Born in 1934 in Preston, Idaho, Blane Schvaneveldt was one of a dozen kids. His early horse experience was centered around rodeos and tie-down roping.
As a youngster, he dabbled in racing as his uncle’s jockey in match races, and he picked up mounts on the neighbors’ match horses as well.
Schvaneveldt’s national dominance of Quarter Horse racing began in 1977, when he was the leading trainer by both races won and money earned for the next eight years. When AQHA began its Trainer of the Year award, he received the award each year from 1985 through 1997.
By 2001, he had more than 28,000 starts and 4,600 official wins to his credit. His earning totaled more than $47 million. He was associated with Refrigerator, Town Policy, Dash For Speed, First Down Dash, Cash Rate, Super Sound Charge and Miss Thermolark.
His runners captured an unprecedented nine Champion of Champions races. Schvaneveldt saddled six Ed Burke Memorial Futurity winners, five Los Alamitos Derby winners and five Golden State Futurity winners. His other credits include 10 victories in the Los Alamitos Invitational Championship, seven wins in the Kindergarten Futurity and six triumphs in the Go Man Go Handicap.
Schvaneveldt was a multiple record holder at Los Alamitos and is the track’s leading trainer by stakes wins with more than 330 to his credit. He held the record for most wins in a single meet; was the only trainer to win more races in a single meet than the leading jockey at Los Alamitos. He captured nearly 40 champion trainer titles, and was the first trainer to win six races on one card at Los Alamitos.
Schvaneveldt operated Blane Schvaneveldt Ranch in Romoland, California, where he stood Chicks Beduino, Red (TB) and other stallions. He also teamed with Vessels Stallion Farm in 1992 to produce the Vessels/Schvaneveldt Sale.
Wyoming Downs honored him in 1999 by creating the Blane Schvaneveldt Futurity. He received the AQHA Vessels Memorial Award and an AQHA Racing Council Special Achievement Award. He was also a member of the AQHA Racing Committee and the AQHA Racing Council.
Schvaneveldt was inducted into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame in 2001 and died in 2010.
Biography updated as of December 2010.