Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame Announces 2026 Quarter Horse Inductees

The Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame announced Thursday its 2026 induction class, recognizing three longtime industry leaders, a two-time AQHA World Champion and a veteran racing journalist who have made significant contributions to the Quarter Horse racing industry.

W.B. Jones, Dr. Robert "Bobby" Lewis, Roger Daly and two-time AQHA World Champion Tailor Fit will be inducted Saturday, November 21, during a special ceremony at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie. Longtime Quarter Horse racing journalist Richard Chamberlain will receive the prestigious JoAnn Weber Distinguished Service Award.

The induction gala will be held from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. in conjunction with Texas Classic Night, featuring the Texas Classic Futurity (G1) and Texas Classic Derby (G1).

"Every one of this year's honorees has spent a lifetime making Texas a place where great Quarter Horses are bred, raised, prepared, cared for, raced and remembered," said Tommy J. Azopardi, chairman of the Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame Board of Directors. "It is a privilege to welcome them into the Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame, and there is no better stage to do it than Texas Classic Day at Lone Star Park."

2026 Hall of Fame Inductees

W.B. Jones — Industry Leadership

San Antonio's W.B. Jones has been a driving force in Texas Quarter Horse racing for decades, particularly through his leadership of the Texas Quarter Horse Association (TQHA).

A former TQHA president, Jones served as longtime chairman of the TQHA Sales Futurity and annual TQHA Yearling Sale. He played a key role in relocating the sale to the Freeman Exposition Hall in San Antonio following changes to Texas racing dates in 2011.

His leadership helped maintain the sale as an important marketplace for Texas breeders during challenging periods for the state's racing industry. The Jones family's commitment to TQHA continued when his daughter later served as association president.

Dr. Robert "Bobby" Lewis — Veterinary Medicine and Racing Leadership

Dr. Bobby Lewis of Elgin, Texas, has earned national recognition for his contributions to equine veterinary medicine, racing regulation and horse welfare.

President of Elgin Veterinary Hospital and a graduate of Louisiana State University's School of Veterinary Medicine, Lewis is a past president of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP).

He has served as board chairman and AAEP representative for the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium, helping address medication policies and testing standards in horse racing.

His extensive industry service also includes leadership positions as president of the Texas Horse Racing Association and the Texas State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, along with service on the Breeders' Cup Board of Directors.

Roger Daly — Horse Preparation and Sales

Roger Daly, founder of Roger Daly Horses in Aubrey, Texas, has spent five decades developing young horses and preparing prospects for the industry's leading sales.

Since establishing his operation in 1976, Daly has become one of the most recognized names in colt starting and sale preparation. His operation annually prepares approximately 300 Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds for major sales and starts more than 100 young horses under saddle.

Originally from Weedsport, New York, Daly moved to Texas in his early twenties. His first job breaking colts was for J.J. Pletcher, father of Hall of Fame Thoroughbred trainer Todd Pletcher.

Among the notable racehorses to pass through Daly's program was Falling In Love Again, whom he prepared and sold before her victory in the 1998 All American Futurity.

Tailor Fit — Champion Racehorse

Two-time AQHA World Champion Tailor Fit will join the Hall of Fame following a remarkable racing career that established him among the premier Quarter Horse runners of his generation.

Named AQHA World Champion in both 1999 and 2001, Tailor Fit captured the prestigious Champion of Champions (G1) at Los Alamitos in each of those championship seasons.

He retired with more than $1 million in career earnings, ranking among the breed's leading money earners.

Raced by Betty Jane Burlin of Navasota, Texas, Tailor Fit was trained during his career by the late Steve VanBebber and Janet VanBebber.

His accomplishments included major stakes victories throughout the Southwest, including successful appearances at Sam Houston Race Park and Lone Star Park.

Richard Chamberlain to Receive Distinguished Service Award

Veteran Quarter Horse racing journalist Richard "Rich" Chamberlain will receive the Hall of Fame's JoAnn Weber Distinguished Service Award in recognition of more than four decades documenting and preserving the history of the American Quarter Horse.

Raised on his family's ranch near Cameron, Texas, Chamberlain graduated from Texas A&M University before beginning a career that would make him one of the industry's most knowledgeable racing historians.

During more than 40 years with the American Quarter Horse Association, Chamberlain wrote extensively for the Quarter Horse Journal and helped launch the Quarter Racing Journal in 1988.

Widely recognized for his extensive knowledge of Quarter Horse racing pedigrees, personalities and history, Chamberlain was recently inducted into the Ruidoso Racing Hall of Fame.

Hall of Fame Announces New Induction Format

The Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame also announced a new format that will recognize Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred racing separately during the 2026 and 2027 induction cycles.

This year's November ceremony will focus exclusively on Quarter Horse racing, while a separate induction gala honoring Thoroughbred racing will be held in spring 2027 at Sam Houston Race Park.

Nominations for the 2027 Thoroughbred class will open November 23, 2026.

"We will be dedicating a gala to our Thoroughbred community next spring and believe this new format will give each breed and its inductees the spotlight they have earned," Azopardi said.

The Hall of Fame chairman added that the organization will announce its 2027 nomination process to give horsemen ample opportunity to nominate deserving Thoroughbred industry participants.

Gala Tickets and Sponsorships Available

The 2026 Hall of Fame Gala will be held Saturday, November 21, 2026, from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. at Lone Star Park, 1000 Lone Star Parkway, Grand Prairie, Texas. Tickets, tables, and sponsorships are available at txhof.com/gala. Anyone wishing to donate an item to the Gala silent auction should contact Executive Director Melinda Pettigrew.

ABOUT THE TEXAS HORSE RACING HALL OF FAME

The Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to preserving the history and heritage of horse racing in Texas. As the only Hall of Fame honoring all horse racing breeds in the state, it celebrates the owners, breeders, trainers, jockeys, industry leaders, and horses who have made a lasting impact on the sport. Follow the Hall of Fame at txhof.com, on Facebook (facebook.com/TXHoF), and on Instagram (@texas_horse_racing_hof).

Media contact: Melinda Pettigrew, Executive Director, melindap@txhof.com, 817-825-1381 (mobile) / 210-504-7022 (office).

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