Page 53 - December 2020

J.E. & Dutch
CREATING A LEGACY
The Jumonville sons-who grew up not only with Bunny’s younger brother, Rawhide Callais, but also with J.E.’s two half-brothers from his dad’s third marriage, Bubba and Claude - all learned and helped support the business through the years. “The boys were raised like brothers,” J.E. says. “They learned how to work with the horses and how to fit a horse so when they got older, they could do it. When we’d go to the races, those boys would all go with us.”
But it was middle son Dutcher who decided to work alongside his father on a full-time basis. “Dutch started farming in 1992 and around 2000, when Jess Louisiana Blue came off the track, we started breeding the colt,” J.E. says. “We had some trouble with him; his libido was low, and I asked Dutch if he wanted to give the breeding end of it a try. He said he did.
“In November 2003, I called Dr. Blodgett at 6666 Ranch and asked if he could teach Dutch how to handle the breedings. He told me to send Dutch and Blue to the 6666.
“He had 17 studs up there, collecting
them and freezing semen,” continues J.E. “DutchDutch stayed two weeks and we’ve never missed a collection or a shipment since. I owe a lot to Dr. Blodgett; this place wouldn’t be what it is without Dutch.”
“I’ve been working with my dad since
I was 10 years old,” Dutch says. “He has
taught me my work ethic, to stand up and be straightforward, and in my eyes, he’s the best horseman I’ve ever been around. The time I’ve spent with him on the place has meant more
to me than I can say. Just the other day when
I was working with him on a fence, I thanked God for giving me the wonderful father he did.
“As with all families, at times we do have a love-hate relationship,” Dutch adds. “But I’ve seen a transformation through the prayers that my mom has given. He’s taken that and put God first in his life, and he’s made a huge transformation. It’s something I want to strive to be like.”
It was middle son Dutcher who decided to work alongside his father on a full-time basis. “Dutch started farming in 1992 and around 2000, when Jess Louisiana Blue came off the track, we started breeding the colt.”
Dutch Jumonville as a baby
A MARVELOUS MENTOR
A few years ago, J.E. heard about a sprinting Thoroughbred stallion that had set two track records: one at Del Mar and one at Santa Anita. But at the time, Jess Louisiana Blue was still breeding so J.E. didn’t pursue it. A year later, he got a call from Ken O’Brien in Las Vegas, the young man he’d talked with at a sale in the late 1990s. O’Brien told J.E. that he had bought a stallion that was previously trained by Bob Baffert. He was thinking of moving Power Jam to Louisiana and wanted to find the right place for him. He felt it could very well be Jumonville Farms.
“I told him we didn’t stand outside stallions,” J.E. says. “But then I learned it was Power Jam (TB), the same stallion I’d been interested in the year before. O’Brien said he’d give me a first-class ticket to come see the horse. I said I didn’t have time. He asked if I had time to go to the airport in New Orleans to see the horse and if I didn’t like him, he’d have him shipped back. We went to see him and brought him back to the farm.”
The only Quarter Horse yearling by Power Jam sold so far brought $85,000 at Heritage Place this year. “If Power Jam had been proven, there’s no telling how much he’d have brought,” J.E. says. “So, we’re very excited about standing him and from what we’ve seen in his foals’ quality and consistency, we expect great things from him.”
“I’ve had nothing but a wonderful relationship with J.E., Dutch and Bunny, whom my wife absolutely adores, and really with the whole staff,” O’Brien adds. “They’ve always acted in our best interest and they’ve made us feel like we’re a part of their family. I like to
get his opinion on things from breedings to marketing, and he’s been a major asset to me.
“J.E. once made a comment to me,” O’Brien concludes. “He said, ‘Boy, I’m gonna tell ya, you remind me so much of myself when I was your age.’ I took that as a huge compliment.”
J.E.’s trainer, Ken Roberts, adds, “Mr. J.E. is a go-getter. If he wants something, he’s going
to make a way to get that done. He wanted to make Jess Louisiana Blue a World Champion, but it took a $20,000 late payment to do it. He sat down and talked to me about it and I said, ‘That’s a lot of money.’ He said, ‘If you’ve got faith in the horse, I’ve got faith in you. If you feel he could do it, we can try.’ I said, ‘Let’s try,’ and it turned out good — he succeeded.”
J.E.’s advice to make things go well: Don’t quit. “If you believe something in your gut, do
it and see it through. God has given each person a talent and everyone’s talent is different, and I think the ability to feel that something is right is a trait that God gives to some people. From an economic standpoint, it may sound crazy — and don’t get me wrong, it doesn’t always work out — but for us, the end result has worked, and failures prepare you for greater achievements.
“I can promise you this,” J.E. says. “What I’ve learned in 77 years is that God is in control of everything.”
And that includes the number and names of the rungs in his and everyone’s ladder to success.
Power Jam TB is the only outside stud that has stood at Jumonville Farms in Ventress, Louisiana, in its 55-year history.
J.E. with his wife Bunny the night of the 2019 LQHBA Hall of Fame ceremony.
SPEEDHORSE December 2020 51