Page 88 - New Mexico Horse Breeder, Fall

IN MEMORIAM
Courtesy Farmington Daily - Carroll Ray Hopper was born on July 28, 1938 on a ranch north of Taiban, New Mexico. He attended school in Fort Sumner. He played basketball, football, and track growing up. His basketball team won second in state during his junior and senior years. Fort Sumner won the state track championship eight years in a row. Carroll was also involved in 4-H and FFA. He had the grand champion pig and the reserve grand champion pen of three at the New Mexico State Fair in 1953.
Carroll moved to Farmington after he graduated from high school in 1956. He worked in Farmington over the summer and then attended New Mexico State University and Eastern New Mexico University. Carroll was smart and he amazed others how he could do Math in his head. After college, he moved back to Farmington.
Carroll and Marylee met at a practice roping in Farmington, NM. They married in Durango, Colorado on June 10, 1968 and Joe and Patti Montano were their witnesses.
Carroll worked at Four States Refining Company as a refinery operator for thirteen years before the refinery closed. Carroll then worked for seven years for Black Mesa Pipeline in Kayenta, Arizona as a shift supervisor.
In 1976, Carroll and Marylee bought Hopper’s Lounge and Package in Aztec and owned that business for thirteen years. They had some big times in Hopper’s Lounge with all of their cherished friends.
There is a saying, “You have to be a friend, to have a friend. Carroll Hopper’s friends meant the world to him. He was a true friend and was there for them no matter what.
Carroll and Marylee also owned Windmill Western Wear in Bloomfield and a feed store near the racetrack in Farmington. Carroll and Marylee were instrumental in the establishment of San Juan Downs/currently SunRay Park. Carroll Hopper also worked at Snake River
Construction for several years. As small business owners, they were both extremely supportive of youth activities in the area such as sponsoring saddles, buckles, trophies, etc.
Carroll and Marylee bought their first race horse in 1978 and received numerous honors from the New Mexico Horse Breeder’s Association from the bloodlines he created with such great horses as Merry Wagon, Merry Ego, Merry’s Dolly, and Wagon’s Maiden. Carroll is ranked as the 132nd best Quarter Horse trainer of all- time in America. Carroll started a total
of 1,885 races during his career with 284 wins, 252 seconds, and 241 thirds.
Carroll made sure his children had a great childhood and never missed a rodeo, livestock show, or game. Carroll loved to fish, waterski and dance to country western music. Carroll was as tough as they come, would not complain, and kept pushing himself right until his last breath. Carroll was a kind and gentle man and will be missed by all who knew him.
He is survived by his five sisters: Carlene Keith, Joyce Neagle, Wynell Richards, Phyllis Dobbins, and Rosella Moor, four children: Bobby Hopper, Toni Hopper Pendergrass, Carroll “”Slugger”” Hopper, and Marla Schmidt, his 15 grandchildren, 14 great grandchildren, numerous nieces and nephews, and his dear friend Kelley Brooks.
Carroll was preceded in death by his parents; Jimmy and Frances Hopper; his wife Marylee Hopper; his two sisters Edna Marie McIntire and Imagene Cheyne, brother-in-law Raymond McLain and niece Cindy McClain Williams.
Funeral services were at Fort Sumner Cemetery in Fort Sumner New Mexico on July 7, 2018.
The Hopper family would like to extend our appreciation to all of our family and friends for their support during this extremely difficult time. In lieu of flowers, please make contributions to the Carroll and Marylee Endowed Scholarship at San Juan College Foundation.
CARROLL RAY HOPPER July 28, 1938-June 27, 2018
JOHN ANDREINI November 10, 1927-July 27, 2018
Courtesy Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico - John Andreini, of San Mateo, California, died following a brain aneurysm on July 27. He was 90.
Andreini was one of four partners in All American Ruidoso Downs Racing, LLC (AARD) and All American Ruidoso Horse Sales, LLC (AARHS). These companies operate Ruidoso Downs Race Track, the Billy the Kid Casino, and the Ruidoso Horse Sale Company. They pur- chased AARD and AARHS in October, 2017.
The remaining partners are Stan Sigman, Narciso “Chicho” Flores and Johnny Trotter.
“John was a force of nature and had a lot of fun owning this track with the partnership. He was a great American, a great family man and a true friend who will be missed,” stated Sigman, for the partnership.
Andreini was the founder, Chairman of the Board, and CEO of Andreini & Company, which he established in 1951. He built his company into one of the largest, privately held insurance broker- age firms in the United States. The company has 11 offices located throughout California as well as, Oklahoma, Texas and North Carolina. Today his company employs over 200 insurance profession- als. The company consistently ranks in the top 50 independently owned insurance brokers and in the top 100 of all United States Insurance Brokers. Since 1968 Andreini was active in the quarter horse business and served as a director of the Ameri- can Quarter Horse Association, and a member of the AQHA racing council. He was also a former Board Director Emeritus member of the Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Racing Association (PCQHRA) and a partner in the Los Alamitos Equine Sale.
Andreini owned the 2600-acre JL Ranch
in the Diablo Mountain Range of California’s north coast. He has bred and raced a wide range of exceptional quarter horses and his consign- ments are always highly regarded at the major sales. Horses he has bred include $435,000 earn- er Volcom (sire of All American Futurity winner JM Miracle), $331,000 earner Lindas Dasher, PCQHRA broodmare of the year Imjumpn and many more important stakes horses.
IN MEMORIAM
Two long-time NMHBA members recently passed away, Carol Lee Taylor of Hobbs, New Mexico and Donald Erickson of Albuquerque, New Mexico.
86 New Mexico Horse Breeder
Photo Courtesy Ruidoso Downs