The Animal is the industry’s next great stallion to join Solo Select’s exclusive lineup for 2025, expanding the stallion’s footprint into the rope horse industry to complement his impact in the cutting and cow horse arenas.
The Animal, by Cat Ichi and out of My Little Abra by Abrakadabracre, earned more than $260,000 in the show pen with the likes of Lee Francios, James Payne and Paul Hansma. The 2014 stallion and Francios won the NCHA Futurity Reserve title in 2017 and the NCHA Summer Spectacular Derby Open Championship in 2018.
“The Animal proved to be a superstar athlete in his performance career,” Solo Select’s Melanie Smith said. “He showed himself an exceptional competitor who could rise to the biggest occasions. And we’re only beginning to see what he can do as a producer.”
The Animal also brings an international impact, already making his mark as a producer in Australia and Europe—highlighted by Little Miss Animal, who emerged as the story of the NCHA-Australia Futurity, placing in the Amateur, Limited and Open Finals there with first-time competitor Brenden Bailey.
“We have ropers over-the-moon excited about riding The Animal offspring, including WPRA World Champions Lari Dee Guy and Hope Thompson and PRCA World Champion Fred Whitfield, who already have some Baby Animals in their up-and-coming lineups,” Animal’s owner Cindy Perez said. “We’re excited to see the cutters continue to excel on The Animal’s babies—with his current yearling crop being perhaps his best yet in the hands of the team at the Fultz Ranch, Lee Francios and more NCHA Hall of Fame trainers. But we’ve always believed that The Animal is the kind of stallion that will impact the whole performance industry.”
The Animal will offer an early booking fee of $1,500 until Jan. 1, 2025, with Solo’s unique buy-now, pay-later option in effect. Mare owners can book to The Animal for $700, paying the stallion fee only when the foal hits the ground.
“We are limiting our stallion barn to 16 studs, with 10 of the, already filled by our stallions and stallions we’ve long represented,” Ty Smith, Solo Select CEO said. “For the limited spots we’ve opened, we were particular about adding owners who believe in what we’re doing and stallions who bring the best to our customers. The Animal and Cindy fit that mold.”
The Animal is enrolled in the Gold Buckle Futurity’s Elite Stallions, the Royal Crown Roping, the NRCHA Stallion Incentive, the Pacific Coast Cutting Horse Association’s Stallion Stakes, the Breeder’s Invitational, the NCHA’s Stallion & Foal Program and Legendary Stakes, with more major enrollments to be announced in the coming months.
By moving to Solo Select, The Animal is also part of the new Solo Stallion Incentive, a program that will infuse a significant sum of money into the rope horse futurity industry, exclusively for 4-year-olds. Details on the program will drop in September 2024.
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