NSBA is saddened to report that AQHA gelding Zippos Tiger Bar was laid to rest on March 30.
The 1989 gelding was bred and raised by Reynolds, Inc., in Lexington, Nebraska. He was part of the first foal crop of the late Zippos Mr Good Bar, and was known as Butch to all who were associated with him.
Ann Admonius had purchased Butch from the late Rodney Miller, and sent the gelding to trainer Troy Compton. Troy and Butch won all three legs of the Two Year Old Western Pleasure at the Tom Powers Triple Challenge after showing in Michigan, North Carolina and Florida in 1991. Zippos Tiger Bar would become the first horse to grace the cover of The Way To Go in June of 1991. Butch earned AQHA Superior awards in Open and Amateur Western Pleasure as well as numerous futurity and Congress championships. The trio once again placed in the top ten in Open and Amateur Western Pleasure at the 1993 AQHA World Show.
The gelding then went to another client in Troy’s barn – Joetta Bell. Joetta and Butch earned top ten placings at the AQHYA World Championship Show while Troy also saw the top ten with him in Senior Western Pleasure, and Joetta added an AQHA Youth Superior award in Western Pleasure to his resume. After learning a lead change from John Briggs, Butch teamed up with T. Joe Jeane, who earned AQHA Superior awards in Youth Trail and Western Riding during their show career together.
Butch’s final chapter in his show career came when Ray Alderman purchased Butch as a youth horse for his daughter, Aubrey. Eighteen years after the gelding won the Tom Powers Futurity in Berrien Springs, Aubrey showed him to the winner’s circle in Walk Trot Western Pleasure, where the duo received enthusiastic applause from the crowd. Aubrey and Butch showed together for five years.
During their time together, the duo was named reserve 2011 Congress champions in Youth 11 & Under Trail and reserve All Around Youth 13 & Under, as well as earned the All Around Novice Youth 13 & Under at the 2012 Nutrena East Novice Championship Show. They earned more than 130 AQHA Youth points in seven events as well as more than 145 AQHA Novice Youth points in five events.
Butch spent his retirement in the show barn at Aubrey’s grandfather, Jim McKillips’ home. Over the course of his 23-year show career, Butch earned 53.5 NSBA points, $16,178 in NSBA earnings, and 885 AQHA points in Open, Youth and Amateur classes, competing in eight different events. Butch was honored with NSBA’s Legacy Award in 2019.
NSBA shares its condolences to all those involved with this special horse.
