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AMARILLO, Texas — Longtime breeder and world champion exhibitor Greg Whalen of Clements will be among five inductees into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame who will be honored at the 2013 American Quarter Horse Association Convention next March in Houston. Joining Whalen will be Bill Brewer of Amarillo, Texas; Kenny Hart of Ruidoso Downs, N.M.; Frank Merrill of Purcell, Okla.; and the late Guy Ray Rutland of Independence, Kan.

An additional five horses will be inducted, bringng the AQHA Hall of Fame to 149 people and 94 horses. The horses are: Fillinic, associated with the Ward Ranch of Tulare, Freckles Playboy, Lady Bug’s Moon, Miss Olene and Poco Tivio, who was owned by Floyd Boss of Fresno.

Whalen won his first world championship in 1974 with Opie’s Pride at the first AQHA World Championship Show. He later was an AQHA judge for 14 years, and he began breeding American Quarter Horses in 1962. He and his wife, Mary, have bred foals earning 7,821 halter points and 700.5 performance points in all divisions, with more than $210,000 in AQHA Incentive Fund earnings. Whalen was also known for training amateur and youth competitors to the top, and for mentoring young trainers.

Fillinic was associated with the late Greg Ward, who rode her to many championships in reined cow horse competition before beginning his family’s breeding program around her. The 1957 chestnut mare was by Arizona Junie and out of Alouette by Master Boss (TB). She produced 10 foals that earned $130,834, including Reminic, her 1978 stallion by Doc’s Remedy, who earned more than $90,000 before becoming a sire of horses that have earned nearly $4 million in reining, cutting and reined cow horse competition. Fillinic was inducted into the National Reined Cow Horse Association Hall of Fame in 2003.

Poco Tivio was foaled in 1947 on the famed Waggoner Ranch. Sired by American Quarter Horse Hall of Famer Poco Bueno and out of Sheilwin by Pretty Boy, Poco Tivio was a full brother to American Quarter Horse Hall of Famer Poco Lena. Poco Tivio began cutting just as the sport was beginning to take off, and in 1952, Poco Tivio headed the first list of AQHA Champions. He was shown in cutting, reining and reined cow horse competition by trainers Milt Bennett, Don Dodge and Charley Araujo before going to the breeding barn and becoming known as a sire of horses that showed as well at halter as they did in cutting, siring 10 AQHA Champions. He was owned by Floyd Boss of Fresno, California.

The American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame is housed in the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame & Museum in Amarillo, Texas.

One comment has been made on “Greg Whalen enters AQHA Hall of Fame; Fillinic, Poco Tivio also on list”

  1. judi anderson Says:

    great job greg!!!! congradulations well deserved for all the years of hard work. i own one of mr whalens great halter horses, seriously invincible by invincinble one/cover girl page/dam.he is now being trained for pleasure and doing well/trained by billy martin of morgan hill ca. he is one great horse thx greg. judi anderson

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