2024 AQHA Champions

Clay Neel lived life to the fullest, mainly due to the fast-paced world of horse racing.
 Neel got his start running horses on the bush tracks of the deep South and went on to become a successful trainer, breeder, and owner of racehorses. His deep passion for racehorses led him as far as Canada, Ireland, France, and even Japan in search of top race and stud prospects. Neel was involved with racing for roughly 60 years and had a constant drive to seek the next opportunity, which allowed him to embark on numerous ventures.

The Early Years

Clay Neel was born in Greenwood, Florida, on August 11, 1942. Neel’s grandfather, an avid cattleman, periodically gifted him heifers from the time he was born. When he was 13, Neel decided to sell all of his heifers to get up enough money to buy his first American Quarter Horse. By the age of 15, Neel was trading horses.

Clay Neel, who was a fifth-generation cattleman, was tasked with overseeing 300 head of cattle for his father at the age of 15. The young Neel primarily used the Joak line of Quarter Horses, which he held in high regard, to work the cattle. 

Neel’s uncle was a cattleman but shared Neel’s interest in horses and took him on many out-of-state trips when Neel was a teenager to expose him to the industry. One of the trips the pair took was to Fairfax, Oklahoma, in 1958. This trip marked the first of many trips to Fred and Ruby Whittaker’s place for the then 16-year-old Neel. He had come to visit the Whittakers in search of a top colt and filly by their stallion, Joak, that he could bring back to Florida. Joak was the stakes-winning son of Joe Reed II and out of Navie Girl, by Cowboy P-12. Joak was Neel’s favorite stallion at the time and went on to have a very successful career at stud.

After going through all of Whittaker’s foals, Whittaker offered to take Neel to the nearby town of Skiatook to show him the best filly by Joak he had ever seen. When the two men arrived at L.L. McQuire’s place, Neel was thoroughly impressed by the filly who was later named Phoebe Ak. Phoebe Ak went on to be the third dam of the great Dashing Phoebe. Dashing Phoebe was the 1985 AQHA Racing Champion Two-Year-Old Filly and 1986 AQHA Racing Champion Three-Year-Old Filly. She was recognized with the AQHA Dam of Distinction honor, AQHA Hall of Fame, and an AQHA Supreme Racehorse award. When retired to the broodmare band, Dashing Phoebe made an even greater contribution to Quarter Horse Racing through her progeny. Dashing Phoebe has produced a total of 22 foals that have collectively earned $2,371,102 on the racetrack. Her leading money earner is the AQHA Racing Champion Two and Three-Year-Old, Heartswideopen, who won the 2007 All American Futurity and earned a total of $1,885,283 over her illustrious career. Dashing Phoebe is also the second dam of the 2018 AQHA World Champion, Bodacious Eagle, and the 2014 AQHA Champion Three-Year-Old Colt and successful sire, Hes Relentless. The success of this line demonstrates Neel’s keen eye for high-quality horseflesh.

Neel tried his best to buy Phoebe Ak, but Mr. McQuire would not sell the filly. Although he did price her dam bred back to Joak for $1,000. Phoebe Ak’s dam was Sena Leo, the good daughter of Leo. Neel decided to buy Sena Leo, carrying a full sister to Phoebe Ak, who was later named Mad Squaw. Neel later bred Sena Leo to Admirals Pride, the stakes-placed son of the Thoroughbred Triple Crown winner, War Admiral, producing Warleta in 1961. Warleta became one of Neel’s better racing Quarter Horses, as she achieved a speed index of 100 over her career and won the 1964 La Mesa Park Quarter Horse Handicap. Warleta became the fourth dam of Cash For Kas, the 2004 AQHA Champion Racing Three-Year-Old Filly and winner of the prestigious Champion of Champions that same year.

On their way back to Fairfax, Whittaker told Neel, “Let’s stop by Pete Williams’ place; he has an outstanding Joak yearling colt, but I don’t think he will sell him.” When Neel arrived at Williams’ place, the young red dun colt, who was later named Fairfax Joe, made a big impression on him. Neel regarded Fairfax Joe as one of, if not the best, looking horses he had ever seen. Fairfax Joe became a stakes-placed runner with a speed index of 95. Where Fairfax Joe made his impact on Quarter Horses was in the breeding shed. Fairfax Joe served as Pete Williams’ primary stallion and sired two AQHA Supreme Champions with Joe Fax (SI 95) and Goodbye Sam (SI 95). With the help of his sire, Fairfax Joe, Pete was dubbed the “Supreme Breeder”. In total, Pete was the breeder of 4 Supreme Champions, which is very impressive given there have only been 52 horses to achieve that title in the history of the Quarter Horse. The success of this line reinforces Neel’s ability to recognize good horses.

After visiting and negotiating with Williams, he priced Fairfax Joe at $4,000. Neel had only $2,500 left to spend, and he offered it all for the promising colt, but Williams did not want to part with Fairfax Joe. In hindsight, Neel believes it was best that Williams did not sell him Fairfax Joe, as he did not have the caliber of mares to promote him as a sire, as Williams did at the time.

After his unsuccessful trip to Pete Williams’ place, Neel returned to Fred and Ruby Whittaker’s place and bought a weanling colt by Joak and out of Hoddijuana by Hoddy. The colt was later named Joe Hoddy and trained by Neel. Joe Hoddy went on to be a finalist in the 1960 Sunshine Futurity and the 1960 West Texas Futurity. Over his younger years, Neel returned to Fred Whittaker’s place to buy several Joak foals several times. 

In 1960, when Neel was a senior in high school, he had four racing Quarter Horses in training. After high school, Neel briefly attended the TCU Ranch Management Program before returning to Greenwood, Florida. Neel ran his training operation and also stood a few Quarter Horse stallions in Greenwood. 

Neel invited future multiple graded stakes winning Quarter Horse trainer, Russell Harris, and his father to eat lunch with him. Harris lived in Foley, Alabama, about 3 hours west of Neel’s hometown of Greenwood, Florida. The pair had known each other from match racing on the bush tracks of Florida, Alabama, and Louisiana. One of the tracks the pair would meet up at was Pecan Park in Jacksonville, Florida. While at Pecan Park, the young horsemen saw the young Go Dick Go before he went on to win the 1966 All American Futurity. Harris said this in regards to his friendship with Neel, “It really blossomed into a really good friendship, and I met a lot of nice people through Clay. Some of his idols that he really liked at the time were Jay Pumphrey and Ted Wells… I got connected to those guys from Clay.” 

Neel moved his training operation…

World Champion, Champion 3 Year Old, Champion 3-Year-Old Gelding

FDD Dreams  SI 108, $2,151,835

•   Breeder: La Feliz Montana Ranch, LLC
•   Owner: La Feliz Montana Ranch, LLC
•   Trainer: Xavier E. Rodriguez
•   Jockey: Luis Martinez

2025 Record: 8-5(3)-2-0, $1,281,034
Ruidoso Derby-G1, All American Derby-G1, Champion Of Champions-G1

FDD Dreams turned in a dream season in 2025, and he was rewarded by being named World Champion, Champion Three Year Old, and Champion Three-Year-Old Gelding. The New Mexico-bred became the first horse to win the All American Derby-G1 and Champion of Champions-G1 since World Champion See Me Do It in 1989.

Much of that success stems from FDD Dreams’ attitude. He loves to run, and he is very competitive.

“He wants to win the big races,” said Javier Rodriguez, who bred and owns FDD Dreams in the name of his La Feliz Montana Ranch.

FDD Dreams dances in his stall and has attracted plenty of attention on social media.

“He’s got an incredible personality,” said Dr. Megan Petty, the veterinarian at La Feliz Montana Ranch.

 “When he sees us looking at him, he starts showing off.”

At the end of his two-year-old season in 2024, FDD Dreams set a track record at Lone Star Park in his trial for the Texas Classic Futurity-G1 and then won the final. His connections brought him back to the Hondo, New Mexico, ranch for a break between seasons.

“About four days after he came home to the ranch, I hear this bang, bang, bang,” Petty said. “He’s leaning over the stall door like, ‘Did you guys forget about me? Why am I not at the track?’ He got over it and got to get turned out a little bit.”

Trainer Xavier Rodriguez began FDD Dreams’ three-year-old season at Ruidoso Downs. A winner of his Ruidoso Derby-G1 trial by 2 3/4-lengths, FDD Dreams triumphed in the final by 1 1/2-lengths under regular rider Luis Martinez.

He ran second by a nose in his All American Derby-G1 trial and in the final didn’t let a little crowding at the start keep him from another major win.

“It doesn’t get any better than that,” said Javier Rodriguez. “You know what he loves? He loves pressure. He needs to have a horse right next to him that tells him, ‘Let’s go at it.’ He loves that.”

FDD Dreams wasn’t finished. Sent to Los Alamitos, he set his sights on the Champion Of Champions-G1. In between, he competed in the Los Alamitos Super Derby-G1. It was the only misstep of the season, literally, as he lost his footing at the start and nearly went to his nose. It is a tribute to FDD Dreams’ athleticism that he recovered and still managed to finish sixth.

Then came the Champion Of Champions-G1, where FDD Dreams not only had to face older rivals, the field included the likes of World Champion Empressum, future Champions Hooked N Gone and Unrelentless, and a host of Grade 1 winners. FDD Dreams took the lead soon after…

What Gives Suspicion of an Ill-Fitting Saddle?

A horse that is hypersensitive to back palpation may be reacting to soreness elicited by the saddle. Use of a blunt instrument pressed firmly along the back is more likely to uncover deep-seated muscle pain than just pressing with fingertips along the epaxial muscles beside the spine. 

The presence of white hairs, particularly near the “points” of the tree located near the withers, is another tell-tale sign of excessive saddle pressure. Muscle may atrophy in areas of excess pressure. A saddle that oscillates from side-to-side causes abnormal wear under the rear area of the saddle. 

Abnormal behavior by a horse when saddled is not specific to an ill-fitting saddle but such behaviors are often seen when the horse has back discomfort from a poor saddle fit. The horse is “talking” when it tries to bite the handler, fidgets, lays back its ears, or turn its head to regard the person placing the saddle. 

These non-specific behaviors are often seen when there is back discomfort from a poor saddle fit. 

When ridden, signs of discomfort are variable and horse dependent. Displays range from overt to subtle, bucking, bracing the back, moving with a decreased range-of-motion, throwing the head, or carrying the head high with a rigid back. Occasionally, a horse might present with forelimb lameness induced by point pressure on the withers or back. Rarely is there hindlimb lameness as a consequence of poor saddle fit.

For a young, growing horse or a horse in training, the horse’s back needs to move during exercise in order to achieve normal epaxial muscle development. Any impingement of the saddle on a horse’s movement is a problem. If an ill-fitting saddle is replaced with a good-fitting one, the epaxial muscles show obvious improvement and development within two months. 

Appropriate saddle fit doesn’t mean that you’ll be able to use your favorite saddle on every horse you ride. Individual variations of each horse’s back preclude a perfect fit of one saddle on every horse.

Sweat Patterns and Saddle Movement

Examine the horse’s back after exercise. A normal back with a good-fitting saddle should have sweat in a uniform pattern.

 If the tree points are too tight, there is often less sweat in the forward portion of the back beneath the saddle, and this is mirrored by dry spots on the pad. Too much pressure in the surrounding region of the sweat glands decreases blood circulation to diminish normal function of the sweat glands.

Transient nodules may develop around thoracic vertebrae 13 – 14 due to a narrow gullet or abnormal movement of the back of the saddle. Normally, when looking at a horse from behind, there is minimal side-to-side oscillation of the saddle. If the saddle slips or has an abnormal range of oscillations, this brings the gullet closer to the dorsal midline, resulting in nodules of edema or fibrosis from the pressure.

It helps to compare saddle movement with and without a rider. A saddle that slips to one side may do so due to asymmetrical flocking, padding, or due to a horse’s back shape. Another significant reason for slippage of the saddle is from hindlimb lameness that modifies movement of the axial skeleton. In 87% of the time in a horse with hindlimb lameness, the saddle will slip to the side, and in particular to the side of the lame leg. (In 13%, the saddle slips to the side of the good or better leg.) 

If the lameness is abolished with diagnostic nerve blocks, saddle slip markedly decreases or may change to the other side if the opposite hind leg is also lame. Slippage is more obvious on…