RIP SPENCER CHILDERS
Spencer L. Childers, who owned Quarter Horses before the American Quarter Horse Association was founded in 1940 and has bred American Quarter Horses every year since 1949, died July 9 at age 97.
A longtime resident of Fresno, California, where he and deceased wife Florence maintained their breeding farm, Childers is the fifth-all-time leading breeder of racing Quarter Horses. Childers began breeding racehorses with his purchase in 1957 of champion Black Easter Bunny. In his own name, Childers bred 899 Quarter Horses, including 654 starters, of which 469 are winners. Among them are 45 stakes winners, 36 stakes placers and the earners to date of $11,767,903. Childers bred and raced 2004 world champion Be A Bono ($1,313,347, a gelding by Childers’ homebred stallion Bono Jazz), and other champions Black Sable, Blobby Charger, Bunny’s Bar Maid, Jet View and Uncas.
Childers was inducted into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame in 2002.
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UNWANTED HORSE COALITION RELEASES STUDY RESULTS
The study is the first of its kind to assess the causes and magnitude of the unwanted horse population in the United States.
Results indicate that the problem of unwanted horses is perceived to be growing on many fronts. More than 90 percent of participants believe the number of unwanted horses, as well as those neglected and abused, is increasing, and 87 percent of the participants indicate that in the past year, the issue of unwanted horses has become “a big problem,” compared with only 22 percent who said the problem was important three years ago. Respondents also report that the number of horses being euthanized is increasing.
In light of one of the worst economic downturns in U.S. history, the economy is considered to be a significant contributor to the unwanted horse problem. The closing of the nation’s processing facilities, changes in breed demand/indiscriminate breeding, as well as the high costs of euthanasia and carcass disposal are also cited by respondents as major contributors.
- racing.aqha.com
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Sam Houston Reinstates Two Stakes
TQHA has provided additional purse money to Sam Houston Race Park allowing the track to re-instate two graded stakes races to the 2009 American Quarter Horse meet, which runs through August 29.
The money provided by the TQHA will allow Sam Houston to hold the Governors’ Cup Marathon (G3), an 870-yard race for horses ages 3 and up, on Friday, August 21; and the Sam Houston Classic (G2), a 440-yard race for horses ages 3 and up, on Saturday, August 22.
Sam Houston announced the elimination of three stakes races from the summer meet on June 25, in an effort to minimize the purse cut to the overnight races as well as noting the adverse affects of Hurricane Ike, which forced the cancellation of the 2008/2009 Thoroughbred meet.
“Losing any stakes races is extremely difficult and losing two graded stakes races was something the TQHA felt was not an option at this time,” said Rob Werstler, Executive Director, TQHA. “Achieving graded stakes status is becoming increasingly difficult so we felt it was imperative to keep races like the Governors’ Cup Marathon and the Sam Houston Classic. These are important races for the owners and breeders in Texas.”