08/23/2026
The story of One Metallic Kitty began with a Solo Select online sale, where we first saw her dam, Not Yo Kitty.
Not Yo Kitty was a flashy bay mare, with white rabicano flecks. She was stunning. Extremely athletic, and the depth of her pedigree couldn’t be ignored.
We all agreed, “She’s the one.”
So we called Melanie Smith, owner of the sale and she said, “This is a mare you need.” Owned and Ridden by Garry Merrit, trained by Bill Riddle. Melanie was spot on, and has always been there to make sure we were given the best information on our purchases at Solo.
We will always remember that moment-Big Thank you Melanie! 🔥🔥🔥
Not long after we purchased Not Yo Kitty, one of our trainers saw her and immediately had the same reaction, “She’s the one.” Although she was a cutting horse, we wanted to see what she could do as a cow horse. She took to the reining with remarkable ease, and on a cow, she was incredible. She loved going down the fence and seemed to enjoy every minute of it. The term, “eat a cow” was mentioned many times over. There wasn’t anything that mare couldn’t do. She is a money earner of both NCHA as well as NRCHA.
The result of that purchase from Solo Select Horses is that we began building a program around exceptional mares with outstanding pedigrees and earnings of their own. It was as if we were being guided to where we were needing to be. This has been such an exciting time for us!
When we decided to breed her, we chose Once In a Blu Boon (who ironically is now at Solo) and planned an embryo transfer.
Before making the cross, I asked Bill Riddle, Not Yo Kitty’s first trainer, what he thought “Well, he’s hot and she’s hot,” he said. “It might be too hot…but it might be really fun, too.”
From the moment One Metallic Kitty hit the ground, she had a presence about her: strength, brains, and incredible athletic ability.
Once, when she was just a few months old, we moved the herd into another pasture. She immediately decided something wasn’t right. She bolted toward the other gate and stood there as if to tell the rest of the horses, “This isn’t our pasture. We need to be over there, and she looked at her mother and the rest of the herd as if they were idiots.” One by one, they followed her.
Even then, she had the instincts of a leader.
When it came time to wean her, we put her in a round pen with two other colts, leaving an empty round pen between her and her mother.
I could see her thinking immediately.
She trotted around once, ran to the back of the pen, and then leaped over the panel like a deer to get closer to her mother.
After that, we brought the colts into the barn.
As she grew, she never particularly loved attention. She would let us groom her, but not excessively. She always wanted to stay alert, tend to business and be aware of everything around her. She had her own mind and a confidence that was impossible to ignore.
When she was ready for training, Matt Koch picked her up at our Oklahoma ranch on his way back to Colorado after the 2024 Snaffle Bit Futurity.
The two clicked instantly, and Matt affectionately gave her a fitting nickname: “The Dragon.”
Their story is still being written, and we couldn’t be more excited for the next chapter.
If these photos (and video on the other post today)can show what she’s capable of, I can not wait for this years Snaffle Bit.
shestheoneranch.com
Haley Sue Media
Koch Cowhorses
Once in a Blu Boon
