Riata Buckle
