Zippos Mr Good Bar

Zippos Mr Good Bar was a horse ahead of his time who changed the look of western pleasure in both movement and color.

The 1984 red roan stallion competed in an era when roan was not a desired color in western pleasure, but as he competed and won – and as his offspring competed and won – roan became a sought-after coat color for rail horses.

“In his era, he was the first horse that I could lope and look down his shoulder and see his front leg,” says AQHA judge Steve Heckaman, who rode Zippos Mr Good Bar for a good portion of the horse’s show career. “He took a full stride when he loped, but still was slow-legged and up in his shoulder with good hock. And he had a good push from behind. He was just a soft mover, and it took a high degree of athleticism to do that.”

In all, the stallion earned almost $39,000 in the show ring.

The Darrell Saul family of Arkansas owned the stallion when his quiet prowess in the show ring caught the eye of John and Sondra Narmont of Auburn, Illinois. The Narmonts first leased the stallion, then became partners on Zippos Mr Good Bar in 1995 before acquiring him outright in 1998.

Zippos Mr Good Bar was bred by Norman Reynolds of Lexington, Nebraska, who crossed his Hall of Fame stallion, Zippo Pine Bar, to the 1972 Blondy’s Dude mare Tamara Wess.

 “Zippos Mr Good Bar was a natural, soft, fluid mover,” says John Boxell, who manages Richland Ranch for the Narmonts. “He had such good self-carriage. We talk about that today – a horse having self-carriage and cadence – and that horse had it back in the beginning of its popularity when we tried to create that.”

 Zippos Mr Good Bar sired 89 point-earners who have earned $3.3 million along with 67,477 points, 22 world championships and 17 reserve world championships. They earned points in the Palomino Horse Breeders of America and the International Buckskin Horse Association. His most famous offspring was his daughter American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame member Vital Signs Are Good.

From winners in halter to pleasure to hunter under saddle and all the pattern disciplines, Zippos Mr Good Bar sired them all.

Though he excelled as a sire, Zippos Mr Good Bar was even more outstanding as a broodmare sire. So far, his grandget have earned $3.2 million, 72,758 points and 303 Superiors.

Zippos Mr Good Bar was inducted in the National Snaffle Bit Association Hall of Fame in 2000 and died July 22, 2016. “His improvement of the show horse breed is unquestionable,” Steve says. “His footprint on the industry is seen in nearly every venue across the country and in nearly every show horse discipline.”

Zippos Mr Good Bar was inducted into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame in 2019.

Biography updated as of March 2019.