Every exceptional athlete has a story, and for Petes Pet Squirrel, that story is one of extraordinary talent, perseverance and a performance record that has established her as one of the standout mares of her generation.
Owned by the Salerno family, Squirrel is by Seligman Spin and out of One Hellofa Time. Bred by Peter and Debbie Gesler, she was bred with a clear purpose, with the late Peter Gesler having secured the embryo from One Hellofa Time to breed to his home stallion, Seligman Spin. He had always wanted the opportunity to showcase a Seligman Spin progeny in the cutting arena, and Squirrel went on to become everything that vision could have hoped for.
Broken in by Jason Leitch, Squirrel was initially developed for the cutting arena before her career evolved into one that would see her demonstrate her exceptional ability across multiple disciplines. Following the passing of Peter Gesler, Squirrel was sent with Mark Buttsworth to the Tamworth Nutrien Sale, where she was purchased by Rodger Grant of Koobah Performance Horses. Rodger returned her to Mark Buttsworth to continue her training, and it was under Mark's guidance that Squirrel began establishing the remarkable performance record that would ultimately attract the attention of the Salerno family.
Her results at such a young age immediately set her apart. Squirrel became a consistent performer across Cutting, Challenge and Campdrafting, proving that her ability extended well beyond a single discipline. Among her major achievements was being crowned Cloncurry Stockman’s Challenge Champion, along with multiple major Challenge successes, including the ARBC Dalby Classic Challenge Champion title. Her ability to consistently perform and win across different arenas became one of the defining characteristics of this exceptional mare.
When the opportunity arose to purchase Squirrel at the Toowoomba Supreme Sale, the Salerno family knew they were looking at something very special. Securing her from Rodger Grant for $150,000 was an incredibly exciting opportunity, not only to own a mare of such high performance calibre, but to introduce her exceptional maternal genetics into their own performance and breeding program.
For the Salerno family, it was Squirrel's performance record at such a young age that stood out most. She had already achieved an extraordinary amount and had demonstrated the rare ability to transition between disciplines while continuing to perform at the highest level. She is the type of athlete that immediately catches your attention, but the more time you spend watching her, the more you appreciate just how unusual she really is.
Freakishly athletic, incredibly intelligent and blessed with an extraordinary amount of speed and agility, Squirrel moves across the ground with an effortless lightness. She can accelerate, turn and change direction in an instant, often disappearing before you have time to blink. Her athleticism is matched by an intelligence and quickness that make her an incredibly unique horse to watch and an equally fascinating mare to breed.
Squirrel had already begun establishing her legacy as a broodmare before joining the Salerno family, having produced foals who have gone on to demonstrate the exceptional ability that runs through her genetics. One of her progeny has already developed into an exceptional performer in the Cutting pen, providing an exciting early indication of what Squirrel may be capable of producing.
After purchasing Squirrel, the Salerno family made the decision that, after achieving so much in such a short career, she had more than earned the opportunity to have a well deserved spell and become a mother. The family has embraced the opportunity to begin building Squirrel's next chapter through her progeny, with an embryo by Nonda Southern Cross and a Third Edge foal both due to be born in 2026. These will be the first foals out of Squirrel that the Salerno family will own and be directly involved with from the very beginning.
The decision to give Squirrel time away from competition was not made because she had anything left to prove. Quite the opposite. The Salerno family firmly believe that Squirrel has achieved more at her age than almost any other mare in the country, and that if she never competed again, she would still have nothing left to prove. As Oliver Salerno puts it, “Even if she never had a foal or never competed again, Squirrel has nothing left to prove to the world and she doesn’t owe anyone a thing. An athlete like that deserves to be appreciated for the amazing animal she is, regardless of any future expectation of her.”
For the Salerno family, Squirrel represents the dream every breeder hopes to realise, a mare whose own ability is so exceptional that she has the potential to create a lasting legacy through her progeny. Having already seen one of her offspring establish themselves as an exceptional Cutting performer, the family is excited to see what her future progeny may achieve.
Squirrel will naturally foal down and raise her Third Edge baby in 2026, while her Nonda Southern Cross embryo is also due this year. As her breeding program progresses, the Salerno family hopes to continue building on her legacy through embryo transfers and future matings, giving her progeny every opportunity to follow in the footsteps of their exceptional mother.
Once her foal is raised, the plan is for Squirrel to return to the show pen in the hands of Mark Buttsworth, with her future career expected to focus predominantly on the Campdrafting arena. There is already one major ambition in the Salerno family's sights, seeing Squirrel compete at the Warwick Gold Cup.
After everything she has already achieved, the opportunity to watch this exceptional mare return to competition is something the family is incredibly excited about. The Salerno family also credits Mark Buttsworth enormously for the role he has played in Squirrel's development. Training a horse with this level of athleticism, intelligence and individuality requires an exceptional understanding of the horse, and the major results Squirrel has achieved under Mark's guidance are a testament to the program and years of work invested in her.
Today, the Salerno family consider themselves incredibly fortunate to own a mare of Squirrel's calibre. To look out across the paddock and know that they are watching a mare who has already won major events across Australia is a privilege they do not take for granted.
Squirrel has always performed big, won big and exceeded expectations. Now, with her first foals for the Salerno family due in 2026 and a return to competition still ahead, the next chapter of her story is only just beginning. For the Salerno family, the hope is that Squirrel's greatest legacy will ultimately be found not only in the titles she has won herself, but in the exceptional athletes she produces and the lasting influence she leaves on their breeding program.
