Elvin ‘Gene’ Fleming
Wilcox - Cochise County
Inducted in 2015
One of the founding members of the Arizona Thoroughbred Breeder’s Association, Gene Fleming, has had a love affair with the magnificent four-legged athletes since the late 1940s when he bought his first broodmare.
Elvin “Gene” Fleming grew up on his family's farm in West Phoenix. His father, Q.E. "Jake" Fleming, came to the state in 1914. As the story goes, Phoenix wasn't his intended destination. Jake and one of his brothers were in Texas on a grain harvest. With a day off and all of their belongings stuffed in gunnysacks, they decided to take the train to California. Their money only got them as far as Phoenix, so they were forced to disembark. They found jobs at the Cowden Cattle, and their family has been here ever since.
Gene's mother was Missouri-born and bred. Marcia and her sister had asthma and had come to the desert for relief. She and Jake met, fell in love, and married, and a new era began. They had an ostrich ranch in Cashion on the Cashion Ranch. Eventually, Jake purchased land from Ray Cowden at 115th Avenue and Lower Buckeye Road and moved the family to what became the home farm when Gene was less than a year old.
Gene was born in a long-forgotten small town near Peoria along the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway called Marinette. All traces of what had become a ghost town were obliterated with the construction of Sun City. Growing up, he worked on the Fleming Farm with his father and brother Wallis. The farm started as a small dairy and with the ability to run cattle. It later became a feedlot, and the family grew cotton, hay, grain, and corn.
Gene's transition to horse breeding was a significant turning point. Despite his father's initial disapproval, Gene's courage and determination led him to purchase his first Thoroughbred, a broodmare named "High Lake," from Dr. Pardee in 1947. This bold move set a new direction for the farm and his future.
He joined the Army in 1948 and then served in the Arizona National Guard until 1952, when he was honorably discharged. During his years with the Guard, he continued to work on the family farm. 1950 was a pivotal year for Gene. He and Jodie married and started building their family: Carolyn, Marvin, Jolene, and Gerald. It was also the year he entered the horse business.
Gerald remembers that his grandfather wasn't happy about transitioning from farming to raising horses. "He was in cattle and used to milking cows and ranching and farming, and he wasn't thrilled with the horse business, but it just kept getting bigger and bigger," he says.
Gene was not just a horse breeder but also a community-minded man. His dedication to public service was evident when he was elected to the Salt River Project Council in 1972. His commitment to the community was further demonstrated when he was appointed to the Board in 1998 and later as the Board Liaison to the Councils in 2002. He held that position for five years, retiring in 2007 after serving 35 years with the company.
The reigns of the farm were turned over to sons Gerald and Marvin when Gene retired from actively managing it. The Fleming Thoroughbred Farm L.L.C. was relocated to Willcox in 2006. "The size of our (original) farm was down to 69 acres. We had outgrown that facility," Marvin said. "The timing all worked out, and the land prices were favorable. We found this place with the climate, water, soil, and everything we wanted to move the horse operation to. " Even though he was retired, Gene enjoyed going down to Willcox and hanging out with the boys, being around the horses, and helping wherever possible.
Gene Fleming died in 2011.
Affiliations
U.S. Army — (1948-1949)
Arizona National Guard — (1949-1952)
Salt River Project — Board and Council, 35 years
Arizona Thoroughbred Breeder’s Association — Founding Member and Board, 50 years
Arizona Farm Bureau — Member
Arizona Agri-Business — Member
Awards
Julep Cup from The Bloodhorse, 1983
AZ-bred Champion, Lonesome Creek, 2009
A.T.B. sale AZ Bred Leading filly earner, 2008
AZ Bred Leading filly earner, Tank Full
A.T. B.A. Sale Champion Leading filly earner — Tank Full
Turf Paradise — Racenamed
Thoroughbreds -Gene Fleming Breeders Derby
