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through considered breeding strategies, horses of superior
lineage--that is, horses descended from proven champions.
Petitioners would then incur the expense of training the horses
and entering them in competitions in an effort to demonstrate
their worth. Petitioners had a stallion, Docs Fancy Feat, they
considered quite promising in the 1980's. Docs Fancy Feat was
born in 1976, and as a 3-year-old missed by one-half point making
the finals in "open" (professional) class competition in the
National Cutting Horse Association Futurity in 1979. He was
ridden in that competition by Mr. Hightower. As a result, Mrs.
Sullivan embarked on a lengthier process of campaigning him at
weekend events in an effort to qualify for the World
Championship. In 1981, Mrs. Sullivan became pregnant and did not
ride Docs Fancy Feat in competition in the remainder of that year
or 1982. As a result, the horse was sent to a trainer in Arizona
who wished to campaign him. However, the trainer's feeding
practices caused Docs Fancy Feat to suffer colic, which is
potentially lethal in horses, and he consequently was returned to
petitioners in December 1981. The horse then required remedial
training for nearly 1 year to reverse certain undesirable
training received in Arizona. Sometime during the period
starting in late 1982 and continuing through the end of 1985,
Mrs. Sullivan twice suffered ankle injuries. Docs Fancy Feat
injured his leg in 1987, necessitating a year's rest from
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