The Wrangler Horse and Rodeo News

80 The WRANGLER, Annual Breeders Edition • January 5-19, 2022 Wri en by Hope Raley Sergeant Colton Levi Derr from New Underwood, South Dakota suffered with Post Trauma c Stress Disorder following his combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. He completed over 500 combat missions in support of America's War on Terror during Opera on Iraqi Freedom and Opera on Enduring Freedom. Six weeks a er arriving stateside from his Afghanistan deployment, Sergeant Derr succumbed to suicide. Haunted by what could've been done to save him, Derr's family formed a non-profit organiza on in Colton's name. Founded in 2012, Sergeant Colton Levi Derr Founda on is steadfast in their threefold mission: Veteran Advocacy, Assistance, and Public Awareness of the ba les that veterans face when they come home. When the Derr family was ge ng the founda on up and running, one of their biggest concerns was how it would get funded. Since Colton always had such a love and passion for horses, the family decided to somehow incorporate horses into the founda on. "Colton grew up rodeoing and helping out on the ranch, and his dream was to someday own his own broodmare herd and stud," explained Jerry Derr, Colton's father. "He really enjoyed the breeding aspect of the business and I know he would've been great at it." It was then that Jerry Derr had the idea of buying a stallion and giving it to Colton's founda on using the stallion and breeding fees to help start and promote the founda on. In the fall of 2012, Jerry and his family found Chicks Dash Easy, a 1998 beau ful grey stallion by Chicks Beduino and out of Designer Dash, by Dash For Cash. Chicks Dash Easy is a stakes placed winner of five races and is the sire to 41 starters, 27 ROM, with offspring earnings in excess of $516,000. The AAA grandson of Beduino also has become very popular among South Dakota horseman as he quickly proved to be a superior cross over their cowbred mares. "Chick sire's winners with sprinter speed, great minds and the ability to transi on off the race-track to the arena or ranch. We are very pleased with what he has been producing." In the spring of 2014, Jerry and his family started searching for some more mares to cross on Chicks Dash Easy. Derr decided to search on some different social media pla orms than he normally did, one day stumbling upon a mare in Colorado that caught his eye. He clicked on her ad but that's as far as it went at that me. But for some reason, Derr could not get that mare off his mind. He explained that a er about the fourth me he got tapped on the head by God regarding the mare, he reached out to the gal that owned the mare. "I messaged her, asking about the mare and we exchanged a few messages," explained Derr. "I told her about Colton and the founda on, and she graciously made the selfless decision to give her mare "Faith" to the founda on." The first foal that Shez Lotsa Legends "Faith" and Chicks Dash Easy produced was a beau ful colt that was named Warrior Of Faith. The founda on kept him as a stud and a part of the founda on un l just recently when he was sold to South Dakota State University. Warrior Of Faith will con nue with his stallion du es in the horse unit of the university. In 2018 the Derr family started the search for another to accompany Chicks Dash Easy in the founda on. That is when Lost In The Dark came into their lives. Lost In The Dark is a 2017 black stallion by Beggarthyneighbor and out of Dance Somewhere by Dance Master. Lost In The Dark was bought by the Sergeant Derr Founda on from John Mixer, son of famed ar st Orin Mixer. Derr and Mixer had met 15 or 20 some years prior and would exchange emails a couple mes a year. Once a year, Mixer would send Derr, and several other par es, an email with a list of horses that he had for sale. As Chicks Dash Easy was ge ng older, Derr knew that the me would come to start searching for something to eventually replace the big grey stallion. "I got an email from John saying that he had two stallions for sale- One by Hes Relentless and another by a thoroughbred stallion. Both were yearlings." Derr immediately called Mixer and inquired about both yearlings- Determined Cowboy and Lost In The Dark. When Derr heard the names of the two stallions, he was shocked. Determined Cowboy and Lost In The Dark were exactly how he described his son Colton. The Sergeant Derr Founda on ended up purchasing Lost In The Dark and are very excited for his future. Just like Chicks Dash Easy (died in 2020), breeding fees from Lost In The Dark will assist the Sergeant Colton Levi Derr Founda on with their efforts in aiding veterans and returning soldiers with issues related to Post Trauma c Stress Disorder. The Sergeant Colton Levi Derr Founda on started locally and has expanded from there. On average as of this year, the founda on is assis ng 3-4 veterans a week providing them with things such as financial assistance, legal assistance, private counseling, transporta on to and from VA Hospitals, and much more. "So far, the Sergeant Colton Levi Derr Founda on has helped hundreds of veterans and we hope to significantly increase that number in the years to come," Jerry Derr said. "We are very thankful to the mare owners who have supported the founda on in breeding to our stallions, and to all of our other supporters throughout the year." If you or a loved one is struggling with PTSD, give the Sergeant Colton Levi Derr Founda on a call. They are here to help. Visit their website at www. sergeantderrfounda on.com and find them on Facebook. Chicks Dash Easy Lost in the Dark and Sergeant Derr Foundation Lost Dark in the By stakes winner of 7 races on 6 di fferent tracks, Beggarthyneighbor $190,217 by Half Ours stakes winner of $319,680 by Unbridled's Song $1,311,800. Out of winning producer, Dance Somewhere by Stakes winner Dance Master by leading sire, Gone West. Sire Of 48 Performers • 48 Wins • 29 ROM • 36 Performance Points • Amateur AQHA World Champion (Barrels) Oklahoma Hi-Point Three-Year Old Colt Stakes placed winner of 5 races • $21,254 STUD FEE $ 750 • COOLED SEMEN Call or Go Online • 605.545.2505 • sergeantderrfoundation.org 518 6TH ST. • STE 2 • RAPID CITY, SD • 57701 CHICKS Dash Easy 1998 Grey AQHA Stallion AAA, SI 96 | 16.1 H | 1350 LBS EARNINGS $ 516,000 STUD FEE $ 2,000 FROZEN SEMEN ONLY BREEDING FEES ASSIST IN OUR EFFORTS TO SUPPORT VETERANS WHO BATTLE PTSD & TBI Unbridled's Song, 93 gr/ro Zing, 97 ch Pulpit, 94 b Pretty in Green, 84 b Gone West, 84 b Nijinsky's Lover, 87 ch War Machine, 90 b Mary Pat, 90 dk b/ LOST IN THE DARK 2017 Thoroughbred Black Stallion 16 H | 1300 LBS Half Ours, 03 gr/ro Postulant, 01 b Dance Master, 97 ch Mary Sue, 01 b Beggarthyneighbor, 09 gr/ro Dance Somewhere, 07 dk bl Lost Dark By stakes winner of 7 races tracks, Beggarthyneighbor $190,217 Ours stakes winner of $319,680 Song $1,311,800. Out of winning Dance Somewhere by Stakes Master by leading sire, Sire Of 48 Performers • 48 Wins • 29 ROM • 36 Performance Points • Amateur AQHA World Champion (Barrels) Oklahoma Hi-Point Three-Year Old Colt Stakes placed winner of 5 races • $21,254 STUD FEE $ 750 • COOLED Call or Go Online • 605.545.2505 • sergeantderrfoundation.org 518 6TH ST. • STE 2 • RAPID CITY, SD • 57701 CHICKS Dash Easy 1998 Grey AQHA Stallion AAA, SI 96 | 16.1 H | 1350 LBS EARNINGS $ 516,000 BREEDING FEES ASSIST IN OUR EFFORTS TO SUPPORT VETERANS WHO BATTLE PTSD & TBI Unbridled's Zing, 97 Pulpit, 94 Pretty in Gone West, Nijinsky's War Machine, Mary Pat, LOST IN THE DARK 2017 Thoroughbred Black Stallion 16 H | 1300 LBS Half Ours, 03 gr/ro Postulant, 01 b Dance Master, 97 ch Mary Sue, 01 b Beggarthyneighbor, 09 gr/ro Dance Somewhere, 07 dk bl

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