Page 77 - Jan_2020

. . . your guidance and knowledge will leave legacies in the horse industry for years to come.
L.R. PAT THOMPSON
RICHARD “DICKIE” SHEARER
Longtime New Mexico horseman Richard “Dickie” Shearer, 67, passed away on Jan. 10. Shearer, who was a member of the AQHA and NMHBA, began breeding Quarter Horses in 1991. He bred the earners of nearly $4 million and owned many successful horses, including Beduinos Call, who won 13 races in a row, as well as Call Me Fast First, Mightys First Call and First Corona Call.
VIRGIL LLOYD SITSLER
Virgil Lloyd Sitsler passed away on his 94th birthday on Jan. 11, just moments after his family sung happy birthday to him. Sitsler was a member of the American Quarter Horse Association and the Oklahoma Race Horse Association. As a trainer, Sitsler won 154 races with earnings of $1,077,524.
BUTCH SOUTHWAY
Henry “Butch” Southway, 77, passed away on March 7 in El Paso, Texas. Born in Littleton, Colorado, Butch worked with his father prior to starting Southway Construction in 1974, which is still in operation. In 1988, he and his wife Izora moved to New Mexico to spend winters at their horse farm with their race horses. Butch raced many successful Quarter Horses over
the years. Along with R.D. Hubbard, Johnny Cope and Ray Willis of Rafter W Stables, he co-owned 2-time 2018 Champion Hotstepper and 2016 Champion A Revenant. Southway had been a board member of Alamosa State Bank since 1988, was a lifetime member of the Alamosa Elks, was a Past Master and 32nd degree Mason, and was a member of the Sand Dune Shrine Club and Al Kaly Shriners.
H.C. ‘BUBBA’ WERNER MICHAEL WOMACK JESSE YOAKUM
L.R. PAT THOMPSON
Multiple Champion trainer L.R. Pat Thompson, 91, passed away on April 24. Thompson grew up in Nebraska, where
he rodeoed as a youngster. He worked at several ranches and was encouraged to work with Walter Merrick, which he did for several years before becoming a fulltime trainer in the 40’s. His first owner was
Jack Casement, a founder of the AQHA, and their first good racehorse together
was stakes winner Alfaretta. Thompson was also the trainer of 2-time Champion She Kitty and Champion Little Chloe, out of Alfaretta, and he owned AQHA Show Champion/multiple Show Champion sire Wiggy Bar. In the early 70’s, he bought Jet Threat from Bud Warren. The son of Jet Deck won several races and then earned points in several disciplines to become the 31st AQHA Supreme Champion. In 2019, Thompson and Jet Threat were inducted into the Rocky Mountain Hall of Fame.
H.C. ‘BUBBA’ WERNER
H.C. ‘Bubba’ Werner passed away on April 17 following a long battle with cancer. Werner, who graduated from the University of Texas, grew up around his father’s racetrack. He became a trainer, condition- ing Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds. Among his top trainees was 4-time Champion/17-time winner Come Six. Werner took the gelding to Mexico in 1974 for a match race with Beduino TB, who won the event by 1-length. Werner is the trainer of over $2.1 million in Quarter Horse earners.
J. MARVIN WILLHITE
J. Marvin Willhite passed away at the age of
88 on June 12 in Holly, Colorado. Willhite
was born at the beginning of the dust bowl era in 1931, and attended Colorado A&M, now Colorado State University. He joined the U.S. Air Force where he served as an officer. He was the Mayor of Holly, and helped the community through the 1965 flood. He enjoyed farming and ranching, and raising and showing horses, later focusing on his love of racehorses. Included among the horses he bred/owned is multiple Graded stakes winner and World Record Setter Dolls Prodigy, who he co-owned with Thomas Bradbury. Marvin was a longtime member of the AQHA and served as President of the Rocky Mountain Quarter Horse Association.
MICHAEL WOMACK
Texas horseman Michael Womack, 58, passed away on May 13. His Womack Cavendar Farms is the co-breeder with Dunn Ranch of Apollitical Pence, who was a finalist in the 2019 Heritage Place Derby-G2. Womack also owned Fantastic Six, who is the dam of stakes horses Capital Ice, One Fantastic Gal and Days Gone Down.
JESSE YOAKUM
Quarter Horse trainer Jesse Yoakum, 69, passed away on Oct. 3 after a battle with pulmonary fibrosis. Yoakum was a jockey prior to his training career that spanned
30 years. During that time, he saddled 418 Quarter Horse winners with earnings of over $3.2 million. Among his top performers are Beduinos Rusty, winner of the Sam Houston Futurity-G1, and A Glint Of Gold, winner of the Sam Houston Classic-G2.
Beautiful memories silently kept, of ones we loved and will never forget.
SPEEDHORSE, January 2020 73