Loss of the Greats – Zippos Sheik, Zippos Mr Good Bar, Zippos Sensation

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36 – October, 2016

BY PAIGE MORGAN

Sadly, the horse industry lost three influential sires in 2016. Zippos Sheik, Zippos Mr Goodbar and Zippos Sensation, all sired by the great Zippo Pine Bar, have left a lasting impression; not only on the owners who loved them, but also on the industry they helped shape. The Equine Chronicle sat down with those closest to these three stallions to discuss how the horses impacted their lives and breeding programs.

Zippos Sheik

Initially, Ken and Marilyn Masterson believed that starting a breeding program was the best way to become involved in the horse business. Their search for a yearling stallion prospect was daunting. Ken elaborates on the journey.

He says, “We must have looked at every yearling from Oklahoma City to Houston. We literally drove from farm to farm,” he says. Their search began and ended in Yukon, Oklahoma, at Larry Whitaker’s ranch. “He was the first one we saw. After looking at everything else we could find, we went back and I bought him. Larry Whitaker got in a lot of trouble with his wife and daughters when they found out he had sold Sheik. He was the prospect we chose, and we never regret, for one second, having chosen him.”

Sheik’s relationship with his human counterparts was evident, even then. It’s a trait that Ken feels was passed on to his offspring. “It was kind of typical to us of the things that made Sheik’s babies special, because people truly loved them. They had so much personality and great relationships with the people that owned them and loved them,” he says.

Click here to read the complete article
36 – October, 2016