Shirley’s Champion was foaled on April 13th, 1971. He was bred by Victor Graber in Kentucky. His sire, Noholme II, was the 1959 Australian Horse of the Year. Despite his success as a racehorse, Noholme II did not generate much interest as a stallion prospect. At just 15.2HH, he was considered too short. In 1960, he was offered for sale for the low price of $10,000 AUD. Gene Goff, a wealthy oilman, purchased Noholme II along with forty other horses and imported them to the United States. Goff sent Noholme II to train with Arthur Beuzeville. In 1961, Noholme II placed second in the Chicago Handicap, Orange Bowl Handicap and Stars and Stripes Handicap. He then retired to Goff’s Verna Lea Farms in Fayetteville, Arkansas to stand at stud. He went on to sire champions Nodouble, Fool’s Home and Shecky Greene.
Nevada Marga, the dam of Shirley’s Champion, was by Have Tux, a son of multiple stakes winner Imbros. She won the 1967 Palo Alto Handicap and 1968 Bel Air Handicap. She also set a new track record at Pomona for six furlongs in 1:10.10. Nevada Marga produced thirteen Thoroughbred foals including race winners Nevada Lark, Virginia City Dude, Whither Thou Goest, Gisela’s Pleasure and Topsy. Nevada Reality, a bay stallion by In Reality and out of Nevada Marga, won the 1983 Noor Invitational Handicap at Golden Gate. Shirley’s Champion was the most successful starter out of Nevada Marga.
Shirley’s Champion raced for his breeder’s Vicgray Farm and trainer Ted West. He started racing at age three. In 1974, he won the Debonair Stakes and the Gr. 2 Inglewood Stakes. He also equaled the track record for five furlongs in the Hollywood Express Handicap at Hollywood Park. He became the third three-year-old to win that race over older sprinters. Reb’s Policy and Azure Te were the only other three-year-olds that had won the prestigious sprint at the time. As a four-year-old, Shirley’s Champion ran second in the Gr. 2 Los Angeles Handicap. He continued racing until age six, adding a win in the All American Handicap. His final race record was 37 starts, eight wins, nine seconds, and five thirds, with $174,087 in earnings.
Upon his retirement from racing, Shirley’s Champion was purchased Mr. and Mrs. Spencer Childers to stand at the Childers Ranch in Fresno, California. His first foals arrived in 1979 and included Go On Holme, winner of the Cerritos Handicap and Katella Handicap. His first crop also included racing ROM-earners Jilted Champion, Royal Family, Susquehanna Kats, Special Note, Awinganda Prayer, Darrens Champ, Noble Champion, Thursdays Surprise and Derisive.
Shirley B Gayle, the best Quarter Horse starter by Shirley’s Champion, was from his second foal crop. She was a gray mare out of Moolah Gayle, a Quarter Horse daughter of the Thoroughbred stallion Moolah Bux. Shirley B Gayle won the Golden State Futurity, Gr. 1 Golden State Derby, and Dash For Cash Maturity. She earned a Superior Race Horse award in 1983 and an AQHA Supreme Race Horse Award in 1984. In total, Shirley B Gayle made 26 starts, won ten races, and earned $601,860 on the track. She went on to produce race winners Shirley Because and Shirleys Dash. Her daughter Shirleys Signature produced graded stakes contenders Devons Signature, Just Wanna Be Me and See If I Care.
In 1987, Racing Feet, a gray filly by Shirley’s Champion and out of Little Fair Bar, by Go Fair, set a new track record at Apache County Fairy for 350 yards in 17.870 seconds. Spencerian, a gelding by Shirley’s Champion, also set a new track record at Arapahoe Park for 550 years in 26.970 and a new track record at Great Falls for 660 yards in 34.400 seconds. Rapid Champ, a gray gelding by Shirley’s Champion and out of Rapidamente, by Fast Jet, won the Gr. 3 Gold Rush Derby and the Gr. 3 Pat Hyland Memorial. Rapid Champ was the 1995 California Hi-Point Aged Gelding and Hi-Point Distance Horse.
Other Quarter Horse stakes winners by Shirley’s Champion included Triple Champion, RK Rebs Champion, Oh La Proud, Lissabon, Foggy Meadow, Soul of a Champ and Champ Stuff. His top Thoroughbred starters included Flying Squirrel, Bubble Gum Champ, and Wyn Champion. In total, he sired 417 registered Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse foals in 15 foal crops. They included 204 race winners, 167 ROM-earners, 22 stakes finalists, eighteen stakes winners, eleven Superior Race Award-earners, and one Regional Champion, with earnings of $4,488,154 on the track.
Not included in those statistics are his Appaloosa offspring. Edward Allred of California took two Appaloosa mares – Double Granite and Double R Fun – to Shirley’s Champion. Double Granite produced Fresnan, winner of the1993 Classic Derby at Fresno and earner of an ApHC Bronze Medallion. The pairing of Shirley’s Champion and Double Granite also produced Appaloosa race winners Florence and Another Florence. Double R Fun produced Fun Champ, the highest earning Appaloosa by Shirley’s Champion. Fun Champ won sixteen races and earned $68,678 on the track. His full brother, Twice Champ, won five races.
Sons of Shirley’s Champion including Exciting Champ, Streak Holme and Triple Champion sired Quarter Horses, Paints, and Appaloosas. Notably, Triple Champion was the damsire of SC Chiseled in Stone, winner of the 2002 Gr. 1 Rainbow Derby. SC Chiseled in Stone went on to sire numerous racehorses and barrel horses. He is the damsire of Corona Share of Fame, aka “Nala,” a professional rodeo money-earning mare owned by Hailey Kinsel.
As with many Thoroughbreds, Shirley’s Champion was much stronger on the distaff side of a pedigree. His best producing daughter, Oh La Proud, ranks sixth on the list of all-time leading dams by stakes winners and 33rd by money earned. She produced stakes winners Mister Katella, Pride of Katella, Rare Walker, Look Her Over, Hawkinson, Hawkish and Flame N Flash. Notably, Hawkinson was the 2001 AQHA Racing Champion Aged Stallion, Hawkish was the 2003 Champion Two-Year-Old Colt, and Flame N Flash was the 2012 Champion Three-Year-Old Filly. Oh La Proud was honored as an AQHA Dam of Distinction.
Oh La Proud established a dynasty of Quarter Horse racehorses. Her sons Hawkish and Hawkinson are both successful sires. Hawkish sired multiple stakes winner Oh La Traffic. Hawkinson sired graded stakes winners BF Farm Boss, Strawkins, Sixish, Sparky E Boy, BF Farm Boy, Starlet Hawk, Merridoc Hawk, West Coat Hawk and Forgive Him. Daughters of Oh La Proud are also great producers. Look Her Over produced multiple graded stakes winners He Looks Hot and Once Over, as well as stakes winners Watch Out, Take a Look and Favorite Doc. Katie Katella, a race winning daughter of Oh La Proud, produced multiple graded stakes winner Cattail Cove. Flame N Flash produced stakes winners A Dangerous Flash and Elicity.
Other stakes winners out of mares by Shirley’s Champion include Wrangler La Rocka, Feet Down First, By Cracky Its Jackie, That’s A Gray Jazz, Dollar Economy and Shake Em Wizar. Altogether, his daughters produced Quarter Horses that earned $4,331,244 on the track. Among his Quarter Horse grandget were 171 ROM-earners, 138 race winners, fifteen Superior Race Award earners, thirteen stakes winners and three champions.
Shirley’s Champion passed away in 1992 and his last foals were born in 1993. He is still highly influential in Quarter Horse racing and some of his descendants are making their way into the barrel pen.
Sources: Equineline, Equibase, American Quarter Horse Association, Speedhorse, All Breed Database
The Western Thoroughbred 