The legend Shining Spark, sired by AQHA Superhorse Genuine Doc and out of AQHA Hall of Fame and 1979 AQHA Superhorse Diamonds Sparkle, was owned by AQHA Hall of Fame horsewoman Carol Rose. Shining Spark was highly successful in the arena. QData reports his earnings to be $62,674 with 17 AQHA performance points in reining and an AQHA Open Performance Register of Merit (ROM).

In 1993, Shining Spark was ridden by Tim McQuay won the AQHA Junior Reining World Championship with a 227.5. In 1994, the duo won NRHA Open Derby Championship. He was crowned the youngest NRHA $1 Million Sire in 2002. In 2011, he was inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame. He then crossed the threshold of becoming an NRHA $4 Million Sire in 2013.

“My true passion has always been in team roping,” Rose said. “Shining Spark was an amazing head horse and a fabulous steer-stopping horse. He was so fast out of the box and stopped so quickly. The public was never able to witness his roping abilities. Bobby Lewis was training him for the World’s Greatest Horseman when he had an unrelated illness that ended his riding career.”

In 2000, Shining Spark gained much attention in the team roping world when Miss N Shine was crowned the AQHA Junior Heading Champion. At the 2005 AQHA World Show, four of his progeny were crowned AQHA World Champions in their respective arenas: Amateur Heading Champion Bald N Shiney, Junior Heeling Champion Shyna Spark, Junior Working Cow Horse Champion Shiners Smart Chex and Amateur Working Cow Horse Champion Shine Smartly.

In 2018, grandson Sparks Peppy Doc (“Smurf ”) was a PRCA Heel Horse of the Year nominee. In 2019, granddaughter DT Sugar Chex Whiz won PRCA/AQHA Horse of the Year. “Sugar” is the dam of many phenomenal rope horses, including The Notorious B I G and The Darkk Side. Shining Spark’s grandson, Chics Magic Corona, was crowned the 2022 ARHFA Heading World Champion.

According to QData, Shining Spark has sired 1,397 foals with earnings exceeding $10.4 million and 38,042 AQHA points, with 26 AQHA World Champions and 21 AQHA Reserve World Champions. He has also sired many other notable champions, including NRHA Open Futurity Champion Shining N Sassy; AQHA 2003 Superhorse Shine By The Bay with AQHA achievements including AQHA Performance Champion, Superior Tie-Down Roping, Superior Reining, Superior Heeling, Superior Heading, Open Performance ROM; and A Shiner Named Sioux, the 2010 AQHA World Junior Reining Champion and 2011 AQHA World Junior Working Cow Horse Champion.

Shining Spark is the Equi-Stat All-Time Leading Maternal Grandsire of Reined Cow Horses, with broodmares producing horses with earnings totaling more than $27 million in different competitive arenas, reinforcing his broodmare sire credentialing. The Top 10 Reined Cow Horse lists include own daughters of Shining Spark, Shining Tari, Lil Miss Shiney Chex, Sparking Train, Sheza Shinette and Shiners Diamond Girl, as well as granddaughter Soula Jule Forever. Their earnings alone total more than $3.4 million.

Shining Spark has been a highly proven sire in the Western performance horse world. His offspring carry his superior athletic ability, trainability, cow sense and speed, making them highly desirable not only to the Western performance horse world, but to the team roping industry.

Shining Spark: Jan. 18, 1989–Dec. 27, 2021.