Showing Palominos is as challenging as you want it to be

By RICHARD SIEMERS The Land Correspondent

Sleepy Eye crop farmer David Remus is in the midst of his year as president of the Palomino Horse Breeders of America, Inc. (PHBA), a national organization headquartered in Tulsa, Okla. This year is the 40th anniversary of PHBA’s World Championship Show which runs July 4-15 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Ill.

“Palomino” is often thought of as a breed of horse; but technically, it is a color to which a horses of many breeds can be bred. There are qualifications to be met to be a true Palomino, but generally speaking it refers to a cream, yellow, or gold coat with a white mane and tail.

Remus is a complete horseman. He breeds, raises, trains and shows horses, and does his own shoeing. His wife, Wendy, joins him in showing. He also gives lessons and trains horses for others. To go along with the crop farming, the couple operates Remus Quarter Horses on their farm.

While Remus is president of PHBA, the Palomino color is not his highest breeding priority.

“We consider ourselves breeders, but when we breed we don’t necessarily breed for color,” Remus said. “We breed for conformation, good lines. Color is an option for us. It just so happens that we try to choose those crosses that can produce a yellow horse, or Palomino. It doesn’t always happen.”

If color is your primary interest, he said, you are guaranteed a Palomino by breeding a cremello stallion to a red or sorrel mare.

While Remus is enthusiastic about his breeding program, what he really likes to promote is the Palomino Horse Breeders of America. He and his family were showing Palominos back in the 1980s, but going to only a few shows. In 2012 he and Wendy got involved in PHBA. The organization has over 80 years of history.

PHBA incorporated back in 1941. That year they also registered their first Palomino. While regional Palomino shows were being held, the first PBHA World Show was held in Indianapolis, Ind. in 1983.

In 1960 they added a Youth Class for 18-yearsold and younger. In 1981 PHBA expanded by adding an Amateur class for non-professionals who had aged out of the Youth class but were not ready to compete in the Open class — though they have that option, if they choose.

The Quarter Horse, which Remus breeds, is the most common breed on the PHBA registry, but they aren’t the only breed.

“We accept horses from over 20 breeds that can produce the Palomino color,” Remus said. These horses are usually already registered with their breed association.

You might say that kind of inclusiveness is a reason why he likes PHBA. With its Youth and Amateur divisions, it is obviously family friendly and inviting to all levels of experience. It’s also horse friendly.

Of course, there are detailed rules for a horse to receive registration papers as a Palomino from PHBA. But it is also welcoming to horses that don’t qualify for that registry.

“A non-Palomino colored horse is eligible for the Palomino Bred registry,” Remus said. “The requirement is that they have one registered Palomino parent. If they come out of a mare or stallion that is Palomino in color and registered with our association, they are eligible to get Palomino Bred papers.”

“We also register Grade horses that are Palomino in color,” he said. “If they meet all of our qualifications as a Palomino color-wise, then we’re able to issue papers on those horses, too.”

Both Palomino-bred and Grade horses participate in shows. Still, Palomino is the organization’s purpose.

A Palomino can range from a creamy yellow to a deep gold, but nothing beats the Palomino horse that meets the gold standard — literally. In fact, the World Show has one class that is judged based on color.

“We’re looking for the color of a newly minted gold coin,” Remus said. “Some of our judges wear a gold ring, others carry a gold coin in their pocket, and they compare that with the color of the horse. They’re looking for that one that fits the newly-minted gold coin color. That’s the top of the line for color.”

David met his wife, Wendy, while a student at University of MinnesotaWaseca. He was in an ag production program while she was in the horse program. But he shared her interest in horses, having had them all his life and being on the rodeo team. When David and Wendy had a young family, they were part of a saddle club and showed at some Minnesota horse shows.

“We enjoyed that, but we wanted to progress a little bit; so we stepped into the breed shows and that put us to where we are today.”

The Remuses earn points through their participation in PHBA shows. Through the years Dave and Wendy have had many top 5 and top 10 finishes in multiple classes at World Shows.

“All those add value to a horse in the horse industry, because they’re out there and being proven as show horses,” he said.

The ultimate is to produce a world champion. The Remuses have accomplished that twice with a horse named Power In The Details. Wendy and Power In The Details as a three-yearold, won World Champion Amateur Select Western Horsemanship PHBA/ NSBA. The next year, as a four-yearold, Wendy and Power In The Details were World Champion Amateur Select