Voice of the Tennessee Walking Horse 25
Blankenship Tells Of Washington Trek With Walking Horse
( Editor ' s Note — E . S . Blankenship of Rt . 3 , Pullman , Wash ., wrote for his friends a brief account telling how he brought the first Tennessee Walking Horse to appear in the Palouse River valley area in Southeast Washington state . We were privileged to receive a copy — and present it herewith . BAG )
As far as I am able to ascertain , I was the first person to bring the Walker to this area . My first Walker mare came from Tennessee — a direct descendant from Roan Allen F-38 ( the first ) . She was bred and bought from McGill when one year oldshipped from Tennessee in 1942 . Mr . Devoe from Yakima ( Wash .) purchased her . I bought her from Mr . Baldwin of Wapito and Seattle .
She was bred to a registered Palomino stallion owned by Mr . Whitman at Wenatchee . I sold this filly for $ 700 . The next two colts , both fillies , also were sold in this locality . One went to Mrs . Mae Hatcher of Lewiston and the other was sold to Abe Haynes , then of Moscow , Idaho . Two more fillies were sold — one to Carl Gray of this city and another to Mr . Haynes of Winchester , Idaho .
When I lost the lease on the land 1 had been renting , I was forced to sell the original mare , Mai Gill , together with a registered stallion I had bought in Canada . This beautiful animal also came direct from Tennessee — raisecl by Mr . Spiller — and was registered under the name of Spiller ’ s Gold Dust . He was all that his name implies . The last colt I raised — a gorgeous Palomino — was bought by Mrs . Velma Bryant . She was Meb Boyregistered in both the Palomino and Walker Classifications .
The only Walkers that I knew of at that time were in Walla Walla and Pendleton . After seeing these animals 1 knew they were not the refined animals that I knew as a boy in West Virginia . My father owned and raised fine Walkers and some of our mules had the gaits ... I was often kidded about wanting a Walker — so I could show these people a fine animal of the type I wanted . I believe I made good on that promise , for when these parties came and saw Mai Gill under the saddle they agreed they had never seen a better pleasure horse .
I am very happy that we are getting an organization to promote the only real pleasure horse and hope the Walker will soon come into his own
Walker Shows " Human Qualities " In Fighting Snow To Save Trainer
Loyally , docility , intelligence and imagination are some o £ the “ human " qualities of the Tennessee Walking Horse that are best shown by stories oC what horses have done in emergencies .
A case in point developed last year in Missouri . The Voice Editor received a clipping from a friend of the March 11 , 1961 issue of the Kansas City Star . It was a Page 1 story with a 6-column head that said : “ Horse Fights Snow To Carry Exhausted Trainer Home ." There were 2-column pictures of Robert Gibson of Independence , Mo ., resting after his ordeal ; and Miss Martha Edith Sermon , daughter of Mayor and Mrs . William H . Sermon of Independence with My Golden Merry Boy , the TWH gelding who saved her trainer . The newspaper article says : " A Tennessee Walking Horse , owned by Mrs . Editor Sermon , wife of Mayor William H . Sermon of Independence , apparently saved the life of its trainer yesterday when the man — exhausted after fighting his way out of an ice-covered pond into which he had fallen , collapsed on the horse ' s back and was carried home .
“ The man was Robert E . Gibson , who owns a large farm east of Independence on Salisbury Road . He rents stall space and pasture to horse owners and trains saddle horses .
“ According to Gibson , 62 years old , he went to his barn yesterday morning and noticed that a broodmare , also owned by Mrs . Sermon , two cows and a burro were missing from the feed lot . He rode the Tennessee Walking Horse bareback about a mile to a farm , which is on his farm .
“ Gibson said that when he got to
in these parts . Those people who want to ride for pleasure will stop being prejudiced and will enjoy the ease to be found only in riding a Walker . People will still argue that the gaits in a Walker are man-made , but 1 don ’ t believe they have ever seen a newly foaled colt get up and sLart off beside his mother with the natural gait . I do agree that it takes man to develop the gaits , the flat foot walk , the running walk and the canter , but surely the animals are born with the gaits . ( E . S . Blankenship , Rt . 3 , Pullman , Wash .) the pond he saw one of the cows but could not see the other missing animals . He walked out on the ice to investigate and fell through .
" He said he thrashed about 10 or 15 minutes , breaking thin ice to get back toward more solid ice so he could lift himself out of the water . The pond is about 10 feet deep . When he did get out , Gibson said , he was so exhausted he simply crawled up on the horse ’ s back , draped himself over the animal and collapsed .
“ The horse , whose name is ‘ My Golden Merry Boy ,’ but is called ’ Spook ,’ carried Gibson , who was unconscious part of the time , the mile back to his house . At times , according to Gibson ' s wife , ’ Spook ’ was confronted by snowdrifts up to the animal ’ s belly .
“ Gibson said he remembered that when the animal found a drift it could not get through it simply backed up and tried another route .
“ A doctor , who examined Gibson , said the horse trainer suffered shock from his immersion in the cold water and would require rest .
" The cow Gibson saw was rescued , but the other cow , the broodmare , valued at S500 , and the burro were uol found immediately .
“ Mrs . Sermon , excited over her horse ’ s feat , said : ‘ I didn ’ t know a horse would have so much imagination .’ ’’
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