Shining Spark, who made history in 2007, as the National Reined Cow Horse Association’s first $2 million sire, and in 2008 as the National Reining Horse Association’s first $3 million sire, recently passed another milestone with $3 million in NRCHA offspring earnings.

“Most of Shiner’s foals have a huge work ethic,” said the 20-year-old stallion’s owner and breeder, Carol Rose, who will be inducted into the AQHA Hall of Fame in March 2010. “They’re also very sensitive, very willing and they love to work cattle.”

Shining Spark and Rose share a 42-year legacy. It was in 1967 that Rose purchased Gay Bar’s Gen, a 5-year-old Gay Bar King daughter, from Californian Clyde Bauer.

“I paid a lot of money for her and they thought I was crazy,” said Rose. “But I loved her dearly.”

Gay Bar’s Gen carried Rose to win the National Cutting Horse Association Non-Pro World Championship for three consecutive years, from 1967 through 1969, and won the NCHA Non-Pro World Finals 1967 and 1973. Although she lived to be 33, Gay Bar’s Gen was “very hard to breed” and produced just six foals. Her second, a colt by Doc Bar, born in 1977, was Genuine Doc, the sire of Shining Spark.

In addition to reining and cowhorse champions, Shining Sparks is the #2 all-time leading sire of AQHA performance ROM, and he has total offspring earnings of more than $7.5 million.