2004 Foundation raffle filly returns to Make Her World Show Debut

This year’s American Paint Horse Foundation Raffle Filly, Gay Bars
Christi, is creating a buzz at Will Rogers Memorial Center. With an
outstanding pedigree and willing attitude, the filly is helping tickets sell fast for this raffle, which will take place on Saturday, July 5, during the final evening performance.

With her good mind and strong breeding, Gay Bars Christi could easily
return to the World Show in the coming years to compete, much like her
aunt and fellow Foundation Filly, Bunnys Gay Bar, is doing at this
year’s World Show.

At the 2004 World Championship Paint Horse Show, raffle tickets for
Bunnys Gay Bar earned the American Junior Paint Horse Association over $12,000 for scholarships and other youth development programs. Owned by Tom and Honey Lou Elliott of Benson, Ariz., the 5-year-old bay tobiano mare, by Gay Bar O Lena and out of Deltas Bunny, has returned to the 2008 World Championship Show to try and win some money of her own in the 4- & 5-Year-Old Working Cow Horse Challenge.

To help support AjPHA scholarships and programs, Honey Lou bought five tickets for Bunnys Gay Bar at the 2004 World Championship Show—one for each of her children and grandchildren. When she purchased the tickets, Honey Lou said she never expected any of the tickets she bought to be drawn, but took part in the raffle to help raise funds for youth programs and scholarships.

“Anytime we can support youth, whether it be auctions, fundraisers, or
raffles, we do what we can. We have grandkids in the AjPHA and know
how important it is that the programs they take part in are supported,” said Honey Lou.

On the night of the raffle, Tom recalled that when the ticket was drawn and his daughter’s name, Jill Vieu, was called, he couldn’t believe it. Tom and Honey Lou accepted the filly on Jill’s behalf, and later called to tell Jill the good news. Jill, who hadn’t even known she had been entered in the raffle, was pleased to win, but decided to give the filly to her parents since they had purchased the ticket and were more involved with working horses.

“Bunny” adjusted to life in Arizona at Elliott’s Paint Horses in Benson, and the decision was made the next summer to send the filly out for training. For the Elliotts, it wasn’t a difficult decision to make.

“That filly was too well bred to stand around our ranch and become a
trail riding horse,” Tom explained.

Local reining trainer Clay Snure of the Dusty A Ranch in Pomerene,
Ariz., was amazed with Bunny’s eagerness and her aptitude toward
reining and cattle work.

At her first show, a National Reined Cow Horse Association event,
Bunny’s steer in the Working Cow Horse class was blind, but the mare
held her own and successfully completed her cattle work.

Because of the limited APHA cattle classes offered in Arizona, the
Elliotts sent Bunny to train with APHA Distinguished Service Award
winner and well-known trainer Earnest Wilson of Wilson Training
Stables in Tolar, Texas, where she has been for the past two years.

“Earnest has trained many other horses for us and does an excellent
job. We really like the way he trains horses, and the fact that he’s not a one-specialty guy. He trains horses to excel in multiple events,” Tom said of the mare’s trainer.

In her first year of APHA competition, Bunny easily earned ROMs in
Junior Working Cow Horse and Junior Reining. She was the 2007 Paint
Performance Horse Super Stakes Junior Working Cow Horse Champion and is currently leading the state of Texas in Junior Working Cow Horse, as well as being second in Junior Cutting and third in Junior Reining.

Floyd and Maryann Moore of 6-J Paint Horses in Huntsville, Texas, have
donated five fillies to the American Paint Horse Foundation, including
Bunnys Gay Bar, and this year’s filly, Gay Bars Christi. The Elliotts
are continually impressed with the Moores’ generosity.

“They continue to give top-quality, Delta-bred working horses, all in
support of our Association’s youth,” Tom said.

She is currently training for cutting, trail, and roping, with the hopes of a Versatility Award in her future. Whatever happens, the Elliotts hope to see their “super little mare” continue on with her show career.

Pleased with Bunny’s talent and disposition, the Elliotts will definitely be supporting the American Paint Horse Foundation and AjPHA again this year, vying for a chance to, once again, win themselves a
world-class filly.