Page 57 - January 2017

2016 A YEAR IN REVIEW
January 21
The New Mexico Racing Commission (NMRC) elected longtime Quarter Horse breeder/ owner Ray Willis to serve as Chairman. Willis replaced Robert Doughty III, who will remain on
the commission. Willis has been actively involved in New Mexico’s horse racing industry since 1981.
The commission also elected
Gayla McCulloch to serve as co- chair. McCulloch replaced Beverly Bourguet, who will also remain on the commission. McCulloch is a second- generation commission member. She has served on the Farmington City Council, is an American Quarter Horse Association director, and a past president of the New Mexico Quarter Horse Association.
February 2
The 2012 sorrel overo Paint gelding Southern Snow (Southern Corona QH-Snow Warning) was declared the winner of the 2014 Grade 1 Speedhorse Lone Star Paint & Appaloosa Futurity. The original third-place finisher, Southern
Snow was moved to first after the disqualification of Cant Be Caught and Texas Silk from first and second respectively.
February 3
Senor Cawboy (Senior Solo-Takin Cash SLC, Takin On The Cash) was named the 2015 AQHA Mexican Champion. Owned by Arturo Silva, the 2013 sorrel colt won three of six starts and earned $88,361 with his biggest victory coming in the $146,828 Subasta Selecta Futurity-RG3. Senor Cawboy was bred by Anselmo Aguilar’s Cuadra La Presita and foaled in Mexico. The colt was trained by Raymun Sandoval, Victor Diaz and Hector Roldan, and jockeys Julian Sanchez, I. Dominguez, J.C. Alvarado and M.B. Hernandez rode him during the 2015 campaign. Senor Cawboy was named the 2015 Mexican Champion after it was determined that Volcoms Heart, who was originally chosen as the division’s champion, was ineligible since she was not foaled in Mexico.
February 9
Jockey Cristian Esqueda was named the AQHA/Jockeys’ Guild Jockey of the Month for the month of January. A
victory in the Hialeah Juvenile Invitational on Jan. 17 aboard String Bet, who is trained by Elio Vazquez and owned by Cristian’s fiancé Stephanie Flores, gave Esqueda the leading stride for the title. Esqueda finished the month with 16 wins and was third in total earnings among all AQHA riders with $228,537.
January 27
A Georgia senate committee approved two measures to create
a new “division of horse racing” within the Georgia Lottery Corporation. Although Gov. Nathan Deal opposed the expansion, votes by the Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee show willingness by some leaders to keep the effort in play. Sen. Jeff Mullis believed it was his obligation to put it on the ballot to let his, “constituents have their say.” Addressing concerns that legalized horse racing would set the table for other gambling opportunities, Sen. Brandon Beach wanted to restrict where Georgians could place their wagers. The bill would allow up to 3 privately owned and operated racetracks in the state that would give 3% of proceeds to the HOPE scholarship for college students. Two-thirds of the members in each chamber of the Legislature are required to approve the bill before it could get placed on the November ballot for voters.
January 28
February
mare Zipposcountrygirl, 1992 stallion All Hands On Zip, 1990 mare Texas Tough, 1999 gelding Death Wish, and 1999 gelding One Hot Chip.
February 16
The Oklahoma State University (OSU) Division of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources unveiled the new Charles and Linda Cline Equine Teaching Center, which began with
a generous contribution from Linda Cline of
Char-Lin Ranch in honor of her late husband
Charles and their passion and patronage for
equine students. The facility has a teaching
barn, small indoor arena, classrooms, feed &
tack rooms, a wash rack, and a treatment area.
The new center will provide students and
industry partners the opportunity to learn cutting-edge production and management practices, with the classroom and indoor arena allowing for hands-on activities any time of the year.
February 12
The Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC) announced their 2015 Hall of Fame Inductees, recognizing individuals and horses that have made a positive impact on the Appaloosa industry. The individual inductees are Jim Jirkovsky of Kearney, Nebraska, and Roland “Pete” Wood of Ocala, Florida. Horse inductees include 1984
The Arizona Dept. of Agriculture imposed a 21-day quarantine on the stable area at Turf Paradise after a horse was euthanized with symptoms consistent with Equine Herpes Virus. Turf Paradise announced that racehorses would not be allowed to leave and return to the track without proof of origins or proof of vaccination for the virus within
the last 14-60 days, pony horses would not be allowed to leave and return to the track, new pony ship-ins would not be allowed, no horses would be allowed to return to the track after racing at Rillito Park, only horses that have raced at Turf Paradise within the last 45 days would be allowed to ship on the grounds, and horses from New Mexico and Texas would not be permitted onto track property.
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