Breeding


Apollitical Jess to Become Dual Registered With APHA
Leading sire Apollitical Jess will also be registered with the American Paint Horse Association.

© Amanda Glidden / Plugged In Marketing
Apollitical Jess to Become Dual Registered With APHA

AMERICAN QUARTER HORSE ASSOCIATION—Leading sire Apollitical Jess is revolutionizing the racing American Quarter Horse industry, as from only nine crops to race he has already sired the earners of more than $57.5 million, placing him at No. 4 on the sport’s all-time sires list.

Last year, his progeny earned more than $10.3 million, and in 2021 they earned more than $9 million. If he can repeat this pattern in 2023, he could potentially eclipse his own sire, Mr Jess Perry ($60.7 million), and Corona Cartel ($68.2 million) to move to No. 2 on the list.

He was bred, raced to a world champion career and is still owned by Juan Alberto Tirado Lizarraga’s Rancho El Cabresto Inc.

The sire of world champion Empressum
now looks to add to his contributions as a sire as he becomes dual registered with the American Paint Horse Association.

“This stallion really doesn’t owe the horse world anything else at this point, as he has already left a forever impact on the racehorse industry,” said Cole Morehead, owner of Royal Vista Ranches in Wayne, Oklahoma, where the stallion is standing the 2023 season. “However, after considering all of the blessings that ‘AJ’ has provided to the Tirado family and AQHA, an unselfish decision was made to allow the American Quarter Horse legend to be dual registered. This will allow all the existing and future Apollitical Jess progeny to help improve another performance horse breed for many generations to come.”

One of the top stock horse stallions to influence two breeds is Colonels Smoking Gun, also known as “Gunner,” who revolutionized the sport of reining and has become a legendary sire in both breeds, with American Quarter Horse progeny performance earnings exceeding $14.5 million.

In 2021, AQHA announced a strategic alliance with APHA to promote value within both breeds.

“As a horse owner and breeder, I feel that it is very important to share the blessings that Apollitical Jess has given my family and the Quarter Horse industry over the years,” Tirado said. “The American Quarter Horse and now American Paint Horse industries will hopefully both benefit from AJ’s strong bloodlines.”

APHA registration requirements say that a Solid-Bred Paint-Bred Horse must have at least one APHA Regular Registry Paint in the first generation, and at least one APHA Regular Registry Paint in the second generation. This means that no Apollitical Jess offspring produced by registered Quarter Horse mares would be eligible for APHA stakes races, unless they meet color requirements.

However, all Apollitical Jess offspring would be immediately eligible to be dual registered, and to produce APHA-eligible stakes foals if crossed to a Regular Registry Paint horse.

“His owners feel very blessed to have raised such an outstanding horse and are very proud of the lasting impact that their champion racehorse and sire will forever have on the overall horse industry moving forward,” Morehead said. “I believe Mr. Tirado’s decision will do nothing to harm the Quarter Horse industry and will significantly improve the genetics of Paint horses in the future and provide more opportunity for his offspring of either breed.

“The Tirado family has nothing financial to gain by dual registering AJ,” Morehead continued. “They simply are trying to help the racehorse industry by adding value to his progeny and introducing powerful genetics to the Paint horse industry. We all know that Paint horse breeders have played a significant role in the horse racing industry for decades, and I think the Tirados are essentially saying ‘Thank you’ in a magnificent way.”

To date, Apollitical Jess has sired 576 winners from 856 starters, led by No. 2 all-time leading money earner KJ Desparado ($2,772,603) and No. 3 all-time leading money earner Apocalyptical Jess ($2,240,490).

"I am very thankful for the support that Apollitical Jess has received over the last several years,” Tirado said. “He is a special horse, but would be nothing without all of the breeders that have included him in their breeding programs."

For information, contact Royal Vista Ranches at 405-449-7575.

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