Page 108 - January_2023

202 Y E A R i n 2 REVIEW
NOVEMBER
C.W. “BUBBA” CASCIO
(Nov. 2) C.W. “Bubba” Cascio passed away at the age of 90. Bubba was the trainer of two All American Futurity winners in Three Ohs (1968) and Champion Rocket Wrangler (1970). He
overseeing legendary stallions such as Dash For Cash, Special Effort, Streakin Six, Mr Jess Perry, One Famous Eagle, and many more. Under Blodgett, the Four Sixes Ranch was an AQHA Best Remuda. Blodgett was a member of the Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame and in 1988 was appointed to the first Texas Horse Racing
Timeto Takeoff. Kawananakoa supported many charities. She was a supporter of Colorado State University’s equine medicine program where
she received an honorary degree in 2016. She supported Hawaiian institutions, including the Iolani Palace Bishop Museum, and Hawaiian language and history projects.
“There are no goodbyes for us. Wherever you are, you will always be in my heart” - Ghandi
was also the trainer of 2-time World Champion Dash For Cash, World Champion Dashingly,
and additional Champions Pass Over, Queen For Cash, Six Fortunes, Some Dasher and Staunchs Velvet. Born in Houston, Texas, Bubba’s uncle managed Epsom Downs and his father Jake was
a highly respected trainer including Champion Tonto Parr. In his teen years, Bubba worked at Lester Goodson’s J3 Ranch. He soon became too heavy to work as a jockey and he began riding cutting horses. With Goodson, he went to the White House and presented President Eisenhower with two American Quarter Horses. Bubba was the first trainer to reach over $1 million in earners. He is a leading trainer with over $20 million in earners, including 957 wins and 45 stakes wins, and over $4.4 million in Thoroughbred money earners. He was inducted into the Texas Racing Hall of Fame in 2002, into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame in 2008, and into the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2016.
Commission, where he received the Association of Racing Commissioners International’s Joan Pew Award for racing commissioner of the year. He was a trustee of the National Cutting Horse Association Foundation and was inducted into the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2019. In 2011, he received the AQHA Racing Council Special Recognition Award. Under Blodgett, AQHA implemented the Multiple Medications Violations System and Animal Welfare Commission.
DECEMBER
ABIGAIL KAWANANAKOA
(Dec. 11) 2018 AQHA Hall of Fame member and Hawaiian Princess Abigail Kawananakoa, 96, passed away. Abigail was born in 1926 as the last of the royal lineage descended from King Kamehameha of Hawaii. She developed a passion for Quarter Horse racing and was the #14 all-time leading breeder with earners of over $10.5 million and the #7 all-time leading owner with earners
of more than $7 million. She was named the AQHA Champion Owner in 1994-1995. Among her many broodmares was Trippy Dip TB, also an AQHA Hall of Fame member who produced Florentine. She also owned Evening Snow, the first horse in Quarter Horse history to break
the 21-second mark at the quarter mile when he clocked :20.94 in 1996. She was the owner of A Classic Dash, who earned over $1 million and won the 1993 All American Futurity. She was the breeder of 2-time Champion Royal Down Dash, Champion Royaltime Classic, Champion This Snow Is Royal, and Champion Time For A Cigar, and was the owner of Champion Significant Heart and 2-time AQHA Broodmare of the Year
RICK JOHNS
Former AQHA President Rick Johns of Prescott, Arizona, passed away in December. Johns always had an interest in the mares and built an impressive broodmare band. “Some
of the old-timers I had an opportunity to be around in my younger days all said that the mother was a really important part of the program and I still believe that,” he once said. He started showing horses in the mid-1960s and is associated with horses such as World Champion Yearling Filly Triple Lindy and World Champion Aged Stallion Son Of Sun. He was the first president of the Arizona Quarter Horse Youth Association, he was the 1971 president of the Arizona Quarter Horse Association, and financially backed the Sun Circuit which is one of the biggest AQHA shows. He became an AQHA director in 1972 and served on the judges and membership committees, then became the 34th president of the AQHA in 1984. He was inducted into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame in 1997.
JOE RIOS
(Dec. 12) Livestock trader, owner and agent Joe Rios, 63, passed away. A lifelong resident of El Paso, Texas, Joe was the owner of Quarter Horse money earners of $728,836 with 17 wins from 69 starts and was ranked a leading owner of money earners in 2018. Among his top money earners were Suze Returns, with whom he won the West Texas Futurity-G2 in 2018, Fantastic Feature
Jr, winning of the Hobbs America Derby-G3 in 2019, and All American Futurity-G1 qualifier Eagles And Dragons.
GLENN BLODGETT
(Nov. 20) AQHA Past President and AQHA Hall of Fame Inductee Dr. Glenn Paul ‘Doc’ Blodgett has passed away. Glenn grew up in Spearman, Texas, where his father farmed and ranched in the Texas Panhandle. He married his high school sweetheart Karen Wright, and they both earned their bachelor’s degrees at Oklahoma State University. Glenn received his veterinary degree from Texas A&M University. He served on the board of the American Association of Equine Practitioners and was the Texas Veterinary Medical Association’s equine practitioner of the year. He has been with the Four Sixes Ranch in Guthrie, Texas since 1982,
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BUBBA CASCIO
DR. BLENN BLODGETT ABIGAIL KAWANANAKOA RICK JOHNS
106 SPEEDHORSE January 2023