America’s Horse, March 10, 2009 – At the 2009 American Quarter Horse Association Annual Convention this week in San Antonio, Jim Helzer ofArlington, Texas, was elected the 59th president of the world’s largest equine breed registry.
Helzer is CEO and President of JEH Stallion Station and other JEH companies. JEH Stallion Station is a commercial horse breeding operation and the other companies are real estate and investment businesses.
With his wife, Marilyn, Helzer established JEH Stallion Station in 1994, and it has become one of the leading equine facilities in the Southwest, with locations in Texas and New Mexico.
Born in Loveland, Colorado, Helzer began racing American Quarter Horses in Colorado in his home state in 1962. Since then, the Helzers have successfully raced Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds throughout the United States.
The most noteworthy Quarter Horse campaigned by the Helzers was Refrigerator, the sport’s world champion in 1992 and ’93. The winner of the 1990 All American Futurity after the Helzers supplemented him to the race for $50,000, Refrigerator is currently Quarter Horse racing’s leading all-time money earner at $2,126,309. He is the only three-time winner of the Champion of Champions, the sport’s richest and most prestigious race for older horses.
“I want to be known as the members’ man,” Helzer said. “We want to make sure that the members obtain a sound return on their membership investment.”
He also believes that AQHA must operate with a balanced budget.
“The erratic behavior of the economy will test our management skills in 2009 and beyond,” he added. “We must maximize our returns while minimizing our risks with the Association’s monies. We will make our membership more cognizant of the value of our corporate partners and to utilize their products and offers as a top priority.”
The rest of Helzer’s to-do list includes further refinement of AQHA’s registration process; a full-scale redesign of AQHA’s information technology systems; some changes in the Bank of America Racing Challenge Championship and enhancing Championship day; a change in western pleasure classes to better portray the athleticism of the Quarter Horse relative to form vs. function; changes in AQHA’s convention format; inspire AQHA members to submit ideas relative to classes and/or programs that will benefit the entire organization; and ensure that the transparency of our organization is available and understandable to our entire membership.
Helzer has been an AQHA director and chairman of the AQHA Racing Council. He also is a member and past president of the Texas Quarter Horse Association, and a member and past director of the Texas Thoroughbred Association. Currently, Helzer also serves on the board of the Texas Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association as its president and as a member of the Texas Horsemen’s Partnership management committee.
AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journal, The American Quarter Horse Racing Journal or America’s Horse, visit www.aqha.com/magazines.
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