The American Quarter Horse Foundation announced on May 20 that it received the largest gift from an individual in its history. Clarence Scharbauer Jr. of Midland, Texas, is making a $2 million donation to the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame & Museum. This latest gift is in addition to a previous gift of $500,000 given by Scharbauer and his late wife Dorothy.
A former AQHA president and a third-generation Texas rancher, Scharbauer, 82, has been raising Quarter Horses for more than 60 years and was inducted into the AQHA Hall of Fame in 1992.
“There are no words to describe what the American Quarter Horse means to me and my family,” said Scharbauer. “I was fifteen years old when the association was formed and I’ve always had an interest. I was raised on a horse.”
Scharbauer’s first registered horses were the stallions Royal Peppy, by Peppy,and Silver Wimpy, by Wimpy P-1, which he acquired from King Ranch. Marion’s Girl, the 1954 and 1955 NCHA World Champion sired by Silver Wimpy and ridden by Buster Welch, was bred by Clarence Scharbauer.
In 1957, Scharbauer purchased Double Bid and campaigned the Double Feature son as 1959 AQHA world champion race horse. In 1964, Scharbauer won the first Rainbow Futurity with Double Queen, a daughter of Double Bid, and won the 1975 All American Derby with Double Queen’s daughter, Vim And Vigor, who was Go Man Go’s highest earner with $310,204. AQHA runners bred by Scharbauer have earned more than $5.5 million and include three racing champions.
Dorothy Scharbaeur’s father, Fred Turner, had owned and raced 1959 Kentucky winner Tomy Lee. In 1985, together with their daughter Pam, Dorothy and Clarence purchased Alysheba, who would win the 1987 Kentucky Derby and be named 1988 world champion. Today, Alysheba is still ranked among the top 10 all-time money earners.
In 1991, Clarence and Dorothy purchased 393 acres in the rolling hills near Pilot Point, Texas and built Valor Farm, home to some of today’s top Thoroughbred stallions in the Southwest.
“I’m not looking for publicity,” Scharbauer said of his generous gift to AQHA. “I’m just proud that I’m able to do it, and I’m very pleased to do it.”