Fred’s Kitten

In March of 1974, I bought a 3 year old Palomino filly from Bobby Seals at Justin, TX. She was broke to ride and I started roping on her. As early as June she was taken to her first rodeo. Fred's Kitten by Fred M and out of Patsy's Kitten had some success that first summer. (Fred M was Coke Roberd's last stud by Del Monte and out of a Bob H mare. Patsy's Kitten was by Smokey Moore and out of a Peter McCue bred mare. ) During her rodeo career, I hauled "Kitty" to rodeos across the United States. She gave a ride to many a roper without and put most of those in the money.

We bred her in 1975 to Eternal Steel, after which I went on to qualify her for the World Show in the calf roping being held in Louisville, Kentucky that year. The first colt went to Brazil on horse exchange. We bred her to Spanish Admiral in 1976. Spanish Admiral was a son of Skipper's King. We named him Lord Plaudit and he went to Golden, Co.

Now I was really deep in Skipper bloodlines, so in January of 1976 I called Warren Shoemaker about a visit with him. He didn't hesitate, he just said "come on out". I went to his ranch at Watrous, New Mexico and talked to him for many hours about his horses and the bloodline. He told me how he had owned the mother to Fred M. He had worked her in an eight horse spread and said "she was really balky and would lay down". He went on to say how he rigged a chain around her and let the other seven drag her. "She soon quit balking." We became friends and I later went out to work for Mr. Shoemaker.

We bred "Kitty" again in 1977 to Warren's horse Oar Lock. In 1978 we bred her to a son of Oar Lock that I had purchased from Mr. Shoemaker. None of these foals demonstrated the "balking", but they did reflect her size of 15'2" hands and 1200 pounds.

                                                          Bobby Lord