April 22, 2008--Got Country Grip, a 5-year-old racing American Paint Horse, has kept track aficionados watching and waiting to see if the gelding could make the record books, but it was not to be. Got Country Grip lost his bid for a record-setting 17th straight victory with a defeat to Bust N Moves in the Mr. Lewie Memorial Handicap at Remington Park on April 20.
If Got Country Grip had won the race, he would have set the modern North American record for consecutive wins by a racehorse saddled with a jockey. But even with the loss, Got Country Grip’s record of 16 consecutive wins ties him with some of the most illustrious names in Thoroughbred racing, including Citation and Cigar.
“We are honored to be able to say that a Paint Horse is setting a new standard of excellence in a sport so rich with history,” says American Paint Horse Association President Carl Thurow. “Got Country Grip is one of the greatest racehorses of all time.”
Owned by Jimmy Maddux of Weatherford, Texas, and trained by Brandon Parum, Got Country Grip has been ridden in all 17 races by G.R. Carter, Jr. After winning his 16th race, Got Country Grip became the highest money-earning Paint racehorse with total lifetime earnings of $257,578. The bay gelding is sired by Country Quick Dash and is out of Got A Grip.
In 1966 the American Paint Horse Association officially recognized the racing. Today, 18 states now feature Paint racing, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.