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By George |
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Article by REBECCA OVERTON |
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When Tiny Who Too was born, his owner wasn’t sure the thin little foal would make it. But today, the dynamic stallion holds the APHA lifetime record in barrel racing. |
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(Above) In his baby picture, “George” didn’t appear to be a future barrel racing superstar. He is seen with Autry Moore, the colt’s first owner. (Above Left) George and Jodi Bryant hold 28 APHA and PtHA World and Reserve World Championships and National and Reserve Championships. |
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The caption on the back of the newborn foal’s photograph said it all, It was written by the foal’s owner, Autry Moore of Big Spring, Texas. “This is me and Tiny Who Too. Tiny was just a few hours old. Skin and bones and his spots are rusty looking. No black at all here! He wouldn’t nurse and I thought we were in trouble.” Who would have believed the little creature with matchstick legs would one day break the American Paint Horse Association’s lifetime record in the barrel racing, a record another horse had held for almost 20 years? But on May 4, 2002, Tiny Who Too, who grew up to become an athletic, 1,250-pound stallion nicknamed “George,” thundered around the barrels at the Cross Timbers Paint Horse Club Paint-O-Rama in Waco, Texas. George needed five points to shatter the 313-point record set by Warhoop, a 1973 bay tobiano gelding who had held the top spot since 1983. With owner Jodi Bryant in the saddle, George won eight points, three more than he needed. At last count, he had a total of 324 lifetime barrel racing points. Then, on October 25 at the Margarita Classic in Fort Worth, Texas, the team unofficially broke another record —for lifetime points in amateur stake race. They earned the eight points needed to pass the 129-point milestone set in 1995 by Max Attack, a 1986 bay overo gelding. George’s victories are confirmation that you can achieve almost anything if you work hard, have determination and stay in the game. It is also proof that small-time horse owners on a limited budget can take a backyard horse and turn it into a record-breaking champion.
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