Loretta Magnuson with The Rock.

Promising young American Quarter Horse Association stallion, The Rock, has died, according to owner Loretta Magnuson, owner of Magnuson Farm LLC, Mound, Minnesota.

“With deepest regrets I would like to announce the death of The Rock, she said this morning. “It started with a reaction to anthestia after elective surgery. He developed neuralgia (an inflammation of the nerves)  and that turned into founder. There was only a one in a thousand chance of contracting it and unfortunately he did.”

The Rock was more than a horse to Magnuson. He was a part of her family.

“He will be so missed,” she said.

The 2011 red roan stallion, sired by RL Best Of Sudden and out of Lopen Good Bar, by Ima Zippo Good Bar, was bred by FMH Inc. and Susie Roberts, Chatsworth, Georgia.

“He was magical from day one and we were thrilled to be part of his life,” Roberts said. “Our condolences go out to Loretta and her family.”

The Rock made his show debut by placing in the Top 10 of the Coughlin 2-Year-Old Open Western Pleasure Futurity at the 2013 Quarter Horse Congress with Scott Frye in the saddle. A month later he and Frye took home the title of 2-Year-Old Intermediate Western Pleasure Champion at the AQHA World Show.

The following year he racked up futurity wins in 3-Year-Old Open and Non-Pro events across the country including at the Tom Powers Futurity Little futurities with Fry and his daughter, Ashley. He claimed two NSBA Reserve World Championships and finished the year with a third place at the Congress in the 3-Year-Old Limited Non-Pro Western Pleasure with Ashley Frye.

Magnuson purchased The Rock in August 2014 and she stood him at Mike Hay’s Pilot Knob Quarter Horses in Pinnacle, North Carolina. The young sire’s book was full for both 2015 and 2016 and he has had much success shipping frozen semen overseas, according to Mike Hay, breeding manager.

The Rock foals are just now hitting the show pen and are already making an impact.

ShezaERockingGoodbar and Mac McGinnis

ShezaERockingGoodbar, a 2016 red roan filly out of Shesaezzippingoodbar just won a World Show title in Open Western Longe Line on Monday at the National Snaffle Bit Association’s World Championship Show now under way in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Jon Barry showed ShezaERockingGoodbar to wins in both that class and the Breeders Championship Futurity Open Western Longe Line (run concurrently) for owner Mac McGinnis, Dalton, Georgia.

In June, McGinnis showed ShezaERockingGoodbar to a win in the Super Sires Longe Line Class at the 2017 Tom Powers Futurity in Berrien Springs, Michigan, earning a check for $5,000. They also were Reserve Champions in the Tom Powers Non-Pro Western Longe Line and Rick Baker also earned a Reserve Championship with her in the Open Western Longe Line at the Powers. To date ShezaERockingGoodbar has earned over $11,000 in Longe Line winnings.

Rock Like A Star also did his sire proud this year at the Tom Powers Futurity, finishing fourth in the Super Sires Longe Line, ninth in the Non-Pro Western Longe Line and eighth in the Open Western Longe Line with owner Kurt Heling of DePere, Wisconsin.

The Rock foals are eligible for the Premier Quarter Sires, Western Pleasure Super Sires, Southern Belle Breeders, NSBA and APHA Breeder’s Trust Programs.