Page 24 - August 2021

TRACK CHATTER
THE MONTH IN REVIEW
by Jennifer K. Hancock
LOUISIANA QUARTER HORSE ASSOCIATION HALL OF FAME
Prominent Louisiana Quarter Horse breeder and owner Claude W. Boutte Jr. and legendary racehorse and stallion Feature Mr Jess were inducted into the Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders Association Hall of Fame on July 10 at Delta Downs.
Claude W. Boutte Jr. played a very pivotal role in the history of the Louisiana Quarter Horse industry. He was one of the founding members of LQHBA and served as president
in the early years. Boutte opened Alexandria Pleasure Time Farms. His early stallions included Streakin La Jolla, who began his stud career on his farm, as well as Mr Jess Perry, who stood for several years before his tenure
at Four Sixes Ranch in Guthrie, Texas. The Louisiana native felt it was important to build a stallion roster and brought an impressive lineup to his farm, including Pie in the Sky, Twin Jet, Midway Drive and Dashing Encounter.
In addition to breeding horses, Boutte also loved watching his horses run and had a goal of having one of his homebreds win the state’s premier futurity. Sadly, Boutte died in 1992 at the age of 66. Hez Not Too Shabby, who was bred by the Estate of Claude W. Boutte Jr.,
won the 2000 LQHBA Futurity at Evangeline Downs for owners Bob and Jerry Ann Gaston.
His son Rick continues to manage the
farm Boutte established while his son Brad owns and operates Boutte Veterinary Clinic in Alexandria. Rick applauded his father’s passion for horses which he deftly combined with some good business sense. “He was instrumental in starting the Louisiana-bred award program,” said Rick. “The incentives for Louisiana breeders to keep their horses in state has really helped our industry.”
Boutte also served on several committees for the American Quarter Horse Association throughout the years. “He loved horses and promoting Louisiana racing,” Rick added. “His goal in the beginning was to make sure that the mares and stallions in Louisiana were as good as those in any region in the country.”
Grade 1 winner and multiple Champion sire Feature Mr Jess is the newest equine inductee into the LQHBA Hall of Fame. The son of lead- ing AQHA sire Mr Jess Perry out of the Truckle Feature mare Brenda Feature was born in 1998. A true homebred for the farm, J.E. Jumonville Jr. purchased Feature Mr Jess’ granddam, Brenda Beauty, for $52,000 in the 1983 November Keeneland Sale in Lexington, Kentucky.
Feature Mr Jess made his racing debut at Remington Park in 2000, winning his trial for the Remington Park Futurity-G1 and running third to Celeb in the final. Three months later, he was victorious in the Rainbow Futurity-G1, earning a 101 speed index under jockey Jacky Martin. First trained by Rodney Reed and then by Dwayne “Sleepy” Gilbreath, the talented
colt went on to capture the Rainbow Derby-G1 in 2001 and made his last start that year in
the Texas Classic Derby-G1. He was the only Louisiana-bred to win a Grade 1 race at Ruidoso Downs (he won two), completing his racing career with seven wins from 16 starts and earn- ings of $539,327. Jim and Marilyn Helzer joined Jumonville in the ownership of Feature Mr Jess midway through his 2-year-old campaign.
He stood at JEH Stallion Station and embarked on an exceptional stallion career. From 10 crops to reach racing age, Feature
Mr Jess sired 436 winners (67%), 128 stakes horses (20%), seven Champions with earn- ings of $24.9 million and average earnings per starter of more than $38,000. His offspring have won some of the biggest Quarter Horse races, including the All American Futurity-G1 and Champion of Champions-G1, and he is the only Quarter Horse sire with two earners of more than $1.8 million.
Feature Mr Jess is the No. 1 siring son of leading sire Mr Jess Perry. As a broodmare
sire he has sired the dams of 20 stakes win- ners. After Feature Mr Jess died, Jumonville purchased the remaining frozen semen in 2017 and started offering ICSI breedings to him from their farm in Louisiana.
J.E. Jumonville Jr., who was inducted into the LQHBA Hall of Fame in 2019, shares what his extraordinary Champion meant to the family and the entire racing industry. “Feature Mr Jess was a big horse with incred- ible talent and could win going short or long,” Jumonville said. “He had a wonderful disposition; a 5-year-old girl could lead him down the shed row.”
This will be the sixth class inducted into the Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders Association Hall of Fame, which was launched in 2016 in celebration of the association’s 50th anniversary.
LQHBA Hall of Fame inductee, Feature Mr Jess
“His goal in the beginning was to make sure that the mares and stallions in Louisiana were as good as those in any region in the country.” - Rick Boutte
22 SPEEDHORSE August 2021