Bologna, August 9, 2021 – Induction into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame is the highest industry honor that can be bestowed upon a human or equine. Those chosen for induction are recognized for their lifetime of accomplishments and service.
Six horses and four AQHA members will be inducted into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame as part of the Classes of 2020 & 2021. Both classes will be inducted at the 2021 AQHA Convention in San Antonio due to the cancellation of the 2020 AQHA Convention.
Aqha Hall of fame Class of 2021
AQHA Past President Dr. Glenn Blodgett became the resident veterinarian and manage of the horse division at the Four Sixes Ranch in Guthrie, Texas in 1982. As the head of the ranch’s horse division, Dr. Blodgett has made the ranch an industry leader in equine embryo transfer and artificial insemination, consistently producing and developing some of the most highly recognized racing and western performance American Quarter Horses in the world. Dr. Blodgett became an AQHA director in 1991, and in 2011, elevated to director-at-large and has served on multiple AQHA Committees.
Aqha Hall of fame Class of 2020
A Good Machine was bred by Dawn Schroeter of Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, and was owned by MC Equine Enterprise LLC of Whitesboro, Texas. After a stellar career in the show ring, mostly in western pleasure, A Good Machine went to the breeding shed where he sired the earners of more than 32,500 AQHA points. His foals have earned more than $2 million in the show pen. He was euthanized in 2011.
Dual Rey was bred and owned by Linda Holmes of Longmont, Colorado, throughout his prolific career as a cutter and as a sire of versatile horses. His offspring have earned more than $40 million through the National Cutting Horse Association, the National Reined Cow Horse Association, the National Reining Horse Association and AQHA. He also sired winners of barrel races and ranch competitions. He was euthanized in May 2018 due to complications of age.
Esters Little Klu produced 15 American Quarter Horse foals that earned $230,023 on the track. Twelve different stallions sired Esters Little Klu’s 15 foals, and her influence continues to be seen in the bloodlines of modern winners, including Tac It Like A Man, Ochoa and Feature Mr Bojangles. She was bred by Dan L. Williams and was owned by Robert Driggers of Anthony, New Mexico.
Mr Eye Opener was bred by American Quarter Horse Hall of Famer Joe Kirk Fulton of Lubbock, Texas, and was purchased as a yearling by 40-year breeder Dale Smith of Houston. On the track, Mr Eye Opener set a track record in his second out, and he went on to earn $202,978. He sired more than 2,024 foals with race earnings of more than $28.1 million. He died in November 2018.
Triple’s Image earned AQHA points in halter, western riding, western pleasure and hunter under saddle. In the breeding shed, he sired halter and performance horses. He was a leading sire from 1977 to 1981 and was euthanized June 28, 1999, due to complications of kidney failure. He was bred by Walter Clark of Forsyth, Montana, and was owned by Mount San Antonio College in Walnut, California.
Zan Parr Jack was the 1983 AQHA world champion in junior working cow horse. He was the 1984 and 1985 world champion in senior heeling. In 1987, he was the world champion in amateur heeling. His offspring have earned 18 world championships and 18 reserve world championships. He was bred by Jerald A. Riemann of Dighton, Kansas, and was owned by the Lazy E Ranch of Guthrie, Oklahoma. He was euthanized December 3, 2014.
2020: Talking about humans…
AQHA Professional Horseman Bob Avila grew up riding horses in northern California. In 1970, he left a corporate position to take a job riding horses. Since then, he has earned more than $380,000 in the National Reining Horse Association and more than $1.1 million in the National Reined Cow Horse Association. He was inducted into the NRCHA Hall of Fame and in 1996 was the first AQHA Professional Horseman of the Year.
Dwayne “Sleepy” Gilbreathstarted training racehorses for the public in 1970. In 1978, he started training at Ruidoso Downs and won the Rainbow Futurity in 1982 with Yankee Win. In 1983, he won his first All American Futurity with On A High. He won the All American with Refrigerator in 1990 and in 2011, he won with Ochoa. Dwayne has conditioned the earners of nearly $30 million. He received the 2018 Gordon Crone Award.
The late George Phillips of Jackson, Mississippi, was a lifelong breeder of American Quarter Horses and past president of the Mississippi Quarter Horse Association. At age 31, George became the youngest U.S. attorney in the nation when he was appointed as the interim U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi. He was an AQHA member for more than 30 years, serving on AQHA’s board of directors. George Phillips was elected to the AQHA Executive Committee in 2011. He died in 2015, before he could serve his term as AQHA president.
AQHA Past President Johnny Trotter of Hereford, Texas, is president and general manager of Bar G Feedyard. In 1998, he became interested in racehorses, eventually breeding One Famous Eagle, the 2008 champion race colt. He owns the 2018 racing world champion, Bodacious Eagle, and was the 2018 champion owner. Johnny Trotter was first appointed to the AQHA Racing Committee in 2000. He has served on the AQHA board of directors and many committees and councils. He was elected to the AQHA Executive Committee in 2010 and was the 2014-15 AQHA president.