Page 32 - LQHBA 2018 Membership Directory

LQHBA HALL of fAme
John L. Soileau, Sr. and Hemp Meyers Inducted into the 2018 LQHBA Hall of Fame
Alexandria, Louisiana (February 16, 2018) – Outstanding Louisiana Quarter Horse breeder and owner, John Lionel Soileau, Sr. and noted racehorse and stallion Hemp Meyers were inducted into this year’s Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders Association (LQHBA) Hall of Fame. This is the third year that LQHBA has named its recipients. The ceremony, in conjunction with the annual LQHBA Membership Meeting & Awards Banquet, took place on Saturday, March 24 at the Evangeline Downs Events Center in Opelousas, Louisiana.
JoHn LIoneL SoILeAu, Sr.
It would be difficult to find a Louisiana horseman who loved horses as much as John Soileau.
“We came up as a farming family and it was hard work,” acknowledged Soileau’s oldest son Darrel. “But on Sundays, after Church, we piled into the truck and headed to the bush tracks.”
The founder of JLS Speedhorse Ranch, Inc., Soileau was the owner of 1,377 Quarter Horses and many who not only won stakes races but shone the spotlight on Louisiana breeding and racing.
Royal Bushwhacker, a son of Behold a Beduino, was one of Soileau’s first stakes winners. After breaking his maiden at Delta Downs and winning the $77,315 Firecracker Futurity, he showed so much potential that he was sent to Ruidoso Downs to compete in trials for the All American Futurity. During his 3-year-old season he defeated world champion and three- time Champion of Champions winner Refrigerator and stakes winner and leading sire Takin On The Cash in a trial for the All American Derby at Ruidoso Downs. In a blanket finish in the 1991 All American Derby final, only a head and a neck separated the top three finishers: See Me Gone, Refrigerator and Royal Bushwhacker.
Royal Bushwhacker closed out his career in 1992 with 13 wins and earnings of $290,770. He was inducted into the inaugural LQHBA Hall of Fame.
“That gray horse was really special,” stated Darrel. “He put daddy where he deserved to be.”
Additional stakes winners included Do It To It Reb, Get It Reb, Captain Lyles and Ms Pilot Point. Noted champions, bred by JLS Speedhorse Ranch, LLC included JLS Party Wagon, JLS Streak of Snow and JLS Book of Psalms. But without a doubt, the most prolific homebred for Soileau was JLS Mr Bigtime, the multiple-graded stakes winner who earned $1,031,037 throughout his exceptional career. He ran second in the 2010 All American Futurity (G1) and was honored
as 2010 AQHA Racing Champion 2 year old gelding. It was a special Labor Day weekend as his showing in the prestigious race garnered unprecedented attention for Louisiana Quarter Horse racing. A contingent of over 100 family members and supporters made the trip to Ruidoso Downs and rooted for JLS Mr Bigtime to become the first Louisiana-bred to win the All American Futurity.
“Daddy cried that afternoon,” said Darrel. “JLS Mr Bigtime got bumped and ran second, but that’s horseracing. “He was so proud of the horse and having so many family members and friends with him to share the day.”
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