Page 100 - Speedhorse April 2019

MOVING FORWARD
Among those good people has been Russell Harris, to whom Lee sent his next horse, Winning Hope (Strong Hope-Doing Some Winning, Runaway Winner). “Since then, Mr. Russell Harris has been the most incredible friend when it comes to the racing world,” Lee says. “He has enlightened me on so many occasions and been very honest and open. He said, ‘Lee, if you want to compete at the level I think you want to, you need to improve your pedigree.’ That led to me acquiring Shinnie from the Newsomes.”
In 2015, Lee became a member of the board of directors of the Florida Quarter Horse Racing Association, on which he served until Hialeah shuttered live Quarter Horse racing in 2017. He now serves on the AQHA Racing Committee.
Asked what he feels his greatest success has been thus far, he replies, “To me, my biggest success has been off the racetrack, forming these influential relationships that will probably last far longer than I’m in the racing industry. Everyone wants to win races, including me, but in order to feel good about winning those races, I think there’s an element to people knowing you’re doing it the right way. When I sit on these committees and I get to hear Mr. Johnny Trotter or Mr. Izzy Trejo or Mr. Jeff True speak about things we’re doing in New Mexico to clean up horse racing; when I get a chance to listen to Miss Debbie Schauf and Miss Janet Van Bebber, I feel like my biggest success is being regarded as someone who can provide something to those committees.”
Today, Lee lives just 75 steps from the barn where Whos Royal, bred by Buddy and Patty Newsome; Flyweight Carver, Lee’s 2-year-old Wave Carver filly; and his two Shinnie fillies live. “I was very fortunate to be able to acquire property in Bluffton about 20 minutes from where I grew up,”
Lee’s stable is Stick-N-Move Stables
“To me, my biggest success has been off
the racetrack, forming these influential relationships that will probably last far longer than I’m in the racing industry.”
he says. “When I bought this home in 2011, I really bought it because it had an eight-stall barn. I cared more about that than the actual house itself!”
He loves the care-taking aspect of his operation, but due to his 48-hours-off, 24-hours-on schedule as captain with the Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue, his father comes to care for the horses when Lee can’t be there. Along with Lee’s father, his mother, brother and Maurice form the staunch support network that Lee refers to when he consistently says “we” in reference to his accomplishments.
“Lee is very humble and never wants to take credit for his accomplishments,” says Geral Baxter, the owner and breeder from Glenville, Georgia, who sold him Racie Rebecca. “He’s
the kind of person you want to see more of in the business. He’s honest and forthcoming, he puts the horse first and doesn’t give up on one
if they don’t do well. He’s also very determined to be successful at what he does and is always trying to do better. I’m impressed with the level of success he has achieved so quickly by forming relationships within the industry.
“To this day, if he’s going to run a horse that I’m involved with, he’ll call me and tell me all about it,” Geral adds.
Even above the care-taking aspect of his operation, Lee loves the breeding aspect. “It’s a culmination of your decisions,” he says. “Why you breed a particular mare to a particular sire — and with the amount of sires readily available, it’s about taking risks. I admire Nancy Yearsley for not being afraid to take those kinds of risks.
“Horse racing tends to be dominated by certain pedigrees and bloodlines but the risk takers sometimes have high rewards,” Lee
adds. “I’ve never been one to conform to what everyone else is doing; I try to make my own way through the tunnel. So the breeding is, in my opinion, how you begin to set yourself apart with the decisions you’ve made, and hopefully those decisions can turn into a positive reflection on you.”
Maurice says, “When you’re around a positive person with positive vibes, positive things come to you.” That said, many more positive things are bound to come to Lee Jenkins.
98 SPEEDHORSE, April 2019
Lee with Walk Thru Fire