Page 131 - February_2023

If you think you have to breed large After high school, Billy attended college and JoBaya are the only members of either
n nu u m m b b e e r r s s t t o o p p r r o o d d u u c c e e g g r r e e a a t t w w i i n n n n e e r r s s , , think again.
B B i i l l l l y y a a n n d d J Jo oB B a a y y a a F Fo or r e e m m a a n n, , b br r e e e e d d e e r r s s
f f r r o om m t t h he e B B a a y y o ou u S S t t a a t t e e o of f L L o ou u i i s s i i a a n n a a , , c c o o - - b br r e e d d 2-time Champion Vals Fortune, earner of $1,111,591, and Ol Time Preacher Man,
w w h h o o e e a a r r n n e e d d $ $ 5 5 6 65 5 , , 9 9 3 3 3 3 o o n n t t h h e e r r a a c c e e t t r r a a c c k k . .
A A t t i it t s s l l a a r r g g e e s s t t , , t t h h e e i i r r b b r r o o o o d d m m a a r r e e b b a a n n d d
h h a a s s h h e e l l d d 1 10 0 m m a a r r e e s s . . N N o o w w, , a a p p p p r r o o a a c c h h i i n n g g t t h h e e i i r r retirement years, they breed just four.
H O W T H E Y G O T T H E R E
B B i i l l l l y y, , t t h h e e s s o o n n o o f f B B e e r r t t a a n n d d M M a a b b e e l l B B e e n n o o i i t t
F Fo or r e e m m a a n n, , w w a a s s b b o or r n n i i n n L L a a k k e e C C h h a a r r l le e s s , , Louisiana, and grew up with one brother
a a n nd d s s i i x x s s i i s s t t e e r r s s . . T T h he e f f a a m m i i l l y y h h a a d d s s a a d d d d l le e h ho or r s s e e s s , , w w h h i i c c h h l l e e d d t t o o B B i i l l l l y y r r o o d d e e o o i i n n g g i i n n h h i i g g h h s s c c h h o o o o l l . .
JoBaya and her late brother grew up with their parents, Jobie and JoAnn Irvine, in DeRidder, Louisiana, which is now JoBaya and Billy’s hometown. She also rodeoed in high school and her dad raced a few horses around the state as well. “We just always had horses,” she says. “I don’t even remember learning to ride; I just always did.”
m m a a j j o o r r i i n n g g i i n n m m a a t t h h , , a a n n d d J Jo oB B a a y y a a l l a a t t e e r r e e a a r r n n e e d d a a master’s degree in clinical psychology. The
s s k k i i l l l l s s t t h he e y y l le e a a r r n ne e d d d du u r r i i n n g g t t h he e i i r r e e a a r r l l y y y y e e a a r r s s would serve them both well in their future venture in racing.
A A m mu u t t u u a a l l f f r r i i e e n n d d i i n nt t r r o o d d u u c c e e d d t t h h e e m m a a t t
a a r r o o d d e e o o o o n n w w h h a a t t t t u u r r n n e e d d o o u u t t t t o o b b e e B B i i l l l l y y ’ ’s s b b i i r r t t h h d d a a y y, , a a n n d d J J o o B B a a y y a a t t u u r r n n e e d d o o u u t t t t o o b b e e h h i i s s p p r r e e s s e e n n t t . . T T h h e e y y w w e e r r e e m m a a r r r r i i e e d d i i n n 1 19 9 7 7 3 3 . .
Billy worked for a plumbing company to pay the bills, then opened Foreman
P Plumbing and Piping when they moved to o D DeRidder in 1986.
Meanwhile, JoBaya did some counseling, then went to work as vice president of operations for a company
t t h h a a t t p p u u t t p p s s y y c c h h i i a a t t r r i i c c u u n n i i t t s s i i n n t t o o h h o o s s p p i i t t a a l l s s . . She worked there until 1998. Since then, she and Billy have both worked at their plumbing company along with doing all the work involved in their horse operation at home.
During that time, they raised two daughters, Nicole and Casey, who rode when they were younger, but now Billy
o of their families who are active in the horse industry.
T H E I R E N T R Y I N T O R A C I N G
While their daughters were in school,
Billy bought a horse he’d intended
t to rope with, and then tried him out a at racing. JoBaya caught the racing
f fever and decided to dip her toes into the waters of breeding. “We bought a broodmare, then another broodmare p prospect, and it went from there,”
B Billy says.
Their first broodmare purchase was Windy Illusion, a 1988 Windy Ryon
d daughter out of Pass ’Em Up daughter
C C e e d d a a r r T Tr r u u d d y y. . “ “ I I h h a a d d t t r r a a i i n n e e d d h h e e r r , , a a n n d d they wanted her real bad,” says Kenneth Roberts, now the Foremans’ trainer and friend of 25-plus years. Kenneth was good friends with the horse’s owner, who had passed away, and the owner’s family. He negotiated the sale and Foreman Quarter Horses joined the racehorse breeding industry.
Speedhorse Archives
Kenneth Roberts, trainer for the Foremans.
SPEEDHORSE February 2023 129