THE AMERICAN QUARTER HORSE ASSOCIATION—OCTOBER 30, 2013—J.E. Jumonville Jr. of Ventress, Louisiana, and Bob Moore Farms of Norman, Oklahoma, were honored by the American Quarter Horses Association as a 50-Year Breeders at a ceremony held on Tuesday (Oct. 29) at the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame & Museum in Amarillo, Texas.

Each year, AQHA honors breeders who have dedicated their livelihoods to maintaining the integrity of the American Quarter Horse. These horsemen and families see their biggest accomplishments and proudest moments in the horses they breed.

This year, 13 honorees received the cumulative award and 12 received the legacy award. Cumulative breeders are those who have registered at least one foal for 50 years cumulatively.

Honorees ranged from people who have bred American Quarter Horses for reining, racing, ranch rodeo and cutting. Recipients were also geographically dispersed, hailing from Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas and Canada. All have dedicated 50 years to taking their best and making it better.

“It’s our honor to recognize the effort and time these breeders have spent in pushing the development of the American Quarter Horse,” said Don Treadway Jr., AQHA executive vice president.

J.E. Jumonville 50-Year Cumulative Breeder

Jumonville grew up in Louisiana’s ranch country, where high-quality ranch and cutting horses were an integral part of his youth. Retired as a farmer and rancher, and from the oil, gas and insurance industries, J.E. also spent 16 years as a Louisiana state senator, where he was instrumental in advancing the interests of the state’s booming horse industry. He and wife Bunny live on their ranch at Ventress, Louisiana, where they raised sons J.E. “Tres” III, Dutch and Clayton.

John Enoul Jumonville Jr. began breeding American Quarter Horses in his family’s name in 1955 and the following year began showing cutting horses in AQHA and National Cutting Horse Association competition, an activity in which he still occasionally participates.

In 1968, J.E. acquired his first racehorse, Turner’s Super. The stallion then won five consecutive races and had a profound influence on the horseman.

It’s a family operation. Through July 2013, J.E. in his own name, in the name of Jumonville Farms and also with his sons, had bred 202 winners from 331 starters, who together have earned more than $8.49 million. Among the 27 stakes winners bred by the Jumonvilles are champion Jess Louisiana Blue; multiple Grade 1 winners Sompinlikaglass, Magic Dozen, A Stoli Mate and Feature Mr Jess, who has sired the earners of more than $22 million; and graded stakes winners Sizzlin Cartel, Brace Your Glass, Leading Effort and Brace It.

In years past, J.E. and his family had owned more than 200 horses at a time. Now they keep 15-20 broodmares and do some embryo transfers, reducing quantity while raising quality.

J.E. cites many peak moments in his career, from winning major events on the track to owning and riding Dry Dot to win the non-pro cutting and place third in the open at the 1982 NCHA Super Stakes.

“I have said for many years that a horse with quick feet, solid conformation and a good mind can do a lot of good things,” J.E. says. “However, my ideal horse is one that excels at his or her job, whatever it may be.

“We have been blessed by God with our program over all these years,” J.E. says. “We have had many pleasurable moments, as well as heart-breaking ones – as all breeders know.”

J.E. credits a couple of major influences for keeping him in the game.

“My wife, Bunny, and the love for what we do,” he says. “Bunny is a major part of everything we do. Through good times and not-so-good times, we love what we do. We could not run the farm without the day-to-day help from our son Dutch."

“Breeding for that one great horse is a life’s work.” J.E. concludes. “It takes a team to be successful, and I want to thank all those that helped us. They are too many to name, but they know who they are, and for them we are grateful!”

Bob Moore Farms, LLC 50-Year Legacy Breeder

Bob Moore Farms LLC is the breeding legacy of late American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame member Robert W. “Bob” Moore.

Originally from Wichita, Kansas, Bob’s involvement in Quarter Horses began as a racing enthusiast in the 1950s; he began his breeding program in the early 1960s. An auto dealer in Oklahoma City, Bob Moore Farms was located initially on the bluffs north of the Canadian River in Norman.

Bob’s intention was to raise his own racehorses to compete at the sport’s highest levels. Focusing on acquiring mares from proven families, his early purchases included multiple racing champion Vanetta Dee (out of Garrett’s Miss Pawhuska) and Dyna Van (a half-sister to racing champion Dynago Miss), both by Vandy.

In a breeder’s long-term view, Bob’s investment paid off relatively quickly with his homebred 1972 Running Quarter Horse World Champion Mr Jet Moore, by Jet Deck and out of Dyna Van, and the winner of the inaugural Champion of Champions. The stallion’s career as a sire was cut short by his untimely death, but his one crop of foals earned a combined $579,406, and his daughters went on to influence Bob’s broodmare band for years.

One of Bob’s best-loved homebreds was Prissy Gold Digger, a 1975 daughter of Easy Jet and out of Broom Straw by Jackstraw (TB). From 1977 through 1979, running from Oklahoma to Ruidoso and Los Alamitos, “Prissy” broke three track records, finished in the money in 19 of 29 races, won five stakes, set a top speed index of 106 and earned $299,589, as well as a Superior race horse award. Prissy went on to produce 18 foals and 17 starters that earned just under $1 million. Prissy’s daughters and granddaughters continue to influence the Bob Moore Farms broodmare band, in addition to the bands of leading breeders across the country.

As his herd grew, Bob became one of the industry’s leading market breeders, primarily selling yearlings through the Heritage Place Inc. sales in Oklahoma City, in which he was a partner. A syndicate member in several leading stallions, Bob also owned the stallions Three Chicks, Coup De Kas (TB) and Shazoom, and he raced and stood racing champion and leading sire Rare Form.

Although Bob continued to add mares from other programs to his band, his overall plan was to retain the daughters and sisters of his best broodmares.

It’s no mistake that Bob’s second home-bred and raced champion was produced by a tail-female great-granddaughter of Dyna Van. Dashing Perfection (First Down Dash-Perfect Arrangement by Easy Jet) was the 1997 champion 3-year-old and 3-year-old gelding – 25 years and four generations after Mr Jet Moore’s title year.

An avid polo player, when Bob relocated his farm to its current location on the southern banks of the Canadian River, he picked the spot because of its ideal conditions for polo fields. He built Broad Acres Polo Club next door to the farm. In the early ’90s, Bob began a polo pony breeding program, and several horses now double-registered with AQHA and the American Polo Horse Association carry Moore-bred blood.

Currently, the farm owns 19 broodmares and one stallion, First Smart Money, a multiple stakes-siring son of First Down Dash and out of Prissy Gold Digger. The farm also stands four additional stallions.

Once asked how he would like to be remembered, Bob replied, “As an honest horseman who enjoyed raising and racing a good horse.”

His wife, Lynn, and his children, Vicky, Ted and Mark, remember his stories of watching horses run at the bush tracks of Kansas and Oklahoma, enjoying the competition and the athletes, whether they were in his barn or not. They continue his Bob Moore Farms legacy.

For more information on the 50-Year Breeder Awards, visit www.aqha.com.

Founded in 1940, the American Quarter Horse Association is the largest equine breed organization in the world. With headquarters in Amarillo, Texas, AQHA has a membership of more than 280,000 people in 86 countries and has registered more than five million horses in 95 countries.

AQHA News and information is a service of the American Quarter Horse Association. For more news and information, follow @AQHARacing on Twitter, watch the AQHA Racing Newscast and visit www.aqharacing.com.