Few people ever get to live their dream, but Preacher was one of the lucky ones. Preacher, was born May 10, 1909 in Sugartown, Louisiana.  He moved with his family to the Wharton, Texas area when he was about six years old.  He had a lifelong interest in sports, and excelled in baseball, football and swimming.  But, it was in horse racing that he achieved his greatest success.  He was a pioneer in Quarter Horse breeding.  His beautiful horses garnered the attention of many, spurring the interest in horse racing when it needed it the most.  Preacher’s honesty and integrity gave horse racing the reputation it deserved in Texas. In the 1930’s after some years as a roughneck in the oil fields, he decided he would pursue his lifelong dream of having the best horses that he could afford, and this would be his absolute focus in life.  He was an eternal optimist and an adventurer like no other, once swimming across the Mississippi River in New Orleans.  This, and his natural competitive spirit kept him in the horse business for over sixty years. In the early 1940’s, he purchased the second horse registered in the American Quarter Horse Association, the prominent sire, Rialto.  Through much study, he developed a successful horse business choosing stallions that complimented his Quarter Horse mares.  These sires included King, Depth Charge, the great Three Bars, and many others. Around 1948, he purchased the fast little mare by King, O’Quinn Midget.  This turned out to be the best decision he ever made, because she became the foundation of his horses for the next fifty years.  He had much success with her, and every foal that she produced had her looks and speed.  She produced the multi-record setting, AQHA 1953 World Champion two-year-old Colt, Super Charge, by Depth Charge. Three Bars was the perfect match with his mares.  The combination of the bloodline of both King and Three Bars together was a dynamic combination.  This cross produced a unique group of mares that were both beautiful and highly successful.  They brought great attention to Quarter Horses and racing in Texas because few people had heard of Three Bars.  These mares included Midget O’Quinn, winner of the 1964 Las Ninas Invitational and Laurita Bar, winner of the 1967 Texas Futurity.  In 1962, the fastest of his Three Bars mares, Miss Bar Leo, set the mare world record, two-year-old filly record at 350 yards, two-year old-filly record at 300 yards and equaled the world record, the mare record and the filly record at 350 yards.  And, she produced the 1969 All American Futurity qualifier, Go Debbie Go.  Another was, Miss Cy Fair, who produced three All American Derby finalists, Azure Fair, Good Old Joe and Truck N Stuff.  She also produced Roll Your Glass, the winner of the 1985 1st Consolation of the All American Futurity. Through much persistence and his humble persuasion, he sought Kentucky Thoroughbreds to better his bloodline.  Convincing these farms was no easy task.  One of these was Hempen, who outran the Preakness winner, Tom Rolfe.  His Three Bars mare, Miss Cy Fair was the first Quarter Horse ever to be bred to Thoroughbred sire Hempen, paving the way for other Quarter Horses.  Hempen Sired 452 Quarter Horse race winners with $7.3 million in Quarter race earnings.  He was also the first to breed to Darby Dan Farm’s sire, Decathlon, The United States Sprint Champion, and other sires as well. By the late 1970’s, he found another Thoroughbred sire that he thought might be a good cross with his Quarter mares.  He was a beautiful stallion by Noholme II, a leading North American sire.  His name was Strate Stuff.  He had great early speed and had defeated Nodouble and Dancer’s Image.  He bought him and stood him in Texas for breeding. He dedicated his life to the horse business.  Preacher had a deep love and understanding of people, and a desire to be friends with everyone.  Foremost, he wanted to show others that there were honest people in the world.  His horses were renowned for both speed and beauty.  He was renowned for his humility. Preacher, was recognized as the Texas Racing Board’s Breeder of the Year in 1976.  And, in 2001, he posthumously received the Fifty Year Breeder’s award from the American Quarter Horse Association, of which he was a lifetime member.  He passed away December 5, 2000.