Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame Inductees

Tommy & Johanna Bullard

Tommy Bullard, one of the most respected veterinarians and breeders in Texas, and his wife, Johanna, have left an imprint on the racing industry in many ways.

Tommy, a native of Moran, Texas, was drawn to horses at an early age, working horseback as a teenager for a cattle rancher along the Canadian River in the panhandle.

Tommy graduated from Phillips High School in 1959 and attended Frank Phillips Jr. College for two years before being accepted into veterinary school at Texas A&M College. Working his way through college, he ended up graduating near the top of his class and at the age of 24 was immediately offered a position in the Large Animal Clinic at A&M by his beloved mentor, Dr. Bill Romane.

Bullard earned his Master’s in Veterinary Medicine and Surgery and had a fine reputation as an orthopedic joint surgeon as well as an outstanding diagnostician and clinician in reproductive medicine. He was known for quick, clean surgeries with minimal trauma to the joint, speeding recovery to the track for the horses under his care.

Tommy married Johanna Howell, also a graduate of Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine, in 1975. They built Tee Jay Farm in Wellborn, Texas, and in December 1976 bought land in Dennis, Texas. For several years, Tommy worked the racetracks in New Mexico, and Johanna worked in equine reproduction at Buena Suerte Ranch in Roswell, New Mexico. Under Tommy’s care was the great Dash For Cash and Triple Crown winner Special Effort and other multiple stakes winners. The couple had been married 49 years and were proud parents of sons, Ty and Sam, as well as Tommy’s daughter, Barbara, from his previous marriage.

Bullard Farms stood many stallions, both racing and cutting, over the years and developed lasting relationships with owners, breeders, and trainers. Tommy and Johanna built a surgery facility on their land and performed countless joint surgeries.

After retirement from private practice and from breeding outside studs and mares, Tommy obtained his racing trainer’s license and ran their homebreds at tracks in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Louisiana. His favorite was Fire On The Fly, Bullard’s most successful Distance runner. The striking gray son of Jet Cartel won 13 of his 38 starts, including the Sam Houston Distance Challenge and 2016 Remington Distance Challenge(G3). Retired in 2018, he still resides on Bullard’s farm.

Tommy was a lifelong member of the American Association of Equine Practitioners, the American Veterinary Medical Association, and the Texas Quarter Horse Association and was recently awarded 50-year Breeder status from the American Quarter Horse Association. He was a member of the Texas Equine Veterinary Association and held a past seat as a board member for the Texas Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association.

Dr. Bullard passed away in January 2023 after a courageous battle with multiple myeloma.