The 86-year-old former Texas A&M professor and longtime Brazos County horse breeder is set to be inducted into the Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame this fall, honoring his decades-long contributions to the sport in Texas.

Although this is far from the first honor Kieffer has received, he said he was excited to hear the news, calling his induction a big deal.

“I’ve been breeding horses for a long time, but I didn’t ever think I would get in,” Kieffer said. “There are some big names [in the hall of fame] … It means the industry has recognized that I have bred some really good horses. It means a great deal.”

Since coming to the area in the late 1960s, Kieffer spent 20 years as a professor of equine science at Texas A&M University and served in various capacities through the industry including as chairman of the Texas Equine Account Advisory Committee and on the board of directors for the Texas Thoroughbred Association and the International Stockmen’s Education Foundation.

Kieffer, who has been widely recognized as a leader in the areas of animal science and genetics, still owns and operates Touchstone Farm in College Station, where he continues his work breeding horses.

Joe Straus Jr., founder and board chairman for the Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame, said in addition to honoring those who have had a significant impact in the state, the organization also looks to “preserve the history of horse racing in Texas” for future generations.

Along with Kieffer, four others — including one race horse — are also set to be honored.

He is preceded in his induction to the hall of fame by one of his most successful race horses, the two-time world champion Pass Over, who was honored by the organization in 2009 for her successful career in the 1970s.

“I’m finally catching up with her,” Kieffer said.

The ceremony will be Oct. 29 at the Retama Park Race Track in Selma.

For more information about the Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame, visit txhof.com.