Person · 1992
NRHA Hall of Fame · Inducted 1992
Jim Willoughby
NRHA Futurity Pioneer · Judges Committee Founder · Inducted 1992
Jim Willoughby was among the competitors who showed up at the very first NRHA Futurity in Columbus, Ohio in October 1966 — entering First Command, owned by veterinarian Dr. Millard Hayes, on tough ground with a horse that had never been in an arena. His decades of involvement shaped the sport's judging standards: after pushing hard for consistent officiating, he was put in charge of founding the NRHA Judges Committee and served as its first president.
Career Highlights
- Competed in the inaugural 1966 NRHA Futurity — one of the original competitors when reining was just beginning to define itself as a sport separate from open western classes
- First president of the NRHA Judges Committee — his advocacy for consistent, objective judging helped lead to the formalized judges approval system the NRHA uses today
- Longtime NRHA contributor — part of the generation that built the association from a grassroots jackpot into a structured national organization