Call it a destiny, or call it a miracle. When owners Joe and Nancy Latta first met Kripton-Seni II, they called it both. He started stealing hearts as a young horse in Spain, and hasn't stopped turning heads since coming to America, where he has become a full-fledged heartthrob among Andalusians.

In 2009, the word "undefeated" became quite familiar to Kripton. The multi-talented horse swept several divisions in the International Andalusian and Lusitano Horse Association’s (IALHA) regional and national level, and it was at the IALHA Nationals that the stallion was honored as the High-Point Andalusian for the entire competition, having stood alongside horses from not only around the country, but the world. Nationals served as the perfect platform for Kripton to show his skills in Hunt Seat, Western Pleasure and Dressage Hack in the amateur, vintage and open divisions. He finished the competition with one National Grand Champion award, four National Champion and two Reserve National Championship titles, all attributing to his high-point hunter. His remarkable success at nationals and throughout 2009 attributed to the stunning stallion being voted the International Andalusian and Lusitano Horse Association Horse of the Year by the IALHA Show Committee.

Heaping on more accolades, he claimed titles like Horse of the Year Grand Champion Andalusian; National and Regional High-Point Performance Horse; National and Regional High Point Saddle Horse; and National and Regional High-Point Amateur Horse. It was no surprise when Kripton was named a Horse of Honor for 2009 by the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF).

Prior to his overwhelming success in 2009, Kripton became affectionately called the “8th wonder,” as owner Joe Latta, a first-time handler, led him into the Will Rogers Center in Fort Worth for the Stallion All Ages Amateur to Handle Halter class and came out with the reserve title. That same year, he made history as the first horse ever to win the IALHA National Grand Champion Senior Stallion, immediately following his Junior Stallion Year.

The show ring was not the only place that Kripton saw success over the years. He once starred in equine musical acts at the Fiesta of the Spanish Horse in California, and he was selected to ride in the prestigious Tournament of Roses Parade with his trainer Sandy Shields.

In recognition of his accomplishments, in early 2010, Breyer International selected Kripton for their 2011 line of model horses, which were to be previewed at the 23rd Breyerfest at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky, in July 2011. Kripton was treated like a rock star by 10,000 adoring fans, demonstrating his superior athleticism in performances each day, posing for photos and having the models signed by his enthusiastic followers.

Kripton set out to prove that he was up for any challenge, and those who watched saw that he could conquer them all.

Kripton had the easy, natural temperament and athletic ability that are the trademarks of the Andalusian breed, and he is an excellent performer. His performance and athletic abilities served him well throughout the years as he racked up honor upon honor, but today it’s the enjoyable temperament that makes him such a valuable member of the Latta family.

Joe and Nancy Latta’s daughter rode the stallion nearly right up until giving birth to her daughter, and now her one-year-old daughter can be spotted atop Kripton.

“He has had a profound impact on our family in so many ways and continues to do so,” Nancy Latta shared. “Kripton takes his job of caring for us very seriously, as we do him.”