Longtime Texas horseman Clarence Scharbauer Jr. died Friday night in Midland from complications from emergency stomach surgery, according to an article on DRF.com.
Scharbauer’s daughter, Pam, and late wife, Dorothy, raced 1987 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner and 1988 Horse of the Year Alysheba. Scharbauer’s Valor Farm in Pilot Point, Texas, has long been one of the leading stallion farms in the state and a top breeder of Texas-breds. His homebred Fiftyshadesofgold, by Valor stallion My Golden Song, won a division of the Texas Stallion Stakes last week at Sam Houston Race Park and the 3-year-old filly is being pointed toward graded stakes down the road. Scharbauer and his wife were both inducted into the Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame, and in 2007 he received the lifetime achievement award from the Texas Thoroughbred Association. He was also a past president of the American Quarter Horse Association, a successful owner and breeder of that breed and a member of the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame.
“He got to see his filly win last Saturday from Midland, and that really pleased him,” said Ken Carson, longtime manager of Valor Farm, to DRF.com. “He was a great man, loved horses, loved horse racing. But loved horses like kids, loved the animals. He had horses his whole life. They were a big part of his life.”
Scharbauer, whose family was involved with the development and growth of Midland since the 1880s, was also a noted philanthropist and numerous buildings in the city bear the Scharbauer name. According to its website, the Scharbauer Foundation awarded nearly $7 million in grants in 2013 alone.
To read an article published last July on DRF.com about Scharbauer, click here.
Memorial services for Clarence Scharbauer Jr. will be conducted at 3 p.m. Tuesday at Midland’s First Presbyterian Church. Family visitation will be held at 6-7:30 p.m. Monday at Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home.