Wet Paint Farms - Delta - APHA Recollections

RECOLLECTIONS:
PORTFOLIO
EXCERPT FROM "THE PAINT HORSE JOURNAL"
copyright APHA (APHA File Photos)

One of the greatest horses of her era, Delta excelled in both Open and breed competition. As a National Cutting Horse Association competitor, she claimed one World title and $49,345 in earnings. In APHA Competition, she captured two National titles and 437 cutting points.

Paint Cutting Mare Honored By NCHA
     The cover story for the July 1977 issue of the Paint Horse Journal was devoted to the well-known Paint cutting mare, Delta, on the occasion of her recent induction into the National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Hall of Fame.

     Owned at the time by George Price of Fairview, Tennessee, she was trained and shown by Kenny Patterson of Tecumsah, Oklahoma.  Delta's introduction into the Hall of Fame was the latest in an impressive string of accomplishments for the talented 1963 tobiano, who was sired by Lemon Squeezer AQHA and out of Ed Echols (AQHA).

     In 1973, she had become the first Paint Horse to finish the year in the NCHA Top 10. That same year, she was named the World Champion Cutting Mare.

In 1974, Delta won the NCHA World Championship Cutting Finals in Amarillo, Texas. In doing so, she defeated eight of the nine living Top 10 cutting horses including |the legendary Mr. San Peppy.

Delta was also well-known in breed competition. She was the 1976 National Champion Paint Cutting Horse and the 1977 Reserve National Champion. It was noted near the end of the Journal feature that Delta's future accomplishments would be centered around her potential as a broodmare. She did, in fact, go on to become as famous a producer as she had been a cutting horse. Among her foals are Delta Flyer, the first Paint Horse to win the NCHA Open Super Stakes and earner of more than $200,000 in NCHA competition; Delta Dawn, 1984 APHA World Champion Junior Cutting Horse; and Delta Olena,
1992 World Champion Senior Calf Roping Horse.