The World’s Fastest Paint Horse!
Equestrian News Release
FORT WORTH, TEXAS— One of the fastest American Paint Horses in the world—a 3-year-old gelding named Got County Grip—is scheduled to run in his last official race of the year on July 28 in the Speedhorse Derby at Fair Meadows racetrack in Tulsa, Okla. While that race could be the last major outing of his career, since there are few races for horses after age three, his owner, Jimmy Maddux of Weatherford, Texas, is looking for other opportunities to prove his horse is unbeatable.
Already 11 for 11 in his career, with nearly $200,000 earned, Got Country Grip is breaking world records, including his own. Following is a chronological breakdown of the gelding’s record-breaking career:
· 2005—set the record for single year Paint racing earnings for a 2-year-old.
· April 30, 2006—broke the Paint Horse world record at 400 yards with a posted time of 19.55 seconds at the PSBA Stakes at Remington Park in Oklahoma City, Okla.
· May 24, 2006—ran a time of 17.26 seconds, setting a new world record for Paint Horses in 350 yards at the Oklahoma Horsemen’s Association Derby Trial at Fair Meadows Park in Tulsa, Okla.
· June 9, 2006—broke the world record he previously set at 350 yards with a posted time of 17.23 seconds at Fair Meadows. He also set the Fair Meadows track record for all breeds.
In his last two record-breaking runs, Got Country Grip earned a speed index of 108. Carols Treasure previously set the Paint Horse record in 2005 at both distances with times of 17.44 seconds at 350 yards and 19.59 seconds at 400 yards.
According to the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA), the fastest recorded time at 350 yards was set by 3-year-old Quarter Horse, AB What A Runner, with a posted time of 17.057 seconds in 2003, at Ruidoso Downs in Ruidoso, N.M. Corona Ease, a 4-year-old Quarter Horse, holds the world record at 400 yards with a posted time of 19.002 seconds, according to AQHA. The record run was set in 2005 at Zia Park in Hobbs, N.M.
Got Country Grip is less than 2/10ths of a second off the 350-yard record and about ½ second off the 400-yard record mark, and his owner contends he has the ability to beat any time, especially considering that his horse still has not been pushed.
“We’ve never let the horse run wide open. We’ve never needed to,” said Maddux, adding that multiple AQHA and American Paint Horse Association (APHA) champion jockey G.R. Carter, Jr. has used his crop only once on the horse. “When you’re winning by 7 ½ lengths, like at Remington, there’s no need for that.”
Fair Meadows marketing director Richard Linihan agreed with Maddux that the Paint could be among the fastest in the sport of racing today.
“He’s the fastest one I’ve ever seen … I watched this horse up here and he broke out seventh or eighth, and in a snap of a finger he was ahead by three lengths,” said Linihan. “He just glides down the track. It doesn’t seem like he is hitting the track.”
“No doubt he’s the fastest,” said Carter, about all the horses he’s ridden. “He’s not even a challenge. The times he runs and the ease he does it with is pretty amazing. He’s on top of my list.”
While future race matchups are still unconfirmed for the world’s fastest Paint Horse, Maddux said he is eager to get some stakes races set for next year. The owner is also discussing possible match races against the fastest Quarter Horse or any other qualified contender. So far, said Maddux, no one has accepted, but arrangements are still being discussed.
“He’s no ordinary horse,” said Maddux. “We hope we find something for him.”
More about Paint Racing
Horse racing has long been one of America’s favorite spectator sports. With the recent growth of the Paint Horse breed, Paints have become one of the hottest tickets in the horse racing industry.
Since 1966, when APHA officially recognized the sport, Paint racing has made great strides. In that inaugural year, 17 starters ran for $1,290 in just two states—Texas and Oklahoma.
In 2005, more than 600 starters competed in more than 800 APHA-recognized races for purses totaling more than $5.1 million.
A total of 18 states now feature Paint racing, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. Paint Horses are also racing in Canada.
For more information on Paint Horse racing, contact APHA’s racing department at (817) 222-6444, e-mail racing@apha.com, or visitMailScanner has detected a possible fraud attempt from "http://www.racing.com" claiming to be paintracing.com.
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