Barbara Kettlewell Celebration of Life
Barbara Kettlewell, known for her smile and her passion for Quarter Horses, passed away peacefully at home on her ranch March 7, 2024. She had recently celebrated her 99th birthday. We will have a Celebration of Life on Saturday, May 18, 1 PM at the ranch. All are welcome to celebrate and remember her, tell a story about her or just come to listen to stories and recollections.
In the early 70s they relocated their ranch to the Brainerd area, where it continues operations today.
The 60s and 70s brought in a new era of stallions to the ranch from Tee Bar Hitone, a King Ranch-branded son of Rey Del Rancho and ROM working cow horse, to the first of four sons of Two Eyed Jack purchased to cross with the George Paul mares. The purchase of those first stallions was the start of a long relationship with the Pitzer Ranch. Reed and Barbara made many trips to Ericson, Nebraska as they continued to select stallion prospects to cross on Sunup mares.
By the early 80s they again sought the bloodlines of an out-cross stallion, landing on Zan Parr Bar, and bought two of his sons. They also bought a son of Watch Joe Jack and a son of Peponita. In 1999, Barbara found an NCHA money-earning son of Gay Bar King. She knew what a potent maternal sire Gay Bar King was, and she bought this horse in order to keep daughters for the Sunup herd.
Barbara and Reed were really a team when it came to running the business. Reed always claimed Barbara was the best salesman, “she could really sell horses,” he would say. She had the ability to offer a genuine smile, backed up by her deep knowledge of bloodlines and an appreciation for the qualities of a Quarter Horse. Barbara was always interested in the other person’s story, and wanted to know about their horses and experiences. Both Reed and Barbara introduced many people to their first Quarter Horse. In turn, those folks became Quarter Horse enthusiasts and buyers. Many, many people turned to Barbara for her knowledge of bloodlines. She really knew the AQHA Stud Books and the horses. She brought many people into the Quarter Horse fold. And, she was a very good judge of conformation. There is a Sunup-bred horse in all but two states, they’re even in Hawaii and Alaska. Sunup-bred horses, sold off the ranch, have passports to Canada, Mexico, Panama, England, Germany, Denmark, France, Sweden, Norway and Switzerland. Most of these horses were bought sight unseen.
From 1987 to 2009, Barbara indulged her passion for the stage and dance by participating in the Geritol Frolics, a senior variety show, performing as a tap dancer. The Frolics put on a new stage production for the public each year, and the troupe even traveled to other parts of the country to perform. Barbara was a tap dancer, and being a part of the Frolics kept her young.
One of the proudest moments for Barbara was to be honored with the American Quarter Horse Association’s Legacy Breeder award in 2005 for 50 years of consecutively raising and registering foals. Barbara accepted the award at a ceremony in Amarillo, accompanied by daughters Vickie and Jennie Kettlewell, and son-in-law, Greg Booth.
In 2009, Barbara accompanied Sunups Misty Star, a mare she had bred and was owned by the ranch, to the AQHA World Show after the mare had qualified to compete in Open Dally Team Roping – Heading.
In 2010, MQHA recognized Barbara’s lifetime achievements by inducting her into its Hall of Fame. MQHA cited Barbara’s years of influence in promoting the Quarter Horse.
Barbara was thrilled and honored to be interviewed by Larry Thornton, author of a number of books on Quarter Horse bloodlines, for his ongoing series of articles entitled “The Working Lines,” wrote a two-part story on Sunup’s bloodlines and crosses from its foundation to today. The articles appeared in The Working Horse magazine in 2015.
In the early 90s Barbara had the opportunity to travel and to live in Texas for a month to escape the Minnesota winter. Ranch operations continued with her son-in-law, Greg Booth, taking on more of the day-to-day management of the ranch and breeding operations. However, Barbara remained active on the ranch, doing chores and doing the feeding chores in “her barn” well into her early 90s. She never lost her keen interest in the breeding operation and eagerly awaited each year’s foal crop. She was always ready with a suggestion on good mare/stallion crosses, or “keepers” for the herd. She had an eye for colts to be considered stallion prospects. She even created a handbook on how to sell a horse. From the very beginning, in her selection of George Paul, Barbara set up the backbone of the ranch’s breeding program. Testament of that is that almost every mare in today’s herd traces to George Paul.
Over her 60 years of building repeat customers, she built a wide network of friendships. She had horse friends from coast to coast. Sunup Ranch began to host international guests who had an interest in Quarter Horses and ranching. Those guests became part of the ranch family. Barbara was always keen to spend time with them, and share her knowledge, and to learn about them.
Not only did Barbara raise Quarter Horses, for years she raised Collies, and later Australian Shepherds.
Turning 90 didn’t slow things down too much for her. She kept lovely flower beds around the ranch, she continued doing some chore work, and in the winter she would be first out with the shovel to clear a path down to the barn. She never lost her eye for a “good horse” always keen to identify the best colts in each year’s crop.
Barbara was always ready with a quick smile, a friendly manner and an interest in your story. She held tight to optimism. She had a way of always finding the light.
Barbara is preceded in death by her parents, husband Reed, and sister Gloria A. Johnson. She is survived by her two daughters Victoria Kettlewell (Greg Booth) of Brainerd, and Jennifer Kettlewell of Minneapolis.
A footnote to this story: On March 7, one of Barbara’s favorite horses, one she picked out when he was foaled on the ranch, died. Jack Parr Sun was the last foal from Georgia Jack, a mare Reed and Barbara showed extensively, and was sired by their stallion Zan Parr Sun. Jack had the prime stall in the stallion barn and was the first one Barbara would feed in the morning.