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Above: Once relegated to the ranch’s back pastures, Merle Fulton’s Paints now take center stage in the front paddock.
Below: Merle’s husband, Joe Kirk, is well known in Quarter Horse racing circles and he has a multitude of wins to his credit, including AQHA World Champions Special Leader (QH) and Dashs Dream (QH). After seeing the quality and success of Merle’s tobiano runners, however, Joe Kirk has gained a new appreciation for Paints.
oe Kirk and Merle Fulton know how to raise a good horse. After all, Joe Kirk is legendary in the Quarter
Horse industry. He bred cutting horse superstar Peppy San Badger and World Champion racehorses Special Leader and Dashs Dream, just three in his never-ending arsenal. Merle had Paints as a kid and wanted to bring some color into their lives. She began putting together a small Paint racing and breeding opera- tion and has already come up with Brief Encounter, the 2011 Champion 2-Year-Old Filly. Though the spotted ones won’t ever take over the solid Quarter Horses at the Fultons’ Quien Sabe Ranch in Stonewall, Texas, they are rapidly earning Joe Kirk’s respect. The journey began when Joe Kirk bought Merle her first Paint racehorse at Heritage Place. “Joe Kirk is a Quarter Horse man, and he could not understand why I wanted to get into Paints,” Merle said. “But he knew that I wanted one.” It was a conversation with Herb
Graham and Bobby Cox that really led to Merle’s Paint breeding program. Herb and Bobby stopped by the Ful- tons’ house one day, and Merle men- tioned that she’d like to breed a Paint. “I had a black mare, Flametta Bar (QH), Joe Kirk’s foundation mare by Flaming Jet,” Merle said. “Flaming Jet ran second in the All American Futu- rity in 1973. I told them that I wanted a Paint. Herb had Texas Hero, and he said, ‘I’ll give you a breeding, and maybe you’ll get some color.’ ” Herb’s Texas Hero was twice a
World Champion Paint racehorse and a multiple stakes winner. One of the leading Paint racing sires, the loud tobiano stallion is currently ranked third by lifetime progeny earnings. Bred to Texas Hero, Flametta Bar
produced the solid sorrel filly Flaming Heroine in 1999. “She’s solid, but she throws color,”
Merle said. Indeed she does. Flaming Heroine
has produced eight registered Paints— six tobianos and two solids. All of the
COURTESY MERLE FULTON
ABIGAIL BOATWRIGHT
ABIGAIL BOATWRIGHT
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