In many instances the term “wild card” refers to something or someone that is unpredictable. But Wild Cardd, the hot young stallion sired by Makin Me Willy Wild out of Ms Miracle Zip, is anything but.

“Perhaps his greatest attribute is that he is just a true show horse and always has been,” said Lexie Arrington. “When he goes into the pen, he turns it on and locks in. He really makes it so much fun to show.”

Lexie and her husband, Justin Clay Arrington, of Burleson, Texas, have had Wild Cardd, now a 5-year-old, since he was just two, when his breeder, Paul Thurston, sent him to them to get started under saddle, as part of a partnership.

“When we started him we all knew he was special,” Lexie said. “He was very smart, freaky legged and had a lot of try. Not to mention he was just beautiful. Even in what should have been his gawky awkward stage, he was just so correct and so handsome.”

Lexie got the opportunity to ride Wild Cardd around a bit at a horse show in Venice, Florida, early in the training process but then let Clay focus on his development.

Wild Cardd’s success in the show pen in 2024 was nothing short of amazing. He and Clay were Reserve Circuit Champions in Level 2 Junior Western Pleasure at The Madness in Wilmington, Ohio and tied for third in the 3-Year-Old Open Western Pleasure. At the Quarter Horse Congress they placed in the Top 10 in Green Western Pleasure and the top 15 in the Junior Western Pleasure. They capped off the year with a World Championship title in the Green Western Pleasure Stakes class at the American Quarter Horse Association World Show and Reserve in the Level 2 3-Year-Old Open Western Pleasure.

But if you think 2024 was impressive for Wild Cardd, wait until you hear about everything he accomplished in 2025.

The year got started in early February at the Prairie Classic AQHA Circuit in Oklahoma City where Lexie rode Wild Cardd to a Circuit Championship in Amateur Western Pleasure. From there they headed to Scottsdale, Arizona for the Sun Circuit where Lexie and Wild Cardd captured a Championship title in the Open and Limited divisions of the Non-Pro 3 & 4-Year-Old Western Pleasure. They also won the West Coast Breeders Championship title in Level 2 Amateur Western Pleasure and were named Circuit Champions in in Level 2 Amateur Western Pleasure. Later that summer Clay and Wild Card won Circuit Championships in Level 2 Junior Western Pleasure at both the Stars N Stripes Circuit and the Big A Circuit in Conyers, Georgia. Not to be outdone, Lexie piloted Wild Cardd to Circuit Championship in both circuits and won the Non-Pro Western Pleasure Maturity at the Big A as well.

In August the Arringtons arrived in Tulsa, Oklahoma with a mission to show the industry what they already knew about Wild Cardd. 

“He LOVES winning,” Lexie admitted. “He literally knows when he wins. When he wins, he always has to do his head shake and little hop into his lope off when he lopes out of the line up. And he ONLY does it when he wins.”

There was a lot of that at the National Snaffle Bit Association’s World Championship. Teamed with Lexie, Wild Cardd won the Maturity Limited Non-Pro Western Pleasure as well as the $10,000 Limited Horse Non-Pro Maturity. Clay and Wild Cardd earned bronze trophies in both the Junior Western Pleasure and the $10,000 Limited Horse Open Western Pleasure.

“I really have so much fun showing him,” Lexie said. “He showed great for me there. He knows his job, and does it exceptionally well. As soon as you go through the gate, he puts his ears up and goes into show mode. I would lope him all day long if I could. It was really fulfilling for us to win twice at the NSBA.”

But the show year was not over yet for Wild Cardd. Clay and young stallion captured two Quarter Horse Congress Championships, in the Limited Open Western Pleasure Maturity and in the $10,000 Limited Horse Limited Rider Open Western Pleasure. They were also third in the $10,000 Limited Horse Open Western Pleasure. Lexie and Wild Cardd were Reserve Champions in the Limited Non-Pro Western Pleasure Maturity and top five in the Non-Pro Western Pleasure Maturity.

Wild Cardd is now taking a break from showing to stand at stud at Highpoint Performance Horses in Pilot Point, Texas. But he will return to the pen later this year.

While they wait, Clay and Lexie will welcome the very first two Wild Cardd foals in late April and early May.

“It was really surreal watching Clay win a Congress Championship with him,” Lexie said. “Clay has been a part of this stallion since the very start and Wild Cardd has been in our program so long he just feels like a part of our family.”

“Clay and I have one coming out of our RL mare that is out of Sweet Talkin Maggie,” she said. “We are really excited about this cross as we are curious to see how he produces with the RL line. The mare is also beautiful and built really well so it should be a very pretty baby for sure. Paul Thurston also has a mare bred to Wild Cardd by the name of Gettin Pretty Cool, who is by Cool Breeze out of Gettin Pretty, who has $75,000 in earnings; an open Superior Award and over 250 points.”

Lexie admits that being a stallion owner is not something she and Clay set out to do but they are learning along the way.

“We always say we are junior stallion owners with a junior stallion and we’re just figuring it out together,” she said. “No one writes a ‘How-To’ book on owning and promoting a stallion so formulating a strong support team behind Wild Cardd has always been our top priority, along with trying to be fair and easy to work with. We know breeding is hard enough as it is so we want to do the best we can to help.”

Once his breeding commitments are fulfilled Wild Cardd will return to the show pen. Clay and Lexie will continue showing him in Western Pleasure.

“At some point, I would love to add Western Riding, as he is a fantastic lead changer but time will tell,” she explained. “At the end of the day, we will do whatever is best for him and his happiness.”

Wild Cardd’s 2026 stud fee is $2,000 which includes the $600 chute fee. Domestic shipping is $350. World and Congress Champion mares receive a $500 discount. Trainer-owned mares also receive a $500 discount and there is a $500 discount for multiple mares.

Wild Cardd foals are eligible for the following programs: NSBA SIF and BCF; Super Sires; Premier Sires; APHA Breeders Trust; Southern Belle Breeders; Roans To Riches; Coast To Coast Breeders; Michigan Quarter Horse Futurity and the Iowa Quarter Horse Futurity.

For additional information contact Breeding Manager Christi Christensen at (903) 816-1428 or email her at  Christi@HighpointPerformance@gmail.com.