Once again a new face will grace the cover of the 2010 Hunt Seat Horses.com Advertisers Directory. After a record setting season, it is only fitting that our new cover is one of the hottest hunt seat horses in the nation, Hot Ones Only

Hot Ones Only is living up to his name and turning into "The Only" stallion of his kind. He continues to exceed all expectations and records for that matter. The big loveable young stallion has been taking the hunt seat world by storm, one championship at a time.

Sired by the legendary sire Invitation Only and out of Hot Shot Hit (TB), Hot Ones Only, affectionately known as Bruno around the barn, is bred in the purple, and certainly acts the part. Bred by David James of Purcell, Oklahoma, Hot Shot Hit was purchased by Tammy Dyer at the David James Dispersal Sale. "Jason (Martin) and I went to the sale looking for broodmares to bred to Jerry (The Big Sensation)", recalls Tammy. "We went over the mares carefully and took a look at any prior foals that were also in the sale and settled on Hot Shot Hit. We liked how she was bred. She goes back to Seattle Slew, the Kentucky Derby winner". A few short months later, "Hot Shot" would deliver a one in a million colt.

"We knew Bruno was special from the very start", says Tammy's daughter Sharnai Thompson. For one thing, he’s always been huge. He is now 17 hands tall. And really laid back and lazy. When I started working with him we could see he was going to be exceptional. He really is an awesome minded horse. But we never realized just how special he was until we started showing him".

In keeping with the High Point Performance tradition, trainers for the Thompson family, Bruno started winning right away. At his first show at the Congress, Bruno won the 2 year old Congress Masters Hunter Under Saddle class with trainer Beth Case in the irons. Everyone loved him and thought he was special, but no one could have predicted that the young stallion would go on to win the Congress Championship in Junior Hunter Under Saddle with Beth and also the Amateur Hunter Under Saddle with Sharnai. Winning all three of those classes in the same year at the Congress has never been done before, and especially not by a 2 year old. And it was just the beginning of what was to come.

The following year, Charlie Cole starts Bruno in the driving. And by now no one was surprised when Bruno took to it without any fuss. "He is so willing to please and just takes it all in stride", says Sharnai. Back at the Congress for his second time, Bruno wowed thecrowd as well as the judges and collected another 5 Congress Championships to set yet another record. Bruno is the youngest horse to ever earn 8 Congress titles.

With the focus shifting to the World Show Bruno entered the pen with Sharnai in the Amateur Hunter Under Saddle. And no one should have been surprised when they left with the Golden Globe and his first World Championship. Bruno has a unique style that sets him apart from the rest of the pen. He has the most amazing sweepy flat front leg and a hock to die for. He is simply breath-taking to watch both in the cart and on the flat.

Next came the Pleasure Driving with Sharnai, and again, another gold trophy was added to an already amazing show career. But the Open week was yet to come and with Charlie Cole in the cart, Hot Ones Only added his 3rd World Championship trophy. And finally, Beth Case captured the Junior Hunter Under Saddle World title to make it a clean sweep - 4 for 4 at the World Show.

So what could possibly come next, for such an incredible horse? Due to an overwhelming response from his fans, Bruno will stand for his second season at stud at High Point Performance. Then he will return to the show pen.

"He has had a few jumping lessons lately and seems to really have a knack for it. He seems to really enjoy it. He is so big and lazy we weren't sure he would have any interest in it at all. However, seemingly just like everything else Bruno takes on, he will take the jumping well too. It may take a little time for him to figure out exactly what you want but when he does he complies willingly and exceeds our expectations. We are looking forward to him jumping but I'm sure I will be very nervous watching that. We will see how it goes but hopefully he can return to the World Show and be a Super Horse Contender. He has nothing else to prove by being a show horse but that's his calling. He lights up a show pen and warms our hearts at the same time," says Sharnai.

So what is this record setting stallion really like? "Bruno is SPOILED", states Sharnai, "but deserves every bit of it. He's just like youwould expect a big fat guy to be - he eats everything. His favourite, it seems, is peppermints so he always has good breath! He is very, very sweet and loves to be loved on. He is also very lazy. Most of the time he can be found passed out in his stall. Unlike most horses, especially by the end of the horse show, Beth and I are trying to conserve every bit of his energy so we can show in our classes".

Watch for Hot Ones Only to continue to light up the show pens in the future. We wish them the best of luck in the future.

 

Junior Hunter Under Saddle - Fourth and Done
BY CHRISTINE HAMILTON, JOURNAL EDITOR
 November 2009

 Hot Ones Only and AQHA Professional Horseman Beth Case won the 2009 world championship in junior hunter under saddle. 

As the top 16 junior hunter under saddle horses trotted into the arena November 19, you could feel the energy in the air from the crowd. Each horse had his or her cheering section. AQHA Professional Horseman Beth Case rode in fourth in the trot-in aboard Tammy Dyer’s 3-year-old stallion Hot Ones Only. “Bruno” had already had an enviable 2009 AQHA World Championship Show experience: championships in the amateur hunter under saddle and amateur pleasure driving with Tammy’s daughter, Sharnai, and another championship in the junior pleasure driving with AQHA Professional Horseman Charlie Cole at the lines. It was a tough field of horses, but Beth was confident the youngster just might have it in him for another – which he did. The Journal caught up with Beth and Sharnai after the win photos were done. Beth is part of the Highpoint Performance Horses training team, and she and Sharnai have worked together a long time. It's easy to tell they enjoy and respect each other.

Q. Beth, what were you thinking as they were calling the numbers out?

BETH: Please don’t call my number!

Q. Were you pretty confident coming in?

BETH: Yeah, I knew he was one of the best ones. He usually behaves perfectly and he did again. So I knew I had a shot.

SHARNAI: I was very nervous. She wasn’t, but I was very nervous.

BETH: I get the most nervous when I’m in the lineup. I’m thinking, please don’t call me; please don’t call me.

Q. How do you all tag-team and work with Bruno?

BETH: He stays at our barn and I ride him almost every day. At the horse shows, she rides him. And it’s not like she has to practice and practice because he’s so good and she rides so good.

SHARNAI: He’s very easy.

BETH: She can get on and go around; he behaves.

SHARNAI: Especially by the end of the horse show, we’re usually trying to conserve energy and use as little as possible because he’s passed out in his stall all the time.

Q. Sharnai, what do you respect most about Beth?

SHARNAI: Beth works her butt off, and I don’t think that’s a surprise to anyone. And she tries to stay out of trouble and she does her job and does it very well, and that’s what I try to emulate.

Q. Beth, same question about Sharnai.

BETH: Sharnai works hard, too. There are a lot of people that just want to come and get dressed and get on, and she’ll stay and she’ll wrap his legs and take care of him. She broke him … she has her yearlings and 2-year-olds at home and she does all those, and when they’re ready for me, she sends them to me.

SHARNAI: If they’re good enough for you. (She laughs.)

BETH: If I tell her I want it, or I say you keep that one, Sharnai.

SHARNAI: It’s actually a funny story, but when I broke him, the day we got home from the World Show, the Monday after, I look out the window when Beth should still be sleeping, and it’s like 7:30 a.m.

BETH: No, it was after Thanksgiving.

SHARNAI: (Nodding.) It was right after Thanksgiving, and she’s loading up all the 2-year-olds she likes to go over to her house. I was like, take a break! And he was one of them that year.

Q. How are you guys going to celebrate after this World Show?

SHARNAI: Beth’s not really a celebrator, but I’m going to make her go out and have some fun.

BETH: I’ll celebrate every once in a while. If I don’t have to work the next day, I’ll go out and celebrate.

SHARNAI: Which we don’t, and we don’t have very far to drive home. We’re going to celebrate tonight, for sure.

Q. Is there anything else you want to add about Bruno?

BETH: Bruno is the most beautiful horse in the world.

SHARNAI: I can’t explain how good he is to be around. He’s awesome. He’s very spoiled, but he deserves it. We’re so proud of him. Four world championships as a 3-year-old, it’s incredible.

 

 

HOT ONES ONLY AND CHARLIE COLE WIN GOLD IN JUNIOR PLEASURE DRIVING.
BY BECKY NEWELL, AQHA MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
Novermber 2009

It’s a good thing there was a little floor space in the cart being pulled by Hot Ones Only, because for the second time in two weeks, the 3-year-old stallion hauled off a world title in pleasure driving. Last week, it was in the amateur division with T. Sharnai Thompson at the reins. This week, it was with trainer Charlie Cole in the junior pleasure driving class during FedEx Open Week at the 2009 AQHA World Championship Show. Sharnai and “Bruno” also captured the amateur hunter under saddle world championship on November 8. Needless to say, it has been a busy couple of weeks for the connections of Hot Ones Only. The American Quarter Horse Journal spoke with Charlie Cole and Bruno's owner, Tammy Thompson Dyer, after the evening's finals were done.


Q: Charlie, how was he tonight?

CHARLIE: I wasn’t nervous at all. I knew that this was a great horse; he loves his job, and I just had confidence that he was going to be good, and he was.

Q: Tammy, how does it feel to go from a world championship during amateur week in pleasure driving with your daughter and then go into open week and do the same thing?

TAMMY: It’s very exciting. I can’t tell you. I has been a lot of fun to have him. I have full confidence in Charlie and in Beth. We couldn’t be having more fun.

Q: What’s next for this horse?

CHARLIE: I think we’re all going on vacation. (laughing) I’m going to Hawaii.

TAMMY: Bruno also gets some time off, which he deserves.

Q: You know, Bruno is only 3. Is this kind of success unusual for a horse this young?

CHARLIE: I think so. He’s done things that no other 2- or 3-year-old has done. He’s just a really mature horse. It’s easy for him.

TAMMY: He’s very quiet, very laid back. He loves what he does. And he’s a stallion.

Q: What did we talk about last week, Tammy? Bruno will be standing …

TAMMY: He’ll be breeding at High Point Performance Horses – Charlie and Jason Martin’s place – this coming breeding season.