Leading sire Walk Thru Fire, 27, has passed away at the age of 27, according to a social media post by Burns Ranch, where the syndicated stallion stood for many years.

Walk Thru Fire was owned by a syndicate represented by many leading breeders including Ed Allred, Jamie Gomez, Mike Abraham, Abigail Kawananakoa, Martha Wells, Spencer Childers, Dr. Steve Burns, et al.

Walk Thru Fire made $94,280 on the track and later became a leading sire of more than $41 Million, placing him currently sixth on the list of all time leading sires.

He produced 10 champions, including world champions Heza Dasha Fire ($2,240,112), He Looks Hot ($1,618,055) and Last To Fire ($1,145,254), as well as champions Higher Fire ($1,314,742), Kiss Thru Fire ($708,025), Walk Thru Crystal ($675,855) and Separate Fire ($631,250).

"Walk Thru Fire was a beautiful, kind horse who for many years has occupied the premier stallion run at Burns Ranch," the ranch posted. " Burns Ranch [attributes] Walk Thru Fire with much of their success. He will be greatly missed."
                           
A quick overview of his stallion career noted over 60 Quarter Horses with career earnings of more than $100,000. 
 
Bred by the Allred Brothers and Vessels Stallion Farm, Walk Thru Fire was foaled on January 30, 1997. Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas spotted Walk Thru Fire as a yearling in a California sale in 1998 and purchased the son of First Down Dash out of the Beduino (TB) mare Sweet Beduino. Lukas, in partnership with Will Farish and E.K. Gaylord, raced Walk Thru Fire exclusively at Los Alamitos with success, as the Laura Lukas (Pinelli)-trained runner qualified to the Golden State Million Futurity (G1), Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity (G1) and in the El Primero Del Ano Derby (G2). At the end of his 3-year-old campaign, Lukas consigned Walk Thru Fire to the Heritage Place Sale in Oklahoma in January.                                              
Jaime Gomez, who had always admired Walk Thru Fire, purchased him out of the Heritage Place Sale. Gomez raced Walk Thru Fire a couple of more times at Los Alamitos before retiring the horse and sending him briefly to Rolling A Ranch to start his career as a stallion. The following year, Walk Thru Fire traveled to Louisiana for a brief stint in the Pelican State.                                                       

Gomez had lightning in a bottle with Walk Thru Fire as a sire in 2005. When Gomez checked with Sergio Gonzalez, a well-known California horseman and an expert in introducing young horses to the saddle, on which of his yearlings was showing the most promise, Gonzalez immediately replied that it was the two Walk Thru Fire yearlings: Higher Fire and Gold Nugget Rd. The two young runners exceeded all expectations, as Gold Nugget Rd won the Kindergarten Futurity and Higher Fire won the Grade 1 Ed Burke Million, Grade 1 Golden State Million and just missed winning the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity.            
                                          
“Higher Fire nearly won the Los Alamitos Triple Crown,” Gomez said. “Her mother was the Ed Allred-bred Higher Math and owned by Dutch Master III. Higher Fire was so amazing on the track. She went on to be that year’s champion filly. I was going to loan Walk Thru Fire to Gianni Samaja so he could go stand at Brazil for a while. Then, Dr. Allred bought him from me in a multi-million-dollar deal. Allred (and Fred Scane) then syndicated him in a few days. It was a golden deal for me, and it changed my life. I paid off my house. I paid off any debts that I had. I bought more acres. I am so thankful and blessed that he came to me. He was so good to us that were part of the syndicate. Dr. Burns did an excellent job at his ranch with him.”       
       
“He was such a tremendous stallion,” Ed Allred said. “The great D. Wayne Lukas picked him out and acquired him as a yearling for around $100,000. D. Wayne is such a good judge of Quarter Horses. He always had a great eye for a Quarter Horse. He was right on Walk Thru Fire from the start.”