Just as kiwis tend turn up in surprising places, so do their horses.

I was astonished to get news that a horse I had bred had turned up in Louisiana, and also delighted to discover that he had qualified for the Louisiana State Barrel Racing Championships for 2008.

Settenna Budlight was born in Hawkes Bay 1994, a stunning palomino colt by War Skeeta out of a Wholeheartedly mare, Anita Bay. He was broken as a three year old by Warwick Percival and I hacked him for a year, doing a few schools and trekking. He was a gutsy horse with loads of potential and when Wayne Howsan came visiting, he and his partner decided "DB" was ideal for them, Wayne would use him as a roping horse, while Robbie barrel raced him. In a few years Wayne returned to his homeland of Australia and from time to time I heard news of their competing in Warwick, and Wayne's coaching of a local school rodeo team.

News duly filtered through that Wayne had gone to the States and was making a living as a trainer, and I assumed DB had stayed in Queensland, but I was wrong. Again, he couldn't leave his mate behind, so DB made yet another international journey.

Now at 14, he has been loaned to a fifteen year old, Kaitlynn, and they have now qualified for this years state championships in both youth and open and we can, now, only wait to see how they fare.

As breeders, we always believe in our bloodlines, but I must admit, it is something special to get the confirmation of having a horse you've bred go back to the home of quarter horses, and have him compare very favourably.

All that is left to say is "GO the KIWI"