Keith & Peggy Sorensen
11500 N. W. 27th
Lincoln, NE 68524

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While there we looked at the Vicki Adams 1989 colt crop, this is where I picked out Ashes. He remained in Texas until November of 1989. It was not my intention to leave Ashes a stud at the time, I was just buying a prospect. But as he was growing up the thought came to mind that he was a very well balanced good looking stud. So it was decided to leave him a stud and see what happened. I had planned to send him off to get him broke, but came to realize that placing a stud with someone to break is not easy or cheap. So I decided to do the job myself. Which to say the least I am glad I did. Although I had only broke 4 horses of my own to this point, he was by far the easiest. I rode him about thirty days and than turned him back out. When he was brought back up he rode like he had been ridden for six months. So his entire 2 & 3 year old years were thirty days ridden, thirty day off.

Every time I got back on him he was better then when I got off him. This practice continued in his barrel racing training also. I do believe this is why he trained up so fast. He was started on the barrels in June of his four year old year. He was taken to five, five and under barrel racing futurities. He placed in the top fifteen at all of the futurities he was entered in. In Caldwell, Idaho he won the amateur futurity and tied for 8th in the open futurity. In Winnemucca, Nevada he placed 3rd in the first round but was not run in the second round due to injury. Torrington, Wyoming we ended up 3rd in the amateur futurity, and 13th in the open. In Odgen, Utha we placed 10th in the open futurity and 4th in the amateur. Last was Gillette, Wyoming where we placed 3rd in the amateur. Total money won that year was just over $5,000 up until his five year old year Ashes only bred 4 mares. Since his five year old year he has stood to a full book of mares.

In 1999 we started shipping semen, and thanks to some wonderful mare owners we have enjoyed a 100% conception rate. Since 1994 on the ranch we have enjoyed a 95% conception rate. At the ranch we prefer to AI the mares, but we are still a small enough operation that if a mare requires to be live covered we are able to do so.

Ashes matured to stand right at 15 hands, and weighs about 1100 pounds. He is a large boned stout horse that is also an easy keeper. His easy going manner and trainability seems to be dominant in his colts. I personally have had a hard time keeping an Ashes colt around, with his strong showing in the futurities his youngest colts sold quickly. Finally I have a 4 year old of my own, which I am happy to say is training up just like her daddy.

As for Ashes' show career following his futurity year, it was spent going to derbies, AQHA shows and rodeos. Ashes won just over $10,000 in a limited two year rodeo and derby career. He has 30 AQHA open barrel points and 35 amateur barrel points. At age eight it was decided that as long as I was riding Ashes I was not getting any of my other horses trained for the barrels. So it was decided to retire him to stand at stud and go on and train something else. In 1998 his first colt started running barrels, that was just the beginning. In 2000 we had 2 colts go to the futurities and win over $15,000. The year to come promises to be just as exciting, as more colts become of age to run. Ashes colts have also been used in the calf roping pen, and are doing very well. Ashes has some big winners in barrel racing in his pedigree. He is related to some big winners in barrel racing, such as Firewater Fiesta, Firewater Fanny, and Starr Fire Missy, just to name a few. He himself has a big barrel racing record, how his colts are making big barrel racing records. The future looks great and we look forward to Ashes' colts continuing the great Firewater Flit's winning ways.

by Peggy Sorensen, November 2000

Copyright © 2001 Peggy Sorensen 
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