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Tonight, Bob and I are going over to Bill and Kim Horn’s place. Kim is having a birthday bash for B.H. (I have to bake 72 cheesecake cupcakes for the occasion – my pleasure!)
Bill Horn came into our lives when Bob and I went to our first NRHA reining in 1972. How lucky are we? We’ve been enjoying his friendship and watching him ride for 37 years.
Anyway, I wanted to share this with you. It comes from the heart. I wrote it for the Sept. 7 edition of the Quarter Horse News Insider.
Happy Birthday BH
 Bill Horn, Ocala, Fla., will be 71 on Sept. 19. When you wish him a “happy birthday,” add a “thank you.” In 1966 a small group of people started the National Reining Horse Association. They had big dreams. They made sure they came true. “BH” was one of those people.
With the exception of three years, Bill served on the NRHA board - from 1966 through 1994. But when you think of BH, you don’t think of him sitting in a board room – you think of him sitting on a horse – usually a specific horse.
If you’ve been around a while, maybe that horse will be Continental King or Continental Ace. Maybe it was Glenda Echols or Enterprise Lady. If you go back to the 70’s, it was definitely Miss White Trash. But what about Be Aech Enterprise, White Is, Hollywood Smoke? Remember Enterprise Velvet, Lady BH, Spirit of Five, Patrasha, Surprise Enterprise or Barroom BH?
Then there was Trashadeous – phenomenal. BH Toy Boy, BH Toy Soldier, Sail On Surprise, Natrasha, BH Back Splash – which was your favorite?
There are plenty of horses to remember. Bill Horn showed in every NRHA Futurity from 1966 to 2005. He took at least one horse to the NRHA Futurity finals 31 consecutive times - from 1966 to 1996. He won four NRHA Futurities, he was reserve six times and he made three NRHA Open World Champions. In 1995, he was named the NRHA’s first Million Dollar Rider. It took quite a few paychecks in those days to make a million.
Every time he walked into an arena, Bill Horn set the standard, raised the bar, challenged every other rider to get better in a hurry and, most important, inspired people to get involved, to rein. Bill Horn was inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame in 1992.
Today, reiners around the world enjoy the sport of reining because of cowboys like Bill Horn. So, on Sept. 19, when you wish BH a “happy birthday” – add a “thank you!”
(If you don’t get the Insider emailed to you once a week, you really should. Just sign up for it in the box on the left side of the QuarterHorseNews.com Web site.)
Gotta run – time to make the cupcakes!
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