Prince Shannon proved himself as a sire after his first few foal crops hit the ground and dominated the show pen. His second breeding season produced Sweet Peach, who won the 1979 World champion mare title as a yearling. She became the first in Prince Shannon’s legacy of versatility and color.
The stallion was bred and born at Sheldak Ranch in Sheldon, North Dakota. By the few-spot stallion Prince’s Jim and out of Barretta Bright, a blanketed daughter of Mighty Bright, Prince Shannon wore a bright red leopard coat over his outstanding conformation.
Bill and Liz Tackett of Tioga, Texas, purchased Prince Shannon as a weanling and fitted him for halter. The colt won his yearling class at the 1975 Cow Palace in San Francisco and claimed the junior grand champion title. Also in 1975, Prince Shannon stood reserve World champion yearling among 74 entries.
In 1980 Linda Pirtle of Gainesville, Texas, purchased Prince Shannon and began an intensive breeding program with the stallion. Prince Shannon sired 280 foals including multiple World and National champions. His foals have collected more than 1,400 performance points and more than 1,600 halter points. Fifty-one have earned a total 86 registers of merit and 10 bronze medallions, three hold halter superior event titles, four hold performance superior event titles, six are Club champions and three are versatility champions.
Linda sold Prince Shannon to Dianne and Harry Lindeborn of Castle Creek, New York, in 1989. Dianne and Harry added Prince Shannon to their breeding program for three seasons and even taught the then-15-year-old stallion how to pull a cart. In 1992, at the age of 18, Prince Shannon died of complications caused by lymphoma.
