Trippy Dip was a resilient sprinter and exceptional broodmare. The fact that she produced three AQHA Racing Champions is made more impressive by the fact that all her breeding decisions were made by women. Her sixteen AQHA registered foals were bred by Virginia E. “Ginger” Hyland and Abigail K. Kawananakoa. The contributions of this Thoroughbred mare and these impressive women are still improving the Quarter Horse industry today.
Trippy Dip was foaled on February 7th, 1976. She was bred by S. F. “Sonny” Henderson in New Mexico. She was by Scout Leader, an unraced son of Bold Ruler. Scout Leader was a leading sire in New Mexico. He sired Thoroughbred stakes winners Banquero, Music Leader, Dusk Patrol, One Bold Scout, Webelo, Centavos, Net Effect, LaCrosse, Prayer Leader and Lacey Linn. Scout Leader also sired 227 AQHA recognized foals. His best Quarter Horse starters were Rule the Deck, Pyromaniac and Madam President.
Dancing Straw, the dam of Trippy Dip, was bred by A. B. Munsey in Texas. She was by Dancing Dervish, a Thoroughbred sire of 208 AQHA recognized foals. Dancing Straw was out of M. Straw, a stakes-winning daughter of Munsey’s great stallion Jackstraw. Dancing Straw won one race and earned $720 on the track. She produced ten Thoroughbred foals for Henderson and his wife. Her best starter, Matching, won the Gr. 3 Correction Handicap at Aqueduct. Matching was bred to Hawkingson to produce Hawks Dancing Straw, the dam of Quarter Horse stakes winners Carters Last Straw and Cartel Arrangement.
Dancing Straw also produced race winners Rematched, Frosty Straw, American Promise and Dancing Tobin. Frosty Straw was the dam of Icy Morn, a Thoroughbred mare that produced Quarter Horse stakes finalists Early Morning Bite and First Down Morn. Dancing Straw’s last foal, Trip to Vegas, was the second dam of Quarter Horse stakes winners Silk Mountain and Personal Mission. Trip to Vegas was foaled in 1991 when Dancing Straw was nineteen years old.
On March 11th, 1978, Trippy Dip won a Maiden Special Weight at Sunland Park in New Mexico. In her next start, she won a Special Weight at Turf Paradise in Phoenix, Arizona. Trippy Dip was never better than sixth against stakes company. After she failed to hit the board in the Phoenix Futurity, Riley Allison Futurity, Rio Grande Futurity and Albuquerque Stakes, she dropped to the claiming ranks. As a three-year-old, she won Claiming and Allowance races at distances up to six furlongs at Hollywood Park, Del Mar and Santa Anita. In total, Trippy Dip made 29 starts, won ten races, and earned $78,169 on the track, which is the equivalent of about $350,000 today.
Trippy Dip’s race record does not tell a complete story. When she finished second in her final start on December 28th, 1979, her feet had overgrown her shoes and she had bowed a tendon. Her steadfast desire to run, even in a worn-down state, caught the attention of AQHA Hall of Fame inductee Virginia E. “Ginger” Hyland. Hyland would eventually make Quarter Horse history when she became the first woman president of the AQHA in 1997. When Hyland met Trippy Dip, she was already a well-respected breeder.
“She had so much guts,” Hyland recalled. “I took one look at that great big, tall Thoroughbredy-looking bag of bones and said I’ll take her.” Hyland nursed Trippy Dip back to health at her family’s White Oaks Ranch near Lake Hughes, California.
A little more than a year after her final start, Hyland bred Trippy Dip to two-time World Champion Dash for Cash. The resulting foal, Calyx, won nine races, including the Marathon Invitational Handicap (Gr. 2), Endurance Handicap (Gr. 3) and QHBC Marathon Classic (Gr. 3). Calyx was named the 1987 AQHA Racing Champion Distance Horse. He went on to sire 655 AQHA registered foals that earned more than $7 million on the track. His best starters included Anyoldtimex, Comus, Curlys Fortune, Easily a Rogue, Kaydena, Make a Run, Newport Fancy, Speed Risk, Union Magic and Willie Call Me. His get and grandget also excelled in barrel racing.
Trippy Dip’s second foal, Timedancer, was a brown mare by Timeto Thinkrich. Timedancer only won one race and earned $3,192 on the track. She went on to produce graded stakes winner Taken All the Cash, as well as graded stakes contenders Fly Margarita and Chicks Think Rich. Notably, Timedancer was the second dam of graded stakes winner Romeo Ryon and stakes winners Margaritas N Coronas, Impeccable Timing, Master Time Dancer and Mahlanka. She is the third dam of Dippin in the Cash, the 2010 Northwest Hi-Point Three-Year-Old Filly; Celtic Classic, the 2011 New Mexico Hi-Point Aged Gedling; La China Maluca, the 2016 West/Southwest Hi-Point Three-Year-Old Filly; and Deniro, winner of the Los Alamitos Super Derby (Gr. 1).
Florentine, Trippy Dip’s third foal and second champion, was a full-sister to Calyx. She won sixteen races, including seven Grade 1 stakes races. Florentine was named the 1987 AQHA Racing Champion Three-Year-Old Filly, 1988 Champion Aged Mare and Champion Aged Horse. She produced This Snow Is Royal, the 1997 AQHA Racing Champion Two-Year-Old Colt. Florentine was also the dam of graded stakes winners Evening Snow and Avision, as well as stakes winner Achievement. Florentine is the second dam of Givinitaroyaleffort and third dam of King Brimmerton, both graded stakes winners. She is also the third dam of Brim of Royality, the 2010 Central Hi-Point Three-Year-Old Colt. Florentine was honored as the Broodmare of the Year in 1995 and as a Dam of Distinction in 2006.
Trippy Dip’s fourth foal, Gislin, was a full-sister to Timedancer. She was unplaced in three starts. Gislin produced Gray Invasion, the 2004 and 2007 Texas Hi-Point Aged Gelding. Gislin is also the second dam of stakes winner Money Talks First.
Shillings, Trippy Dip’s fifth foal, was a full-sibling to champions Calyx and Florentine. Shillings won the 1990 Viking Anne Handicap at Bay Meadows in San Mateo, California. She produced just two foals – Hartford and La Chelin. La Chelin was the second dam of Walk the Catwalk, the 2015 California Hi-Point Three-Year-Old Colt and 2016 California Hi-Point Aged Stallion.
Trippy Dip’s sixth foal, Casilia, was by Easy Jet. She placed in races at Los Alamitos and Bay Meadows. She produced twelve foals and was the second dam of Lil Dip a Nitro, the 2013 Northwest Hi-Point Three-Year-Old Gelding.
Stamen, Trippy Dip’s seventh foal, was her fourth foal by Dash for Cash. Stamen won sixteen races, including the Master Salls Handicap and Fine Loom Handicap. He was the 1994 New Mexico Hi-Point Aged Gelding and Hi-Point Distance Horse.
Trippy Dip’s eighth foal, Rivanne, was by First Down Dash. Rivanne won two races and was a finalist in the La Primera Del Ano Derby (Gr. 1). Rivanne produced fifteen foals, including stakes winners Rocketair and The Ravin Maniac. Rivanne is also the third dam of Jess Cuervo, the 2013 New Mexico Hi-Point Aged Stallion, as well as stakes winners Jess Ravin and Paintyourownwagon.
Alethia, Trippy Dip’s fifth foal by Dash for Cash, won three races and was a finalist in the Golden State Futurity and QHBC Distaff Classic. She produced twelve foals, including multiple graded stakes winner Lady Tenaya. Through Lady Tenaya, Alethia is the second dam of Tenayas Kid, the 2022 Mexico Hi-Point Aged Stallion, as well as graded stakes winners Desirio and Corona for the Lady. Alethia is also the third dam of His Time to Deal, the 2022 Texas Hi-Point Aged Gelding. Graded stakes winners This Is an Eagle and This Is a Deal Too are also out of granddaughters of Alethia.
Trippy Dip’s tenth foal, Stylus, was her final foal by Dash for Cash. Stylus won six races, including the El Ocho Setenta Handicap and AQHA Distance Challenge #1. He went on to sire 176 AQHA registered foals. Stylus Edge, winner of the 2002 Diamond Classic Futurity (Gr. 2) at Wyoming Downs, was one of his best starters.
Ive Been Blessed was Trippy Dip’s eleventh foal and third champion. He was a brown gelding by First Down Dash. Ive Been Blessed was voted the 1997 AQHA Racing Champion Distance Horse after his win in the Marathon Handicap. He continued racing until he was ten years old.
In 1993, Trippy Dip and her daughter Florentine were purchased by AQHA Hall of Fame inductee Abigail K. Kawananakoa. She bred Florentine’s champion son, This Snow Is Royal. He was one of 40 stakes winners bred in Kawananakoa’s name. Unfortunately, the first three foals that Trippy Dip produced for Kawananakoa – A Trip to Remember, Trippy Dip Royal and A Royal Classic Trip – all died before they had any offspring.
Royal Trippy Dip, Trippy Dip’s fifteenth foal, was by Chicks Beduino. Royal Trippy Dip won five races and qualified for the California Juvenile Challenge. Royal Trippy Dip produced stakes winner Trippys Royal Jess. She is the second dam of Hrh Tres Royale, the 2016 Canada Hi-Point Three-Year-Old Colt.
By the time Trippy Dip was 23 years old, she had developed crippling osteoarthritis in her right knee. She was euthanized on June 24th, 1999. The following spring, her final foal, Royal Miracle Dip, was born via embryo transfer. Royal Miracle Dip won three races, including the Holiday Handicap at Los Alamitos. He went on to sire 126 AQHA registered foals. His best starters included Champ Du Jour and This Royal Perks.
Trippy Dip was honored as an AQHA Dam of Distinction in 2006 and inducted into the AQHA Hall of Fame in 2019. Her sixteen foals won 69 races and earned $1,746,567 on the track. As of last year, she still ranked ninth on the list of All-Time Leading Dams by Stakes Winners. She is the only Thoroughbred in the top fifty.
Sources: Equineline, Equibase, American Quarter Horse Association, Speedhorse Magazine
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