HS Daydream's Heads Up

Photo courtesy of Howard Schatzberg
(2009 – )
Owned by Hagan Saddlebreds, Inc.
Inducted: 2022

Photos

Photo courtesy of Howard Schatzberg
Photo courtesy of Shiflet
Photo courtesy of Shiflet
Photo courtesy of Shiflet
Photo courtesy of Shiflet
Scott Hagan's American Saddlebred HS Daydream's Heads Up has proven his talent in the show arena since his debut in 2011 at the Kentucky State Fair. Winning World's Champion of the Two-Year-Old Three-Gaited Division II class, the fiery red gelding received the first of what would be many career championships.

From there, the talented son of sire Undulata's Nutcracker and dam A Daydream Believer continued to make a name for himself in the show arena. With champion parentage on both sides of his pedigree, the royally bred "Heads Up" was destined for greatness, and he wasted no time carrying on the family legacy.

In 2012, Heads Up continued his winning ways, claiming victory as the ASR National Futurity Three-Gaited World's Champion and returning in the big stake to earn the title of Reserve Three-Gaited World's Champion, which was quite the accomplishment for a three-year-old. In 2013, he repeated his Reserve World's Championship win after winning the Open Three-Gaited Under 15.2 class.

Hagan made his debut in the ring with Heads Up in 2014, where the pair won the Three-Gaited Stake at the J.D. Massey Classic Show. As Heads Up continued to grow, he moved to the Three-Gaited Over 15.2 division. In 2015, he was the Three-Gaited Over 15.2 World's Champion.

Hagan said that Heads Up's success is a result of his royal pedigree and the outstanding - albeit quirky - traits that he inherited from his dam.

"She was an ultra-tough and game show mare, known for doing things her way and Heads Up is definitely his mother's son. He is explosive, smart, charismatic and athletic beyond belief," Hagan said. "Very few thought an amateur could ever tame him."

That explosiveness and athleticism have paid dividends for Hagan and Heads Up in the show ring - the gelding has amassed so many wins that it would be easy to lose track of them. Among the most notable accomplishments in his 11-year career include two World's Grand Championships, five Reserve World's Grand Championships, seven World's Champion titles and one Reserve World's Champion title.

Hagan counts Heads Up's World's Grand Champion victories in both the three-gaited class in 2020 and the fine harness class in 2021 among his most outstanding achievements. These championships buoyed Heads Up to an elite status as only the second horse in history to win World's Grand Champion titles in both the fine harness and three-gaited divisions. They are also notable because Heads Up was shown to victories by his amateur owner and breeder - Hagan himself - making the duo the only amateur team in history to win World's Grand Championships in different divisions.

"I have to say Heads Up is my once in a lifetime horse," Hagan said. "He is the epitome of my breeding program and a horse I respect and love more than ever. He makes me smile. He is so kind in the barn that even the smallest children can interact with and enjoy him. But when you throw your leg over him, his personality becomes explosive."

As for Heads Up's future, the gelding will continue to show in fine harness classes until he can no longer compete at the top level.

"After that, who knows," said Hagan. "Maybe he and his goat Lucy can live the dream life."

No matter where the road leads Hagan and his once-in-a-lifetime-horse, one thing is certain: HS Daydream's Heads Up has been more than a daydream. He has truly been a dream come true.