Page 64 - January 2017

2016 A YeAr In revIew
June 8
The Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders Association (LQHBA) announced that the association will begin paying Breeders’ Awards through last place for all horses that qualify and earn purse money in all accredited Louisiana-bred futurity and derby finals as well as in the three Louisiana Champions
June 18
Joseph P. Caldwell, 85, passed away. Caldwell began raising and running Quarter Horses in 1976 and continued for more than 20 years. He is the breeder of horses who earned more than $1.1 million on the track, led by Grade 1 winner Mitowilard ($520,794).
June 20
Quarter Horse owner Anna MacPherson (above) passed away. In partnership with her husband, PCQHRA board member Rod MacPherson, the couple won 78 races, including multiple stakes events, from 499 starts with earnings of $684,202.
Day stakes. With this change, approximately $120,000 will be added annually to the awards paid to LQHBA members bringing the total to more than $500,000 each year. Louisiana is the leading state-bred program in the country with over $5 million in mare and stallion awards. Purses paid at the four Louisiana racetracks exceeded $22 million in 2015.
June 9
Jockey Damien Martinez was named the AQHA/ Jockeys’ Guild Jockey of the Month for May. The 22-year-old jockey clinched the award after a victory
in the Old South Derby on May 13 aboard SR Inseperable. Martinez finished the month with 15 victories and was third in total earnings with $290,114.
June
June 10
Horse trainer Mike Taylor, 55, was seriously injured in an accident when his truck collided with a semi-trailer in Idaho. A longtime trainer on the Intermountain racing circuit, Mike has been a great asset to the racing industry.
June 21
4-time AQHA Champion Moonist (Separatist- Your First Moon, First Down Dash) passed away after complications from colic. Bred by Vessels Stallion Farm, the 5-year-old gelding won 24
of 34 career starts with earnings of $878,468.
Moonist, who was owned by Ronald J. Hartley
and trained by John Cooper, is one of only eight
Quarter Horses to reach 12 stakes victories at Los Alamitos and was the first horse to ever win four derbies in a single year at Los Alamitos in 2014.
June 21
Gober Lee Mitchell passed away in his
hometown of Canadian, Texas, at the
age of 102. Mitchell raised Quarter
Horses for more than 70 years, including
working stock for ranch operations and
show and race horses. Under the name
Mitchell Racing, he bred runners that
accumulated 199 wins, including 10
stakes wins and three Superior Race
Horse awards. In partnership with
Burnett Ranches, he bred 37 winners with 105 wins and 13 stakes wins, including one Superior Horse Award. In the show ring, Mitchell Ranch and Reed Hill bred AQHA Champion Red Star Bar. Mitchell served as president of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the Panhandle Livestock Association, and the Golden Spread Quarter Horse Association.
June 15
June 15
Remington Park announced their equine Champions: Horse of the Meet/Champion Older Male Zoomin Effortlessly (left); Champion 2 Year Old Duponte; Champion
3 Year Old A Tres Of Paint; Champion Older Mare Candy Cartels Cat; Champion Distance Runner Fire On The Fly; Champion Oklahoma- Bred AJs High; Champion Paint PHQ Goodbye Earl; Champion Appaloosa Star Power Intent; & Champion Claimer Apollitical Man.
The Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame announced their 2016 inductees: First Down Dash, Hugh Fitzsimons, Dr. Nat Kieffer, John T.L. Jones, and Jay Pumphrey, with the gala and induction ceremony to be held at Retama Park on Oct. 29.
62 SPEEDHORSE, January 2017