The National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA) proudly acknowledges its first-ever NRCHA Million Dollar Dam, Scooters Daisy Dukes (Dual Smart Rey x Scooters Playmate x Freckles Playboy).
Owned by Aaron Cook, the 2009 sorrel Quarter Horse mare’s offspring have collected more than $1,036,175 in official NRCHA Lifetime Earnings. Her two highest-earning horses are Scooter Kat (2015 Quarter Horse stallion; by Kit Kat Sugar; LTE $600,000+) and Hazardous Material (2016 Quarter Horse stallion; by Metallic Cat; LTE $637,711).
“She’s a unicorn, and I got very lucky,” Cook shared. The former Major League Baseball pitcher came to the horse world through his wife, Jennifer, who’s a lifelong horsewoman, specializing in barrel racing. After retiring from baseball in 2013, Cook took up trail riding, and his competitive streak led him to want more, which led him to cutting.
“I was at home asleep when my wife bought Scooters Daisy Dukes,” he recalled. “She knew I was looking for an amateur cutting horse and bought the mare in one of the Western Bloodstock Sales. She called me and told me to hook up the trailer to come and get my horse. Then she called me back and told me to bring the bigger trailer, because the mare came with three recipient mares carrying her babies.”
Talk about luck: one of those recipient mares was bred to Metallic Cat and the other two to Kit Kat Sugar, and one of the mare’s sons, only a yearling, was about to embark on a journey that would make him the highest-earning NRCHA horse in history.
“The Metallic Cat-bred mare foaled Hazardous Material, which we sold to Linda Mars and Erin Taormino has shown,” Cook said. “Next thing I know, everybody is talking about Scooter Kat [owned by Eric Freitas and shown by Justin Wright, which became NRCHA’s highest-earning horse]. Once those two horses started showing, I had all kinds of people calling and asking if we had any babies out of her for sale.”
Today, Scooters Daisy Dukes lives out her retirement on the Cooks’ ranch in Oklahoma. She has her own acre of pasture to enjoy, with a neighboring 24-year-old retired mare and a mule as her neighbors.
“When Emily [Konkel, NRCHA Executive Director] called me to tell me about the achievement, it didn’t register at first what a big deal it is,” Cook said. “I didn’t realize she’s the first mare to have a million dollars in offspring earnings. She’s a huge blessing. We weren’t planning on this, but it has turned out to be a life-changing decision for us.”
“To see the first NRCHA Million Dollar Dam is monumental for NRCHA,” Konkel shared. “Scooters Daisy Dukes has produced some of the greatest cow horses of all time, and we’re fortunate to be able to see her offspring in action. We’re so proud to recognize this incredible mare for her achievements. Congratulations to Aaron and Scooters Daisy Dukes!”
To learn more about NRCHA Million Dollar Club, visit nrcha.com/nrcha-million-dollar-club.
About the National Reined Cow Horse Association
Based in Pilot Point, Texas, the National Reined Cow Horse Association was formed in 1949 in California, with the goal of preserving and educating the public about the rich history of this traditional horsemanship. The NRCHA is responsible for promoting the sport and ensuring high standards of competition and continuing to work to keep the Vaquero tradition alive in today’s equine industry. The NRCHA also supports numerous affiliate clubs across the United States, Europe and abroad. These groups serve as the association’s backbone, holding many NRCHA-sanctioned competitions and events each year. For more information on these events and reined cow horse, visit nrcha.com.
National Reined Cow Horse Association
Callie McCarthy-Boevers
Director of Media & Communications
callie@nrcha.com