Walter Merrick earns coveted award
from American Paint Horse Association

APHA recognized racing legend Walter Merrick of Sayre, Oklahoma, with its prestigious Paul Harber Award at the annual Celebration of Success awards banquet on June 3 in Irving, Texas. Merrick earned the award for his tireless contributions to the success of Paint racing during the past 40 years, Merrick’s started his career as a young teenager in Colorado, where he worked hard as a rough-string rider, breaking spirited horses to be used on ranches. From ranch hand to rancher, Merrick worked tirelessly to breed quality horses along the way.

From halter to cutting to racing, the best horses can trace their bloodlines back to Walter’s foundation horses. The effects of Merrick’s breeding programs have improved the stock in nearly every discipline of the Paint Horse breed today.

One of Merrick’s most successful breedings resulted in Easy Jet Too.
The horse earned more than $35,000 in 1983 and ’84, with an incredible 11 wins in only 17 starts. As a racehorse and a sire, Easy Jet Too has left a legacy to the Paint Horse racing industry. His progeny, including 236 starters, have earned more than $1.5 million. In addition he has sired five world champions.

An article in the Paint Horse Journal that ran several years ago about Merrick summed up the kind of man he has been. He always stood up for what was right, and in the early days, that meant American Paint Horses.

In the Journal, Merrick talked about Easy Jet Too’s Sire, Easy Jet. He said:
“When we were standing Easy Jet to the public and getting all of the mares that we could handle, people asked me why I was breeding those Paint mares to him. My answer was simply that I bred them because they were good.