Bailey ‘Stretch’ Bradley

Bailey “Stretch” Bradley was known as a founding father, an icon in the training and showing of halter horses, and a master of arena ground maintenance.  He was a mentor and friend to many.

He was born and raised in Hilliard, Ohio, the only child of Lewis and Cora.  He grew up in farming, but also spent time as an auctioneer, ring man, deputy sheriff and as part of a sheriff’s mounted patrol.  In 1970, he became a full-time horse trainer.

Beginning in 1953, Stretch was a factor in founding the Ohio Cutting Horse Association, serving as president in 1954.  In 1956, along with Earl Lambert, Stretch started the first horse and pony 4-H club in Ohio, the Triple T 4-H Club.  As an adviser, Stretch saw the club grow from 25 to 60 members in six years.  He was instrumental in the success of the Ohio Quarter Horse Association from day one.  Stretch was a director and served on many committees.  He became an honorary director of OQHA in 1986.

Stretch was one of the founding members of the National Reining Horse Association in 1966 and served as executive vice president.  Stretch was among the founders of the All American Quarter Horse Congress.

Stretch showed Frank Merrill’s horse, American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame member, Miss Jim 45 in more than 153 shows, chalking up 134 wins, 118 grand champion awards and 436 AQHA points for the 1970 AQHA Honor Roll halter horse title.  From 1971 through 1979, he put honor roll and/or high-point titles on many other horses, and earned many grand and reserve championships.  He also hauled youth exhibitors to honor roll and high-point titles.

In 1988, Stretch was inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame, just months after his death at age 66, and the same year he was inducted into the All American Quarter Horse Congress Hall of Fame.  In 2010, Bailey “Stretch” Bradley was inducted into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame.

Biography updated as of March 2010.