C.W. "Bill" Englund Jr.

Bill Englund, Jr.’s passion for Quarter Horses began when he was 9.  That is when he got his first horse, a mare named “Ginger.”

Englund was born in 1937, in Hollywood, California.  His family moved to Salinas, California, when he was a young child.  He grew up on a small stock farm and was involved with all kinds of livestock.  He was in 4-H and FFA, and at one time was feeding 500 hogs, the sale of which paid for his college education.

Growing up, Englund began breeding his mare, Ginger.  She became the base for his herd.  He then took many of the resulting offspring into the show ring.  In fact, he showed until he joined the AQHA Executive Committee in 1988.

Englund began judging in 1971.  With his ability to speak Spanish, he judged shows in Mexico, Argentina and Uruguay.  He also judged in Canada and Australia, and worked with the Swedish Quarter Horse Association to put on an exhibition of equestrian events.  Englund also judged both the AQHA and AQHYA World Shows.

In 1976, the native Californian became an AQHA Director which led him to serve three years as vice chairman of the show and contest committee, followed by three years as the chairman.

During his time on the AQHA Executive Committee, the committee worked to enhance the Association’s marketing efforts to improve the decline that AQHA had been experiencing since 1986.  He continued to strive to reach this goal while he was president in 1992.  Since that time, AQHA registered more than a million horses and expanded riding programs and show and racing opportunities.

Englund was inducted into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame in 2002 and passed away July 10, 2023.

Biography updated as of June 2024.