PG Heavily Armed Purchased by Creek Plantation

Historic Creek Plantation has purchased the highest-earning living son of Playgun, PG Heavily Armed.

The cutting stallion’s previous owners, Michael and Brenda Armstrong, announced the sale of the horse on July 25, and congratulated Creek Plantation on its purchase.

Plans call for the 2012 bay stallion to cross with the 2023 American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) Best Remuda Award winner’s mares. Creek Plantation has been a longtime fan of PG Heavily Armed’s sire, Playgun, since he won the Augusta Futurity Open and Non-Pro in 1996.

“Creek Plantation is very fortunate to own a stallion named Hes Playingforkeeps (by Playgun), and in recent years, he has produced some of the best all-around horses that Creek Plantation has raised,” William S. Morris V. said. “Creek Plantation has always been a fan of Playgun breeding and have been able to acquire a handful of his daughters and another stud named Circle Bar Playgun and now the highest-earning living son of Playgun.”

Breeding the EquiStat Elite $9 Million Sire on 1997 NCHA Horse of The Year, Not Quite An Acre (by Bob Acre Doc) was a bullseye for breeders Dick Pieper and Brenda Armstrong.

The result, PG Heavily Armed, known as “Ben” to Armstrong, and “Bay” to James Payne, who earned a total of $264,975 in the show pen. He earned championships in the NCHA Summer Cutting Spectacular Classic/Challenge Open, the West Texas Futurity’s Mercuria/ NCHA World Series of Cutting and was the NCHA World Finals Show Champion. He qualified for 23 major show finals throughout his illustrious career.

“He is very much like his sire Playgun in everything about him,” Armstrong said. “He’s an absolute gentleman to handle. He loped around the warmup pen like a quiet old gelding but when you put a cow in front of him, he was just spectacular.”

PG Heavily Armed lived at Armstrong’s ranch until he went into training with James Payne and then spent two breeding seasons at a stallion station.  After returning home, he has been pasture breeding Armstrong’s mares this spring with a 100% success rate.

His highest earning offspring is a mare named Butterflies (PG Heavily Armed x Bittersweet x Metallic Cat) who won the 2024 Breeders Invitational Non-Pro Derby.

James Payne riding PG Heavily Armed * QHN File Photo

“What PG Heavily Armed brings to the table is outcross breeding, a natural cow sense, good conformation and great disposition,” Morris V. said. “That is what Creek Plantation would like to produce, a horse that can do just about everything.”

“Creek Plantation is extremely excited to add this stallion to our breeding program,” said William S. “Billy” Morris III.

“When you have to let go of a horse that’s important in your life it sure makes it a lot easier when there’s a connection to start with,” Armstrong said. “There’s always some worry when you let go of something you’ve had your whole life and I hope that everything goes well for them.”

Creek Plantation has produced numerous winners and industry icons including: Wheeling Peppy, Shes Pretty Smooth, Doc Solena, Dulces Joker, Short Nip Nap, Miss Jamaica Peppy, Miss Kim O Lena, High Wheeling Doll, Gincoe and others.

Creek Plantation has also been involved with multiple stallions over the years including: Tanquery Gin,  Shorty Lena, Smart Little Lena, One Gun, El Pobre, and current stallions Boon Too Suen, Cattalou and The Boon.

About Creek Plantation

In 1968, William S. Morris III of Augusta, Ga., acquired Creek Plantation, a tract of land near Martin, S.C., fronting on the Savannah River and comprising 2,526 acres of timberlands and open fields used for agriculture. The plantation offered Billy Morris the opportunity to pursue a lifelong interest in horses and to begin breeding Quarter Horses.

In the mid-1970s, Billy Morris became interested in the sport of cutting.  Billy was instrumental in founding the Augusta Futurity and was its Chairman for 42 years. Billy Morris has maintained a consistent interest in cutting horses. Over the years, Creek Plantation has been fortunate to have had the services and help of outstanding trainers, among them Larry Reeder, Bill Riddle, David Stewart and Phil Rapp.

Billy Morris’ interest in animals is not limited to horses. He began building a commercial cattle operation, which consists of some 1,000 commercial brood cows. In addition, Creek Plantation is home to a herd of registered Texas longhorns.

Over the years, Creek Plantation has expanded with the acquisition of additional land, so that today it consists of nearly 14,000 acres and encompasses three commercial enterprises: horses, cattle and timber.