Dale Wilkinson, whose name is synonymous with the sport of reining and known to many as the “Father of Modern Day Reining,” passed away on the night of March 11 in Georgia. He was recovering from recent hip surgery and was on dialysis in Augusta. He was 84.

Wilkinson was honored in 1986 as the first inductee into the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Hall of Fame for his many accomplishments, such as the becoming the winner of the first NRHA Futurity in 1966 aboard Pocorochie Bo. He was also an American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) and National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Hall of Fame inductee and the only rider to win both the NRHA Futurity and NCHA Futurity. With all his accomplishments, he is probably best known as a mentor to many of today’s top trainers. He took the education of horsemen and women to a new level when he became the founder and developer of the University of Findlay’s horse program. In 2005, the University recognized Wilkinson by naming an indoor arena in his honor. The arena was one of the original buildings Wilkinson built when he started working with the University in 1976.