Wrangler Champion Jockey Ramiro Haro Garcia was joined by his wife and newborn in accepting his award.

© courtesy AQHA

ALBUQUERQUE, NM–OCTOBER, 26, 2024–The AQHA Racing Challenge offers racing opportunity for horses from the regional to the national level, and with that gives more opportunity for horsemen to earn not only a piece of the rich stakes purses offered, but also year-end awards for the champion owner, breeder, trainer and jockey in the program.

The year-end awards are determined by points accumulated in regional qualifying races. At year end, the top earner in each division receives an award from one of AQHA’s Corporate Partners.

This year, Canada is represented with a victory by Grand Prairie, Alberta-based Jerry Stojan, who is the John Deere Champion Owner.

Stojan is the son of past champion owner Charles Stojan, and they race a powerful stable in the Challenge program, including the likes of stakes winners Flight Club, Fired and Pretty Sweet Jess.

"It’s always been a good program for us up here, as there’s not a lot of big stakes," said Stojan. "My father started it with all these good horses and we’ve just continued it."

This year’s Nutrena Champion Breeder is Weetona Stanley. She will earn Nutrena product and a custom buckle.

Stanley is the industry’s all-time leading female breeder, and she sits at No. 10 on the list of all-time breeders by money earned with more than $13 million accumulated. Among the horses she bred is Los Alamitos Championship Challenge (G2) winner A Famous Ribbon.

Trainer Jason Olmstead earned nearly double the points of his next nearest competitor to pick up his fourth consecutive victory as the Wrangler Champion Trainer, earning cash and a prize buckle. The 2021 Blane Schvaneveldt Champion Trainer raced a number of good horses, including stakes winners Lynnder 16 and Mystic Paint.

"It’s a good program for the quality of horses we run in the Challenge," Olmstead said. "We’ve been very fortunate things worked out."

This year’s Wrangler Champion Jockey is Ramiro Haro Garcia, who since 2012 has ridden the earners of more than $4.9 million. For his achievement in the Challenge program this year, he will earn cash and a trophy buckle. Among his top runners are Cardiac Cowboy and Mystic Paint.

To find out more about the AQHA Racing Challenge, or to enroll a horse, visit www.aqha.com/racing-challenge.

AQHA News and information is a service of the American Quarter Horse Association. For more news and information, follow @AQHA Racing on X and on Instagram, "like" Q-Racing on Facebook, and visit www.aqha.com/racing.