AQHA Hall Of Fame Induction Continues To Grow The Legacy Of Leverne Perry

Leverne Perry posthumously joins other Quarter Horse racing luminaries as a 2023 member of the AQHA Hall of Fame class of inductees this weekend in Amarillo, Texas.

© LQHBA

By Greg Thompson, StallioneSearch.com

AMARILLO, TX–SEPTEMBER 12, 2023–When the AQHA gathers this weekend to enshrine the newest class of  hall of fame inductees, the legacy of Louisiana's-own Leverne Perry will continue to grow as he posthumously joins other Quarter Horse racing luminaries as a 2023 member of the AQHA Hall of Fame class of inductees.

Louisiana Quarter Horse racing flourished into the richest state-bred program in the entire industry with lofty increases in purses and breeder incentives for both mare and stallion owners of accredited Louisiana-breds under the guardianship of Perry during his role as Executive Director of the Louisiana Quarter Breeders Association from 1987 to 2013. 

Perry was instrumental and played a vital role in legislative efforts in his home state of Louisiana, which resulted in the implementation of slot machines into the racetracks throughout Louisiana.

With the upswing from the successful legislative efforts,  Perry was able to guide Louisiana Quarter Horse racing into a more relevant position in the national Quarter Horse racing landscape due to influx of slot machine driven purses that caught the interest of the industry. 

During his tenure as the Executive Director of the LQHBA, Perry would originate the Mardi Gras Futurity, and the first $1-Million guaranteed Breeders Futurity for Louisiana-bred foals, now called the Louisiana Million Futurity(RG1). 

Also during Leverne's tenure as Executive Director of the LQHBA,  his father Jesse Perry bred his race-bred mare Scoopie Fein to prominent sire Streakin La Jolla in 1992.  The result of that mating yielded the AQHA champion G1 winner, and one of the all-time leading sires Mr Jess Perry.  After Jesse's death,  Leverne named the colt in honor of his late father.

Throughout Perry's career, he was honored with multiple distinguished service awards, such as:  the Gordon Crone Special Achievement Award in 2011, induction into the Louisiana Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2002, the LQHBA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014, as well as induction into the LQHBA Hall of Fame in 2016.

Leverne passed away on Easter Sunday in 2016.   His daughters, and multiple members of the extended Perry family, will be on hand to accept the award on their late father's behalf.

"My dad would be so incredibly honored by this induction into the AQHA Hall of Fame," said daughter Leigh Perry. "He dedicated most of his life to the American Quarter Horse through rodeo, racing, and breeding. I know he would have first wanted to give thanks to the AQHA and the people that surrounded him that helped him achieve this milestone. Our entire family beams with such pride for him to receive this recognition and have a place in AQHA history alongside Mr Jess Perry, who  he named after his father."

This weekend's festivities in Amarillo, Texas at the AQHA museum consist of a fireside chat session with Hall of Fame members, and some the newest inductees.  The AQHA also has the unveiling of the exhibits for the 2023 Hall of Fame class slated for the weekend, as well as the AQHA Hall of Fame Banquet.  Visit AQHA.com for more details.