Charles Graham

“When you start at the bottom there’s no place to go but up, and I decided a long time ago that if you have the ability and determination, the mode of travel is not so important.”

Dr. Charles Graham knew exactly where he was headed in life even while he attended veterinary school at Texas A&M University.  His aim was to have a stallion station.  In 1961, with the help of Dr. W. H. Cardwell, Graham established Elgin Veterinary Clinic and the Southwest Stallion Station.  He had been co-owner of Heritage Place Sale Company in Oklahoma City since 1976 and purchased Graham Land and Cattle Company in 1987.  Dr. Graham’s operation still supplies American Quarter Horses to the cowboys that work at Graham Land and Cattle Company.

In leadership roles with the Texas Quarter Horse Association, Texas Thoroughbred Breeders Association and the Texas Veterinary Medical Association, Dr. Charles Graham helped the racing interest gain respect among legislators and voters alike.  Graham, a fixture at Texas racetracks, bred 69 winners over the past 30 years, six stakes winners and the earners of more than $1.1 million from 137 starters.  Because of Dr. Graham’s work on AQHA’s Equine Research Committee and other related organizations, he was named an Adjunct Professor of the Department of Large Animal Medicine and Surgery at Texas A&M’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

Dr. Charles Graham owned, bred, co-owned, partnered or managed American Quarter Horses that had earned or sired winners of earnings in excess of $65 million.  Dr. Graham’s lifestyle represented every face of the American Quarter Horse.  He was involved in every aspect of the Quarter Horse, from breeding, racing, performance and ranch horses, youth programs, horse sales and more.  Having been an AQHA Director at Large, a member of the Equine Research Committee and a longtime supporter of the American Quarter Horse Foundation, he had advised and enhanced the knowledge and ability of each to perform and function at an exceptional level.

Dr. Charles Graham passed away in June 2025 and was inducted into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame in 2009.

Biography updated as of June 2025.