horse standing in the grass
Dual Pep • Photo by Cam Essick

Legendary Sire Dual Pep Dies at 33

Acclaimed cutting horse sire Dual Pep has passed away. The stallion was humanely euthanized Sept. 25, just two days after his daughter Tears From Heaven captured the Brazos Bash Futurity Open title less than 10 miles away from his longtime home at Alpha Equine.

“That his daughter won and that her name was Tears From Heaven will have a place in my heart forever. In my mind, he’s in heaven now,” said Dottie Hill, who owned Dual Pep with her husband, Bobby, at the time of his death. “I’m a believer that God made these gorgeous animals, and I think the good ones go to heaven.”

At the age of 33, Dual Pep left the world gracefully, Hill said.

“He was ready. He stayed healthy almost up to the very end,” she said, noting that the stallion lived out his days happily with his favorite mare by his side. “He was tired, and he had done everything he was supposed to do and knew it. It was just his chosen time, and it was so peaceful. He had quite a following, the boy did. I was proud to be a part of it, and a small part at that. His legacy still lives on.”

Bred by Nic-A-Lode Farms, of Cody, Wyoming, the 1985 Peppy San Badger son (out of Miss Dual Doc x Doc’s Remedy) earned $307,384 in the cutting pen. As of his death, his foals had earned $25.8 million and he had sired the dams of earners of $32.6 million, according to Equi-Stat.

“We always admired Dual Pep and the mares from him,” said Hill, who purchased the legendary stallion in 2011. “He had so much heart. He was stout, strong and smart, and he was just the kind of horse we had a great deal of respect for. We still have semen from him, so his legacy is not done.”

Dual Pep‘s leading offspring are: Dual Rey Me ($818,177, out of Miss Smart Rey Jay x Smart Little Lena), Dually Lena ($395,616, out of Bingos Lena x Doc O’Lena), Olena Dually ($302,342, out of Miss Sabrina Lena x Doc O’Lena), Tapt Twice ($285,226, out of Tap O Lena x Doc O’Lena) and Playboy McCrae ($269,582, out of Playboys Madera x Freckles Playboy).

The stallion’s exploits as a broodmare sire are led by two horses that rank among the highest-earning cutters of all time: $852,612-earner Sister CD (CD Olena x Little Baby Sister x Dual Pep) and $850,628-earner Dont Look Twice (High Brow Cat x Tapt Twice x Dual Pep). However, one of Dual Pep’s greatest contributions to the Western performance horse world may not have been one of his leading earners, but instead as the sire of the late Dual Rey. The stallion’s 1994 son out of Nurse Rey (by Wyoming Doc) has fathered the winners of more than $41 million and is himself an influential broodmare sire.

“He knew he was special, and he accepted that honor beautifully,” Hill said as she reminisced about Dual Pep’s role in the industry. “I still have to pinch myself; we were so lucky to own him. He was beautiful and majestic and lived a happy life.

“He and Dr. Baker are probably hugging each other right now,” she continued, explaining the close relationship Dual Pep shared with the late veterinarian who cared for the stallion during much of the horse’s life. “We had the pleasure and privilege of being involved in part of his life, and we were just proud to be able to provide for him and put him in a place where he was loved and respected and he could live out his life. We were honored to be able to do that for him.”

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