Page 16 - Speedhorse March 2019

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by Jennifer K. Hancock
LQHBA HALL OF FAME
The Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders Association announced the 2019 Hall of Fame class. Louisiana Quarter Horse breeder/owner J.E. Jumonville Jr. (shown above left) and Mr Jess Perry (shown above right) will join the LQHBA Hall of Fame at the annual LQHBA Membership Meeting & Awards Banquet
on April 13 at the Evangeline Downs Event Center in Opelousas, Louisiana.
J.E. Jumonville Jr. is one of the most influential and longstanding members of the Louisiana racing and breed- ing industry. He owns and operates Jumonville Farms
in Ventress, Louisiana. J.E. and his wife, Bunny, are the parents of three sons: J.E. “Tres” III, Dutch and Clayton.
Since 1955, Jumonville Farms has been regarded as one of the top breeders in Louisiana, posting solid numbers, both on their own and in multiple racing partnerships.
In addition to his excellence in breeding horses, J.E. also served as a Louisiana senator from 1976 to 1992. He was one of the leading forces in legislative efforts and contract negotiations with Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing associations in the state, resulting in a significant amount of gross handle al- located to horsemen in the form of purses.
In 2015, AQHA honored Jumonville Farms as a Legacy Award Winner. Joining a select group of breeders who have registered at least one foal for 50 consecutive years.
Racing Champion and prolific sire Mr Jess Perry joins the LQHBA Hall of Fame with an impressive resume. Born in 1992, the stallion was bred in Louisiana by Jesse Perry, the father of LQHBA Hall of Fame mem- ber Leverne Perry. Jesse had enlisted his son on the cross, and Leverne paid $1,000 for Scoopie Fein, who was bred to Streakin La Jolla in 1991 to produce Mr Jess Perry.
The racing accomplishments of Mr Jess Perry were plentiful, beginning with victories in the Texas Classic
Futurity-G1 and LQHBA Futurity-RG1. He was hon- ored as Champion 2 Year Old and Champion 2-Year- Old Colt in 1994. In his 3 year old campaign, Mr Jess Perry was victorious in the Texas Classic Derby-G1, closing out his racing career with a record of 12 wins from 21 starts and earnings of $687,184.
As a sire, Mr Jess Perry quickly made a name for himself with World Champion Apollitical Jess as well as with eight other Champions: One Famous Eagle, Noconi, Miss Racy Jess, Fredricksburg, Fredaville and Matabari, A Revenant, Jess Louisiana Blue. He also sired Mr Piloto, who retired as a millionaire and is ris- ing up the stallion ranks.
Mr Jess Perry has become a sire of sires and his daughters are leading producers. Mr Jess Perry is also the No. 1 broodmare sire of 2-year-old money earners with those juveniles earning more than $4.86 million.
The Louisiana stallion stands third on the list of AQHA all-time leading sires behind First Down Dash and Corona Cartel. He has sired at least 142 stakes winners, including 86 graded stakes winners, with earnings in excess of $52.7 million.
Syndicated in 1999, Mr Jess Perry stood at Four Sixes Ranch in Guthrie, Texas, until his death in 2017 at the age of 25.
The late Leverne Perry always acknowledged how much he had learned from his father. One of Perry’s five daughters, Leigh Perry Lepinski, remains active in the industry and is pleased that Mr Jess Perry will be honored.
“This award honors both my father and grandfa- ther,” explained Lepinski. “Mr Jess Perry was the best horse my dad ever raised and meant so much to him. His heart would swell and he would get tears in his eyes every time he talked about Mr Jess Perry.”
In March, Mr Jess Perry was inducted into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame. He is the first accredited Louisiana-bred to join this elite list.
THE MONTH IN REVIEW
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SPEEDHORSE, March 2019
Jennifer K. Hancock
TRACK CHATTER