How Did JR Get his NAME?!
Two fox trotting men, united in their love of Missouri Fox Trotters and many years producing and training the glorious Missouri Fox Trotter, were riding buddies.
One rode a Stallion. One rode a mare. The stallion is a sabino (red with white hairs) with a large white blaze on his head. The mare is a solid sorrel. Each of them loved their horses. They blazed down many a trail together.
Every now and then the man with the stallion would tell his friend that he needed to breed his mare to the stallion. His sorrel loving friend would answer that he didn't want a white legged horse with white hair up to his belly and a bald face (that means much of the face is white). A great life, peace and happiness prevailed with the two friends as they enjoyed their friendship and their horses.
Sadly, the man with the stallion contracted throat cancer. He fought it. His friend, the man with the mare came to see his old friend one more time. His friend could barely talk with the slightest of sound. He gasped out burst of soft blurry words. The man with the mare leaned down with his ear next to the his friends mouth. His friend was able to say these words:
"Breed your mare to my stallion!"
That man was Jim Huft. He died soon after that
The man with the mare agreed to Jim's Last Request! He bred his mare to Jim's stallion and produced JR.
The man with the mare was Bob Blackwell, AKA The Old Cowboy. We just lost Bob this week...April 2010.
The story will live in this web site and memories of Jim Huft and Bob Blackwell will continue as long as there are Missouri Fox Trotters!
Update: JR's new owners interviewed Bob Blackwell last year at the 2009 World Celebration where JR and trainer, Jennifer Vaught placed third in the World in the Open Versatility events. Bob told the story about Jim Huft and abiding to Jim's Last Request. He described JR's birth memories and stories about JR's four months with him and Charlotte. JR has done Bob Blackwell proud!