Longtime NCHA member, Jerry Louie, 85, Chico, Calif, passed away due to an apparent heart attack on Saturday, April 25; according to pccha.com.

Raised on a farm in Kingman, Kansas, Jerry Louie enjoyed success mainly at West Coast events, as well as at the NCHA Western Nationals, and worked tirelessly to support the sport that he fell in love with at a California club cutting in 1981.

“When I went to a cutting the first time, I saw something that was special, and it has had a major impact on my life ever since,” said Louie, who was a three-term (nine years) NCHA Executive Committee member, as well as a Regional Director for nearly three decades. He also worked on many of the NCHA standing committees, including the Promotion and Development Committee; the Budget and Compensation Review Committee; and was chairman of the Non-Pro Committee.

As an NCHA Bronze Award winner, some of Jerry Louie’s proudest moments came as winner of the 2006 Pacific Coast CHA Non-Pro Cutting Stakes, riding Playitagun; winner of the Big D Derby 5/6 Non-Pro on Little Commander Dry; winner of the NCHA Breeders Cutting Amateur on Jokerlena; as well as a third-place finish on Jokerlena in the 1990 NCHA Super Stakes Non-Pro Classic.

Details for memorial are pending.