Yvon Mathieu and Cat So Fine 005

In April of this year, Mathieu was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a disorder commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Among his performance accolades as a reiner, Mathieu won the 1994 National Reining Horse Association Futurity Non-Pro Championship aboard Penguino Jessie Jack, the 1993 NRHA Futurity Non-Pro Reserve Championship with Tuaca Tucker and the 1990 and 1991 All American Quarter Horse Congress Futurity Non-Pro Championships.

After being encouraged to enter cow horse competition by Todd Crawford and Don Murphy, Mathieu won the 2009 National Reined Cow Horse Association Snaffle Bit Futurity Limited Open Hackamore Championship with Cat So Fine 005. Mathieu had a total of $115,443 on his Equi-Stat performance record.

Mathieu, originally from Quebec, Canada, trained horses for Jamieson Performance Horses in California. Mathieu also traveled to New Caledonia in the South Pacific to teach clinics, and he brought young horseman Nicolas Barthelemy to the United States to compete in reined cow horse events.

Barthelemy lived and worked alongside Mathieu in Descanso for the 5 1/2 years and has competed at such events as the National Stock Horse Association Futurity and the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity. Mathieu’s last big event to attend was the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity in Reno, Nev., in early October.

Since his diagnosis, Mathieu was cared for by good friends Larry and Poncie Gimple. Larry trained Western pleasure and Quarter Horses until his retirement in 1993. The Gimples now operate Track One Events, a horse show management company.

Mathieu is survived by his wife of 20 years, Lilia, his four children, Eric, Laury, Audrey and Mirieille, his stepdaughter, Alina, and 13 grandchildren all living in Quebec, Canada.

Arizona horse trainer and a good friend of Mathieu’s, Al Dunning, posted the following remembrance of Mathieu on his Facebook page: