James Allen Jones

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James "Allen" Jones (born June 30, 1967 in Picayune, Mississippi) according to American Quarter Horse Association records became known in the 1990s in Georgia in the horse show arena as a competitive speed event rider in the Barrel Racing and Polebending show events.

[edit] AQHA Horse Show History

Allen, an auto mechanic by trade at the time is believed to have moved to Cochran, Georgia after a divorce and started showing in 1993 riding his mothers (Carolyn Jones) show horse who herself had been showing locally for a couple of years and a friends horses but didn't own his first horse until 1994, a mare whose name was unknown. He also the same year from his mother bought a young colt named "Skips Mr Frisky" who she had bought the same year according to AQHA records.

Allen competed on the mare through 1995 and showed in one AQHA sanctioned show in the summer of 1995 and did well. Its also rumored they also qualified in '95 to the saddle club state finals and also did well. According to records, the mare was bred and unrideable around the fall of 1995. There's no record of him ever riding her in a AQHA sanctioned event again. It is believed she was sold in 1997. Carolyn now has 11 horses and the grand kids are riding them now and Skipper is doing just fine my grandson still rides him."

Allen began riding "Skipper" in local saddle club shows sometime in 1996 and is believed to have done well with him from the start and qualified to the state saddle association state finals in the same year. In 1997, according to sources, Allen and Skipper showed the heaviest in 1997. Its said they competed in AQHA, NBHA (National Barrel Horse Association) as well as the local saddle club and other open shows in all that year. During that year, Allen and Skipper won money and awards in their Barrel Racing and Polebending events including 28 circuit championships in AQHA sanctioned shows and reportedly shows in saddle club and NBHA and other shows. They ended the AQHA show season by winning the Georgia and Horsemans Quarter Horse Associations between the 2 associations a combined 6 season high point championships and 2 reserve championships (Georgia state associations affiliated with the AQHA) showing in Open and Am. divisions in Barrel Racing and Polebending. They accumulated also a total of 16 AQHA competition points as well. They received recognition and acclaim by being featured regularly in show magazines such as "Southern Horseman", a widely distributed SE regional horseman magazine. "Southern Horseman" once referred to Allen and Skipper as one of the better Polebend horse and rider combinations in the AQHA in the SE during their time but Skipper, though not slow and ran top end times, was not known for his speed as much as his ability to make clean, unflawed runs consistently. Barrel or Pole knockdown penalties for them were said to be very rare. It's rumored that they also competed in the saddle club state show that year as well and had a top 10 state championship finish in polebending.

[edit] Today

Allen and his mother Carolyn both heavily showed through the 90's and showed under Carolyn's farm name The Cloverleaf Farm. Carolyn is believed to have been at least AS successful in the show arena in the same events but not many records exist of her showing AQHA competition. Allen, during the '97 campaign, injured himself and the injury was also a reason that he stopped competing according to speculation. The nature of the injury is unknown but he hobbled around gingerly after competing in shows through the '97 season.

Few show records beyond the spring of 1998 could be found on Allen and Skipper but records show Allen sold Skipper in 1998 to Kristina McCook, then married and moved to Byron, Georgia from the farm. Kristina competed with Skipper in several local Georgia Saddle Club shows, NBHA events, and AQHA events, until she divorced in 2001. Skipper was sold back to Allen's mother, Carolyn, in 2001 but no known records exist with him being showed by Allen, Kristina, or any other rider. Rumor has it that Carolyn's grandchildren often ride Skipper in small local events.

[edit] Sources for this article

• AQHA
• GQHA
• HQHA
• Southern Horseman Magazine
• Georgia Federation of Saddle Clubs