If you ask Bill and Deb Myers of Myers Performance Horses in St. Onge, S.D., to describe legendary barrel horse sire Frenchmans Guy in a single phrase, it doesn’t take them long to settle on one: life-changing. The Myers purchased “Guy” as a yearling in 1988, intending to train and sell him as part of their performance horse program, but fate had bigger plans.
“Many people know he lost his right eye, but what they probably don’t realize is how much that freak accident likely changed the course of the future for him and for us,” says Bill. “We had trained his brothers and sisters prior to buying him and sold most of them because they were such good performance horses. They were worth a lot of money, and he was kind of purchased with that intention. We didn’t buy him thinking we’d use him as a stallion.”
A Star is Born
Unfazed by the loss of his eye, Guy excelled in training, collecting earnings in barrel racing futurities and rodeos, and qualifying as a finalist at both the prestigious Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Badlands Circuit Finals and the South Dakota Rodeo Association Finals. He was a kind, affectionate horse with an intelligence Bill describes as almost human-like.
“He was just different,” Bill recalls. “He could almost talk to you. When we started him as a colt, we knew he was special. He just had that feel about him, and you could tell he knew he was a great horse—he had that presence. He carried himself that way his whole life.”
Guy was a tough competitor, but his real mark was made in the breeding shed. Known for his good-mindedness, easy-going nature and raw athletic ability, the stunning palomino stallion stamped his offspring with a signature look and style that Bill says is still recognizable two or three generations out.
“The Laughing Boy bloodline that Guy has is something you don’t see a lot,” Bill says. “He was a very pretty horse and a superstar broodmare producer. I always felt that was the part of his pedigree that really propelled the athleticism and movement you see in his colts. They’re very pretty, and the Laughing Boy-bred horses up in our part of the country were really noted for being beautiful and having that signature look.
“I’ll go to the barrel arena or the roping pen and be able to pick them out,” he continues. “They have beautiful heads and great movement. Those horses have a real strong look that’s easy to recognize. I can say pretty easily, ‘That’s a Frenchmans Guy right there.’”
How Frenchmans Guy Revolutionized an Industry
Guy began his career in the stallion barn in 1990, breeding a handful of mares while still flourishing under the pressure of training and competing. But by the mid-1990s, the stallion’s breeding career was in full swing as he was booked to mares across a wide span of Western performance disciplines.
His greatest impact was in the barrel racing arena, where he was crossed largely on running-bred mares with a heavy racehorse influence. Previously dominated by off-the-track Quarter Horses, the barrel racing industry embraced stallions like Frenchmans Guy, who tempered the more reactive nature of the racehorse bloodlines while simultaneously preserving the speed and athleticism required to win in timed events.
“His bloodline crossed over into the racehorse world so well because he offered a little bit more calmness and an ability to think things through and handle pressure,” Bill explains. “That ability to compete and not get rattled was a big asset in the barrel horse bloodlines, and people recognized that. It’s evident looking back there are certain bloodlines that have emerged through the years that helped establish the industry as we know it today. He definitely played a big role in that.”
Leaving a Legacy
Guy passed away in 2021 at the age of 34 with progeny earnings exceeding $15,000,000—and climbing. But his impact remains strong, both on and off the Myers’ ranch.
“You couldn’t have written a script that would have played out the way this one did,” Bill says. “He allowed us to build a program we never would have been able to build without the kind of colts he produced. You can hope and dream and say, ‘Maybe one day we could do this.’ Frenchmans Guy actually did the things that seemed unimaginable. He was the pinnacle of our program. Looking back, it’s overwhelming and humbling. I could go on forever about all the ways in which that horse added to our lives.”
In Western performance arenas, the impact of Frenchmans Guy remains undeniable. His usability, athleticism, and drive to excel are found in offspring that run the gamut. From professional rodeo competitors to trusty youth mounts, his influence is never far from the surface. And anytime a white-splashed palomino runs down the alleyway or the word ‘Guy’ surfaces anywhere in a barrel horse’s pedigree, the odds are good only one name comes to mind: Frenchmans Guy.
This article about Frenchmans Guy appeared in the Winter 2023 issue of Western Life Today magazine. Click here to subscribe!
