Text Box: I have been around horses my entire life. My father Walter Hughes was a professional bull rider with the Rodeo Cowboys Association in the 1950’s. Since I was born he has exposed me to the horse industry. At nine years old I would walk other children around for Pony rides at the Ponderosa Ranch in New Jersey. At sixteen I worked at Sit “n” Bull dude ranch in Warrensburg New York. My responsibilities included bringing the forty head of horses in from the pasture to their stalls in the barn for feeding time. After the morning feed the horses were led out to the tie post to be groomed and saddled for the guest. I assisted the guest in picking and mounting their horse for the day. There were four rides leaving each day. At the end of the day I would again feed the horses and turn them out for the evening. I graduated high school in the late 70’s and began my firefighting career as a volunteer and soon after landing a full time job in Dublin, Ohio. In the early 80’s the mechanical bull was popular and I learned to ride it well. Wanting to try the real thing, I rode practice bulls and eventually joined the International Professional Rodeo Association in Paul’s Valley, Oklahoma. In the mid 80’s I met my wife Karen and she exposed me to the American Quarter Horse Association show circuit. She would show all around amateur and I would show halter horses. I was honored when Denny Hales and Bob Geesman asked if I was interested in becoming a ring steward for the All American Quarter Horse Congress in Columbus, Ohio. My responsibilities included running the show from inside the ring, liaison to the judges and controlling horses to make a safe environment inside the ring if needed. I served in this position for ten years. I currently enjoy team roping and have ten horses in my barn that my wife and I care for. JD

Walt Hughes Cheyenne 1956

JD Ponderosa Ranch 1967

JD IPRA Rodeo 1984

JD Team Roping 2008

JD Fire Scene 2008

JD at Second Alarm Fire