The pursuit of the horse dream started about 50 years
ago for Barbara Burks and more recently for Norma Colby. Barbara was the "rider," raising,
training and competing in many disciplines with Quarter Horses, Morgans,
Arabs, Appaloosas, and Paint horses. As a youth she had trained with Don
Burt. Her accomplished disciplines would include hunter-jumpers, western,
stock and halter horses to name a few.
Barbara is a retired teacher and now a breeder/trainer of world class paint
horses. She continued with the horse dream and became an AHSA and PtHA judge,
even traveling as far away as Europe to judge shows.
Norma is a retired Registered Nurse, and Nursing Home Administrator. Her hobbies
include painting and sketching in various mediums. The partnership came together
in 1983. Norma enjoys the breeding and showing of the world-class halter horses
that they have bred and raised. She also scribes for Barbara when she judges
horse shows. Norma has accompanied Barbara to Great Britain, Hawaii, Washington
and Minnesota, just to name a few places, where she has been invited to judge
on numerous occasions.
On the home front, both women sought for the finest
broodmares, with the theory of, "Start at the top with your breeding
program, don't work your way up." The partnership had acquired the finest "nest" of
broodmares in the nation. One of the foundation broodmares, Eternal Flit,
Superior Halter Horse, was also a National Champion Pinto and 3rd overall
at the Paint Nationals as a 2 year old. She was the dam of TEXAS TRADEMARK
before her untimely passing.
"Breeding
horses should improve the breed. Each "years progeny should be better
than the previous."
—Barbara Burks |
The two started crossing this hand picked band of broodmares
with the finest studs available and knew they had found "nics" when they saw
the results. See some of the foals. With pedigrees like these, it would take
decades to find horses like these. They are now being offered to the public.
The day that TEXAS TRADEMARK was born, they both knew they had something special.
Even though there were other full siblings, they kept him back to be the hub
of the program. He started a modest show career until he had a barn accident
that took the sight of one eye. Not wanting to risk losing the other eye, the
owners have decided it would be in the stallion's best interest to remain in
the barn and do what he does best, sire incredible babies. He has produced
80% color and has improved on the mare's attributes every time. The babies
have prettier heads, more muscle, improved conformation and heavier bone than
their dams.
These are not just pretty horses; they all have athletic ability and great
minds for any discipline. They have the kind of mind and attitude necessary
for today's performance horse.
Call Barbara Burks/Norma Colby for a video or better yet, make an appointment.
The photos/video simply can't do the horses justice. To really appreciate the
quality of these magnificent animals, you must see them in person.
