Dori Hertel, DVM

In December 2010 Kelly Baber and Dori Hertel, DVM purchased 25 acres in Humble, TX with plans to build a large animal veterinary clinic including several public riding arenas to encourage horse owners to develop their relationship capabilities with horses and learn about livestock.

From the beginning the intention was to use horses to move livestock around instead of mechanized means. Kelly, a native of Miles City, Montana but a 17 year Houston transplant, had a desire to use the big country quarter horses that he had grown up with to work the back pens of the new facility.

In February 2011 he was invited to Abu Dhabi, UAE to crew for a client in the President’s Cup Endurance Horse Race. While there he attended a belly dance in the Arabian Desert and met a fellow Montanan who told him of an upcoming sale that could provide the horses he was looking for. The Leachman Hairpin Cavvy was to be completely liquidated through a government seizure sale in Billings, Montana. Both Dori and Kelly were excited at the potential to acquire big boned, good footed Quarter Horses.

In April 2011 the auction was attended. Dori watched 820 horses come through the sale ring, bidding on those deemed suitable for the venture. As Dori was bidding Kelly watched the working pens for interesting prospects. The only one he insisted on attaining was Lot #404.

It was a gamble. There was no guarantee that any of the horses could be registered, but after two days of whirlwind bidding, Kelly and Dori had aquired 17 horses. Once all paperwork had been sorted the final tally was: one stallion, six registered mares and ten grade Quarter Horse mares.

After researching the bloodlines it became apparent that something had been catching both Dori and Kelly’s eye as they looked for that type of animal that he had described in such detail. Three of the registered mares bought: Hairpin Smart Mona, Hairpin So Imposing (lot #404) and Humble Hairpin Penny all share some wonderful foundation heritage that can be directly traced back to the lines so familiar in the great horse country of southeastern Montana. The 404 mare has the strongest connection to the big dry country around Miles City with both her top and bottom going back to Kramer, Scott, Binion, Shelhammer and Nunn breeding. (Source)

Recommend this Service or Practitioner