Northernhorse.com Blog

The reining world lost one of its own when the great Topsail Whiz had to be humanely put down on Dec. 23, after complications from surgery to repair damaged vertebrae in his spine. The sport’s first and only Six Million Dollar Sire transformed the industry and helped to define the modern reining horse.

Owner/breeder and Hall of Famer Bob Loomis said of his Hall of Fame stallion: “He wasn’t just any horse; he was a member of the family. There will never be another one like him.” Continue Reading »

Topsail Whiz, a 1987 stallion who sired earners of more than $6.8 million, died Wednesday, Dec. 23. The stallion had undergone surgery for a problem with a vertebrae that was pinching his spinal cord and affecting his balance, and although the surgery was successful, Topsail Whiz collapsed two days later and could not get back on his feet. Owner Bob Loomis, Marietta, Okla., made the difficult decision to humanely put him down.

“It’s been a really sad day,” Loomis said. “I’ve been blessed so many ways for so long. He was more of a family member than a horse.”

The loss came just two weeks after Loomis’ junior sire, West Coast Whiz (Topsail Whiz x My Moon Stone Chex x King Fritz), had to be euthanized due to complications of founder and white line disease.

Read more at Quarter Horse News.com