At the 2009 Redbud Spectacular on June 5 in Oklahoma City, halter enthusiasts gathered to compete at the first Jerry Wells Memorial Scholarship Futurity.
“The (2009) March to the Arch had a halter futurity in March that was named after Jerry, but all their proceeds went to cancer research,” said Betty Wells, Jerry’s wife of 44 years. “Our futurity here at the Redbud benefits the scholarship fund we started last year shortly after Jerry’s death.”
Jerry died at age 67 of cancer on May 3, 2008. Known as “Mr. Halter Horse,” Jerry had 61 AQHA world championships (one of those in tie-down roping), a record that held until his protégé AQHA Pro Horseman Ted Turner topped it by one at the 2007 AQHA World Championship Show.
Jerry also showed Kid Meyers to the very first AQHA Supreme Championship, owned the 1988 All American Futurity winner Merganser in partnership with Ron Shalz and helped create the World Conformation Horse Association.
“(Jerry) liked people and was always ready to lend a helping hand, whether it was with some financial aid to folks in need or just some friendly advice and encouragement,” Betty told Frank Holmes in a November 2008 Journal article.
It was three of those people Jerry influenced who decided to start a halter futurity in his memory. AQHA Professional Horseman Luke Castle, Rob Young and Nova Boyd organized the event and asked Betty and her children and grandchildren to be involved.
“My kids and I, we really wanted to do something, and this was a wonderful idea,” Betty said.
Although the futurity has one of the largest payouts in the industry, money also goes towards the Jerry Wells Scholarship Foundation.
“We started a scholarship when Jerry passed away for Oklahoma youth and we give a boy and a girl $500 apiece each year,” Betty said. “This year was our first one and we only had girl applicants so we gave the whole $1,000 to one of the girls. We’re hoping this year we’ll have even more applicants. We’re planning on doing that every year, and we’re real excited about it.”
She’s also excited about the futurity because it promotes the halter industry.
“We’re planning on trying to make it bigger and better next year,” Betty said. “Entries have been great and the payouts are awesome. We’re really thrilled with this event.”
Open and amateur exhibitors showed together in three classes: yearling stallions, yearling geldings and yearling mares. There were eight in the stallions class, while the geldings class had 11, and the mares, 12.
AQHA Pro Horseman Ross Roark won the stallions class with Gerri Leigh Pratt’s Secretz and then led Josh Weakly’s Feared to the geldings win. Josh also won the fillies class leading E Lovin Me.
Secretz is a 2008 bay stallion by The Top Secret and out of Teloquence by Telusive, bred by Gerri Leigh Pratt of Winston Salem, North Carolina. Feared is a 2008 black gelding by Fearles and out of My Te Telusive by Telusive, bred by Chad Beus of Spanish Fork, Utah; he was the 2008 world champion weanling gelding. E Lovin Me is a 2008 sorrel filly by Mr Elusive and out of To Be Stylin by Temon, bred by Dee Bartek of Aubrey, Texas.
“It’s definitely nice to be able to win a little money and come and show against good horses,” Josh said. “The numbers were all really good, and when you go to the World Show, that’s about what you’ll have is those same numbers.
“Also, it’s just an awesome event, and it’s so great to see everyone together this time of year for such a good cause.”
The 2010 event is already in the works according to Rob Young, the futurity committee chairman.
“We’ve already picked up new sponsors and many current sponsors have recommitted,” he said. Contact Rob at 1-800-828-0279 if you are interested in sponsoring, donating or entering.
