Florida Consignor John 'Quincy' Adams Dies at 51

Florida consignor John "Quincy" Adams, 51, of Williston, Fla., died Nov. 17. Adams' family described him as one of the few, true cowboys left. He could rope, ride, herd steers, and train horses. He and his wife, Jennifer, operated Q Bar J Thoroughbreds, a regular consignor at the 2-year-olds in training sales. "He worked for me when he was a kid," recalled Adams' brother Jimmy Gladwell. "He was a really good hand on a horse, teaching a horse, training a horse, and he had a good eye for a horse. He did well, selling some nice horses and making a good living. It is such a loss because of his talent." "I knew him mostly at the training sales," said Torie Gladwell, also a 2-year-old consignor as Top Line Sales with her husband, Jimbo, Jimmy Gladwell's son. "He always had a smile on his face and was willing to help anyone in need. His specialty was tough, rank horses. Other consignors would even send horses his way that were unmanageable, and he had the cowboy touch for getting them broke and going." Since 2015, Q Bar J sold 140 horses at the 2-year-olds sales for more than $12.5 million. One of the Adams' successful pinhooks was a Commissioner filly out of the Rahy mare Money Madness who would be named Boardroom. They acquired the filly for $40,000 at Fasig-Tipton's 2018 The July Sale as a yearling from the Perrone Sales consignment and pinhooked her for $475,000 at the 2019 Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. Bloodstock agents Alex Solis II and Jason Litt bought the filly for LNJ Foxwoods. The filly won this year's Whimsical Stakes (G3) and Seaway Stakes (G3) at Woodbine and was second there in the 2020 Bessarabian Stakes (G2). Family members reported Adams missing to the Levy County Sheriff's Office Nov. 15, and the LCSO warned in its missing person report of the possibility of Adams suffering from depression. He had not been seen by family members since late October, according to the LCSO. No foul play is suspected in his death, nor did Adams appear to die of natural causes, said Lt. Scott Tummond, public information officer for the LCSO. He was discovered in a vehicle outside Gainesville, and his passing is still classified as under investigation until the LCSO receives a final report from the medical examiner's office, according to Tummond. Quincy was born in Jacksonville to Mildred and George Adams. He is survived by his wife, Jennifer Adams; children, Candace McIntire (Adams), Colt Adams, Cheyenne Adams, and Cash Adams; grandchildren, Kynzee Campbell, Ezekiel McIntire, Kenna Adams, Eliza McIntire, and Adaline Adams; brother, James "Jimmy" Gladwell and his wife, Martha; and sister, Sally Holton and her husband, Ed; and several nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and cousins. He is preceded in death by his father George Adams and sisters, Mary Harris (Gladwell) and Monica Cain (Gladwell). A graveside service was held Nov. 23 at Orange Hill Cemetery in Williston.