Champ

• Registered Name: Grand Imagination
• Barn Name: Champ
• Breed: Missouri Fox Trotter
• Registered: Yes
• Foaled:
• Color: Sorrel / Chestnut
• Sire: Sunrises Golden Image
• Dam: Grand Gesture
• Lineage: Champ comes from some of the finest bloodlines in the Missouri Fox Trotter breed. His sire, Sunrise’s Golden Image, is among the top-producing stallions in the breed’s history. His dam, Grand Gesture, is by another highly sought-after and accomplished sire, Grand Central, and traces back to the iconic Pride lines. Simply put, Champ couldn’t be bred any better—he carries the lineage of legends.

Officially registered as Grand Imagination, Champ’s name is a thoughtful nod to his distinguished lineage. Bred from Sunrise’s Golden Image and Grand Gesture, his name reflects the legacy and promise carried through his bloodlines. Around the barn, though, he’s simply known as Champ—a name that captures his winning spirit and beloved personality.

Champ arrived at Homestead Horsemanship when he was just a week old—but his journey to us began long before that. His story is woven with anticipation, and a touch of fate, making his arrival all the more special.

We had long hoped to breed our beloved mare, Patty, to the renowned stallion Sunrise’s Golden Image. Despite several thoughtful attempts, Patty, unfortunately, never settled. During our visits to the breeding farm, however, a striking mare in the pasture kept catching our eye. Her presence was unmistakable—elegant, powerful, and full of character.

Her name was Grand Gesture, lovingly known as Jessie. To our surprise and delight, we soon discovered that Jessie was a full sister to Lucky, our own World Grand Champion. It felt like destiny had stepped in to guide us toward a new path.

We immediately told her owners that if Jessie ever needed a new home, we wanted to be first in line. At the time, she was in foal, and the owners had no plans of parting with her—but we quietly said a prayer, hoping that someday she might join our herd.

A few months later, we received an unexpected call—Jessie had delivered a beautiful filly, and her owners had made the decision to sell her. Without a moment’s hesitation, we said yes. That filly became Lady, Champ’s older sister and the very first of Jessie’s foals to join our family. It was the beginning of something truly special.

Then came a surprise we never saw coming—and far sooner than we expected. One day, the phone rang again. The owners had made the difficult decision to retire from the horse world. They were selling their ranch and moving to town, and they wanted to know if we were still interested in Jessie.

But this wasn’t just about Jessie.

They were offering us Jessie, Sunrise’s Golden Image, and a second mare we hadn’t even known about. And then came the most incredible news of all—Jessie had just given birth to a colt, only a couple of days old.

That little colt was Champ.

As soon as we hung up the phone, we knew what we had to do. Without hesitation, we hit the road to bring them all home. The horses loaded safely into the trailer—Jessie, Sunrise’s Golden Image, and the second mare—but little Champ was another story. Barely a week old and still so small and delicate, we didn’t feel comfortable placing him in the trailer with the others.

Instead, we made a different choice—one that speaks volumes about the heart of our farm. We carefully wrapped him in blankets, and our kids cradled him in the backseat of the truck for the entire ride home. With quiet wonder and gentle hands, they kept him safe and calm as the miles rolled by.

And that’s how Champ made his journey to Homestead Horsemanship: not in a trailer, but nestled in the backseat, surrounded by love from the very beginning.

Since then, we’ve watched Champ grow from a soft, wobbly foal into a stunning young stallion. He and Jr have built a deep bond, one rooted in mutual trust and ambition. Jr has big dreams for Champ: from mastering the Fox Trot gait, to pulling a wagon with our Clydesdales, to trail rides. JR has a goal of making Champ, the most versatile horse in the world. Champ’s conformation, movement, personality, and presence set him apart—he’s got everything we look for in a stallion.

He truly lives up to his name: Grand Imagination, and he’s already proving to be every bit the Champ we dreamed of.