Molly Swanson Powell bred, raised, and trained, her famous horse she called Pecan who took her to the National Finals Rodeo, not once, but four times!

"Pecan is a 1988 mare who is out of a half welch, half quarter horse pony and by a thoroughbred. Many people today might read this and shake their head because the breeding standards everyone puts on horses today. But Molly didn't. She knew she had something and she was right. Molly and Pecan qualified for the National Finals Rodeo in 1995, 1996, 1997, and 1998. Together they won around $200,000." - Crown B Ranch & Performance Horses 

Powell stated, "I wanted to clarify that while she was ‘smaller’, and out of my first pony Brownie, amazingly she grew up to about 15hh. She was indeed by a TB stallion. Pecan also had a brother, Bullet who helped her qualify for the NFR but coliced and died prior. I did run him at NFR the year before when he was pretty green. He was smaller than Pecan- prob 14.2hh. Anyway Pecan is still alive at 31 and had retired due to an reaction to injecting her foot. She qualified for 4 NFR’s (1 w/ Bullet helping) and she retired at 11 right after that injection. Today she helps raise and babysit the young foals. She also has a bff named Donkey. "

nfr pony cowgirl magazine
Pecan at 30 years old. Photo courtesy of Molly Powell.

Powell added, "People talk about once in a lifetime horses....here is mine! Her mom was my first pony, Brownie, and my parents bred her to their TB stallion. My mom put a month on pecan breaking her and after 2 months of barrel training she was as good as she ever was! A total 'born' barrel horse that God blessed me with. She made me who I am - and took me from being a poor country girl to a winner."

For more horses that dare to be different, check out these off-the-track thoroughbreds killin' it at their new western-style careers here!

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