T.I. “Pops” Harkins lived a life most of us only dream of. When Pops passed in 1995 at age 92, he was acknowledged as an early leader in the oil and gas exploration business and the top Thoroughbred breeder in Texas for over 16 years. Pops began slogging around the marshes in Louisiana in 1927 and his crew discovered 20% of all wells found by refraction over a four-year period.
He purchased his first Thoroughbred in 1952 and six years later ran his horse Benedicto in the Kentucky Derby. In Texas, Pops became a legend among his peers. He earned TTBA Breeder of the Year on three separate occasions. From 1974-1979 Pops won nearly half of all Texas-bred races conducted in Louisiana and he was named TTBA Man of the Year twice for his tireless efforts to resurrect pari-mutuel racing in Texas.
But it was the respect of his peers that impresses most. As one of the first to understand and utilize the reflection method of oil and gas exploration in the 1920s and 30s, Pops was a legend among early geophysicists. Roy Bennett, president of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists, said about Pops: “He was exceptional in his ability to encourage people in their careers. He was always very fair to his employees and he was a strong advocate of the utmost honesty and integrity in his business.”
He purchased his first Thoroughbred in 1952 and six years later ran his horse Benedicto in the Kentucky Derby. In Texas, Pops became a legend among his peers. He earned TTBA Breeder of the Year on three separate occasions. From 1974-1979 Pops won nearly half of all Texas-bred races conducted in Louisiana and he was named TTBA Man of the Year twice for his tireless efforts to resurrect pari-mutuel racing in Texas.
But it was the respect of his peers that impresses most. As one of the first to understand and utilize the reflection method of oil and gas exploration in the 1920s and 30s, Pops was a legend among early geophysicists. Roy Bennett, president of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists, said about Pops: “He was exceptional in his ability to encourage people in their careers. He was always very fair to his employees and he was a strong advocate of the utmost honesty and integrity in his business.”