Glenn Fontenot And Jess Louisiana Blue To Be Inducted Into The 2023 LQHBA Hall Of Fame

The LQHBA Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place Saturday, April 22 at the LQHBA Annual Awards Event at Evangeline Downs/

© Courtesy LQHBA

ALEXANDRIA, LA–APRIL 18, 2023–The  Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders Association (LQHBA) is pleased to announce that breeder and past LQHBA president Glenn Fontenot and exceptional stallion Jess Louisiana Blue will be inducted into the 2023 LQHBA Hall of Fame. They will be honored at the LQHBA Champions Banquet on Saturday, April 22 at Evangeline Downs.

Glenn Fontenot

Louisiana native Glenn Fontenot was born and raised in Ville Platte and the 85-year-old has made notable contributions to the Quarter Horse breeding and racing industry.

He was a farmer of soybeans, rice and cattle, but his true passion was owning and breeding Quarter Horses. He stood stallions including Rays Law and Streakin Jewel, but his top producer was the great Hemp Meyers. 

Fontenot had an enduring friendship with W. A. Darling, who was inducted into the LQHBA Hall of Fame in 2017.  He recalls their history on the acquisition of Hemp Meyers.

Hemp Meyers qualifying for the 1980 Old South Futurity at Delta Downs. © cr. 1980 Speedhorse Magazine Archives

"I saw W.A. at the races at Delta; he told me he had heard that I had lost my stallion," recalled Fontenot.  "He offered me a share of a horse he was considering sending to stud, but I told him that the stallion I wanted was Hemp Meyers."

The two men embarked upon a 50-50 partnership with Hemp Meyers standing stud on Fontenot's farm. In his first year, 128 mares were bred to Hemp Meyers with an impressive 118 in foal.

"He was a natural and the easiest stallion I ever collected," said Fontenot.

Fontenot had tremendous pride in seeing the progeny of Hemp Meyers become stakes winners. In 1982, Fontenot bred his mare Johnnie's Flash to Hemp Meyers. A strapping filly was born at around 2:00 am on February 27, 1983.

Jackie and Glenn Fontenot.

He remembers that W. A. stopped by the next morning, took one look at the filly and thought she was two weeks old. That filly was Flashy Hemp, who went on to win 12 of her 20 starts, earning $283,632. She was nominated as AQHA Racing Champion 2-Year Old Filly, finishing third in the voting. The annual Flashy Hemp Stakes is run each year during the Delta Downs Quarter Horse meet to honor the classy race mare.

In addition to breeding and owning horses, Fontenot devoted countless hours of service to the state's Breeders Association.  He served as a board member and was a past president of the LQHBA. One of the goals of the association was the creation of breeders awards. While online payments are prominent these days, hundreds of Louisiana breeders have been delighted to open their mailboxes and find those checks.

Fontenot was a tremendous supporter of the LQHBA Yearling Sale and consigned horses annually since the first sale held in Alexandria and each year since the sale was moved to Kinder.

"It's unbelievable how much the sale has grown," said Glenn. "The quality is better each year and owners are able to get a very good horse at a reasonable price."

Fontenot had four-sons, David (deceased), Tommy, Barry and Donovan, as well as a daughter named Ann Read.  Tommy, Barry, and Donovan are all active in Louisiana horse racing and roping.  Fontenot also has two step-children in Timothy Richard, and Celeste Revette.

When Donovan was 13-years-old, he led Mr Jess Perry into the LQHBA Yearling Sale ring.

"Driving home that night, I remember Donovan telling me that he was by far, the best horse in the sale," recalled Glenn.

Fontenot has 13 grandchildren and 23 great grandchildren. One grandson, Camron has been successful sale prepping yearlings and according to Glenn, looks poised to carry on the legacy of the Fontenot family.

Glenn Fontenot was feted in 2003 by the LQHBA with a Lifetime Achievement Award will have a sizeable number of friends and family members in attendance in this year's Hall of Fame ceremony. In addition to his sons and daughter Anne, Fontenot will be joined by his wife, Jackie Richard, who he married last November.

His son, Tommy, did not hesitate when asked about the significance of his father being honored on April 22.

"It means the world," stated Tommy. "My dad gave his heart and soul to the Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders Association. He was one of a group of men who stood firm in building a strong foundation for Louisiana breeding and racing."

Jess Louisiana Blue

One of the most iconic Louisiana-bred Quarter Horses, Jess Louisiana Blue, is the latest equine inductee into the LQHBA Hall of Fame. Bred by Jumonville Farms in Ventress, Louisiana, the son of the great Mr Jess Perry out of the Louisiana Slew mare The Louisiana Girl was foaled on February 18, 1998.

2017 AQHA Champion and LQHBA Champion trainer Kenneth Roberts, Sr. trained Jess Louisiana Blue from 2001-2004.

Jess Louisiana Blue with owner-breeder J.E. Jumonville, Jr. © Jumonville Family

"I got him as a 3-year-old," said Roberts. "Rodney Reed trained him in his 2-year-old season, and I remember watching his races and thinking that he would get better with more distance. He was fairly laid back in his stall, but all business when you took him to the track."

Jess Louisiana Blue qualified for the Remington Park Derby(G1), Heritage Place Derby(G1) and Louisiana Champions Day Derby(G2) in 2001, but he rose to new heights in his 4-year-old season.

Roberts smiled when he recalled his conversation with Jumonville about running in the 2002 East Championship Challenge (G2).

"J. E. stopped by my office at Delta," said Roberts. "Mr Jess Perry had won 2 allowances races at the start of the meet and J.E. told me he was considering paying him into the Challenge. He asked me what I thought so I told him I felt he was running at the top of his game, but the payment of $20,000 was a lot of money. J. E. did not hesitate and told me he was going to do it."

Jumonville was asked about the conversation and remembered his response to Roberts.

Jess Louisiana Blue breaking his maiden at Remington Park in 2000. © Remington Park / Speedhorse Magazine

"I believe in the horse and believe in you," he told Roberts.

Jess Louisiana Blue faced AQHA Racing Champion Tailor Fit in that 440 yard stakes, and with Gilbert Ortiz in the irons, surged past Tailor Fit at the wire, setting a new track record at Delta Downs of :21.572 second as he earned a 109 speed index.

Janet VanBebber, now Chief Racing Officer for AQHA, trained the intrepid California-bred millionaire and commended Jumonville  on the hard-fought victory by Jess Louisiana Blue.

"Janet  congratulated me on the win," shared Jumonville. "She wanted me to know that was the first time Tailor Fit had been defeated when he had a lead."

Jess Louisiana Blue concluded his racing career with a third-place finish in the 2002 Louisiana Champions Day Classic(G2) at Fair Grounds. In 25 starts, he won four races, three seconds and five thirds, with career earnings of $170,682. He was honored as AQHA Racing Champion aged stallion in 2002.

Retired to stud at Jumonville Farms, Jess Louisiana Blue wasted no time showing his prowess as a stallion. Year after year, the handsome Louisiana-bred produced durable runners who were standouts as juveniles and capable of stretching out to the classic distance as aged competitors.

Among his leading runners are Jessa Louisiana Zoom ($637,591), Louisiana Senator ($599,408), Jess A Saint ($537,302) and Blue Louisiana Jolla ($416,359). He produced 16 crops, whose earnings have surpassed the $24 million dollar mark. While his runners were extremely successful in Louisiana, he sired stakes winners in Texas, Oklahoma, Iowa, New Mexico, California, Florida and Ontario, Canada as well.

Jess Louisiana Blue died on December 21, 2019 of natural causes. The 21-year champion and Grade 1 champion sire was laid to rest at Jumonville Farms.

Jumonville also owned 2021 LQHBA Hall of Fame inductee Grade 1 winner and multiple champion sire Feature Mr Jess.

"Ben Hudson (founder of Track Magazine) reminded me how rare it is to have just one horse exceed the $20 million mark in progeny earnings," said Jumonville. "How blessed are we to have two in that category, and we are so proud also to have raised the dams of both Feature Mr Jess and Jess Louisiana Blue."

Jumonville did not hesitate when asked if he had any idea that both racehorses would become such prolific stallions.

"You always dream that your horses will have as much success in their breeding careers as they did on the racetrack," he replied. "Their accomplishments are almost  beyond our comprehension, and we are honored with their induction into the LQHBA Hall of Fame ."

LQHBA Hall of Fame History

This will be the eighth class inducted into the LQHBA Hall of Fame, which was launched in 2016 in celebration of the association's 50th anniversary.

INDIVIDUALS

> Claude & Bessie Jeane
> Leverne Perry
> Lee Berwick
> W.A. Darling
> J.E.Jumonville Jr
> Dale Rogers
> Claude W. Boutte, Jr.
> Phillip Calais, Sr.

HORSES

> Oh Black Magic
> Rockets Magic
> Royal Bushwhacker
> Go Vicki Meyers
> Hesajoy
> Streakin La Jolla
> Mr Jess Perry
> Vals Fortune
> Feature Mr Jess
> Heza Fast Dash

"Both Glenn Fontenot and Jess Louisiana Blue have made outstanding contributions to Louisiana racing and breeding," said Bruce Salard, LQHBA executive director. "Our association is pleased to welcome them to the LQHBA Hall of Fame."
 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

About the Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders Association (LQHBA)
LQHBA is the state racing affiliate of the American Quarter Horse Association.  It is also the official registry for accredited Louisiana-bred racing Quarter Horses and is recognized by the Louisiana Legislature and the Louisiana State Racing Commission.  Since its inception in 1966, the association has developed many programs to further breeding and racing in Louisiana. Last year in Louisiana horsemen competed for over $21 million in purses, and breeders' incentives for mares and stallions of accredited Louisiana-bred foals totaled approximately $4.8 million.  LQHBA oversees the annual LQHBA Yearling Sale and has raised and donated over $800,000 to support its Louisiana youth scholarship program.