Merry Go Boy Credited With Setting ' Modern Goit ' Of The
Wolking Horse timc-in the show ring-proved to be so popular with the crowds that judges changed their concept of the running walk gait to coincide with the gait shown by this horse . They say this took place largely during the
To A Veferqn l3
Voice of the Tennessee Wolking Horse
Merry Go Boy Credited With Setting ' Modern Goit ' Of The
Matchless ] Ierlv Co Bor ' -acknowledgerl " strprelne \ irr- of ilre modern
Tennessee \\' alking F { orse , according to Part-Ou ' ner S . \\ - . Beech , Jr . -is in " perfect phvsical condition " for service as a 19-r ' ear-olc1 n ' ith the season jr-rst starting .
That ' s the rrord from Belfast , Tenn ., l ' here the twice-champion of
the l ' orld 119 + 7-48 ) has stood for manv seasons . He is owned by Beech ancl ' C . C . Turner , the latter ' nationallr ' knon-n for his Broadway , Va . farm ' rthere the famous Go Boy ' s Souvenir
stands . \ Vord from Virginia recently came that Fred M . Black oI Broadway had sold his share of Souvenir to Turner . trIerry Go Boy ' s " claim to fame " does not rest solely upon his brilliant championship record , and his superb performance as a sire of many cham-
Prons .
This horse set a brand new record for a Tennessee \\ ralking Horse price when he sold for 555,000 as a fouryear-old before he rvon the 1948 Celebration cl-own . Just last November his son-Go Bo1 " s Shadow , l0 years old and retirecl to stud-brought " more than 555,000 " in another record-setting sale reported on Page 7 in this magazrne .
But even rrore important is thc well cstablishecl fact that " Merry Go Boy set the modern standard for fast running walk gaits in horse shows-in fact changed the manner in which Tennessee Walking Florses are judged ."
Old-timers assert that Merry Go Boy , the fastest Walking Horse to his
MORE PARTY I . INE
( Continued from Page 7 )
Heights , Fountain Heights and West End . Broke into newspaper work lr ,' ith the old Age-
Herald ( when Mr . Barrett had it ) and the Birmingham News undcr Zipp Nelman and Vincent ' fownsend . That rvas years ago . Good Luck and thanks . BAG .)
Ralph Dav of Salem , Ind . offers a good example of the sincere type ol letter we have received from hundreds of friends welcoming this magazine .
Ralph says :
" I am pleased to know that we are
able to purchase a real Walking Horse magazine . I am a lover of the Tennessee Walking Horses . I own three
registered mares "
" I also attend the Celebration each r , ear . I have my reservation now for
Wolking Horse timc-in the show ring-proved to be so popular with the crowds that judges changed their concept of the running walk gait to coincide with the gait shown by this horse . They say this took place largely during the
1947-48 horse show seasons and greatly incrcased public attendance and recognition of Tennessee \ Alalking FIorse
show classes .
Within recent years Merry Go l3oy has proved to be the overr ' vhelmingly dominant force in the National Fucurity stagccl annually by the Tenncssee \ A / alkinE Horse Breeders & Exhibitors ' Assn .
During the 1960 Futurity at Sheibyville this horse sired more than 50 per
cent of the young horses that receivecl ribbons-the numbers being 24 Nlerry Go Boy sired lvinners out of 45 ribbons . At the 196l Futurity the proportion was about the same , Merry Go Boy sons and daughters taking 24 out of the 46 ribbons against an alltime record field of entries . This amazing mark means a single stallion has outscored all the others of the breed in the two straight Futurities-and some of thc other winners were sired by sons of Merry Go Boy .
Becch points out that N4erry Go Boy is well in his prime right nowhaving a stamina comparable to Allan F-1 , the No , I F ' oundation Horse of the breed , Allan began his contribution at age 17 and serviced lll
mares in the last year of his life that ended in September 16 , 1910 , at age 24 . ( Facts taken from The Biography of the Tennessee Walking Horse .)
the 1962 Celebration . I will be pleased to read about the care and
training of the breed . I am sure I rvill gather a lot of good information .
( Editor ' s Note-Ralph thosc three registered mares mean you are in the IWH busincss . If they get good care and keep hcaltl . rv rou rrill contribute at least { 0 fine foal tb ' the industry inside of 20 r ' ears .
Othen like lou can make our breed No . 1 in the ' rrorlil of horses . BAG .)
R . C . Fyffe of Staffordsville , Ky ., read our book within three days after he received it in December , 1961 , and replied : " I have read your book already and it is an outstanding book .
It was helpful in tracing the background of my Tennessee Walking Horse ."
( Editor ' s Note-F . C ., my book gives back- ( Continuecl on Page 21 )
A Dedicqtion
To A Veferqn l3
Friends , you al-e looking into the Iace of one of the Great Nlodern Pioneers of the Tennessee Walking Horse \ A / orlcl . He is Henrv lV . Davis of Wartrace , Tenn ., standing in front of his famous barn in that community . Mr . Davis was thus pictured in July , 1960 .
Toclay he is in ill hcalth-confinecl to his home in \ A / artrace .
It was Hcnry 1 &'. Davis who " fathercd " the National Celebration at Shelbyville with a talk to a civic club .
It rvas Henry W . Davis who was a younger mernber of that great Wartrace ' Beech Glove group led by the late Albert M . Dement and the late
James R . Brantley who " produced " the great Allen Family that perpetuated the ' Iennessee \ Aralking llorse during the " automobile crisis " of
I 920 .
He has been a stalwart all through the years .
\ A / ithout him . and his encouragement in the Editor ' s preparation of the book-Biography of the Tennessee
Walking Horse-this magazine would ncver have happened .
In this Volume l , Nuurber I issue we thank this man , we dedicate this magazine to his high purposes for the
Tennessee Walking Horse . ( l3AG ).