Bellevue’s champion horse breeder passes, leaves legacy
BY ERIC VALENTINE
As America and beyond battled the shock and grief that went along with the passing of NBA legend Kobe Bryant, the Valley lost its own champion in recent days. Longtime business owner and renowned racehorse breeder Jim Walker, Sr., of Bellevue, passed away. He was 87.
“On Tuesday, January 21, 2020, Jim Walker’s ticker ticked its last tock at the ripe old age of 87,” his obituary read.
It was with that same gentlemanly nonchalance and charming irreverence that Walker befriended most of his acquaintances over the years. And now, friends and family will be celebrating his life and all he meant to the Valley, Thursday, Jan. 30, at 5 p.m. at The Mint, 116 South Main Street in Hailey.
“Let’s send this old cowpoke off into the sunset with any thoughts or fond memories you would like to share,” his obit continued.
One doesn’t need to reach far back for fond memories of Walker. In 2016, he was featured in Quarter Horse Track magazine after his colt Zoomin For Spuds became Idaho’s first-ever national champion. It was a high-profile accolade Walker took as proof that the proverbial little guy could do big things. Walker and trainer Monty Arrossa, of Shoshone, referred to their operation as a two-man crew, a nod to the two broodmares Walker used to rear multiple award-winning colts.
“To get multiple champions out of just two broodmares is quite rare,” said Kenny Kimball, a longtime friend and trainer for Walker. “Jim has a legacy few breeders will ever have. Jim put Idaho on the racing map.”
Walker’s “Spuds” was also the only horse in the United States to win six stakes races and the first in Idaho’s history to take the Grade 1 Champion of Champions. All that made Spuds the Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Racing Association Horse of the Year for 2016. Walker earned Breeder of the Year honors, as well.
Walker was born Aug. 1, 1932, in Casa Grande, Arizona, to Willard and Jewel Walker. At the age of six, Jim, his younger sister Betty and his parents moved to Grass Valley, California, where Jim adopted abandoned and/or sick animals, made lifelong friends and would eventually graduate from high school. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Sacramento State College after a brief stint in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. Walker married his high school sweetheart, JoAn, in 1953, and they raised their sons, Jimmie and Jerry, and daughter, Jeana. Jim, with his “can-do” entrepreneurial spirit, started and built a number of successful companies. Most notable were Walker Precast in Sacramento and Walker Sand and Gravel in Bellevue.
Jim had a passion for animals that led him into ranching, quarter horse breeding and racing, chariot racing, mule packing, wagon training, and hunting throughout his life. He loved sharing these pursuits with friends, family, and any drifter along the trail.
With his infectious laugh and positive attitude, Jim made lasting friendships everywhere he went. He was famous for his long-winded stories, his firm handshake, and his comedic one-liners. He was a father figure to more than his own children and was dearly loved by many.
Jim was preceded in death by his son, Jerry Walker, and daughter, Jeana Kepner, who passed within just a few years of one another. He is survived by his loving and devoted wife of 67 years, JoAn; his sister Betty Monroe; his son Jim Jr.; his grandsons Brad Walker, Kyle Walker and Chris Kepner; and his beloved great-grandsons, Torin and Anders Ole Walker.