Great horses are hard to come by and it’s even rarer to find one that passes their legacy onto their offspring. Clinton considers himself lucky to have found both of those qualities in Princess In Diamonds, a 1998 buckskin mare by Shining Spark out of Eyed Be A Princess. Clinton bought Princess as an unstarted 2 year old in 2000 along with her dam from Gay Given Owens, a western pleasure trainer in Michigan. After starting Princess late in her 2-year-old year, Clinton sent her to American Quarter Horse Association World Champion and National Reined Cow Horse Association Futurity Champion Todd Crawford to train. In 2001, Princess won the NRHA Futurity Open 1st Go and placed fourth in the finals, and then in 2002, she placed eighth at the National Reining Breeders Classic. Although she was only shown a few times, Princess won $77,002 in NRHA earnings. Her show career was cut short due to a stifle injury, but because she fit every quality Clinton looks for in a broodmare, he kept Princess for his breeding program. In order that the mare received the best care possible, Clinton stabled her at the renowned Royal Vista Vet Clinic in Oklahoma and used recipient mares to carry her foals.
In mid-August, due to increasing complications from her old injury, Clinton made the decision to have Princess humanely euthanized. Although it was a hard decision to make, Clinton firmly believes that a horse’s wellbeing and comfort shouldn’t be put before human emotions. Princess’ legacy will live on as her foals continue to excel at reining competitions at the highest levels. To date, as a broodmare, Princess has foaled eight performers with earnings of $447,992, and has amassed a number of prestigious accolades, including being recognized as the 2009 AQHA Leading NRHA Dam and the 8th NRHA Leading Dam in 2011. She has produced three NRHA Open Futurity Finalists with her best-known offspring being Whizkey N Diamonds (aka Foster by Topsail Whiz) who has earned $212,149 and Cromed Out Mercedes (aka Curly by Custom Crome) who earned $146,645 in his career. Clinton currently has several of Princess’ 2 and 3 year olds in training, including 2-year-old Paparazzi Girl (aka Fergie by Gallo Del Cielo) and 3-year-old Hail Of A Princess (aka Brie by Custom Crome), and has five of her embryos saved for future breedings.
