Panner’s Pride

A great horse who is still going.

BY BRITTANIA CASSIDAY, JOURNAL INTERN

For a couple of years, Bob Lawrence has been scanning the obituaries in The American Quarter Horse Journal to see if one of his old mounts had passed on. Then, the Ochlocknee, Georgia, horseman got a call from the Journal: Panners Pride, who is still active in the show ring, was going to be the subject of a story.

“I didn’t even know he was still alive,” Bob exclaimed on the phone.

Panners Pride foaled April 1, 1979, is still in the show ring and going strong. After being in retirement for six years, he was discovered to still have that winning show form, and is still winning at 30-years-old.

The Beginning

Foaled in 1979, “Panner” was by Mr Scat Man and out of Rocky Queen by Coffee Bar King, bred by the Florida Agri Experiment Station in Ocala.

Bob was the first exhibiter to bring Panner into the spotlight. He recalled the first time he saw Panner at the 1983 Big “A” Circuit in Alpharetta, Georgia.

“I saw Mike Carter of Tennessee riding a sorrel horse that stopped me in my tracks,” he said. “I had found my dream horse!”

The following year, Panner and Bob hauled across the country.  They won the high-point in amateur western pleasure, reserve amateur all-around high-point, and the amateur reserve world championship in western pleasure.

“(Panner) was before his time,” Bob said. “If he was a young horse today, he could go anywhere and compete anywhere. He had the move. He had enough Thoroughbred in him to have that elegant move, and he went English and western just as easy.”

In His Youth

Panner spent the next eight years at trainer Mary Luther’s barn in Lowell, Michigan.  While there, Panner had four different exhibitors and was always predictable and personable with each one, according to Mary.

“He helped everyone who rode him be a rock star,” Mary said.

Under Mary’s supervision, Pannner collected numerous youth and amateur awards, including: multiple performance Championships; Superiors in western pleasure, horsemanship, hunter under saddle and hunt seat equitation; several Registers of Merit; youth high point titles in western pleasure and hunter under saddle; and a youth Justin Rookie of the Year award.

Still Showing

AQHA Judge Debbie Cuvelier’s first memory of the horse was Panner being ridden by Bob at the Gold Coast in West Palm Beach, Florida. Little did she know that she would purchase Panner 10 years later for her horse-crazy niece, Caley Coffey. Caley was 7 at the time and just beginning her “loping career.” At 15, Panner was a great match for Caley as they rode and showed over the next seven years.

One of the most memorable moments in Panner’s career came at the 2001 Illinois State Fair. With an $800 first-place purse, Caley, believing Panner could still lope with the best of them at age 22, persuaded Debbie and Panner to enter the senior western pleasure stakes. Panner performed as if he was 5 again and loped to victory.

“After a brief warm-up, Panner wowed the crowd with the win,” Debbie said. “After earning more than 2,000 points, he loped around the coliseum on a full drape, with horses stacked up behind him. A few tears were shed that day by family, friends and fans who could truly appreciate what a great horse he had been for so long.”

Short-lived Retirement

At that point, Debbie and Caley felt like Panner deserved to retire. Panner’s new home was with Caley’s grandparents, Elvon and Doris Wiemken in Dixon, Illinois. For six years, he lived the good life in a private 5-acre pasture on a diet of senior feed, hay and grass, with no need for any supplements or injections. Panner was still healthy, loping in the pasture.

Debbie’s friends, Gary and Julia Yaklich, had been on the hunt for an experienced horse for their son, Jon, and his younger brother, Mark. Debbie, confident that the Yakliches could give Panner a good home, offered Panner to them.

The day that Debbie dropped Panner off, she thought it would be a good idea to tack-up Panner and have Gary ride him. It had been several years since that last ride at the Illinois State Fair.

“I kissed to him, he put his head down, and he loped off as if he just won the (All American Quarter Horse) Congress,” Gary said.

“Gary hopped on and Panner immediately locked into his old winning form,” Debbie said. “Ears forward, perfect topline, rhythm and reins at a full drape. Unbelievable! Apparently, Panner had been missing his show days.”

Gary and Panner got to work, teaching Jon how to ride. After local open shows, Panner made his encore reappearance on the Quarter Horse show scene. Jon and Panner were a force to be reckoned with in the small-fry division, and by the end of the season, Panner yet another title – high-point small-fry in Illinois.

Panner is always the celebrity when he rolls into the show grounds due to his impressive resume and longevity, so his return to the show circuit created quite a stir. Long-time trainers, exhibitors, judges and Quarter Horse fans remember Panner from back in the day.

Panner’s Longevity

Longevity is in Panner’s blood as both his parents lived into their upper 20s. Debbie also credits Panner’s long life to his structural soundness.

“Even though he is now 30, you can’t help but notice the correctness, especially his hocks,” Debbie said. “Once you put on the saddle, he can easily pass for 12 to15 years old.

After viewing recent photos, Bob agreed.

“I can see that ‘look’ that he still has. That one of, ‘Look at me, I am the best,’ and he still is,” Bob said.   

“I have had horses all my life, and he’s half human,” Gary said. “It’s so cool. I have three kids, and the boys will be making a fort in the pasture and Panner will be right there with them. He’ll follow and chase after them, and trot right after them.”

“Panner’s future is up to him,” Debbie said. “I believe his eyes and his body will tell us when something needs to change.”

In the meantime, Panner enjoys living the high life in a friend’s heated barn during the winter. In the summer, he enjoys either grazing in the pasture with the Yakliches’ mare, Invest In Crystal, cooling off in front of a fan, playing with the kids in the pasture or strutting his stuff in the show ring.

Bob was thrilled when he heard the news of Panner still being around.

“I am so glad that he is still bringing joy to this day.” Bob said.