By Bloodhorse.com
E. W. “Buddy” Johnston, a major California breeder who headed his family’s Old English Rancho, died May 5 in his sleep. He would have turned 78 May 6.
Old English Rancho and the Johnston family’s racing roots trace to 1939, when Johnston’s father, E.B., also known as “The Pie Man”, bought his first horse. More recently, Old English bred and raced Acclamation, champion older male of 2011. Acclamation stands at Old English in Sanger, Calif., and his first foals are yearlings.
Buddy Johnston was born into the business. Though E.B. founded Old English, his son worked side-by-side with his father throughout his youth. Buddy and his wife, Judy, took over day-to-day operation of the farm in 1957. Buddy’s father died in 1981, and his mother, Betty, who was also instrumental in the family business, died in 2000.
The Johnstons first established Old English in Chino, Calif., with partner Ted Tepper. They later moved it to nearby Ontario and eventually to Sanger. The ranch was named the nation’s top breeding operation in 1971 and 1972, was California’s leading breeder 13 times, and produced more than 200 stakes winners.
Through the years Old English stood many top stallions in the state, including Fleet Nasrullah, purchased from John D. Hertz midway through his racing career. Other stallions included Old English, from where the ranch derived its name; The Pie King, named for the elder Johnston’s early pie business; Windy Sands; Unusual Heat; Lucky Mel; and First Balcony. Old English currently stands Big Bad Leroybrown, Cyclotron, Surf Cat, and Vronsky in addition to Acclamation.
Buddy Johnston was especially proud of the long line of fillies that Old English Rancho bred. One of the first was Ruth Lily, who won the 1951 Santa Susana Stakes (now the Santa Anita Oaks) and Hollywood Oaks. Buddy selected the mating that produced Admirably, winner of the 1964 Del Mar Debutante and several other stakes. June Darling was another top Old English filly. She beat colts in the 1970 Del Mar Futurity.
Old English homebred stakes winner Betty’s Fortune is the fourth dam of Norvsky, an Old English Rancho homebred son of Vronsky who won the 2012 San Gabriel Stakes (gr. II).
One of Buddy’s favorite horses was Real Good Deal, a 1961 son of The Pie King–Good Folks, by Citation. Real Good Deal’s stakes wins included the 1963 Graduation Stakes at Del Mar and 1964 Hollywood Derby. Del Mar cards the Real Good Deal Stakes for 3-year-old Cal-breds every summer. Old English homebred stakes winners Fleet Treat and Generous Portion also have Del Mar stakes named for them.
Buddy’s most recent homebred stakes winner, Acceptance, won last year’s Golden State Juvenile Stakes and King Glorious Stakes. The California Thoroughbred Breeders Association named Acceptance champion Cal-bred 2-year-old male of 2014. Buddy accepted the trophy at the CTBA awards dinner Feb. 9 as well as introduced trainer Bruce Headley, a longtime friend who was inducted into the CTBA Hall of Fame. Johnston was inducted into the CTBA Hall of Fame in 2012.
Johnston was very active in the CTBA. He served as its president from 1983-’85, and he was on the board of directors for 25 years, most recently as an ex-officio member.
Buddy and Judy Johnston brought many partners in to their racehorses over the years, and they also included subsequent generations in the business. They have two daughters, Mary Johnston Hilvers and Darlene Johnston Smith. Mary is married to Peter Hilvers, and the two were partners with their parents on Acclamation. Peter and Mary’s son, Jonny, is Old English’s ranch manager, and Pete also works there.
“Jonny is doing a great job,” said Buddy in 2011. “He’s one of the main reasons why I’ve wanted to stay in the business.”
Buddy and Judy have five grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.
Read more on BloodHorse.com: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/91824/old-english-rancho-owner-johnston-dies-at-77#ixzz3ZfLTXo3j
