Moon, purchased three years ago for 150 bales of hay, has a shot at becoming a professional barrel racer this year.
A dark gray, almost black Thoroughbred who Amber Moore picked up three years ago in trade for 150 bales of hay has since been making hay in the barrel races, and is on the cusp of turning pro on the rodeo circuit.
So well has her dark horse trained that the accredited member of the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association has been a little bit amazed.
“He’s been the easiest horse to train I’ve ever had,” says Moore. “I rode him in his first show two weeks after I got him, and he was perfect. There’s not a lot of people who ride purebred Thoroughbreds in the barrels, but I can say he is none of those things people say Thoroughbreds are: He isn’t hot-headed and he learns everything I teach him in a day.”
Nasmune
Barn name: Moon
Sire: Eishin Masamune (JPN)
Dam: Silence N Lucitity
Foal date: May 30, 2008Not new to Thoroughbreds herself—she has taken many from a contact in Denver horseracing— Moon as she calls Nasmune for short, has surpassed every expectation she had of the horse she got for $450 worth of her grandmother’s farm-grown hay.
His speedy times have already placed him within a fraction of a second behind leading horses in some major events this past year. He has done well at Pendleton and Ridgeway, held in Oregon and Colorado, respectively, and last weekend competed in the finals at the New Mexican pro Rodeo in Deming, NM.
Though Moon’s highest ribbon thus far has been 3rd, Moore is convinced that this is the horse who will be her next great ride in the pro circuit.
Moon has trained for barrel races better than any horse pro rodeo rider Amber Moore has trained.
“He’s one of the best I’ve got, and he’s still young,” she says. “We’ll be going to Arizona for the winter and I plan to take him to derbies and then to Texas in March to compete at the Diamonds and Dirt Barrel Classic in College Station. Then we’ll do the WPRA Rodeos after that.”
As her gelding continues to advance in a sport where Thoroughbreds are rare, the T’bred’s breeder Jay Holden is watching him every step of the way. “He didn’t know they could barrel race, and now he follows everything he’s doing,” she says, noting that the once scrawny racehorse has topped out at over 16 hands, and weighs a hefty 1,200 pounds.
And he already earned back that hay money, and then some, in winnings! ♥
I’ve had the pleasure of watching Amber ride all her horses. When she had to hurry to get to work, I have seen her swing up bareback & gallop one horse around my back 35 then jump on the next one & do the same thing then the next. At least they got exercised if she didn’t have time to work them. Moon is awesome but she has another very nice black filly “Kenna”. Everyone better keep an eye on that one too!!!
It will be fun to try to follow the career of this great looking horse. Love the color!
Great horse and a great trainer! Amber’s love for her horses are the reason her horses perform for her so well!
So proud of this horse. We owned his sire (Eishin Masamune (JPN) ) and grandsire (Nasgame a stakes winner and graded placed). He was bred to run a rout of ground. His Grandmother Marie Jolie produced two stakes placed horses and a total of five winners for us. Keep going Amber!
i am not surprised, TB’s are quick to learn and responsive. A horse bred to run in excess of 40 mph for distances over a mile, and the horse has to be maneuverable are by nature and breeding great games horses.
Great story! I’m not surprised that a TB can do well in barrels, so it is great to read this. Thanks for sharing. I would love to see follow-up photos.
Very cool. I’ll try to go see them in College Station!
Cynthia,
If you go, and you’re at all handy with a camera, could you snap a few for me? I’d love to write a followup.
That is neat that he is a grandson of Sunday Silence, looks like him too!! Congratulations on his newfound career!!
How fitting, a grandson of Sunday Silence.
This is wonderful to see more and more OTTB’s in the barrel arena! We love it! The Ultimate X Showdown hopes to continue showcases these wonderful horses in this discipline!
Awesome. I have one and I know he would do well at this. He did well in team event tandem . I do not ride him much anymore. Love to get him working again.