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Mary Gaylord Receives Lifetime Achievement Award

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February 23, 2026: Lexington, KY – The American Saddlebred Horse & Breeders Association (ASHBA) proudly recognized Mary Gaylord as the 2025 recipient of the ASHBA Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by Smith Lilly at the Major Awards Ceremony during the 2026 ASHBA Annual Convention.

The Lifetime Achievement Award honors an individual whose decades of dedication, leadership, and competitive excellence have left an enduring mark on the American Saddlebred industry. Mary Gaylord’s career spans more than five decades and reflects one of the most accomplished and respected legacies in the history of the sport.

From her early beginnings in Oklahoma to her rise as a dominant competitor at the World’s Championship Horse Show, Gaylord established a standard of excellence that few have matched. She earned her first world’s championship title in 1979 and went on to build an extraordinary record in the Ladies Five-Gaited division, capturing multiple World’s Champion of Champions titles across several iconic horses, including CH Bandstand!, CH Admiral’s Mark, CH Santana’s Lass, CH Swept Away, CH Lynn Williams, and CH Vegas Moon. Over her career, she secured 14 Ladies Five-Gaited World’s Champion of Champions titles herself, contributing to a total of 15 for Golden Creek Farms.

Her accomplishments extend across divisions, including Amateur Five-Gaited, Three-Gaited, and Pleasure championships, as well as significant achievements as an owner and breeder. She is a past recipient of the Breeders Hall of Fame, Breeder of the Year Award, and a two-time Lurline Roth Sportsmanship Award winner. In recent years, her breeding program continues to influence the industry, with stallions such as Northern Vegas and Top Of The Mark ranked among leading sires.

Beyond titles and accolades, Gaylord has exemplified gracious sportsmanship, mentorship, and generosity. Her service to committees, horse shows, and charitable initiatives has strengthened the Association and the broader Saddlebred community.

“Mary’s career represents the very definition of lifetime achievement,” said Smith Lilly, Immediate Past President of ASHBA. “Her excellence in the ring, her commitment to breeding, and her unwavering support of this industry have shaped generations and elevated the American Saddlebred.”

Through decades of championship success, leadership, and stewardship, Mary Gaylord stands as a truly deserving recipient of the ASHBA Lifetime Achievement Award.