SPRINGFIELD, MO—DECEMBER 17, 2019—Funeral services for longtime horseman Larry Ray Sharp are set Friday (Dec. 20) at 1 p.m. at the Greenlawn Funeral Home North (3506 N National Avenue) in Springfield, Missouri. Interment will be at the Mt. Comfort Cemetery (2376 E Farm Rd Lane) in Springfield.

Sharp, 79, of Mindenmines, Missouri passed away Monday (Dec. 16). He was born to Waldie and Frances (Erwin) Sharp on April 30, 1940, in Dallas County, Missouri. He married Patricia on April 15, 1974 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Sharp spent his whole life breeding and training Quarter Racing Horses. He was the trainer of two AQHA Racing Champions: World Champion Tiny's Gay and Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Osage Juana.

Tiny's Gay won 12 of 13 career starts as a two-year-old including the Rainbow Futurity and Kansas Futurity at Ruidoso Downs, the Bay Meadows Futurity and the Tumbleweed Futurity at Sun Downs. He was named AQHA Racing's World Champion in 1974.

Tiny's Gay just missed being the first horse to ever win the Ruidoso Triple Crown when he suffered his only loss, by a mere nose, to later world champion Easy Date in the All American Futurity. It was one of the most thrilling All American's ever run. It would be 1981 before Special Effort became the only horse in history to win the Ruidoso Triple Crown.

Sharp's second AQHA Racing Champion was in 1978 with the 2-year-old Father John (TB) filly Osage Juana, winner of the Fresno Futurity, runner-up in the All American Futurity and third in the Golden State Futurity.

Larry saddled earners of more than $4.5 million including Grade 2 winner Sweet Bye And Bye, bred by his wife Pat and Barbara Barley. He bred or co-bred and trained from her top runners like Dashin Bye ($305,25), Strong Hope ($209,395), Sweet First Down ($146,374), Sweet Adios ($66,023) and more.

He also trained Grade 1 winner Sudden Separation, as well as horses like Tommy The Train, Missourian, BS Special, A Royal Return and Okey Dokie Annie.

Sharp was preceded in death by his father, Waldie and a younger brother, Danny.

He is survived by his wife, Patricia, of the home, two sons Brad (Barbie) and Steven (Yvonne) and two daughters: Sheila Van Deudekom (Jerry) all of California; Lynn Dennis, of Ruidoso, New Mexico; his mother, Frances (Sharp) Harralson, thirteen grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.