By Kay Kay Roper
In Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, now deceased barrel and pole bending horse,
Hot Shot Rey, owned by Clayton Bryant, Sr., of Appomattox, VA, was inducted
into the ProTour Hall of Fame. This was read at his induction.
| WHEN WE HEARD HOT SHOT REY WAS BEING INDUCTED INTO THE
PRO TOUR HALL OF FAME WE WORRIED ABOUT WHAT TO WRITE ABOUT HIM. WE KNEW
IT WAS NO WAY TO INCLUDE ALL OF HIS GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS, ALL THE HORSE
SHOWS HE WON IN BARRELS AND POLES, or THE WAY HE SPOILED US TO WINNING.
FRANKLY, WE COULD GO ON FOR HOURS BECAUSE LORD KNOWS HE WON A LOT OF
MONEY, HE WON SHOWS FROM STATE TO STATE, AND HE SURE DID SPOIL CLAYTON
BRYANT TO WINNING. HE WAS SO GREAT AND WITH LACK OF BETTER WORDING, A
SMART GENTLEMAN WHO KNEW WHAT HE WAS BORN TO DO. |
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THE BEST WAY I CAN SAY HE TOUCHED OUR HEARTS AND LIVES WAS NOT THROUGH
OUR POCKET BOOKS OR THE ABUNDANT AMOUNT OF TROPHIES OR RIBBONS HE WON, BUT
THROUGH
HIS HEART AND TRY. HE HAD A WILL TO WIN AND A HEART THE SIZE OF A F150.
HOT SHOT WOULD HAVE RAN ON THREE LEGS IF HE HAD TO. THAT NEVER WAIVERED THE
WHOLE
TIME HE COMPETED. EVEN WHEN YEARS AND AGE TOOK TOLL ON HIS COPPER COLORED
BODY, HE WOULD STILL KEEP ALL THE OTHER HORSES HONEST. HE WOULDN’T
ALLOW FOR ANY HANDOUTS OR EASY WINS. AT 20 YEARS OLD HE WAS STILL WINNING
AND/OR PLACING IN TOUGH BARREL RACES AND WE WANT TO PAY HIM TRIBUTE FOR HIS
LIFE’S WORK. WE, ALSO, WANT TO THANK THE GOOD LORD ABOVE FOR BLESSING
OUR FAMILY WITH SUCH A SPECIAL GIFT.
| ON MARCH 1, 1968, HOT SHOT REY WAS BORN. JUST AFTER TURNING
5 MONTHS OLD, BUDDY ALEXANDER PURCHASED HIM AT A FARM DISPERSAL SALE
IN LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY FOR A MERE $500.00. CALVIN COFFEE BROKE HIM TO
RIDE AND EVENTUALLY TRAINED HIM ON THE BARRELS. HOWEVER, BEFORE HIS BARREL
TRAINING, BUDDY USED HOT SHOT ON THE FARM. HE PULLED LOGS AND RAN 130
HEAD OF ANGUS CATTLE. BUDDY SAID, WHEN HOT SHOT WAS YOUNG, HE WOULD FEED
HIM AT THE TOP OF A HILL AND RUN NARROW ELECTRIC FENCING FROM THE TOP
DOWN TO THE CREEK, SO WHEN HE FINISHED DRINKING HE WOULD HAVE TO BACK
UP THE HILL. AND IF ANYONE SAW HOT SHOT AT ANY TIME OF HIS LIFE, THEY
ARE PROBABLY THINKING TO THEMSELVES, “MAN, I BET THAT IS WHY HE
LOOKED LIKE A TANK.” BUDDY SAID IT REALLY PUT A SET OF HAUNCHES
ON HIM AND TO THE DAY HE DIED, HE NEVER LOST HIS MUSCLE TONE. WHO KNOWS,
HIS HUMBLE AND HARD BEGINNINGS MAY HAVE MADE HIM LOVE THE BARRELS THE
WAY HE DID. IT MAY HAVE GIVEN HIM THE HUNGER TO WIN BECAUSE HE ENJOYED
IT SO MUCH. AFTER THIS, CALVIN COFFEE BEGAN TRAINING HOT SHOT ON THE
BARRELS AND POLES AND AT AGE 7 TO 8, HE WAS WINNING HIS WAY INTO BECOMING
A LEGEND. |
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IN 1978, CLAYTON BRYANT WAS VOYAGING OUT TO THE QUARTER HORSE CONGRESS.
HE WAS CARRYING WHAT SOME MIGHT CALL YOUR RUN OF THE MILL KIND OF HORSE AND
WAS HUNGRY TO FIND A GOOD ONE. HE ASKED BEV THOMAS ON THE WAY, WHAT HORSE
WOULD A MAN BUY IF HE WANTED ONE OF THE BEST IN THE WORLD. BEV QUICKLY SAID, “YOU’LL
SEE HIM OUT HERE. HOT SHOT REY. HE IS THE BEST IN THE WORLD” WELL,
TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT, HOT SHOT WON THE CONGRESS WITH CALVIN COFFEE
ON HIS BACK, SETTING A NEW ARENA RECORD. THE CLOSEST TIME TO HIS WAS 4 TENTHS
OFF. NEEDLESS TO SAY, CLAYTON CALLED THE NEXT WEEK AND BOUGHT HIM. AFTER CLAYTON BRYANT BOUGHT HOT SHOT, THE FIRST TO RIDE HIM WAS BEV THOMAS.
I CALLED BEV LAST WEEK AND ASKED HIM SOME OF THE THINGS THEY WON TOGETHER
AND SOME SORT OF RECORD TO TALK ABOUT AND HIS REPLY WAS “HE WON ONE
AFTER ANOTHER. WE WON 27 BARREL RACES IN A ROW AND PUT THE RECORDS IN OUR
POCKET.” AND HOT SHOT TRULY DID MAKE THE MONEY. AT ONE BARREL RACE
HE PLACED 1ST AND ANOTHER HORSE CLAYTON OWNED, SPORTY CHICK PLACED 2ND AND
CLAYTON PULLED IN $18,000.00 JUST OUT OF CALCUTTA. ONE OF THE BIG RACES BEV
WON IN LATER YEARS WAS THE 1985 EASTERN PERFORMANCE HORSE STAKE IN HERNDON,
VA. HE BEAT 93 OF THE BEST HORSES ON THE EAST COAST.
AFTER BEV CAME GARY PETTY WHO WON MANY BARREL RACES AS WELL AS MADE RESERVE
CHAMPION IN THE AQHA WORLD SHOW ON HOT SHOT.
AFTER GARY CAME ALLEN FLETCHER AND LORD KNOWS THAT WAS AN ENDEAVOR IN ITSELF.
THE MOST MEMORABLE TIME THAT ALLEN HAD ON HOT SHOT WAS SAID TO BE IN RALIEGH,
NORTH CAROLINA, WHERE ALLEN UNLOADED HOT SHOT OFF THE TRAILER INTO THE
SNOW WHILE CLAYTON TORE THE WHOLE BACK GLASS AND HALF THE BACK CAB OFF
THE DUELLY
TRYING TO PARK. ALLEN SAID, WE WON 10 OUT OF 11 BARREL RACES THAT WEEK
AND PLACED 2ND IN THE 11TH, AND CLAYTON GRIPED ALL THE WAY HOME.
AND THEN VAN MANLEY CAME ALONG. HE WON 16 BARREL RACES IN A ROW ONE SUMMER
ON HOT SHOT IN THE MID 1980S.
OTHER RIDER’S FOLLOWED AND THE OUTCOME WAS INEVITABLE. THEY WON.
YOU SEE, WITH HOT SHOT, YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO HAVE A CERTAIN STYLE OF
RIDING OR ANY TRICKS UP YOUR SLEEVE. ALL HE REQUIRED WAS A JOCKEY WITH A
GOOD SEAT IN HIS SADDLE. HE WOULD DRIVE YOU INTO VICTORY. EVERYONE WHO RODE
HIM WON ON HIM. CLAYTON WOULD ALWAYS SAY, “YOU COULD PUT A MONKEY ON
HIS BACK AND HE COULD WIN.” HE WOULD WALK INTO THE RING, LOOK AROUND, TWITCH HIS EARS AND ASSESS THE
GROUND, DO HIS BUSINESS AND TAKE OFF. IF ANY HORSE WAS PLANNING ON EVEN GETTING
CLOSE, THEY HAD BETTER COMING RUNNING WITH EVERYTHING THEY HAD. HOT SHOT
WAS NOT ONLY REMARKABLE IN BARREL RACING, BUT HE WAS EVERY BIT AS GOOD A
POLE HORSE AS A BARREL HORSE. HE WAS RUNNING LOW 19 SECOND TIMES CONSISTENTLY
AND MAKING IT LOOK EASY. HOT SHOT NOT ONLY RAN CONSISTENT 19 SECOND POLE
PATTERNS, BUT ALSO BROKE INTO THE 18'S W/ TRAINER CALVIN COFFEE. CALVIN WAS
SO CONFIDENT IN REY, HE WOULD ALWAYS SAY, “IF YOU THINK YOU’VE
GOT A BETTER ONE, JUST FOLLOW ME DOWN THE ROAD, SOMETIME.” SOME OF THE RECORDS:
IN 1976, HOT SHOT WON HIS FIRST REAL BIG SHOW IN OKLAHOMA CITY. HE RAN
A LOW 19 IN THE POLES, AFTER SLIPPING AND LOSING HIS BACK SHOE.
IN 1977, HOT SHOT GOT RESERVE CHAMPION IN THE QUARTER HORSE CONGRESS.
IN 1978, HOT SHOT WON THE QUARTER HORSE CONGRESS SETTING A NEW ARENA RECORD,
RUNNING THE FIRST 14 IN THAT PATTERN, WHICH HELD FOR YEARS. ONLY AFTER CHANGING
THE PATTERN AND THE USE OF TRACTORS AND DRAGS RATHER THAN HAND RAKES WAS
IT BROKEN. THE CLOSET TIME TO HIS IN 78' WAS MARTHA JOSEY W/ A 15.3.
IN 1978, HOT SHOT GOT RESERVE CHAMPION IN THE WORLD BARREL RACE AND WOULD
HAVE WON THE POLES BUT KNOCKED OVER.
IN 1985, HOT SHOT WON THE EASTERN PERFORMANCE BARREL RACE BEATING OUT 93
OF THE BEST HORSES ON THE EAST COAST.
IN 1979 HOT SHOT GOT RESERVE CHAMPION AT THE AQHA WORLD HORSE SHOW.
FROM 1979 TO 1981, EVERY AQHA POINTS POLE BENDING CLASS HOT SHOT ENTERED,
HE WON.
HOT SHOT WON BARREL RACES ALL OVER RANGING FROM MANY DIFFERENT COUNTIES
AND CITIES IN INDIANA, KENTUCKY, OHIO, OKLAHOMA, ILLINOIS, VIRGINIA, TENNESSEE,
NORTH CAROLINA, SOUTH CAROLINA, GEORGIA, FLORIDA, PENNSYLVANIA, WEST VIRGINIA,
COLORADO AND SO ON.
HOT SHOT WON RESERVE WORLD CHAMPION IN SR. BARREL RACING IN 1979.
SUPERIOR POLE BENDING IN 1978.
HOT SHOT RECEIVED 2ND PLACE IN HIGH POINT POLE BENDING IN 1978 ON YEAR
END AWARD LEADERS LIST.
RESERVE WORLD CHAMPION IN SR. BARREL RACING IN 1978
SUPERIOR BARREL RACING IN 1976
PERFORMANCE REGISTER OF MERIT IN 1975.
HOT SHOT WON NUMEROUS STATE FAIRS: 3 CONSECUTIVE YEARS IN KENTUCKY AND
NUMEROUS YEARS IN RICHMOND, VA.
HE RETIRED WITH 360 CAREER POINTS IN BARREL RACING IN AQHA STANDINGS AND
148 POINTS IN POLES AQHA STANDINGS. THIS WAS BEFORE DOUBLE POINTS AND BEFORE
CLASSES WERE AS BIG AS THEY ARE NOW. HE NEVER RAN IN AN AMATEUR BARREL RACE,
ONLY OPEN ONES AND STILL IN 2005, OUT OF HORSES THAT RAN IN AMATEUR AND OPEN
BARREL RACES, HE IS IN THE TOP 35 IN AQHA POINTS OF ALL TIME. AT ABOUT 15 HOT SHOT WAS HOT. HE WAS WINNING LOCALLY AND OUT OF STATE, CONSISTENTLY.
HOWEVER, DUE TO A TERRIBLE CASE OF FOUNDERING, 3 DIFFERENT VETERINARIANS
WERE POSITIVE HE WOULD NEVER RUN AGAIN, MUCH LESS WALK AGAIN. CLAYTON, HOWEVER,
HAD ANOTHER IDEA. HE BEGAN TYING HIM IN THE CREEK AND SOAKING HIS FEET, RELIGIOUSLY.
HE SOON BUILT A CONCRETE LEG SOAKING POOL IN HIS BARN AND SOAKED HIM EVEN
MORE. WHEN ONLY SLIGHT PROGRESS OCCURRED, HE TURNED HOT SHOT OUT FOR ABOUT
30 DAYS AS THE VETS HAD ASKED HIM TO DO. WELL, OVER THOSE 30 DAYS IT RAINED
ALMOST DAY AND NIGHT AND THE FIELDS WERE HIGH W/ HAY. HOT SHOT WAS SOON KICKING
UP HIS HEELS AGAIN AND CLAYTON FOUND HIM ONE GREAT DAY RUNNING ACROSS THE
FARM. THE VET SOON MADE A HOUSE CALL. HE SAID HE HAD NEVER IN HIS LIFE SEEN
A CASE LIKE THAT BEFORE. AND I QUOTE, “HOT SHOT SHED HIS OLD FEET AND
GREW NEW ONES.” HE HAD NEVER SEEN OR HEARD OF THIS IN ANY OTHER HORSE
BEFORE W/ THE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE HOT SHOT’S FEET HAD UNDERWENT. NOT TOO
LONG LATER, VAN MANLEY WAS RIDING HIM TO VICTORY AGAIN. HE MADE A REAL COMEBACK
AT AGE 16 W/ 16 CONSECUTIVE WINS IN A ROW. CLAYTON WOULD JUST LAUGH AND SAY, “ WELL,
HE MIGHT HAVE SOME AGE TO HIM, BUT HIS FEET ARE BRAND NEW.” THIS WAS
YET ANOTHER DISPLAY OF HOT SHOT’S ATHLETICISM, HEART, AND UNWILLINGNESS
TO GIVE UP.
YOU COULD NEVER COUNT OLE’ REY OUT EITHER. WHEN HE WAS REALLY GETTING
UP THERE IN AGE, CLAYTON WAS HAULING REACH AND GO, WHICH WAS ANOTHER GREAT
HORSE OF HIS TIME ALONG WITH HOT SHOT. HE WAS SUPPOSED TO REPLACE REY WHEN
REY WAS EVENTUALLY RETIRED. HOWEVER, HOT SHOT WASN’T READY TO BE RETIRED.
HE WOULD JUST ABOUT TEAR DOWN THE STALL IF HE SAW A HORSE TRAILER AND TRUCK
PULL UP TO THE BARN AND HE WASN’T GETTING ON IT. AROUND THIS TIME,
CLAYTON HAD HAULED OUT TO WEST VIRGINIA TO A BIG BARREL RACE AND REACH AND
GO HAD HAD A GORGEOUS RUN W/ VAN MANLEY RIDING HIM. WELL, ABOUT 50 HORSES
LATER, HE WAS NIPPED BY ANOTHER HORSE AND PUT IN 2ND PLACE. CLAYTON HAD PARTLY
FORGOTTEN ABOUT REY STILL LEFT TO RUN AND JUST KNEW THERE WOULD BE NO FIRST
PLACES THAT DAY. WELL, ABOUT 2ND TO LAST TO RUN BEV THOMAS CAME IN RIDING
HOT SHOT REY AND WHEN HE TURNED THE 3RD BARREL HE HIT HIM W/ A SMALL HANDWHIP.
REY ABOUT RIPPED THE PAINT OFF THE BACKSIDE OF THE BARREL AND REMINDED EVERYONE
HE WASN’T READY FOR HIS ROCKING CHAIR YET. HE WON THE BARREL RACE AND
ONE THING THAT ALWAYS MAKES CLAYTON BRYANT TEAR UP IS WHAT THE ANNOUNCER
SAID, “WELL, BOYS, THERE’S A NEW DUCK ON THE POND.” HOT SHOT LIVED TO THE RIPE OLD AGE OF 28 AND SPENT HIS LAST YEARS ROAMING
AROUND ON CLAYTON’S 600 ACRE FARM. HE NOW IS BURIED BENEATH A LARGE
STATUTE THAT IN NO WAY SHAPE OR FORM COULD EVER MARK THE CALIBER HORSE HE
TRULY WAS.
CLAYTON BRYANT HAS OWNED A LOT OF OTHER GREAT HORSES; REACH AND GO, BRAVE
PHANTOM, SPORTY CHICK, ROCKAFELLA’S MONEY, DINAMO’S BUG, NOW
PROMISES TO DASH AND SOME GOOD COLTS UP AND COMING AND THE LIST GOES ON,
BUT HOT SHOT WAS MORE THAN GREAT. HE HAD THAT EXTRA SOMETHING THAT A PERSON
CAN HUNT IN A HORSE THEIR WHOLE LIFE AND ONLY FIND A GLIMPSE OF. HE TRULY
WAS BEFORE HIS TIME. CLAYTON BRYANT SAYS, “YOUR CHANCES ARE BETTER
TO HIT THE BIG LOTTO A COUPLE OF TIMES IN A LIFETIME THAN TO TRY TO FIND
ANOTHER HOT SHOT REY. I AM CERTAINLY GLAD OUR PATHS CROSSED.”
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