Myers Performance Horses
St. Onge, South Dakota
FrenchmansGuy.com
myerstrainingstable@gmail.com
605-641-4283
The most outstanding head-horse breeders today are lauded for combining cow horse and racing bloodlines. But the Myers family has been doing that for 40 years.
Their late stallion Frenchmans Guy, with $20 million in progeny earnings, was all roping blood up top courtesy the Doc’s Jack Frost and Driftwood Ike blood of his sire, Sun Frost. But his dam was by South Dakota racing stud Laughing Boy.
“We roped on a lot of Frenchmans Guy’s colts, but about the time [Kristie Peterson’s world champion brother] Bozo made him famous as a barrel sire, there were no roping futurities,” Myers said. “Actually, we had a few in South Dakota, and his colts did really well at those.”
Last August, Dakota Kirchenschlager piloted 5-year-old Guyz Magic by Frenchmans Guy to the Silver Division heading championship at the Platinum Medal Futurity, and a few weeks later, placed fifth in the Pro Futurity at the Riata Championship despite two leg penalties.
Three other Frenchmans Guy sons have helped the program add even more blistering speed. The late A Smooth Guy has sired earners of $4 million, while another up-and-comer is Mr Sassy Frenchman, out of a mare by Mr Jess Perry out of a Corona Cartel daughter. The Myers clan knows you can always ride a fast horse slowly, but you can’t ride a slow horse fast.
Recently, Yes Im Sassy earned $158,182 at roping futurities including a big win at the ARHFA Red Bud Spectacular last year under Kaleb Driggers, and one at the Rock Springs Royal Crown under Colby Lovell.
“She’s good in the box, she runs right to the cow, finishes good, is strong to the horn, really doesn’t make any mistakes,” Lovell said. “She’s dependable.”
Frenchmans Guy might be a legendary barrel-racing sire, but he has untold potential in the roping boxes, as do his sons.
“Any rodeo event needs a great-moving horse with a great mind,” Myers said. “And conformation is a factor some people leave out when they breed horses, but we try to be really strong in that in our program. We’re pretty strict on bone, substance, straight legs—just overall balance.”
The family is especially excited about the newest addition to their stallion roster in CR Tuff Dual, just turning 6 this year. He’s being campaigned at futurities by Dakota Kirchenschlager. By the legendary $12 million sire Woody Be Tuff, the young stud is out of a Dual Pep/High Brow Cat mare and should make a nice cross on daughters of Frenchmans Guy and A Smooth Guy.
“His mother is a million-dollar producer, and his second dam is a $2 million producer,” said Myers. “He’s a little bigger with more stride than you see on a lot of cow-bred horses, and is a super good-minded horse.”
The Myers family was honored last summer with Frenchmans Guy’s induction into the AQHA Hall of Fame, for the way he’s contributed to so many breeding programs in a variety of disciplines over the decades. Versatility was always the goal for Myers Performance Horses, but it came to the forefront with the rise of roping futurities and increased reporting.
“Promoting genetics (both paternal and maternal) is essential for a breeder’s growth in this competitive world,” Myers said. “By presenting pedigrees in the event draws, webcast, announcing and results, it helps the public analyze what might work with their own breeding program. We’re excited to be in on the ground floor of this in the roping industry, because it takes continued exposure for young stallions and programs to grow.”
Myers, along with select other veteran breeders, knew that infusing racing blood into the traditional cutting- or reining breeding of rope horses would be golden.
“In Myers horses, you get that speed but don’t lose that good common sense and cow,” he said. “They leave the box at and can fly. Plus, they’re cowy and know how to rate, so they’re real easy to train as rope horses. Mentally, they can handle the pressure.”
