Bill Becker Passes Away
Thursday, September 8, 2016
The American Saddlebred sport lost not only one of its top horsemen on Wednesday, September 7 with the peaceful passing of Bill Becker, it lost truly one of the good guys. A UPHA Hall of Famer, a Carolina Horsemen’s Hall of Famer, an inductee of the American Road Horse and Pony Hall of Fame and a 2016 recipient of the UPHA Lifetime Achievement Award, Bill was revered from coast to coast as he spent a lifetime training in the Carolinas, California and Kentucky. He was a leader in our organizations and a leader with sharing his knowledge with others.
His customers turned into life long friends as did his competitors. So many aspiring horsemen and women turned to him for advice and he always made time for those who needed a compassionate ear.
He had three wonderful children and more than 40 years ago Nancy Whipple came into his life and together the husband and wife made a career of developing not only top horses, but top people with their juvenile and amateur riders.
Bill will forever be associated with such greats as Havana Hijack, CH Shadow Run, CH Starlike Sultan, Artistic Impression, Terry Jeans Starlight Cadet, CH She’s My Desire and two of his all-time favorites, the multi-titled world’s champions Heart To Heart and CH The Bodega Bay, who remain best of friends as pasture mates at the ages of 29 and 28 at the Nicholasville, KY, farm Bill and Nancy have called home for several years.
Arrangements will be posted as soon as possible and a tribute story will be forthcoming in the next issue of Saddle Horse Report.
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