Longtime APHA breeder and Hall of Fame inductee James “Jim” Schehen of Bend, Oregon, died on September 28, 2019. He was 80.
Prior to breeding Paint Horses, Jim was a sales and service manager for Bend Industrial Supply-Case division, Mid Pacific Industries of Bend, Oregon, Peterbilt Motors Companies, Automotive Equipment Company of Eugene, Oregon and Pacific Intermountain Express of Emeryville, California.
Jim and his wife, Judy, began breeding and showing Paint Horses in 1972 out of their Paint Brush Ranch in Bend, Oregon. The Schehens have bred more than 250 Paint Horses, including APHA Hall of Fame inductee Scribbles. A 1974 sorrel overo stallion by Our Sir Prize and out of Sin Bar, Scribbles earned 281 lifetime APHA points, one APHA Champion title and one APHA Performance Versatility title in 1979, one Superior All-Around Champion title in 1981, two Superiors and nine Registers of Merit. He was the sire to 555 registered Paint foals who have earned more than 20,000 points, 400 Registers of Merits, 103 Superiors and 12 world and national titles. Jim and Judy also owned the stallions Lucky Straw, Autograph, Lasting Approval and Finely A Star. Paint Brush Ranch currently stands Midas, a 2003 palomino overo stallion by GBF Pretty Coosa (QH) and out of Blonde Autograph.
Regionally, Jim was very active in the Paint Horse community. Jim was a founder of the Central Oregon Paint Horse Club and Oregon Paint Horse Breeders Triple Crown Futurity. He also served as president of the Oregon Paint Horse Club, Central Oregon Paint Horse Club and the Oregon Paint Horse Breeders. Both Jim and Judy participated in the Northwest Stallion Service Auction and served as board members for the Northwest Coordinating Committee.
At the 2019 APHA Convention in Fort Worth, Texas, both Jim and Judy were inducted into the APHA Hall of Fame alongside Scribbles.
Jim is survived by his wife, Judy; children Geri, Mike, Jimmy, Gary and Mitch; and two grandsons, Connor and Anton.