J. E. Jumonville, Jr

Inducted into the LQHBA Hall of Fame in 2019

John Enoul Jumonville, Jr., known as J.E., is one of the most influential and longstanding members of the Louisiana racing and breeding industry. The 76-year-old owns and operates Jumonville Farms in Ventress. Louisiana. J. E. and his wife, Bunny are proud parents of three sons: J.E. "Tres" III, Dutcher and Clayton.

Since its inception in 1965, Jumonville Farms has been regarded as one of the top breeders in Louisiana. Their stallion roster includes LQHBA and AQHA Racing champion stallion Jess Louisiana Blue, a son of LQHBA Hall of Fame inductee, Mr Jess Perry; Sizzlin Cartel; Jess Louisiana Blue, now 21, has produced 16 crops, whose earnings have surpassed the $17 million dollar mark. His top producer was Jessa Louisiana Zoom, who won both the Lassie and Lee Berwick Futurities at Delta Downs, earning $637,531 in her 13 lifetime starts. Jumonville Farms has posted solid numbers, both on their own and in multiple racing partnerships. He and Bunny bred Jess a Saint, a son of Jess Louisiana Blue out of the Vindication mare Laughing Saint. Trained by Miguel Rodriguez, he won six of his 15 starts including the 2015 edition of the richest Quarter Horse race in Louisiana, the LQHBA Louisiana Million. His winner’s check of $445,000 vaulted his career earnings over the half-million dollar mark.

In addition to Jess Louisiana Blue and Jess A Saint, Jumonville Farms has bred multiple Grade 1 champions, Magic Dozen, Feature Mr Jess, A Stoi Mate and Sompinlikaglass.

They also owned Feature Mr Jess, who won the 2000 Rainbow Futurity (G1) at Ruidoso Downs and returned the next year to capture the Rainbow Derby (G1). The son of Mr Jess Perry died at just 10-years-old, but a limited number of ICSI breedings are available from Jumonville Farms.

Always one of the top consignors in the annual LQHBA Yearling Sale, Jumonville Farms continues to send a quality group of well-bred prospects to the August event in Kinder, Louisiana. Jumonville Farms has also been the high-seller and high-buyer at the Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale.

Jumonville Farms has won five Grade 1 races at Ruidoso including the 1982 All American Derby with Justanold Love, the 1983 All American Gold Cup with Dashingly (Justanold Love ran second), 1985 Rainbow Derby with Indigo Illusion and 2000 Rainbow Futurity and 2001 Rainbow Derby with Feature Mr Jess.

Dashingly was named the 1983 AQHA Racing World Champion.

In the mid-eighties Jumonville Farms broodmare band included such mares as Champion Dashingly, Grade 1 winner Justandold Love, champion Queen For Cash, Champion Leading Star, champion Lady Juno, champion Little Blue Sheep and multiple champion producer Marketina.

In 1982 J.E. bought Louisiana Slew, a son of Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew, for $2.9 million at Keeneland July Select Yearling Sale in Lexington. Trained by Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, Louisiana Slew captured the Sunny Slope Stakes at Santa Anita Park and was twice stakes-placed.

Louisiana Slew entered stud in 1987 and is the dam sire of Jumonville's champion stallion Jess Louisiana Blue.

Jumonville has always gone the extra mile in promoting Quarter Horse racing. With a longtime involvement in cutting horse competition, he persuaded Dave Brian, the director of shows for the National Cutting Horse Association, to come to Ruidoso Downs to enjoy the races and attend the 2008 Ruidoso Select Sale. Dave Brian professed to have no interest in owning a racehorse, but studied the catalog and even bid $70,000 on Apollitical Jess. The consignors would not take less than $150,000, and the fine yearling turned into an incredible racing champion and sire.

Brian followed the career of Apollitical Jess with interest and asked J.E. if he had a mare they could breed as a partnership. Of course he did; a homebred named The Louisiana Girl. The foal was named Dutcher, after his middle son, Dutch, who runs the family’s breeding farm. A partnership was structured with Jumonville Farms and Brian Ranch owning two-thirds and the remaining shares divided between 27 folks in the cutting horse world. In each of Dutcher’s 24 career starts, the cutting horse part-owners were invited to attend the races and more than 20 were on hand when Dutcher ran second in the 2015 Texas Classic Derby(G1) at Lone Star Park. J.E. personally escorted them to the paddock to give them a personal view of the racing experience.

In addition to his excellence in breeding horses, J.E. also served as a Louisiana senator from 1976-1992. He was one of the leading forces in legislative efforts and contract negotiations with Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing associations in Louisiana. The end result was a significant amount of gross handle allocated to horsemen in the form of purses and breeders awards.

"He worked very hard to make the Louisiana breeders program what it is," said Dutch Jumonville. "Dad had the guts to stick up to those who said no and the persistence to keep fighting. He knew his efforts would grow the industry and help so many people."

In 2015, AQHA honored J.E.Jumonville, Jr. as a Legacy Award Winner. He joined a select group of breeders who have registered at least one foal for 50 consecutive years.

Dutch Jumonville agrees that it is virtually impossible to "sum up" the vision and accomplishments of his dad, but knows one thing for sure.

"My dad loves this industry," he said proudly. "He traded a bull for his first racehorse and will always have a genuine love for the Quarter Horse."