Four Horses, Seven People Nominated for the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame

Amarillo, Texas - April 14, 2003 - Seven individuals and four horses will be inducted into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame during the 2004 AQHA Convention March 5-9 at John Ascuaga's Nugget Hotel in Reno, Nevada.

The American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame was established in 1975 to honor people and horses instrumental in the development of the breed and the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA). Induction into the Hall of Fame is one of the highest honors bestowed by AQHA.

The eleven 2003 Hall of Fame inductees include:

People

E.F. "Bud" Alderson
Sharpsville, Indiana
Bud Alderson has played a vital role in creating the Indiana Quarter Horse Association and the Indiana Quarter Horse Association Breeder Futurity. He has served as an AQHA judge for more than 30 years, served as an AQHA Director and held a seat on various AQHA committees including the Show and Contest Committee. He was named AQHA Honorary Vice President in 1986 and was inducted into the Indiana Livestock Breeders Hall of Fame in 1988.

Jack Brooks

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Legendary race horse trainer, Jack Brooks has captured the All American Futurity title a record eight times throughout four decades. His lifetime earnings as a trainer reached the $30 million mark in 2000 with 1,539 wins out of 8,804 starts. He earned the 1998 Gordon Crone Special Achievement Award and was named AQHA Leading Trainer in 1998. His contributions to racing continue even today.

Mildred Janowitz
Franktown, Colorado
AQHA Life member and Honorary Vice President, Mildred Janowtiz has been a part of AQHA since 1946. With her late husband, Jack, the couple built a successful horse operation that earned them an AQHA Legacy Award in 2002. An influential leader in her home state, Janowitz played a vital role in forming the Central Colorado Quarter Horse Association and served as editor, writer and advisor for The Rocky Mountain Quarter Horse, the Rocky Mountain Quarter Horse Association's monthly magazine. She is currently the only woman to hold an Honorary Vice President title within the Rocky Mountain Quarter Horse Association.

Buster Welch
Rotan, Texas
For those involved in the cutting horse industry, Buster Welch is a highly praised name. Welch trained legendary cutting horses such as Marion's Girl and Peppy San Badger. Since 1954, Welch has won the National Cutting Horse Association World Championship four times, the NCHA Futurity five times and the NCHA Derby four times. He was an influential leader in the formation of NCHA and its creation of guidelines and rules.

Bert Wood (1907-2001)
Camp Verde, Arizona
A born and raised country man, Bert Wood lived on ranches his entire life. Wood worked and exercised with the notable Thoroughbred, Joe Blair, and upon venturing out on his own acquired a grandson of Joe Blair, Joe Reed II. The stallion raced three times, yet claimed the champion running American Quarter Horse stallion award in 1942. Joe Reed II was inducted into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame in 1994. One of the most well-known horses that Wood bred and owned became a nationwide television star, the talking horse, Mr. Ed.

R.A. "Rob" Brown
Throckmorton, Texas
AQHA Past President R.A. "Rob" Brown is a family man whose life has always involved children, American Quarter Horses and cattle. His roots are deep within ranching, and the R.A. Brown Ranch in Throckmorton has been producing quality American Quarter Horses and outstanding cattle for more than a century. The Brown family is dedicated to preserving the American Quarter Horse breed and the cowboy way of life.

Don Burt
Rancho Palos Verde, California
AQHA Past President Don Burt has not stepped down from leadership roles since his presidency in 1996. For nearly two decades, it has been Burt's dream to see reining achieve the international status that it now has and to ultimately become an Olympic sport. With Burt's hard work and dedication to a dream, reining is now enjoying unparalleled popularity worldwide.

American Quarter Horses

Baby Doll Combs, 1947 bay mare owned by Willard Combs of Checotah, Oklahoma. Known as "Baby Doll" in the rodeo arena, this 1950s performer carried numerous steer wrestlers to wins, including Combs who won a world championship on her in 1957. Baby Doll Combs was inducted into the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Hall of Fame in 1979.

Colonel Freckles,1973 sorrel stallion owned by Louis and Wanda Waters of Utopia, Texas. Colonel Freckles captured the National Cutting Horse Association Futurity in 1976 and went on to become an influential sire of numerous champions. Colonel Freckles foals have earned nearly $4 million in competitions with the National Cutting Horse Association, the National Reining Horse Association and the National Reined Cow Horse Association.

Ronas Ryon, 1984 sorrel stallion owned by Ben Benham of Astatula, Florida. This legendary stallion earned more than $1 million and two world championship titles in his racing career. His athletic ability was passed on to his offspring, earning Ronas Ryan a spot on the Top 100 Leading Sires of Winners and Top 100 Leading Sires of Money Earners lists.

The Invester, 1969 sorrel stallion owned by Wayne Atchley and Dan McWhirter of Doniphan, Nebraska. The Invester is AQHA's No. 3 all-time leading sire of Performance Register of Merit earners. He was inducted into the National Snaffle Bit Association Hall of Fame in 1994. At the time of his death in 2002, The Invester had 29 foal crops with 163 foals earning more than 21,000 lifetime points. He sired seven world and reserve world champion title earners. His offspring also earned 15 AQHA Champion awards and 143 Superior awards.

The Hall of Fame resides inside the American Quarter Horse Heritage Center & Museum in Amarillo, Texas. In 2003, five men and four American Quarter Horses were inducted into the Hall of Fame expanding the inductee total to 103 people and 52 American Quarter Horses.

For more information on any of the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame inductees contact the American Quarter Horse Heritage Center & Museum at (806) 376-5181 or visit.