Spooks Gotta Whiz is one of the most recognizable names in the reining horse industry. Not only is the 2007 bay stallion annually in the top two sires of National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) top money earners, last year he also stepped back into the arena as a 17-year-old to compete in one of the industry’s most prestigious evens, The Run For A Million. As though this isn’t a strong enough resume, he’s also a past NRHA Open Futurity Champion.
Yet for his owner, Michell Anne Kimball, and his longtime trainer, Shawn Flarida, what first comes to mind about the stallion is his personality and his smarts. After nearly 15 years standing at stud and offspring that have earned more than $11 million, the stallion continues to pass on those qualities, as well as athleticism, to his offspring.
Kimball and Spooks Gotta Whiz’s journey to the top of the reining industry reads like a fabled tale, and one that is not over just yet. This special stallion, nicknamed “Baby,” is far from done impacting the industry.
Almost a Fairytale
For 30 years, Kimball trained and rode hunter/jumper horses. The then-California-based horsewoman traveled to an event in Las Vegas to watch reining horses and buy a Western mount. But she left with the desire to launch into the reining industry with an NRHA Futurity prospect.
“Everyone there was talking about this ‘futurity’ event that sounded fun,” she recalls. “I started looking for a futurity-aged horse, and after someone said a trainer can show three horses, I started looking for three. I had bred one of my mares to Spooks Gotta Whiz’s [sire, Spooks Gotta Gun], and the [sire’s] owner was at the event. I asked him how to go about buying futurity horses, and he said he had two for sale. I flew to Texas to see these two.”
She left Texas with one horse, but it would turn out to be a unicorn for her. Spooks Gotta Whiz was by 2003 stallion Spooks Gotta Gun, a multiple-time NRHA champion, and out of Prettywhizprettydoes by legendary stallion Topsail Whiz. Spooks Gotta Whiz was bred by renowned horseman Clint Haverty. In multiple interviews, Haverty has said that crossing Spooks Gotta Gun with Prettywhizprettydoes would “result in a special horse.” He saw it producing a trainable horse with a desire to please, and that description fits Baby to a “T.”
Kimball and her lone NRHA Futurity entry paired with champion rider Jordan Larson for only nine days before the event started. It took until sliding stop number three for Larson and the horse to click, but once the duo did, they started writing Kimball’s fairytale.
The story continued when NRHA 6 Million Dollar and Hall of Fame Rider Shawn Flarida stepped into Baby’s saddle as his trainer and pilot in for the horse’s Derby-aged events. From 2012 through the stallion’s retirement in 2014, Flarida and the bay were nearly unstoppable.
“The one thing that sets this horse apart is that he is absolutely stunning in his appearance, he’s absolutely gorgeous,” Flarida says. “The other thing that sets him apart is his personality and his interactions. He wants to be with you and is so kind. He’s a superior individual, great minded, fun to be around, and more human than horse.”
Kimball’s ultimate goal, to watch her horse compete at the World Equestrian Games, came true in 2014. In Normandy, France, the duo took home not only two gold medals but made a record-setting run in the Open Reining. The memory stands out for both Flarida and Kimball.
“I was so proud of him, and of course, proud of Shawn,” Kimball says. “I had retired him for an entire year from showing so he could rest up to go to the WEG because it was so important to me. It was always my dream to go there; that is the world I grew up in but couldn’t have imagined ever going. My horse has done so many things to bring me to a world I never would have met or been a part of, had it not been for him and Shawn’s accomplishments.”
Changing the Game
Ensuring her horse’s future bloodline was of the utmost importance to Kimball. With dedicated management, Spooks Gotta Whiz has not only sired healthy foals, but champions. His pilot, Flarida, has ridden many, but most notable are two stallions: Alpha Jac Sparrow and Spooks Gotta Spark.
“The common denominator on all his foals is the brain; they could do anything,” Flarida says. “I have two 3-year-olds by Spooks Gotta Whiz and I love them. I love animals you can teach. You show them a couple things, and by the third or fourth time, they get what you’re doing, and it’s almost like a chess game to them. They excite me!”
When it came time to breed, Kimball leaned heavily on her background in engineering and science and her minor in biology. Today’s equine breeding industry is reliant on being aware of and understanding genetic mutations, like the ones seen in humans that cause disabilities. Yet, if managed properly, horses that have a recessive trait, like Spooks Gotta Whiz does for GBED (glycogen-branching enzyme deficiency), will not sire affected horses.
Kimball also worked tirelessly for five years to have the American Quarter Horse Association require genetic testing, as she does before mares are bred to Baby. It’s been a challenge, she says, but worth it to keep the horse’s best interests at the forefront.
These exceptional offspring show a willingness to do their job, which is reminiscent of how Flarida remembers Baby, who always showed up ready to work. When Kimball called Flarida to see if he was interested in showing the 17-year-old stallion at The Run For A Million, it was a quick and easy “yes” from the Ohio-based trainer. They both wanted to see the horse do his job again, 10 years after retiring to stud.
“It wasn’t about going and winning,” Kimball says. “I thought it would be really fun to show the world, (and) my customers breeding to him, that reiners aren’t broken when they’re 17 years old. He got a standing ovation going into the ring and when he left the ring. He belonged there. It was a fun thing to do and a proud moment.”
She is equally proud when one of Spooks Gotta Whiz’s offspring do well. Kimball will continue to have the chance to cheer for them in the reining arena, and others like ranch riding, versatility, and all-around events. The stallion has multiple offspring headed to the 2025 NRHA Futurity to kick-start their reining careers.
“His offspring have won over 11 million dollars, and that’s not by mistake,” Flarida says. “He’s proven on a lot of mares. He is crossing on various mares and doing his job. I’m happy for him, happy for Michell, and it makes me proud of him.”
Spooks Gotta Whiz Facts & Stats
Stats: 2007 AQHA/APHA bay stallion bred by Clint Haverty and owned by Michell Ann Kimball
Pedigree: Spooks Gotta Gun x Prettywhizprettydoes x Topsail Whiz
Lifetime Earnings: $346,715
Accolades:
◆ 11 Million Dollar Sire
◆ National Reining Horse Association Hall of Fame Sire
◆ 2010 NRHA Futurity Champion with Jordan Larson
◆ 2012 NRBC Open Derby Champion with Shawn Flarida
◆ 2012 NRHA Open Derby Champion with Shawn Flarida
◆ 2014 World Equestrian Games Gold Medal winner and Open Reining Champion with Shawn Flarida
◆ 2014 United States Equestrian Federation National Championship Open Champion with Shawn Flarida
Top 5 Progeny:
1. Mic Dropp (2019 bay stallion out of Dun Dry Whiz; earned more than $347,000 with top three places at 2024 The Run For A Million and the High roller Reining Classic 4-Year-Old Stakes)
2. Alpha Jac Sparrow (2018 bay stallion out of Chexanicki; earned more than $273,000 with wins at the 2022 High Roller Reining Classic Stakes Level 4 Open)
3. Spooks Gotta Spark (2013 buckskin stallion out of Dolittle Lena; earner of more than $280,000 with wins at the 2021 AQHA World Champion Senior Reining Horse and Run For A Million Open Reserve Champion)
4. Gotta Twist It Up (2013 buckskin stallion out of Make It With A Twist; more than $234,000 with wins in 2017 NRHA Derby Non Pro, in 2018 at the NRHA Derby in the Non Pro and at the NRBC in the Intermediate Non Pro levels)
5. Spooky Whiz (2013 bay stallion out of Myo Starlight; more than $186,000 with wins in the 2016 NRHA Open Level 4 Futurity)
This article about Spooks Gotta Whiz appeared in the Summer 2025 issue of Western Life Today magazine. Click here to subscribe!
