Equine Obituary - Supremacy's High Time Had A Look-At-Me Attitude To The Very End
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
by Leeann Mione
Supremacy’s High Time passed on his attitude and beauty to a long list of champion get in a breeding career that spanned more than 20 years for owner/trainer Pam Specht.
Supremacy’s High Time was one of a kind, with an attitude and expression that matched his gorgeous confirmation. Owned by Pam Specht from the time he was six days old, he just had that unique look that set him apart from day one. Bred by Tom Ferrebee, he was sired by Mrs. Alan R. Robson’s stud CH Albelarm Supremacy and out of the mare Best Odds, who was a junior mare at the time. Best Odds went through the Tattersalls sale while still in foal and she was purchased by William Dean. When Supremacy’s High Time was foaled Pam Specht received a phone call from friend Hilda Menzies urging her to come take a look at him.
“I really didn’t need another horse but she was so enthusiastic about him, I agreed to go look,” said Specht. She couldn’t resist the beautiful six-day-old chestnut stud colt with one white sock and a star on his face. She bought him to be a show horse and would end up being his owner for the rest of his life. He was humanely put down Dec. 15, 2014 at the age of 27.
High Time made his show ring debut by winning the 1987 ASHB of Michigan Open Weanling Futurity Championship and was shown lightly as a two- and three-year-old. He certainly earned fans in his short show ring career, but it was his career at stud for Specht’s High Time Stable where he really made his mark.
High Time sired a filly named License To Thrill in 1991 to begin his career at stud. A career that spanned more than 22 years and produced a lot of show ring stars including 2000 Wisconsin Futurity Dr. Rick Luft Limited Breeders Stake Grand Champion Rosewood’s Hot Shot and 2004 winner High Time’s Star Material, owned by Dee Hargraves.
He also sired numerous world’s champions and reserve world’s champions including High Time’s Shadow. Specht showed the colt to win the ASHA Futurity of Kentucky Open Yearlings class in 1998.
Miramax, owned and bred by Michele Macfarlane in 2000, and out of the hall of fame broodmare CH Caravelle was arguably one of the most exciting three-year-olds to show in the World’s Championship Horse Show 2003 Three-Year-Old Five-Gaited Stallion/Gelding class. His 2002 colt CH High Time’s High Priority was the reserve world’s champion in the ASHA Futurity of Kentucky Open Weanlings.
Supremacy’s Fiery Kate was one of Pam’s favorites, debuting in 2006 at Dayton with Pam and going on to develop a reputation as being the “one to beat” on the Michigan circuit and earning ribbons at Louisville and Kansas City with Katie McAuliffe in the junior exhibitor show pleasure division.
Whimsicality was the 2007 world’s champion with Kaitlyn Grom in the Amateur Ladies Five-Gaited Mare class showing from DeLovely Farm.
Tart’s High Heels was bred by Hilda Menzies is yet another star sired by High Time that has won ribbons in multiple divisions including a top four at Louisville last year with Anna Rogers-Daub in the junior exhibitor park division.
David Blevins showed I’m High ‘N Mighty to the 2009 Open Three-Gaited Over 15.2 Reserve World’s Championship for then owner Jennifer Sandefur.
Twice The Dice and Ashley Alden were the 2011 Amateur Park Stallion/Gelding World’s Champions and the 2013 Amateur Three-Gaited 15.2 and Under Reserve World’s Champions under the direction of Tammy DeVore.
CH Kansas City was a multi-titled champion in more than one division as well. He began his show career as the ASHB of Ohio Weanling Futurity Grand Champion. Beth Oliver bought him as a four-year-old and from that point on their career together was incredibly successful including winning the Hunter Seat Classic National Championship at St. Louis National Charity from 2005 through 2008. They were also the Shatner Western Pleasure World Grand Champions in 2005, 2006 and 2007 and claimed the reserve world grand championship in 2008.
High Time was a very successful breeding stallion and with more than 230 registered get between 1991 and 2013, the list of world’s champions is too long to list in its entirety but it speaks to his beauty, talent, gameness and attitude. In 2006 he was ranked 29th overall in Saddle Horse Report’s Breeders Report out of 424 stallions.
Long-time friend Terri Delbridge showed Palaminos with Pam Specht when they were kids. She also previously trained Arabs and High Time sired numerous champion National Show Horses during his breeding career. She had this to say about her best friend’s handsome stallion. “There was never any question how High Time felt about himself. His presence and look-at-me attitude made him a blast to watch whether it was showing him to prospective breeding clients or simply trotting across his pasture when he thought someone might be watching. It was easy for him to command your attention; a trait he passed on to his get.”
Photographer Stuart Vesty and fan of High Time added this sentiment. “High Time was a very handsome horse with a great hook to his throat. The few times that I saw him he always put on a show. He thought extremely highly of himself and as a photographer you can’t ask for anything better than that.”
When High Time was a weanling, he became deathly sick from an infection and was sick from October to March. He should never have survived. “I never bought him to be a stud,” said Specht. “But he earned the right to be a breeding stallion by his display of heart and courage and his show horse attitude.”
Specht will carry on High Time’s legacy while continuing to train, breed and run her very successful lesson program for riders from the academy division to Louisville bound. She is particularly excited about the Supremacy’s High Time foal that is due later this year out of her mare Callaway’s Summer Showers and is eligible for the All American Cup.
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