Hal Jones has devoted a lifetime to the business of breeding trotting and pacing horses.  During his career he managed several of the finest Standardbred breeding facilities in the United States and, of significant importance to the industry, in the early 1960s he pioneered the use of artificial insemination when breeding horses. Of recent note, his Cameo Hills Farm has the distinction of having produced 2008 Hambletonian winner Deweycheatumnhowe, 3,1:50.4 ($3,155,178).

From 1951 to 1969 Hal Jones managed Pickwick Farms in Bucyrus , OH for USTA president and Northfield Park founder Walter Michael. In 1961, during Jones’ tenure at Pickwick,

through his crude but effective artificial insemination techniques, Pickwick stallion Gene Abbe was bred to 181 mares. This innovation gave Gene Abbe the distinction of becoming the first stallion, of any breed, to register more than 100 foals in one breeding season. Jones’ breeding shed advancement was to change the very nature of Standardbred breeding for ever more by allowing stallions to be paired with a much larger number of mares. An added benefit of this procedure was the protection of the broodmare from all too frequent physical damage caused with live cover.

In 1969, when Jones moved from Pickwick to work for the Kimelman family as farm manager at fledgling Blue Chip Farms in Wallkill , NY , he brought Gene Abbe and many of Pickwick’s best mares with him.

Jones was superintendent at Hanover Shoe Farms from 1971 to 1977. While there he worked with Albatross, Star’s Pride, Super Bowl and Tar Heel who, combined, sired winners of over $300 million. In 1978 Jones went to work for Alan Leavitt and Lana Lobell Farm, managing the farm’s New Jersey operation and overseeing stallions such as Oil Burner and Speedy Somolli.

In 1982 Hal Jones purchased and built Cameo Hills Farm, his 225-acre boarding and breeding facility in Montgomery , NY . Jones’ experience and knowledge has helped Cameo Hills produce such outstanding performers as Deweycheatumnhowe, Goalie Jeff, Housethatruthbuilt, Pedigree Snob and Speed Merchant. Today, Hal, who is in his early eighties, continues to work on the farm, providing wisdom, inspiration and encouragement to his son Steve, whose turn it now is to guide the future of Cameo Hills.

For information on The Harness Racing Museum's Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies, including ticketing and hotel information, click here or call the museum at 845.294.6330.  Attendance at the event is open to the public and encouraged.