El Tigre SegundoMeet our famous Book Cliffs stallion, the golden dun called "Tigger". Historically, the Book Cliffs was the source of many of the Spanish Mustang Registry's foundation horses. But that range was deliberately polluted with stallions of modern bloodlines before the BLM realized the value of the last pure Spanish Mustangs. Today nothing from the Book Cliffs is eligible for purebred registration. Because the Book Cliffs were the source of some many good foundation horses, Spanish Mustang breeders did not realize that Book Cliff horses, as a pure strain, were vanishing. At one time there was only El Tigre and the mares Four Winds, Little Corn, Starlite, and Chocolate. Now Tiger has sired another generation: son, King of Spain out of Starlite and daughters Golden Earth Girl out of Chocolate, and Year of the Cat out of Little Corn.
El Tigre Segundo was sired by the stallion Tiger Eye, a heavy muscled type with golden eyes that gave him his name. Tiger Eye was featured in Marguerite Henry's book San Domingo, The Medicine Hat Stallion. He gave his golden son the eyes and heavier build, but it was Tiger's dam, Tamara Walker, a daughter of the famous foundation mare Little Thing, that gave him his refinement.
Tigger was bred at the home of the Horse of the Americas Registry in Porterville, CA, but moved to Texas when the largest part of the HOA herd was purchased by C.O. "Buddy" and Wanda Ice. Buddy and Wanda established a wonderful Spanish Mustang facilty in the sand hills of Monahan, Texas. The Ices named their ranch Las Remudas. The above photo was taken of El Tigre Segundo on the Las Remudas' range. Tigger was sent to reknown trainer D.C. Higgins near El Paso for training to show in open events. D.C. taught Tigger both trail class and working cowhorse class as well as training him for exhibitions such as the Festival of Spanish Horses in San Antonio, Texas.
But when Wanda Ice became critically ill, she had Buddy promise to send the horses to us here at Karma Farms if he ever chose not to continue breeding Spanish Mustangs. Shortly after Wanda's death, Buddy felt his heart was not in the horses without Wanda by his side. The Las Remudas herd moved again--this time to deep East Texas. Tigger was soon back in the show ring with Vik personally handling the golden stallion. Now El Tigre was shown in American Indian Horse shows and in competitive trail riding. He won Grand Champion Original at Halter and Reserve Champion Adult Performance and Reserve Champion Performance "O" at the 1995 AIHR National Show, and was Horse Of the Year in the Spanish Mustang Registry for Games and Show in 1995. He excels in halter, judged performance and games.
At his first big AIHR show, the Southwest Regional Championship Show in 1994, the dun captured the Overall "O" Champion at Halter title. With Patti Hicks on her Modern Paint mare, Vik and Tigger set a new record for the team event called the Cherokee Ribbon Race.
Vik and Tigger worked well together. Vik had always loved the duns. She had grown up with a pair of oldtime dun Quarter Horses, and she enjoyed a view of the world that included a dun horse underneath her with a pair of black-tipped ears framing the view.
Their wins in judged performance classes included national championships in events as diverse as Tejas Pleasure and Indian Horse Over Fences. But when the speed events started, El Tigre really shined! He is good at more conventional speed events, too. At a Josey World Championship Barrel Racing Clinic in 1995 with only 2 weeks training on the barrels, Tiger came out in the Top 50% of the class against some great modern barrel horses. He has always been glad to give his best--in whatever event he was asked to do.
After Tigger had begun his AIHR show career, he began competing in a whole new area--one even more challenging than the show ring. Vik and Tiger started competitive trail riding. The North American Trail Ride Conference's Region 4 includes Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. Tiger made his debute in the Novice Heavyweight Division. He was 4th out of 11 horses in his very first ride, Josephine Davidson. The next ride was the Horsemaster's Benefit. He sweepstaked it (highest points of any Novice Horse)--and it was only his second ride!
He always did observations very well--D.C. had taught him over cavelletti in the arena, and he put that knowledge to work on real terrain. Christmas in July is a real challenge for Region 4 riders. It's the hottest and muggiest ride of the year. The classy dun took it all in stride--and captured his second sweepstakes! By the end of the ride season, Tigger had amassed 4 sweepstakes wins in 5 rides and tied for the title of Novice Horse of the Year for Region 4 in 1995. He has carried Vik in parades, in drill team performances and Wild West Shows. His golden dun color looks wonderful with a rider in buckskins.
El Tigre Segundo today: El Tigre Segundo has won his Grande Conquistador, SMR's highest award, and has his AIHR Hall of Fame award. He has won his Conquistador of Games, Show and Competitive Trail for the Spanish Mustang Registry and has competed in both team penning and team roping. No SMR horse today has been Horse of the Year in more areas than El Tigre. El Tigre Segundo is still competing today. He was named 2002 SMR Rodeo Horse of the Year.
In June of 2004, Tigger did his first NATRC ride in years with NO extra conditioning and placed second on the CP division. His legend continues. His wonderful sons and daughters will carry on the legacy of the Book Cliff horses and the famed Horse of the Americas original herd selected by Robert Brislawn.
Here are just a few of his offspring:
Tomasia out of Margerita with her Medicine Hat foal Mexican Hat Dance by Locomotion at side.
Year of the Cat out of Little Corn is just beginning her production record. Her first foal is Blue Spanish Sky by X-Files.
My Sunshine out of the famous Espéranza is already an SMR Grande Conquistador and AIHR National Champion.
"Sunshine's" classic look and athletic abilties will make her one of the breed's greats. Her first foal, a grulla appy filly named Sing in the Sunshine by Dance Magic was born in 2003.
Sunshine excels as a distance horse. We'd like to ride her in endurance competition in seasons to come.
Northern Song ("Cajun" to his friends) has many AIHR wins including National Color Champion as well as Reserve Champion "O" and Reserve Champion Adult at the 2002 AIHR National Show.
Cajun is a super performer as well as a superior conformation horse of the Northern or heavy type.
El Tigre Segundo is for sale. Vital statistics: El Tigre Segundo (SMR 1567, AIHR O-1431)--18 year old dun stallion foaled 5/9/86 by Tiger Eye out of Tamara Walker (Smokey Joe/Little Thing). Branded Ice 06 on left hip. Pure Book Cliffs stallion, superior under saddle, SMR Grande Conquistador, AIHR Hall of Fame, many NATRC wins including 4 sweepstakes, trained for working cowhorse, runs barrels, not a more honest horse alive. If you can ride a performance horse, you can ride this amazingly versatile stallion. "Tigger" is proven at halter, in performance, on the trail-- and he's a proven sire of champions. More recently, he's won SMR Rodeo Horse of the year in 2002 with wins in team-penning. Just won 2nd in CP at the Bodcau Bayou CTR in June of 2004 at his first ride back after years away from NATRC. He can still do it all and continues to write a record that may never be equaled. World's most versatile Spanish Mustang stallion. Want to own a legend? $15,000. Stallion fee: $500.
El Tigre Segundo foals have already made him a champion sire. The quality and trainability of "Tigger's" foals will delight the lover of Colonial Spanish Horses. We also occasionally offer El Tigre offspring for sale. Visit our horse pages for more about horses from Karma Farms.