Page 149 - Speedhorse, February 2019

One of Belle Mere’s highlights was standing the legendary Easy Jet in 1985, an All American Quarter Horse Futurity winner and outstanding sire whose breeding fee was $15,000. Easy Jet would become an American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame inductee in 1993. The fabled stallion was an Oklahoma Quarter Horse Hall of Fame inductee in 2005.
Their favorite stallion was 2015 Oklahoma Quarter Horse Hall of Fame inductee Bully Bullion. He stood on their farm for 32 years and was considered a part of the family before he passed away in 2014. The stallion that they felt had greatest impact on the Quarter Horse industry, was Mr Eye Opener who was not only a great sire of racehorses, but also one of the top broodmare sires of all times.
One year they stood 13 stallions on the farm. There were years when they bred as many as 1200 mares in a single year.
The Rapers also found time to volunteer their time. Both Dee and Betty are life members of Oklahoma Quarter Horse Racing Association and Dee served as president of OQHRA from 1993 through 2001. Dee is also an American Quarter Horse Association Director Emeritus.
Char-Lin Ranch (Charles & Linda Cline), Cushing, OK
Char-Lin Ranch is a family owned and operated business raising 300 registered Quarter Horses and 2500 Angus Cattle. In July 1985, Charles and Linda Cline bought the ranch west of Cushing, OK as a place to retire after the sale of Cherokee Lines, Inc., the family owned trucking company with more than 100 trucks and even more trailers, hauling across the 48 contiguous states from 1963 to 1990.
In January 1989 the first buckskin colt CL Buckley was born. As a two year old “Buckley” earned the title of IBHA World Champion and ABRA World Champion, and was also a finalist at the AQHA Amateur World Show. Buckley has sired the winners of over 190 of the 300 IBHA, ABRA, and PHBA World and Reserve World Championships, and top ten placings at the AQHA World Shows earned by offspring of Char-Lin Ranch.
Linda’s philanthropy includes the OSU Charles and Linda Cline Equine Teaching Center, the Cline Family Equine Sciences Professorship OSU Horse Judging Team Endowment, OSU Cline Family Equine Internship Endowment, the Right Path Literacy Project and Therapeutic Horseback Riding, the Wounded Warrior Project, Love, I.N.C., Shiloh Camp, First United Methodist Church of Cushing, AQHA Foundation Scholarship Program.
In recognition of her years of support
and philanthropy, Linda was awarded the Distinguished Service Award by the Oklahoma State University Animal Science Department in 2015. Later that year, she was named one
of three DASNR Champions, the Division’s highest award for non-alumni.
Bud Breeding Oklahoma Spirit Award: Governor Bill Anoatubby, Chickasaw Nation
Bill Anoatubby has served as the Governor of the Chickasaw Nation since 1987. Prior to that, he served as the first lieutenant governor from 1979-1987. Anoatubby has been active in tribal government since 1975. His previous positions include director of tribal health services, director of finance, special assistant to the governor and controller.
In 2010, under Governor Anoatubby’s leadership, the Chickasaw Nation, through its subsidiary Global Gaming RP, LLC purchased the Remington Park Racetrack and Casino
in Oklahoma City, OK. In addition to the purchase of the track, Global Gaming also invested over $30 Million in renovations and upgrades to the facility. Remington Park is widely recognized and renowned for conducting the world’s premier Quarter Horse race meet which annually distributes from $13 Million to $15 Million in purse money to racing Quarter Horses during its yearly 50 day live race meet.
Bill and his wife Janice have two sons, Brian and Chris and five grandchildren, Brendan, Eryn, Chloe, Sydney and Preslea.
Bud Breeding Oklahoma Spirit Award: Josh Blyden DVM (Interstate Equine) Washington, OK
Dr. Josh Blyden is a native of Oklahoma. He was born July 10, 1974 to Ellen Feaver and Art Blyden. His mother raised him in Norman, Oklahoma, where he graduated from Norman High School.
Josh attended college at the University of Oklahoma where he received a bachelor’s degree in zoology with a minor in philosophy. While attending OU, Josh met his wife and business partner Jessica Naifeh. They married in 2000 and moved to Stillwater for Josh to attend vet school. Upon receiving his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 2004, Dr. Blyden began his career working for Joe Carter, DVM.
In 2009, Dr. Blyden started his own equine practice with the assistance of his wife Jessica. In January 2014, after many years of taking care of an extensive client list, Dr. Blyden purchased Interstate Equine in Goldsby Oklahoma. The infrastructure at Interstate Equine provided the opportunity
to achieve his goal of offering a broader range of services to his clients and the athletic horse. He is licensed in multiple states, travels frequently out
of state to clients’ ranches, and attends many horse shows a year. Dr. Blyden’s areas of focus are equine sports medicine and internal medicine.
Josh and Jessica believe in giving back to the communities and the industry that have given so much to enhance their lives over the years. Dr. Blyden and Interstate Equine Hospital have been proud supporters of local rodeos, round-up clubs, OSU veterinary students, youth organizations
in Cleveland and McClain Counties, Oklahoma 4-H Foundation, OAQHA, Gypsy Horse Show Association, the NRHA, OKQHA, AQHA.
Dr. Blyden is also a proud member of many professional organizations including the NRHA, OKQHA, AQHA, OVMA, AVMA and Kiwanis. He recently created a scholarship in the name
of the late Dr. David McCarroll, DVM, which he hopes to perpetuate through the American Quarter Horse Foundation.
Most of all Josh enjoys spending time with his wife Jessica and two daughters, Isabelle 14, Evelyn 9 and their menagerie of pets.
Josh Blyden, DVM
Char-Lin Ranch
Governor Bill Anoatubby
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