“He’s been a ride of a lifetime.”
In Texas playing with a grandchild, enthusiasm for her horse back home in Abilene, Kansas, was apparent through the phone lines.
Doreen Everett bred, raised, and has personally, along with top cowboys, most extensively shown Bartendin Baron, best recognized as “Cinco” by everyone who’s seen or been affiliated with the inspirational horse.
“I’ve been involved with horses all of my life, and had an opportunity to own and ride some good ones, but Cinco, that’s what we call him, has topped them all,” Doreen insisted.
One could find that an understatement, or a most accurate “pun,” because Bartendin Baron, called Cinco from here forward, has definitely “topped” many competitors in the show and performance pen, several which have been considered the “best in the world.”
No debate, argument, or discussion about it, Cinco is a champion as recorded in the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) registration books, and reported in the latest, the January 2016, edition of the “American Quarter Horse Journal.”
The 2008 sorrel registered Quarter Horse stallion has been designated an “AQHA Champion,” which for a lay person means an “all-around horse.”
Cinco is pretty and “can ride,” too, not just plodding around in circles, but catching cattle, collectively spinning, turning with finesse, and then speeding around a cloverleaf barrel racing pattern.
“That’s what makes Cinco even more special, his versatility,” Doreen stated. “It seems that most horses today are so specialized in what they can do, being bred for just one class. They do the best in that, but don’t compete in anything else. Not, Cinco. He can do it all; everything we’ve ever asked of him.”
The proud stallion’s collected AQHA show points in halter, team roping, heading, heeling, reining, barrel racing and ranch riding, a relatively new event attracting some of the largest numbers of most stringent contestants at many registered competitions.
“But, that ability comes naturally; that’s the way Cinco’s bred,” Doreen continued. “Study his pedigree every which way you want, and there are horses that look good and perform with the best doing whatever is asked of them.”
The eight-year-old, 16-hand stallion was sired by Baron Golden Jack, and was out of Bartendin Della, known as Babe by Doreen and her family.
“Cinco is extensively Howard Pitzer and Two Eyed Jack bred, both top and bottom sides, with only outcrosses to outstanding conformation foundation working Quarter Horses,” Doreen said. “They have to work to work for me.”
Again “topping” everything, the lifetime horsewoman insisted, “The best thing of all is that Cinco represents my family’s Quarter Horse breeding program. My dad got Babe (Bartendin Della) from the Pitzer Ranch at Ericson, Nebraska, and Bill Keyser of Ord, Nebraska, did the initial training.
“Dad gave Babe to me as a coming four-year-old, after Bill had her for two years. So, being out of that good family mare, Cinco has always been of special interest to Dad,” Doreen continued.
“Cinco was born and raised at our place, and we’ve handled him all of his life. He’s shown by the professionals, but I show him, too. Cinco is that kind of ‘special horse,’” Doreen emphasized.
Doreen showed the stallion as a colt two years to be grand champion Quarter Horse stallion at the Central Kansas Free Fair in Abilene. Although a local regional competition, no small feat based on horses shown there that have gone on to major accomplishments.
“There are a lot of good trainers today, but I wanted Cinco to have working experience in a variety of situations,” Doreen said. “So, I decided to send Cinco to Kerry Kuhn to train him on his ranch south of Pratt, and I’m so glad I did. Cinco got used to being outside; handling cattle the way Quarter Horses are meant to do.”
When it was determined that Cinco had the ability to perform successfully in registered AQHA events, Doreen asked Kuhn to campaign the still young stallion. “Kerry did very well with Cinco, used him on his TV show, has him in some commercials, and really opened the doors for Cinco, and me, too,” the owner credited.
“However, Kerry decided he’d rather continue his expanding number of public clinics and horsemanship training, rather than campaign Cinco at shows, which I could definitely understand. Kerry is such a great teacher, great trainer, great friend,” Doreen said.
Cinco was shown at the Pitzer Ranch Horse Invitational, an all-around event starting in halter and including all-around versatility, based on speed.
“I met Riley Renner, who had worked for the Pitzer Ranch, and persuaded him to campaign Cinco for me,” Doreen said.
That proved advancement for horse and owner as they collected several yearend awards and qualified for the annual AQHA World Show in Oklahoma City.
After two years, Doreen wanted her pride-and-joy stallion close by, so she brought Cinco home to Abilene, and placed him at Bill James Training Stables.
“Bill was a good friend, and he knew his grandson Jamie Stover, an AQHA professional horseman, would be able to add points to Cinco’s record, especially roping. Jamie’s such a good cowboy, and an outstanding roper,” Doreen said.
Again, a correct management decision as the stallion has continued collecting show ring titles. “The Kansas AQHA circuit hasn’t been having many roping classes, so Jamie goes to the Nebraska Quarter Horse Association events at Lincoln, to show and has won a lot of events,” Doreen said.
Seemingly monotonous to some, listing of point tabulations is justified here verifying Cinco’s abilities.
Bartendin Baron (Cinco) has one halter, 25 performance halter, 82.5 heading, four heeling, nine ranch riding, four barrel racing and 2.5 reining points.
His AQHA titles include halter and performance Registers of Merit, and Cinco has a Superior in team roping. He’s earned three AQHA show all-around titles, stood as grand champion in performance halter three times, and been reserve champion performance halter stallion five times.
Cinco has been ranked in the Top Ten AQHA yearend standings and AQHA World Championship Show placings three times.
Doreen showed Cinco to the Top Five, as an intermediate exhibitor, in the performance halter stallion class at the 2014 Select World Show.
“Cinco is such a gentleman. I can show him anywhere, but it’s the professionals who beat me. There’s still some politics in the show ring,” the owner said.
Doreen rides her horse, too. “I’ve shown Cinco in ranch riding and barrel racing, and I plan to compete extensively in the amateur division of the registered shows this year,” Doreen said. “I really don’t rope. Even though I can handle a rope, I’m just not interested in becoming competitive there.”
First question many longtime horsemen ask about a stallion: “How are his colts?”
Because Cinco has been a show horse, there’s no ready answer, yet. “I have a mare bred to Cinco to foal this spring, and I’m really excited,” Doreen said.
Plans call for standing the champion to the public this year. “We mated Cinco live limited times last year, but we will be able to breed him artificially, and might use some frozen semen, too,” according to Doreen.
Those who understand how nature works know mating a stallion sometimes changes their pacified attitude. “Last spring, Cinco knew it was the ‘season,’ but he has such a good disposition, that with just a little reprimand, Cinco continued showing consistently,” Doreen said.
Plans call for addition of versatility points to the champion’s record this year in the both open and amateur divisions.
Doreen said, “Jamie Stover will campaign Cinco in the open division and also take in mares to breed to Cinco at his facility in Abilene. I know Jim Brinkman at the Pitzer Ranch, and someday I’d like to have him stand Cinco up there, because he’s all of their ranch breeding.”
Raised in southern California, Doreen (Barnt) grew up riding horses, with her older sister Cheryl as her inspiration for showing. “We shared a horse for a while, but then she had an opportunity to show another horse, so I could have a horse of my own,” Doreen said.
“Dad actually gets the credit for us having horses. It was a child’s dream come true,” Doreen admitted.
However, upon getting married, Doreen moved to Tomball, Texas, near Houston, where she raised three children, two sons and a daughter. “The boys started out with horses, but then got into go-carts and motorcycles, so horses went to the wayside,” she said.
Still, Doreen’s personal affection for horses never strayed, and she now has six horses. “I’ve lived at Abilene 18 years, and work several hours a day for my husband Dennis’ Everett Trucking Company,” Doreen said. “I was a trucker, too, but now I have a life of leisure, so to speak, and can spend time with my horses, and my family and grandchildren in Texas.”
Her dad, Jerry Barnt, now 94-years-old, still lives at Ord, Nebraska, where her sister Cheryl (Kokes) is. “They’re still involved with horses, too,” Doreen said.
For Doreen Everett and Cinco, the future seems limitless. “It’s so exciting. We continue to show this great stallion, and look forward to raising his babies and showing them, too,” the Abilene horsewoman said.