The offspring of Crystal Shumate’s stallion BHR Frenchies Socks have lit the stats columns on fire the past year, winning in everything from futurities to open races to rodeos. We visited with Crystal to learn more about “Studley’s” daily life on the farm and friendly personality.
Interview by Blanche Schaefer. Originally printed in the June 2018 issue of Barrel Horse News
Meet “Studley”
“He is very friendly, sweet, loveable and super into whatever you’re doing. He loves cookies and his food. He loves his girlfriends—he likes them around him in the paddock so he can watch over them. He loves getting scratches. He has a scratch on his back and up under his belly, and if you get the right spot he’ll start swaying with you, almost to the point he’ll fall over. He also likes to show off—he knows if somebody’s there looking at colts or looking at him. He’ll run up one side and down the other of his pasture; he’s very funny.”
Better With Age
“Since he’s 19, we cater to keeping him happy. We haul him in to collect him, because our clinic is 20 minutes away and he likes to live at home. He looks really good this year. He’s dappled, fat and shiny. He’s doing great.”
The Stud Life
“Derek [Piel] feeds at 6:30 or 7 a.m., takes out hay, cleans stalls and turns out horses. We collect around noon or 1 p.m., so we wait to hear from the vet clinic to take Studley in. He’s so laid back, very go-with-the-flow—he knows the routine. He doesn’t get excited until he sees Dr. Miller and knows it’s about that time, then he wakes up and does his thing. He makes it really easy. He’s spoiled us and set the bar high for us to have any other studs.”
Glory Days
“He was a lot of fun to ride. My favorite thing about riding him, as far as running barrels, was his honesty. You just put your hand in the middle of his neck and let him work. He was going to find the barrels. You could send him as hard as you can to the first barrel, and he’d smoke it. He was a good-minded stud to haul. We’ve been fortunate.”
Like Father…
“It’s really funny, one of his traits he passes on to his babies you will see almost without a doubt is yawning. He yawns all the time, and his colts yawn all the time. If we’re exhibitioning 3-year-olds and get back to the trailer, when we’re trying to take their headstall off, the first thing they do when the bit comes out of their mouth is yawn and yawn and yawn before you put the halter on. He passes that on to his babies, and it’s so funny. I think it’s because they’re so laid back and everything is easy for them. They love to sleep, too. At shows I’ve had people call my name over the loudspeakers that I need to go check on my horses because they were all sleeping, and I’m like, ‘No they sleep a lot, it’s really okay!’”
Measure of a Man
“His top accomplishment to me is what he’s sired; it’s unbelievable. It’s beyond my wildest dreams what he’s done with so few horses out there so far. You see his style in his colts. I know the mares are awesome too, but he definitely puts some turn and run in there. I might be biased, but they’re pretty fun. We have been on a rollercoaster ride. It’s insane how it takes off, and they keep going and going.”
Window to the Soul
“My favorite thing about him is the look in his eye. He has this look of being really smart, loving and willing, and he throws that to his babies.”
