Breeder’s Connection 2026 | Guys Piece Of The Pie
Every so often, a new bloodline catches the attention of the Western horse industry. When it comes to barrel horses, breeders and competitors alike have been increasingly drawn to the Frenchman’s Guy bloodline. Connie and Dick Baker of Lusk, WY, understand the appeal his genetics have to offer. The couple has been breeding horses for several decades, and the current star of their show is Guys Piece Of The Pie. Nugget, as he is affectionately known on their ranch, is an 18-year-old palomino stallion. The golden stallion with a striking dual-colored tail is certainly a looker, but the Bakers know that appearances aren’t everything.
They believe that Nugget’s calm mind and outgoing personality are two of his greatest traits, alongside his superior athleticism. They first encountered him as a colt in 2007 at the Myers Performance Horse Sale. They’d recently suffered a great loss when their then-stallion broke his leg. They were on the hunt for new genetics to fill the gap.
Guys Piece Of The Pie, by Bill and Deb Myer’s Frenchmans Guy, proved to be just the opportunity to refresh the Baker’s breeding program. The little golden colt was still at his dam’s side. The fearless foal wandered over to the Bakers to say hello, and they knew then and there he was the one they’d be bringing home. “He just walked up to you and wanted to hang out,” said Dick. They loved his temperament and striking looks and bought him right off the mare.
Sired by American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame inductee Frenchmans Guy and out of Fleeting Pie (by Pie in the Sky), Nugget quickly made a name for himself building on his family’s legacy of excellence in the arena. He was started in halter classes as a yearling, travelling around Montana to compete in different arenas. Everywhere he went, he impressed with his stunning looks and sweet as pie personality. “He just loves being around people,” Dick said. Eventually, the Bakers enlisted the help of Skye Martin to start Nugget in the barrels. Unfortunately, Martin experienced an injury that cut their time together short. Nugget’s training was handed over to Rodney Grote, and the two made a pretty successful pair at futurities and derbies. After a few years of training (and pulling his first few checks), Lusk cowgirl Jaime Merrill became his new jockey. Together, the two of them kicked off a successful barrel racing career. They qualified for The American Rodeo and took the championship title of the Indian National Finals Rodeo. Largely under Merrill’s jockeying, Nugget garnered over $35,000 in lifetime earnings.
Although Nugget has since retired from the arena, his foals are now paving their own way in the barrel racing and roping scenes. His offspring have earned over $140,000 to date and Nugget is enjoying his role as the sire of the next generation of superior equine athletes. Most of the foals find their way to high school or college students competing in barrel racing and team roping. Dick said that all of Nugget’s colts are easy to start and possess his great personality. “They’re so smart and they just want to please you, and he was the same way.” Interestingly, Dick shared that all Nugget’s foals differ from him in one way- they’re all taller than his modest 15.3 hands, regardless of the height of their dams.
Dick said that they breed Nugget to around 15 mares every year, with most breeding occurring by hand at their ranch. “If people want to ship semen, we do ship semen out of CSU,” said Dick, but added that, “We kind of like hand breeding them here so we can control everything.” Shipping semen through the mail isn’t always reliable, and they’ve found more success hand breeding on their property. Nugget has no complaints, breeding around 10 outside mares and five of the Baker’s own mares each year. Most of the mares’ owners are friends of the Bakers or quickly become friends. They come from all over the West, from Miles City, MT to Fort Pierre, SD for his superior genetics. Nugget is 5-panel negative and his $1,500 stud fee makes him an attractive and affordable option.
Dick shared that they plan to keep breeding Nugget for as long as he shows interest. At 18 years old, he shows no signs of slowing down. “He still acts like a colt; he bucks and plays.” Even so, the Bakers are looking to the future of their program. “We’re starting to keep a few fillies out of him,” said Dick. “We bred one to a grandson of High Brow Cat, so we’re excited to see where that goes.” Watching the colts grow up is his favorite part of being in the breeding business. He said that “Just seeing what they can do and what they’ve done,” is the best thing about working in the industry. Nugget and his offspring have left their mark in the rodeo world, and the future is bright.