BRENHAM, Texas -- Steve VanBebber, currently the nation's leading Quarter Horse trainer by wins and earnings, was found dead in a motel room in Brenham, Texas, on Tuesday.

	This year, the horses that VanBebber trained earned more than $2.2 million and won 143 of their 679 races.

He died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, according to Michael Davis, a detective with the Brenham Police Department. VanBebber was 50.

Davis said that no note was found at the scene and that there was no reason to believe foul play was involved.

VanBebber checked into the Best Western in Brenham on Sunday. When he did not check out by Tuesday afternoon and did not answer calls, the police were called. After a forced entry, police found VanBebber.

VanBebber was honored as Quarter Horse racing's champion trainer in 1999, and he was having a career year in 2000. He saddled 143 winners from 679 starters in 2000, placing him atop the national trainer standings through Wednesday. He also leads all trainers by earnings this year with more than $2.2 million, and ranks as the sport's third leading trainer of all time by wins behind Blane Schvaneveldt and Ed Giles.

VanBebber was perhaps best known as the trainer of Tailor Fit, who was voted World Champion in 1999 after winning the Grade 1 Champions of Champions. Other top runners trained by VanBebber included Kool Kue Baby, who won more stakes than any other Quarter Horse in history. He trained her in her final year, and saddled her to win the last start of her career, the Grade 1 Centaur Distaff at Lone Star in October.

VanBebber was a longtime fixture in Texas Quarter Horse racing. He won every Quarter Horse title at Sam Houston Race Park in Houston since the track opened in 1994, and every title at Lone Star Park since it opened in 1997. Overall he won 1,847 races in his 27 years as a trainer-including 71 stakes-for earnings of $9.75 million.

VanBebber, who lived in Houston, was hospitalized for a brief period this fall because of ulcers, and was also facing a hearing for a class medication violation for one of his horses. He is survived by his wife, Janet, and daughters Stefanie, 19, and Taylor Anne, 3.

A memorial service will be held Friday at 1 p.m. at Sam Houston, and Janet VanBebber said in lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Sam Houston Racetrack Chaplaincy Fund. Funeral arrangements are pending, said Janet VanBebber.