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I hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend — ours needed its own scheduling department.

Friday we hauled to Wapato to watch Jaxsen play, and the whole Connell team showed up to play like they meant it — good win.

Back home, Kade dug out Skip’s old truck and the welder and put some fresh ties on the saddle shed, because apparently a three-day weekend isn’t restful unless somebody’s shooting sparks in the yard.

Saturday, Kade traded the welding hood for a ring steward badge at the Kittitas County Fair — moving up in the world. Toni and I weaned the first set of foals, which went about as smooth as weaning ever does. Anna kept working her calves — the ones headed to the Nile and the ones headed to a new home — and Jaxsen put in his time on the steers.

Sunday we weaned the rest of the calves, minus Ben’s brand-new longhorn, who is exempt on account of being too new around here.

Monday, Jaxsen was back at it with a JV game against Wapato — the kids played another great game. Tuesday, Dad and Kade hauled some old cows and an old bull up to Moses Lake, and we ran the steers into CBJLS. Wednesday was market day at CBJLS, and today was fitting and showing.

If we haven’t crossed paths with you yet this week at CBJLS, hopefully we’ll see you at the sale tomorrow.

Filly** Sire: Midnight Kat DR Dam: KT Stars Go Blue “Star” Date Born: 5/3/26 Color: Black with chrome Price: $15,000

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Chrome, Class & Proven Performance Pedigree

This filly is the kind that makes you stop and look twice — jet black with eye-catching chrome, balanced, and already carrying herself like she knows the camera’s on her. She’s got the looks to turn heads and the pedigree to make sure nobody looks away.

Her dam, KT Stars Go Blue (“Star”), reads like a highlight reel of cow-bred royalty. Star is out of Blue Eyed Reflection, a daughter of Colonels Reflection (by the legendary Colonel Freckles), and out of Reba Lynx (by Docs Lynx, with One Gun on the bottom side) — a family that’s been earning paychecks and cow sense in equal measure for generations. Star herself is sired by Just Plain Starlight, a son of Tamalight (NCHA earner of $21,492.10). Her maternal line runs through Wright On Sugarnic — Cascade Cutters Futurity Champion, by Lenas Wright On (World Champion Junior Working Cow Horse, Reserve World Champion Junior Reining, ROM) — and Just Plain Sugari, an NCHA money earner and AQHA point earner in her own right. Top to bottom, this is deep, proven cowhorse and cutting blood — the kind breeders build whole programs around.

The sire side isn’t shy about credentials either. She’s by Midnight Kat DR (“MC”), a stallion loaded with elite genetics — by Starlight Midnight (NRHA money earner, AQHA World Show qualifier, over 60 AQHA points, ROM), himself a son of the great Grays Starlight, one of the most influential sires in reining, cutting, and cowhorse history. MC’s dam, Slick As A Cat DR, is by Magneticat (a son of Metallic Cat) — known for size, bone, and cow sense — with the bottom side tracing back to Smooth As A Cat, stacking some of the most sought-after cutting bloodlines in the business.

Put it all together and you get a filly bred to stop hard, turn quick, and move with style, with a family tree most performance-horse people would fight over. She’s for sale — but we won’t lie, we wouldn’t mind keeping this one ourselves. If you’re shopping for a high-end prospect that brings both the pedigree and the presence, she’s worth a serious look at $15,000.

Sire: Doll Docsan “Leroy” Dam: RH Apache Crystal Date Born: 6/16/23 Color: Gray

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Meet Celest — a filly with main-character energy before she could even stand up straight. Mom took one look at her and decided the name she’d started with just wasn’t going to cut it; something this heavenly needed a name to match, so she got rechristened after the stars themselves. No pressure, kid.

She comes by the drama honestly. Her sire, Doll Docsan “Leroy,” was built like a wellness influencer — smooth moves, a gorgeous stop, and a personality so laid-back you’d swear he invented the nap. He never made it to the show pen himself (a wire-cut injury took him out of commission for a good long while), but he made up for it by handing his brains and good looks down to every foal he sired. One of his kids has NRHA earnings on the books; another is out there moonlighting in Western Dressage, picking up a 3rd-place finish in Canada back in 2016 and racking up blue ribbons ever since. Leroy himself was sired by Dolls Union Jac — a horse whose offspring have banked over $310,000 in NRHA earnings alone, plus more money in NRCHA, the Buckskin Association, and the AQHA World Show. Basically, Leroy’s family reunion doubles as a fundraiser.

On the other side of the pedigree, Celest’s dam, RH Apache Crystal, is no wallflower either. She’s by Apache Blue Boy, a horse who apparently could not stop winning: 1,119.5 AQHA performance points, Superiors in Heading, Heeling, and Tie-Down Roping, a Reserve World Championship, an actual World Championship, and enough top-ten finishes at the AQHA World Show to make you wonder if he ever slept. He’s out of Blue Boy Doc, an NCHA money earner (a modest $405.93 — hey, it’s not the size of the check, it’s the résumé it built) and a proven sire of NCHA and NRHA winners.

So yes — Celest showed up with a résumé before she could walk. Heavenly name, marshmallow of a sire, an overachieving family tree on both sides. This is a filly with a lot to live up to, and from what we’ve seen so far, she’s not worried about it one bit.

KT Sioux Shining Truth, “Truth”
Colt
Sire: Nugget of Truth
Dam: HK ShineOMite Sioux, “Sioux”
Date Born: 3/07/26
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Color: Buckskin
Price: $5,000

Truth is developing into a stout, balanced buckskin colt with good bone, plenty of shape and the unmistakable look of a future using horse. He brings together proven performance genetics from his dam’s side with the toughness, soundness and dependability of a respected ranch-horse line.

His dam, HK ShineOMite Sioux, came to us from Texas and is an incredibly sweet, people-oriented mare that loves attention. She is by the accomplished A Shiner Named Sioux, whose impressive record includes:

• $163,934 in lifetime earnings
• 35 AQHA performance points
• 2011 AQHA World Champion—Junior Working Cow Horse
• 2010 AQHA World Champion—Junior Reining
• Third—2010 NRCHA Open Derby
• Top 10—2009 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity, earning the high score in the reined work

Sioux’s dam is by Doc O Dynamite and is a proven producer of champions, adding even more performance strength to Truth’s pedigree.

His sire, Nugget of Truth, was broke to ride but spent most of his life as a ranch-remuda stallion for McMullin Ranch, where he became the foundation of its ranch-horse breeding program. Nugget consistently produced big-boned, conformationally correct and hardy horses with willing, trainable minds. His offspring have become successful working and riding horses across several disciplines.

Truth has the pedigree, build and disposition to become a dependable ranch or arena partner. With his combination of cow-horse talent and proven ranch usability, he should have the versatility to go wherever his future owner wants to take him.

We had a great week at the fair! The kids all showed well and received great prices for their steers. A huge thank-you to Les Schwab for purchasing Jaxsen’s steer, Zane, and to Brian at Zirkle Fruit for purchasing Kade’s steer, Harvey. We truly appreciate the support!

We also had a great time at the rodeo, watching JayCee rope and seeing Lee Brice perform Thursday night. Thank you, Traci, for the tickets!

Meanwhile, Sam was unanimously voted Grand Champion Fair Dad. Every time the power went out—regardless of the hour—he was out fixing it for us. That is dedication worthy of a purple banner!

Of course, not everything went smoothly back at the ranch. Circle 5 crashed, and we are hoping Lupe was able to get out there today and start putting it back together. We also had several calves with cheatgrass in their eyes, so Tesa, Anna, Ben and I spent Saturday doctoring them. That afternoon, McCall, Anna and Tesa worked on the NILE cattle.

Kade came home from the fair and went to Senior Sunrise on Monday. Anna started her senior year at the University of Idaho, while Jaxsen and Kade both started high school Tuesday. Kaine is still working for a farmer near Lind until he starts at Perry Tech in March.

Steve Jarmin showed up with Ben’s new Longhorn cow, Pebbles, which he got from his cousins in Idaho.

Before we left for the fair, the Henrys also came out to look at steers and foals. Bear was disappointed that his cousin Kaine wasn’t there to play whatever Nintendo game they played last time. I explained that Kaine is an adult with a job now. Bear found that arrangement completely unfair.

However, negotiations went much better in the horse department. Bear is willing to share Texas Red, Kade’s filly out of Electra, with Kade—and Brook has agreed to share Style with Toni. I’m not sure Kade and Toni were consulted, but the kids seem to have the ownership details worked out.

It was a busy, exhausting and memorable week—exactly what fair week is supposed to be!

And I still have two puppies left for anyone looking.