Spencer Childers

Spencer Childers bought his first Quarter Horse in 1943 and later became a well-known owner and breeder of racing horses.

Childers’ first Quarter Horses were roping horses.  He competed in the Rodeo Cowboys Association (now the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association) for several years.  He later left his rodeo days behind and turned to racing.

“I had occasion to stand a palomino horse named Question Mark – fairly famous in the breed,” Childers said.  “I bred Question Mark to one of my rope mares.  I didn’t have any race mares to breed to at the time, unfortunately, but we produced a mare we called Snoops Hoodat.  We put her on the racetrack, and she won several races for me and my trainer, Walt Culbertson.”

In 1957, Childers bought a racing mare, Black Easter Bunny, from Culbertson.  The mare provided a breeding foundation for Childers and, in turn, provided the racing world with one of the most prepotent female lines of durable, winning sprinters.  Some of her offspring included Bunny’s Bar Boy and Bunny’s Bar Maid.

“I remember, at that time, I paid what was a tremendous price for a horse at $7,500,” he said.  “I told my wife I would buy her a mink coat or Black Easter Bunny, whichever one she preferred.  She took the horse.”

Childers bred five racing champions and earned AQHA’s champion racehorse owner and champion racehorse breeder titles.  In 1996, Childers and Dr. Ed Allred shared the AQHA breeder title.  Childers credits the strong females in his breeding lines for his years of success.

Childers was inducted into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame in 2002, and died July 9, 2009 at the age of 97.

Biography updated as of December 2009.