Billie Lowery has been breeding Appaloosa sporthorses for 40 years in the Northern California town of Oroville. Her horses are often used for three-day eventing and the stallions are known for consistently producing athletic, intelligent offspring.
“Most horses that are trained in dressage, it takes them years to extend behind,” Billie says. “These horses are born with it. The best thing about them is that they reproduce themselves.” For years she’s told her clients that if they don’t like one of her stallions, don’t breed to him because it makes no difference what kind of mare is involved.
As an example, Billie tells a story of one woman who brought a pony-sized mare that wasn’t much to look at to breed to one of her stallions. “I told her you’ll get a beautiful foal and told her what it would look like. She looked at me funny, like she didn’t really believe me,” Billie says with a chuckle. A year later the woman called and said, “I have absolutely the most gorgeous filly you’ve ever seen,” Billie recounts. The foal looked nothing like the mare; she looked just like the stud.
Billie’s pride and joy is Tudors Diamond Jim, a 20-plus year old silver stallion with dark spots that has won 42 championships; national grand champion, California state champion, world champion. This lovely Appaloosa, who has a lot of Thoroughbred and a bit of Quarter Horse in him, has shown in open breed classes against Warmbloods and won often. Dr. Hanfried Haring, the managing director of the breeding section in the German Equestrian Federation, loved this colt when he judged him at the LA Breeders Classic.
At 80 years of age, Billie is finally ready to scale back. Though it breaks her heart to do so, she’s putting 11 of her mares and stallions up for sale. She’d love to sell the group to one owner who wants to be in the breeding business. The group includes a couple of older mares, Cat Dance and My Chica Mia, and a 7 month old foal that is already showing tremendous athleticism.
One of her stallions for sale is a Tudors Diamond Jim son. Tudor Ace is 8 years old and has great conformation and a lovely personality. Two other stud colts, one is 5 years old and one is 3 years old, are both a lovely brown color with a golden cast to it and a white blanket with peacock spots. Spirit and his brother (as yet unnamed) are marked similarly and they both move beautifully. “They’re both so kind, they don’t bite, don’t kick; not a mean bone in their bodies,” says Billie. “They’re both great breeders. They’ll leave their feed to come and get attention. They want to belong to someone. They have an ‘I can do anything’ attitude.” Their mother, a Tudor Diamond Jim offspring, is also available.
Billie has a Thoroughbred mare she lovingly describes as faultless. She’s a big bodied mare and totally sound; so kind and willing to please. Though she’s not broken, Billie is certain she’d be easy to train and thinks she’s a wonderful animal. Plauditsibrightanna is a leopard mare who, although she’s blind, is easy to breed and will produce show or race horses. With four Hall of Fame stallions in her pedigree, she’s a rare foundation Appaloosa.
For more information on purchasing the Diamond Mine Sporthorses for sale, contact Billie Lowery at 530-534-5642.