LUBBOCK, Texas – A Lamesa horse, Wild On Ice, qualified for the Kentucky Derby at The Sunland Derby in New Mexico, horse owner Frank Sumpter told EverythingLubbock.com.
The horse who was born and raised just north of Lamesa, won the $600,000 prize at the Sunland Derby; he will be headed to compete at the Kentucky Derby on May 6.
Sumter said he came up with the horse’s name by combining the names of two horses, Ice Capades and Wild Again.
Wild On Ice was up against some of the best horses at The Sunland Derby, Sumpter said. Sumpter said on the morning of The Sunland Derby, “the lord told me do you believe in miracles?” And he said, “yes.”
Sumpter compared the feeling of winning The Sunland Derby to “when a father holds his baby for the first time.” He said it was “an out of body experience.”
Sumpter said he would love to win the Kentucky derby, but most importantly hopes for a safe trip for Wild On Ice. The Kentucky Derby is the biggest competition in the world, but Sumpter said Wild On Ice has a “mind like a steel trap.”
Even with the Kentucky Derby coming up, Sumpter is still celebrating his win at The Sunland Derby, he said he is “still up with the eagles and not looking for the landing strip.”
