Person · 2003
NRHA Hall of Fame · Inducted 2003
Gunner (Colonels Smoking Gun)
NRHA All-Time Leading Sire · $15M+ · 1996 Futurity Reserve · 2003
Gunner — a floppy-eared sorrel overo stallion with a bald face and blue eyes — was the most charismatic horse in reining history and its greatest-ever sire. Originally too white for AQHA registration, he competed as a Paint, winning the 1996 NRHA Futurity Reserve Championship and two USET Championships. Purchased by Tim and Colleen McQuay in 2005, he spent the rest of his career building the most dominant sire record in the sport's history. He became NRHA's all-time leading sire, surpassing Hollywood Dun It at $12.6M in 2020 — seven years after his death. Now at $15M+, he continues breeding via frozen semen through ICSI.
Career Highlights
- NRHA all-time leading sire — $15M+ and climbing — surpassed Hollywood Dun It for all-time lead in 2020 (seven years posthumously); first $12M, $13M, $14M, $15M sire; still breeding via frozen semen through ICSI
- 1996 NRHA Futurity Reserve Champion — shown by Clint Haverty (People HOF 2005); also 2001 and 2002 USET Reining Championship winner with Bryant Pace; APHA World Champion; Breyer model
- Sire of Gunnatrashya ($16M, HOF 2023), Gunners Special Nite ($7M, WEG gold), Americasnextgunmodel (2012 Futurity Champion) — sons and grandsons now lead the sire charts in their own right
- Born 1993 · Bred by Eric Storey · Owned by McQuay Stables Inc., Tioga, Texas · Passed away July 8, 2013, age 20
Class of 2003