Born 7-1-26. Some years we do a fun theme for names. This year for Top Gun Whiskey we are continuing with Top Gun Call Signs from the original 1986 movie and the 2022 movie. Our other stallions will have the names of Rock Bands from the 70s, 80s and 90s. In Top Gun Maverick, Phoenix is the call sign for Lieutenant Natasha “Phoenix” Trace. She is a naval aviator and a graduate of the elite Top Gun program, flying the F/A-18F. Super Phoenix is one of the select few pilots chosen to train for a secret mission to destroy a rogue uranium enrichment facility. She is paired with her Weapons Systems Officer, Lt. Robert “Bob” Floyd and is mentored by Maverick.

‘Phoenix’ is a bay filly with a slender star and big snip. Her dam is Two ID Sweet Shine aka Lizzie. “Lizzie” is a beautiful bay roan mare we picked up from Tien Quarter Horses in Prairie View KS. We are very excited to have another Two ID Sweet Jack daughter in our program. We had been looking for replacements of our own older Pitzer bred mares and found Lizzie! Her sire, Two ID Sweet Jack (now deceased) was bred by the Pitzer Ranch and sired by two-time world champion Two ID Bartender (1983 Jr. Heading and Heeling World Champion) and out of an own daughter of Watch Joe Jack, which makes him 37.5% Two Eyed Jack.  He had a great disposition and was a very quick, athletic horse with a big stop.  He was a talented performer having earned 330.5 AQHA points, which made him the top performance horse sired by Two ID Bartender. In 2001 he became an AQHA Performance Champion and he qualified for the AQHA World Show four consecutive years. He made the finals in all three roping events and in 2000 he placed 7th in Sr. Heeling.  The "Sweet Jack" colts are good-minded, athletic horses that ride extremely well.  He has had 8 foals shown as well. Lizzie’s dam, Zan N Shine, is by Fuel N Shine. Fuel N Shine is a Shining Spark son who is an AQHA World Champion Jr Working Cow Horse, Performance Register of Merit (AQH ROM WCH and Reining) and a Jr Reining World Show Qualifier. Zan N Shine is out of Lizzie Zan Parr, by Skip Zan Parr an AQHA Champion, Superior Western Pleasure and a World Champion sire. Skip Zan Parr is a son of Zan Parr Bar. We were excited to introduce this pedigree into our program as well! Lizzie was started under saddle spring 2020 and did very well. Lizzie’s first foal, Whiskey Up Fern JW, went to WI with our intern we had that season. Her 2nd foal, Whiskey Up Quartz JW, was a very nice colt that is in MT. Her 2024 foal, Whiskey Up Pulsar JW is now in TX. Her 2025 bay roan colt, Top Gun Merlin JW, went to repeat buyer.

Her sire Top Gun Whiskey is one of four Paddys Irish Whiskey sons that we own. This is his 8th foal crop. We decided to give Top Gun a shot at the show ring before breeding him. In 2016 he qualified for the AQHA World Show in Jr Reining, Jr Reining Level 2 and Jr Cowhorse Level 2; in 2017 he qualified for the AQHA World Show in Jr Cowhorse, Jr Cowhorse Level 2 and Open Heading Level 2 placing 6th.  It has been an interesting ride as he continued to show during the 2018 year as well as breed some of our mares for 2019 foals. Top Gun qualified for the 2018 World NRCHA show, was 2018 North Central Regional NRCHA Champion and has earned 47 AQHA performance points in reining, working cow horse, heading, vrh cutting, vrh confirmation, vrh reining and heeling. He also has his AQHA Open Performance ROM. Top Gun was injured during 2019 breeding season that cut his showing career short, but he still qualified for NRCHA Celebration of Champions in LTD Open Bridle. He was North Central Region NRCHA 4th place LTD Open Bridle and North Central Region NRCHA 9th place Open Bridle. Check out his stallion page for the most up to date information as we will change it as it happens.

Phoenix will have all the right moves and ‘cowiness’ to make an excellent performance, ranch, or rope horse. She will be a dynamo package with a good disposition. We truly feel these Top Gun babies are show quality and have potential to be a reined cowhorse. Picking out the names this season was done intentionally for these foals to have a ‘show’ worthy name. Top Gun’s foals are robust with big shoulders which should physically help them circle a cow. We are hopeful that a few of his foals land in some show homes, but we plan to retain Phoenix for ourselves.

Foal is eligible for the Iowa Quarter Horse Association Ranch Horse Futurity.

Genetic Results

Sire Genetic Results

Dam Genetic Results