ALBUQUERQUE, NM—JANUARY 30, 2015—The New Mexico Horse Breeders' Association honored its 2014 Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse champions during its Zia Awards Banquet at the Marriott Uptown Hotel in Albuquerque on Thursday.

During the banquet, which was emceed by racing media personality and author Chris Kotulak, a total of 20 awards were presented.

Breeders J. Kirk and Judy Robison of El Paso, Texas, were honored with the 2014 Julep Cup by The Blood-Horse Magazine of Lexington, Kentucky. The Robisons campaigned several homebred stakes winners at New Mexico tracks last season, including Liberty Lover, Mays Or Mantle, and That’s The Idea.

Foxy Moonflash, a daughter of champion First Moonflash and the 2014 AQHA champion 3-year-old filly, was last year’s champion New Mexico-bred 3-year-old Quarter Horse filly. An $18,000 buy at the 2012 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale, Foxy Moonflash earned $278,231 from seven starts for her owner, Bobby Simmons of Midland Texas, and her five wins included three graded stakes scores at Zia Park and Sunland Park. C. Dwayne “Sleepy” Gilbreath trained and Dosi and Norma Alvarez bred the filly.

The following Quarter Horses were also honored: Averyspecialsouthern (champion older mare, owned by PKS Racing, bred by Richard and Patricia Shearer), RCJ Major Storm (champion older horse/gelding, owned by Alfredo O. Sanchez, bred by R.C. “Punch” and Suzanne Jones), Too Flash For You (champion 3-year-old colt/gelding, owned by Jim and Michelle Laird and Jose R. Espinosa, bred by Sarah E. Donaldson Rioux), Girlonthego (champion 2-year-old filly, owned by Jimmy Negrete and Jimmy Vasquez, bred by Terrence M. Lane), and Mad About The Moon (champion 2-year-old colt/gelding, owned by David G. Valdez, bred by Sarah E. Donaldson Rioux and Larry H. Hughes).

For the second consecutive season, First Moonflash was the top Quarter Horse stallion, as the Grade 1 winning 10-year-old son of champion First To Flash sired the earners of $2,887,427, and he was represented by 11 stakes winners, including graded stakes winners Foxy Moonflash and Too Flash For You. First Moonflash is owned by Pierre J. Amestoy Jr., Maria G. Gonzalez, and Mike Abraham, and he stands at W.L. Mooring’s Double LL Farm in Bosque, New Mexico.

Man On The Move, the sire of Girlonthego, was honored as last year’s top freshman Quarter Horse stallion. A 9-year-old graded stakes winning son of the late The Down Side, Man On The Move sired the earners of $201,186 last season, including New Mexico-bred champion and Zia Futurity (RG1) winner Girlonthego. Man On The Move is owned by Nannette and Terrence Lane and Suzann Marney, and he stands at the Lanes’ TNL Farm in Bosque.

The top Quarter Horse broodmare for 2014 was Rare Pie, a winning 21-year-old daughter of champion Rare Form owned by Sarah E. Donaldson Rioux of Deming, New Mexico. Rare Pie is the dam of Too Flash For You, an earner of $914,834 last year and winner of three graded stakes, including the 440-yard, $1.9-million All American Derby (G1) at Ruidoso Downs.

Proceed, a homebred colt by Desert God racing for Michael C. Stinson of Fort Worth, Texas, was honored as the champion New Mexico-bred 3-year-old colt or gelding for 2014. Trained by Joel Marr, Proceed banked $235,389 from four outs last year, and his three wins all came against stakes company.

Other NMHBA Thoroughbred awards went to Little Vidalia (champion older mare, owned by J Bar 7 Ranch LLC, bred by John T.L. Jones Jr. and Quinn Scott Simons Racing LLC), That’s Who (champion older horse/gelding, owned by Sam E. and Latane Stevens, bred by Sam E. Stevens), Renewed Vows (champion 3-year-old filly, owned and bred by R.D. Hubbard), Twixy Roll (champion 2-year-old filly, owned by Dale F. and Carey Taylor and Jon Hogg, bred by Margaret V. Bloss and Margaret O. Dupont), and Liberty Lover (champion 2-year-old colt/gelding, owned and bred by J. Kirk and Judy Robison).

Diabolical was honored as the top Thoroughbred stallion for 2014. A Kentucky-bred Grade 2-winning son of Artax owned by Fred Alexander and J. Kirk Robison, Diabolical sired the earners of $1,395,360 last year, including multiple stakes winner Liberty Lover. Diabolical stands at Fred and Linda Alexander's A & A Ranch in Anthony, New Mexico.

Southwestern Heat was last year’s top freshman Thoroughbred stallion. A stakes-winning and Grade 3-placed 11-year-old son of the Mr. Prospector stallion Gone West and ’01 U.S. champion 3-year-old filly Xtra Heat, Southwestern Heat is owned by a partnership and stands at A & A Ranch.

Wildcat Diva, a 12-year-old mare by Forest Wildcat owned by the Robisons, was last year’s top Thoroughbred broodmare. A half sister to multiple stakes winner Capdiva, Wildcat Diva is the dam of Liberty Lover.

Also, the Rita J. Danley Distinguished Service Award was presented to Dr. Leonard Blach DVM of Roswell, New Mexico. Dr. Blach is the owner and operator of Buena Suerte Equine in Roswell, and he has overseen the breeding careers of several prominent Quarter Horse stallions, including world champions Go Man Go, Easy Jet and Rocket Wrangler. In the 1960s, he opened the first equine surgical hospital in New Mexico near Santa Fe. Six years ago, Dr. Blach gained international fame when Mine That Bird, a gelded son of Birdstone he raced in partnership with Mark Allen of Roswell, won the Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs.