Well respected horseman, Jim Evans, of Webberville, Michigan, passed away after complications following surgery on Tuesday, June 11th, 2013. He was 69. Evans was best known in the horse industry as the breeder and owner of the legendary, Mr Conclusion, along with his partner, Mark Toteff.
“Jim was like a second father to me,” says Stephanie Scheid Griffin, who hauled with Evans and Christie (Morse) Showerman for 20 years. “I started showing with him and Christie when I was 15. He hauled my horses and me all over the country and was just that person that was always in your corner and always had such a calming presence when you were going into the pen at big shows.”
Griffin continues, “He was always the life of the party and knew everyone, everywhere, from the most accomplished stallion owner to the office staff at every show he ever went to. We all have hundreds of Jim stories and laughs that I will treasure forever, and I don’t doubt that he would have taken a bullet for me and lots of other people, but I will probably miss most the quiet times we shared just hanging out together discussing anything and everything or nothing at all. He was the kind of friend that you could just sit with and say nothing at all and completely enjoy his company.”
While Evans hauled many clients including Griffin to shows all over the country, he will be forever known as the breeder and owner of the legendary, Mr Conclusion. The 1982 sorrel stallion was by Conclusive and out of Miss Amber Charge. According to Griffin, Jim always told her that he sold Miss Amber Charge with “Mr” in her belly and never got paid so he went and brought her home, and raised the foal. Evans knew immediately that there was something special about this colt and that he had, “star quality.” Halter trainer, Tom Robertson worked for Jim and Mark back then and showed him his yearling year. Mr went on to win the 1983 Congress in yearling stallions. Since Mr’s sire, Conclusive, had passed away in February of 1984, Joe Edge was looking for a son of his to stand, and, in August of that same year, he purchased, Mr, from Evans and Toteff for one million dollars.
Mr Conclusion’s offspring went on to dominate the show ring, and his impact on the industry continued to reach unbelievable proportions. Since 1992, Mr Conclusion is the all-time leading sire of AQHA and AQHYA World and Reserve World Champions. His get has amassed over 49,000 points and 122 AQHA World Championships.
While Mr Conclusion’s show and sire record is impressive, Evans will be remembered by many people in the industry not for breeding a legendary halter stallion but for his character and involvement with the Michigan Quarter Horse Association. AQHA judge Kathryn Boggetta says that Evans will be greatly missed. “I was on the Michigan Quarter Horse Board of Directors with him for 12 years. I called him the voice of reason. He raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for MQHA through the stallion service sale and really helped turn it into one of the premier stallion sales in the country.”
Trainer, Katy Jo Zuidema, who grew up around Jim Evans at the shows, says that he made a major impact in her life. “He was a great man and did so much for MQHA and was an awesome mentor to so many young women like myself who grew up in the horse world.”
Christie Morse Showerman and Evans, who were a couple for several years and continued to be business partners, ran the beloved Northfork Farms together until his passing.
“Jim always had an unbelievable love for Quarter Horses, people and Northfork Farms. He never stopped putting time into all three,” Christie fondly states. “The day before the surgery he mowed the ten acres at Northfork and finished the last building he would complete for the farm. Jim instructed his helper how to complete any jobs left undone. He knew he would never return even though all of his Northfork family waited for his return.”
Showerman adds, “The doctor could not believe with his arthritis that he could even walk. Jim never complained or stopped working. He encouraged both me and all his students to never stop trying to improve themselves. He had the right words of wisdom that he would share with the students before each big show. Jim will be missed by me and all that knew him, I hope to have as much strength moving on as he did living.”
Evans is survived by his daughter, Nicole Evans Schafer, her husband, Ryan, along with their four children–Elizabeth, Lily, Piper and Hank. At Jim’s request, there will not be a funeral but rather a pig roast/party at Northfork Farms on Saturday at 3pm to honor his memory.
Click here to read his obituary from Legacy.com
Click here to write an online message to Jim and his family.
*Some information about Mr Conclusion including specific dates and months were taken from the article, “Mr Conclusion” written by Ann Lanning on the Edgewood/Lanning website.
