Three people were recognized with special achievement awards for 2025: Bruce Salard, Christine Hudson and Lloyd Yother

© Emily Paulk, StallioneSearch

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK–JANUARY 15, 2026–Each year, the American Quarter Horse Association recognizes people within the racing industry who serve to make it a better place. The 2025 award winners include Bruce Salard honored with the John Andreini Special Recognition Award; Christine Hudson earning the Mildred N. Vessels Special Achievement Award; and Lloyd Yother earning the Gordon Crone Special Achievement Award. 

These recipients were honored on January 14 during the AQHA Racing Champions Announcement Ceremony at Heritage Place in Oklahoma City.

The Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders Association has long been one of the strongest state-bred programs in the industry, and Bruce Salard has been at its helm since 2019. A Louisiana native and a racehorse owner, Salard during his tenure has relentlessly pursued endeavors to improve integrity in the sport and collaborated closely with regulators to increase testing mechanisms in the state.

His work has been extremely impactful. While he has announced an intention to retire later this year, he also stated he intends to remain involved in the industry in an advisory capacity. The John Andreini Special Recognition Award honors the late horseman who left a powerful and positive impact on the industry. The award is given to individuals who profoundly further the Quarter Horse racing industry. 

Mildred N. Vessels Special Achievement award winner Christine Hudson has been married to American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame member Ben Hudson for decades, and together they operate TRACK Magazine. Christine breeds and races American Quarter Horses at the highest level and also designs and markets jewelry. The Mildred N. Vessels Special Achievement Award is given yearly to an outstanding woman to recognize achievements over the past year in the industry. It is named in honor of the life-long horsewoman instrumental in the history of Los Alamitos Race Course and Vessels Stallion Farm. 

Arizonan Lloyd Yother earns the Gordon Crone Special Achievement Award. He has devoted decades to the industry in countless leadership roles at the state and national level. He has served on both the AQHA Racing Council and Committee, a number of other committees, as an AQHA director, National Horseman Benevolent and Protective Association, and served roles at the state level in Arizona and Oklahoma. Arizona’s Turf Paradise has changed ownership, and he has been involved in facilitating the beneficial opportunity for horsemen. 

The Gordon Crone Special Achievement Award is given yearly to an outstanding man within the American Quarter Horse racing industry to recognize his achievement within the industry. It is named in honor of the Kansas horseman who raced champions and worked tirelessly as an AQHA director. 

For more information on AQHA racing, visit www.aqha.com/racing. 

AQHA News and information is a service of the American Quarter Horse Association. For more news and information, follow @AQHA Racing on X and on Instagram, "like" Q-Racing on Facebook, and visit www.aqha.com/racing.