Throwaway to Thriving: Rescued by Debbie Hubbert from a dire fate as a weanling, one-eyed DunGotShot became a ranch unicorn for Alexa Bell.
By Delores Kuhlwein
Trainer and breeder Debbie Hubbert of Texas witnessed one of those horrific moments in a horse’s young life — the kind we all dread –when she saw weanling DunGotShot lose his eye in an accident.
And though the 2021 AQHA dun colt by Guns R For Shootin and out of Tinsel Jac Nic wasn’t part of the Hubbert’s breeding program, Debbie couldn’t stand the thought he would be put to sleep.
“Because he lost his eye, the people didn’t want to fix him,” explains Terri Contreras, “Teddy’s” current trainer. The young colt faced euthanasia, so Debbie Hubbert intervened. “Debbie stepped up because she is a wonderful person and a wonderful animal lover. Debbie said she would take him and pay his vet bills if they would just let her have him. So she did,” Terri declares.
Through Hubbert’s program, the young stallion flourished, and even though he was missing an eye, he adapted and competed as if it was the most normal thing in the world.
Teddy grew and blossomed under saddle, too, continuing to his futurity year under the Hubbert’s guidance, making it past the first round of the open at a big reining futurity. “He was darling, and he was a big stopper,” says Terri.
One of Teddy’s strengths as a reiner (he’s pictured here with Debbie Hubbert) was his stop, which will translate to the ranch events.
Around that same time, Alexa Bell of California, who has ridden with Jason and Terri Contreras of C and C Performance Horses for over 14 years, was looking for a new horse. Known for her all-around career with Demented Lover, Alexa was left with a huge hole in her heart when her gelding died unexpectedly. “We didn’t know if we could ever find a horse to fill it,” admits Terri.
It just so happened that the Hubberts, who’d sold horses to Jason and Terri in the past and had established a trusting relationship, were thinking C and C Performance Horses would be a fine landing spot for Teddy. After all, the C and C team was known for their forgiving nature and patience. “We’ve always been that way,” Terri says. Plus, Teddy’s “imperfection” put him in Alexa’s price range.
“Debbie said she thought Teddy had the right mindset, and I’d seen video of him his whole life, but he was a stud,” explains Terri. “So we bought him, had Debbie take care of gelding him back there, and then we brought him home to California. And he was darling, and everything we were hoping for, with one eye and a heart the size of Texas.”
Alexa and Teddy showed together in reining in May 2025 on Mother’s Day weekend with promise of the sky as the limit as partners.
But as life tends to do, it threw a curveball at Alexa after just one show with Teddy. She suffered an injury that was not Teddy-related, but it meant physical therapy. And time out of the saddle.
That is, until the 2026 AQHA West L1 Championships at South Point Arena & Equestrian Center, when they not only showed together for the first time in a year, but they also showed in ranch riding for the first time. The duo placed as finalists or top 10 in every class they entered: Rookie Ranch Riding, Rookie Working Western Rail, and Amateur Ranch Riding, which were some of the largest classes of the show. In fact, they cinched a sixth place in Rookie Ranch Riding on May 14th, with the Equine Chronicle there to capture the success.
Sixth place in a hug Rookie Ranch Riding class the first time out.
“Alexa joined the ranks of the RR community!! Thank you Debbie Hubbert for stepping up to save him when he lost his eye as a baby….and for believing in him (and us!)’” Terri exclaims. “You’ll be seeing a LOT of winning from this team…. they are pretty darn special! This girl and her little one eyed gelding with the BIGGEST heart are going to be hard to beat!”
Alexa says Teddy not only exceeded her expectations in their first “RR” show together, but to place in every class they went in generated a lot of excitement for her and her barn. “He’s kind of like an old man in a young horse’s body. Just chill, loves his naps, came back and laid down any chance he got.”
Teddy,, Alexa, and the support team, including C and C Performance Horses. Photo by Shane Rux Photography.
Even though Alexa showed Demented Lover in all-around events for some time, she’s definitely a newbie to Ranch, so Teddy’s character meant the world. She reveals, “I like that I could go out there and trust him; he’s not going to do anything that you don’t expect. I mean, of course, I was a little nervous going out there, but he wasn’t at all. He looked around like he was loving his job, and he was just a good boy.”
His transitions are another plus, so Alexa thinks ranch riding will be a natural evolution for him– their record at the show says they are well on their way.
“The most glorious moments in your life are not the so-called days of success, but rather those days when… you feel rise in you a challenge to life, and the promise of future accomplishments.” — Gustave Flaubert.
