OQHA-312

OQHA Convention & Hall of Fame Ceremony Rescheduled

OQHA-312Due to inclement weather expected in Oklahoma City, the Oklahoma Quarter Horse Association (OQHA) Convention and Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony that was originally slated for Jan. 13-14 will be held Jan. 27-28. The Oklahoma Quarter Horse Hall of Fame was created in 2005 to recognize outstanding individuals and horses whose contributions involving the American Quarter Horse significantly impacted Oklahoma’s equine industry.

The 2017 Oklahoma Quarter Horse Hall of Fame inductees being honored at the event include Wayne Halvorson, Ray Kimsey, Carl Pevehouse, Bill Price, Eastex, Mr Master Bug, Perpetualism and the Lazy E Ranch. Don Earl LaPorte will receive the Bud Breeding Spirit Award.

The 13th annual Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is a ticketed event, open to the public, benefitting the Hall of Fame. A cocktail reception will begin the proceedings on Jan. 27, followed by dinner and the induction ceremony. The event will take place at the Embassy Suites, 741 North Phillips Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, at approximately 5:15 pm.

Wayne Halvorson

WayneHalvorsonWayne HalvorsonWayne Halvorson is a past chairperson of the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) Professional Horseman Committee, current member of the AQHA Judges Committee and was elevated to the position of AQHA Director Emeritus. He is a past president of the OQHA. Halvorson was the architect of the OQHA Redbud Spectacular Quarter Horse Show and proposed the Regional Horse Show concept. Halvorson was a founding member of the National Snaffle Bit Association and the World Conformation Horse Association.

Halvorson has been around ranching his whole life, having grown up in North Dakota on a cattle ranch. He was participated in rodeo, 4H and FFA. Halvorson earned a degree in business administration from the University of North Dakota.

Halvorson and his three children have had numerous AQHA and Palomino Horse Breeders of America World Champions. Halvorson has always been a strong proponent for the welfare of the horse. He and his wife, Rebecca, live in Guthrie, Oklahoma.

Ray Kimsey

RayKimseyRay KimseyMotivated by his two daughters’ interest in horses, Ray Kimsey became a member, state director and ultimately president of the OQHA. He served as an OQHA youth director from 1992 to 1994, during which time the youth team won the 1992 All American Quarter Horse Congress and the American Quarter Horse Youth Association World Championship. Kimsey also served as an AQHA director and on the equine research committee.

As a youth, Kimsey was awarded a basketball scholarship to Oklahoma State University, but after three years, he knew in his heart that he wanted to participate on the meats judging team, not basketball. He married his high school sweetheart, Delores Hales, in 1953 and graduated with a degree in animal science in 1954.

Kimsey went into the military during the Korean War and returned home in 1956. He went to work for Armor & Company as a cattle buyer in Oklahoma City, then went into business with a partner and transported cattle for a couple of years. Later, he established the first commercial feed yards in the Oklahoma panhandle, the Texas County Feed Yards, Inc., with a capacity of 33,000 head. He served as general manager and owner from 1965 to 1992, and as general manager from 1992 to 1996.

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