NSBA is saddened to share that AQHA judge, horse breeder and industry icon Carol Harris, of Reddick, Florida, died over the weekend.

A native of West Orange, New Jersey, Carol owned Standardbreds, Hackney ponies, Arabians, Saddlebreds and Tennessee Walking horses before turning to Quarter Horses in the 1950’s. Eventually Carol bought a former Thoroughbred training and breeding facility in Reddick, Florida, and developed it into the well known Bo-Bett Farm.

She raised several well-known horses, including those out of her Poco Bueno mare, Judy Dell, such as AQHA stallions Eternal Dell and Majestic Dell, both of whom stood at Bo-Bett Farms. Rugged Lark was an example of Carol’s mixing of Thoroughbred bloodlines into her Quarter Horse bloodlines, which she often did.

She bought the stallion Rugged Lark as a yearling, and teamed up with trainer Lynn Palm to turn the stallion into a multiple Congress and AQHA world champion and two-time AQHA Superhorse that became a superstar among young and old. AQHA awarded Rugged Lark with its Silver Spur Award and inducted the stallion into the AQHA Hall of Fame in 2006.

Carol became one of the first women to be named an AQHA judge, and officiated at horse shows for 25 years. She was also an approved judge with the National Reining Horse Association, the National Cutting Horse Association and the American Horse Shows Association. She was known for her strong convictions that earned respect from the horse industry the world over.

Carol was the first president of the New Jersey Quarter Horse Association and helped create the East Coast Cutting Horse Association. After moving to Florida, she was also a past president of the Florida Quarter Horse Association.

Carol was inducted into the American Quarter Horse Association Hall of Fame in 1997.

The National Snaffle Bit Association shares its condolences with Carol’s friends and family.