Kassie Mowry’s KL Touch Of Heaven is royally bred to excel — by $5.7 million sire JL Dash Ta Heaven, he’s out of Karma Loftin’s blue-hen producing mare Junior Country Girl by Deep Note Jr, EquiStat’s No. 8 all-time producing dam of more than $1 million in earners.
Mowry, a longtime friend of Loftin’s, is responsible for riding “Country Girl’s” offspring to a majority of those earnings, including her 2017 National Finals Rodeo-qualifying gelding Firewatermakemehappy, owned by Martha Smith.
“I’ve always been a fan of that mare. I’ve ridden several of Country Girl’s babies, all by different studs, and it doesn’t seem to matter what you breed her to, you get something that can be a top-end-caliber horse,” Mowry said after the 2021 OKC Futurity. “I’m thrilled for Karma to have a horse of a lifetime like that. Karma found that mare, and she wasn’t proven in the arena or the breeding shed. I have a lot of respect for Karma to see that hidden gem. Good horses are hard to find of this caliber.”
—> Read more: Karma Loftin’s Breeding Program
Bred and originally owned by Loftin, Dove went through the 2019 Barrel Futurities of America Sale as a stud prospect but ultimately went back home with Loftin after not bringing what she felt he was worth. With his genetics speaking for themselves, both Mowry and Loftin believed in Dove’s ability even before he started training.
When he entered training with the Dublin, Texas, barrel racer as a stallion, things didn’t go quite as hoped.
“When the mares were coming into heat in the spring, he quit progressing and actually got rank. I’m out here by myself a lot, and I don’t want to get hurt. I told Karma, ‘I recognize his ability. He is deserving to be a stud prospect.’ But she wanted him to have the best chance at being a winner in the ring, so we cut him, and a lot changed right away. He’s really a kind horse now,” said Mowry, who purchased Dove from Loftin in fall of 2021.
The 2018 gelding went on to win five futurity championships, three futurity reserve championships and more than $439,000 in EquiStat reported earnings. He was 2022’s leading futurity horse of the year with $329,483 earned at the futurities.
“Karma knew he was a nice horse and stood behind it. When he didn’t bring what she thought he was worth in the sale, she went the long route and put him through training, and she was right. He was worth it,” Mowry stated. “A lot of people think only culls end up in these sales, and that’s not the case. A lot of us are proud to represent [these programs and horses].”
