Peppy San Badger
How Peppy San Badger Changed the Horse World
Peppy San Badger’s career as a sire had a large impact on the Quarter Horse breed. He was the all-time leading sire of the NCHA for many years, until the early 21st century. In 19 seasons, Peppy San Badger sired 2,325 AQHA registered foals who earned more than 7,200 points in all divisions and accumulated more than $25 million in earnings.
Long Pines Horses with Peppy San Badger breeding include:
Annies Paychex
Annie is a 2009 AQHA sorrel mare in broodmare band and a granddaughter to Peppy San Badger.
Bettin Yer Smart
Bettin Yer Smart is our 2012 Snaffle Bit Futurity Hackamore Champion. This stallion currently stands at Colorado State University and is great-grandson of the legendary Peppy San Badger.
More Broodmares
These three broodmares are great-granddaughters of Peppy San Badger and excellent additions to our band of broodmares -- the foundation of our program.
Peppy San Badger, also known as “Little Peppy”, was a sorrel American Quarter Horse stallion bred by Joe Kirk Fulton of Lubbock, Texas, by the cutting sire Mr San Peppy and out of Sugar Badger, a daughter of Grey Badger III. He was born in 1974 at Fulton’s ranch, but contracted strangles shortly after started under saddle. After recovering, Peppy San Badger was sold to the King Ranch in 1977.
Peppy San Badger was trained by Buster Welch. This exceptional trainer took his sire, Mr San Peppy, to wins at the 1974 and 1976 NCHA Open World Championships. Peppy San Badger won the NCHA 1977 Futurity with Welch as rider. Shortly after the futurity, Welch bought “Little Peppy” after the King Ranch decided they did not need him as a junior stallion because they already owned Mr San Peppy. Welch owned him for a year before agreeing to sell him back to King Ranch to become a part of their breeding program. He remained a King Ranch horse for the rest of his life.
Peppy San Badger, with Welch riding again, won the NCHA Derby in 1978 and reached 10th place in that year’s year-end standings. Peppy San Badger’s success continued into the 1980s, being named the 1980 NCHA Reserve World Champion. He was also inducted into NCHA Hall of Fame in December of that year. In 1981, he won the Open Division of the NCHA finals. His lifetime earnings of $172,710 were an incredible accomplishment during that time. Peppy San Badger was inducted into the AQHA Hall of Fame in 2008 .
The NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity in 2001 illustrated just how prolific Peppy San Badger’s offspring have become. At the Snaffle Bit Futurity, four of the top 10 open horses were by sons of Peppy San Badger. At the NCHA Futurity, four of the top 20 finalists in the open and non pro were by Little Peppy sons.
Some of his notable offspring include: Lil Ruf Peppy, who was the National Reining Horse Association’s (NRHA) ninth $3 million sire; Vintage Little Taris, inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame in 2008; and Little Tenina, who won the NCHA Futurity in 1991.
Peppy San Badger was euthanized on July 8, 2005 at the age of 31 as a result of his failing health due to old age. He was buried at King Ranch Headquarters in Texas.
