2006 Sorrel Solid Gelding Judys Lineage x Shero by Texas Hero Owner: Julie Haywood & Joni Willis Breeder: Marion Hoskin Trainer: Eddie L. Willis Jockeys: Jim Brooks, Kenny Muntz
reaking a world record is a big deal. But when the record you break belonged to the great Got Coun- try Grip, it means even more. That’s what Barney Ofield did in the 2012 National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum Stakes.
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That wasn’t all Barney Ofield accomplished, though. In five starts, he won twice, ran second once, and finished third once. He banked $54,486 as an older horse—not an easy task—and was the ninth-leading earner for the year. That brought his lifetime total to $166,223, eighth on the all-time list.
“It seems like the more mature he gets, the better he gets,” Justin Haywood said. Haywood’s wife, Julie, and Joni Willis own Barney Ofield.
Joni’s husband, Eddie Lee, trains him, and the four have a great time watching the old guy run. Two others who are proud of Barney Ofield’s accom- plishments are Bill and Marion Hoskin, who bred him and raced him early in his career. Bill says his dam, She-
ro, always produces sound, hard-knocking runners; Shero is also the dam of 2012 Oklahoma Paint Futurity winner Laus Deo and stakes-placed Spotless Redneck. Barney Ofield began 2012 tussling with the Appaloo- sa Captain Bucko, finishing second in the Paul Harber Memorial Handicap. He avenged himself in the Mister Lewie Memorial Stakes, however, defeating the Appaloosa by a length. In both races he outran two-time World Cham- pion PF Chief Runnin Bear. Then came the National Cowboy. With Kenny Muntz in the irons, Barney Ofield broke like a shot. The field tight- ened up a little on either side of him, but he outran them and held off PF Chief Runnin Bear by a neck. His time of :21.32 for the 440 yards lowered Got Country Grip’s mark of :21.47, set when he won the 2009 race. For his exploits as a 6-year-old in 2012, Barney Ofield was again named the Champion Solid Aged Horse and Aged Gelding for the second consecutive year.