Leading 2023 first-crop sire Flying Cowboy 123 also shattered the previous all-time leading first-crop sire earnings record.

© Amanda Glidden

DALLAS, TX–JANUARY 23, 2024–Not only was the talented two-time champion Flying Cowboy 123 the 2023 Leading First-Crop Sire, the son of leading sire Apollitical Jess shattered the previous All-Time Leading First Crop Sire earnings record by more than $1.3 million dollars.

Champion One Famous Eagle established the previous record in 2012 when he sired 26 winners (71 starters) with earnings of $2,926,178.  His chief money earner world champion One Dashing Eagle ($2,079,055) who contributed to that record by winning the All American Futurity(G1), Golden State Futurity(G1) and Ed Burke Million Futurity(G1) that season.

Flying Cowboy 123 also got an All American Futurity(G1) winner and champion, Cowboys Gun Z ($1,548,344), in his first crop but he finished the year with an astounding 50 winners (82 starters) and earnings of $4,313,500.

In his first crop to race, the young champion sired 13 stakes winners with 17 stakes wins and 8 Graded stakes winners with 9 Grade 1 victories.

Only three other first-crop stallions have broken the $2 million mark since One Famous Eagle set the record at $2.9 million in 2012.

First Moonflash got 22 winners in his first-crop (2013), including All American Futurity(G1) winner Handsome Jack Flash, to hold the third-place slot with $2,219,456. Champion Good Reason SA sits fourth after siring 29 winners in 2015, including All American Futurity(G1) winner Jess Good Candy. His first-crop earned $2,178,602.

Leading first-crop sire Flying Cowboy 123.
© Amanda Glidden

The only $2 million+ sire in the top 5 without an All American Futurity(G1) winner in his first-crop was Hes Relentless. The champion son of One Famous Eagle sired 38 winners, 11 stakes winners with earnings of $2,123,119 in 2019.

Last summer Whitmire Ranch purchased all-time leader Flying Cowboy 123 from owner Tom Lipar's Paragon Farms, LLC.  The young stallion had just gotten his first milestone with over $1 million in earnings by mid-June.

"We are so excited to add Flying Cowboy 123 to our program," Raymond Whitmire told StallioneSearch in July. "Mr. Lipar and everyone at Granada Farms has done a fantastic job with Cowboy. We look forward to watching all of his foals future success."

Flying Cowboy 123 has already booked full for 2024 at his new home Royal Vista Ranch, Inc. in Wayne, Oklahoma.

"We are very happy to have such a great addition to our stallion roster with Flying Cowboy 123," said Royal Vista owner Cole Morehead last summer. "We are very appreciative of the Whitmire’s for allowing us at Royal Vista to stand him in Oklahoma."

Two-Time Champion Cowboys Gun Z winning the $3,00,000 All American Futurity(G1) at Ruidoso Downs.
© Bailey Ivy / Ruidoso Downs

Bred by Carolyn Bay, Flying Cowboy 123 was named the AQHA Racing Champion 2-Year-Old Colt in 2018 and Champion 3-Year-Old Colt in 2019 He won or placed in 11 of 13 career starts and earned $951,811. He won the Texas Classic Futurity(G1), Texas Classic Derby(G1) was third in the All American Derby, Rainbow QH Futurity and a finalist in the Rainbow QH Derby.

Lipar paid $100,000 for the colt at the 2017 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale. He is out of Hot Cash 123, by Takin On The Cash. An AQHA Racing Dam of Distinction, she is also the dam of AQHA Racing World Champion Cold Cash 123, a 13-time winner of  $1,409,781, stakes winner Tough Dynasty and stakes-placed Lady Eagle 123.

Flying Cowboy 123's top performers include Champion 2-Year-Old and Champion 2-Year-Old Colt Cowboys Gun Z SI 95 (3 wins to 2, $1,548,344 All American Futurity-G1, etc.), Flyin Rabbit 123 SI 104 (4 wins to 2, $294,438 Southwest Juvenile Invitational S.-G2, Texas Classic Juvenile S., etc.), Fire Cowboy SI 98 (5 wins to 2, $225,733 Evangeline Downs Futurity-G2, AQHA Juvenile Challenge Championship S.-G2, etc.), Cardiac Cowboy SI 98 (4 wins to 2, $196,610 Valley Junction Futurity-G3, etc.), Jess Flying Cowgirl SI 105 (1 win at 2, $188,164 Sam Houston Futurity-G2, etc.), Flying Sophia SI 105 (4 wins to 2, $185,522 La Fiesta Futurity-G3, etc.), Double Down 123 SI 96 (4 wins to 2, $180,408 1Robert Adair Kindergarten Futurity-G2, Los Alamitos Juvenile Challenge, etc.), etc.

Last year Flying Cowboy 123 was the #5 Leading North American Quarter Horse Yearling Sales Sire by Average. He sold 81 of 92 head offered through the sales ring for gross receipts of $5,592,000, an average of $70,565 and median of $50,000.

At the just completed Heritage Place Winter Mixed Sale (January 18-20) in Oklahoma City, he was the leading short-yearling sire by average (2 or more sold) and covering sire by average (2 or more sold).

For additional information or to request at 2025 breeding contract call Royal Vista Ranch, Inc.'s farm manager Laura Erickson at (405) 449-7575.