Jim Ray called from Decatur, IL, and said he was putting together a dozen or so stallions for promo photos. He had a great place north of his arena and breeding facility that was clean and good for photos. He was standing the famous AQHA Supreme Champion Bar Money and no good photos were ever taken of him. Jim said he was hard to pose, so plan some time for this energetic stud. I flew into Decatur and there were trailers with subjects parked all over Jim's drive way.
Bar Money was one of hundreds of great sons of Three Bars. He was taller than most, long body and not the typical classy Three Bars conformation. He was tall and Thoroughbred looking. To make him look thicker we put him in the deepest grass in the pasture. Unlike Skipa Star, he was a hot blood with veins popping out all over-- the sign of an athlete. I liked to photograph horses that had been used a lot so there was muscle and vein definition.
Bar Money, like many of the great Three Bars progeny was bred by the legendary Walter Merrick and sold as a yearling for $25,000. Born in 1960 at Sayre, OK, his dam was Miss Ruby. He was bred to run and ran a few good races, enough to earn a AAA SI-95 rating, but became appreciated more as a sire of arena performance horses.
He was recognized as a leading sire of AQHA Champions, halter horses, performance horses, and a top maternal grand sire of race ROM qualifiers. He sired 13 AQHA Champions and was the maternal grand sire of 4 more.
I went to Ray's once a year for many years and considered Ray's great friends. Becky Ray was a great food and cold drink provider. We photographed over a dozen horses from Jim's facility and also nearby clients. With the main horse people from all over Illinois, it was a horse party for days. Becky kept sending lemon ice tea up on the hill all day to keep us all going. Bar Money required a serious handler and Jim did it well. Bar Money thought he was tough, but he had met his match with Jim Ray.
Jim and Becky bought some Texas Longhorn cattle from us. Someone left the gate open and their bull, Mr. Marlboro, took a walk through the city of Decatur. Jim saddled up the best cutting horse and found him on the river bottom in downtown Decatur. He drove him back home with out a problem. Just another day. Jim was an AQHA judge, and AQHA Secretary of Racing.
While at Ray's Walter Spencer called and I had to fly to Tulsa to take new photos of Tonto Bars Hank.
Author: Darol Dickinson
