The Trippy Dip Story by Richard Chamberlain

Trippy Dip, a mare that will impact the world’s fastest breed of horse for generations to come, was euthanized June 24 [1999]due to chronic crippling osteoarthritis in her right knee.

“Trippy Dip was a lady” says Abigail K. Kawananakoa [pictured with Trippy Dip], the breeder who owned the Thoroughbred mare for the past six years. “ ‘Trippy’ was a special horse, a great mare, and the Quarter Horse breed lost something unique when it lost her.”

Bred by S.F. “Sonny” Henderson of Odessa, Texas, the 23 year old daughter of Scout Leader was the dam of champions Calyx, Florentine and Ive Been Blessed. Including stakes winners Shillings, Stamen and Stylus, Trippy Dip’s 12 starters from 15 named foals so far have won 64 races, including 27 stakes, and have earned $1,618,249, 11th all time among broodmares (see updated record below).

Trippy Dip was out of the Dancing Dervish mare Dancing Straw, whose dam was by Jackstraw, a sprinter that sired champions Fly Straw and Straw Flight. Such blue blood made her a blue hen, and before then a classy sprinter that won 10 of 29 races, with eight second and two thirds, at distances of four - six furlongs. Earning $78,169 in two seasons at tracks from New Mexico to California, Trippy Dip qualified for the Rio Grande Futurity at Ruidoso Downs, Riley Allison Futurity at Sunland and the Phoenix Futurity at Turf Paradise. She posted times of 1:09 over six furlongs at Del Mar, :57.8 over five panels at Sunland, :51.2 going 4 ½ at Turf Paradise and 46.4 at half of a mile at Sunland.

Trippy Dip ended her career at Santa Anita in December 1979. After finishing a close second in a six furlong sprint, she came to the attention of Ginger Hyland, who at the time was managing her parent’s White Oaks Ranch at Lake Hughes, California.

“I’d always had really good fortune breeding Thoroughbred mares

Scout Leader, sire of Trippy Dip

(Bold Ruler - Polylady, Polynesian)

to Quarter Horse sires,” says Hyland, which in March 1997 became AQHA’s first female president. “Trippy was three, coming four, and I went to Santa Anita with my trainer, Calvin Mims, to see her. They pulled her out of the stall, she was at least 150 pounds underweight, she had girth itch going from the back of her knees, all the way up her legs, down her stomach and down her back legs to the hock - one gigantic, six foot open sore.

“I’d never seen anything so pitiful in my life. She had a bowed tendon, her feet had overgrown her shoes. And she was still winning races. I took one look at that great, big, tall, Thoroughbreddy looking bag of bones and said I’ll take her.”

Taking involved paying $44,000. Cash delivered, Hyland took Trippy Dip to the ranch and put her in a big stall with a 30 foot paddock outside. “We’d heavily bedded the stall, and Trippy hurt so bad she wouldn’t even step onto the ground of her paddock for two weeks,” she recalls. “ I had to have a vet come up and look at her, we had her reshoed, we treated the tendon, we treated that gawdawful girth itch - and she had scars the rest of her life from that. And we had to get weight back on her - feed her!”

Changing Careers

After nursing her back to health, Hyland in 1981 bred Trippy Dip to a promising young sire named Dash For Cash. The result was Calyx, which would win seven stakes, earn $164,468 and in 1987 become the first champion distance racing Quarter Horse. Florentine followed in 1984, winning 10 stakes, earning $1,123,102 and garnering championships at three and four.

Bred to Dash For Cash’s son First Down Dash, Trippy Dip in 1993 produced Ive Been Blessed, a gelding that was the 1997 champion distance horse. Altogether, Trippy Dip foaled six offspring by Dash For Cash, three by First Down Dash, two by Timeto Thinkrich, two by A Classic Dash, one by Easy Jet and one by Chicks Beduino (see updated record).

Calyx

(Dash For Cash - Trippy Dip)

“There was a lot of criticism about my breeding Trippy Dip to Dash For Cash, in the early years,” says Hyland. “At that time ‘Dash’ wasn’t proven and a lot of people were questioning whether he was going to sire. Trippy’s three quarter sister Matching was tearing up the racetracks and many people kept asking ‘Why are you not breeding Trippy to Thoroughbreds?’ or ‘Why don’t you just embryo a Quarter Horse and just do two for one?’

“Well, sometimes you have to believe in your program. I don’t believe in being greedy - I believe in following Mother Nature’s course as much as I can. I felt that crossing Trippy Dip with Dash For Cash was exactly the thing to do. And it kinda looks like I might have made the right decision.”

It’s a decision that will yield results for years. One of the top sires in the breed, Calyx has sired 22 stakes and the earners of $3.95 million. Florentine - the broodmare of the year in 1995 - has produced champion and Los Alamitos Million Futurity (G1) winner This Snow Is Royal, stakes winner Avison and Los Al Million winner Evening Snow, an earner $567,116 that at Turf Paradise in 1996 set the :20.94 quarter mile world record. And Rivanne, Trippy Dip’s 1990 daughter by First Down Dash, produced the stakes winning The Ravin Maniac, which was fourth to Streakin Flyer in the 96’ All American Futurity (G1).

"In my opinion,

Trippy represents

one of the finest female lines in our industry today, a line that will have very far reaching effects

on the breed itself...

Not only did she produce consistency

with speed...

but she threw other things as well, soundness being one."

Ginger Hyland

“In my opinion, Trippy represents one of the finest female lines

in our industry today, a line that will have very far reaching effects on the breed itself,” says Hyland. “Not only did she produce consistency of speed, which is what we are ultimately going for, but she threw in other things as well, soundness being one. Her foals are very sound, athletically and reproductively - Florentine, for example, gets in foal every year. I think it is very important to maintain the health of the breed as well as the trait’s we’re breeding for, speed wise and performance wise.

“Trippy passed on a lot of intelligence and personality, which I like in horses. They can be high strung, even difficult. But they also are very kind. Trippy’s young stallions could be difficult to handle, but there also is a kindness about them. They might give you problems, but they’re not mean. There’s a challenge to them - you’ve got to know how to work with that. And they don’t develop early. The line develops more slowly than many straight Quarter Horse lines - I think that comes from the Thoroughbred side. The longer you wait on them, the longer you take with them, the more patience you have with them, the better the results are going to be.”

TRIPPY DIP's Offspring (updated 12-27-05): 16 foals, 15 to start, 13 ROM, 11 winners with 69 wins, 7 stakes winners with 28 stakes wins, 5 Superior Race Awards, 3 World Champions with 5 World Championships, total earnings $1,746,567.

CALYX Brown stallion, 1982. (deceased). Sire- DASH FOR CASH

Race: 12/1987 SI- 117 Starts- 41 Wins- 9 2nds- 5 3rds- 7 $ 164,468 Stakes- Wins- 7 2nds- 2 3rds- 2
    Stakes: 1986 HOL 870 1ST MARATHON INVITATIONAL HANDICAP G 2 $ 16,500
    Stakes: 1986 LA 870 1ST KATELLA HANDICAP $ 9,450
    Stakes: 1986 LA 870 1ST BULL RASTUS HANDICAP $ 11,000
    Stakes: 1987 LA 870 1ST ENDURANCE HANDICAP G 3 $ 15,750
    Stakes: 1987 LA 870 1ST TABLE TENNIS HANDICAP $ 12,700
    Stakes: 1987 FPX 870 1ST POMONA 870 INVITATIONAL HANDICAP $ 13,750
    Stakes: 1987 LA 870 1ST QHBC MARATHON CLASSIC RG3 $ 13,050
    Stakes: 1986 LA 870 2ND LONG BEACH STAKES $ 2,250
    Stakes: 1987 LA 870 2ND EL OCHO SETENTA HANDICAP G 3 $ 4,500
    Stakes: 1986 FPX 870 3RD POMONA ENDURANCE STAKES $ 1,250
    Stakes: 1987 HOL 550 3RD BARBRA B HANDICAP G 3 $ 2,500
    Stakes: 1985 LA 440 4TH DASH FOR CASH DERBY G 1 $ 5,850
    Stakes: 1985 BM 440 5TH GOLDEN STATE DERBY G 1 $ 22,786
    Stakes: 1985 LA 550 5TH JOSIE'S BAR HANDICAP G 3 $ 500
    Stakes: 1984 LA 350 7TH CYPRESS HANDICAP G 3 $ 0
        Achievement: 1987 RACING AQHA RACING CHAMPION DISTANCE HORSE
        Achievement: 1986 RACING SUPERIOR RACE HORSE
        Achievement: 1986 RACING NEW TRACK RECORD LA 870 44.420
        Achievement: 1984 RACING REGISTER OF MERIT

TIMEDANCER Brown mare, 1983. Sire- TIMETO THINKRICH
  Race: 12/1986 SI- 88 Starts- 17 Wins- 1 2nds- 1 3rds- 1 $ 3,192 Stakes- Wins- 0 2nds- 0 3rds- 0
        Achievement: 1985 RACING REGISTER OF MERIT

FLORENTINE Brown mare, 1984. Sire- DASH FOR CASH
  Race: 11/1988 SI- 108 Starts- 30 Wins- 16 2nds- 6 3rds- 2 $ 1,123,102 Stakes- Wins- 10 2nds- 2 3rds- 2
    Stakes: 1986 LA 350 1ST ED BURKE MEMORIAL FUTURITY G 2 $ 116,100
    Stakes: 1987 BM 400 1ST LA PRIMERA DEL ANO DERBY G 1 $ 129,860
    Stakes: 1987 BM 440 1ST GOLDEN STATE DERBY G 1 $ 189,608
    Stakes: 1987 RUI 440 1ST RAINBOW DERBY G 1 $ 207,448
    Stakes: 1987 RUI 440 1ST WORLD'S CHAMPIONSHIP CLASSIC G 1 $ 62,290
    Stakes: 1987 LA 400 1ST POCAHONTAS HANDICAP $ 9,575
    Stakes: 1988 LA 440 1ST VESSELS MATURITY G 1 $ 67,455
    Stakes: 1988 LA 400 1ST GO MAN GO HANDICAP G 1 $ 44,850
    Stakes: 1988 LA 400 1ST ANNE BURNETT INVITATIONAL HANDICAP G 2 $ 27,500
    Stakes: 1988 LA 440 1ST QHBC CHAMPIONSHIP CLASSIC G 1 $ 52,250
    Stakes: 1986 LA 400 2ND GOLDEN STATE FUTURITY G 1 $ 98,174
    Stakes: 1988 LA 440 2ND LOS ALAMITOS INVITATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP G 1 $ 22,500
    Stakes: 1987 LA 400 3RD LASSIE HANDICAP G 2 $ 3,125
    Stakes: 1987 LA 440 3RD CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS G 1 $ 20,000
    Stakes: 1988 LA 440 4TH CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS G 1 $ 14,000
    Stakes: 1986 HOL 440 5TH DENIM N DIAMONDS FUTURITY G 1 $ 25,578
    Stakes: 1987 LA 440 5TH QHBC CHAMPIONSHIP CLASSIC RG1 $ 5,200
        Achievement: 1995 RACING BROODMARE OF THE YEAR
        Achievement: 1988 RACING AQHA RACING CHAMPION AGED HORSE
        Achievement: 1988 RACING AQHA RACING CHAMPION AGED MARE
        Achievement: 1987 RACING AQHA RACING CHAMPION THREE-YR-OLD FILLY
        Achievement: 1987 RACING AQHA SUPREME RACE HORSE
        Achievement: 1986 RACING SUPERIOR RACE HORSE
        Achievement: 1986 RACING REGISTER OF MERIT

GISLIN Brown mare, 1985. Sire- TIMETO THINKRICH
  Race: 03/1988 SI- 69 Starts- 3 Wins- 0 2nds- 0 3rds- 0 $ 0 Stakes- Wins- 0 2nds- 0 3rds- 0

SHILLINGS Chestnut mare, 1986 (deceased). Sire- DASH FOR CASH
  Race: 05/1990 SI- 84 Starts- 14 Wins- 4 2nds- 1 3rds- 2 $ 34,042 Stakes- Wins- 2 2nds- 0 3rds- 0
    Stakes: 1989 LA 870 1ST PAUL B FORD MEMORIAL HANDICAP $ 11,175
    Stakes: 1990 BM 870 1ST VIKING ANNE HANDICAP $ 7,850
        Achievement: 1988 RACING REGISTER OF MERIT

CASILIA Chestnut mare, 1987. Sire- EASY JET
  Race: 03/1990 SI- 83 Starts- 7 Wins- 0 2nds- 1 3rds- 1 $ 2,515 Stakes- Wins- 0 2nds- 0 3rds- 0
        Achievement: 1989 RACING REGISTER OF MERIT

STAMEN Sorrel gelding, 1989. Sire- DASH FOR CASH
  Race: 06/2001 SI- 114 Starts- 87 Wins- 16 2nds- 23 3rds- 11 $ 105,997 Stakes- Wins- 2 2nds- 6 3rds- 3
    Stakes: 1993 RUI 870 1ST MASTER SALLS HANDICAP $ 7,440
    Stakes: 1994 RUI 870 1ST FINE LOOM HANDICAP $ 6,990
    Stakes: 1993 RUI 1000 2ND BRIGAND HANDICAP $ 2,629
    Stakes: 1993 SUN 870 2ND LLOYD SHELHAMER 870 CHALLENGE $ 2,200
    Stakes: 1994 RUI 870 2ND MASTER SALLS HANDICAP $ 2,596
    Stakes: 1994 RUI 1000 2ND BRIGAND HANDICAP $ 2,239
    Stakes: 1995 RUI 870 2ND FINE LOOM HANDICAP $ 2,200
    Stakes: 1995 RUI 1000 2ND BRIGAND HANDICAP $ 2,200
    Stakes: 1993 SUN 870 3RD BUDWEISER HANDICAP $ 1,266
    Stakes: 1993 ALB 870 3RD TIJERAS HANDICAP $ 1,620
    Stakes: 1994 ALB 870 3RD TIJERAS HANDICAP $ 1,620
        Achievement: 1994 RACING NEW MEXICO HI-POINT AGED GELDING
        Achievement: 1994 RACING NEW MEXICO HI-POINT DISTANCE HORSE
        Achievement: 1994 RACING SUPERIOR RACE HORSE
        Achievement: 1991 RACING REGISTER OF MERIT

RIVANNE Chestnut mare, 1990. Sire- FIRST DOWN DASH
  Race: 11/1993 SI- 90 Starts- 15 Wins- 2 2nds- 3 3rds- 3 $ 13,853 Stakes- Wins- 0 2nds- 0 3rds- 0
    Stakes: 1993 LA 400 9TH LA PRIMERA DEL ANO DERBY G 1 $ 2,745
        Achievement: 1992 RACING REGISTER OF MERIT

ALETHIA Chestnut mare, 1991. Sire- DASH FOR CASH
  Race: 12/1994 SI- 90 Starts- 20 Wins- 3 2nds- 4 3rds- 1 $ 36,716 Stakes- Wins- 0 2nds- 0 3rds- 0
    Stakes: 1993 LA 400 7TH GOLDEN STATE FUTURITY G 1 $ 9,870
    Stakes: 1994 LA 400 7TH QHBC DISTAFF CLASSIC G 1 $ 0
        Achievement: 1993 RACING REGISTER OF MERIT
        Achievement: 1993 RACING MBNA CHALLENGE ENROLLED

STYLUS Brown stallion, 1992 (deceased). Sire- DASH FOR CASH
  Race: 11/1997 SI- 109 Starts- 34 Wins- 6 2nds- 2 3rds- 4 $ 50,427 Stakes- Wins- 2 2nds- 1 3rds- 0
    Stakes: 1996 LA 870 1ST EL OCHO SETENTA HANDICAP $ 6,600
    Stakes: 1997 BOI 870 1ST AQHA DISTANCE CHALLENGE #1 $ 5,700
    Stakes: 1994 WYO 350 2ND COWBOY CLASSIC FUTURITY G 3 $ 8,936
    Stakes: 1994 LBT 330 6TH TWAYNAS DASH FUTURITY G 3 $ 1,726
    Stakes: 1995 ALB 400 6TH SOUTHWEST DERBY G 3 $ 1,709
    Stakes: 1997 LA 870 6TH AQHA DISTANCE CHALLENGE CHAMPIONSHIP G 1 $ 1,500
    Stakes: 1996 SUN 440 10TH AQHA NEW MEXICO CHALLENGE CHAMPIONSHIP G 2 $ 216
        Achievement: 1996 RACING SUPERIOR RACE HORSE
        Achievement: 1994 RACING REGISTER OF MERIT
        Achievement: 1993 RACING MBNA CHALLENGE ENROLLED

IVE BEEN BLESSED Brown gelding, 1993. Sire- FIRST DOWN DASH
  Race: 04/2003 SI- 102 Starts- 42 Wins- 8 2nds- 8 3rds- 8 $ 94,877 Stakes- Wins- 4 2nds- 4 3rds- 2
    Stakes: 1996 ALB 400 1ST SOONER TRAILER NEW MEXICO CHALLENGE G 3 $ 10,173
    Stakes: 1997 RET 870 1ST SAN MARCOS HANDICAP $ 6,000
    Stakes: 1997 HOU 870 1ST AQHA DISTANCE CHALLENGE #3 $ 7,296
    Stakes: 1997 LA 870 1ST MARATHON HANDICAP G 1 $ 29,900
    Stakes: 1997 RUI 870 2ND FINE LOOM HANDICAP $ 2,200
    Stakes: 1997 RUI 870 2ND MASTER SALLS HANDICAP $ 2,200
    Stakes: 1997 HOU 870 2ND GOVERNOR'S CUP MARATHON G 3 $ 6,880
    Stakes: 1997 LA 870 2ND EL OCHO SETENTA HANDICAP $ 4,050
    Stakes: 1996 SUN 400 3RD WEST TEXAS DERBY G 3 $ 4,843
    Stakes: 1997 LA 870 3RD AQHA DISTANCE CHALLENGE CHAMPIONSHIP G 1 $ 5,000
    Stakes: 1998 RP 870 5TH REMINGTON CHALLENGE G 3 $ 645
    Stakes: 2001 SUN 870 6TH MCI WORLDCOM NEW MEXICO CHALLENGE G 3 $ 961
    Stakes: 1996 TUP 400 9TH SOONER TRAILER CHALLENGE CHAMPIONSHIP G 2 $ 1,000
        Achievement: 1997 RACING AQHA RACING CHAMPION DISTANCE HORSE
        Achievement: 1997 RACING SUPERIOR RACE HORSE
        Achievement: 1995 RACING REGISTER OF MERIT
        Achievement: 1995 RACING MBNA CHALLENGE ENROLLED

A TRIP TO REMEMBER Brown mare, 1994 (deceased). Sire- FIRST DOWN DASH
  Race: 08/1996 SI- 88 Starts- 2 Wins- 0 2nds- 2 3rds- 0 $ 864 Stakes- Wins- 0 2nds- 0 3rds- 0
        Achievement: 1996 RACING REGISTER OF MERIT

TRIPPY DIP ROYAL Sorrel stallion, 1995 (deceased). Sire- A CLASSIC DASH
        Achievement: 1996 RACING MBNA CHALLENGE ENROLLED

A ROYAL CLASSIC TRIP Chestnut mare, 1997 (deceased). Sire- A CLASSIC DASH
  Race: 11/1999 SI- 45 Starts- 1 Wins- 0 2nds- 0 3rds- 0 $ 200 Stakes- Wins- 0 2nds- 0 3rds- 0
        Achievement: 1998 RACING MBNA CHALLENGE ENROLLED

ROYAL TRIPPY DIP Chestnut mare, 1998 (deceased). Sire- CHICKS BEDUINO
  Race: 08/2001 SI- 86 Starts- 5 Wins- 1 2nds- 0 3rds- 0 $ 4,197 Stakes- Wins- 0 2nds- 0 3rds- 0
    Stakes: 2000 LA 350 AMERICAN AIRLINES CALIFORNIA CHALLENGE G 3 $ 220
        Achievement: 2000 RACING REGISTER OF MERIT
        Achievement: 1999 RACING MBNA CHALLENGE ENROLLED

ROYAL MIRACLE DIP Bay Stallion, 2000. Sire- CHICKS BEDUINO
  Race: 12/2003 SI- 97 Starts- 15 Wins- 3 2nds- 4 3rds- 2 $ 112,117 Stakes- Wins- 1 2nds- 0 3rds- 0
    Stakes: 2003 LA 350 1ST HOLIDAY HANDICAP $ 14,685
    Stakes: 2002 LA 400 5TH GOLDEN STATE FUTURITY G 1 $ 41,395
    Stakes: 2002 LA 400 8TH LOS ALAMITOS MILLION FUTURITY G 1 $ 38,571
        Achievement: 2002 RACING REGISTER OF MERIT
        Achievement: 2001 RACING MBNA CHALLENGE ENROLLED