Thousands gather to pay their last respects to AQHA Past President Frank “Scoop” Vessels III, who was killed in a private-plane crash on August 11.

AQHA Past President Frank "Scoop" Vessels III, 1952-2010

More than 2,000 people showed up on Monday at Vessels Stallion Farm to honor Scoop Vessels.

On August 11, Frank “Scoop” Vessels III, a former AQHA president and owner of the stallion farm that stands all-time leading sire First Down Dash, was killed in a plane crash in Oregon. Five days later, his family, friends, colleagues, acquaintances and people who had just met him or in some cases simply knew of him, paid their last respects to the giant of the industry at a memorial service at the ranch. 

The Rev. Tom Straeter, one of Scoop’s longtime friends, officiated at the event, welcoming and leading the crowd in opening and closing prayers. Personal memories were offered by Dennis Moore, the well-known track consultant who was a childhood friend of Scoop’s and the best man in Scoop and Bonnie’s wedding; Bob Gordon, a childhood friend and off-road/horse industry partner whose grandfather raced horses with and against Scoop’s grandfather, who founded Los Alamitos Race Course; Bill Thead, friend and vice president of Vessels Stallion Farm; Kevin Dickson, brother-in-law and Vessels ranch manager; and sons Bryan Lenfers, Kash Vessels and Colt Vessels. 

This was not a usual, run-of-the-mill memorial. As Rev. Straeter said at the beginning, Scoop was a man full of life, humor and energy, and Rev. Straeter and the other speakers spent most of their time recalling funny, touching stories of their time with a man unforgettable to those who knew him. In that respect, it wasn’t only a memorial – had Scoop been alive, it would have been something of a roast. 

In the memorial service’s program pamphlet, the family issued the following statement: 

“Scoop Vessels was born on March 18, 1952, in Long Beach, California. His grandparents founded the Los Alamitos Race Course, which became the premier Quarter Horse racing facility in the nation. Los Alamitos was operated by the Vessels family until its sale in 1984. At the time, Vessels personally designed and developed the Vessels Stallion Farm, turning 400 acres of a 2,000-acre property into a showpiece for California horse breeding. Vessels also owned the San Luis Rey Downs Golf Club and a number of other properties in the Bonsall area. 

“In addition to the breeding and owning horses, Vessels devoted much of his personal time to serving in a number of industry leadership positions. After several years as a director of the Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Racing Association, he was named to the American Quarter Horse Association’s five-member executive committee in 2000, eventually serving as that organization’s president in 2004-2005. Earlier this year, he was inducted into the AQHA’s Hall of Fame in recognition of his lifetime industry achievements. He was a member of The Jockey Club, Thoroughbred racing’s governing body, and served as the president of the California Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association. 

“Vessels also competed successfully for many years at the highest levels of SCORE Off-Road Racing. Driving for top-tier sponsors such as BF Goodrich, Chevrolet and Nissan, he was a past winner of all of off-road’s major races, including the Baja 1000 and Baja 500. He was inducted into the Off-Road Motorsport Hall of Fame in 2007. Vessels and three fellow off-road competitors pioneered the concept of oval-track truck racing, which NASCAR took over in the mid-1990s and developed into the popular Camping World Truck Series. 

“Our family suffered a great loss on August 11, 2010. Scoop is survived by his wife, Bonnie, and sons Kash, Colt and Bryan. 

“We would like to extend our most sincere thanks for your love and support as we move forward to continue our family legacy.”

The Vessels family has requested that a memorial fund be established at the American Quarter Horse Foundation for a youth scholarship in memory of Scoop. Our hope is to raise enough money for an endowed scholarship to be given annually in his name. Gifts can be forwarded to the American Quarter Horse Foundation, P.O. Box 32111, Amarillo, TX 79120 or can be made online.